(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.

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.

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

Flea and Antique markets on Sunday, 28

Antique market 
Location: Largo della Giustiniana
Opening at 9.00 a.m. until sunset, it showcases various types of objects, such as prints, paintings, modern art, china and silver as well as craftsmanship.

Borghetto Flaminio Flea Market
Location: Piazza della Marina, 32
Five pavilions with more than 200 stands full of curious objects: from bags and belts to vinyl records, from chandeliers to toys, from extravagant bijoux to vintage clothing and telephones. Uptown ladies come here to discard their beautiful wardrobe. 
Explora, the Childrens' Museum, is right next door.
Opening at 10.00 a.m.

A September Saturday

I know, I usually meet my friends on Sunday, but since we all would have been busy on that day, we decided to anticipate our weekly meeting. With some changes...
I CYCLED from the Admiralty to Piazza Campo de' Fiori that, every day (except for Sundays) and since centuries, hosts a famous and beautiful market, which opens from

A September Sunday

September is the right moment to take a look at the shop windows, as to know what fall fashion trends will be. And Sundays are perfect to take a walk. Downtown Rome, shops open in the early afternoon and, since at that time, most romans are too busy watching television (soccer championship is played at 3 p.m.), streets are half-empty. A godsend...

So, while I was strolling in the city center to refresh my memory, I took note of two new entries. Balenciaga

Milan Fashion Week

Today Milan welcomes the penultimate Spring/Summer 2013 Fashion week of the season before Paris steals the show on Sept., 25.

After Mila Schön, this afternoon it will be the turn of Gucci, with two separate shows, for buyers and fashion editors. On Sunday Dolce & Gabbana and Giorgio Armani will present their collection, followed on Monday by Alberta Ferretti.

Lots of expectations are addressed to Roberto Cavalli's and to the British lingerie brand's, Agent Provocateur, new opening boutiques.

These days, Milan's atmosphere is at the top! And if you need a few gourmet addresses, I am ready to share mine with you!

GROM

If like me, you lost your appetite because of the heat, and the only food you're looking for must be cold and refreshing, then try this ice-cream shop. 

Located in proximity of the Pantheon, Grom uses only bio food and the best quality on the market. I tasted its pistachio, nuts and coffee flavors, and they are incomparable to  any other ice-cream I ever had! 

I am so glad, I bought some to keep in my refrigerator in case of emergency.This week is going to be the hottest in the whole summer! 
grom.it

Back home

Even if I spent only a few days in NY, it seems I've been gone for weeks. The Big Apple is the liveliest place I know and, true, it never sleeps.

I had a pleasant flight from Amsterdam

and I landed just in time to

Eataly

After having heard and read, soooo much about this place, I couldn't ignore my growing curiosity and avoid stepping in, since it opened in Rome too, last Thursday.

Eataly is a huge three-storey building,

Fleur...lovely!

When I go downtown on weekdays, I always stop at my friend's shop for a quick chat. This afternoon, she took me at FLEUR in Via Bocca di Leone, 48.

Defining this place is quite difficult. If you ask, you'll be answered: a luxury living concept store. Looking at the windows, you would call it a

Sneaky Sundays

Last Sunday, I met a dear friend of mine downtown. After having looked for a parking place for 40 (please note, forty) minutes, I finally found one at a short distance from the very heart of Rome: piazza di Spagna.
I had rushed out without having had breakfast, so we stopped at Gusto al 28 (I love their croissants), and then sneaked at the flea market, which takes place every Sunday under piazza Augusto Imperatore's arcades.










How could we avoid a shopping tour in the famous Via Condotti? 

Caffé Propaganda

Did you really think, I could wander around the Colosseum without looking for a place to suggest you? If you did, you still don't know me! How could I let my dear friends stop at one of those touristic coffee shops/restaurants that are spread in the area like awful mushrooms?

Caffe' Propaganda is fabulous, under each aspect you look at it. 

Open from noon to dinner time, and at walking distance from the Colosseum, it looks like a French bistrot in the very heart of the Italian capital. 

High ceilings, black and white floor, large windows...I really like it!

It carries a selective wine and aperitif list, and a wide variety of food is fancily proposed either on the blackboards, hanging on the walls, or on the menu, looking like a newspaper.

Tables are nicely set and the food is superb! I came here twice in a few days. The first time, I had chicken in Porto sauce with roasted potatoes and candied onion while my friend ordered a rich hamburger. And both were delicious. But I literally adored the veal scallop, cooked with white wine, and served with pine-seeds and raspberry sauce, I had the second time I came.

And desserts...mmhmm, yummy!
My friend had the bowl of caramelized apples with caramel froth while I...hum...
Look at the picture I took. 
Now, tell me, how could I resist sipping a creamy espresso while enjoying a lavender flavored macaron, followed by a pistachio one, and a lemon one and... 
No, I couldn't. 
And for a while, I felt like a kid in a candy shop.
You can have macarons with a Mariage Freres tea in the afternoon (they even serve my favorite one, named Marco Polo).
But they also come for sale. I bought a box of six for my loving daughter...while looking forward to coming back with her soon.
caffepropaganda.it

Shops I like in...Via Cola di Rienzo

Mondadori bookshop - P.zza Cola di Rienzo 81/83

Castroni.it - Via Cola di Rienzo 196

"Childhood smells of perfume and brownies." (David Leavitt)

MDC's perfume bottle

How many beautiful moments of our lives are linked to a particular scent, capable of bringing them back from the dark of a forgotten time... Thousands are the memories that our brain keeps hidden and returns to us, as soon as we stumble into that specific smell. Whether it's the one of just cut grass, or of springtime rain, scents always refer to emotions. Probably, this is the reason why I love so much all that deals with perfumes, including scented candles, pot-pourris, creams and soaps. 
Rome encounters innumerable commercial perfumeries, but only a few, whose highly qualified personnel and exclusive products, are able to drag you in the fascinating world of smells. These are my favorite ones and if you visit them, you'll easily understand why.


CAMPOMARZIO70                                           Via Vittoria, 52

Don't call it a shop, this is a perfume-gallery. 

A bridge onto the future of scent.

The achievement of a passion, that has motivated four family generations from the 1940s. 

In this sophisticated store, near Piazza di Spagna, the very heart of Rome,  take place also exhibitions and olfactive events. 
And it is the only authorized retailer, in the whole of Italy, of MDC's perfume collection, whose bottles are themselves a unique piece of art.

campomarzio70.it

OFFICINA PROFUMO-FARMACEUTICA DI SANTA MARIA NOVELLA                                            Corso Rinascimento, 47

This is the roman branch of the more famous pharmacy in Florence, that was opened to the public by Dominican monks in 1612. Though far less impressive and fascinating than the one in Tuscany, from an architectural point of view, the Officina carries all of "its sister's" products. From perfumes to cosmetics, from lotions (even for cats and dogs!) to pot-pourris, everything is based on all-natural formulas, keeping the tradition going. In 2012, the oldest pharmacy in Italy will celebrate its 400 hundred years activity. 
smnovella.it

Gli Ulivi

What a jem, Gli Ulivi! Whether you stop here for a quick lunch or for a romantic dinner, this restaurant will positively surprise you. The beautiful olive tree wooden floor, the refined little lamps hanging from the white ceiling, the country tables and the mauve material of the chairs, the fireplace...every piece of furniture contributes to create an elegant though familiar ambiance. 

Private room for parties

Most of the ingredients used by the chef are grown in

About Easter eggs and chocolate

My memories about chocolate are deeply linked to a fabulous Easter Sunday, when I received a chocolate egg that was as tall as me.
Well, not "that tall", considering I was nothing more than a little kid at that time. But it impressed me so much, I still remember that magic moment. And my donor.
Considering my actual age and height, wishing to receive such an egg today would be something totally insane. And in fact, I don't. But I am sure that I am not the only person who aims to be surprised and to surprise her loved ones with unexpected gifts. What would, in fact, be of more impact than having a personalized Easter egg hiding that special present your kid or husband is dreaming of?
There are just a few chocolate shops in Rome offering this possibility, and here are some, whose quality matches my taste...

GAY-ODIN                                                                                            Via Stoppani, 9

At the end of the XIX century Mr. Isidoro Odin opened his first shop, spreading a scent of chocolate along the whole via Chiaia in Naples. His reputation grew so much among the local elite to enable him to build his own chocolate factory in the wealthiest district of the town in 1922. Despite his marriage with Onorina Gay, he had no children so the whole property was sold in the sixties. Nevertheless, the founder's original recipes still survive in Gay-Odin shops in Milan, Naples and Rome. My favorite is chocolate with chilly powder. Delicious...
gay-odin.it

SAID (also known as B-SAID)                       Via Tiburtina, 135                                      
It is not easy to find this fascinating place, since it is located in a hidden courtyard. Founded as a chocolate factory in 1923, today it is also a very charming restaurant. Its menu includes some dishes with a definitely unique touch, such as pork fillet with bitter chocolate and ginger apple sauces, or maccheroni with a sprinkling of chocolate powder. From the vintage pieces of furniture, that display hundreds of different pralines, to the old chocolate molds hanging on the walls, everything in here has a romantic touch. Do not stop at the shop, but walk along the corridor till the restaurant and ask for a quick look of the factory itself.
said.it

Talking about books

Maybe the majority of people visiting Rome carry a book in their suitcase. But it can happen, as it very often occurs to me, that the book chosen lies forgotten at home, on the bedside table. In this case, here are some addresses to help you find interesting reading alternatives.

Anglo-American Bookshop (City center)      Via della Vite, 102
This store is definitely well stocked, with a collection of more than 45,000 English books, on art, architecture, history and philosophy. Classics as well as fiction and non-fiction genres are carefully selected. A different shop down the street is devoted to technological and sciences texts.  aab.it

Lion Bookshop (City center)                                                          Via dei Greci, 33/36
Established in 1947, it is not only the oldest English bookstore in Rome, but also in the whole of Italy. The wide selection of over 30,000 titles, includes sections such as contemporary and classic fiction, art, cuisine, photography, as well as books on Rome and Italy. The store is particularly renowned for its lovely children’s corner.

Almost Corner Bookshop (Trastevere)                                                Via del Moro, 45
Though this small store offers mostly contemporary novels and bestsellers, it is also very well-known and frequented by the English population living in Rome. Mr. O'Connel, the Irish owner, is not only friendly, but he also knows his books extremely well.

Strolling around Ponte Milvio

If you wish to leave the classical tourist paths and have a taste of the roman daily life, you can't miss Ponte Milvio. This is the oldest bridge in Rome, built before 207 b.C. to extend the Via Flaminia beyond the river Tevere. 

Ask the taxi driver to drop you in Piazzale Cardinal Consalvi so that you can reach the area by peacefully walking through Ponte Mollo, being it forbidden to vehicles since 1951.

Locals call it "Il ponte dell'amore" as it is one of lovers' favorite places. In fact, during the last decade, the youngsters, who have sealed their feelings by locking a padlocker at its lamp-posts, have been so numerous, that