(Do you know what song that’s from?)

When friends or family visit Venice for the first time, they always want to go walk on the boardwalk – see all the street performers, muscle beach, shop for souvenirs, etc…

Well once that obligatory sight-seeing excursion is out of the way, I like to take them on a walk through some of the wonderful walk-streets we have. And if they are quiet and respectful of others’ privacy, I like to take them to walk along the canals.

Walks like these are a reminder of why I love Venice so much and what visitors may not know: there is more to Venice than the beach and AKB. The beauty of the old craftsman bungalows, gardens overflowing with princess flowers, fountain grasses, and bougainvillea, new modern homes with clean lines and zen gardens, the terra cotta roof of the occasional spanish bungalow – I love the variety of design and the care taken to make the homes appear both seducingly private and deliciously inviting.

These photos are from a recent walk I took…

I love coming across random items of interest like these.

If you stand quietly near an old batch of thick bamboo, you hear them creaking in the wind. I love that.

So pretty.

Unsure about where these treasure streets are? Here’s a map. And again – respecting the privacy of our neighbors is appreciated.