One of my most favorite cities that I have ever visited is Venice, Italy. I have been there only once, back in 2008 at the end of a Mediterranean cruise. Italy was my grandparents' homeland and they emigrated to the US before my mother was born. Maybe that is why it holds a special place in my heart.
To say that Venice is a magical place would be an understatement. It is very hard to describe it to someone who hasn't been there. There is a feel to the "city" that is unlike anywhere else I have been. Venice actually lies in a lagoon that is protected from the sea by thin strips of land that have three small inlets. Rather than an island, Venice is actually made up of 124 small islands connected by small bridges.
There is nothing that I would rather do than to walk the along the canals and watch the boats and gondolas manuevering through the city. Add to the scene the great old architecture and you get transported to a different time. This view was taken from one of the more famous bridges in Venice, namely Rialto Bridge.