Venice, Italy: The Gondola Massage: Hotel Cipriani

l'amante. i baci. i fiori.
lover. kisses. flowers.

While perusing the latest luxuries in some of the most romantic cities in the world, we spotted this entirely unique Venetian experience, perfect for the swanky solo traveler, blushing newlyweds, or any hot-to-euro trot couple. The new “Gondola Massage” at Hotel Cipriani, one of the finest hotels in the world, is offering a 40-minute massage focusing on the back, shoulders, neck and face in a private venue near a hidden corner of the Venetian lagoon. A specially-designed mat has been embraces the shape of the gondola for comfort while the hotel’s appropriately named 'Casanova Spa' therapists have blended together a special oil - rich in vitamin E and F with a high SPF sunscreen, coffee oil and peach milk - to protect the skin under the sun. The experience ends with a foot massage and the opportunity to relax in the hotel’s garden with iced tea or a glass of crisp pinot grigio.

How's that for romantic, il mio tesoro?

From $590, booked directly through Hotel Cipriani’s Casanova Spa.
www.hotelcipriani.com

Sardinian Daze: Sardinian Nights

Need to work on your tintarella? Feeling a little self-indulgent? Every hard-working stiff deserves a hot-blooded vacation at least once, twice (hell, three times) before they die. Whether you’re a glamour loving jet-set cat walker or lady-loving lothario, Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda is the perfect summer jaunt for you.

Located south of Corsica off the Italian coast, Sardinia is the Mediterranean’s second largest island and one of the most exclusive vacation spots in the world. Heavy with the scent of macchia; a heady mix of rosemary, lavender and pine, the island’s north east coast, known as the Costa Smeralda, is a small piece of sexy Italian heaven on earth. Thank billionaire playboy Aga Khan for the Porto Cervo of it all. One day, while flying his private jet overhead, Khan witnessed the emerald green coast and imagined jade green coves packed with yachts, Missoni, Bvlgari, and Prada; a tastefully chic getaway for wealthy Europeans and stylish Milanese. With six hundred million dollars and a vision, he set about transforming the thirty five mile stretch of mosquito infested, rocky beach into the now swanky Costa Smeralda.

Long known as the summer playground for European royalty like Princess Margaret, King Juan Carlos, and Princess Caroline of Monaco (who enjoyed not one, but two honeymoons here), Sardinia has, for several years, been the au courant stomping grounds for Hollywood ingénues in heat for a fast fling or saucy love affair with a Real Madrid baller or Formula One race car driver. Mariah Carey even chose the island’s tranquil setting, dotted with stazzu style villas, as her undisclosed location to recover from emotional exhaustion a few years ago.
Billionaire, Porto Cervo Sardinia

So Jaunt did what we do best. We headed there with a bevy of beautiful, brainy New Yorkers. Aside for the trials and tribulations of traveling with three women, it was truly the time of our lives. Great food, sleek parties, gorgeous men from Milan, and plenty of opulent yachts. It was heaven... for about a week. Then, let's just say, you need a vacation from this jam-packed party of a vacation... so much excitement and activity around every gorgeous crag and corner.

From James Bond to Wertmuller, Sardinia's rugged blue coastline has simply been the perfect cinema setting for unrestrained passion (see Swept Away). Remember the photos of Princess Di and Dodi Fayed floating on a yacht amid turquoise blue waters? One word: Sardegna. Di certainly knew how to live. She was shopping at the finest boutiques and lounging on a chartered yacht moored off Sardinia's sandy crescents before that fateful Parisian accident.

Flavio Briatore, Benetton Formula One team boss (and Heidi Klum’s ex-baby's daddy), owns Billionaire, the timeless Porto Cervo nightclub shown above, which might possibly contain the highest concentration of good looking people in the world. We'd be lying if we said it wasn't a bit daunting... being faced with leggy models and dark sultry men (all wearing crisp white button-downs with initials on the sleeve, of course). Still, we do recommend finding a yacht or (be-friending one). We were lucky enough to meet some young Milanese men (bless their tanned shiny little hearts) who sailed us around Sardinia's stunning Maddelena islands, not to be missed if you have a boat. We lounged on the deck laughing, drinking Vermentino, and eating handmade pasta with that perfectly salted Italian addition, bottarga. Imagine yourself there too... dripping in diamonds and champagne. It's lovely, isn't it? if only to realize two weeks later that it's also rather silly and self-indulgent. Bottom line: it's still the best place to meet and greet your inner Diva. At least once (or twice) in your life, right?

The breathtaking beaches may not be as lengthy as our favorite Caribbean brothers, but the water, along with the sunbathers, flickers with the sparkling blues and various shades of light and dark. There are also enough babes to earn yourself a neck brace. Long Beach, like its name, is likely the best/longest beach around, but there’s also some fun to be had at the more sheltered Petra Manna Beach, Piccolo Pevero, and Capriccioli. At Spiaggia della Rosa, rose colored sand falls between your toes and Cala Granu, La Dolce Sposa, Romazzino, Del Principe and Liscia Ruia, are a bit further from the Porto Cervo center, but worth a quick trip if you’re staying more than a week.

Even if you’re Daddy Warbucks, keep in mind that during the summer months, a ten-minute cab ride can run roughly $100. That is, of course, unless you speak Italian or have a loud mouth that cries out... 'What? I refuse!" while your girlfriends call you crazy and pull you from the car screaming. A rental car and a cell phone is a must and the only way to see the island’s spectacular coves and beaches. Expect to pay at least $50-$55 a day for an economy car, but remember that the Milanese who take over the island also take over the roads. You better be handy with a stick with good reflexes. Another popular way to discover the beaches, particularly the Costa Smeralda, is by boat. If you’re women traveling alone, you can likely make some Italian friends who will take you out. Otherwise, local charter operators like Mala Kebir (www.malakebir.com) offer sailing trips with or without crew.

If you want to take a break from Porto Cervo’s gliterrati, head inland where the remnants of over seven thousand bronze age nuraghi (stone towers) dot the landscape, a reminder of the local resistance to their numerous invaders. The walled port city of Alghero is filled with medieval towers, narrow cobblestone streets, and shops selling jewelry made from local coral.

If the expenses on the island start to get you down, drown your worries with the superlative wines Sardinia has to offer. For under $5.00 at the local grocery, you’ll find some of the best wines you’ve had in years. Wild, independent, and exotic, the coastal dry plains and hills of Sardinia offer an idyllic climate for the likes of the vine. Sardinia produces some of the smoothest well-structured reds and aromatic, high-acid whites. Occupied by both the Spanish and the ancient Phoenicians, they brought over some of the best varieties around, including dry white Vermentinos, soft floral Torbato, the flavor rich Grenache called Cannonau, and traditional Moscatos from the western part of the island. An unspoken gem of vivid blue-green waters, Sardegna also has over sixty wineries on the island.

Jim Perry, owner of Sardinia Vacations has spent the last few years living on the island learning about the culture, the wine, and the lifestyle of the locals. His recommendation, “The Cannonau. It's a nice hearty red that’s fantastic paired with the local specialty, suckling pig, or lamb, goat, beef, and cinghiale (otherwise known as wild boar).”

PS. Cinghiale is also a fantastic insult. Just make sure you pronounce it correctly.

That said, the food in Sardinia is as tasty as the wine and ranges from rustic pane carasau (literally meaning 'music paper'), a thin unleavened flat bread brushed with oil, soaked in broth and topped with tomato, a poached egg, and grated pecorino to the more refined malloredus (shell shaped dumplings) and gnocchi with grated pecorino, saffron, fresh ricotta and mentuccia, a mint-like Mediterranean herb.

Restaurants
Mama Orsa (Tel: 078-999-462), Pepero (Tel: 078-994-434)
Sotto Vento and Sopra Vento (Tel: 078-992-443) all serve delicious fare, but don’t expect to start eating until ten at night.

After you’ve worked up an appetite, sip some Limoncello, start planning, and get ready to party until seven am. While heavily researching her own trip to Sardinia, Editor-in-Chief, Layla Revis, discovered that the best deal and more comfortable accommodations could be found renting a villa. Keep in mind, you need a car and a decent proximity to the nightspots listed below. For your handy reference, we've also included a rundown on the fancy schmancy hotels, most of them run by Starwood (just in case you, or your lover, is a real bonafide baller).

Villa Rentals

Iglu Villas
Who doesn’t want to do it like an Italian? Rent a spacious villa along the coast, perfect for families and a group of friends traveling together. Igluvillas.com offers holidays to over 30, 000 villas in Europe with four hundred properties on Sardinia alone. Their selection of properties includes both villas and apartments, ranging from simple accommodation to luxurious villas with private pools. Holiday bookings are for 7 or 14 nights and all departures and arrivals are on Saturdays.
http://www.igluvillas.com/

Residence Porto Piccolo
Porto Piccolo, ten minute drive from the Porto Cervo center is bright and peaceful village. In traditional Gallura style, granite rocks and wood are joined to form balconies facing the sea that overlook La Maddalena and Caprera islands. Two restaurants are available on the property with both terraces facing the blue green sea, 3 tennis courts, and a swimming pool.

Residence Chrysalis Bay (Piccolo Pevero)
Nestled next to the Pevero Golf Course, this spot is ideal for meeting other young, traveling, jet set single Milanese.
Tel: 078992526

Residence Capriccioli (Capriccioli)
www.capriccioli.it
Tel. 078996016

Hotels

Cala di Volpe Hotel
This 125-room Starwood hotel has rooms for up to $960 per person, per day during July and August where you can stay in Aga Khan’s own signature tower for a few clams more. It’s a quiet, lazy get-away with an Olympic sea-water swimming pool, trompe l'oeil wall paintings, romantic piano bars with wood beamed ceilings, and endless Bvlgari cosmetics in your room. The presidential suite occupies the entire third floor and contains an open-air swimming pool and pool-side cabana for the exclusive use of the suite's guests. From $536 per person, per day, including meals. It's nice, but again, we likey the villas. www.starwoodhotels.com
Tel: (39)(0789) 976111

Hotel Romazzino
With its’ elegant whitewashed walls and simple, delicate rooms with private terraces, the 90 room hotel’s many arches and pergolas surround the property with flowers and a green lawn that folds to the sea. The most family friendly of the hotel’s in Porto Cervo, the Beach Club at Romazzino Beach is a great stop for lunch. www.starwoodhotels.com
Tel: (39)(0789) 977111

Hotel Le Ginestre
A warm four star pink Mediterranean granite facade, this property is nestled into the mountainside and cozyyyyyy.
www.leginestrehotel.com

Cervo Hotel
Smack dab in the center of Porto Cervo village, you couldn’t find a better location to be in the mix. Expect to spend the bucks.
www.starwoodhotels.com Tel: (39)(0789) 931111

Hotel Pitrizza (Liscia di Vacca)
North of Costa Smeralda, The Hotel Pitrizza's 51 rooms and suites consist of several stone bungalows on a slope sweeping down to the sea with views of the Mediterranean and islands below. The hotel’s saltwater pool is carved out of the rocks and blends into the sea for the perfect afternoon swim.
www.starwood.com

Su Gologone Hotel (Oliena)
Madonna stayed here. With limestone peaks and a hundred year old fireplace, it’s far from the nightlife and more for the yoga traveler. A solid favorite of Italian and European travelers who come to this bucolic country inn for the tranquil surroundings and a menu of roasted meats and sharp Cannonau wines.

Restaurants and Clubs

Porto Cervo Yacht Club
Billionaire
Smaila's
Blues Cafe
Clipper
Country In (Porto Rotondo)
Spago (Baja Sardinia)
Tana dell' orso (hostera dell' orso) Poltu quatu

Italy: The Flower of my Secret

Shhh... Italy is...
The flower of my secret.

That's Georgia O'Keeffe's 'Black Iris', but it sure does draw you in, doesn't it? She may have found her inspiration in Santa Fe, but we're finding it in Italy. Which reminds us of flowers, Limoncello, beauty, and a few botanically-inspired programs taking place in the country of fine wine and pasta right now (such passionate paramours of all things flowery, green, and leafy, we are). Whispered about among the upwardly-mobile artistic set, these petal-pushing programs are sure to bring out the inner O'Keeffe in you too.

HOTEL SPLENDIDO: The Discovering Herbs Package
Portofino, Italy
















The word 'love' doesn't capture the affaire de coeur I have with the Italian coast. Sweeping, terraced, cobbled, and cozy, it's one of the most romantic spots on earth; reason enough to believe in true love and eternal bliss. Surreal in it's majesty, endless in it's scope, there's simply no other place I've seen that quite compares to Italy's fine homage to love and living.


The days, the nights, alone, or in love, Italy can be sipped slowly or downed in one long lascivious gulp. Greedy, sensual, ravenous, needy, when you leave you'll want to cry yourself into the fetal position and ask yourself, "Why???" It's painful to leave her no matter what you do.

Originally a Monastery, Hotel Splendido in Portofino, is among the finest accommodations in the area. A luxury villa that stands majestically on a hillside overlooking the Bay of Portofino, it's surrounded by four acres of tropical terraced gardens of palm trees, yews, sea pines, mimosa and olive groves while the nearby harbor is full of cafes, shops, gorgeous men (whoops, did I say that?) and restaurants. So grab a girlfriend, your mom, or your husband, and see an Italian coast that'll make you swoon. Get creative and break the botanical babe in you free.

You'll spend two days and two nights learning how to recognize the spontaneous herbs of Liguria and their use in cookery. A course lying midway between gastronomy and botany, based on the aromas of the herbs typical of the Tigullio region. Here's the itinerary:

Day One: A gourmet dinner for two based on local herbs, in either the Splendido Mare’s "Chuflay" restaurant or in the Splendido’s "la Terrazza" restaurant.

Day Two: Guests set off on foot at 10am for a half-day excursion on Monte di Portofino, accompanied by a botanist guide, who will explain the uses and properties of spontaneous herbs for cooking, health and beauty.

Prices start at US $1,719* per person, for a double sea view room, including flowers, full American-style breakfast and all the activities in the program.

Reservations at: www.hotelsplendido.com or 1800 237 1236.

In addition to classes on the Italian coast, you can discover a renaissance in botanical art at properties around the world with painting classes at almost all of the Orient-Express hotels. By the end of each class, you'll have completed a number of sketches and color works.

Fun, fun, fun!

The program for 2008 includes a variety of options. Since today we're daydreaming about Italy, I pick:

HOTEL CIPRIANI
Venice, Italy

You know about the gondolas and the city among the sea, right? There's really not much more to say, but... look at that photo! We vote for a few days in the middle of that ancient Italian lovestory that is Venice. Go paint. Suck, or be amazing. Who cares? Just know this... if you go alone, you better have something to do. Like paint some flowers, take a big rosemary-filled breath, and drink some wine. Just don't say I didn't tell you so when Massimo tries to feel you up during your 80 minute massage.

Fondamenta Vetrai, Murano 50,

Tel: 041 2737211

Flower Painting Master Class: “Autumn fruits and foliage”
Sunday, October 5th – Friday, October 10th, 2008
Package price is Euro 5,365 (approx USD $7,980) plus 10% VAT. Rate for two persons, student or not, sharing a room.

Students can discover a worldwide renaissance in flower painting at an exclusive Master Class at the Hotel Cipriani taught by Siriol Sherlock.

Student Program Includes:
• Welcome at the airport or railway station by hotel representative
• Transfer on arrival and departure
• Italian Champagne and flowers in the room
• Get-together cocktail party on arrival and welcome dinner
• Daily painting Master Class
• Five nights deluxe accommodation with full American Breakfast
• Lunch and dinner daily (beverages not included)
• Farewell dinner
• Diploma

Reservations: www.orient-express.com or 1800 237 1236.

Italians: A Short Reference Guide

There they are.
In all their Italian glory.
You want to know more about this curious animal, don't you?

Good, because this just in from my favorite LA-based Italian. Guest Blogger/Artist,
Michele Castagnetti.

So why are the Italians so obsessed about il caffe?

While Americans see it as merely a good addictive beverage with awakening, productive qualities, the Italians will talk about it for hours, especially when abroad and dissatisfied. The Italian espresso is not more than a quarter of a sip but its as powerful as two cups of the American. Personally, I don't have enough quantity to really taste it. And when looking at suited Milanesi handling the tiny cups and rotating the little spoons for minutes, I can see they could use a longer experience as well. They have opened up to an Americano version, which is a bit longer but they still look at you strangely when you ask for a cappuccino and its not morning.



It used to be unorthodox, I remember, to wear a watch on ones right wrist as if it really mattered. Wearing short socks when not in sporting gear is still considered the worst of style infringements. Every season there is a trend/brand that every single Italian has to have to feel with it, like the Burberry scarf. They were addicted to Lacoste products for years and they would always carefully examine the label of your collar to check the authenticity. During the Paninari era in the eighties the standard look of the young urban Italian was: Montclair bubble jacket, Timberland shoes (carefully dirtied from day one with different techniques that they would discuss very seriously), Burberry socks, lots of hair-gel and Levis 501 (the Tatiana Patitz commercial made everybody fall in love.)

One sad year, a polo shirt by Best & Company became the must have. I could go on, but it isn't really worth it.

The obsession of 'what kind of car do you drive?' reaches levels so high that before considering a certain vehicle, prospective buyers would picture a hot model asking the question in a club and they would repeat the brand to see if it sounded cool enough. The Harley Davidson trend invaded Italy only in the late nineties. Obviously, being such obsessive trend followers, owning the bike was just the beginning. They watched all the motorcycle movies as a style reference. They got the tattoo, the leather, the boots, the belt, the lighter, the hats, the helmets, sold their car to afford it but they live with mom and pop. The Hells Angels lifestyle is a bit problematic when you live with your parents.

The Stare: Nobody in the world stares as much as Italians do. It is an examination from head to toe, or vice versa. They need to spot who you are, the brands you're wearing, your income, where you live, where you work, who you date and what you are doing there.



The Watch: The Rolex obsession is only equaled by the Swatch one (FYI - This is the Rolex Daytona, Putin's favored timepiece) . I know guys who have a $5000 Rolex but couldn't afford a beat up Fiat. Italians in their mid-forties would get stopped at customs with twenty Swatches, I still can't find an explanation for that one.

The Drugs: Cocaine or bamba is the latest trend. It arrived in Italy (in large quantities) only in the mid-nineties but quickly took over the market as the coolest addiction. And like coffee, it would be talked about for days: who has it, who shares it, who's sharing but not paying for it, who's cutting it too much, who's overcharging, who's going to the bathroom by
him/herself, who's not doing it, etc. A new topic that keeps them really busy.

Hash remains the proletarian alternative.

The Tan: It's essential for that well traveled diva/o look. The boom of tanning salons that dates to the mid/late eighties is still strong. 'Sei stato/a alle Lampados?' Means: 'Did you go tanning?' The obsession of the tintarella (nice tan) reaches dimensions of such proportions that if the sun was really so cancerous, there would only be a couple of hundred Italians left.



Travelling represents the major hobby. The destinations are always the same and they vary according to trend as well. They will always say, 'I hate Italians' during vacation, but they'll always go to the same places where the only natives are the people that work at the resort. Most of these places had to get Illy (the best Italian coffee) just to keep 'em happy.

The problems they have: The most common is the cervicale (neck-ache) due to air drafts of which they are terrified. Stomachache is the second due to the food being not as good as that of mama and never because of the quantity
they ate. Migraines: Just because headache is not as dramatic a word.



The Police: We have two kinds, one called Polizia and the other called Carabinieri. The difference is not quite clear, but there are a million jokes about the stupidity of the Carabinieri. You can ask anybody on the street and they'll be happy to inform you of the latest. They deal mostly, but not only, with car and traffic related episodes and for that they aren't very well liked. The Polizia is supposed to deal with murder and intrigue and for that reason you never see them around. Although they are known to put on the siren and hit 150Km/hr at peak hour not to be late for mamas lunch.

The Food: Well, this could be a book on its own. I'd just say that it is the very first hobby, actually more, it is a reason for living. The entire life of an Italian revolves around lunch and dinner and if anything comes in between, is drama. Lunch is at 12:30 and dinner at 8.

Who they don't get along with: The French, because both think of being the best. The language, the clothes, the wine, the cheese and the small cars have always been elements of a bloody competition. The Spaniards are the ones they get along with the best, but they also respect the Germans enormously for the Benz, the BMW, the Porsche and generally for their ability to do things precisely right.

The Politics or better yet, the Politicians: This is a sure controversial conversation from the start. Italy has thousands of newspapers and the same political story is different in each. If you think the American politicians are good at spinning questions, the Italians are so professional at it that they could talk an hour and not say anything. The bottom line is that if there isn't a problem they'll create one or they'll solve it by creating three more. Corruption is the purpose of becoming a politician. Craxi, is one of the most famous. He retired after a scandal to a royal palace in Tunisia that somehow belonged to his wife, who was a housewife; he was never persecuted.

This could be an encyclopedia.



The Soccer: After food, it is the second reason for living (for a man, for a woman, it is the clothes). Half the TV shows are dedicated to this sport. One is called the Monday Trial and it is more serious than a murder trial. They can talk and argue for years about one game or one player. (The top players to debate: Giacinto Facchetti, Dino Zoff, and Paolo Rossi)

The Women: After soccer, it is the third reason for living (for a man). I'll just say that men would study, memorize and rehearse different approach techniques and they would refine them according to the different nationality of the prey.

The Religion: The words Catholic and Christian are often used interchangeably and confused. Going to church is a must until sixteen. Afterwards, parents are more lenient with child rebellion.

The Priests: There are good and bad ones. The best ones after mass hit the bars, get drunk and sing traditional dialect songs with the locals.



Guest Blogger:
Michele Castagnetti
http://www.acrylicairlines.com