Fashion is Instant Language -- Miuccia Prada

Understated, minimalist, classic,
cool, and comfortably luxurious:
it's Miuccia's style and personal
hand. Discover her boutiques in
Rome to get the real vibe of this
Italian fashion-empire and iconic
landmark.
History-loaded it-bags stately
dress the shopping windows
of Miuccia's second women’s
wear line 'Miu Miu'. Mounted
stately on a translucent pedestal,
against the backdrop of a gold-
shining wallpaper, this time-
withered gem is a daring
embodiment of a highly
traditional and upscale Italian
couture house. The name 'Miu
Miu' was inspired by Miuccia’s
personal wardrobe and nickname.

Via del Babuino, 91, 00187 Rome

Bon Appetit!!!

Attention cheese connoisseurs:
Welcome to the land of 300
cheeses! It's hard to imagine
French cuisine and culture
without this savory, aromatic
diary product. Made from
cow's or goat milk: the large
family of cheeses encompasses
soft cheeses, cheeses with a
moldy rind, non-cooked pressed
cheeses -- Comté de Noël is a
must-try delicacy form the Alps
-- cheeses with a firm rind and
many more. While being a
permanent feature on the French
menu and served as the second
to the last course, it is also an
autonomous item on the menus
of Parisian brasseries and cafes.
Order 'Assiette de fromages' to
experience France's cheesy
nom noms.

Peek-a-Boo With Jimmy Choo

Roma's ancient cobblestone pavement
might not be the right base to strut on
when sporting these fancy soles. All
the same, because this magical city
affords some tres chic places which
plead for red soles and sparkling heels.
Fashionistas can get ahold of Jimmy
Choo and the likes at some exclusive
boutiques. Come in and receive a
special treatment form one of the
handsome and knowledgeable male
assistants. Italian leather basks in a
world wide reputation of being one-
of-a-kind, buttery-soft along and
quality-wise unprecedented.



Jommy Choo
Via del Condotti, 68
Roma

Temple to all Gods -- Pantheon

Commissioned by Marcus Agrippa
and rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian
about 126 AD, this best preserved
of all ancient Roman buildings, is a
spiritual temple devoted to the 12
gods of heaven. Romans believed
that Romulus ascended to heaven
from this place.
Never-ending throngs of tourists
gather inside and outside these
large granite Corinthian columns
at the Piazza della Rotonda.
Stride through the portico and
entrance hall to discover the
famous rotunda, whose interior
was painted by Giovanni Paolo
Panini, in the 18th century. This awe-inspiring hall was designed to
symbolize the arched vault of the
heavens. Look up to the opulently
coffered concrete dome with a
central opening, through which the
sun shines all day. While the oculus
shall symbolize the light-giving and life-providing sun -- it's the source
of all life on earth -- the rain that
comes through, is being collected
in a drain in the center of the floor.

Fontana del Nettuno @ Piazza Navona

This highly significant example of
Baroque Roman architecture and
art, placed in the heart of the
eternal city 'Piazza Navona',
features important sculptural and
architectural creations such as the
famous fountain 'Fontana dei
Calderari' designed by Giacomo
Della Porta in 1574. Further
developed in 1878 by Antonio
della Bitta, who added the central
sculpture of 'Neptune fighting
with an octopus', this masterpiece
of a fountain was finally completed
by Gregorio Zappalà, who enriched
this baroque arrangement by further
adding the other sculptures, which
are grounded on the mythological
stories, of 'Nereids with cupids and
walruses'. Stroll over to the other
side of this glamorous Piazza to
discover another masterpiece
of the same creator: La Fontana
del Moro.

Vacances à Provence

Can you smell the scent of Lavender and
Pine in the hot mistral breeze? This historical
province of southeastern France, bordered
by the Mediterranean see in the south, is a
tranquil patch of land with a history of the
human species that is as old as the hills:
Some of the earliest known signs of human
habitation in Europe can be found in the
Grotte du Vallonnet near Roquebrune-Cap-
Martin, between Monaco and Menton.
Due to its Roman influences -- the Romans
acquired the area and made it into the first
Roman province beyond the Alps -- the
region is characterized by a distinct
cultural and a linguistic identity. Soak up
the vistas from ancient castles and historic
ruins. Try exuisite French cusine at one
of the boutique taverns.

Picasso's Muse

Inspired by Marie-Thérèse Walter, this

17 year old girl, whom Picasso first
met early in 1932, reflects classicism of
the early 1920s and surrealism with a
prominent curve-linear design. Appearing
in a series of pictures, which were painted
in the same year, her very rounded,
rhythmical forms show her lying down,
seated or sleeping. Her trademark blond
lock appears in almost every picture.
Picasso managed to conceal his
relationship with this lady, who bore him
a daughter (Marie) for many years even
from his closest friends. 

Tate ModernBankside, London SE1 9TG, Uk

Roma's Fabulous Madonnelle

While sauntering through the eternal
city I discovered magnificent
manifestations of Roman art, its
inhabitant's spirituality and an
impeccable sense of esthetics.
These sumptuous frescoe on a
traditional Roman house testify the
inherent inclination to beauty and a
thoughtful upkeep of habitat. The
spiritual shrines and petit altars at
almost every corner of Rome's
streets artistically imply intellectual
convictions, that have been
prevailing here since the year one.
Vibrant colors, ingenious iron work
and elaborate wall frescos are
dominating the historic scenery. Not
to mention all the glorious fountains
bubbling water all-year-round.
'Madonnelles', those divine deities,
mounted on baroque pedestals
attached to street corners, Romans
call upon protection. They shall protect
the house and ascertain there is never a
lack of food in the house.

Trastevere -- Where Hipster is Alive

Hipster, cool, cosmopolitan, fashionable ...
call it how you like: Trastevere is Rome's
13th district and the it-place to party and
live la dolce vita). Located on the west
bank of the Tiber, out-of-towners, party-
animals, in-the-know hipsters and cocktails
connoisseur flock to its buzzing bars,
restaurants, and clubs, lining the medieval
cobble-stoned streets. A unique
character dominates this neighborhood
and attracts artists, expats, and famous
people from all over the world. Find a
great read at one of the diverse book
stores that sell English books only.
Spiritual types flock to the Basilica di
Santa Maria in Trastevere, the oldest
church of Rome, dating back to the 340s.


Piazza Santa Maria inTrastevere,
00153 Rome

Bonaparte by Paul Delaroche

This oil-on-canvas piece of art depicts

Napoleon Bonaparte crossing through
the Alps on a mule. With his army in tow,
aiming to surprise the Austrain soldiers in
Italy, the French military and political
leader Bonaparte went on this yourney in
the spring of 1800.
The painting's creator, Hyppolitye
Delaroche, whose straightforward
technique and dramatic compositions
made him Bonaparte's paintor, painted his
subjects with a firm, solid, smooth surface,
which gave their appearance a high finish.

Musee du Louvre, Paris

Castel Sant’Angelo

Providing a picturesque approach from the
center of Rome and the right bank of the
Tiber, the Pons Aelius  is world-acclaimed
for its Baroque statues of angels holding
aloft elements of the Passion of Christ.
Saunter down this precious piece of
Roman architecture and immerse into
the darkness of the cylindrical castle at
the far end:This former mausoleum to
the formidable Roman emperor
Hadrian (build 117-138 AD) is an
awe-inspiring sight perched stately in
the heart of Rome. The mausoleum --
once the tallest building in Rome --
was a decorated cylinder, equipped
with a garden atop and a golden
quadriga. Later -- while inhabited by
roman popes -- it was used as a castle
and fortress. Today, its richly frescoed
seventeenth century halls are home to
the "Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant'
Angelo'. Unveiling prisons, collections
of antique arms, uniforms, relics of the
reunification states, artworks by Carlo
Crivelli, Luca Signorelli, and Dosso
Dossi, a collection of ancient marbles,
ceramics, and sculptures, it is a historic
location not to be missed.



Foto 1.: Mario Proto

The Mini Louvre -- Petit Palais

Despite its size, the 'Petit Palais' -- throning just
across the street from its big brother 'The Grand
Palais' -- plays a role of equal importance: while
being home to an impressive array of artwork
spanning several centuries, 18th century furniture
called the Tuck Collection, medieval and
renaissance drawings and sculptures it also hosts
temporary exhibits.

Creator and architect of this noble joint was
Charles-Louis Girault, who found his inspiration
in French architecture of the eighteenth century
although the building implies Greek and Roman
touches in its lavish design. Esthetes and French
baroque lovers will be mesmerized by the gilded
main gate, also known as the Golden Gate. Patrons
call this beautiful gallery “the mini Louvre - but
without the crowds”.

Furniture Royal @ Musee du Louvre

These divine creatures, exuberantly sprawling
over the legs of chairs, tables and antique trunks
are signature embellishments of French baroque
furniture. Lions, medusas, cupids and elegantly
curved floral forms are essential decorative
motives on mostly symmetrical, rectangular and 
large curved furniture designs. Their proportions
are massive, and decoration such as carving,
marquetry, and gilding is lavish. Diverse types
of legs include the console, term, cabriole, turned,
or round pedestal. Feet are bun, paw, carved,
or turned. One of the most famous designers of
French baroque furniture was Andre-Charles
Boulle, the most remarkable of all French
cabinmakers of the 17th century and
representative of the style Louis XIV in France.

Forum Romanum

For an awe-inspiring vista of the most
ancient part of the eternal city make a
pilgrimage to the Roman Forum.
Nestled in the small valley between
the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, and
densely cluttered with Triumphal
arches, temples, The Senate House,
government offices, tribunals,
memorials, statues and basilicas, it
attests that these sprawling ruins
once served triumphal processions,
elections, public speeches, criminal
trials, gladiatorial matches and
commercial affairs. While being the
center of life in Imperial Rome it
has also been called the most
celebrated meeting place in the world,
and in all history. For visual artists
such as Giambattista Piranesi, the
Forum Romanum served as a
significant source of inspiration.

The Vinged Vicotry

Celebrated as 'the greatest masterpiece
of Hellenistic sculpture', The Winged
Victory of Samothrace is a marble
sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike.
Created to honor this legendary
goddess of victory and to pay tribute
to a sea battle, her feminine silhouette
exudes a sense of triumph, struggle,
action and fervor. The divine and
rousing triumphant spirits unite in her
winged posture and divine air. In the
extraordinary mastery of form and
movement, and due to the missing
head she embodies the supernatural.
The wind and the sea, that make her
drapery flow artfully, suggest struggle,
destiny and divine help with a great
deal of amazing grace.

Musee du Louvre, Paris

Musei Vaticani

Pass these great doors and you are
almost in the midst of an immense
collection of the most renowned
classical sculptures and most
important masterpieces of
Renaissance art in the world,
gathered and set up within the
boundaries of the Vatican City
by the Roman Catholic Church.
Highlights include: Sistine Chapel,
with ceilings decorated by
Michelangelo and Stanze della
Segnatur. The Pinacoteca Vaticana,
is home to some magnificent
masterpieces by Raphael, Da
Vinci, Caravaggio and Perugino.
A collection of modern religious art
can be discovered at the Collezione
Arte Religiosa Moderna museum while
notable sculptures of the Greeks and
Romans stately preside over the
Museo Pio-Clementino. Museo
Chiaramonti houses several statues,
sarcophaguses and friezes, while
Museo Gregoriano Etrusco displays
significant Etruscan excavation finds.

Viale Vaticano, 00165  Rom

Photo:Carrie Wick

Battistero di San Giovanni @ Firenze

This exceptionally accomplished

example of Florentine Romanesque
architecture, with eight equal sides
and a rectangular addition on the
west side, is not only one of the
oldest buildings in Florence but
also the place where the poet
Dante Alighieri and the Medici
family was baptized. Step inside
this awe-inspiring, marble-mosaic-
imbued sanctuary and listen to
its stories: the mosaic ceiling
depicts 'The Last Judgment',
the rewards of the saved leaving
their tomb in joy and the
punishments of the damned. A
complex marble mosaic in the floor
presents geometric patterns and
oriental zodiac motives.

Le Penseur by Rodin

Battling with a powerful
internal struggle, in an act
of intense meditation
Rodin's bronze sculpture,
situated on a marble
pedestal, depicts the act
of taking-the-inward-turn.
While also embodying
the subject philosophy, it
is one of the main
characters of Rodin's
"The Gates of Hell" that is
inspired by Dante's
epic poem "The Divine
Comedy".

For more Rodin sculptures
visit Hôtel Biron, 79, Rue de
Varenne.

Michelangelo's Habitat

Located within the sovereign
city-state Vatican and designed
mainly by Donato Bramante,
Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno
and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the
St. Peter's Basilica is an awe-
inspiring and most glorious
example of Renaissance
architecture. Art-lovers and
estheticians will be mesmerized
by Michelangelo's grandiose
ceiling frescos and ingeniously
accomplished mosaics. Come
here for substantial meditation
and extensive mind-recreation.

How to get there: Take Linea
A (red line) toward Battistini
and exit at Ottaviano-S. Pietro.
Walk south on Via Ottaviano
toward St. Peter's Square.




Photo:Carrie Wick

The Spirit of Piazza di Spagna

Listen to the fervent heartbeat of
this overwhelming historical
location. Climb up the Spanish
Steps to the grand final loggia
starting at Piazza di Spagna. Up
there, at Piazza Trinità dei Monti,
soak up the stunning outlook
over the hustle and bustle of Via
del Corso, the baroque
architecture of the legendary
Spanish Steps and the picturesque
roofs of bella Roma.Top off your
trip by visiting the Trinità dei
Monti church that dominates the
top.

Piazza di Spagna, 00187 Rome







Photo:Carrie Wick

Trevi Fountain

Love birdies, incorrigibly
romantics, estheticians and Rome-lovers, flock here to
throw a coin into the blue
waters of the most famous
fountain of the world.
According to legend, those
who throw a coin into the
fountain will surely return
to the eternal city. Situated
at a junction of three roads,
this awe-inspiring Baroque
construction dates back to
1732, and marks the terminal
point of one of the aqueducts,
"Acqua Vergine" that supplied
ancient Rome with water.

Piazza di Trevi, 00187 Rome







Photo:Carrie Wick

Un Bel Bocconcino @ New Station

Hidden behind a unremarkable
facade, in the heart of Rome's
most hipster district, Trastevere,
is this lovely low-key eatery and
wine bar, treasuring notable
gustatory delights. Artistically
arranged ultra-thin pizza, freshly
housemade focaccia, with heart
and soul prepared pasta in all
imaginable variations (vongole,
carbonara, bolognese ...), butter
soft gnocchi and creamy risotto
make you going to moan mama
mia! Top off your Italian fix
by indulging in a housemade
tiramisu or a torta della nonna.
Waiter Luca will serve you not
only with food par excellence but
also with his mesmerizing charms
and expert service.

Buon Appetito!



Via Giuseppe Parini, 4, 00152 Rome





Photo:Carrie Wick

Art Nouveau by Lavirotte

To kick of your Art Nouveau
tour in Paris visit the square
Rapp near the Eiffel Tower.
An unprecedented, stunning
master piece of  Art Nouvea,
a door gate with the house
number three, will make you
marvel in awe. This is the
work of Jules Lavirotte
(1864-1928), one of France’s
most eminent and daring Art
Nouveau architects and
designers. The artist's work
represents the most agile,
vivid and audacious design
there is in Paris. Notice a
complete lack of symmetry in
the design of the facade and
the elaborate balconies, each
one differs from the other.

La Favorite

Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner
or a midnight sack? This and a
notably wide selection of
creatively accomplished boozy
concoctions are at patron's
disposal for a after-dark
debauchery par excellence.
Regulars, out-of-towners,
night-owls and diehard cocktail
connoisseurs sip, nibble and
socialise à la francaise until 2 am
at this neighborhood's favorite
boîte. Get your fave concoction
hand-and-heart crafted by a expert
mixologist or choose from the
extensive list. Santé!

4, Rue de Rivoli, Paris

La Coupole @ Montparnasse

Wine and dine amid a historic Art Deco
environment dotted with magnificent
Belle Époque touches and soak up the
Gatsby-perfect vibes in this famous
brasserie's vast dining room. Once
frequently graced by the movers and
shakers of Paris' artistic Rive Gauche
-- former patrons include Josephine
Baker, Henry Miller, Dalí, Calder,
Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Picasso --
it is a legendary shrine to Parisian chic
and savoir vivre, and rather less to
haute cuisine.

102, Boulevard du Montparnasse, Paris

Les Puces de Saint-Ouen

Luxurious historic furniture
(Louis XVI et. al), finest
antique table ware, vintage
jewelry and more gadgets and
bling-bling par excellence wait
to be discovered at Porte de
Clignancourt's grand flea
market -- the most famous
yard sale in Paris and the
world's largest antique market.

Watch the world pass by while
strolling around its seven
hectares full of unique finds
and history-loaded gems. For
a petit intermède pop into 
one of the traditional Cafés
for a leisurely Café Crème
and watch the world of
antiques graciously unfold in
the outskirts of Paris.

La Fontaine Stravinsky

580 square meters of shallow basin
are home to sixteen sculptures created by sculptors Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle. Located on Place Stravinsky, next to the Centre Pompidou, in Marais, this whimsical public fountain is paying tribute to the acclaimed Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. The moving and water spraying works of sculpture were inspired by the musician's works, especially his ballet and orchestral
concert work "The Rite of Spring".