I found Venice to be both picturesque and kind of like a slum. Clearly the city once was fabulously wealthy, making New York City look like it was built by nouveau riche financiers. On the other hand, once you got off the tourist track (mostly the path to Piazza San Marco), the buildings looked kind of run-down, and the large piazzas looked empty and run-down. The buildings were in need of repair, although I’m not really sure how you repair 500 year old buildings when the exterior brick is disintegrating. Do you replace it with a new brick? A “new” weathered brick? How do you tell if the brick is a load-bearing brick? On the one hand, I like age, but on the other hand, when your city looks kind of like a slum, something needs to be done. Paul Revere’s house, while still “standing” has apparently had all the original materials replaced so that it is merely a replica. On the other hand, does anyone want to see Paul Revere’s dilapiated house? I have no solutions. Just, Venice is really photogenic, but it feels kind of deserted and run-down, an even sadder feeling because you are inundated by its former greatness. 600 years ago this was clearly a world-class city.