Valentine's Day in Venice, Italy - Gondolas, Mask Making & Dessert with Celeste Thorson

One of the most memorable moments during our San Valentino fantasy was floating on a gondola down the winding waterways, serenaded by the music and history shared by our gondolier.

As he expertly navigated the chilly water, the gondola rocked gently with rippling waves lapping on the sides of the narrow stone canals. I could say there was something magical about it, but that would fail to articulate the mystery and character emanating from these ancient walls. They seemed to demurely allude to the fantastical stories they've witness.

Photography by Davide Palitiere retouching by Taron Maroun.

I changed into a long red gown by Halston Heritage,crystal brooches,crystal belt, Christian Louboutin black pumps.  Tousled wavy hair, red lipstick and wing tipped black eyeliner.

I should start at the beginning, after touring Paris, we arrived at the cozy Londra Palance for a romantic Valentine's Day in Venezia.  The surprise champagne, flowers and mozzarella platter waiting for us was the perfect thoughtful snack to start our adventure.  We spent much of our day meandering through the stone maze and liquid veins, admiring the bridges, canals, shops and architecture.




Rialto Bridge



To get into  the Carnivale spirit, we immersed ourselves in some artistic Venetian culture by hand painting masks at Ca'Macana. Getting creative and learning a variety of traditional and modern techniques was a major highlight, highly recommended. Who would've expected we'd have that much fun with aprons and blow dryers?





After exploring the city by foot, of course we wanted to experience Venice by gondola.  Worth it.

The evening got even better when we had dinner at Do'leoni. the food fare was light, classic and delicious and the lychee martini was heavenly. The staff and chef's were very accommodating with all of the meals during our stay. Complimenti!



We were lucky to find a few authentic restaurants during our trip and enjoyed local seafood delicacies at every opportunity. The best places were so good they deserved their own post so, I would love to tell you my top 3 favorite restaurants in Venice sometime.