We were back in Venice and waiting for the boat to arrive to whisk us away to the crowds on a grey that had a certain chill to the air. The girls dressed in black with shades in place and the us, the boys, in simple stripes, we whiled away the time by paying homage to a few of our favourite films including;

A couple of cousin ITs from the Addams Family,

Showing the true colours of The Black Swan...

And a Titanic moment missing a Rose.

Finally our carriage arrives and we board the boat. It guides across the dark blue waters that reflect the dull sky that hangs above but that doesn't take away the magic of the day.

We step in to the busy streets of Venice and the girls stop... smiling through chattering teeth they admit defeat, they are too cold to join the bustling crowds today and we know just how to keep this day like any other day in the new dolce vita. Time to wine and dine

We carefully select what we will be eating, but more importantly what we will be sipping, and quickly realise that everyone else has the same idea.

Even Michela could not avoid letting the queue dampen her spirits but we are soon out of there and waiting to return to the Lido.

We are back, we are warm and the dolce vita has won.

We are together, relaxing in the dusk colours of the evening and watching as the grey back drop that has framed our day slowly breaks, revealing the golden light. Glorious.

By Enrico Costantini & Andrea Ravieli