Because there’s a lifeline on the laguna to beat the heat. Well, sort of in it actually. Filtered sea water, lightly chlorinated with a splash of fresh water, 28 degrees like your own body. Slide in and you’re swimming in liquid silk.

This big beautiful pool (pictured below) is a legend. It was trimmed back from its originally planned Olympic size when a city ruling was discovered which meant it had to become a public pool. The local authorities approved the plans thinking the size was in feet, not metres.  

For those of you fortunate enough to have been there, you know where I’m talking about.  Yep, it’s the gorgeous pool of The Cipriani, a hotel which is an institution in Venice.  I’m prepared to call it the best hotel pool in the world. A big call, but definitely the best in any city I’ve ever visited.

And no matter how stunning Venice is and how many great hotels you can choose from, that pool is a deal breaker if you’re considering a summer visit.  

I returned from viewing strange art at the Biennale at the end of a steaming day, hankering to strip off and dive in.  

Before you wonder why I don’t simply go on a beach holiday if I’m so obsessed with being immersed in water, let me explain. My holiday companions are growing bored with my constant harping “I love this place”.  Why so much?  Because, no matter how many others call themselves “the Venice of the East”, there is no place on Earth that can come close to matching the magic of this city.  
 
And it’s not all about the Cipriani pool. Not by a long shot.

It’s the diverse mix of ingredients that tips Venezia over into the exceptional. It’s my fourth time to the city and each time I discover more.  

I’ve crisscrossed Venice all day on the vaporettos, walked the back alleys and canals, and never seen a car.  I’ve swum in the Adriatic Sea at The Lido and cycled along the ribbon island of Pellestrina.  I’ve visited the Peggy Guggenheim Museum.  I’ve listened to Vivaldi being played in his birthplace.  I’ve bought glass at Murano. I’ve enjoyed some of the best food and wine in the world.  I’ve even spent a day birdwatching in the Veneto.

Now I’ve discovered I can kayak the lagoon with a guide, so I’ll be doing that next time.

I arrived by a ship which cruised within metres of San Marco.  And I’m leaving by a water taxi which will drop me at the airport.

Venice isn’t perfect. A bit like a Latin Lover, she can be a little trashy at times with the tourist stalls in San Marco and the corny singing gondolas, and she is expensive to maintain, but she is just too damn irresistible.   

No wonder over 20 million people visit her each year. Considering the masses, it is surprising that you can still have your own personal Serenissima experience, find your own space, and still meet Venetians of charm and grace.  

Maybe it was the full moon which rose over the Lido last night casting a silver pathway on the water.  Maybe I desperately needed a break.  Or maybe I’m just in love.  With a place … and a pool.