By: Marcia Abramson
On previous visits, I got to The Lido, a fashionable seaside resort with an elegant casino and one of Italy's best 18-hole golf courses. A fast vaporetti boat was my mode of transportation. Also on my must see list is the island of Murano, famous the world-over for its glass-blowing industry. There is regular boat service to Murano from Venice. Another tourist attraction is the gondola ride, a mite too expensive, but a delightful way to go through Canals of Venice. The gondolas are available day or night, but I prefer the evening and enjoyed being serenaded by some talented tenor oarsmen with my favorite Italian tunes.
However, one of the highlights of this trip was a tour and luncheon at the elegant Hotel Cipriani on the island of Giudecca, acclaimed as the favorite hideaway of the stars. It, as well as the Silversea are part of the renowned Orient Express luxury trains, hotels and cruises consortium. Who can forget Agatha Christie's description of the luxurious service in her Murder on the Orient Express? A sleek motor launch from the Cipriani picked me up at the dock of the Silversea and whisked me off to what appeared to be Shangri-la at the landing of the Hotel Cipriani, the all-suite Palazzo Vendramin. The flora and the greenery were just glorious in the Casanova Garden just behind the hotel and beside the Palazzo. This garden dates back to the 18th century and brought many Venetians to the island of Giudecca for the fresh air in this Garden of Eden. The garden got its name from the infamous rogue, Casanova, who according to legend used the garden as the place for his many romantic trysts. I also spotted a well-tended vineyard believed to be the first in Venice since the 18th century. I did sample the wine, Casanova Salso, the brainchild of general manager, Dr. Natale Rusconi, who has been at the helm since 1977.
The hotel was built in 1956 by Commendadore Giuseppe Cipriani, the founder of the legendary Harry's Bar with financial backing from three Guinness sisters Irish beer heiresses. It was sold to an American in 1976 James Sherwood for the Sea Containers, Inc. of London and now managed by the Orient-Express Hotels. His goal was to have a hotel far away from the crowds and din of the touristy Venice, but close enough to Saint Mark's Square by hotel launch for those guests who want to explore the art treasures of one of the world's great cities.
I learned that the Cipriani is filled with Hollywood luminaries, particularly in late summer when the Venetian Film festival is held in the nearby Lido resort. To be free of the paparazzi, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tom Cruise and Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams, Paul McCartney, Jennifer Lopez, Stephen Spielberg to name just a few can be found at the Cipriani enjoying a swim in the sole heated salt water Olympic size pool or practicing up on their serves on the only tennis court in Venice.
I don't think that there is a celebrity on stage, screen, politics, music, fashion, literature who has not been at this grand hotel since its inception. Unfortunately, I did not have time to celebrity hunt, I was too busy enjoying the marvelous Bellinis (fresh peach juice and sparkling wine) and a delicious lunch of thinly sliced sea bass marinated with extra virgin olive oil and fresh tomato, followed by risotto with scam pi and zucchini blossoms and a meat course of veal escalopes Cipriani style with fried zucchini, ending with spumoni alla grappa picolit nonino-bitter orange sauce. It was had to find room for Expresso with friandise.
Culinary firsts are part of the lure of Cipriani. Carpacchio (a thinly sliced raw beef served with olive oil and parmesan shavings) was invented by Giuseepe Cipriani and is served at many fine Italian restaurants world-wide. Variants using salmon, veal and other fish and meats have been introduced, but we now know that carpacchio has its beginning at the Hotel Cipriani.
What a great place for a romantic sojourn with some of the world's greatest views with food to match. It was hard to pull myself away from this heaven on earth, but I was heading back to heaven at sea on the Silversea, Silver Whisper to continue a heavenly experience.
