The name Venice conjures up images of classic gondoliers serenading their passengers as they paddle gently through the occasional waft of traditional Italian cooking while navigating the truly unending maze of canals that snake throughout the city.  I didn’t really know what to expect when walking out of the airport – the pragmatic side to me knew there were probably going to have to be some adjustments to this fairy tale, but how much? Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: Venice costs a [relative] fortune, smells terrible, and it’s virtually impossible to get anywhere without tripping over a 20-person tourist group being paraded around by an...

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