The Orient Express has always stood for more than mere travel. Since its first runs in the nineteenth century, it has represented romance, craftsmanship, and the art of slow luxury. Over time, its glamour faded—but in recent years, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) has undertaken a renaissance. With new suites, carriages, and artful redesigns, it hasContinue reading “The Orient Express: Then & Now — A Legacy of Design and Luxury”
Category Archives: Culture & Events
Florence: The Cradle of the Renaissance
Florence is not merely a city; it is the origin point of modern culture. Nestled along the Arno, surrounded by Tuscan hills, it gave birth to the Renaissance — a revolution in art, architecture, and thought that reshaped the Western world. Today, Florence remains a masterpiece: its streets a living museum, its palaces and churchesContinue reading “Florence: The Cradle of the Renaissance”
Siena: A Medieval Masterpiece in the Heart of Tuscany
If Florence is the Renaissance jewel of Tuscany, Siena is its medieval soul. A city of terracotta brick and Gothic spires, winding alleys and sudden piazzas, Siena seems suspended in time, as if the 14th century never ended. Its streets breathe with ritual and rivalry, its architecture glows with harmony, and its traditions — mostContinue reading “Siena: A Medieval Masterpiece in the Heart of Tuscany”
Three Cinematic Villas in Italy
If Villa Malaparte is the most iconic villa on screen, it is not alone. Italy’s landscape of villas — patrician palaces, lakeside estates, country retreats — has long provided cinema with atmosphere and grandeur. 1. Villa Erba, Lake Como 2. Villa di Geggiano, Siena 3. Villa Albergoni, Lombardy TL;DRFrom Visconti’s Lake Como retreat to Bertolucci’sContinue reading “Three Cinematic Villas in Italy”
Carmel-by-the-Sea: California’s Fairytale Coastline
There are places in California where time feels suspended — where the Pacific crashes against rugged cliffs, where cypress trees twist in sculptural forms, and where cottages look as though they’ve stepped out of a storybook. Carmel-by-the-Sea, perched on the Monterey Peninsula, is such a place: equal parts seaside village, cultural retreat, and gateway toContinue reading “Carmel-by-the-Sea: California’s Fairytale Coastline”
Güstrow: Ernst Barlach Territory
On the map, Güstrow looks like a gentle pause — a modest Mecklenburg town tucked between lakes and flat winter fields, an hour south of the Baltic coast. But anyone who walks its crooked lanes or slips into the cool hush of its churches discovers a place vibrating with an unexpected intensity. Güstrow is notContinue reading “Güstrow: Ernst Barlach Territory”
Croatia in Style: A High-End Journey Through the Adriatic Jewel
Croatia is no longer a well-kept secret. From the Venetian palaces of Dubrovnik to the lavender fields of Hvar, the country has emerged as one of Europe’s most alluring destinations, combining Mediterranean beauty with a cultural depth that stretches from Roman antiquity to contemporary design. For the traveler in search of a refined journey —Continue reading “Croatia in Style: A High-End Journey Through the Adriatic Jewel”
Schloss Hollenegg: Where History and Design Intertwine
Deep in the Styrian hills of Austria, Schloss Hollenegg rises from the forest like a fairy-tale apparition: towers, courtyards, Renaissance arcades, layers of history folded into one another. But unlike so many aristocratic estates frozen in time, Hollenegg is alive with contemporary energy. Under the stewardship of Alice Stori Liechtenstein, it has become one ofContinue reading “Schloss Hollenegg: Where History and Design Intertwine”
In the Footsteps of Ernest Hemingway: A Journey Through Spain
If Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald turned France into the stage for Jazz Age brilliance, then Ernest Hemingway made Spain his proving ground. From the sun-drenched bullrings of Pamplona to the smoky cafés of Madrid, Spain was not just a backdrop but a crucible: it shaped his art, his friendships, and his myth. To follow HemingwayContinue reading “In the Footsteps of Ernest Hemingway: A Journey Through Spain”
Step into the Fitzgeralds’ Footsteps: A Guide to Their French Escapades
No couple embodied the Jazz Age more completely than F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. From Parisian cafés to Riviera villas, they turned France into both a stage and a sanctuary for their tempestuous lives. It was here that The Great Gatsby was revised, Zelda took up ballet with feverish ambition, and their circle of expatriateContinue reading “Step into the Fitzgeralds’ Footsteps: A Guide to Their French Escapades”
My World of Interiors 