Blue canals and rainbow washing lines and old bridges and gondolas and residents. Walking its sweet streets and treading its watery stairs, you find yourself in a trance of fascination. So much is preconceived and to an extent is the same as the reality, but it really is an experience to be in this unique place. It is a mesmerizing city, it is a colony; it is its own and no other is like it. And I love it for that. It knows what it is and doesn't try to explain itself, it just is.

The Venice Biennale was definitely a highlight. Over the two days we went to Arsenale and Giardini, both amazing but I was definitely more impressed by the Arsenale. "Fare mondi", making worlds, was the theme of this year. So much incredible art it is impossible to remember. Each country had its own tent of art, and some of my faves were Taiwan, Russia, and Finland. We befriended a lovely german guy called Johannes who spoke very god Italian which was a bonus for us, and we looked at the exhibits together. It was fun to explore this myriad of artistic expression and form and light and shade together, such scope and diversity there was so much to talk over.

San Marco was choccas, I far preferred exploring the empty churches that were hidden in the little streets we stumbled upon when getting lost, on numerous occasions ofcourse. The light in Venice, especially in the mid—late evenings, was a waterfall for the senses, it dipped every photo opportunity in a mist of perfect gold. The soothing presence of water and the lack of cars makes this city so uncity-like. I am glad to have visited this precious spot, however fast or slow it is sinking.