Navigli canals

The Navigli are what is left of a canal network that once ran through the whole city and brought the marble for the Duomo in from Lake Maggiore. Two of them survive in the open in the south-west: the Naviglio Grande and the Naviglio Pavese, lined with low houses, balconied courtyards, iron footbridges and, these days, a solid two kilometres of bars.

The photographic asset is the water. From the footbridges the canal runs straight away from you between two lit banks — an axial frame with the reflections doing half the work. Down at water level the towpaths are narrow and the facades are close, which suits walking portraits rather than wide scenics. The courtyards off the Naviglio Grande, especially the Vicolo dei Lavandai with its old washing shed, are the quiet counterpoint to the strip.

Time it for blue hour: the bar signs and window light come on while there is still colour in the sky, and the canal doubles all of it. Come on a weeknight — on Friday and Saturday between April and October the towpath is shoulder to shoulder and there is no frame without a spritz in it.