Beeeg Party eeen Venice!

From www.veniceword.com, comes this NEWS.

Twenty kilos of black caviar at 4000 euros a kilo. That is only one item on the expense list that Russian baron Roustam Tariko assembled in organising a party the likes of which had never been seen before in Venice. To celebrate his 45th birthday, he rented the rooms of the Cini Foundation on the island of S.Giorgio, where the guests -- all rigorously masked -- arrived and were greetedby scores of jugglers, actors, and extras. Mr. Tariko, known as "Mister Vodka", controls two-thirds of the Russian vodka market, is one of the richest men inthe world, and spared no expense on his personal celebration. By way of example,the vegetables were embellished by spraying them with edible gold, the wine was among the best Tuscan variety (at least 500 euros per bottle) and, in the"sweets room", there were two fountains that flowed with molten chocolate.

And there are those who are kvetching that Venice has lost its edge...feh!