Most romantic place on Earth

Venice is by far the most romantic place on the earth, specifically, the Rialto Bridge in San Marco. And then there’s the San Marco Piazza, which reminds me of a wedding scene in the Godfather film. Pigeons cover 80 percent of the ground, mainly attracted by the food the vendors sell to the tourists to hand feed the flying rats. Nighttime is romantic in the piazza, when the air is warm but there is no blazing sun on your shoulders, and the sound of an orchestra is within touch. This is also where I developed my newfound love for espresso and cappuccino.

On the inlet, Lido, five euro will get you the best pizza and liter of wine you’ve ever tasted. I know this because for three nights, that’s exactly what I ordered for dinner.

And the Italian men — forget about it! They are flirtatious, but in a good way. I received a catcall that made me want to tip the man who whistled.

There is a certain sophistication to an Italian man’s attentiveness to women. In fact, once while dining in an outdoor café, a man with a guitar began playing in front of our table. When he was through, he handed me a long-stemmed, single red rose. I walked on a cloud back to my room that evening. But the cloud burst when I turned on the television before turning in for the evening. I had no idea Venetian porn was so popular.

From Venice, I booked a four-person couchette with one of the students in my program, Elizabeth, the Goth. She doesn’t speak to me, unless she’s desperate. We roomed with two gay French men, who kept leaving the room throughout the night for cigarettes.