ll the colors in the world. All nuances, sounds and scents. All flavors. In such a heterogeneous world, we do not want to miss anything. We travel to see monuments, nature, peoples, but also for ambience and emotion. If you ask what we went to “see” in our destinations, we could say that we went to “live” an emotion and “immerse” ourselves in an atmosphere.
The pinwheel of destinations has for some time been spinning and no one knows where it will stop. There are the disappearing travel destinations and new ones that appear on the travel market like Kurdistan, Kazakhstan and other Caucasian republics, but also the northern European islands such as the Faroes, Svalbard, Lofoten and so on. The difficult choice of “where to go” now even contemplates the often troublesome but fascinating former Soviet republics.
If discovery must take place, then so be it, but awesome, something to write home about, fresh. Indubitably, the world will become increasingly more connected but is, nevertheless, extremely large and varied.
Azienda Marrone
La Morra, Italia
Carthusia
Capri, Italia
XVII, n. 99 2022
International Editor-in-Chief
Ovidio Guaita
Senior Editor
Lawrence Taylor
Contributors
Elsa Bozzaotra, Riccardo Casano, Maria Coscarelli, Paola Di Girolamo, Paolo Gerbaldo, Alessandra Jovinelli, Pamela McCourt Francescone, Agnese Frullatori
Translations
Lawrence Taylor, Agnese Frullatori
Photos
Ovidio Guaita, Lawrence Taylor, Paolo Gerbaldo, Paolo Levi, hotel e resort pubblicati Video for iPad and iPhone app
Roberto Sessoli
Graphic Design
Niccolò Angeli www.nican.me Layout
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A fairy-tale awakening in the luxury of a grand hotel
t all started in 1856 when the Ingham-Whitaker family moved to Palermo for work and built this villa in the city center with the particularity of an underground passage that connected it to the nearby Anglican Church. Later in 1874 Enrico Ragusa bought it and it immediately became a luxury hotel. Later the architect Ernesto Basile embellished it with “Fin de Siecle” decorations in pure Art Nouveau style.
There are many characters who have followed one another in these 150 years of history. In particular, the stay of the composer Richard Wagner remained famous. Wagner completed his Parsifal here and stayed there for almost a year in 1881 with his wife Cosia Liszt. Even today in the presidential suite of over 150 square meters dedicated to him, you can admire the piano that his father-in-law Franz Liszt gave him.
After two years of work and careful restoration, the hotel, restored to its former glory, reopened its doors in June 2021. Luxury and modernity make this 5 * L the benchmark in the Palermo hotel scene.
The interior furnishings are very suggestive. What was once the Ballroom is now the Hall of Mirrors where the sophisticated Mixology Bar is located, characterized by a magnificent multistorey glass column with liqueurs from all over the world as well as by the refined Neobistrot restaurant that combines local tradition with contemporaneity in a sophisticated setting.
The beautiful terrace on the fifth floor houses the Sushi Restaurant Ouverture Terrace with oriental specialties, also in a Mediterranean key. We tried it on a warm June evening by combining the compositions of fresh fish with Barraco’s “Biancammare” whose iodized notes combine well with the scent of flowers and citrus fruits since its vines rise just 30 meters from the sea in the nearby province of Marsala.
On the sixth floor there is a large gym with Technogym equipment and, by the end of the year, the SPA is scheduled to open and will be built in a new dedicated area. Immersed in the historic center of Palermo and embellished with stuccoes, columns, majolica, stained glass and antique furniture, the Grand Hotel des Palmes is the best choice for an exclusive stay in the city.
Afavorite setting for international high society, the ancient home of Dr. Léon Brachet (18401898), known as “the doctor of kings”, and his wife Nelly (1840-1924), testifies to an era: the Belle Époque with the unforgettable season of the spa - first Savoy and then French - of Aixles-Bains in Savoy.
The atmosphere you breathe today living in the Château Brachet - transformed into a sophisticated boutique hotel - is therefore that of history declined, however, in a modern and elegant form. The transformation of Dr. Brachet’s residence into a charming hotel is therefore the perfect choice made by Jean Michel Belin.
The restoration of the structure, carried out in a sustainable way, has, in fact, managed to interpret history, thus bringing back the splendor of the property in Grésy-sur-Aix. In fact, they come to life through the patiently collected details and objects that shape the spaces, recalling the names of Dr. Brachet’s illustrious patients.
A few steps into this evocative world and you are immediately immersed in the bright dining room of the gourmet restaurant “La table du Château”, entrusted to the chef Bertrand Janson. The beautiful room, with its Belle Époque stained glass window, extends over the large park that surrounds the castle.
Good technique combined with intelligent creativity are the leitmotifs of the proposed menu in which attention to the territory and seasonality shape well-balanced dishes characterized, in their conception, by a modern taste.
None of the rooms and suites is the same as the other in color and furnishings. In fact, each has its own spirit capable of evoking a theme or one of the characters linked to the castle.
In an enchanting and peaceful corner, the Château Brachet is a historic boutique hotel to experience and visit in all its surroundings, as it dispenses a classic and unforgettable harmony.
Buenos Aires, the largest metropolis “at the end of the world” is a vibrant cocktail of European history and Latin American passion. With stylish neighbourhoods, flower-filled parks, boulevards with elegant Italian and French-style palaces and a vibrant cultural and gastronomic life, it is a rare gem among the cities of the New World. In the Microcentro the Casa Rosada presidential palace is salmon pink, and on the Plaza de Mayo a white marble pyramid commemorates 25th May 1810, the day Argentina became independent from Spain.
Aires
alacio Duhau is the quintessence of the most refined heart of Buenos Aires. The aristocratic 1930s palace, inspired by a Parisian chateau, has sumptuous interiors with artwork and marble floors that blend seamlessly with the contemporary design and muted colours of the new areas. Located between Alvear and Posadas, two tree-lined avenues in the elegant Recoleta neighbourhood, it shares a terraced garden with its newer half, the modern 17-storey Posadas building.
Pamela McCourt Francescone
The original four-storey Palacio with its old-world glamour has only 23 rooms and suites with three Specialty Suites: the Duhau, the Boudoir and the Alvear, which have dedicated butler service.
The presidential suite is the Belle Epoque-style Duhau on the top floor with bulletproof windows, a terrace and a living area with Persian carpets and a dining room for eight. In the modern Posadas Palace the Deluxe and Park Executive suites have dining rooms, and many have balconies. Like the rooms, all in elegant pastel tones, they overlook the graceful rear façade of the old palace and the beautiful gardens.
The Ahin Wellnesss & Spa has two private suites with baths, two individual treatment rooms and a hydrotherapy area. The large, colour-changing indoor pool and the 24-hour gymnasium complete the facilities for guests’ wellbeing. The three restaurants overlook the terraced gardens that are a riot of azaleas and roses when tables spill outside in the warmer months.
Breakfasts, afternoon teas and dinners in the Piano Nobile’s Los Salones restaurant take diners back to another era. The Duhau & Vinoteca restaurant is more relaxed with wonderful cuts of meat and excellent wines on the menu, while the local cheeses from the Cheese Celler are the perfect way to complete a meal of Argentinean excellence. At the Cucina Botanica Gioia restaurant the menus are based on vegetables, grains, pulses, seaweed and mushrooms. They change every season, and delight even the most voracious carnivores.
Adream come true. One of the oldest Venetian villas in Valpantena brought back to its former splendour in a landscape of rare beauty.
The Relais Villa Balis Crema is an aristocratic 17th century Medici villa in Romagnana di Grezzano, in the Valpantena valley close to Verona, that has been transformed by its current owners the Zecchini family, into a charming relais. In the main building, in the rustic barchessa old storage wing and in the caretaker’s house, the suites are intimate and cozy, with oldworld charm. They have iron and wooden furniture and fittings and some have personal spas with emotional showers, saunas and Turkish baths.
From the Relais there are many outdoor activities to be enjoyed, from relaxing under the tented gazebos around the swimming pool, to walking and cycling itineraries on the sunny slopes. These lead through fields, olive groves, vineyards and forests, passing small hamlets, farms, ancient churches and the six little towns in the valley.
Gourmet breakfasts are served under the brick vaults of the former wine cellar, or in the warmer months on the terrace overlooking the beautiful concentric herb garden and the organic swimming pool with sweeping views of the valley. A sweet awakening with homemade seasonal delicacies from the Michelin chef. Because there are two stars shining on this handsome old property: Chef Giacomo Sacchetto’s 2020 Michelin Star for the La Cru Restaurant, and his 2021 Green Star, the recognition for kitchens that distinguish themselves for sustainable practices.
Pamela McCourt Francescone
Sacchetto, at the head of the squad in the contemporary burnished steel open kitchen, which is partly derived from old railway sleepers, uses only raw materials from the Relais’s garden and local suppliers. The menu, which changes with the seasons, features regional products such as game and wild asparagus, but also prawns and fried fish “from a trusted supplier in Chioggia” for dishes that combine innovation and tradition “with our feet on the ground and our eyes on the world”. Haute cuisine creations that, before delighting the palate gratify the eye, like Sogni d’Oro a honey wafer with a chamomile mousse with a honey crisp, absolute of almonds, chestnut and acacia honey, and a scoop of fior di latte and almond ice cream.
n one of the “hearts” of Paris, Maison Albar Hotels Le Pont-Neuf is a comfortable and precious address designed to offer charming hospitality in the setting offered by an elegant contemporary residence.
Outside, the beautiful and quiet Rue du PontNeuf joins the Right Bank of the Seine with the lively pedestrian area of Les Halles dominated by the imposing Gothic-Renaissance forms of the Saint-Eustache church. A few steps from Le Pont-Neuf are the Louvre Museum, Center Pompidou and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
In the hotel, skillful contrasts coexist harmoniously, the result of modern and well-chosen combinations, which are immediately appreciated starting from the hall. Light curtains. Delicate tones. Plays of light. The refined and precious interiors are therefore to be discovered slowly to experience authentic emotions.
The decor of the rooms and suites is played on a modern, refined and sober style that offers warm sensations of intimacy. The Pont-Neuf Spa collection by Cinq Mondes is dedicated to well-being and relaxation
A modern imprint has the gourmet restaurant Odette by Rostang Père et Filles which is entrusted to the care of chef Rémi Hénaux. Odette is, in fact, a safe landing place for those looking for delicate creative proposals to be consumed in an open and informal place. Original interpretations based on selected seasonal products are in fact the basis of the cuisine proposed by the talented Chef who, in appropriate combinations of tastes, has his cornerstones . The menu of the Odette by Maison Rostang restaurant has the support of careful and punctual service.
The Maison Albar Le Pont-Neuf thus translates the search for high-level hospitality characterized by refined and discreet luxury to the fullest.
The stopover at Casa di Langa is a delightful interlude to be lived in relaxation, taking advantage of the magic of a corner between the wine-growing areas of Barbaresco, Barolo and Alta Langa. In fact, Casa di Langa nestles in this enchanting and authentic setting: a calm and peaceful structure which, thanks to local materials, dialogues with the natural elements of the area, thus offering its guests an experience of luxury and respect for the environment.
The resort - extremely attentive to environmental sustainability - incorporates local motifs and colors in its architectural codes. Particularly successful is the use of stone declined in different forms. An important space is accorded to contemporary art with various works that graciously enliven the common areas.
The careful use of local materials and fabrics gives the rooms and suites of the eco-resort a contemporary, warm style, well complemented by the view enjoyed from the individual terraces.
The gastronomic journey proposed by chef Daniel Zeilinga in the Fàula restaurant - the word for fairy tale in Piedmontese - combines tradition with a gentle creative reinterpretation, supported by a remarkable technique. The dishes that arrive at the table are therefore a perfect synthesis of tastes, inventiveness and textures. The raw materials found both from selected local producers and from the Casa di Langa garden provide guidelines for a balanced menu.
Other strengths of the Fàula restaurant are its open kitchen, which allows you to admire the kitchen team, the brightness of the space, the prestigious cellar and the impeccable service, both in terms of timing and attention to the different needs of the guests.
With a final glance that sweeps out over the surrounding landscape glimpsing vineyards, woods, castles, villages and hills, we thus conclude our experience, full of indelible sensations, at Casa di Langa.
he Riva del Sole Resort & Spa is situated in an enchanting pine forest in the Tuscan Maremma, a few kilometres from the center of Castiglione della Pescaia.
The location is perfect for a family beach holiday. The crystal blue of the water blends with the sky and the scents of the sea breeze with that of the pine trees that are part of the architecture of this 27-hectare-wide structure.
The concept of hospitality offered by Riva del Sole Resort & Spa covers various needs. You can find a residence with single rooms, double rooms or even larger.
There is also a hotel overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Both the rooms and the common areas have modern furnishings in Nordic style with warm colors, which give the spaces a sober and exclusive style.
In addition to the hotel and the residence, there are two restaurants and three bars. The most demanding guests can find various boutiques, a pharmacy and a supermarket. For sports lovers, there are three swimming pools, a jogging circuit, tennis courts, a five-a-side football pitch, a nautical center, as well as a gym and wellness center which includes a spa.
At the restaurant La Palma you can enjoy the typical flavors of Tuscan cuisine, while at the Riva’z Pizzeria & Grill the informal atmosphere is ideal for enjoying an excellent pizza.
The Riva del Sole Resort & Spa is the ideal destination for those who want to immerse themselves in nature, experience the atmosphere of an exclusive holiday village and explore the beauty of Maremma, with its unspoilt nature.
in the Village with charme
A journey that starts with the elegant
Tribeca, a fashionable area. As the first stage we have The Greenwich Hotel. A place to meet and indulge.
The environment of The Greenwich - a hotel designed as a private residence, commissioned by Raphael and Robert De Niro along with Ira Drukier and Richard Born - is elegant and familiar.
Going to the basement of the Greenwich, instead, you enter into a totally Oriental atmosphere. Tranquility. Simplicity. Beauty. Discretion. Elements that characterize the Shibui Spa, a sophisticated area with a wooden structure which incorporates the features of Japanese architecture of the eighteenth century. In the Shibui Spa guests are immediately embraced - somewhat mysteriously - by a propitious atmosphere both for physical well-being and meditation alike. Furthermore, guests must not forget the the traditional Italian dishes that make up the menu of the restaurant Locanda Verde.
Dedicated to the art of hospitality, The Greenwich Hotel is a corner sheltered from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.
A constant roaming with ‘21’- art de vivre which favors haute cuisine.
e follow Fifth Avenue to the final stretch that leads to Central Park. Arriving at 52th Street we turn off a little to discover the Belmond ‘21 ‘. A constant roaming with ‘21? - art de vivre which favors haute cuisine.
Created from the Secret Wine Cellar of the Prohibition years, ‘21 ‘ adopts an exclusive world of refined elegance, a wide range of eno-gastronomic proposals.
One of the most fashionable addresses in New York revolves around the legendary The Bar Room. Among advertising signs, sports trophies and vintage toys hanging from the ceiling, discreet and efficient service allows you to get to know tasty food and good impact accompanied by an adequate wine list.
Creative and original, instead, is the culinary path proposed by the sophisticated The Upstairs at 21, a cozy romantic room, dedicated to special moments. More informal - without neglecting class - however, is finally Bar 21, the protocol of a lounge bar combines a relaxed atmosphere with sophisticated, classic and contemporary cocktails.
The impressive beauty of the Langhe vineyards blends with the excellence of the Marrone wines. The company, with a history of four generations, is today, in the name of family continuity, in the hands of the three daughters of Gian Piero Marrone: Denise, Serena and Valentina, who are actively involved in carrying out the various production processes of an iconic reality of the territory firmly projected on international markets.
The reputed Marrone wines, from Langhe Favorita to Moscato passing through Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo d’Alba, Barbaresco and Barolo, are best appreciated, however, if they are served in the place of production. To translate this
philosophy into reality, the company proposes to discover its universe directly in the cellar. We then reach the Marrone winery, located in the Annunziata hamlet in La Morra, one of the eleven municipalities where the production of Barolo is planned. It is a landscape of remarkable beauty, where the hills follow one another, with their vineyards, which can be admired from the panoramic terrace.
The careful visit to the cellar introduces us to oak barrels and barriques alongside curiosities and anecdotes about the production and the Marrone family. To learn more about the wines, we sit down for the tasting in the special setting enhanced by the view of the La Morra vineyards. Here mother Giovanna, with the precious help of the chef Paolo Garabello, offers, in combination with the wines, the traditional peasant dishes of the Langhe thus giving shape to an exciting sensory journey.
During this intense quality culinary experience, based on carefully prepared dishes that showcase the classic flavors of the area, we therefore have the opportunity to best match the Marrone excellences: high quality wines, identifying and with a strong personality.
The remarkable Marrone range translates into reality the foundation that, in order to have great wines, great winemakers are required to best enhance the properties of an exceptional territory such as that of Piedmont in the Langhe.
n 2018 Carthusia celebrated the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the brand which more than any other in the world is synonymous with Capri - its colors, fragrances, a generous and unique territory, which it has been able to transform into perfumes. For people, first, then for the environment, developing several complementary lines, synonymous with a lifestyle that expresses relaxed refinement.
There are many innovations with which Carthusia has celebrated this milestone - in itself synonymous with a happy balance between past and future, tradition and innovation, elements that since its debut in 1948, identify its DNA. It is precisely in 1948 - the year in which the ancient perfume formulas come back to light - that the prior of the Certosa di San Giacomo, under papal license, reveals them to a Piedmontese chemist. He would be the one to open the shop in Viale Matteotti, where it is still located today. The smallest fragrance laboratory in the world is visible, perfectly preserved, among the wooden panels of the period furniture. Today it houses tools and machinery made to measure to ensure production efficiency, although many of the stages are still carried out by hand by specialized personnel.
Lawrence Taylor
Also in 1948, the painter Mario Laboccetta brought together in the Liberty image of the floral mermaid, the key elements of the classic heritage of Capri, between surreal suggestions and mythological hints. Since then it has been the emblem of the company. A multitude of colorful flowers - the same ones from which Carthusia perfumes descend - are released freely in the game of metamorphosis, an immediate expression of the perfect balance between art and nature, creativity and method.
We tried, among others, the Secret Oud room fragrance. In our opinion, its olfactory notes meet the taste of great travelers. The hints of Patchouly, Vetiver, Blue Agarwood, Leather, Blue Musk which are the basis are enriched by Jasmine, Geranium, Lavender and Cypriol. At the top of the olfactory pyramid, we find the citrus notes of Lemon, Mandarin and the aromatic notes of Rosemary and Blue Pepper.
Today Carthusia, in addition to the seven shops on Capri, is present in Positano, Naples, Sorrento and Rome. Among its products, in addition to room fragrances, it produces eau de parfum, eau de toilette and eau de cologne. Recently, customized collections of products for hotels and resorts have been introduced.
