From early childhood until I was 17 years old I visited Venice with my parents every year for 7 to 10 days.

We used to stay at the Pensione La Calcina on the Zattere shore of the Giudecca Canal – the waterway along which liners, car ferries, and freighters sailed through Venice on their journeys between the Adriatic and the port of Marghera.

It was at La Calcina that John Ruskin stayed in 1877. Back in the 1960s, the coffee served with breakfast at this pensione was almost undrinkable. I hope that now the place has been considerably upgraded, it serves better coffee.

Because of the terrible coffee, the first thing we did after breakfast every day was to walk from La Calcina to the Academia Bridge,  cross it, and then after passing two piazzas, reached Bar il Redentore.

The bar occupies a corner plot next to a bridge crossing a narrow canal. There, my parents ordered espresso coffees, and my sister and I would be given small bottles of fruit juice.

The Bar il Redentore is still in business and looks very much as I remember it did in my childhood in the 1960s … and before!This September – 2026 – I  have returned to the little bar twice – once for morning coffee and the other time for beer and cicchetti – Venetian ‘canapés.  And on each visit, I  marvelled at the fact that I have been visiting this bar at intervals for almost than 6 decades.

Across the bridge, there is a small shop that sells artisan paper goods. Like the Bar il Redentore,  that has been in business since before I first visited Venice.

I have loved Venice since as far back as I can remember. Much of it looks as if it has not changed since then, but excessive tourism has done nothing to improve it. Many of the city’s visitors – both foreigners and Italians – are what could be described on Italian as ‘maleducati’ – you can look this up – and selfish. And, with a few exceptions, many of the Venetians have become unfriendly and very mercenary.

Although Venice is truly magical, I am not sure that I want to pay another visit tothis city filled with lovely memories for me. I would rather retain these memories than become disillusioned with La Serenissima.