A slickly dressed waiter pours a drink in St. Mark's Square. [Photo by Mark Graham/China Daily]

The utilitarian, chug-chugging boats are given an extra aura of glamour and pizzazz by the ticket-collectors and captains. Younger male Venetians appear to have been born with a pair of wraparound shades attached to their (usually shaven) skulls and a dash of irreverent showmanship in their genes.

The very act of helping an old woman off the rocking ferry becomes an act of pure theater, all gesticulation and excited chatter, the showbiz affectations perhaps inspired by the many movies made in Venice, from the not-long-ago The Talented Mr Ripley with heartthrob Matt Damon back to Death in Venice with matinee idol Dirk Bogarde.

Almost all films have used the extravagant backdrop to great effect, the camera panning along the grand canal houses and zooming in lovingly on the exquisitely ornate architecture of its churches and cathedrals.

All this cultural overload comes at a price. By no stretch of the imagination is Venice a bargain. Never has been, never will be. Nonetheless, few people catch the departing train or plane griping about the damage inflicted on their credit cards. The talk is of saving enough to come back. Soon.

Even in the rain, which is so plentiful during certain times of the year that duck-boards are piled up, ready to be used, it has a warm charm. After experiencing the place in the dark and drizzle, a burst of sunshine zinging through is all the more welcome, transforming Venice from merely magnificent to simply divine.

IF YOU GO

There are no direct flights from China to Venice, so getting there involves a stopover. One of the best value fares is with Emirates, which has a fare of 6,956 yuan ($1,119) from Beijing, via Dubai. Once in the city, walking, ferry or water-taxi is the only way to get around; there are no motorized vehicles.