è bellissimo: Take a virtual visit to Castello Di Reschio in Umbria, Italy
Feels like a great day to take a stroll through Italy…Oh…your jet can’t make it…no worries, we’ve got you covered.
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FALL READ: The New York Times’ 36 Hours: 125 Weekends in Europe
Fall prep…for that Spring vacay! With thousands of years of history and art, as well as a multitude of restaurants and shops to consider, planning a trip to Europe can be a monstrous task. To help, The New York Times has again come together with Taschen to create a book based on the popular 36 Hours travel column for one encyclopedic tome of European getaways and day trips alike. Like the first edition, “36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the US and Canada,” “36 Hours: 125 Weekends in Europe” is filled with captivating photos and insightful, scheduled tips organized in the characteristically tidy format for your planning pleasure. You could easily lose yourself in the book, dreaming of future holiday destinations, but 36 Hours is ultimately designed for quick navigation. Color-coded and organized into five sections according to region, the book is broken down alphabetically into countries and, finally, cities. Indexes at the back of the book and the beginning of each section make it easy to look up specific destinations. The index at the back also cleverly lists cities by interest allowing for travelers to map out trips suited to them. Following the format of The Times’ column, each city begins with …
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PLACES WE WOULDN’T MIND CALLING HOME: Bellevue House – Sydney
Located in Bellevue Hill, one of the most affluent suburbs of Sydney, this elegantly renovated residence merges the heritage of the building with contemporary minimalism in a way that is not easy to achieve. Sydney-based Luigi Rosselli Architects in charge of re-imagining the Victorian bones of the building. They have done it lovingly by adding a new wing that includes a kitchen and family room on the ground floor and a study and staff quarters above it. What we like especially is the eye-catching new three-storey staircase that links the old and new segments. It seems like a perfect signature of the bygone period yet manages to look completely cool and modern. We also love the whitewashed walls, the wide oak floorboards and the elegant use of marble in the bathroom. The cool lighting installation (by Lindsey Adelman) above the staircase, and the cozy yet roomy vaulted-ceilinged attic are both features that respect the old structure but in a fresh manner. In these images, it is also tough to ignore the lovely display furnishings brought together by Alexandra Donohoe of Decus (also of Sydney). During the renovation, the building’s heating system was also completely overhauled and it now operates a geothermal …
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PRETTY COOL: HavvAda: Self-sustaining Island Concept
In the process of digging the Turkish government’s proposed Canal Istanbul project one billion cubic meters of soil stands to be displaced. Turkish developer Mister Serdar Inan commissioned multidisciplinary designer Dror Benshetrit to apply a greater design vision to the overall initiative, and on September 29th he unveiled his spectacular concept for the three-kilometer island community of HavvAda. Blending the most innovative practices in design, engineering and technology, the project infuses a sense of cultural legacy through design references to chief Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. Working on a vast and unfamiliar scale, Dror and his studio approached the project with fresh eyes, focused on the necessity for urban design to not only seamlessly integrate into the plan, but to activity encourage growth in the community to which it will host. The radical design encourages a symbiotic relationship between community members and their dwellings by creating a self-sustaining structure that actually produces more energy than it consumes, offering the highest quality of life possible. Dror has long investigated the principals and application of physics and geometry in urban design. For HavvAda, he designed the entire island structure based on two essential geometrical forms, the sphere and the triangle. Using Dror’s Quadror geometry and Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome, every …
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Apples & Pumpkins & Byways, Oh My! U.S. Listings for Orchards, Pumpkin Patches & Scenic Fall Drives
It’s the season for leisurely Saturday afternoon drives under canopies of reds and golds, the windows down and the air damp with wood smoke and maple; the season for wandering through orchards, filling paper sacks with juicy apples, some to eat, some to turn into bubbling pies and creamy apple butter; it’s the season for hauling home bright orange pumpkins to carve into funny, scary, or lopsided jack-o-lanterns. Oh my. Fall is rich with ways to enjoy the natural world before it’s time to hibernate for the winter. If you’re looking for an orchard or scenic drive to experience this autumn, here are some national and regional directories to check out. Please feel free to include any places or drives you know of and love in the comments as well! Apple Orchards • Orange Pippin is a comprehensive directory of apple orchards across the U.S. • Travel and Leisure featured “America’s Best Apple Picking Farms” in 2009; see if your favorite is listed! • Apple Journal’s The Orchard Trail is a global listing of family-run orchards. Pumpkin Patches • The Pumpkin Directory features a clickable map to find pumpkin patches in your area. • Pumpkin Patches and More is a …
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Amazing Places To Experience Around The World!
Unable to travel the world this weekend? Don’t worry we got you covered ENJOY! The Sphinx, Giza, Egypt Fjadrargljufur, Iceland Folegandros, Greece. Green Lake in Upper Styria, Austria Hotel Hospes Maricel, Mallorca, Spain Seven Sisters Waterfall, Norway Central Park, New York City Platja D’Aro, Girona, Spain Skatftafeli, Iceland Bolgheri, Tuscany Whitehaven Beach, Queensland, Australia Dingle Peninsula – Ireland Trolltunga – Odda, Norway Emerald Lake, Alaska (Pic Lynn Zaik) The Devetashkata Cave, Bulgraria Lefkada Greece El Nido Palawan Island, Phillippines
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NEW YORK: Maybelline’s Mobile Beauty Bar and Meatpacking District Party
NY Fashion Week is among us!!! Maybelline New York is starting the party early on Fashion’s Night Out. From 10:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 6, the brand’s official Makeover Truck will be making stops at Union Square and Times Square with a team of makeup artists, manicurists, and plenty of products in tow. Slip out during your lunch hour for a quick complimentary manicure—choose from one of Maybelline New York’s 40 Color Show Nail Lacquer shades—or makeup touch-up. After work, head straight to the FNO Tent in Gansevoort Plaza where the real celebration begins at 6:00 p.m.: Expect music, makeovers, and mingling with Maybelline New York spokesmodels and winner of NBC’s Fashion Star Kara Laricks. The emerging designer, whose avant-garde fashion sense scored her a capsule collection for Saks Fifth Avenue and Macys, and an H&M campaign with model Joan Smalls, has designed a limited edition T-shirt, which the first 100 lucky guests can snag before the end of the night. Also up for grabs are tubes of Maybelline New York’s Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara, which launches officially in October. Maybelline’s Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara Photo: Courtesy of MaybellineWest Coasters can join the party in L.A.’s Beverly Center (8500 …
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The Hamptons House Where The Notorious B.I.G. Shot His “Juicy” Video Is For Sale For $11 Million
Remember that sick house with the amazing pool on the roof from The Notorious B.I.G.‘s “Juicy” video? Well, it’s located in Water Mill, New York out in the Hamptons, and is now for sale for a cool $10.975 million. The house is set at the highest point in the Hamptons, and a Prudential real estate agent describes it saying, “There is no other house in all of the Hamptons with these views. That and the design make this one of the most unique buys in the area.” Check out some more pics of the seven bedroom, six and a half bath, 12,000 square feet home above, and watch Biggie’s “Juicy” video below, where he throws a pool party for his crew, and gets interviewed on the roof while enjoying a breathtaking view. Maybe one of these 20 richest rappers alive will cop it? [via NY Daily News]
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TRAVEL SMART: 10 Secrets For Visiting A Big City On A Budget
Traveling to a big city on vacation this summer? You’re not alone. According to this report from the travel team at Citi Cards, major U.S. cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco will be this summer’s most popular destinations for travelers — with London, host city of the 2012 Olympic Games, taking the top honors this year for international travel. If you want to make the most out of your trip — whether it’s for a quick weekend getaway or a full week of sightseeing — follow these pointers for ways you can enjoy some of the most expensive cities in the world without breaking the bank: To avoid peak season hotel prices, look into an apartment swap. It may be a leap of faith, but can save you tons — especially if you’re staying more than a few days — and a kitchen will help you save on eating out, too. Check out Craigslist postings in your destination city or home swap sites likeHomeExchange.com to find accommodations and fellow swappers that are the right fit. Consider a hop-on hop-off bus tour on your first day to cover a lot of ground for one price. You’ll not only save on transportation to …
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