The jewel in the Adriatic crown

With its sleek water taxis, gorgeous gondolas and paved streets ending with steps to the water, the beautiful Venice, as Conor Power discovered, is a city truly like no other.

FROM virtually any possible angle, Venice is simply magnificent. For starters, it really is an island in a lagoon just offshore from the mainland. I knew this before I arrived because I’d read about it and I’d seen images of this island for myself on Google Maps.

But you still have to pinch yourself when you arrive at an international airport and stroll outside to a taxi that’s actually a boat, alongside buses that are also boats.