Jul 15, 2010 | Venice

I first saw the term "ephemeral city" in a 2005 article by Joel Kotkin. He wrote: "The ephemeral city differs dramatically from traditional urban centers. No longer populated mainly by middle-class families and a diverse set of industries, it is dominated by a wealthy elite, part-time sojourners, hordes of tourists and those that serve them." Welcome to Venice. The weather was Hanoi hot, and there was no letup in the rumble of wheeled luggage on cobblestone, but the eye candy was worth all the hassle. On my last day, the weather was so perfect I didn't need to use my sweat rag. I might be in luv with this ephemeral city.