Unique and romantic... Venice

(Distance from home 562 km). Before telling you about our weekend in the lagoon, I should point out that Venice is perhaps the most beautiful city I've ever seen. The term beautiful is the result of a series of characteristics that distinguish this destination, chosen by so many people, for its uniqueness. We found a very cheap flight with Ryanair to Treviso Airport connected by a convenient bus to Piazzale Roma (all in all the bus transfer to and from Venice cost more than the return flight) and booked the hotel on the very reliable Booking (Ca Fontanea in Cannaregio, easily reachable from Piazzale Roma). Having set off with many reservations due to the parochialism of other travellers, as soon as we arrived we were immediately pleasantly enchanted by the spectacle offered by Venice.

In my opinion many don't know how to appreciate Venice because it seems like you're setting foot on another planet: precisely this made us fall in love with this city, which we explored far and wide with a tranquillity (except for St Mark's Square, which is always very crowded) and a truly unique pleasure. No cars, little noise and with our nose constantly in the air, scrutinising the most hidden and fascinating corners among the calli. We didn't do the classic gondola ride but used an hourly pass for the boats with which we first reached Murano and Burano crossing the lagoon and then the Giudecca. Murano is very characteristic (we even watched a regatta) but Burano is something fantastic: you set foot on an island whose colours will remain imprinted in our minds.

Perhaps if we'd had a grey day we could have better appreciated the contrast with the bright colours of the houses, but it's equally true that we wouldn't have been able to eat polenta with cuttlefish ink on the canal bank of an incredible goodness. No need to mention the very well-known monuments of the Serenissima; the advice we want to give is to take long walks, losing yourself among the calli and campi where you'll find, when you least expect it, marvellous glimpses, churches and corners.