No one comes to Venice for the first time. We have become so familiar with photographs of the Palazzo Ducale, of the Basilica di San Marco, the grand palaces along the Canal Grande, the gondolas, Rialto Bridge, the pigeons and the sunsets, that it might seem impossible to discover something that would surprise a visitor here. Yet, there is something about the light reflected on the water and the secret passageways in the maze of narrow side streets that needs to be experienced in person. There are the moonlit canals which cannot be captured by any camera, the barely audible splashes of water, the chance to examine the spellbinding art in Byzantine basilicas up close. All that, when experienced unhurriedly with a guidance of a knowledgeable friend, can take your breath away and allow you to reach beyond the surface. And so, I invite you to find your own Venice, Venice that everyone dreams of, but few actually witness. I invite you to slowly come upon the city's fabulous architectural wonders that are by turns intimate and majestic. Discover your favorite Titian in the Accademia, find your own best beach on the Lido and sample fegato alla veneziana with a glass of ombre at a neighborhood trattoria. Find your own timeless beauty of Venice and allow the city to inspire you just as it has put painters, travelers and poets under its spell for centuries. The few glimpses into Venice in the below paragraphs will guide your curiosity into that journey.