Robert Benchley, the humorist who wrote for The New Yorker, once arrived in Venice and sent a cable to his editor that said: "Streets full of water. Please advise."

He was joking of course, but that IS the magic of Venice . The surrounding lagoon forced Venetians centuries ago to build their homes on every inch of land available. So, the maze of narrow walkways makes the cityís center square, Piazza San Marco, a luxury of open space. Napoleon called it the finest drawing room in Europe

And the Grand Canal is the most beautiful "road" in this city, so a private boat is the best vantage point to see and hear about Veniceís Carnival, her magnificent palaces, her symbolic lion, the secrets of glassblowing and the oldest caffe in Italy (Cafe Floriana, 1720)