Can I tell you about ... Venice

STAY

Palazzo Stern in the Dorsoduro area. Our room had a fabulous view and it was such a luxury to have breakfast and early evening cocktails on the terrace facing the Palazzo Grassi across the Grand Canal. Not to mention, the location couldn't have been more ideal being a hop and skip away from the Accademia and Saint Mark's square.
 

DO

A visit to the Ghetto. Established in 1516, it was the first Ghetto in the world. Napoleon Bonaparte is credited for freeing the Jews back in 1797 when he opened the gates and allowed them to live outside of the Ghetto. To this day, the Ghetto is still the epicenter of Jewish life in the city and has a beautiful kosher hotel.
 

EAT

Osteria da Fiore is a cozy Michelin star rated restaurant that well deserves it. Mara Martin, the chef, is known for combining traditional Italian cooking with a contemporary twist. Both the cuttlefish risotto and the steamed sea bass with aged balsamic vinegar are worth returning for.
 

MUST SEE

The Punta della Dogana museum. Designed by Tadao Ando and commissioned by Francois Pinault, the museum opened during the Venice Art Biennale after 14 months of restoration. The former customs house was meticulously restored to showcase a selection of Pinault's massive contemporary art collection. Only 141 out of 2,500 pieces made the cut to be permanently exhibited here.
 

WHAT I LOVED MOST

I love to meander and get lost in a city and Venice is perfect for that. There are so many tiny ancient streets that end abruptly or at a canal, and to make matters even more confusing, street names are repeated in different neighborhoods and house numbers seem to be allocated at random. But then, in Venice, getting lost is part of the fun.