The Young Italian: Sunset at Marina di Pisa.
Filed Under Culture, Design, Friend, Italy, Travel | Leave a Comment
The young Italian at Sunset Cafe, Marina di Pisa, Italy
“Aperitivo” in Italy is one loaded word which describes layers of Italian culture in only 8 letters. Relaxed mind, food and socializing. “Happy Hour” wouldn’t quite justify what Aperitivo does. People take time on Aperitivo. Especially the Young Italian. You will go to dinner after but you get to nibble on some real good appetizers. All the local places will serve nice range of complimentary snacks along your order of drinks. Mostly like in a buffet style. They will serve all sort of things like riso freddo (rice salad), pastas, dips and cheese, olives, fruits, nuts and even cold cuts if you are in better places. So actually drinks come bit more expensive but you also get great deal of nice nibbles.
But this is not the only reason why Aperitivo works differently from Happy Hour. I think it’s the mind set. The mentality. Peace in your mind. Aperitivo is a Nice Stylish Break after a long day at work or even all day of playing at the beach if it happens to be the nice hot summer weekend. You have taken a refreshing shower already and put on a clean outfit after the day of whatever that was and you step out of the house with recharged body and soul. And you are ready to mingle now. A sweet one. You meet up and plan for the dinner or even for the night or whatever next thing is. You catch up sipping on glass of prosecco or delicious cocktails with friends and family. It’s really a nice time. Life feels real good here. There will be good music there some times even the live one. Any hot new Aperitivo spot is a definitely a good deal to talk about.
Especially when it comes to one just like the ” Sunset Cafe” in Marina di Pisa!
A good friend, Alino with Emi catching up at the bar. Alino is an amazing hair stylist. He did my hair for our wedding!
A few private areas for gatherings. They will set up a separate appetizer bar for you.
A sexy Summer evening at Marina di Pisa.
Do not miss it!
Tan and Dan’s Wedding, Freshford, England
Filed Under Events, Family, Friend, London/England, Travel | Leave a Comment
Tan and Dan happily walking down the hilly winding road of Freshford surrounded by loving friends and family after the ceremony, July 2, 2011.
Between Emi’s and my pictures, we may have good 600 photos emotionally following Tan and Dan’s this special day and one picture is more beautiful than another to my eyes as every moment is being celebrated and blessed by loved ones including myself over this new and young family with a just born little baby girl, and Tan’s amazing strength and Dan’s impressive support and diligence to Win it All is something we all took away to learn for our everyday’s life. “Love is bigger than anything.”
Tan and Dan, we are so happy for you two and a little one and truly wish the healthiest and happiest lives ever after for all of you!
Looking up to St. Peter’s Church at Freshford, England. The wedding begins now!
July 2, 2011
Tan, Dan and the Baby girl, the new Family.
A little Paradise, Lagoon Yal-Ku, Akumal, Mexico
Filed Under Family, Friend, Mexico, Travel, Tulum | 3 Comments
Yal-Ku Lagoon, Akumal, Mexico
It’s a hidden gem. We realized not that many people know about this spot. The spot maybe the one of the most beautiful one on the Riviera Maya. We’ve traveled around quite a bit of Tahiti, Hawaii and Virgin Islands but Yal-Ku feels quite special from anywhere else. The perfect intimate size that does not feel too small to feel it crowded. The shallow water is silky and warm from the sun. There are ton of beautiful fish that you would not expect to see in such a shallow water. It is absolutely crystal clear with softest white sand and pockets of chunks of limestone to attract all the fish you want to see. There is even a small piece of beach. Yal-ku is where clear salty water of Caribbean Ocean and the sweet fresh water of Yucatan peninsula meets. It’s perfect. I’ll call it a little paradise!
It feels like you are invited to a small private snorkeling party here. It’s a perfect spot to go with your kids, nieces and nephews or hang with your best friends. You can explore the water or park yourself somewhere and just read and sunbath. It’s quiet and lovely. Everyone behaves here. Maybe because the Lagoon guides you to do so…
Gael really had well learnt swimming and snorkeling. I couldn’t swim until the 4th grade. What a wimp I was! I missed out so much fun thinking back. I mean look at him he does so much!!! We have met a wonderful family Bork this trip. The owner of Posada Yum Kin where we like to stay often in Tulum village. Owner Dan and BV’s 2 amazing kids, Sam and Andrew were down in Tulum , so Gael had the blast with them! The 3 little gangs below snorkeling together. 3 of them can rock the world!
Sam, Gael and Andrew looking for a Barracuda! ha-ha!!
This pic is only taken by me standing outside of the water. The Yal-ku lagoon is sort of a natural aquarium.
The mangrove island.
Peaceful Yal-Ku end of the day. So gorgeous , isn’t it…? Perfect natural pool with ton of beautiful fish in nice shallow water…. Wooo. I want it!!
Yalk -Ku is raw and well kept it that way. No sunblock is allowed and a tee shirt is encouraged! It opens everyday 8:00-5:30. Adult $9.00. Kid $6.00. 25Km from Tulum. Go have fun, relax, sun bath and don’t forget to respect what the nature offers us!
Booooooooooo!
Filed Under Family, Friend, Halloween, Street | Leave a Comment
Booooooooooooooo, Clinton Hill!
Travel Buddies…
Filed Under Barcelona, Family, Friend, Travel | Leave a Comment
My best friend, husband, love, travel buddy, Emi
The last afternoon at Barcelona!
Tree Love: The national trust park, England
Filed Under Friend, London/England, Travel | 1 Comment
The grand view of the park.
It was our last day with Tania at Freshford and we had the last minute plan to visit one of many National trust parks of England that are actually located throughout the country. I forget where this exact one was located but it was about 40 minute car ride from Freshford. I mean this view right here…. Its’ hard to believe that is a real view. Doesn’t this look like one of those 18 century’s oil paintings that you see at the Metropolitan museum or sort of thing? Everything is so perfectly placed and thought through I can’t find one little room to point out such something could have faced to a different direction or different tree or whatever that is. I find it quite amusing and amazing.
So the park also has park offices and quite a few of guest houses (not a little shack like, these are a real deal from those old days) that you can rent out for a few days or even get a lease for years to live in and can certainly enjoy this beautiful park and gigantic lush trees around. The park’s view is perfectly manicured yet has these wild bushes that are filled with humongous beautiful trees you can go hug and look up for hours. You can be a lucky member of this beautiful park by donating 40 pounds of yearly membership fee for unlimited visits and also staying at the guest houses.
Quite amazig, Aren’t they? This could be where the wild things were…. These trees are may be thousand of feet tall reaching out to the highest point of the sky…
Me and Tania resting on one of magnificent tree roots that excavated from the ground. It felt amazing to lie down on it..! It felt so soft and somehow safe like being protected… Again, the Nature is the mother. There are ton of flowering trees that I don’t know all the names of and pines and more kinds of pines that I have never seen, oak and what else… I mean there are trees and more trees…! And here is of my silly flower moment, Haha! ( I know you have this sometimes too!)
This tree right here has layers of thin skin that remind you of sheets of paper.
A super cool pine… I wished all the trees had name tags…!
Way to go Tania on your beautiful home and everything and everyone around you at Feshford! It was really wonderful to see you and your happy life you are making! Mmmmmwwwaaaa! See you very soon and catch us on a exciting journey to Barcelona!!!!
Black Swan Gallery: Frome, England
Filed Under Art, Friend, London/England, Travel | Leave a Comment
A cute little town built on Steep hills with much characteristic cobble stone streets Frome (read frum) is actually the 4th largest town in Somerset where there are many artists and interesting small boutiques including speak easy style vintage shops attracting many visitors from surrounding like Bath and Bristol. Just the evening before the Frome, we had visited quite famous Roman Bath town, Bath but Frome is the town where my heart really lays. Unpretentious and less touristic vibe really captured my heart.
Little streets along the hills houses small bakeries, vintage shops and diverse local businesses. I liked many places but the favorite would be the “Black Swan Galley” on the bottom of the hills. Below, the gallery from the outside.
Vibrant and funky stair case to the exhibition of Ralph Steadman and Keith Newstead on the second floor of the gallery: a collaboration of an well known cartoonist and illustrator Steadman and a mechanic Newstead. The most of pieces in this exhibition are pretty much Steadman’s fantasy world creatures came to a life turned into machines by Newstead’s fantastic mechanism such as one of music box as well.
The hand and ink drops of Steadman: it reminds me of Jackson Pollock. A lot of drawings also reminded me of the work of Tim Burton. The imagination that goes miles long that you can’t just stop…
The mechanic dragon. It is fantastically made and moves. Each piece has certain humor in it’s movement: naughty, creative, unexpected, attitude… So much more than just a moving machine. It’s certain move evokes the audience to think about the story behind and what could happen next…! I loved it!
Yes here’s another one. You can kind of imagine what’s going on. Right? Below wall shows drawings of Keith Newstead.
She was our favorite!!! Not only because of her beauty ( her hair, mouth, the fingers and the bras…) but also because of her amazing use of her arms when she swims: her moves are slow but has the will and strength in them like she’s after to save someone almost.
Also there is a series of these single simple figures. They move side ways in a naughty attitude. I believe I caught him below during his funny move.
Read more about the artists. www.ralphsteadman.com www.keithnewsteadautomata.com
Now checking out the ground floor and below walking through a cute cafe’ at the gallery. Love the checkerboard flooring and the Forna Setti’s wall paper on the back. And of course a little outdoor space. It’s perfect!
Right outside of cafe to the left, 3 artist’s studios and the hallway looking out the Cafe’s garden.
Wire work artist, Mel Day www.melday.co.uk
I find her work quite beautiful. She uses all different sizes and kinds of wire.
A wire woman cutting her hair. Can you see her scissors in her hand…? The artist told us this was commissioned piece based on her one of past work. I thought this could be a nice piece for Emi’s studio, but we ended up passing on it. There were so many great work of Day that we wanted to own, but we are traveling on a small carry on bags… next time…!
The artist said she was inspired by corals. Beautiful ha? And it’s quite flexible and soft rather than rigid without any motions.
Now moving on to the next studio Ceramic and glass artists, Adam Harvey & Emma Wells. Brilliant artists they are! Their work is familiar yet definitely unique. Those tiny leg like things remind me of suctions of octopus and beautifully broken and disappearing ends of ceramic in unconventional angles and proportion are quite amazing. They looked and felt so fragile so I was super careful to handle them…
Visit their website www.harveywells.co.uk
Tania Emi and Me strolling Catherine hill where small vintage, antique and also modern interior shops are lined up… cute little area.
If you are ever on this side of England, you should check out Frome for Black Swan Gallery, cute hills with small boutiques and the Weekend open market…! I really liked the genuine local feel of this town!!
Arriving at Tania’s home: Freshford, England
Filed Under Friend, London/England, Travel | Leave a Comment
Walking into Tania’s, Freshford, England.
Yeah!! We are here visiting our dearest friend, Tania at Freshford in England! We are finally paying a long time overdue visit to Tania’s new nest. It was almost turning into guilty feeling for me that we haven’t done this for a long time, so the second I hit her land, it almost feels like a rain in the desert that quests the thirst that I was dragging around for all these time. It is such a satisfying feeling to visit Tania in Freshford!
We have been already woo and ahhhing about the beautiful scenery of Freshford from the Bristol Airport in the car, and the arrival at Tania’s home does not disappoint us either! She owns one unit with a beautiful garden out of this 6 family traditional Freshford limestone house complex. It’s a cozy home in a magical setting.
A view from the one of the guest rooms, which is our room! Me trying out the bed below…
Sitting on her amazing deck looking into the living room…
The view of Tania’s garden and her chicks! They make fresh & pretty eggs every morning!
More of her garden. It’s so good to see Tania doing well and living in her beautiful home and being happy. Tania, we love you….!
And… Earlier we had stopped at this cute pub on a way to Tania’s for a lunch. The general architects here consists of warm yellow lime stones. And the neutral tone of it really works well back to natural surrounding. It’s very lovely.
The lavender is almost surreal. It smells amazing.
Sitting down…
A starter to share, warm baked cheese with garlic and honey and rustic bread, just waiting for a crisp bottle of white.
Ahhhh, Life is such a simple thing at the end. Simple things make you feel happy. Visiting a good friend. Have good food together and chatting and share laughs and share pains… 3 days at Tania’s home in Freshford and Bath, More to come!!!
Food Works: Calling it all!
Filed Under Family, Food, Friend, Travel | Leave a Comment
Why not remember all the glorious moments with delicious food and all my friends and family. ( you may not show, but you were there!)
The food opens your senses and heart. It weaves stories. It travels you.
Jessica, Philipp, Kit, Kaja, Jay, Kaja’s Mom, Alex, Lara, Heidi, David, Ana, Keith, Emi, Gael, Jaehee, Daniel, Beppe, Alino, Fufa, Tamara, Daniel, Andrea, Glenda, Franziska, Giorgio, Suzy, Angela, Tania, Tito, Naomi, Mom, Dad, Akyung, Don Diego, Giovanni,Cynthia, Felix, Kelly, Yoonhee, Denny… Love you all!
Guten Morgen, Berlin!
Filed Under Berlin, Food, Friend, Travel | Leave a Comment
Ahhh It’s nice to be with friends. It’s nice to see them again. Cozy home breakfast all the way out here in Berlin. How Lucky I am! Warm eggs, nice sun coming through the window, morning roll shopping with Daniel, delicious cappuccino, and chat, chat, chat! Daniel It’s so good to see you!
This roll! Deeeeelliciiiious!! It has almost like hard pretzel kind of flavor with chunk of salt sprinkled and most fluffy and fresh texture inside. Yum Yum Yum. Pass me the butter please! By the way, how do you make this so perfectly brown?
Listen, Daniel, my friend! I am so happy to see you doing great and happy! All the chat about my brother with you. Daniel, Keep living your life!
Thank you and can I have some more please?
Oh and I hear that church bell! Ahhh….