I’ve never been fond of the Bridge of Sighs. I prefer the criss-cross walkways over the street called Shad Thames beside the Pool of London

AI CAN GET very argumentative. “No, Canaletto’s painting The Prisons and the Bridge of Sighs does not show four windows on the face of the bridge.” Don’t gaslight me, Mr AI. It jolly well does. I’m looking at a photo of the painting bought by Sir Richard Neave, perhaps directly from the artist during the decade (1746-55) that he spent in England. Sotheby’s sold it with another as a pair in 2018 for $4 million. In reality, yes, there are two windows on each side. But you don’t pay $4 million for architectural accuracy. You can get that with the camera on your mobile from the bridge to the south, along the Riva degli Schiavoni in Venice. Actually, the view of the Bridge of Sighs is better the other way, from the Ponte de Canonica south

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