Valentino

Valentino is Washington DC’s resident penguin Don Juan. He loves love, and his favorite holiday is Valentine’s Day (many of his penguin friends think it’s rather cheesy, but he’s not ashamed to admit how much he looks forward to the day). This year he decided to celebrate with his special someone at La Maison Française’s La Saint-Valentin party, organized by the French-American Cultural Foundation. Because his social life had been severely disrupted by the snow, he was especially happy to dress up and celebrate the feast of love (in the embassy of a country known so well for its devotion to l’amour, nonetheless). Valentino was not disappointed; the Maison Française looked lovely, all done up in red, and the live music created a festive ambiance.


His eyes were immediately drawn (well after he hit the bar and had a glass of bubbly in hand) to the multiple chocolate fountains, where he greedily dipped pretzels, cream puffs and strawberries in flowing white chocolate, and the dessert table, which was filled with lovely little sweets, including divine raspberry macarons. He had a fabulous time mingling, dancing, sipping bubbly and eating treats. Not wanting to miss out on something tasty, he even braved the very long line for a Nutella and whipped cream crepe (waiting also kept him away from the bars, which he had perhaps visited a time or two too many).


As is often the case, Valentino closed the party down. He’s a little sad that another Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but of course knows that he doesn’t need a special day as an excuse to spread his love!