The Venetian Island of No Return

If you’ve ever been to Venice, you’ll remember that it’s a chock-a-block city. Not just with with tourists but with houses, shops, palazzos and basilicas that seem to pile on top of each other, squeezed into every nook and cranny. In Venice and most of it’s surrounding islands of the lagoon, there is no more…

Vintage Muse du Jour: Peggy Guggenheim, Patron Saint of Art & Sex

You probably know Guggenheim– the name, the museums, the collections– but do you know the woman behind legendary the name (and sunglasses)? Peggy Guggenheim didn’t live the domesticated life that was expected of an heiress. She was her own kind of bohemian, impossible to define, mysterious and in many ways, tragic in her loneliness. But…

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24 Hours in Aveiro, the Candy-Colored “Venice of Portugal”

For the last leg of our little Portuguese road trip, we floated into the old port and fishing town of Aveiro, about an hour south of Porto. It’s known as the Venice of Portugal, except of course, without the Venetian price tag. The Mister and I checked into a perfect little yellow fisherman’s house along the…

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Forget Venice, Float over to its Technicolor Island Neighbour

It’s easy to forget that Venice isn’t the only magical, slightly weird water world around. The Venetian lagoon is home to more than 30 other inhabited islands, one of which is Burano. The stuff of dreams, prettier than a Greek island, ‘charming’ wouldn’t even begin to cover it. An hour’s boat ride on the public water…

Oh, to have been in Venice on the Night of September 3rd, 1951

It’s my birthday today– no, no, please, hold the gifts! I couldn’t possibly accept. But if you insist, I suppose I wouldn’t turn down a ticket and a time machine to the costume party of the century– Le Bal Oriental, hosted by an eccentric millionaire at his Venetian palazzo in September of 1951… Hosted by Charles de…

You’re Invited to a Secret Venetian Ball in the Underground Canals of Paris

It’s only going to be the party of the century, a once in a lifetime thing, no biggie. They’re the most unique underground party organisers in the world, who surfaced in the French capital in recent years throwing unprecedented soirées for Parisians looking to let loose somewhere a little more off the grid. You’ve heard what these…

The Other “Little” Venice built by Leonardo DaVinci

It’s both little and little-known compared to Venice and it’s Grand Canal but it has a very big name attached to it. The Port-Canal in Cesenatico has stayed off the tourist radar for many years, despite its similarities to Venice. The charming port on coast of the Adriatic Sea was drawn and designed by the renaissance…

Picture Perfect LA: How to Settle into the City of Angels

You should probably know that I’m a California virgin– so this was my first visit to the city of Angels! When you arrive in such an iconic city, it can be a little overwhelming to know where to start. So for any other California virgins out there, follow me and let’s head straight to Abbot Kinney Boulevard…