Sunday, January 3, 2010

"The Couple in White"

I stopped in to visit Tim at Sunset Gondola the other day.
Tim had a gondola dressed for cruising and was expecting his couple at any moment. Next thing I knew, this couple showed up wearing incredible period costumes and Venetian masks.

I thanked God that I had my camera, and in short order, started snapping pictures.
I never really got their names, and with the masks, I have no clue as to their true identities.
So to keep the mystery alive, and in an effort to give them some kind of name, I call them "The Couple in White".
I could be exaggerating here, but I suspect they may be the best looking couple I've photographed so far.

After our visit by the office, Tim and the costume-clad couple made their way to the gondola.
The lady boarded like a true Venetian.
Without any fuss, she lifted her dress just enough to step onto the forward trastolini, and made her way to the comfortable seat - all without rocking the boat or stumbling about, which is so common this far from La Serenissima.
I know I've been raving here about the couple, but their gondolier Tim Reinard was on his game too; wearing the standard gondolier togs, along with a Venetian mask of his own, and a red sash just to commemorate the occasion.
The couple didn't tell me much about themselves except that they were there to celebrate their anniversary.
They had no idea that I would be there with my camera, and it was my understanding that there wasn't a costume party to attend at the end of their cruise - they were just celebrating in style. Just the two of them.
To me that was the most exceptional thing about them.
...Well, that and the fact that they looked fantastic, and were quite obviously very-much-in-love.
Walking around before the cruise, "The Couple in White" looked like they were in costume.
But sitting in the gondola, with a masked gondolier a poppa, the whole thing gained a much more natural look.
The happenstance of it all still amazes me.
I stopped by, with my camera, and there they were.
But just as quickly as they materialized, so too, did they disappear.
...Tim pushed off from the dock, and rowed off into the serene waters of Huntington Harbour.
With a few strong yet effortless strokes, he and his masked couple were gone.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bepi said...

I agree with anonymous.

Tamas Feher from Hungary said...

I think the gentleman may be a doctor. That's how you earn grey hair young.

The oblique photo (2/3 from bottom) is probably the best illustration so far of the real size of a gondola.

Anonymous said...

How storybook perfect! I know them both very personally, for that is my mother. :) masked in all her beauty. what a beautiful moment that has been captured by chance. By the way mom, if your reading this, i love you and miss you very much.
Ciao! :D

lady in red said...

Its truly beautiful how this couple in white are so in love. I love the fact they are just doing this for themselves and not concerned what others may think. what a great use of the gondola.
I wonder if they will reappear again?
wonderful story