INSIDE: Rome’s Best Restaurants 4 Visiting Sella Ronda and Sestriere 7 Shopping in Florence 8 Acolyte Films Matt Tyrnauer and Valentino Zac Sonoio, flickr.com Zac Sonoio, dream of Skiing ® in Italy

fter two days in Cortina A d’Ampezzo, Italy’s chicest ski resort, I had chalked up many firsts. I had enjoyed the craggy beauty and challenges of the snow-covered Volume 8, Issue 10 www.dreamofitaly.com December 2009/January 2010 Dolomites, skiing between jagged ITALY pink rock spires under ever-changing Alpine skies. I marveled as Italian skiers forsook alcohol après-ski, indulging instead in gelato, which Dining in Valentino’s Rome they ate alfresco so they could grab  the last rays of the weak winter sun. s with any film production, patience for anyone’s agenda but his As I strolled through Cortina, I saw A there were moments of extreme own. Though he had agreed to be the my first-ever Porsche difficulty during the making of my star of my movie, I am quite sure that dealership on the recent documentary, Valentino The Last he did not know how challenging a main street of a ski Emperor (now available on DVD, film shoot can be when he agreed to town, the windows www.valentinomovie.com). take the starring role. Film filled with dazzling Principle photography on the shoots go haywire: There are candy-colored sports cars. Then there movie took place in 2007 and moments of frustration as was the constant parade of fur coats 2008, and, for those twenty- equipment misbehaves. There during the passeggiata (evening walk), four months, my crew and I are soundmen, and P.A.s and which turned Corso Italia into a Milan shadowed the maestro of grips and producers and wires catwalk every evening. Italian high fashion at work and cables and scuffed metal and at play, mostly in Europe, cases laying about. But one thing I had not seen in two where Valentino has homes in days of intense exploration were Italy, Switzerland and All of this chaos imposed on moguls, the irregular bumps that England. The city in which we the designer’s otherwise very form on busy ski trails and can offer a spent the most time was Rome, where ordered, and aesthetically correct formidable challenge to skiers of any Valentino, until his retirement in July world, caused more than a few melt- ability. So I turned to my guide, an of 2008, had his fashion house and downs. The star on more than one amiable woman named Christina, main residence. occasion, quit the movie, which was and asked her why. rather inconvenient, as tens of thou- Valentino was a challenging subject for sands of dollars were being spent on She looked at me like I was to be a filmmaker. He is a perfectionist with every shoot. Even in the final cut, you pitied. very high standards, and very little continued on page 2 continued on page 6 The she-wolf was the ancient symbol of Rome. Valentino continued from page 1 "...but something about Rome fascin

can see Valentino furiously declar- orate on the architecture of Rome, ing his departure from the set. or to explain how to best gorge on Bernini or Caravaggio masterpieces, I am often asked if the stress got to or to systematically cover the joys me, and, if so, how I dealt with it. of particular neighborhoods. I love My usual answer is, “downward them all, from sublime to brutishly, dog.” I intensified my yoga practice Fascistically ugly. I am going to, during this time. instead, focus on the food, which, in any event, is the organizing But the real answer is that, as long theme of any Italian’s existence. Acolyte Films as we were filming in Rome, which was the majority of the time, I was Spagna across town to Piazza Vittorio When friends ask me for touring fine. The film crew was always Emanuele II, where the crew apartment advice for Rome, I simply tell them to relieved when things went wrong in was located. Along the way, we would divide the day in two, pick a place for Rome, because I was always in a Zen- stop in a bar for aperitivo, and, further lunch, and a place for dinner, and walk like state of calm. As my producer, along the route, stop for dinner in to and from each. Get lost on the way Matt Kapp, frequently said to me, ristorante or a trattoria. and take in what you stumble upon. “There is no explaining how much you Any attempt to sightsee in an over- love this city. You are a different Frequently we summoned friends to organized way (especially in a taxi) person here.” I like to think I am join us. By the end of aperitivo, dur- kills the joy of the Roman experience: relatively even-tempered no  ing which we compared notes on the The discovery of the infinite layers of matter where I am, but some- day and planned for the following detail as street gives on to a piazza, December 2009 / January 2010 2009 / January December thing about Rome fascinates me day, I was cured of any frustration. piazza gives on to another street, and 2 endlessly, and also amuses and soothes Almost every night, perhaps while so on. If you hit a Caravaggio church me. passing the lit Pantheon or the white along the way (and it’s actually open), wedding cake Vittoriano monument in all the better. I can occupy myself in any Roman the Piazza Venezia, I said to myself, street at any time of day or night, “Even if this movie goes down the In each of these piazzas and streets are staring at the pattern of the blue-gray drain tomorrow, I will have gotten to restaurants, trattorias, pizzerias, bier- paving stones, or inspecting the ele- live in Rome.” errias, bars, gelaterias, and various gant font used for the signs above the other food places. There is a certain

www.dreamofitaly.com stores, or giving myself an Italian Either you get it or you don’t. There inscrutability to Rome that sometimes spelling lesson, looking at the ubiqui- are some people who are passionate makes it hard for the untrained eye to tous professional nameplates: about Florence and don’t want to con- zero in on the finer establishment. The

“Psicologo” “Ortodontista,” front the chaos and absurdity of Rome. first rule for determining what

“Veterinario”. Then there is the endless You can’t talk these people into lov- place to choose is that the more parade of Roman characters: Elegantly ing the capital, with all its  simple or more antiquated the suited business men with their careful- contradictions: staggeringly unat- eating place, the better it will be. ly knotted ties, the street sweeper in tractive sprawl on its outskirts, his stylishly worn coveralls, the gaggle frustrating traffic, a somewhat provin- “Rome,” as a rich and sophisticated of nuns, the pair of priests, the grand- cial population, all counterweighted by Roman put it to me, “is not fancy.” ma in her cardigan and sensible shoes, breathtaking architecture in the centro Romans don’t care what the interior of the elegantly uniformed Carabinieri. It storico, exquisite walking streets, and a restaurant looks (the indifferent is all “Felliniano,” as the Italians say. examples of bella figura decorating deployment of florescent bulbs takes each cafe, restaurant and piazza. (The some getting used to) if they know the On a typical day when I saw my movie rough equivalent in the U.S. might be food is going to be good, and no Italian melting down around me, I would the lover of Los Angeles vs. the lover will willingly eat bad food in his own suggest to Fred Tcheng, the co-produc- of San Francisco.) city, or country, for that matter. er of the film, that we take a walk from the fashion house next to the Piazza di There is not enough space here to elab- Before I start to dole out recommenda- The phrase “all roads lead to nates me endlessly, and also amuses and soothes me."

tions, I will volunteer the answer to a navigate toward every night after question I am frequently asked: Where our shoot days. They are really treas- does Valentino like to eat in Rome? The ures, and many of them have been truth is that Valentino rarely goes out operating for generations, serving in Rome, and prefers to eat at home. the very cultivated palates of the This is for a very good reason: He has locals, who view the ritual of the a great chef. There are very few homes shared meal with family and friends in the world with a better kitchen than as sacrosanct. Valentino’s, and fewer still where the linens, the china and the table decora- A note on the cuisine of Rome: It is tions are so carefully considered. Every Contour Images Lorenzo Agius, known for its literal gutsiness, a meal is served with white gloves (even respects, once the refectory of the intel- reliance on organ meats. Tripe, fried

when the maestro dines alone), and lectuals, artists and powerful brains, livers. The cuisine is more

there are always, in the proper Italian businessmen, now a hybrid Star refined in the north and directly manner, four courses: Antipasto, primo Chamber and tourist haunt. Those  to the south, in Naples. This is not piatto (usually pasta or risotto at his from the dwindling old guard who to detract from Roman cooking, table), secondo piatto, and then dolce still go to Al Moro are seated in the but there is not an equivalence to (Valentino eats dessert with every front room. If you make it into the sec- be drawn between Paris and Rome in meal, whereas most Italians end lunch ond room, you are still being smiled this respect. Rome was a very poor city and dinner with fruit.) upon. The third room: Siberia. for centuries before it became the capi- continued on page 4 I have dined out with Valentino several Al Moro’s décor is unchanged since at times in Rome, and it has almost least the 50’s, and the food is Roman to 2010 2009 / January December invariably been at the venerable Dal the core. (Fellini cast the late owner, dream of 3 Bolognese (39-06-3611426), in the Mario Romagnoli, as Trimalchio in ® Piazza del Popolo. It is easily the most Fellini’s Satyricon.) Valentino would elegant and glamorous restaurant in not order the specialty, Spaghetti al ITALY Rome, and it is precisely the place Moro (a form of carbonara with red pep- Kathleen A. McCabe where you would expect to find per instead of black), but I would Editor and Publisher Valentino, seated in the down- strongly suggest you do have this. stairs dining room, next to one of  The specialties of the season are Copy Editor: Stephen J. McCabe Design: Leaird Designs the windows. laid out on a table in the front www.dreamofitaly.com www.leaird-designs.com room. If you order based on these If you are led upstairs, you should be raw materials (say a basket of porcini or Dream of Italy, the subscription travel newsletter cover- ing Italian travel and culture, is published 10 times a insulted, as that is reserved for tourists. fava beans), you cannot go wrong. year. Delivery by mail is $99 in the U.S. and Canada and But it would probably be fruitless to $109 abroad. An Internet subscription (downloadable PDFs) costs $79 per year. Subscriptions include online complain. Dal Bolognese is an excellent Dal Bolognese and Al Moro more or access to over 70 back issues and regular e-mail updates. restaurant, and one of the few in Rome less complete the list of old-line Roman Three ways to subscribe: with any pretense at all. In this way it restaurants (at least outside of hotels) 1. Send a check to Dream of Italy, P.O. Box 5496, is more like the well-heeled restaurants with any hauteur that is to be taken Washington, DC, 20016 2. Call 877-OF-ITALY (toll free) or 202-297-3708 in Paris, which have a way of system- seriously. They are both gems from the 3. Subscribe online at www.dreamofitaly.com (Visa, atically making strangers from foreign golden era of modern Rome. Sort of Mastercard and American Express accepted) lands feel like worthless serfs. like Le Cirque and La Grenouille are to Editorial feedback is welcome. E-mail: [email protected] New York. Advertising opportunities are available. The other Roman restaurant in which I E-mail: [email protected] have dined with Valentino is Al Moro There is another strata of great Roman Copyright © 2009 Dream of Italy, Inc. All Rights (Vicolo delle Bollette, near the Trevi restaurants, however, where the food is Reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without per- Fountain; 39-06- 6783495), which was just as good, and the more free-wheel- mission is prohibited. Every effort is made to provide information that is accurate and reliable; however, also a haunt of Fellini’s. This is virtual- ing live-and-let-live ethos of the city Dream of Italy cannot be responsible for errors that ly a private dining club in some prevails. These are the places I would may occur. ISSN 1550-1353 www.dreamofitaly.com Rome” refers to 19 ancient roads. Valentino continued from page 3 The refinement of the humble Roman

tal of Italy, and its cooking still reflects this on the level of ingredients. (Some trattorias hang signs in the windows to announce the days they serve tripe.)

The refinement of the humble Roman dishes, perfected over generations, is something to behold. Italians still eat seasonally, and it would be a mistake to order peas in the winter, if they are Uglynoid, flickr.com Uglynoid, yeowatzup, flickr.com yeowatzup, offered at all. Menus will tell you when 45 Years of Valentino at Rome's Ara Pacis The Pantheon items are frozen, as the respect for fresh foods in ingrained in the culture. of many months, I am greeted like a regular who lives in the neighborhood. Crescenzi, 31; 39-06- 68803034; One of the greatest restaurants in www.armandoalpantheon.it), which is Rome is a Tuscan restaurant, called When Nino was in our lives for too very Roman, very good, and half the Nino (Via Borgognona, 11, near the many consecutive nights, we would price of Da Fortunato. Armando Piazza di Spagna; 39-06-6795676) When walk a bit out of our way to the Piazza proves the rule of Roman dining: La Dolce Vita was in full swing, Nino Farnese and take a table at Ar Galletto Soccer posters and idiosyncratic deco- was packed with movie stars and (Piazza Farnese, 102; 39-06- 6861714), a ration are often the earmarks of a good socialites, along with the politicians venerable Roman trattoria that is a restaurant. and aristocrats who occupy the palaces beloved open secret among the December 2009 / January 2010 2009 / January December in the tridente, between the Tiber and denizens of the Campo dei Fiori area. I Gino, a small trattoria tucked into 4 the Spanish Steps.) Nino was first cannot think of a better example of a Vicolo Rossini, near the Parliament recommended to me by Gore typical Roman place, serving all of the (about a 7 minute walk from the Vidal, who lived within walk-  dishes for which the city is famous. Pantheon), provides further proof. I ing distance of the Via Spaghetti carbonara, bucatini heard about Gino for years, as it is very Borgognona for decades. Gore all’Amatriciana, carciofi alla Romana, well-known by everyone who lives in would have the bistecca fiorentina braised lamb and a cut of lamb chop Rome, although it’s such an institution and the Tuscan beans. There is also the called scottadito (burnt fingers). they often don’t even know the place carciofi alla romana, the vignarola (a dish has a name. Roman friends referred to

www.dreamofitaly.com based on fava beans and peas, native Around the Pantheon is a fine restau- it as “that really cheap place near the to Rome, made only in the spring), and rant called Da Fortunato al Pantheon Parliament where everyone goes.” the fritto misto, all Roman items. (Via del Pantheon, 55; 39- 06-6792788; www.ristorantefortunato.it). Fortunato When I finally found Gino, I was alone As Nino is a short walk from the is frequented by Roman Senators and at lunch time. I took a table and read a Valentino office, this became the can- important politicians, as it is the best newspaper. There was no menu, just teen for the production, and the restaurant closest to the Senate offices. some dishes of the day, which the wait- restaurant to which I headed when I It was slightly too stuffy to drop into er (who is the son of the late Cavaliere

was especially in need of cheering up with our camera bags and tripods, but Gino) recited for me. By the end of

after work. The room is the essence of it is impossible to go wrong in this lunch, I found myself having a Roman restaurant simplicity; wood restaurant. When you leave, you  second lunch at the staff and fam- paneled, bright sconces, and starched are steps from the Pantheon, and ily table, where the chef was white tablecloths. The waiters, in their sprinting distance from Caffe Sant’ bringing out special dishes made white coats, are perpetually on point. Eustachio, the greatest coffee bar in city. from leftovers. They were extraordi- The manager of the establishment sits nary (especially a kind of beef and at a desk in the middle of the dining Across the piazza of the Pantheon, potato salad with green beans and chili room, carefully adding the bills and called Piazza della Rotonda, there is a peppers.) The grand dame of the place watching over the till. (Very Roman!) much less formal restaurant, called and I bonded that afternoon, and now When I return to Nino after absences Armando al Pantheon (Salita de’ we have a very cordial relationship Rome’s Capitoline Museum is am dishes, perfected over generations, is something to behold.

Italy. The current location has been a landmark in the area through good times and bad.

The ten restaurants listed here are only the beginning of a long list, discovered over the years, always on foot. Rome, which markets itself as eternal, merci- fully does not change a lot. I have never returned to the city to find a wenzday01, flickr.com wenzday01, Allie Caulfield, flickr.com Allie Caulfield, restaurant has gone out of business. Vittorio Emanuele Campo dei Fiori The good ones endure, though I fear which has been ritualized with the across Rome could not take place, we for some of the trattorias, lest the mom delivery of shot glasses of amaro after consoled ourselves with a dinner at and/or pop pass on and the next each meal. Cavaliere Gino was from one of the restaurants in the area of generation should decide to abandon Abruzzo, so the amaro is also from Piazza Vittorio (this is the same market the business. This has been the Abruzzo. square where many sequences from pattern for the last 30 years. The Bicycle Thief were filmed.) Off  Gino is one of the last of a vanishing the piazza are a few neighborhood I was very happy to live in Rome breed of trattorias, which served the places that have survived the sea- and make a movie about one of its kind of food found in the typical changes of the area, technically called icons. I would return to do it over Italian home. An authentic trattoria has Esquilino (the Esquiline hill). This part again, even to relive the frustrations. no written menu, and the ordering of the city has gone from bourgeois to Of all of the compliments I have 2010 2009 / January December process is often part of a conversation rough-and-tumble, and now is heading received from viewers of Valentino The 5 with a waiter who, if you live in the back toward bourgeois again. Last Emperor, the one I have been hap- area, you know. Certain days of the piest to hear is that the movie is a love week in Rome bring, inevitably, certain Trattoria Morgana (Via Mecenate, 19; letter to Rome. It was very much dishes: Thursday is gnocchi. Friday is 39-06-4873122; intended to be.

baccala. Saturday: Tripe. www.trattoriamorgana.com), which

features lumache, snails, and —Matt Tyrnauer  Trattoria da Danilo Near the Piazza Barberini, with its (Via Petrarca, Matt Tyrnauer, special corre-

exquisite Bernini sculpture of 13; 39-06-77200111; spondent for Vanity Fair, is www.dreamofitaly.com Neptune, is a well-known restau- www.trattoriadadanilo.it), were our the director of Valentino rant called Tulio (Via San Nicolo; Piazza Vittorio standbys. The latter The Last Emperor 39-06-4745560; www.tullioristorante.it). would submit to providing us with (www.valentinomovie.com) It’s a place favored by journalists and take-out, which is a concept not widely politicians, with a very buttoned-down known in Rome. I hated to seem like interior, and very good Tuscan food the ugly American making brutta figu- and seafood. Even though the restau- ra, demanding food to go, but they rant has a certain formality to it, there were nice about it, and sometimes we is no Al Moro-like sentencing to inferi- were too exhausted to sit down to a or rooms here. Sometimes I dropped in restaurant meal. to Tulio unannounced and checked the cameras. As a rule, most Romans call After dinner around Piazza Vittorio, ahead to reserve tables, often even at we often headed to venerable Palazzo their neighborhood places. It’s a good del Freddo (Via Principe Eugenio, 65; idea to call in a reservation if it’s at all 39-06-4464740; possible. www.palazzodelfreddo.it), an enor- mous ice cream parlor, which claims to 1 € = $1.50 at press time If for some reason the nightly walk be the oldest and largest gelateria in ong the oldest in the world (1471). Skiing continued from page 3 Eager Americans who need to be on the to themselves. And

“Moguls!” she said. “Of The late-ish start is fol- Cervinia course there are no moguls. lowed by a few runs before We groom every run every lunch, which can easily Many Americans discover Cervinia night. What would the nice consume two hours or almost by accident. The discovery ladies from Rome do if they more. After a few more of comes when they’ve booked a ski saw a mogul? They would runs, it’s time for après-ski, vacation in adjacent Zermatt, go home!” then steam or sauna or Switzerland and then learn they can nap. Then you dress for ski over to Cervinia for lunch. That Indeed, skiing in Italy is not the passeggiata with fellow lunch run is a glorious seven miles of like skiing in the United fur-clad Romans, cruising, and the wide open and fre- States. Or anywhere else in Bolognese and Milanese. quently sunny cruisers exemplify this Europe, for that matter. Followed by drinks, dinner popular resort that lies in the shadow g2nr, flickr.com g2nr, Simply staying in a resort Cortina and postprandial mischief. of the Matterhorn. like Cortina counts as a ski trip for a certain class of Italian, who motors up Food is another aspect of the Italian ski While the architecture won’t win any from Bologna or Venice or Rome for the experience. In simple mountain rifu- awards, the snowfall is justifiably wintery good life. gios or huts, you’ll find extraordinarily acclaimed. Cervinia is one of the high- good pastas and game dishes, as well est ski resorts in the Alps, with a Regardless of the resort, bella figura as local mountain specialties. In village height of 6,500 feet and a ski remains the one constant. One must Cortina, for example, there’s look very good, very pulled together casunzei, ravioli of beets and and as chic as possible whether on the poppy seeds, found on lunch December 2009 / January 2010 2009 / January December slopes or on village streets. Sure, you menus. In the Sella Ronda area, it’s 6 will see well-turned out skiers in not uncommon to come across an Stowe, Aspen or St. Anton. But it’s not outdoor ice “bar,” a giant block of a mandate at these resorts like it is ice hollowed out for locally made here. Why else do you think grappa in frosty bottles. In the there are mirrors at the base of evening in Cortina, you can

ski lifts in Cortina? head to Enoteca, a gorgeous flickr.com [email protected], wood-paneled bar, perfect for Corvara The skiing itself can be challeng- savoring some Parmigiano-Reggiano area that rises up to 11,400 feet. Which

www.dreamofitaly.com ing, if you know where to look, anointed with antico balsamico, along means that it has the most reliable especially at resorts such as Sestriere. with a glass of Prosecco. snow from early December until late After all, this is the country that pro- April in all of Italy. Considering that duced Alberto Tomba, who learned to But here’s what else you should know you can live la dolce vita and ski over to ski in Cortina, and whose accomplish- about skiing in Italy. At many Italian Zermatt’s slopes, there’s a lot to offer. ments both on the slopes and après-ski ski hotels, you must book a one-week The Hotel Hermitage Cervinia are legendary, oft repeated and oft stay, from Saturday to Saturday. Most (www.hotelhermitage.com) is a Relais embellished. resorts work on a half-board plan, & Chateaux property offering the most offering you breakfast and dinner in comfort in the village. That said, many Italians seem to prefer the price of your room. If you’d rather easy cruisers. In a resort like Cortina, go to different places for dinner each Cortina the classic Italian ski day starts with a night, look at bed & breakfast offer- slope-side appearance no earlier than, ings. By far the easiest way to book For a single resort town that offers the say 10 a.m., and often later. Eager an Italian ski vacation is to go best Italian ski experience — albeit at a Americans who need to be on the first through a tour operator; visit price — you can’t beat Cortina. It’s a chair of the day will usually have that Ski.com, Ski-Europe.com and picture-perfect Alpine town, with chair to themselves. And the next one, Lindenmeyrtravel.com. Here’s a look cobbled streets set amidst the jagged and the one after that. at the best resorts in the country: Dolomites and it played host to the Visit the site Dolomitisup first chairofthedaywillusuallyhavethat erski.com ski passes. for the nextone,andoneafterthat. Tyrolean furniture. from tapestriesandantiquepewterto hostelry thatepitomizesItalianstyle, Poste local cuisine,isafinechoice. Pomedes, on-mountain restaurants, the often. Inaplacewithmanyfine strikes, whichitdoesalltoo when anerraticwinterseason good snowmakingsubstitutes relatively easycruising runs. Very shuttle busandthere are lotsoflong, The mainskiareas are allaccessibleby of themcombined. Courchevel andhasmore stylethanall Italy’s answerto Aspen, St.Moritzand Winter Olympicsin1956.Cortinais heart oftown. located inarenovated mansioninthe (www.chotels.it) isagoodchoice, Romantik HotelVillaNovecento whom havesecondhomeshere. The Milan andTurin, manyof well-heeled residents of long beenpopularwith run. Courmayeurhas famous Chamonix andtacklethe France, andgoto cross intoneighboring can goheli-skiingor challenging pistes,you If you’re eagerformore paradise, withshortruns. thought itslargely anintermediate’s Mont Blanc.Theskiingisn’tbadeither, happy, alongwithagreat viewof shops andrestaurants tokeepyou has acar-free center, agoodarrayof market townofconsiderablecharm.It the MontBlanctunnel,isamedieval d’Aosta Courmayeur, Courmayeur (www.delaposte.it) isan81-room not farfrom theItalianendof Vallee Blanche with itspanoramicviewsand which liesinthe

craigjam, flickr.com Hotel dela Rifuigio Val Courmayeur Canazei need torace.Instead,youcan lingerin one day. Butasavisitor, there’s no often challengeeachother to doitin 24 mileslong,andlocalski instructors Madonna DiCampiglio a charmingalpineskivillage.There are Dolomites, isabustlingresort yetalso shores ofasceniclakeintheBrenta Madonna DiCampiglio, (www.cristalpalacecampiglio.it). the 4-star shops andrestaurants, aswell most part,whofrequent thestylish The visitorsare chicItaliansforthe half-pipe, funparkandboardercross. snowboarding resorts inItaly, witha trails. Madonnaisalsooneofthebest and nearby are races are held,and where World Cup There’s also well. and exhilaratingas from thetopare long three miles.Theruns gondola ride,about Marilleva, world’s longest four skiareas around thetown, and offers the Cristal PalaceHotel with 49liftsand90milesof Folgarida which trails. Thelargest area is Groste, Arabba. Spinale, for manymore milesof The circuit isabout Gardena, Corvara, Selva diVal four villages: safari thatlinks circular ski Ronda vast Cortina isthe Not farfrom Sella Ronda

Jeroen Veldman, flickr.com situated onthe Sella area, a Sella Ronda property intown. arguably themostcomfortable4-star (www.hotelsavoysestriere.com) is Sansicario. neighboring the MilkyWay area, withlinksto different abilitiesbutSestriere ispartof not onlyavarietyofpistesforskiers also verygoodsnowmaking.There are at snowinthiscornerofItaly. There’s ing slopes,whichgivesitthebestshot Games. Theresort hasnorthwest-fac- the siteof2006winterOlympic retreat forresidents ofTurin andwas this landuntil1915.Themostenjoy- reminders thatthe Austrians heldonto Germanic sweetsintheshopsare villages, andthedumplings You’ll hearLadinspokeninthese more challenges. and headtothe the villages,enjoysteepsin Arraba For Americans, Sestriere wouldbea to indeed. The great weekendskiescapeifyou SKI During theweek,itcanbesleepy were visitingTurin, because that’s whenitcomesalive. (www.everettpotter.com), aweeklynewsletter Everett Potterhasbeenacontributing editor Sestriere Sestriere area. one ofthebestchoicesin (www.sporthotelarabba.com) is The Nightlife tendstobequiet. slopes amidsttheDolomites. network ofinterconnected exploration, skiingonavast that itgivesyouasenseof able partoftheSellaRondais “For SmartTravelersinSearchofValue.” magazine for15years.He’salsotheeditor Sporthotel Arraba Sauze d’Oulx of Everett Potter’s TravelEverett Potter’s Report Hotel SavoyEdelweiss Marmolada is thewintryweekend —Everett Potter and glacier for

www.dreamofitaly.com December 2009 / January 2010 7 Cheat Sheet: Shopping in Florence

n a recent trip to Florence, we re- might try this store. Singa sells all sorts O discovered what fantastic shop- of items with famous Italian (and ping this city has to offer. Here are just other) works of art on them, such as a few of our finds and re-discoveries: slippers, umbrellas and mugs. Via Calzaiuoli 19, near Piazza della Signoria Cafissi This home décor store sells fur- (39) 055 2657485 niture, as well as accessories. Each www.manifatturadisigna-shop.it wood item is engraved with care by expert craftsmen. It is then gilded with Penko A true goldsmith who uses only gold or silver leaf, colored with water authentic tools (no machines here) Paolo temperas, finished with patina and Penco makes his jewels in the Florentine waxes as in ancient times.. style, often emulating the stylistic ele- Borgo San Jacopo, 80r ments of the Renaissance. One way he (39) 055 294730 shows his artistry is in the re-creation of www.cafissi.com jewelry worn by subjects in works of and Federika. Warning: Felipe could sell art, such as a necklace worn by one of ice to an Eskimo, but the quality is so Antica Officina del Farmacista Dr. the Graces in Botticelli’s Spring. The outstanding, you’re not making a mis- Vranjes This is where you will find a artisan also creates works in silver and take. If you tell him that Rosanne and wonderful range of home scents and gold without precious stones, and the Mary sent you, he’ll take very good personal fragrances, also beauty prod- pricing overall is quite reasonable. His care of you! ucts created by workshop is right behind the

December 2009 / January 2010 2009 / January December Lungarno Acciaioli, 56/58r Dr. Paolo Vranjes, front counter, and he’ll be happy (39) 055 2399605 8 a pharmacist and to show you how he creates these www.pvflorence.com chemist. My authentic pieces. The shop has the favorite home increasingly rare distinction of bot- Il Tamarino At this small gallery, you scent is Vanigilia tega, namely, a workshop that is will find limited-edition original etch- Mandarino. mainly aimed at keeping alive the ings devoted to a variety of themes, Vranjes says he traditions of Florentine artisans. such as botanicals, landscapes and Avrenim Acceber, flickr.com Avrenim Acceber, was inspired by Via F. Zannetti, 14-16r Florence. The ancient technique of his grandfather, a (39) 055 211661 etching is thought to have originated

www.dreamofitaly.com well-known silk trader, who had a pas- www.penkofirenze.it in Florence in the early 16th century. sion for collecting essences and perfumes Via del Moro, 46 during his travels. Ponte Vecchio Florence On our trip to (39) 055 282457 Borgo La Croce, 44r Florence last month, while strolling the www.iltamarino.com (39) 055 241748 Via Tornabuoni, we had the serendipi- www.drvranjes.it tous experience of meeting Felipe Asti, Spezierie Erboristerie Palazzo a Florentine leather designer who has Vecchio The handmade soaps, bath Magazzino Toscano This shop is a worked on pieces for Roberto Cavalli, gels, creams and herbal remedies sold great open space dedicated to the Max Mara and Barney’s own label, to here are made with natural floral and products of the region of Tuscany, name a few. Felipe’s family has a shop botanical elements contain no synthetic everything from wines to sweets. You along the Arno River; this is the place ingredients. Some are based on original can also find books (some in English) to go if you want to purchase excellent formulas dating back to the 16th centu- on Tuscan cuisine, along with an array quality leather, handbags included. On ry. The fragrance collection includes of kitchen accessories, from funky glass our visit there, I bought an antelope Florentine perfumes made with the bottles for olive oil to tablecloths. leather coat that was so soft I almost original ancient formulas commis- Via del Magazzini, 2-4r cried. Really. Felipe and his staff make sioned by the Medici family. 39 055 284 724 you feel very welcome, breaking out Via Vacchereccia, 11 the Prosecco as you look around and (39) 055 2396055 Manifattura di Singa If you’re looking enjoy being entertained by Felipe and www.spezieriefirenze.com for fun gifts for the folks at home, you his staff, the wonderful Nico, Gerardo —Rosanne Cofoid and Mary Evans Florence was once the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.