Couple travel 2,300 miles for their first date in Venice after meeting online

Nafis Delowar, 26, and D'arcy Flanagan, 24, spent three days in Venice for their first date after meeting online a month ago. Nafis lives in London and D'arcy lives in Dundee

In a tale that seems plucked from the pages of a romance novel, a couple racked up an impressive 2,300 miles to have their first date in the enchanting city of Venice after a month of online chatter.

Nafis Delowar, 26, and D'arcy Flanagan, 24, initially crossed paths on TikTok and quickly established a daily dialogue despite the 480m between Nafis's London home and D'arcy's residence in Dundee, Scotland.

The idea of a first date soon surfaced, with D'arcy proposing a stopover in London en route from her pre-planned solo trip to Venice. However, Nafis had a more adventurous proposal: why not meet in Venice itself?

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This led to a three-day-long first date amidst the Venetian streets. Nafis, a bar manager hailing from Stratford, London, shared his feelings about the unique encounter: "It was a bit strange meeting her in person for the first time because I felt like I knew her so well already."

He found comfort in the familiarity, adding: "It felt natural pretty quickly and we really enjoyed the city."

The pair spent their days meandering through Venice, admiring its architecture, and dining at will. Nafis reflected on the experience, saying, "We probably went on 20 first dates on the three day trip."

Before embarking on their Italian rendezvous, Nafis and D'arcy had been building their connection through regular phone calls and messages. Despite the challenge of coordinating around Nafis's evening work schedule and D'arcy's daytime hospital shifts, they always made time for each other.

It was this burgeoning bond that gave them the confidence to travel abroad and meet face-to-face for the first time. Nafis shared his unique first date experience, saying: "I was definitely aware that it was a different experience for a first date and a lot of people might not do the same."

He also expressed his concern for his date's comfort and safety: "I was especially concerned about how she felt regarding her safety and asked her a hundred times if she was sure she wanted to do it."

Fortunately, the unusual date turned out to be a success: "I'm glad she was because once we were there we realised it's very difficult to have a bad first date in Venice! " The couple is looking forward to meeting again despite the distance. Nafis revealed: "I run events and I'm doing one in London for Halloween which she says she might try to get a couple days off for."

They are also planning another trip together: "Either way, we both have some time in November and are considering a trip to Budapest."