... you love Venice. Shouldn't be news. I still don't know much about this festival though, but thanks for the Thomas Mann reference.

I understand every word.

You can't imagine, before you see it, that anything could live up to the reputation. Well, because let's face it, most things don't. I read in the guidebook on the train going there that "Venice is like some insane Baroque dream" and I thought "yeah, yeah." Then I arrived, and that first hit, standing at the Grand Canal where you get on a boat to go into the rest, I thought good god. Venice is like some insane Baroque dream. Why didn't anyone tell me? It just gets better after that.

It's kind of sad, too, I think. It's sinking, for one thing. The tourists, which have ruined entire cities for me, Rome for example, and I mean I've lived there, not just visited, somehow in Venice you don't care.

I think a lot of it is just such a bustling place but no sound of cars. Or trucks. Bustling with swishing noises instead of engine sounds. I don't know. You understand that a little though when you leave, and the sound returns.

In Rome, by the way, when I mentioned Venice to my Italian friends I then said "But I imagine it's just a touristy cliche to you?" and they said nope. They felt the same way about it that I did.

One last thought: One of my favorite lines ever, from an old Woody Allen standup CD I have: "I met this woman in Italy, but she left me. Last I heard she went and became a streetwalker in Venice. And drowned."

So did I.

Thank you, Stephanie, I've never been to Venice, may never go to Venice, but you've given me a small piece of this lovely city and for that I’m grateful.

A new Claire Denis film that sounds wonderful, and a person falling in love with Venice for the first time. It happened recently to me too. Thank you for this article.

For taking me back to my memories of Venice, 18 years ago. Glad to hear you finally made a visit to one of the most magical places in the world.