Pre Wedding Fun
We slept in late on Day 2 (July 5). Sweet sleep...
After packing quickly and checking out of Hotel Kette by late morning, we rolled our luggage for a short, but stony, walk to the next hotel, Hotel Bauer. Quite an upgrade.
April in the opulent Hotel Bauer
Beautiful room view at Hotel Bauer
In the hotel lobby, we luckily stumbled into Eric and Michelle as they were helping arriving sons and daughters, including Anna and Connor (with Beth!).
Beautiful photo of Anna's water taxi into town
After everyone checked in and freshened up, we took a short walk to Ristorante "Da Ivo," which is truly a place to be seen. Eric worked his magic to get a precious table for 8 (which also included Michelle's son Cooper, who April and I were pleased to meet for the first time).
Eric, Michelle, Cooper, Beth, Connor, April, Rex, Anna
The restaurant was just the right size -- cozy and elegant. Amazing work by Eric to get such a large table. The wait staff was extraordinarily professional. We enjoyed all sorts of options. The tomatoes were so fresh.
Not only is this the spot of a George Clooney wedding event, but as we were enjoying lunch, David Beckham and Posh Spice walked in (the restaurant posted about it yesterday, here's their pic with the owner on the left and Beckham):
Eric likes to call him "DB"
Interestingly, Michelle and Anna were no longer able to participate in the table conversation after DB walked in...
The walk back to the hotel was enjoyable. So many tight streets filled with interesting shops. It would have been great to stop along the way, but everyone was ready to get some rest and get sorted. We'll have to come back to the shops tomorrow.
April enjoyed a nice nap just as Vicki, Robin, and Will arrived. Eric, Michelle and I met Vicki and Robin for coffee/wine/Aperol. The Fraziers are assembling!
At 5 pm, Eric and Michelle hosted a beautiful welcome reception for all the assembled guests at the St. Regis, just around the corner. Wow, what a beautiful sight of friends and family. The wedding ceremony will be in this spot tomorrow.
April and Rex at the St. Regis
But, don't think we're done for the day! The large, semi-rowdy group proceeded through the streets of Venice to our dinner destination, Ristorante Guna. What a special treat. The restaurant is in a large town square, with tables outside. Elegant and delicious. We enjoyed many fish recipes (the sea bass was popular) and had a wonderful street musician within earshot. BTW, today is Rex's 53rd bday. Great to be with family.
The siblings!
Solid smile by Rex...
Lemoncello for dessert!
We stayed well past 10 pm. The younger crowd went to check the nightlife. The not-so-younger crowd was happy to turn in. What a day. Tomorrow, we take a field trip to see the Murano glass works...
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