Leaving “mainland” Venice for the Lagoon has a specific motive: you’re either going to swim, to fish, or to eat. Or, more likely than not, a combination of all three. Whether you take the Vaporetto or head out on your own boat (or a friend’s), adventures await the second Piazza San Marco’s campanile starts to fade into the distance.

You don’t necessarily need a destination, or even direction, at the start of the day. If you’re anything like me and my friends, we just drift around, tying up on our whims, floating towards what we eventually fancy for lunch. Because here, what you want on your plate directly affects what route you take.