I moved to Venice in September to make things easier on Joshua, my ageing Rottweiler. My Bologna apartment has too many polished stone steps, and the descent is frightening for a large dog with arthritis and other joint issues.

In Venice, our apartment opens into a walled garden. I am eager for the weather to improve enough to make it pleasant to sit out there in the evening for cocktails.

After several months of not climbing and descending 54 stairs a few times a day, and with less activity all around, Joshua has gotten fat. On a recent visit to Bologna, we said hello to a lot of people who noticed his rotundity without prompting.

Our time in Venice is up at the end of October 2019. Knowing that takes a bit of the complacency out of my attitude.