Two weeks ago I surprised my husband with a weekend in Venice to celebrate his birthday. I had secretly been planning this one for weeks. Life in Milan has been chaotic lately, between renovations in our apartment and getting my new studio ready, everything has felt very fast-paced. I wanted a weekend that was only ours, so I booked two nights in Venice and told him nothing except to keep his weekend free.
On Friday morning we left our apartment in Milan and drove east. One of the things I appreciate the most about Milan is how many incredible places are only a few hours away. Once we arrived in Venice we left the car behind and the hotel's boat picked us up. There is no better way to arrive in Venice than by water, watching the city slowly reveal itself canal by canal.
The Hotel
Our home for the weekend was the Orient Express Venezia, which opened at the end of March this year. It sits in Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, a 15th-century palace in Cannaregio, the quieter, more residential side of the city. For almost six centuries it was a private residence; now, restored by architect and designer Aline Asmar d'Amman, it is a hotel of just 47 rooms and suites.
Everything is brand new, yet nothing feels new. The interiors are pure classical Venice: vaulted ceilings painted with glorious frescoes, ornate stuccowork, marble fireplaces and tall windows opening onto the canals. As someone who works with craft every day, I found myself stopping in doorways just to look at the details. I was especially impressed by the bathrooms, if you google the hotel you will understand why.
After settling into our room, I went straight to the spa for a massage. It was the perfect way to leave the week behind. They also have a small gym at the hotel with windows straight out to the canal felt very special to do my Melissa Wood Health movement Saturday morning with boats floating by.
In the evening we got dressed and made our way to Harry's Bar, near Piazza San Marco. Giuseppe Cipriani opened it in 1931, reportedly with money from an American guest named Harry Pickering, who gave the bar its name.
This is also where the Bellini was born. In 1948 Cipriani mixed white peach purée with prosecco and named the drink after the 15th-century Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini, whose paintings share its soft pink glow.
Saturday was the best kind of day: I had booked one surprise for my husband but that was not until 11.30 am so we had the opportunity to sleep long, work out and have a long breakfast. If you are ever at the Orient Express in Venezia do try their avocado sandvich ansd ask for extra tomatoes. Its one of the best avocado sandviches I ever had.
At 11.30 I had booked an appointment with Marco, one of the owners of In Barberia, a small workshop that has made bespoke eyewear since 1980. Since my husband is a man with a strong sense of personal style this was the perfect gift for him. We spent about 1 hour there and then we simply wandered, crossing bridges and letting the city decide where we went next.
For lunch we stopped at Vino Vero on Fondamenta della Misericordia, a short walk from the hotel. You can't book, and there is no menu in the usual sense: just a counter of cicchetti, little slices of bread topped with whatever is good that day, eaten standing up or perched by the canal. Very relaxed, very Venetian. We finished with a gelato sitting on the ground by the canal in the sunshine, I felt so relaxed and happy.
In the evening we had dinner at Da Ivo, a small, candlelit restaurant on a canal behind Piazza San Marco. It was founded in 1976 by Ivo Natali, a Tuscan, which explains its rare double personality: Venetian classics like spider crab and spaghetti with clams sit on the menu next to a proper bistecca alla fiorentina. Some guests arrive by water taxi straight to the door, and it has long been a discreet favourite of visiting actors. It feels like a secret, even though everyone knows about it. Book ahead.
On Sunday morning we lingered over an amazing breakfast at the hotel while a harpist played live. Again.... do try the avocado toast. It was the kind of slow, beautiful moment you want to hold on to for as long as possible. No rush. Just me and him.
Then the boat took us back to the car, and we drove home to Milan, already planning our next trip back, we need to as we need to pick up my husbands glasses
