Merchants of Venice
Of all the wonderful places on earth guaranteed to incite memorable romantic interludes between Jeff Sellers and myself, nowhere comes even close to matching Venice. I trust I needn’t add which Venice I’m talking about.
This magnetic Venetian pull for professional dilly-dalliers like ourselves is nothing new and comes, of course, as no surprise either to readers who — like ourselves — return there regularly to rekindle magical memories.
Or even those who have not yet been there but have written to us thanking us for the tip and promising, when they do visit, to take cocktails at sunset on the roof of the Hotel Danieli. And drop us a line if the experience — as it always does for us — unleashes bouts of unbridled, untapped passion.
Sorry if I seem a tad emotionally carried-away today but if you’ve never been to Venice and thought about visiting, but only after you’ve seen all the world’s other hot-spots, you’d better hurry-up.
Because I just read a disturbing article saying that Venice is sinking under the Mediterranean so fast many permanent residents of the city are fleeing as the sea water frequently now rises so high it is impossible for them to use their rooms at “ground” level or get around without a gondola.
As an aside, people visiting for the first time and imagining Venice is made-up exclusively of old buildings surrounded by waterways, are often surprised to find beautiful parks and gardens, quaint narrow streets and alleys connected by romantic bridges — especially at night — and excellent shops and fine restaurants reachable only on foot.
But back to Venice’s romantic flair and the catastrophic effect on future passionate couples, many as yet unborn, if it sinks and disappears completely forever.
I shudder to think before long some loving duo might not get to spend a night in the municipal casino and, with the husband’s blackjack winnings, hire a huge private water taxi to take them back to their hotel, on the way waving at Venetians starting their working day who seem not at all to begrudge the couple their happiness.
And fall into bed as the sun rises before floating off into that wonderful void between sleep and awake, with no deadline other than to be dressed and ready for cocktails on the Danieli Terrace as the sun sets.
And later, write to Jeff and I to tell us all about it.
