Ciaotraveler

What a fabulous organic store and cafe... bulging bags of rice, own-label preserves and artisan olive oils.   Continue for more...

French Goods Sacre Coeur Montmarte, Paris                                                                 Notre Dame                       The Louvre                                                                   Eiffel Tower    Ritz Hotel (Di's last night supper) at (left) and the world famous Paris Opera (rt) Bags:  Mud-Pie; Quelobject; French soaps:  Quelobject, French Garden Cottage; FrenchCharmed, GiannaRose  \ This post still under construction..photos were lost!

Julia: Eat, Pray, Love and more... I will not lie, I love Italy for the food among many reasons.  In the movie, Eat, Pray, Love, Julia flies to Rome and eats her way through friendships and happiness.  They venture out to have the original Pizza Margherita in Naples and drive their little car to Tuscany where her Italian tutor's family lives.  Julia prepares a traditional American holiday feast with Turkey and all of the trimmings.  And of course, they drink red wine the entire time in Italy.  After she leaves Italy, it's off to India and Bali...where she really doesn't eat much at all.  Her favorite phrase is "attraversare sopra" which means to "cross over" (try something new) in Italian.  Julia  Roberts was paid $1.5 million to appear in a non-speaking role in an Italian coffee commercial, reports the Daily Mail.   Roberts plays Botticelli’s Venus while two men try to make her smile. They succeed when they offer her a cup of “A Modo Mio...

Above: Milano, Venice, Milano, Portofino Above: Portofino,  Pienza, Levanto Above:  Pisa, Montepulciano, Ligure   Kudos:  Flea Market Trixie/Ballard Design/Chicmaison jewelry More Tuscany here More Portofino post here

FASHION WEEK MILANO, IT. Did you think about skinny size 40 (UK 8, USA 6, Australia 10) models or classic  Italian beauties like Sofia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Monica Bellucci,  Claudia Cardinale, Mariagrazia Cucinotta?   Fashion designer Elena Miroglio,  of the Elena Mirò group, feels that  Italian fashion should also cater for Mediterranean-style fuller  figured women. Elena Mirò has been excluded  from the official fashion shows at Milan Fashion Week because  her plus size models, an Italian size 46 (UK 14, USA 12, Australia 16),  do not conform to the general standards used by other designers.  (The model above is supposed to be "full figure"...oh well, finally, for us WOMEN!) Not loving either of these styles... Designers will be featured soon in the media.       The Fashion Plaza in Milano Leonardo's "Last Supper" fresco in Milan The Duomo in Milano

Tuscany Winery Fattoria dei Barbi is a renowned historical estate and winery.  Honored as the best in all of Europe, the winery was the first to produce Brunello and Grappa de Brunello wines.  The Colombini family has owned the estate since 1352. One-third of their wine production is Brunello de Montalcino. The winery is situated in the beautiful Montalcino (Siena) of Tuscany. (Continue)

When we visited in '99, the color had been enhanced and it appears more refreshed. Michelangelo's David in the Duomo  PISA 1973/1999  Monatepulciano, Montalcino,  Tuscany Region                Ligure Region Again, much cleaner than 1973 and refreshed. Just recently the renovating was completed.  It's totally open to wander to the top.   Try the coconut for a cool treat. See my Tuscany post