Venice, absolutely beautiful even in a thunderstorm!  I did a walking tour, got lost (as everyone does in Venice), saw the splendour of the Doge's Palace, went on a gondola ride, and finally ate gelato :)

Oh so pretty!

St Marks and the bell tower.

Market Bridge, best place for souvenirs. Plenty of Venetian glass and the famous Carnival masks.

The Doge's Palace was another sumptuous building with its rooms teeming with artwork.  The Doge was the president of Vencie back when it was a city state, and was really just a figurehead. When the Doge was elected he held the position for life and had to move to the palace. He wasn't allowed to leave except for formal occasions.  The Venetian public embraced this form of governance despite the aristocracy holding all the power.

The gondola ride was very gentle but a great way to see the city.

One of the things I loved about Venice (other than the beautiful canals) is the strong identity that Venetians have.  People from Venice call themselves Venetians, not Italians. With a tiny population of only ~50,000 but an average of 23 million tourists each year, it is brilliant that the Venetian culture is still alive and thriving.