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Soon after Murano, the island of Lido, which divides the Venice Lagoon from the sea, hove into view off the port side of my vaporetto. The vessel reduced its speed and came up to the jetty, shuddering against the lines pulling it in, as if it wanted to break free and head back out on its own.
Lido is a narrow island, only a few hundred meters across. Even someone not fond of walking would find crossing it no trouble. The still water of the lagoon gave off a faintly stagnant smell, but as soon as I had stepped ashore, my face was caressed by a fresh sea breeze: the Adriatic coast was so close that I could almost reach out and touch it. It took only a few minutes of brisk walking to reach the Cappello Hotel, a modest but wholly satisfactory three-star establishment.
The architect had m
