The Palazzo Ducale Daily: April–Oct 9am–7pm, last tickets 5.30pm; Nov–March 9am–5pm, last tickets 3.30pm. Entrance with the Museum Card – see p.171. Architecturally, the Palazzo Ducale is a unique mixture: the style of its exterior, with its geometrically patterned stonework and continuous tracery walls, can only be called Islamicized Gothic, whereas the courtyards and much of the interior are based on Classical forms – a blending of influences that led Ruskin to declare it “the central building of the world”. Unquestionably, it is the finest secular building of its era in Europe, and the central building  THE MOSAICS collection of Byzantine silver and gold work.

The Basilica di San Marco Open to tourists Mon–Sat 9.30am–5.30pm, Sun 2–4pm, though the Loggia dei Cavalli is open Sun morning. All over Venice you see images of the lion of St Mark holding a book on which is carved the text “Pax tibi, Marce evangelista meus. Hic requiescet corpus tuum” (“Peace be with you Mark,my Evangelist. Here shall your body rest”).These supposedly are the words with which St Mark was greeted by an angel who appeared to him on the night he took shelter in the lagoon on his way back to Rome.Having thus assured themselves of the sacred ordination of their city, the first Venetians duly went about fulfilling the angelic prophecy.

Contents Ideas Paris boasts an unparalleled concentration of haute-cuisine restaurants and is the perfect place to blow out on the meal of a lifetime. Not only will the food be some of the most sublime you’ve ever tasted but the service will be impeccable – attentive yet discreet . Also, while the decor might be belle époqueor Louis XV, gastronomic cuisine doesn’t have to mean astronomic prices, some restaurants offer a set lunch menu for around e60. In the evening prices average at e150 for three courses, and there’s no limit on the amount you can pay for fine wines.

Contents Ideas From the royal tombs at St-Denis to the memorials at the Panthéon and Napoleon’s tomb at Les Invalides, the dead of Paris certainly make their presence felt. It’s the cemeteries, however, that make the biggest impact on the city’s landscape. From vantage points like the Eiffel Tower they seem to fill a surprising amount of the city’s area, looking like green islands speckled with miniature stone apartment blocks. Père- Lachaise is a major draw, but don’t miss the smaller graveyards at Montmartre and Montparnasse.

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