Every trip to Venezia is a whole new experience. They say it is one place you must visit at least once in a lifetime, and I say it is one place you have to visit more than once because there is just too much to discover and learn about that beautiful Floating City.

Circa 2005, I saw Venezia for the first time with my family. I went around the canal in a gondola, I ate Venetian sandwiches, I felt the sorrow at the Bridge of Sigh... fast forward 7 years, I set foot on Venezia a second time, this time with B. Without any tour guide and losing help from Google Map because the connection failed us, we got lost in the alleys and experienced the greatest Venetian flood in 20 years.

My third trip to Venezia earlier this month is the most memorable, for we had grown so much as a couple, and having a better understanding of each other means embracing a concerted vision about everything we see and feel. I love having someone whom I will always have a topic with - to goof around and laugh about the silliest jokes, and to share deep conversations with. We talk about our opinions and experiences, and we learn from each other's perspectives, and being with him just makes me fulfilled and complete this way.

Every morning, we woke up at 6am, and we would take turns to prepare breakfast for each other. Nutella was our staple, and we could not do without our fresh tomatoes. Our morning strolls were always along Ponte di Rialto, and we would go for morning cuppas of latte and hot chocolate to warm our bodies. Two scoops of gelato was also mandatory. Nocciola please!

Bacaro was our favorite, too. In case you are wondering, they are traditional Venetian wine bars. Every bacaro offers a mind-blowing selection of wines and prosecco, and is usually accompanied with small snacks they call 'cicchetti'. I never knew about bacaro and how they work, and my first visit on our first morning there had me wondering how those bite-sized snacks could fill up anyone's tummy. And then I learned to appreciate its beauty, for it is essentially a homely outlet to display the art of sipping wine the Venetian way while socializing. Mornings became so much sweeter, and I looked forward with each time B told me he was bringing me to yet another. More on this topic on ladyironchef soon, I hope!

Grocery shopping was another happy thing to do at Venezia, or whenever I am at Europe. The Europeans' offerings is a total different ball game and I am always so fascinated by all the vegetables, condiments and snacks that I would otherwise never get to see in my tiny Singapore. We cooked almost every day at our cozy apartment at Rialto, and the adulterated joy of cooking for my man and watching him slurp my pasta happily is one precious moment that I will never forget.

But more than that, it was waking up to new days and waking up to his sleepy face, knowing that Venezia is the special place where he pledged to share the pillow with me every night for the rest of our lives.

Venezia is beautiful, and even more so with him holding my hand through the alleys and bridges.


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Photography: Brad Lau @ladyironchef