GIFT....X'MAS, HANUKKAH & MORE

Time to thank people and time to help people. Buying a gift and helping someone, it makes sense for you?

Take a look in my new bag maiden by craftsmen from Portugal:

Also, this stunning ring made with stones from Brazil and Uruguay.

Who sells? 

Associazione P.S.

Patrizia & Silvia are Italian and in 2012 they created this society to help people around the world. It is a nonprofit association that valorize the international handicrafts . Check the page in Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/PSassociazionenoprofit/

MILANO BY CARLOTA

After some years, Milano is part of my life. And why not share with you my addresses?

So cosmopolitan, Milano breathes art, fashion, design, food, news, shopping.....

Recently I visited the MUDEC - Museo Delle Culture di Milano where there is the exposition of Jean-Michel Basquiat.  It's worth the visit if you are a fan of graffiti and modern/contemporary art. The restaurant of the museum is a 2 stars Michelin... if you are ready to pay: Enrico Bartolini Mudec

www.mudec.it

GENEVA-ITALY

I think that Italy often persecutes me, in the good sense of course!!!

Last week, I had lunch in a great Italian restaurant in Geneva. Food from all regions of Italy with a Mozzabar, I went out with the feeling of coming back.

With a great ambiance, great service with a smile and fantastic food. I had a very good 'plat du jour': Risotto Funghi Porcini.

I need to come back to try the 'vero aperitivo milanese'!!! I can't wait!!!

www.mangiareitaliano.ch

WINTERTIME IN GENEVA

December, less light, cold arriving.... While we are waiting some snow, that seems that it is not coming, I recommend a great fondue or raclette.

For me the best address in town is Chateau D'If, just few minutes from the center of Geneva and you feel the wintertime tasting wines from the region, the famous 'viande séchée' sliced thin and a big choice of fondue: moitié-moitié, vacherin, tomato, mushrooms, truffles & champagne.....

If you are in town, try it!

www.chateaudif.ch

BOOKS AROUND.....

Living in Switzerland?

Recently I did a cleaning in my books. I had some to give! When do you read again a book? Maybe someone can read, maybe in another country. Maybe someone can have the same emotions than you or give a chance to someone share a good book.

Don du Livre is collecting books until September 19th @FNAC - www.facebook.com/dondulivre/

ART AROUND.....

Geneva & Art!

If you are around, don't miss this event!

The expected La Nuit de Bains is coming up next September 15th! 

Taking place three times per year - March, May and September in the Quartier des Bains, this event permits to discover new art in an atmosphere of a street party that people socialize weaving in and out of galleries. 

Each of the participating galleries inaugurates a new exhibition while all the museums stay open until 9pm. Located in a concentrated area, the galleries are all within a short walking distance of each other. 

This is Geneva, after all.
www.quartierdesbains.ch

GENEVA

The lake, the mountains, summertime ending and the last moments to enjoy the nature and terraces of the city and neighborhood. 

Some habits of the 'genevois' in summertime:

• Eat outside! Even if inside is fresher, people need to enjoy any single moment of sun. 
• Make reservation in terraces of restaurants with almost one month before..... A question: how they know that the weather will be nice and they will want to eat that kind of food that day? I have no idea!!!!!
• Aperitif in the sidewalk of the lake facing the Mont-Blanc. It's amazing!!!!
• Take sun everywhere: parks, streets, lake, 'bains'
• Breakfast and brunch during the weekend @Bains des Pâquis.

To enjoy that time of the year, my suggestions are there for you:


Lakeside:

Yatch Club de Genève - A nice terrace and a varied menu. www.ycg.ch

Bains des Pâquis - The view is wonderful and the ambiance is festive. Eat a salad and speak to your neighbor or just have your breakfast Sunday morning enjoying the peace of that moment. www.bains-des-paquis.ch

Nautique - Great terrace, but need to be a member of the club! Hamburger and Filet de Perche from the lake are some of the options! www.nautique.ch

Carouge: 

Paku Paku - An authentic Japanese  restaurant that serves a Bento box on lunch time. The food is incredibly delicious and the service is fantastic. www.pakupaku.ch


Qu'importe for tapas & drinks - www.quimporte.ch

Center:

Izumi - The most expensive Japanese restaurant of the city has a terrace on the last floor of the Four Seasons hotel and the chef was the former chef of NOBU in London. The menu is delicious, it is worth the price! 
www.fourseasons.com/geneva/dining/restaurants/izumi

Fouad - Just in the center, Fouad opens his second restaurant after has been worked for many years in the Lebanese restaurant of the hotel Richmond. The food is delicious and without mention the sympathy of the owner. The terrace is not the best of the city as cars pass just in front. www.fouadtraiteur.ch

Relais d'entrecôte - The famous restaurant that serves only a plate, has a nice terrace and a delicious meat with Café de Paris sauce! www.relaisentrecote.fr

Not in the center, but Geneva anyway...

Auberge Lion D'Or - The view from the terrace is breathtaking! The food and service are fantastic. Choose the Bistrot sideband don't miss the 'pão de queijo' by Gilles. www.dupont-byrne.ch


And the countryside... that is my favorite spot!

Auberge Cheval Blanc - Carre d'Aval @Menier - The terrace is incredible with a view of the vineyard and the sunset inspires to a nice aperitif before dinner.
www.chevalblancmeinier.ch

Collonge Café - Located @Collonge Bellerive this Italian restaurant doesn't disappoint! I consider myself an expert on Italian food.... A very nice garden and a beautiful decoration. 
www.collonge-cafe.ch

TRAVELLING AROUND

I was wondering about travelling, how to organize a trip!

Many friends of mine ask me often tips about hotel, restaurants, what to visit, the latest spots.... Maybe you think that I travelled around the world, .... not yet! 

Years ago, a journalist friend of mine asked some tips from Barcelona. A few weeks after my tips were in the newspaper!!! She said that she had the feeling to know the city before arriving just reading my tips! At that time, I didn't have any idea that one day I would write a blog!!!

Travel for me begins when the decision where to go was taken! I particularly love the 'pre' trip and I think that it is part of the trip when you arrive and know the place! 

Internet made a revolution in organization of a trip, sometimes can confuse us with the quantity of options. Then, take care, organize items by the subject.

In my opinion, the www.skyscanner.com gives a good idea of flights considering prices and connections. Don't forget to check in the net if the place that you are thinking to travel needs a visa!

Hotels, apartments, houses. Internet gives us a large opportunity to search places comparing prices. Take time to study the city that you are planning to visit and decide where you want to stay. There are so many sites and among that I like: www.booking.com , www.i-escape.com , www.homelidays.com , www.mrandmrssmith.com and www.airbnb.com

Guides.... A lot of people think that it is expensive and/or useless. Personally , I think that can give you an upgrade to your trip. Use internet guide as www.lonelyplanet.com, www.cntraveller.com, www.fodors.com . You can also buy them on your Kindle, did you ever think about?

Need to rent a car? Skyscanner has also the best deals. Use it!

The luggage! Almost everybody panics when the subject is luggage. Living in one city and my beloved in another, I became minimalist about what to bring on

a trip. Travelling is our routine as well as luggage. We use to wear 1/3 of what we bring, do you notice that? Choose comfortable shoes and be smart depending on the seasons that you are travelling.

I wish you good luck for the next time that you organize a trip, use your network of friends to have some tips about restaurants and check www.tripadvisor.com. 

TOSCANA

Summertime & Toscana....

It is a pleasure to be in a region of Italy so diversified enjoying beach, food, landscape, sea and wine. 

Dinning in Castiglione della Pescaia @Osteria del Mare, we tried a white wine that surprised us: Vivia - Le Mortelle. Going around the region, we decided to visit the vineyard. What a pleasure! 
www.antinori.it/en/passione-in-evoluzione/le-mortelle

Located between Grosseto and Castiglione della Pescaia, Le Mortelle is owned by Antinori group. Crossing the entrance gate, we discovered a wonderful view of the vineyard and garden.

It is possible to visit the cellar and also book a wine tasting during your lunch with local products. After lunch, you can admire the view of the sea and buy some wine and their products.

An amazing option if you are around the Maremma - the part of southwestern Toscana.

PUGLIA

La bella Puglia.... In the heel of Italy's boot, this region  is dotted with beautiful small towns with unique architecture that can vary considerably: conical trulli in Alberobello to an extravagant baroque in Lecce! And also the beaches!! 


My highlights.....

Grotte di Castellana. Discovered in 1938, it is difficult to imagine the immensity of this cave. We walked for 1h30m, exploring each cave until gets in the wonderful Grotta Bianca. 
My suggestion: if you have problems to go down or vertigos, don't hesitate and ask to take the elevator! 
Definitely , a place to be visited!
www.grottedicastellana.it

Alberobello: the city of 'trulli'.
The trullo is a small dry-stone building with a conical roof, specific to the Itria Valley in the region of Puglia. 
Trulli - plural of trullo - were constructed as temporary field shelters and storehouses by small proprietors or agricultural labors. Alberobello is packed with them! A remarkable landscape!

The golden age of trulli architecture was the 19th century, especially its final decades marked by the development of wine growing.
My suggestion: try the ice cream from Gelateria Gentile.

Salento is the area located in the southern end of Puglia, a peninsula that divides the Adriatic Sea from the Ionian Sea.  There is the heel of the boot!!


All along the coast, we came across unforgettable visuals. San Cataldo, Gotta della Poesia, Torre Dell'orso and then the sea-fortified gem of Otranto. A breathtaking circuit!
Otranto is a magnified town with a long history of wars and conquests, beginning with the Greeks, the Ottoman invasion and Napoleonic war. The architecture reflected in the cathedral, the castle and the church gives you a picture of the influence of the conquests.
Give your time to visit, walk around and have a fantastic meal in front of the sea. 
Our choice: Acmet Pascià. Make reservation in advance, because this is a unique place. Tel. +39 0836 801282
If the program is a beach, don't miss Porto Cesare, Santa Maria de Leuca and Porto Selvaggio! 

Next stop: Lecce. The main city of the peninsula of Salento is considered the 'Firenze' of the south and accumulates more than 2000 years of history. With a stunning baroque architecture, Lecce is a treasure of art. To enjoy the rich history, I suggest a walking tour of 2 hours - yes, just that and you will understand this beautiful and magical city!
www.welcomelecce.net

Let's go shopping?
Lecce offers a big range of Italian fashion, food, art, etc... 
My flash: the shop of 2 artists - Gianni De Carlo and Pinuccia   Petruzzelli that make jewelry using Lecce stones, so beautiful and very original gift. They receive you with kindness and you feel the commitment to their work. Take a look: www.artefare.com

Just a few shops ahead, my eyes have been caught by tissue rainbow and I discovered an Italian brand that manufactures the Armani's Home brand among others. Society is a clean shop with beautiful bed linen, bags and few clothes.
www.societylimonta.com

Time to eat?

As Lecce became a highly demanded place, beware of the tourist trap, go to simple trattorias and book a table before your dinner....
My 'coeur de foudre': Le Zie - Via Archimede Costadura, 19 - tel. + 39 0832 245178

If you are planning a trip around Italy.....include Puglia!!!!