Mauro’s place is tucked away in a local neighborhood by the city gardens. Shop at the coop to save money on food but go to El Refolo for a spritzer on Garibaldi Street. Buy the day pass at Giardini for the water taxi but don’t miss Arsenale next door, a navel fort that served as the setting for Canto 21 of Dante’s Inferno. Mauro suggested Alta Aqua, an unusual bookstore that was definitely worth the visit.