Pouting for Springtime
I'm pouting. Tuesday morning and it's 34 degrees outside. Sunday morning I was riding a bike along the sea, wearing a light t-shirt with blue sky overhead and sun on my face. Temperatures were in...
Signs of Sanremo
As a designer, I'm enchanted by the signage I see around Italy and France and love to stumble across old signs that haven't been tampered with or "updated". They have such flavor and style.
Sanremo on the Riviera
The locals write "Sanremo", a conjunction of the saint's name. The rest of the world splits it into two words: San Remo. It's a beautiful and small little town that has palm trees befitting any...
Smell the Money in Monaco
We continued on to Monaco and the Casino Monte-Carlo. Who'd have imagined? All of us commented on the richness so thick you could cut it with a knife, that you could smell the money...
Casino Monte-Carlo
The site of movies made and fortunes lost: Casino Monte-Carlo. This island of grass and cyclamen is just across the drive from the Casino. The reflective disk sculpture holds an image of the grand...
Three Countries. One Day.
The "pinch me" part. Along our drive I had been seeing "travel-guide Italy", scenic, seaside towns, cliffside old buildings, palm trees, polished hotels and trattorias. The statues, the weathered...
Pinch Me
There's no way I could have CONCEIVED of this weekend! Talk about "living on a movie set!" It was all beyond real, not to be believed. Pinch me. Am I dreaming this stuff up? Friday morning at 11:10...
The Rolling “Ciao”
Sun in my eyes yesterday and the day before! Temperatures in the 40s demanded that I mount two wheels and head off along the canal for a ride. Divine. I haven't been a cyclist for about 30 years so...
Bluone: Open Hearts in Bologna
Years ago, a girlfriend of mine from Seattle traveled and stayed with Marcello and Raffaella Tori of BluOne Cooking Tours in Bologna. When my girlfriend, Carri, returned home to Seattle, she kept...
Signage & Storefronts
As a designer and artist, being here in Italy is a pilgrimage to the home of all the motifs, patterns and visual elements I've studied and heard of all my life. At times I'm overwhelmed, excited by...
Castles & Palaces
Saturday evening, after walking around Bologna for over 6 hours, I went back to my hotel room to chill out. Unfortunately, a wedding party was gathering in the main lobby just down the hall from my...
Bologna Arte Fiera
Scatter sculpture, paintings and installations in amongst mediaeval buildings and you've got the makings of a visually exciting weekend! The Bologna Arte Fiera got me into town, but I went about...