Venice’s streets are lined with shops selling those legendary Venetian masks. Traditionally, people could wear them from October 5 to Christmas, then again from St Stephen’s Day (December 26) till the carnival ended with Lent. So effectively, the locals could stay mysterious, hidden behind masks, for half the year! There are three types of them, really. First, the elaborate pieces that look like they came straight out of one of the stores in Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley. Gorgeous and expensive. Second, semi-fancy souvenirs that aren’t entirely convincing, but are also costly. And finally, the simple kind, like these plain white masks made of plastic for just € 1 (it’s half the price if you are not particular about the ribbons). After a chat with the lady at the store, I discovered that they were painted with acrylic colours. So I decided to paint mine in black and silver. Cost per tube of colour? A mere Rs 18.