Now, finally, she understood what all the fuss was about. Venice was indeed like no other city she had ever seen. Around her, bell towers and dusky-coloured buildings rose out of the glittering lagoon. It was a city from another world, another era – before cars, planes and computers. An endless swath of blue stretched overhead. The growl of the water taxi departing, blended with the gentle slap of water against the wharf. It was mid-morning and despite an early start, Faye felt energised. She had managed to get some rest on the plane, and once the jet had touched down at Venice’s international airport, she had followed the other passengers out to where the water buses and taxis all docked – waiting to take visitors into the city. Only in Venice, Faye thought wistfully, could you arrive by boat from the airport. Faye turned and waved to the taxi driver. He waved back with a grin. Michele, who only spoke a few words of English, had chattered away to her in rapid-fire Italian for most of the trip.
