A transitionary home for my soul stuck somewhere between the Swiss Alps and Parisian chic.
August 5, 2019
August 1, 2019
July 31, 2019
Summer in Madrid
Madrid... my love!
Wearing sandals and flip flops all summer...
Cava is flowing...
Tapas to keep me going...
Centre city at 40°C
A stroll though the city with my girlfriends
Just look at the bottom of those balconies... they are beautifully tiled!
A morning jog surrounded by a marvellous lavender smell
My neighbour makes the best margaritas in town
When you have your neighbours over for dinner and
end up going to bed later than your teenage kids!
The motivational quote at the entrance of the Bikram Yoga studio!
July 28, 2019
A dress fit for a princess
Add Madrid to girlfriends and fashion and it is guaranteed to equal fun! Following a group whatsapp proposal four chirpy ladies headed to the Thyssen museum to discover what connected the work of Cristobal Balenciaga, the most admired and influential fashion designer of all times, with the tradition of 16th to 20th-century Spanish painting.
I have visited a few Balenciaga exhibits in Paris over the years but this one was unique. Who knew that references to Spanish art and culture are a recurring presence in Balenciaga’s work? Over a span of five decades he managed to revive historic garments and reinterpret them in a strikingly modern manner.
We admired over 90 items of clothing and accessories and 50 paintings of great names of Spanish art, such as El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán and Goya, all inspiring the work of the influential Basque fashion designer. This explosive cocktail combining talent and colours caught all our admiration of the beauty of creativity and the detail in exquisite handcraft.
All four of us wondered where the clothes had come from? It seems some of the Balenciaga pieces on display were lost and then resurfaced. The name of Hamish Bowles intrigued us. A quick google to discover he is a fashion collector extraordinaire who loaned some of his discoveries, including a flower-embroidered top he first saw at the age of 12, when it was auctioned off for £60 at a jumble sale.
Apparently the thirteen masterpieces from the Prado are so exceptional that they cannot leave Spain, or in one case cannot even leave the palace. So it’s impossible for the exhibition to travel. The insurance is so high! Therefore my suggestion would be: gather some girlfriends and have yourself a jolly outing to Madrid... it is worth it!
I have visited a few Balenciaga exhibits in Paris over the years but this one was unique. Who knew that references to Spanish art and culture are a recurring presence in Balenciaga’s work? Over a span of five decades he managed to revive historic garments and reinterpret them in a strikingly modern manner.
We admired over 90 items of clothing and accessories and 50 paintings of great names of Spanish art, such as El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán and Goya, all inspiring the work of the influential Basque fashion designer. This explosive cocktail combining talent and colours caught all our admiration of the beauty of creativity and the detail in exquisite handcraft.
All four of us wondered where the clothes had come from? It seems some of the Balenciaga pieces on display were lost and then resurfaced. The name of Hamish Bowles intrigued us. A quick google to discover he is a fashion collector extraordinaire who loaned some of his discoveries, including a flower-embroidered top he first saw at the age of 12, when it was auctioned off for £60 at a jumble sale.
Apparently the thirteen masterpieces from the Prado are so exceptional that they cannot leave Spain, or in one case cannot even leave the palace. So it’s impossible for the exhibition to travel. The insurance is so high! Therefore my suggestion would be: gather some girlfriends and have yourself a jolly outing to Madrid... it is worth it!
Ignacio Zuloaga's "Portrait of María del Rosario de Silva y Gurtubay, Duchess of Alba" behind a taffeta evening gown from 1952 and echoed in the flounces of a pink cocktail dress - my personal favourite!
Stunning Francisco de Goya, "Cardinal Luis Maria de Borbón y Vallabriga" against a satin dress and jacket with metallic thread, sequins and ceramic beads (1960)
Juan Carreño de Miranda’s portrait of Doña María de Vera y Gasca and Balenciaga's modern reinterpretation of the Velázquezian shape
"Christ Blessing" by El Greco magnificently reflected in pink and blue evening dresses
El Greco's "The Annunciation" against evening gowns in silk organza (1968)
Jet-black dresses presented with a dense, dark painting by El Greco
The Portrait of the VI Countess of Miranda mirrored in a satin evening gown from 1943
Rodrigo de Villandrando's "Isabel de Borbón, Wife of Philip IV" was the inspiration to a 1957 wedding dress of silk shantung embroidered with silver thread
An exquisite detail of craftsmanship
Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972), the designer who Christian Dior defined as “the master of us all”
Far left, a satin and mink wedding dress that Balenciaga made for Queen Fabiola of Belgium in 1960, set against portraits by Francisco Zurbarán (1628-34)
Goya's "Queen María Luisa in a dress with hooped skirt" reinventing into an evening gown of satin, pearls and beads from 1963
Antonio María Esquivel's "The Dancer Josefa Vargas" frivolously retaylored into a taffeta and embroidered cotton trim cocktail dress from 1955
The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum displays over 1,600 paintings. It was once the second largest private collection in the world after the British Royal Collection and was initially housed in the family estate in Lugano until 1988 when the request for building a further extension by Baron Thyssen was rejected by the City Council.
July 25, 2019
Just chilling...
It seems the Continent is melting away today. Much of Western Europe is facing record-breaking temperatures again, with the second heatwave in a month set to reach its peak today.
The Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium set all-time temperature records, while temperatures across Switzerland, France and England are soaring and could break national records.
Paris has beaten its all-time heat record, hitting 41° C. France's current temperature record was set in 2003 at 44.1°C. French energy company EDF even stated that it would shut down two nuclear reactors in an attempt to limit the amount of heating water used to keep the reactors cool.
As for me... I am chilling by the coolest place available.
The Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium set all-time temperature records, while temperatures across Switzerland, France and England are soaring and could break national records.
Paris has beaten its all-time heat record, hitting 41° C. France's current temperature record was set in 2003 at 44.1°C. French energy company EDF even stated that it would shut down two nuclear reactors in an attempt to limit the amount of heating water used to keep the reactors cool.
As for me... I am chilling by the coolest place available.
July 24, 2019
A weekend of Hollywood glamour
What better way to celebrate a Wedding anniversary plus two birthdays than to pamper yourself in old-style glamour and luxury? Our weekend in Cannes was a real treat and I am happy to say we did not set foot out of the hotel grounds... breakfast on the terrace, suntanning on the hotel beach club across the road, lounging in the rooftop deck, dining at the hotel pier, and the cherry on the cake... our upgrade to the Sophia Loren Suite.
Over the past century, the impossibly glamorous Carlton Cannes on the Boulevard de la Croisette has been the backdrop for movie moments captured both on and off camera.
Hitchcock shot his romantic thriller "To Catch a Thief" with Grace Kelly and Carry Grant in suite 623 - which still exists today - and a year later during the Cannes Film Festival, the actress met Prince Rainier of Monaco in the hotel's Belle Époque-style Grand Salon.
Elizabeth Taylor also stayed here seven times, under seven different names, each time she was married to one of her new husbands.
Well, I sure felt like Grace Kelly all weekend ... with my Italian prince who has been at my side for over 20 years!
Over the past century, the impossibly glamorous Carlton Cannes on the Boulevard de la Croisette has been the backdrop for movie moments captured both on and off camera.
Hitchcock shot his romantic thriller "To Catch a Thief" with Grace Kelly and Carry Grant in suite 623 - which still exists today - and a year later during the Cannes Film Festival, the actress met Prince Rainier of Monaco in the hotel's Belle Époque-style Grand Salon.
Elizabeth Taylor also stayed here seven times, under seven different names, each time she was married to one of her new husbands.
Well, I sure felt like Grace Kelly all weekend ... with my Italian prince who has been at my side for over 20 years!
The hotel building was built from 1909 to 1910, and from 1912 to 1913 for Henry Ruhl, a Swiss hotelier. It was designed by architects Charles Dalmas and Marcellin Mayère.
View off the Carlton pier: I like the 5-master not so sure about the cruise ship?!?
Welcome to the luxurious Carlton Beach Club
When the lucky stars are looking down on you.
I'm in heaven... or at least very close!
A romantic sunset stroll down the pier
Dinner with my toes in the sand.
Bonne nuit et sweet dreams!
July 20, 2019
The Italian Godfather's dream
This weekend my heart is torn between Namibia and Napoli. Expat Girl is on her volunteering project while Expat Boy and my hubby have escaped to see the Italian part of la famiglia and no doubt being given the royal treatment of Neapolitan hospitality on some swanky boat.
Meanwhile I am blissfully happy enjoying a hot, sunny weekend on my own in Madrid, our second home!
What really filled me with joy this week is that a very close friend, our Wedding witness and Expat Girl's Godfather, has succeeded in accomplishing the project of a lifetime. He has hit the news with his story as the full-time working dentist who - with the help of the Campania Region - reopened the palace of the Prince of Avelino located in the "ancient centre" of the city of Naples, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I recall a long conversation many moons ago on a sunny terrace overlooking the bay of Naples where he shared his dream with my husband and I. He wanted to enable artists to make art and put on exhibitions by launching a foundation. His vision was to share art with other people, and the only way to do that was to open a space where he could show the people of Naples the collection.
He believed in his dream with all his heart and he made it happen! The foundation is in the city centre, in an area that, at the time this immense project started over ten years ago, was beset by social problems. It was an opportunity to share something beautiful with those who were not used to seeing art.
The idea was based on the social activity of contemporary art and that everything that is shown at the foundation has been produced at the foundation in Naples. And while the artists are invited to Naples, they are not forced to create work about the city.
Over the past five years we have toured the old palazzo every time we visited my hubby's hometown, in awe of all the building's hidden and crumbling beauty and the tremendous restoration work being done. With monumental patience and endless negotiation skills à la Napolitana he has finally inaugurated the "Morra Greco Foundation for Contemporary Art" this month.
Our friend might be the image of an Italian Godfather but his intellectual activity over the past 20 years is reflected in the collection and the foundation. As he himself says so eloquently: " It's an egocentric portrait of the collector!"
To our family he is a cherished friend who we know we can always rely on. Sei un mito!
Meanwhile I am blissfully happy enjoying a hot, sunny weekend on my own in Madrid, our second home!
What really filled me with joy this week is that a very close friend, our Wedding witness and Expat Girl's Godfather, has succeeded in accomplishing the project of a lifetime. He has hit the news with his story as the full-time working dentist who - with the help of the Campania Region - reopened the palace of the Prince of Avelino located in the "ancient centre" of the city of Naples, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I recall a long conversation many moons ago on a sunny terrace overlooking the bay of Naples where he shared his dream with my husband and I. He wanted to enable artists to make art and put on exhibitions by launching a foundation. His vision was to share art with other people, and the only way to do that was to open a space where he could show the people of Naples the collection.
He believed in his dream with all his heart and he made it happen! The foundation is in the city centre, in an area that, at the time this immense project started over ten years ago, was beset by social problems. It was an opportunity to share something beautiful with those who were not used to seeing art.
The idea was based on the social activity of contemporary art and that everything that is shown at the foundation has been produced at the foundation in Naples. And while the artists are invited to Naples, they are not forced to create work about the city.
Over the past five years we have toured the old palazzo every time we visited my hubby's hometown, in awe of all the building's hidden and crumbling beauty and the tremendous restoration work being done. With monumental patience and endless negotiation skills à la Napolitana he has finally inaugurated the "Morra Greco Foundation for Contemporary Art" this month.
Our friend might be the image of an Italian Godfather but his intellectual activity over the past 20 years is reflected in the collection and the foundation. As he himself says so eloquently: " It's an egocentric portrait of the collector!"
To our family he is a cherished friend who we know we can always rely on. Sei un mito!
The view from the foundation onto the San Gennaro Cathedral
Palazzo Caracciolo in 2013 before the renovations began...
... nearly finished in 2018
Stunning upper level gallery
Where old meets new
Don't ask... it's contemporary art
Getting that Cinderella feeling...
Restored frescos from the XVII century by Giacomo Del Po
Italian design at its best
A floor plan of the foundation
July 19, 2019
Loving this fashion show...
Yes, I have always had a faible for African music and prints. Now that Expat Girl is in Namibia my focus has clearly honed in on that continent this month.
The sad news is that South African musician and anthropologist Johnny Clegg passed away this week. His song "Asimbonanga" had made it all the way to European charts back in the 90s. Wow, memories of African dance classes and sitting at an African hairdresser's in Geneva for hours having my hair pleated spring back to mind... along with a bunch of open air concerts in and around Montreux during the summers!
So, when I came across this videos showing a dance group called Gold Caviar Crew on a fashion runway that had gone viral it put a BIG smile on my face.
The female dance group gave the audience more than they envisaged at the show and received massive applaud for dancing on the runway while showcasing new designs for AMBA’s Colours of Africa collection.
The Gold Caviar Crew literally closed the show at Vienna Fashion Week 2018 with, walking, or should we say, dancing to “Khona” by Mafikizolo.
The Gold Caviar Crew is an Austrian based group of talented women specialized in Afro dances. Get a glimpse of their gift when they fused Shaku shake, Zanga, Gwara Gwara to entertainment fashion lovers, you’ll love it!
The sad news is that South African musician and anthropologist Johnny Clegg passed away this week. His song "Asimbonanga" had made it all the way to European charts back in the 90s. Wow, memories of African dance classes and sitting at an African hairdresser's in Geneva for hours having my hair pleated spring back to mind... along with a bunch of open air concerts in and around Montreux during the summers!
So, when I came across this videos showing a dance group called Gold Caviar Crew on a fashion runway that had gone viral it put a BIG smile on my face.
The female dance group gave the audience more than they envisaged at the show and received massive applaud for dancing on the runway while showcasing new designs for AMBA’s Colours of Africa collection.
The Gold Caviar Crew literally closed the show at Vienna Fashion Week 2018 with, walking, or should we say, dancing to “Khona” by Mafikizolo.
The Gold Caviar Crew is an Austrian based group of talented women specialized in Afro dances. Get a glimpse of their gift when they fused Shaku shake, Zanga, Gwara Gwara to entertainment fashion lovers, you’ll love it!
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