Guest Writer Mary M., Phoenix AZ: This beautiful Italian city has been one of the world's most desired destination for tourists for ten centuries. We were there recently while on a Mediterranean cruise, and it was the highlight of our trip.

Venice is one of the few places in the world that exceeded our expectations, more fantastic in reality than what we had learned from history, TV, movies and travel guides. The first sights when you board the shuttle boat are scenes along the Grand Canal.

As we glided by, we saw magnificent Renaissance homes and churches, all just steps away from the water. Once ashore, we strolled the tourist-filled Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square), to feed the pigeons and get photos and video. Nearby is the Basilica of San Marco church and Campanile (Bell Tower).

On the side of the square nearest the canal is the Doge's (Chief Judge) Palace. We walked along the Bridge of Sighs, to experience what prisoners felt when on their way to prison. The bridge's name comes from prisoner laments as they saw the city through the small windows, while being led to prison or execution.

We visited many shops along the Piazza and throughout the center area. As art lovers, we spent time at the Venier dei Leoni Palace to view the modern art masterpieces of the Peggy Guggenheim collection.

We couldn't leave Venice without experiencing a traditional gondola ride. There were four of us, so we thought it could be a few dollars each. The total cost was $100, and the gondolier didn't sing one romantic Italian song.

Later, we decided to rest awhile and have lunch. We hoped to find a restaurant that offered genuine Southern Italian food at reasonable prices. The Vecio Fritolin is a little place on the Calle della Regina, near the big Rialto marketplace. The name told us that fried food was the specialty, with emphasis on fresh seafood. It's out of the way of the usual tourist treks, so most of our fellow diners were locals.

We tried the scartosso de pesce, or as the English call it, fish and chips. It cost, including wine, about $20 each. We took leftovers back to munch by the canal as we watched the sun set over the beautiful Venice skyline.