Venice was the last stop in our European trip, and it really was an appropriately breathtaking place to finish our travels. There is just something special about Venice; the lack of traffic entirely (not even bicycles) means the everyday hustle and bustle is unlike any other city. The skinny houses balancing carefully on stilts around the canals are as beautiful as they worn and weary, and the constant presence of water gives the city a postcard-worthy quality.

Wandering around the winding streets and across the endless bridges, it’s easy to get lost in the maze that is Venice, only to stumble across a small cafe serving coffee and delicious spritz. My boyfriend and I were blessed with good timing; because it was the heart of winter there were hardly any tourists, and we could easily find ourselves in courtyards and alleyways with no-one else around.