In December 2015, I was lucky enough to attend an instameet with some great Italian instagrammers —yay!— led by Lorenzo Cinotti…

A few snapshots of the piazza at sunset I found on an old roll recently, taken from in front of the basilica and from its balcony…

On day 5 of my Venetian adventures in December 2015, I visited the Giardinetti Reali. It's a wonderful little oasis of calm and greenery, steps away from the wild humanity of Piazza San Marco. The last time I was there the park was overrun delightfully with cats. The cats now though are all gone, as they are gone from every corner of Venice...

On day 7 of my Venetian adventures in December 2015, I spent the evening wandering the glorious streets one last time before my plane took off in the morning. The city is so endlessly interesting to me, with its tiny alleyways, its abhorrence of 90-degree angles, its colors, its style, its life. I can't wait to return... 

On day 7 of my Venetian adventures in December 2015, I had a great time wandering about with my friend Lorenzo Cinotti. The city was blanketed off and on with a light fog that gave a nice glow to everything we shot...

In December 2015 I visited Venice, Italy, for the fourth time. It's one of my very favorite places on Earth. I'll never get enough of it. Below are photos from my sixth day's wanderings... 

Near my apartment in Venice (where I visited in December 2015) stands a wonderful five-star hotel, the Danieli. Its rooftop restaurant looks out on both the Palazzo Ducalo and San Giorgio Maggiore. Impressive. The whole place has a great vibe of an old Venetian palazzo combined with a modern hotel. Sitting at the bar, sipping my gin & tonic, I felt like I was in a scene from a James Bond film. Turns out they filmed part of Moonraker here...

If there is a more breathtaking view than walking out of the ticket area into the Palazzo Ducale courtyard just off of the Piazza San Marco, then... I will eat (a delicious piece of cake in the shape of) my hat. The Doge's Palace is often overrun with tourists, but with good reason: it is truly a must-see destination. It's a glorious mix of late-medieval and renaissance architectures in ways that only Venice could devise.   

Venice is full of countless incredible buildings, but one of the best is Palladio's San Giorgio Maggiore church. Neoclassical brilliance. On the third day of my December 2015 Venetian trip I took a boat out to San Gio and went atop the bell tower. So gorgeous...

In December 2015 I visited Venice, Italy, for the fourth time. It's one of my very favorite places on Earth. I'll never get enough of it. Below are photos from my second day's wanderings.