Saturday, February 11, 2017, 2-6pm

Carnevale in Venice is a two-week festival of glamorous balls, a sumptuous strolling masquerade, an international celebration of creativity. The day it begans this year, on February 11th, Caffé Florian in Piazza San Marco was the place to see and be seen! Friends greeted one other joyfully in many languages, kissing each other on both cheeks in the European style.
Wearing gowns from centuries ago or straight from imagination; hats, wigs or even horns; ribbons, ruffles, feathers, and furs: colorful makeup, beauty marks, and curled moustaches; jewels and stiff collars, everyone ate pastries and sipped their cioccolate, caffé, or Prosecco.
Masked and unmasked revelers lingered all afternoon, catching up after a year, discussing which of the dozens of parties and masquerades they will attend—and what they will wear! Onlookers pressed their faces to the window to gaze on this spectacle of fantasy and friendship.
ON THE SAME DAY, Oakland’s Bellevue Club became a Caffé Florian fantasy from 2-6pm, featuring coffee and tea, a no-host bar, and a lavish dessert buffet. Venice-bound revelers (and those who wish they were), became living works of art. Piano, vocal, and mandolin music filled the room…even a strolling, singing gondolier!
As night fell, there was an exciting literary reading of an explosive new novella set at Carnevale. Enchanting guests sipped Prosecco while they listened, and took home a collector’s edition of The Vesuvian Affair, an exclusive release for this event.
Some guests even booked a gondola ride with our sponsor, Gondola Servizio, for an unforgettable costumed outing!

Thank you to all who came!

See photo albums here and here.

Did you miss it? You can still purchase a genuine Venetian mask from Gondola Servizio!

Were you invited on Facebook? More pix at:
An Afternoon at the Caffé Florian
Vesuvian Affair Book Launch