Day 9: Palaces of Fabric

Not only do I sleep in a palace, but today we visited two. We dressed in our best and got a jump start on the day with breakfast at our hotel, the service was exceptional.Then we took a water taxi to the Rubelli headquarters. It honestly was a Venetian palace that they converted into a fabric showroom. Simply incredible, we were able to look through pictures and photo shoots of upholstery and see and feel almost every piece in the collection. And the VIEW!! It was right on the water, I don’t know which was better, the inside or the view out. I am obsessed with their office, and with their fabrics. I never knew I could get so excited over such high end fabric showrooms! Next stop: Mariano Fortuny. We took another water taxi to the other side of the island. You always walk down the pier and wonder, what if someone slipped and fell in. Well, today I can say that I have witnessed that exact event. Josie, from our group, fell right over the edge and so did her camera. She was quickly retrieved, but sadly her camera experienced a watery death. She had the most positive attitude possible about it though, she’s great. I love that every street looks so quaint and casual, then you open a vintage door and you’re inside the most incredible mansion. We were greeted with the warmest welcome you could imagine, and shown all the one of a kind printed fabrics. They have clientele like Elton John, and Denzel Washington, as well as designers such as Jamie Drake constantly buying their fabrics. After getting a firsthand look and history lesson of Mariano Fortuny, were shown around the property. As a child, I always imagined finding a key to a gate that opened to something resembling a scene from The Secret Garden. This just fulfilled my childhood dream. The gardens and the pool were extraordinary, where garden parties are a frequent occurrence. SO amazing. Brady and I had a little photo shoot in an adorable doorway, then we had the night off. Kaitlyn and I went to McDonalds, and I’ve never been to a more suave McD’s in my life. The atmosphere was incredible. My 7.90 Euro (equal to $11.00) McMenu was worth every penny. The food was just as mediocre as ever, but I’ll never forget how well designed it was. The people here are equally as suave. I’ve never been so pleased with the flossy men and classy women walking the streets and bridges of Venice. As Phil Vasser would say, it was just another day in paradise.