Award-winning author Cat Bauer has lived in Venice since 1998, and is still learning how to navigate the labyrinth.

For years the author of Harley, Like a Person and Harley's Ninth wrote about Venice for the International Herald Tribune's Italian supplement, Italy Daily, as well the Time Out Guide to the Veneto. Her blog, Venetian Cat, has been featured in the Financial Times Weekend Magazine.

Sunday

Eat out with friends at a trattoria, then a long, winding passigiata home. Venice is a very small town, so you always run into people you know. In the evening, a group of expats meets for a bit of conversation and tea, and then it's usually dinner at a friend's house.

Long weekend

I love to head up to the Dolomites to get some mountain air and feel solid ground beneath my feet. Venice has been compared to Disneyland, but I call it the Magic Kingdom — you have to be slightly mad to live in a town surrounded by water.

Night out

Go to a gallery opening or other cultural event, then dinner. In Venice, bars are like living rooms, so sometimes I stop and chat with friends in a local pub before heading home.

Next: Where NOT to go