MARCH 2011

SIREN CITY

03012011 When I’m talking about Naples, I don’t feel like I’m talking about a city. It’s more like an organism or a human being. She’s like a fantastically beautiful lover who has severe mental health issues. Johnnie Shand Kydd in Naples: Siren City | Telegraph
03022011 One of the many places Elizabeth Gilbert frequented as she discovered the joy of eating in Italy was Naples’ L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele. Founded in the early 1900s, the pizzeria today makes 180 pizzas every hour – each pizza takes only 30 seconds to bake in the 800 F oven — and is sold in only two sizes (regular and large). It is an unforgettable delicacy. Visit Damichele.net for more details. 'Eat Pray Love' - and eat some more | LFPress
03032011 De Riso’s principal pasticceria is on the main square of Minori on the Amalfi Coast. Pleased to find myself in Minori recently, I visited the De Riso shop in hopes of meeting the great chef. Sadly, he wasn’t there—but his signature Ricotta e Pere (ricotta and pears) torta was. My sweet consolation was whipped sweetened local ricotta with cubes of Williams pears encased in a hazelnut crumb cake. Sublime! Pasticceria Sal de Riso | Simple Italy
03042011 «Beautiful, of a glowing Neapolitan beauty, Ada Bruges employed her love for song and the training she received from serious opera studies at the service of vaudeville entertainment». She was a trained opera singer and thanks to the advice of Ernesto Tagliaferri she addressed her attention towards Neapolitan music and vaudeville. Ada Bruges: the last sciantosa of Cantanapoli | Archivio Storico della Canzone Napoletana
03052011 “Life lived well” is the motto of this spa, located on the tiny island of Ischia. Dating back to the eighth century B.C., when the Greeks discovered its volcanic hot springs, Ischia is a short boat ride from Naples. The Regina Isabella still delivers outstanding thalassotherapy and mineral-rich mud treatments. (In fact, it manufactures its own top-quality mud products on property.) 5 Best Never-Fail Classic Spas | VIVMAG
03062011 Sofia Vergara's Favorite Place to Travel: Italy in the Summer, Especially Capri. "I like the food, the people, and the language. I never get tired of going there." Can't get away? Try one of these healthy pasta recipes and find out just how easy (and healthy) pasta can be. My Favorite Things | Shape
03072011 He's already hit up Fiji, Hawaii, Capri, and Bermuda as paradise destinations, and fragrance inspirations. And now, Michael Kors is bottling up and bringing us the essence of Palm Beach as his fifth Island concept. Palm Beach was a natural, Kors told WWD, because its luxurious environment is “a commutable Riviera.” “Palm Beach is the closest thing America has to Capri,” he said. Michael Kors' Palm Beach fragrance. | Second City Style
03082011 “A pusteggia”, explains Naples-Capri Delegate Massimo Pisani, refers to the place where strolling minstrels played in Neapolitan restaurants. These singers were the major propagators of Neapolitan songs. They are rarely seen today, and when they are, they perform the more famous songs for the delight of the diners. A pusteggia | Accademia Italiana della Cucina
03092011 Pure Entertainment Group promises to “deliver the finest lifestyle to it its clients and members by offering personalized and customized experienced designed to suit their preferences.” They also offer private jet trips around the world, luxury villas in Capri, or a trip into space. Floating on Cloud 9 | iStopOver Magazine
03102011 In 1872, Siemiradzki heard of the Vesuvius eruption and traveled to Naples to see “this extraordinary phenomenon.” He found inspiration for his art at Pompeii, which he described as a “sole and rich mine” that delivers artistic inspiration “in large amount.” He would return to Pompeii several times; his “Night at Pompeii” was painted almost 10 years after his first visit to the site. Feel Art Again Returns: Henryk Siemiradzki | mental_floss
03112011 The bustling regional capital is off the beaten path for many tourists. "Most people are very afraid of Naples, but it's one of my favorite cities," says Frances Mayes (best-selling author of Under the Tuscan Sun), who delights in street tango dancers, piazza musicians and singing waiters. "You always think that's going to happen in Italy, but there it actually does." 10 great places to go off the beaten path in Italy | USA Today
03122011 On board: You'll take in thousands of years of European history in just a week, with stops at dream destinations like Nice, in France, and Pompeii, in Italy. While at sea you can see several Broadway-worthy shows, 3-D movies, and fun fireworks. And, of course, you'll probably bump into Mickey. All Aboard: The Best Family Cruises | Ladies' Home Journal
03132011 Our guide stood at the front of the bus before we arrived there and said, “Good morning. My name is Gepetto and I am your guide. See how I wear a very funny hat. That is for a good reason. In Naples there will be very many peoples. You follow Gepetto, and keep watching for my funny hat. We get onto a boat and go to Capri and have a good time”. A Fisherman’s Reflections on a beautiful but troubled world | ElectricScotland.com
03142011 Imagine that every restaurant you go to is expecting you with a reserved sign on the table and a chilled glass of Champagne. How about the hottest beach club in Capri, with a line out the door and when you arrive you’re taken directly to a waiting lounge chair with the best private view of the ocean. The JK Place in Capri can open doors on this island like I have never seen a hotel do. JK Capri: Prepare To Get Your Mind Blown | Living Jet Set
03152011 Mara Solomon of Homebase Abroad, a company that rents villas exclusively in Italy, just finished orchestrating a double sixty-year-old birthday celebration in Positano on the Amalfi Coast at a property called Torre di Clavel. The property comprises an entire promontory with stone tower, direct beach access, boat landing, numerous terraces, and dramatic vistas. Destination Celebrations, The Sky's the Limit | Taste of the Seacoast
03162011 As John Steinbeck wrote for his article in Harpers in 1953, "the road [to Positano] hooked and corkscrewed on the edge of nothing." Indeed, the 12km drive from Amalfi to Positano is thrilling, impossible at times, but enlivening. Ease your fraught white limbs halfway in the turquoise cove at Furore (where Testino directed that D&G Light Blue advert). The Neapolitan Dream | The Resident
03172011 The subject was proposed by the Neapolitan librettist Salvatore Cammarano, who wanted to see the opera performed in his home town . But relations between Verdi and the San Carlo Theatre had difinitively soured, and Verdi felt he was free from any commitment he may have had with Naples. But not so with poor Cammarano his economic situation was disastrous. In 1848 the music was finished and on January 27th, 1849, La battaglia di Legnano was first performed at the Argentina Theatre in Rome. La battaglia di Legnano | giuseppeverdi.it
03182011 Die Geschwister von Neapel, a novel by Franz Werfel, published in 1931. Don Pascarella, a widower of Naples, rules tyrannically over his six children, three boys and three girls, ranging in age from the early teens to the late twenties. The young people are cowed by his fierce outbreaks of rage and his withering sarcasm, and spellbound by his performance of the aria ‘O monumento! Regia e bolgia dogale!’ from Ponchielli's La Gioconda. German Literature Companion | Oxford University Press
03192011 Located on the cliffs above the Marina of Sant’Agnello, Hotel Corallo displays multi-level terraces, right on the sea, with a to-kill-for view on the magic Bay of Naples and the whole Sorrentine Peninsula. Built on the remains of the rests of a Roman nymphaeum this elegant patrician house became a hotel by the end of the 1920s. Home away from home for intellectual and artists, it used to be one of Luigi Pirandello’s favourite holiday residences. Charming boutique hotels in Italy | First Class Around the World
03202011 This is the only place in Tokyo where I felt as eating at home. The taste, the ambient, everything is just original and genuine. The restaurant’s name is “La Bicocca” but what makes it special is Peppe. He is a professional pizzaiolo (pizza maker) from Napoli. He takes care of everything, even if his specialty is pizza, the whole menu is just a never-to-forget experience. My best Italian restaurant in Tokyo: La Bicocca | zuco.org
03212011 On your cooking vacation, you will join the chefs in their visits to the markets to learn how to pick the freshest ingredients that will be used in cooking typical Southern Italian dishes like gnocchi, pasta, authentic Napoletan pizza, artichokes and several other dishes that are specialty of the Amalfi Coast region. Enjoy The Delight Of Solo Cooking Holidays In Amalfi Coast | A1Articles
03222011 Soap has played a role throughout much of human history. Our ancestors extracted it from plants such as yucca, soapwort, and horsetail. The first known written mention of soap is on Sume­rian clay tablets dating to about 2500 b.c. that were found in Mesopotamia in what is now southern Iraq. The excavation of Pompeii, a city buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in a.d. 79, revealed the existence of an entire soap factory. Scented Essentials | The Herb Companion
03232011 Starring the ever-popular and always hilariously funny Damian Williams, in the role of 'Lurcio' the slave, Up Pompeii is one of the most fondly remembered BBC comedies. Up Pompeii is set in ancient Pompeii, pre-eruption and promises to be an ideal vehicle for Damian's talents for interacting with his audience. Up Pompeii was famous for its double entendres, its risqué gags, its scantily clad girls and tongue in cheek humour. Up Pompeii | Suffolk Tourist Guide
03242011 In 18th-century Europe, antiquities captured the public imagination. As pioneering archeologists unearthed ruins in Athens and Pompeii, artists and craftsmen found inspiration in Greco-Roman art, with its heroic scale, idealized beauty, and keen sense of proportion. A Louvre exhibition celebrates all things Neoclassical | Elle Decor
03252011 “But now I find Rome fairly insipid and unattractive. Naples, for all its various kinds of horribleness, is really the extraordinary place. It is a city that to me is absolutely incomparable.” Peter Robb’s new book Street Fight In Naples is a raucous, fascinating distillation of the stories and characters, historical and contemporary, Robb experienced in the 15 years he lived in his favourite city. The book is as rambunctious as the city he described so superbly. After Midnight | The Weekly Review
03262011 Built by Hiero I of Syracuse in 474 B.C., the Aragonese Castle, located on a volcanic rock in the Tyrrhenian Sea near Naples. Fortified walls were erected around the castle to defend against pirates and a stone bridge was built connecting it to Ischia, the islet became part of the town and thrived through the 18th and 19th centuries. This impressive structure (accessible through a tunnel) is the most visited attraction on Ischia. Cool Castles Located on Cliffs | Woman'sDay
03272011 Built in 1882, the Grand Hotel Vesuvio is centrally located on the waterfront, overlooking Santa Lucia Harbor and the Bay of Naples.
Most of the guest rooms and suites have balconies or terraces with exceptional views of the Mediterranean. Attention to detail is the Grand Hotel Vesuvio's mantra whilst graciously combining old-world charm with modern comfort and the latest in technology. Dining at the famous Caruso Roof Garden Restaurant, on the ninth floor, is a unique experience for the unmissable food and the breathtaking view of the Bay. Europe Luxury Hotels & Resorts | Luxury Travel
03282011 Capri Palace Hotel & Spa is an Italian nomination for a Readers' Choice Award for Best International Spa Retreat, located on the island of Capri in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Located in the exclusive Anacapri area, was built by the father of current owner and manager Tonino Cacace and recently underwent renovations to create a classic palazzo caprese and update its extraordinary amenities. Capri Palace boasts an art gallery, Capri's only restaurant with two Michelin stars (L'Olivo). Home to the Capri Beauty Farm | Luxist
03292011 Giuliana Rancic has been anchor and managing editor of E! News since January 2005. Since that time, E! News viewership has risen over 50 percent across the board. Born in Naples, Italy, Giuliana first realized her dreams of becoming a television journalist at age seven, after moving to Washington, D.C. with her family. She learned English by watching television before enrolling in the public school system. E! Host & TV Personality Giuliana Rancic | Italia Living
03302011 "I love cooking - everything spicy - I've been carrying around a bottle of hot sauce in my bag for I don't know how many years." Naomi Campbell was spotted smothering her food in the stuff while on holiday at the Italian island of Capri with Leo Di Caprio and Bar Refaeli recently. Spicy Naomi carries her heat with her | heat
03312011 Sienna Miller has not kicked the habit she has picked up of leaving the chilly US to warm herself in cosy Positano, which saw her courage and that of Balthazar Getty (yes, they have gotten back together). Sienna Miller in a bikini in Positano | blogdolcevita