I had been looking forward to this trip for a very long time. Not only because I was going to Venice, but also for other reasons. This was the first time that I travelled by myself, and after camping in the St Hugh's Library for two months, I was more than desperate to get out of Oxford.

I arrived in Venice in the evening. My aunt picked me up from the airport, where we had a quick diner before heading to her flat in Rialto. Her flat overlooked the Grand Canal but unfortunately it was dark when I arrived, so I had to wait until the morning for a proper view. Next morning, I woke up to the sound of boats on the canal. I looked outside and the view was stunning. The turquoise-coloured water was shimmering in the morning sunlight. Merchants were carrying their goods to the market. On the edge of canal parked a row of gondolas, waiting to be set free and ship tourists around. I had a quick breakfast before heading outside with my aunt and her husband.

My aunt's husband was called Antonio. He was born in Venice and had lived there all his life. He was 60-something and was very charming and friendly. Over breakfast, we chatted about many things. He told me about the history of Venice and the places around the world he had travelled to. China, Africa, America, Europe... We also chatted about me, about Oxford, and about my plan for the future. Antonio had a great sense of humour. He took me to his balcony on top of the flat. He whispered to me, Isn't the view great here? What I do in the morning is to come up here with a pair of binoculars and spy on the neighbouring women. Lad.

My aunt, Antonio and I took a boat to Lido, an island next to Venice. The boat navigated through the busy Grand Canal, picking up and dropping off tourists along the way. As we past through Venice, Antonio told me the history and the story behind many of the buildings there. After a hour on the river, we arrived at the Island of Lido. Originally, I wasn't quite sure why we went to Lido, but it turned out that they had another house there and needed to move some stuffs. Clearly, owning one flat in Venice was simply not enough.

Lido was like a Venice's barrier. On the one side was the lagoon that contained Venice whilst on the other side was the Mediterranean Sea. As it was sunny, we went for a walk alongside the sea. The light-blue sea lapped against the white sandy beach. The palm trees waved in the gentile breezes. The weather was perfect; not too hot and not too cold. The sea air rushed into my lungs, a nice change from the stale air of the library.

For lunch, we returned back to Venice. Antonio took us to his favourite restaurant on the bank of the Grand Canal, where I had some pasta washed down with fine white wine. After lunch, we walked to St Mark's Square. St Mark's Square was the soul of Venice. It was built in the 800s and was the largest public space in Venice. The Square was named after the Apostle St Mark, who's relic was stored there. We went into St Mark's Church. The walls and ceilings were covered by beautiful mosaics and paintings. The church was magnificent. We sat through a part of the afternoon sermon. Although I couldn't understand anything at all, I was more than content with the warm atmosphere inside the church. Leaving the church, Antonio guided me around the square. He showed me the oldest cafe in Venice, Caffe Florian, built in 1720. By the time I finished by guided tour by Antonio, it was getting dark. So we caught a boat and headed back home.

The next day, we went to the Doge's Palace and the Venice Museum in St Mark's Square. As we walked from home to the square, we went past some beautiful Venetian shops. Those shops were nestled in narrow alleys and streets. Inside them were fine jewelleries and glasses. The streets were crowded. Some were locals, but most were tourists. The city had a real vibrant atmosphere.

We quickly toured the Doge's Palace, but spent most of our time in the Venice Museum. The Museum was originally the parliament when Venice was a republic. The museum housed fine paintings. Antonio gave me some histories behind the building and the paintings. Venice was once a powerful and rich nation, the centre of world trades in the 15th century. All the money allowed the citizens to build grand buildings and collect fine arts. As we wondered through the museum, we moved to the prison section. The prison was connected with the court via a bridge called the Bridge of Sighs. Funny enough, there was also a Bridge of Sighs in Oxford. Whilst the naming of the bridge in Oxford was quite trivial, the bridge in Venice derived its name from the prisoners, who lost the freedoms as they went over the bridge to their cells. Guess that put my worries about exams into perspectives.

Time flew past fast. It was now Tuesday, my last full day in Venice. In the morning, Antonio took me to the Archeology Museum on St Mark's Square. Inside displayed a large collection of Venetian artefacts and paintings, show-casing Venice's rich history. There were also collections of Egyptian, Roman and Greek artefacts and sculptures. As usual, Antonio gave me the story behind many of the objects there.

In the afternoon, Antonio had to head-off to meet one of his customers, so I had the the rest of the day to myself. After been shown around for two days, I was looking forward to the chance of being let lose in and exploring Venice by myself. As I was already in St Mark's, I went up the Bell Tower. From the top, I was able to see the whole of Venice and the surrounding islands. The view was stunning. The orange terrocotta roofs covered the island, broken by the occasional church domes and surrounded by the blue lagoon.

After lunch at La Piscina, I went and discovered more of Venice. Although Antonio gave me a map, I intended to make as little use of it as possible. I wanted to get lost in the city. I felt only by getting lost, could I really discover Venice. I slowly walked through the narrow streets, crossing one canal after another and absorbing the atmosphere of the city. I started off at La Piscina, headed back to the Gallerie Accademia before turning west to Piazzale Roma. I then walked along the Grand Canal back to Rialto. As I wondered through the narrow streets, I took photos of the buildings, of the people, of Venice.

I had had a really good time in Venice. In some ways, it was a perfect holiday. I was blessed with gorgeous weather. It was sunny for all four days but it was never too hot. I went at a quieter period of the year so the streets weren't packed with tourists. I was guided around by a very knowledgable Venetian who had opened up my eyes to the Venetian culture and history. Finally, because I stayed with my relatives, it was actually a really cheap holiday. In fact, the majority of my spendings went on four bottles of Italian alcohol at the airport.

However, sadly, the city never quite clicked with me. I am not sure if I ever want to live there. Venice is very expensive. It is quite tacky in places. Some walls are full of graffitis. In the summer it can get really hot and the canals start to smell. In the winter, the city is often flooded due to rain and and high tides. And throughout the year, Venice is packed with tourists so getting around can be frustrating. But don't get me wrong, Venice is still a great place for holiday. The place is unique, beautiful and full of history. I think Venice is a city that everyone should visit at sometime.