Beyond San Marco piazzza and its basilica, Venice doesn’t get that amazing. The canals weren’t the stunning visual you’d expect, the pigeon population could use spaying and neutering, and the general stench…well, it really doesn’t smell like romance should. I actually found the canals in Amsterdam much more charming (but by then, I was in an awfully good mood). Beyond that, there’s not much there beyond the cursory gondola ride. Maybe replace it with somewhere that smells better, like Fresno?