“Ahhhh, Venice.”

— Indiana Jones in “The Last Crusade”

It’s the finest city in the world for idle wandering, day dreaming and getting purposely lost. Each alley is a mystery and potential treasure.  It may lead you to a remote canal, an amazing restaurant, or a graceful church full of vivid Caravaggios.

To be a truly beautiful city, it is not enough to be merely visually striking. It also requires romance.

It’ll set you back $100 for a serenaded gondola ride. It’s something at least half the population wants to experience at least once in their lives. For most, once will be enough.

Legend says that if you kiss your lover under the Bridge of Sighs, you will be granted eternal love. Worth a shot.

Sure, it’s a tourist trap. Expensive. Crowded. The water is sometimes filthy and reeking. The buildings are slowly rotting away – elegant decay is everywhere.

Who cares? It’s the most romantic and beautiful city in the world.

It was Europe’s richest and most powerful city-state for a long time. Now it is slowly sinking into the Adriatic Sea, with no hope of rescue. During high tides, the central St. Mark’s Square (above) can be flooded up to your knees, which makes getting to dinner a bit of a soggy slog. My pants, shoes and socks made a big puddle on the cafe floor.

There are thousands of pigeons wheeling around the square. If you want to cause a stir, buy a pack of bird food and fling a handful into the air over your sweetie’s head. She will be instantly mobbed by hundreds of pigeons, flapping in her face, landing on her head and shoulders, pecking, pecking…. it’s a dirty trick, right out of Hitchcock, but everyone does it.  Best not try it with a stranger.

We caught this Venetian dog planning his next move. In this beautiful city, there are pleasures great and small around each corner.