Sinking into the sunset

My wife Frances and I were last in Venice in 1996 BC (Before Children) when you could walk across the imposing square without any problem. Today, when the tidal lagoon encroaches each lunchtime, lines of trestle tables offer the best route.

Not that this detracts from the enjoyment of what is my favourite city, and one of the true wonders of the world. In an age when all major cities look alike, Venice is a magnificent throwback, its narrow streets, alleys, bridges and canals, providing an entrancing experience.

And although there are plenty of must-see places, one of the great joys of Venice is simply that it is, so take time away from the tourist throng and enjoy getting lost: the city is small enough for you to eventually stumble onto a familiar landmark.

Take the time to get to know the Venice away from main thoroughfares with their shops packed with Venetian masks and tacky glass ornaments, and you will find antique shops, art galleries and artisans' workshops, which seem to have hardly changed in centuries.

We were only there for five days - grandparents having generously agreed to look after the little 'uns - and it rained solid for two and a half of them but even that could not dampen the delight at being back in Venice.

Venture out at night and there is no finer city in the world and we walked miles through the sodden streets, captivated time and time again by the architecture, the relaxed atmosphere and the twinkling lights.

St Mark's Square is magical after dark and several of its cafs have resident classical music ensembles whose playing creates a unique atmosphere. But be warned, standing and watching may be free but sit down and order a coffee and you need to have plenty of those little euros in your pocket.

Indeed, the main tourist areas have plenty of restaurants where it is easy to pay above the odds: we dined one night at an open-air cafe where the waiters made us feel rushed, the food was so-so and the price was astronomical.

Better to plunge into the back streets, where the restaurants are a better bet because the atmosphere is more relaxed, the food is excellent, the wine flows, oh, how it flows, and the bill is not so scary. And don't be put off by the fact that it can, at times, feel like dining in someone's kitchen, they are exactly the kind of places you are after.

However, when in Venice you have to do some of the touristy stuff and there is more to it than taking a trip on a gondola, an experience we skipped this time.

St Mark's Cathedral, part of which now floods each day, is unmissable. It is worth paying to climb the narrow stairs and look down on the cathedral (which needs a damned good clean, if you ask me) and also to discover one of the city's wonders, tucked away from most people's sight. The four horses, cast sometime between 200-400 BC (Before Christ this time) were seized from Constantinople as spoils of war in 1204 and brought to Venice. Imbued with elegance and grace, they are a true marvel.

Not far away from the cathedral is the Campanile, the bell tower which has a 1,000-year history but managed to collapse, somewhat gracefully by all accounts, in 1902. It gave brief warning with a few cracks and groans so, when taking the lift the 300 feet to the top, it is worth keeping an ear open for tell-tale creaks. However, the view is terrific.

The Campanile obligingly fell in on itself, so sparing the nearby Doges' Palace, where the once-powerful state government of Venice operated. Visitors can tour the building and cross the Bridge of Sighs to the warren of prison cells where enemies of Venice were incarcerated. Worth it to watch the hordes of elderly American tourists getting lost!

Venice is also all about art but beware, across St Mark's Square a remarkably disappointing experience awaits. The Museo Correr is billed as one of Venice's lesser-known jewels and until someone exhibits its rich artworks and antiquities with a bit of vision it is likely to remain so.

Much more impressive, on the other side of Grand Canal, is the Accademia, which hosts some of the world's finest paintings, many by Venetian masters such as Jacopo Bellini and his sons Giovanni and Gentile, Titian and Veronese. Perhaps we missed them but we failed miserably to find any by Canaletto, the painter who more than any symbolises Venice.

One of the star turns is Veronese's huge Feast At The House of Levi, painted in 1573 as The Last Supper. The authorities viewed it as too irreverent (something about too many 'dogs, dwarves and drunken Germans') and ordered him to rework it - so Veronese gave it a new name instead!

Modern art enthusiasts will enjoy the nearby Peggy Guggenheim museum, based on the collection of the American collector who settled in Venice, and died in 1979. If you are not too baffled by Picasso and Jackson Pollock, this is the place for you.

Venice is also well known for its churches, some of which stage concerts. There is nothing like Vivaldi played well, and the concert we sat through was nothing like Vivaldi played well. I kept looking for the cat with its tail stuck in the church door as the bewigged ensemble scratched its way gamely through its programme.

The American next to us, who it emerged played on movie film scores, winced at regular intervals throughout the performance and after the blessed finale, leaned over and whispered: "I dare not stand up in case they think it is an ovation."

But they could have played it on a washboard - indeed, I suspect the lead violinist did - and it would still have been wonderful. You see, nothing, can ruin Venice.

FACTFILE

We booked with Travelscene and flew with KLM from Teesside Airport via Schipol Airport at Amsterdam. The journey, including an hour at Schipol and a boat trip from Venice Airport to the city itself, took five hours. We stayed four nights bed and breakfast at the Hotel Montecarlo, in Calle Specchieri, just off St Mark's Square.

Travelscene: Telephone: 0208 4274445.

Hotel Montecarlo 0039 041 520-7144

Total cost of transport and accommodation: £1,100