HIDDEN DEPTHS

’m standing on the deck of , one of Venice’s last historic fishing boats, looking out across the limpid green waters of the lagoon. On the horizon I can trace the faint outline of the city’s spire-studded skyline, while high above my head a pair of russet sails flap in a breeze laced with aromas of lunch being prepared in the galley kitchen below. By my side, leaning on the tiller, is the boat’s owner, skipper and head chef Mauro Stoppa. “I truly love and respect the Venetian lagoon,” he explains. “When you know its story and how to approach the area, it opens up a magical world. That’s what my mission has been for the last 20