It seems like every blog starts with sending prayers for someone, or something, or as with this week, for a nation. I send my prayers to all of the victims of the heinous attacks in Nice, France. As an avid traveler who loves having lunch on the street, enjoying farmer’s markets, and all of the wonderful sights and sounds of any place, whether here in Scottsdale or in France, this event really upsets me as it is an attack on our way of life.

As I write this blog and am watching the Sunday news shows, we have another shooting of officers in Baton Rouge.....the hatred continues.....

Despite these horrible acts, we must live our lives and spread goodness and so Friday night we kicked off our 14th Candelaria Design Tour Italy with our Pre-Trip dinner at Marcellino’s http://marcellinoristorante.com  Yes – our trip and tour will continue. Will we always be keeping an eye around the corner, and aware of our surroundings….most definitely! Unfortunately, it is a fact of life in this unpredictable world….whether in Italy or in Scottsdale. So we won’t give in and my travelers are not either as we had a full house and have 18 travelers joining us on our September 2016 trip which will depart on September 7th.

What is exciting about this trip is that we are bringing our SKETCH film crew and we will be filming a 14 episode series, Italy – Design and Romance, featuring our entire Tour. The crew of Wedgie Creative http://www.wedgiecreative.com  will follow the trip with 5k footage including drone footage of our travels. The series will not only be about the tour and its picturesque beauty, but will include the thoughts and experiences of our travelers, and the romance and love this trip has brought Isabel and I and many of our travelers.

So we kicked things off Friday night and I have a wonderful group of travelers joining us. This time all of my travelers are coming from the Phoenix metro area, although their backgrounds are from a broad spectrum including clients who are originally from Croatia and Poland and now summer in Calgary and winter in their Candelaria Design home in Litchfield Park. We have several repeat travelers – seven this time, a couple builders and their wives, a stone fabricator and his wife along with two of their friends, a lighting designer and his girlfriend, a couple clients who love our trip and are joining us on their third trip, and finally my associate, Rob Banach and his wife, Kimberly!

Follow our journey right here on our blog and then later on The Design Network https://www.thedesignnetwork.com with our new Series Italy – Design and Romance!!!

Ok summer is half over and we have an exciting second half of the summer coming so follow our blog as I depart for Alaska this Wednesday, followed by filming another one of our Candelaria Design homes in LaJolla, CA, followed by a Candelaria Design management retreat in Newport Beach. Then it’s off to New York, Santa Fe and then our Tour Italy! So yes we will be busy and I’ll be sharing some great sights, and dining spots along the way. Have a great summer everyone and thanks for the shares and VOTES!!!

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