In Venice the streets near the most typical sights are packed in summer. We preferred exploring corners of the city that were a little more tucked away and we found ourselves venturing under a church into a dark, cavern-like crypt that looked like something out of an Indian Jones film.

Venetian masks are infamous but the tradition of masquerade apparently spawned such widespread hedonism in the opulent Venetian Republic that the Roman Catholic Church restricted the use of masks until this practice was constrained to certain festivals. Now the masks are reserved for Carnival and playful parties.

Our stay in Venice was made memorable by the endearing company of good friends who kept us laughing, showed us the city from a local perspective and in every way made us feel truly at home. Our last evening in the city was no exception. Conversation and laughter took the place of sleep that night and it was just before dawn when a friend personally ferried us through dark and eerily quiet canals, then out into the lagoon to the airport to catch an early flight.