A couple travelled around 2,300 miles from the UK to Venice for their first time, after getting to know one another online.
Dundee-based D’arcy Flanagan, 24, met Nafis Delowar who lives in London a month ago on TikTok, and the pair have spoken daily since.
Despite living 480 miles apart, the pair began speaking about their first date when D’arcy suggested she swing by London on her way back from a solo trip to Venice she’d already planned.
But Nafis took it to the next level and suggested meeting her there, leading the pair to enjoy a three-day-long first date wandering through the streets of Venice.
Nafis, a bar manager from Stratford, London, said: “It was a bit strange meeting her in person for the first time because I felt like I knew her so well already.
“It felt natural pretty quickly and we really enjoyed the city.
“We spent most of our days walking through the streets, looking at the architecture and sitting down to eat whenever we felt like it.
“We probably went on 20 first dates on the three day trip.”
Before the holiday, the couple had spent weeks speaking on the phone and messaging daily.
Despite conflicting schedules with Nafis working primarily evenings and D’arcy spending her days working in a hospital, they always found time to talk.
It was this connection which made them both feel safe in venturing out to a foreign country to meet a stranger.
Nafis said: “I was definitely aware that it was a different experience for a first date and a lot of people might not do the same.
“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.
“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 do have plans to see each other again soon despite the distance between them.
Nafis said: “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.
“Either way, we both have some time in November and are considering a trip to Budapest.”
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