COMING SOON

Brueghel. Wonders of the Flemish art.
An unprecedented exhibition of masterpieces of the Brueghel dinasty will be hosted at Chiostro del Bramante from the 18th of December until the 3rd of June 2013.

The exhibition traces the history and the exceptional talent of the most important race of Flemish artists active between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, through paintings, drawings and graphics of its greatest exponents.
Opening hours: Monday/Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.    Saturday/Sunday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
http://www.romeguide.it/mostre/bruegel/bruegelchiostrobramanteeng.html

(Christmas) ace in the hole. N.2

Close to the church of St. Louis of the French, that boasts three world renowned canvases of Caravaggio (The Calling of St Matthew, The Inspiration of Saint Matthew and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew), is located a shop, that carries an incredibly wide range of design objects, ExArte.

Among others, I loved these wall clocks, depicting the most famous Rolex watches

and these coffee cups with a tray similar to those for pastries

as well as this set of magnetized knives, having an unbelievable sharp blade.

But the choice is much wider: bottles, glasses, vases...

...and also Christmas decorations, pieces of furniture, table cloths, radios, technological telephones, trendy bags, bookends in the shape of a capital letter and much much more.

This was my favorite: a silver crouched man looking like a bird.

And having space at home, why not this table football to have fun during winter afternoons?

(Christmas) ace in the hole. N.1

During the last few years, every time I wanted to give something different and unusual, I bought a SMART BOX. 

A SMART BOX is a voucher, that has the form of a booklet, containing innumerable offers of the same gift. The choice of possible gifts varies from box to box: from a simple brunch to a gourmet dinner, from a massage to a weekend at a SPA, from a night at a city hotel to two at a castle, including all the possible combinations of all the above. A special section is dedicated to sport activities and adrenaline adventures, such as driving a Ferrari, or jumping from a plane with a parachute. 
Furthermore the recipient can use his voucher not only when, but also where, he prefers. Indeed, it is valid for 2 years and its affiliated partners (hotels, restaurants, Spas...) are scattered everywhere, both in Italy and in Europe.

Usually sold in book shops, but also online, its cost starts from 24,90 up to 269,90 Euros.
Excluding kids, this is a present that suits most of the people, no matter their age.

What's your (Christmas) ace in the hole ?

And here we are. 
The first decorations start to peep in some shop windows, just to remind us that another year has almost gone and Christmas' s at the door. And this means, that we will soon be overwhelmed by days of frenetic shopping and of running around the city in search of that "special present", that has no name yet. Days of rush and of interminable queues. Days spent looking for a parking place and for a dazzling gift. In one word: stressful days of chaos.

To avoid this waste of energy, I have a plan: to collect from each of you, and disclose to all of you through my blog, those gift tips that will hopefully help all of us to cope with Christmas shopping with a relaxed state of mind and clear ideas. 
Send me an e-mail saying in which object, store or flea market, you have found an answer to the eternal dilemma behind the question, "OMG, what gift?".
And do not forget to involve your friends and all those from whom you may receive a valuable suggestion! 


As the Greek fabulist Esopo said: "Unity is strenght". And in this case, our strenght means our survival to pre-Christmas time!! :))

E-mail to: gwen.nyork@gmail.com

COMING SOON

Jacovitti 1939-1997

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Contemporary art.
"Among the leading figures in Italian illustration, Jacovitti crossed sixty years of Italian history with brilliant irony, representing a significant and emblematic landmark. The exhibition represents an opportunity to explore the many facets of the artist's work."

Museum of Ara Pacis from November, 30 until January 27, 2013. Closed on Mondays.

The flood of the Tevere

Yesterday, Rome had to cope with various problems: strikes, demonstrations and, therefore, traffic congestion. But none of them was so scary as the flood of the Tevere, that caused the closure of some main roads. 

A sweet Saturday

Nothing is as pleasant to me as sharing moments of life with those I love. It doesn't matter what we share, it matters that we do it. So, when on Saturday my daughter asked me to take her downtown for lunch, as to have a deserved break from her huge amount of homeworks, I was more than happy to spend a few hours with her.

She was actually looking for a winter jacket, but while walking down Via Borgognona, we could not avoid entering Ladurée's newly opened shop.

COMING SOON

Momix at Teatro Olimpico
The renowned company of dancers-illusionists, famous for its extraordinary capacity to evoke surrealistic images through costumes and suggestive plays of light and shade, will be back in Rome from the 13th to the 20th of November. 

Directed by American choreographer Moses Pendleton, Momix celebrates its 30th anniversary performing "Momix ReMix". This last show is a collection of the company's most beautiful dance pieces, and it embraces the whole of its activity, from "Momix Classics" to "Bothanica". It will also include "Baths of Caracalla", a tribute to the city of Rome.

www.momix

A nice detour: Aventino

Yesterday it was one of those days when I did not want to stay at home. 
So I decided to have my usual "aperitif" at Eataly

and to snoop a bit around the shelves. The offer is such that it's impossible to

COMING SOON

Rome Film Festival at Auditorium Parco della Musica

From November,9 until November,17, the 7th edition of the Rome Film Festival will take place at the arts complex designed by Renzo Piano, Auditorium Parco della Musica.

Italian actress Claudia Pandolfi will host both the opening and the closing ceremony.

Jeff Nichols -director, screenwriter and author- will chair the jury, composed of seven other leading figures in the world of cinema and culture.

Movie calendar