Back in 2018 I traveled to Venice for work, to set up an art installation at the Venice Architecture Biennale. A memorable experience—must say—professionally speaking, but I didn't stay behind with my personal goals. I landed in Venice and headed straight to the forested surroundings of Giardini della Biennale. There are not many locations to spend a night nearby, so I wondered, what if I rent a boat? And that's exactly what I did. And what a pleasant, rocking experience! Venice is considered to have been the first international financial center, a major maritime power, a capital of commerce and the epicenter of the arts during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a recognition that persists after centuries. Venice is a unique city—one of a kind—built over more than a hundred islands—a challenging reality with global warming and rising oceans. Its meticulously crafted Venetian Gothic architecture, with Byzantine and Islamic traces; its hundreds of bridges, canals and gondolas; its cozy cafés, bars and restaurants; its romantic atmosphere and endless flavors; allows Venice to be known as one of the world's most beautiful cities, a statement hard to disagree with. No matter how many people wander through its alleys and canals, you can always encounter a mysterious state of loneliness in Venice, one that connects you with your deepest existential inquiries. My trip ended up with a brief visit to Rome, the Caput Mundi and cradle of Western civilization.