Our arrival into Italy was rather eventful. A long day of hoping on and off trains and a truly bizarre Argos like system at Milan station left us thoroughly relieved to actually arrive in Venice. As it happened we were on a waterbus, or vaperetto to those in the know, by the time the sun was going down. This gave us a stunning trip up the grand canal to the island where were we staying when it was at its magical best.

Knowing that Venice is a tourist mecca, it has 24 million visitors a year and yet only around 50,000 inhabitants in the main city, we decided to take a tour of the 'hidden Venice' with a Venetian guide, Gina. We began at the Rialto market, the true heart of the city, where every type of fruit, veg, fish and meat is sold. Nigella Lawson is a massive fan so who am I to quibble! From here we walked the back streets of the city where the locals still live. In the last forty years as prices have rocketed there has been somewhat of a mass exodus from Venice proper. Over 100,000 people have moved out of the city leaving a dwindling population behind. Rents are comparable to Oxford and owning property leaves you with the ongoing issue of maintenance. The sea water under Venice rapidly eats its buildings leaving paint work wrecked with salty deposits within years.

Still, despite the many challenges the 'real' Venice is stunningly beautiful and utterly charming. The pace of life is slow as you mostly have to row yourself places. Everyone knows everyone, the crime rate is minuscule. On that note the close quarters people live in in Venice is one of the origins of the famous masks, along with the annual festival. Our guide reliably informed us that if you see two Venicians talking closely in the street you can be sure they are either conducting a a business deal, this being the city of merchants, or having an affair! The masks and robes then, famously worn by Cassanova, were to hide your identity on these illicit forays into the night. Venice as a city has been excommunicated fifteen times by the Catholic church. They have got some spirit, that's for sure!

The site of the over a hundred islands that make up Venice is the reason for its success and beauty. It was an important refuge, being a lagoon that only flat bottom boats could enter and therefore very hard to conquer, and an important trading point between east and west after the fall of Rome. Fascinatingly Venice remained an independent republic for over a thousand years of its history, with an aristocracy for sure but also a democratic system and no monarch or single ruling family. During the French Revolution when the rest of the world was in turmoil Venice was wondering what took us all so long!

This side of Venice was just wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The presence of tourists however was absolutely overwhelming and I do wonder what the future of Venice will be. Hopefully the ingenuity it took to build the place will surge through and Venice will remain a living city rather than simply a tourist play ground. I really hope so.

And so now we head to Florence for more of this little Italian adventure, until then - Ciao! :)