Day One in Roma – The Candelaria’s have Arrived ~ Buon Natale

Ok that was probably the easiest trip to Italy we have ever done. A little mechanical hiccup in Phoenix upon our departure so a slight delay there but had plenty of time to make our connection and rendezvous with Tiffany in Atlanta. The flight over was nice as I always like to schedule that in the middle of the night so you arrive in Italy with a fresh day.

We checked into our hotel which is a few blocks from the Colosseum and grabbed a couple hour power nap. We woke up not exactly knowing where we were or what day it was and shook off the jet lag and proceeded to go explore!

Of course with the Candelaria crew the first stop involves eating. So we found a cute Trattoria and stopped for lunch. Wow – homerun right out of the gate. The girls had lasagna, Tiffany and Isabel ordered some gluten free pasta – which by the way seems to be everywhere now in Italy – and I ordered a delicious chick pea soup. We all shared an insalata mista and we were reenergized.

With just being a few blocks from the Colosseum we made that our first stop. So fun to watch the girls eyes and their excitement with this first trip. It’s the best part of any of my Italy trips and tours. I am so excited to have several first time travelers coming up on our two Candelaria Design Tour Italy trips in 2016 – which by the way are both SOLD OUT! We snapped a few photos and then walked along to the ruins of the Forum which was so beautiful under the soft December sun. I cannot tell you how beautiful it is to be here with smaller crowds, moderate temperatures – it was 62º today in Rome – and this low soft light. Spectacular and mystical.

From the ruins of the Forum we made our way across the old historic part of Rome to the Pantheon with several duck ins of churches along the way. The girls could not believe the churches….just wait, on Christmas Eve we are going for a private tour of the Vatican!

The Pantheon is for sure my favorite building in Rome if not the world. It is perfect  To top it off a gentleman was singing opera out front and the sun was slowly setting and the full moon was rising. So fantastic to share this space and experience with my girls.  We grabbed our first gelato and sat on the fountain steps and enjoyed the music.

From there it was a short walk to the Piazza Navonne for a quick stroll, grab a cab and make our way to the Trevi Fountain…..yes I was giving the girls a Candelaria macro blur. Those of you who have been on my trips know what this is all about!!!

After taking in the Trevi fountain and getting a few family shots, we made our way back towards our hotel but first a stop for dinner. A little pizza, pasta, lamb chops, and salad and then with our walk home past the Forum our first day in Rome was completed. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!

We have made it to ROMA

We have made it across the pond and are starting the day, all be it at 2pm in the afternoon here in Rome, as everyone went down for a quick power nap! Now I’m trying to get everyone up and of course by the fact I’m blogging you can see how successful I am even with the comment, “Let’s get up, Italy is outside!!!”

You see I have three daughters, ages 10, 13 and 28 and that in itself automatically puts me in the running for a badge of honor. Traveling with two tweens is an adventure and when my oldest, Tiffany age 28 hooks up with these two its definitely gang up on Dad!

This is the first trip officially for Sophia and Isabella. Bella was here when she was 18 months as I brought her on one of my early Candelaria Design Tour Italy trips. It will be fun to compare the pictures from the same spots in Italy some 12 years later. I am so excited to get them out and start showing them around. This is my wife Isabel’s first trip to Rome even though her 5th trip now to Italy. I have been to Rome many times so I am anxious to get out there and get them on one of my power days!!!

Stay tuned, my camera is ready and my wife Isabel, the girls and I have some amazing adventures ahead of us including a private tour of the Vatican tomorrow – Christmas Eve! How good is that????  Ciao

Happy Holidays from Candelaria Design – Off to Italy!

Happy Holidays from the crew at Candelaria Design

MC and Eddie!

Wow – I cannot believe Christmas week is here and 2015 is winding down! It’s been a mad blur to the finish line with projects in full speed both on the boards and in the field.  Add all of the Holiday festivities including our Candelaria Design Holiday luncheon this year at Eddie’s House! Yes Eddie took great care of us and we had a wonderful get together with my amazing team!

Pics from this year's Candelaria Design Holiday luncheon.

St. Peter's Rome

Well, working and drawing away today, Sunday, and in the final blitz until Tuesday morning when I will be loading up my two girls here, Isabella age 13 and Sophia age 10, and my wife Isabel and I will whisk them off on their first trip to Italy! My oldest daughter, Tiffany age 28 who lives in Denver, will meet us in Atlanta for our layover and rendezvous and then we will all fly over the pond and land in Rome!

The Candelaria girls - Tiffany, Sophia and Bella

We will spend Christmas in Rome, then drive to Tuscany for a three days exploring Assisi, Cortona, San Gimingnano, and Siena, whereupon we will then drive to Florence for New Years! My oldest, Tiffany, has been with me to Italy several times so she will be lending a hand in indoctrinating Isabella and Sophia on the Candelaria way of travel – full out, full speed! I am so looking forward to this trip and sharing all of my discoveries with my girls, especially those off the beaten path!

The duomo Firenze

Of course there is always the thought of being aware and alert to the fears our there but as I have repeatedly written in past blogs you can’t live your life in fear. You need to get out there and live your life and explore this amazing world.  My first trip to Europe was when I was 10 years old and I remember it well. In fact I had kept a journal of my experience that I still have – yes I have been a blogger my whole life! That trip had a huge impact on my life and the direction it would take – straight on the path towards being an architect. Just the perspective of being on a jet for the first time and seeing cities like Chicago and London from the air was impactful.

Little Italy and the Candelaria girls in NYC 2014

Telluride 2014

I hope this trip will have the same effect on my girls! Isabel and I have traveled many times domestically with the girlsfrom Florida and Disneyworld, New York, LA, Park City, Denver, Telluride, Aspen, and Durango, Coeur d’Alene, and New Mexico – but this time we are going big! One of my favorite things is watching their faces the first time we land in Rome and come face to face with the Colosseum not to mention Rome at Christmas time.

Disneyworld, Orlando Florida 2013

So stay tuned, we will be blogging along our journey! We have the GoPro fired up and we are going to have some fun and take you all along on our journey through Italy with the Candelaria’s during the Holidays!

Park City 2015

Isabel and Sophia in Telluride.

The Woven Wood Box – Artist, Barry A. Dolan

There are key moments that end up changing the path and direction of your life. Looking back with hindsight you can spot them. One of those moments for sure was getting my own, first drafting table, custom made of cherry wood by now noted woodworker and artist, Barry Dolan. This was sometime back in the late 70’s when Barry was working for the Rio Grande Railroad with my father and I in Durango, Colorado. My father commissioned Barry to make my table and that table really focused my drawing efforts, as I loved it. The table was all mine.

Flash ahead 40 years…I still have my Barry Dolan drafting table, and now some thousand drawings later my whole life has been changed by this table. Barry and I lost connection through the years but through the power of Facebook, we reconnected. What a talent he is. Now living in Canon City, Colorado he is still creating amazing works of art, glass, and wood.

In the past 40 years he has created a variety of works, including, sculpture, lighting, furniture, entryways, and stained glass windows. The common thread in his career has been his exploration of the concept of the Woven Wood Box. He created the first Woven Wood Box in the early 1980’s, and clients began to request that he create custom boxes just for them. Not wanting to repeat himself, the concept began to evolve.  Sizes, were adjusted to reflect function, the intricacy of the weave evolved and new styles of weave were introduced. The most recent evolution has been the introduction of an ‘Art Glass’ insert into the lid of the box, a vast improvement to the aesthetics, and a major departure in the construction of the weave. He has kept the basic construction of the box as simple as possible, so that he could focus more time on the ornamental elements of the pieces. He prefers to use domestic hardwoods, as opposed to the more exotic rain forest woods because of environmental concerns. An effort to conserve materials results in matching corners and wood grains flowing in the order that they are cut from the boards. Every effort is made to use the most beautiful boards. He produces these pieces in small production runs of 15 or less to keep costs down, and each run exhibits a further evolution of the concept.

His unique approach to design comes from a lifelong interest in architecture. When he was 5 years old his grandmother built her dream home a short distance from where he now lives. Although modest in scale, it was truly an outstanding  example ofmid fifties modern architecture, with corner windows, massive hearth and an open flowing plan. She gave him pointers on how to design a home and some paper and pencils, and set him on a lifetime adventure in design.

He taught himself to do mechanical perspective drawing, a skill that set the course for his interest in 'Architectural Arts'.  He did perspective drawings of the buildings that he would dream up in his head. This process of taking his dreams and putting them on paper soon led to the next step of actually building in the physical realm. Of course by that time, he had narrowed his focus to furniture and sculpture, even going as far as to regard the two as one genre. My drafting table is a perfect reflection of that as my table is more art and sculpture than table.

Barry then became interested in stained glass. The term Architectural Arts took on a much more concise meaning and he was on his way to becoming a true 'Artist'. In addition to creating art glass boxes, he designs and build lamps as well. He also accepts commissions for custom pieces and we were just about to collaborate on the stained glass for a private residence chapel.

Several of Barry’s woven wood boxes are available as Isabel’s store, Earth and Images and make a unique and beautiful gift for the Holidays. I think of the woven wood boxes as a reflection of Barry and my lifelong friendship – weaving in and out of touch but both committed to beauty and our art. I encourage you to check them out. I think you will agree that if nothing else he has accomplished true art.  It has been his objective to seek originality and quality and to give rather than to take from the art form. It is that contribution that is perhaps his greatest achievement. 

Thoughts this Thanksgiving 2015

I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving! As I have written on all of my Thanksgiving blogs, this is my favorite holiday of the year. And even though we had not grandiose plans this year it still was one of my favorite days of the year.

It really doesn’t matter what political party you follow or religious affiliation you worship, Thanksgiving works for everyone. A wonderful day to relax, reflect and give thanks to all of the blessings one has in their life….and I have many!

First and foremost I love my wife, daughters and family. We had a nice quiet and restful Thanksgiving this year and my mom and Isabel’s mom did all the cooking this year so Isabel and I were able to really relax – and boy we needed it. We are so busy and getting as much done as we can before we head to Italy for Christmas and New Years!

So with some time to reflect I want to thank all of my amazing clients and friends and fortunately in my case, many are one in the same. With the ISIS attacks in Europe and across the world this month it was so nice to watch the Macy’s Parade  and posts and texts from my clients at the parade and see America and what we all stand for in its full glory. All religions, nationalities, and colors represented. As I get older there are many Thanksgivings to look back upon and so you realize how special every moment is and how special the simple things in life are. I think we all suffer from the delusion that we will somehow live for ever but the fact is we won’t and we can all live our lives in fear and avoid traveling and living in isolation to avoid danger but something is going to end your life at some undefined point so why not live life to it’s fullest.

I encourage us all to just go for it and not succumb to the fear that groups like ISIS want to instill in us. I think events like this are a wake up call to all of us for sure and that despite our best efforts to delay the inevitability of death it will one day come and the older you get the less time you have to experience this amazing world. What are we all waiting for???  Ok at the risk of being morbid there are two outcomes in your life….you are either going to do everything you can to live to 90 or 100 if you are lucky and you will be rewarded with watching all of your friends and family die along the way….and in the end you are still going to die. Or you will die before your time and likely that will be due to some unforeseen or tragic event or illness….in the end you still die!

My point is there is no escape – period! So again, what are you waiting for??? We all need to stop waiting for the opportune time to travel, to experience life, to build that dream home, to make a difference in the world. What is great is I am seeing it and hearing it from my clients. I really think these recent events will actually have the opposite effect these horrific groups are looking for. People will stand up and will not accept fear nor tolerate the evil. Yes, we can all point fingers and try to place blame on how ISIS even came into existence, but it doesn’t matter….evil, darkness, and destruction will always be here. If not ISIS it would be something else. Kindness, goodness, creativity, love and light also will always exist and you must choose to make a difference in which will override the other. Doing nothing is a waste of what time you do have.

We are currently working on some amazing projects aimed at helping others that originated with one client’s dream or vision and like the ripple in the water that, as I wrote about a couple blogs ago, its off and soon turns into a tsunami. Again, its the small things done collectively that make a big difference.

So live your life to the fullest, share light, goodness, and kindness which many of you do every day!  Don’t give in – keep it going and step it up. Those of you that are just watching the news and hiding in your homes get out and live life! And by the way, we are NOT cancelling our family trip to Italy for the holidays and we will be posting from St. Peter’s on Christmas Day and Florence on New Year’s Eve! 

A Quick Look Back to our finish of The Candelaria Design Tour Italy ~ Venice

Wow – it’s been so busy since my return from our September/October Candelaria Design Tour Italy. Our office is filled with many wonderful projects with everything from small remodel / additions, to full on estates, to the 32,000 sf Colten Bat Cave we currently have in design. Make sure you give us your VOTE for the Arizona Foothills Magazine Best of the Valley

I have been trying to find some time to write about the end of our Tour Italy – so here it is.

Our Italy travelers left early in the morning and Isabel and I and our travel mates Phil and Renee Giltner, stayed in Positano until later that afternoon whereupon the Giltners were kind enough to share their silent auction winnings with us which comprised of a trip to Venice for three days and nights. How could we resist that???

So with our travelers on their way back to the States we checked out of the hotel in Positano and made the drive from Positano to Naples to turn in our cars and check in for our flight to Venice. Now I have had airport food all over the place but nothing like in the Naples Airport…..Amazing.

Short flight to Venice, grab the luggage and then it’s a quick transport to the water taxi and then you are in a completely different world….the surreal and romantic landscape of Venice. This was Isabel’s first visit to Venice and it is so fun to bring someone to this city for the first time as it truly is unique and there is nothing like Venice in the world.

Our taxi took us to our hotel which was right on the Grand Canal. The Hotel CaSegredo was a palace originally owned by the Morosini family and was purchased at the start of the 18th century by the Segredo family whereupon later it was converted to a hotel. Let me tell you – this hotel truly is a Palace and what a way to stay in Venice.

I love Venice – the city is virtually a museum built on wood stilts and because of the canals and the fact this city is built on islands in the middle of a lagoon there are no cars, no vespas, hence its a unique quiet that you don’t experience in other European cities. You walk everywhere or go by boat and so you experience it at a quiet and slower perception - it’s magical.

We enjoyed all we could in the time we had including a private walking tour. Now this was not your usual tour of the well know sights of Venice. No – Isabel wanted to see Venice through the eyes of the courtesans of the golden age of Venice. Believe it or not – there is such a tour and it was actually quiet interesting and really informative…..from a historic standpoint! 

Of course we spent time in Piazza San Marco, enjoyed several museums and galleries, took a gondola ride, enjoyed the Grand Canal from a water taxi and experienced the main market. We found some wonderful places to dine including a fantastic lunch at the Ristorante La Feluca where we walked into an empty restaurant but by the time we left the restaurant was filled with a couple dozen gondoliers who dined their daily and once served it was easy to understand why. Let’s just say, Isabel was very popular with the gondoliers.   Another good stop for amazing pizzas not far off the Piazza San Marco was Rossopomodoro – we ate there twice!

What a wonderful trip and experience and thank you to our good friends, clients, and fellow travelers, Phil and Renee Giltner. 

From Italy to the 54th Annual Scottsdale Charro Ride

It’s been quite a month. Just two weeks ago we returned from our annual Candelaria Design Tour Italy and just two days ago I returned from my 7th Scottsdale Charro Ride! Throw my 55th Birthday bash between the two and I have literally gone from black tie last weekend to bolo tie this weekend!

That is part of what I love about Arizona! Where else can you do that? Again, thanks for all of the wonderful birthday wishes and gifts and welcoming my two new partners, Vivian and Evelyn. And what better way to celebrate than to invite their two husbands, Paco and Scott to join me as my guests on the Charro Ride. This year’s ride I believe was Paco’s third, and Scott’s first. Of course the ride ends with the ladies coming to camp on the final day for a big celebration!

I love the Charro Ride! Four days and three nights on a horse ride in the middle of no where. Every year the ride is in a different location in Arizona and has given me a chance to explore some of the spectacular and diverse geography and climate of this state. I arrive a day early with the Charro members – Actives, Grandes, and Lifers. That first day and evening with just the members is fantastic and a great time to reconnect with the old members and meet some of the new members.

The next day the guests arrive on the buses. I love the look of the guest riders when they get off the bus in the middle of no where with the camp site no where in view. This year the Grandes created the Grandes Cantina Bar – a rolling bar on wheels! Contractor and Grande, Jim Furcini, of Furcini Construction was the mastermind of this creation that was the biggest hit of this year’s ride!

We mount our horses and ride off through the desert towards our camp which acts as our home for the four days and three nights. The time and effort that goes into this fund raising event is incredible! This year’s ride boss was Bart Park who did a stellar job. He was joined by Trail Boss, Mark Bramlett, and Camp Boss Mark Ashworth. All I can say is Bravo!!! You boys rocked it out. Great camp, fantastic trails, and a seamless most memorable ride experience.

The best moment is always the last day if the ride, a Saturday at high noon when a bus arrives with our wives and significant others! Waiting for that bus is torture.....After 4 days of riding horses with 125 guys there is no better sight than those ladies all dolled up and smelling a lot better than us coming off that bus! Then the party begins!

Scott and Evelyn Jung

I am so proud to be a Grande with the Scottsdale Charros! What a great group of guys that raise money for so many wonderful causes and charities throughout Scottsdale. We also host the spring training for the San Francisco Giants with our Charro Lodge at Scottsdale Stadium. Let me know if you are interested in sponsoring our efforts this coming spring or if you need tickets to the Charro Lodge. I can tee you up and now is the time to get them. Email me for information!

Let’s Ride!

55th Birthday Celebration and Candelaria Design Transition

Thank you to all of you who made it to my 55th Birthday celebration this Friday at the Clayton at the Park! What a fun evening – I am so blessed to have so many wonderful clients/friends. I cannot tell you how much I think of all of you and what an honor it has been to design your homes. I am so glad I got the chance to say thank you!

I realize what my career has been and will continue to be about. It’s about creating……creating homes, that creates a way of life for my clients. It’s aboutthe teamwork and relationships that have been created during the design and construction of these homes. It’s about our trips to Italy and the way that trip has changed my traveler’s lives and way of living. It’s about changing people’s perspective on how to experience life.

I’ve never lived in a home I have designed. Maybe someday. I have enjoyed spending an evening or weekend in some of my homes and of course I spend most of that time analyzing what I could do to make the next project even better. What I really love is the time with my clients/friends and learning about them! You see – no two people live the same way. We sleep at different times and in different ways, we get ready for our day differently,  we go to work differently, we cook and entertain in endless ways, we read, watch tv, listen to music, all differently. Everyone lives at a different tempo. I am about accentuating that tempo and our architecture and homes are about the maximization of what makes each client tick.

Well this party culminated that way of thinking and approach – 18 years with CCBG and now 16 years heading Candelaria Design. To have so many of you there from both my CCBG days and now Candelaria Design was fantastic. You have all been there for me through so much both professionally and personally. As I said in my speech my life is my career and my career is my life – it all blends together. My daughter Isabella, summed it up….”Dad you don’t have any friends??? Just clients…..” Yes that’s right…. Because my clients are all my friends and my best friends all started as clients, builders, vendors….

So with that said, I have surrounded myself and have built our Candelaria Design Team with a staff that embraces this same thinking and passion for design, creating  and life. They get it and its so fun to teach and share that passion because that’s what changes a job into a way of life.

At 55 its time to start the transition in my life and give the opportunity to pass the Candelaria Design torch to those who have given their time and melded their life towards this company and profession. So with pride and joy we have started the transition with the official announcement of my two new partners/associates, Evelyn Jung and Vivian Ayala. These two have given their heart and soul to Candelaria Design and truly understand the essence of what we are about and can carry this soul on.

I am not leaving….yet. I still have a ten year old and thirteen year old daughter and so I still have college educations to take care of so I will keep working and drawing and creating – I love it. But we will start the transition so that my role will move more towards the soul of this company - enhancing lifestyle - and less with the day to day operation of the company. I’m looking forward to being focused strictly on design, writing some books, painting, speaking, traveling and adding to our repertoire of trips to Italy and adding trips to Spain, France, and here in the US and the design of some new lines of products.

So thank you for all being a part of this adventure and creating my life. Wow – as I said that evening, I had no idea when I moved here in 1979 from Durango, Colorado, not knowing one person, that a night like Friday was somewhere down the road……Now who knows how we will be celebrating or what we will be celebrating 15 years from now? Needless to say, we are all looking forward to and ready for the ride!

Our Final Day in Italy – Day 13 – Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2015

It’s Monday and the final full day in Italy for our travelers. We have been traveling for nearly two weeks and of course making the most out of each day. That’s the underlying message of this trip – try to get the most out of each day….not only on this trip, but in life! I know this group of travelers got that message and have all discovered a new way to travel. Today would be a free day for everyone to enjoy and then we would convene at the end of the day for our farewell meal at our hotel restaurant. 

To start this day, Doray and I got up early and went for a hike to explore Positano without the crowds. As a group of us did when we first arrived in Florence, a hike without the people is the best. No cars, no vespas, no people – it’s a whole different way to experience a place – you won it, it’s all yours. Doray and Phyllis had been doing their own explorations since arriving and so Doray was so excited to show me some of their discoveries. Ok – let me tell you, these two ladies got around! Wow they had done Positano right.

So with our hotel down by the sea there was only one way to go and that was to hike up. So up, up, up we went and we ended up at the Hotel Sirenuse or my translation for heaven! Rated one of the top hotels in Italy it is obvious to see why. Doray gave me the complete tour and what an amazing place. This was definitely worth coming back with Isabel and enjoying lunch. From here we hiked up the hill further for even more spectacular views.

We then made our way back down the hill to the hotel where our travelers were starting to arrive at breakfast. I told Isabel and the Giltners about our discoveries and it was a hike back up the hill to share - of course with a quick stop in the church. See how you get the exercise here! It was only 9 am and so we made arrangements to come back up at 1pm for lunch on the terrace…..yet another hike up the hill for even more exercise. I could enjoy lunch with no guilt!

So back down the hill and Isabel and the Giltners did some shopping, I returned to the hotel for the best nap of the trip with the door open and the sound of the sea, and several of my travelers went back to Capri to do some more exploring.

I awoke from my nap and made my way back up the hill where I met Isabel and the Giltners for our lunch at the Hotel Sirenuse! Good timing once again as the lunch rush had passed so we virtually had the whole terrace to ourselves. The staff was so fun and friendly and our waiter was quite the character but definitely on his game! The food was off the charts amazing – add the spectacular view and what a way to enjoy our final lunch in Positano.

We then went back to get a little packing done and then had made connection with one of our Verrado clients, Dermot and Ursula Carey, whose home we had just completed, built by Steg Custom Homes and decorated by Isabel. They were in Italy celebrating their anniversary and made the time to come over from Amalfi to have an anniversary toast with Isabel and I in Positano. What fun!

Well the trip had come to a close, it was time for our farewell dinner. Some final pictures, shared stories of the adventures of the day, and reminisces of the trip. We went over the details of the early 3 am in the morning departure and then it was time for the goodbyes. 

Ciao Ciao to Positano

Boat Ride to Capri – Day 12 – Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2015

What a contrast to wake up and enjoy the sound of the sea from the hills of Umbria. Both places are beautiful, but completely different.  Our hotel in Positano was perfect. Terrific views of the beach and sea coupled with a panoramic of the hilltown of Positano – WOW! Plus our hotel was right next to the boat ferries to Capri, Amalfi and Sorrento.

We slept in as long as we could or at least until our curiosity of this magical place overtook our desire to just chill in bed and prolong the view of the sea. Finally, we craved coffee and breakfast and we were up and moving.

The hotel breakfast was fantastic and also made the best of the endless view. Slowly, most of my travelers appeared and we all chatted and discussed our strategies for the day. As usual, everyone looks to me for what was on the agenda. At this point of the trip it seems everyone wants to explore on their own but it always starts with the safety of asking me what the group is up to. I responded with, ”How about I charter a boat to Capri and we can all make our way over there for a few hours this afternoon and catch the sunset ride back and enjoy the full moon over the sea?” Of course everyone responded with that sounds great but how about we leave earlier or we want to go to Amalfi, or we want to just stay and enjoy the pool or beach. Well as always at this point of the trip everyone scatters and pursues their own adventures, which is great! This was my first time here too so I was ready to explore!

Following breakfast, I made my way back up to the room to catch up on emails when all of a sudden I bumped into a familiar face in the hall, a traveler from my 2010 trip, John Lennon. No not a ghost from the Beatles, but John Lennon from Paradise Valley. He was down in Positano for the weekend as he and his wife had been staying in London where their son was now playing on a professional soccer team. Earlier in the trip I ran into two of my clients enjoying Italy on their own, having coffee in a piazza in Florence. It’s all about the energy!

So with the whole day ahead of us, we joined Doray and Phyllis, and another couple from our group, the Giltners, and took the ferry to Capri. What a beautiful ride and what great views of Positano and the road into Positano from a whole different perspective.

The approach to Capri was spectacular, with Naples and Sorrento off in the distance across the Naples Bay, and then the majestic mountains and picturesque seaside town of Capri. Fishing boats, shops, cafes and plenty of people. We grabbed tickets for the tram that took us from the village by the sea up the mountain to the village on top. As soon as you departed the tram the view stopped you in your tracks. WOW.

Of course it was lunch time by now and what else do you do in Italy but find a great place to eat and catch the view. It was actually about 2pm so the lunch crowd had died down and using YELP I found a wonderful spot, The Panorama Restaruant, that required somewhat of a demanding hike but definitely well worth the effort as it turned out! By the time we finished we were the only 4 people there and what a view. The view lived up to the restaurant’s name! A little pizza appetizer, and then seafood. Delicious.

A little shopping and Isabel purchased a blue poncho from a wonderful shopkeeper and her daughter and it was time to ride the tram back down. Fortunately, our ticket was only for a ride up and so we took an open air taxi down – totally the way to do this both going up and going down. Much better views and not standing and sharing the tram with 50 of your closest tourists!

We had a little time until our ferry ride home so we stopped at a café and grabbed a drink and a gelato and enjoyed the vibe and energy of Capri. While waiting I received a text from our fellow travelers, Jennifer and Matt Gage, who had chartered a private boat and wanted to know if we were still in Capri and wanted to return with them. Given just seeing the difference between the open air taxi and the tram somehow this sounded better than the ferry! Ya think??? Oh my God, talk about a great way to conclude our day in Capri! The sea air, the ups and downs of the waves, and the sound of happy travelers.  

We arrived back in Positano and found a wonderful spot to enjoy dinner and the fireworks over the village. Just another fabulous day in Italy. 

Travel Day to Positano – Day 11 – Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2015

Our time in Umbria and Tuscany has come to an end and today, Saturday, we make the 5-1/2 hour drive to Positano and the Amalfi Coast. What I try to achieve with the two weeks we have is to show my travelers the contrasts in landscape and lifestyle Italy offers. From the beauty and elegance of Florence, to the relaxed tranquility of the Umbrian countryside, then finish with the picturesque elegance of the Amalfi Coast. Not only do you experience the contrast in landscapes but also the contrast in cuisine and wine! It’s time for seafood!

We started the morning early, as we wanted to be on the road as early in the day as possible so we can make the final drive into Positano during the daylight hours. Isabel made us a delicious frittata and coffee and we were ready to go! Yes the final stretch into Positano had my travelers in an utter state of trepidation. This road is winding with steep cliffs rising from the sea below. Now Matt and Jennifer had made the trip the day before with no issues so I assured my travelers they could do it!

5-1/2 hours and every couple in their own car – 7 cars! Am I insane???? So we gas up in Mercatale and we are off on a new adventure – including a new adventure for Isabel and I as this is our first time to the Amalfi Coast! I love that aspect of the trip – we all become explorers together. My travelers ask me questions like, “Where do we turn once we past Naples?” My answer. “I have no idea, this is my first time there too!” I love the look on their faces…..! You see that is part of what makes this trip different from a guided tour sitting on a bus, with a leader holding an umbrella and you follow every step predetermined. No not this trip – this is truly and adventure and as I have said in other blogs, this trip becomes a great metaphor of life itself. Yes you have your leaders and mentors but really you set your own course and you find your own discoveries and explorations and only you have your own unique view of reality. I have 15 travelers on this trip that all followed the same basic itinerary, but I can guarantee you every travelers has their own unique experience and memory of this trip – same with life. I think we all think everyone views life the way we do. Let me tell you, every person’s experience and view of life is as different as you can possibly imagine – even those on the same trip!

So, we get on the Autostrada and start our trip southward. As soon as we get on the Autostrada we get off and pull into an Autogrille to show everyone what one of these work of art stops over the top of the freeway is all about. This stop does two things, it shows everyone who these Autogrilles work and because of the time ti takes to herd the cats my impatient travelers take off early and the group usually splits which makes getting to the destination so much easier. Instead of 7 cars in one group we were now down to two groups – one with 3 cars and one with 4 cars. Much easier!

As we make our way down to the coast we make a few stops to rest, exercise and eat. The Autogrilles are the best as you don't have to get off the highway to gas up, eat or rest. Its easy and the quality and assortment of choices is fantastic. 

The drive from Umbria to Positano is beautiful as you make your way through southern Tuscany, the countryside outside of Roma, and then past the bustling city of Naples, Mount Visuvius, and Pompei. Then you make the turn to Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi and the fun begins. You are now off the three lane Autostrada and onto a two lane (really a one lane road by our standards) winding road, broken with tunnels, twist and turns that gradually crescendo with views to the Bay of Naples and the Mediterranean Sea.

As we cross the peninsula we start to descend downward from the top of the mountain down to the coast of Positano. This road is something to experience! Between the winding turns and the cliffs to the right you have to also navigate the plethora of oversize busses coming up the hill on the oncoming lane, bicyclists, hikers, and the endless vespas and motorcycles trying to dodge between the busses, cars, and cliffs. It’s an experience!

I had navigated the route a view times virtually on Google Maps Street View so I knew where the hotel garage was and what it looked like, had dropped a pin and shared the pin with all of my travelers. A good skill to learn if traveling by car in Europe 0r anywhere for that matter. With this preparation, we never made a wrong turn and drove right to the garage!

Now as with all of the coastal villages in Italy, if you can get your car even close to the hotel you are fortunate. Our garage was maybe 10 blocks from the hotel but the garage had porters who took our bags and all we had to do was walk down the hill to the beach and our hotel the Covo dei Saracini. Talk about a transition from the Umbrian Country houses!

We checked into our room with a beautiful view of the beach and hillside village of Positano. Spectacular!!! We were the last to arrive and all of my travelers were up at the rooftop pool for cocktails. It was time for a martini!

We shared the stories of our trip down from Umbria and the trials and tribulations of getting from the garage to the hotel – some had it easier than others……remember what I said about even though the itinerary is the same the experience is different! It was time to enjoy and explore the Amalfi Coast. 

Our last day in Umbria – Day 10 – Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2015

Today I give everyone a free day to sleep in, explore the area on their own, relax by the fire or by the pool depending on the weather, or set the house on fire…. More to come on that in a bit.

Isabel and I slept in and then I got up and fixed coffee and worked on my blogs. Today, Isabel and I planned to escape from the group and go visit Il Falconerie – a beautiful villa and garden now a hotel no restaurant near Cortona. This is always a great day as I get a chance to see who my adventurers are as everyone has their own car everyone can set their own itinerary for the day.

Matt and Jennifer Gage got the award for being the most adventurous as they chose to head to the Amalfi Coast a day early! Tim and Amber went exploring in Umbria and hit some of the off-the-beaten-path villages. The Giltners and Leagues slept in and then we're going to head to Lake Trasemino for lunch. Rebecca and Martha slept in.

I then received a call from Phyllis saying she really wanted to go back and see the doors we had seen on Wednesday at Porte del Passato and firm up her order for her home in Desert Mountain. Everyone was still asleep so I told Phyllis is would run her over and we would do our best to get back so I could have my romantic getaway with my Isabel at Il Falconerie.

Phyllis drove and I navigated back to Porte del Passato which is about 45 minutes away. We met again with Gabriele and went through the plans for by door and revising the samples and finishes. In the course of doing this my cell phone starts lighting up with texts no calls! The first message I get is “smoke is coming out of the walls we think the house is on fire!” Obviously that caught my attention! Phyllis wondered why I wasn’t focused? I said, “Something is going on at the house – it sounds serious!”

Apparently, Doray had her suite to herself, as Phyllis was with me, so she made a fire in the lower level fireplace and went off for a bath. The Leagues and Giltners were upstairs having their morning coffee when the smoke started pouring from e walls. The Giltners called me and Isabel who was up in our house. She rushed down, Steve rushed down to get Doray out of her bath…. Still haven't heard all the details on that part of the story…. And we contacted Elizabeth who manages the homes to let her know she better call the fire department.

It seems they came quickly as Phyllis and I hastened our time at Porte del Passato and rushed home. Before we could make it back, the fire department had determined that perhaps a nest or creosote had clogged the flue pipe and trapped the smoke. The firemen checked everything out and gave the all clear and the excitement of the day and trip was behind us wi no one and the houses no worse for the wear!

Isabel, Rebecca and Martha decided to make it a girls day so they went off to Il Falconerie and I returned to Mark Yearwood who had slept in and missed all the excitement and all of the various day trips so he was stuck with me! I had left my sport coat on the wine bus so I needed to make arrangements to rendezvous with Pino Near Cortona so The two Marcos headed to Cortona forlate lunch.

Of course we hit Cortona around 3pm me everything was closed for siesta but we were fortunate to find a restaurant open of the side piazza that t first blush didn’t appear as much until she started taking the two of us further and fired down until we entered a spectacular cellar with no one there but the two of us. The Marcos would have “Man’s” lunch! And how do you start that but with a good glass of San Giovese and the wild game platter! We had a fantastic lunch while the ladies dined at Il Falconeire.

A quick cappuccino in Cortona and then a quick rendezvous with Pino for my jacket and it was time to head by, to the farmhouses for our Umbria farewell dinner!

Our farewell dinner in Umbria marks the end of the tour where we really tour as a group. We just spend the day exploring on our own and it really acts as a natural Segway to the rest of our trip where we really become our own couple again and transition back home to the U.S.

Tim got the grill going, everyone emptied their kitchens for a giant Umbrian Potluck Supper! It's really nice to enjoy one more sunset on the porch, and dine together asfamily. We shared stories from our day and our explorations and shared how we all ended up on this trip. Our time in Umbria had come to a close.

San Gimignano and Sienna – Day 9 – Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2015

This is always one of my favorite days of the trip. I think I say that about every day on this trip. Today we get a nine am start and head to Mercatale for a coffee and pastry and watch this little slice of Italy come alive.  With our coffee stop complete we then make our way to gas up the cars and then make our trek across Tuscany to first the city of towers, San Gimignano and then on to Siena. With the rain from the night before, we wake up to the wafting fog in the Valley below. Watching the fog move in an about the Umbrian hills is like watching a meditative movie. The sound of the chirping birds and the occasional gunshot from the hunters.....well that's Umbria. 

This group has been my best driving group yet! Of course Google Maps has improved the process of getting around tremendously. If you can learn how to drop pins and then navigate to the pins you can get anywhere in Italy. Add the street view feature and you can virtually drive there first so you get a visual on everything. Well my travelers really started to get the pinning down and that’s great practice for our drive across Italy just two days ahead!

So we all made it to my favorite parking lot in San Gimignano and of course you have to usually wait for someone to leave to grab a space but with all of my travelers we can use human shields for parking spots and that works great. With everyone parked we hike up the hill to the main street through this picturesque medieval hill town. We pick our rendezvous spot and then give everyone a couple hours to grab lunch and explore.

I love walking the streets and snapping away – its pretty endless. Grab a slice of pizza which we enjoy on the steps, take in a church or two and then its time to gather the troops again, make our way back to the cars for our 1 hour jaunt to Siena.

Ok, now I can see who really is getting the whole Google Map pinning concept down as driving in Siena can be a bit more challenging. Well as I said, I have a great driving group this year and despite us getting separated everyone made it to the parking lot I had pinned. Gather the human shields and get everyone parked and we are off to explore my favorite town in Italy…..really, Siena really is my favorite town.

We wander our way down the streets and rendezvous at our gathering spot at the Piazza del Campo and then I take everyone to the Duomo which I think is the best church in Italy. I just love this place. I have been here at least a dozen times and I never get tired of seeing it again and again. Inside and outside it is beautiful. I need to spend more time here and climb the towers for the views that must be dramatic.

We then take in a little shopping with our walk back to the Piazza. All of my travelers slowly make their way back to our little spot a wonderful trattoria at the far northeast corner of the piazza affording us a beautriful view of the sunset over the tower of the duomo and highlightingall of the buildings that surround and embrace the Piazza del Campo – home of the famous horse race, the Palio, in August.

This year you could definitely feel the fall in the air and it was quite chilly so we dined inside and the spaghetti del carbonara was fantastic and top that off with a hot chocolate that is as thick as pudding. Not a bad finish to yet another beautiful day in Italy.

A Day at the Country Houses in Umbria – Day 8 – Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2015

We need a morning to recover after Winesday! So today I have a light agenda starting with letting everyone sleep in. Of course sleeping in for me meant sleeping until 7am whereupon I got up made coffee and got a fire going. Some real fall weather had moved in which is par for the course for our day at the Country Houses. It seems to rain every year we do our day at the country houses and this year appeared to be no exception. I love it as it just seems to really accentuate the cozy nature of these homes.

I caught up a bit on my blogging and emails from my team holding the fort down. It is amazing how nice it is to have the technology we have today and the connectivity it affords one who travels. My staff emails me drawings and with the apps I have I can sketch right over their drawings and send them right back. The nine hour difference is not bad either as they work while I’m sleeping and vice versa.

Slowly my group arises and everyone is free to do as they wish. Some years we go to the farmer’s market in Umbertide but everyone wanted to sleep this year. So with the late start I offered a trip to Lacole’ and Porte del Passato  - an antique store and a door and kitchen showroom respectively. This is a family operation run by the Belli family. The mother of the family runs Lacole’ and the father run Porte del Passato and our contact, their son, Gabriele, is always a gracious and most helpful host. I had a pretty good sized group so off we went about an hour north of our country houses just outside of Citta de Costello on our way to Lacole’.

Lacole’ is amazing and their business has steadily grown over the years from the little stoneyard I visited in 2000 to the gigantic facility and yard they currently occupy. They source and sell everything from antique furniture and accessories, to reclaimed beams, roof tiles, fountains and fireplaces. I could spend hours here and have brought clients here for purchases and shipments for their homes.

This year I have a client with me who is sourcing doors for her new home we have designed in Desert Mountain. Little did she know what was in store for her. The doors at Porte del Passato are fabulous and quite frankly endless. From sourced antique doors to reproductions they have created inspired from their antique collection this place is like being in a candy shop for me anyway! They have since added a collection of cabinetry for kitchens which rival the doors. Needless, to say, my client was in heaven. We spent a couple hours and like clockwork we got hit with our torrential rainstorm just like every year.

With the storm subsiding, and evening quickly approaching, it was time to gather the troops and make our way home for our cooking class with Elizabeth Wholey, Paola, and Stephano.  On the drive home we bumped into the hunters as we are in prime hunting season here in Umbria.

This is always a magical night and really marks the crescendo of the trip and tis year was not exception. The aprons were put on, the wine was poured and we split our time between cooking in the kitchen, enjoying the fire in the living room, and savoring the sunset on the porch.

After two hours of cooking, talking, and laughing we all get down to enjoying a fabulous home cooked meal including Stephano’s grilled meats prepared right in our Living Room fireplace. From battered and fried sage leaves and zucchini flowers to Gnuddi, accompanied by a delicious fresh fennel and orange salad, roasted figs stuffed with gorganzola and wrapped with prosciutto, a dip for veggies made of beets, chick peas, garlic and I’m sure some other delectable ingredients, and then topped off with tiramisu – all prepared by us – with a little help from Elizabeth, Paola, and Stephano of course!

We then all took turns telling our story of how we found this trip and our favorite part of the trip so far. I love this part of the evening and although it sounds a bit corny I think it really connects and enlightens everyone of how cathartic this trip is for many. For me it is truly one of the most heartfelt moments of the trip and there usually is not a dry eye in the room.

Nothing quite like a day and evening in the country houses in Umbria. 

Winesday is the day of our Wine Tour with Pino – Day 7 – Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2015

We are finishing up the first half of our trip today and when in Italy you have to devote at least one full day to exploring the wine country of Tuscany. I have been fortunate all of these years to have my own personal guide of the region, Pino Teresi. I met Pino on my first trip here in 2000 and he has guided my Wine Tour ever since.

We start this day early by grabbing some coffee and a quick bite in the village of Mercatale nestled in the valley below our homes. We rendezvous with the Pino and our bus driver – so yes no cars on Winesday! From Mercatale we make our way by Cortona, Singaluna, Montepulciano and finally to our first stop Montalcino – home of the Brunello.

Of all the Tuscan wine hill towns I love Montalcino the best. There is just a masculine rusticness to this place and so no wonder it is home to the Brunello – the heartiest and most robust wine of Italy. This year Pino started our tour at the winery of Poggio Rubino on the south slopes of Montalcino. Last year we toured the winery of Casanova di Neri  which is also amazing.

Poggio Rubino is a small winery but well worth the visit. The cellar is a nice scale with a beautiful tasting room in the cellar. Here we were given a wonderful presentation on the making of their wines and all of the attention to detail that goes into growing the grapes and fermenting the wine. We enjoyed shavings of parma ham and the thick fat with seasonings which when combined with the acidity of the wine made for the most luscious flavor in your mouth.

From the darkness of the cellar it was up to the top of the roof deck with a beautiful view of the countryside and lunch in the timber pavilion. And what a lunch! After wine tasting in the cellar you come up to the light and brightness and the smells of the lunch being freshly prepared. Of course more of the wine and champagne we just tasted is served with a delightful lunch of panzanella salad and fresh pasta. The leisurely lunch has no time frame and so we dine, go out to the patio and rest, drink a little more wine, enjoy dessert and then back to the patio for a little more rest. We wrap with some laughter and pictures and then its back to the bus for a short drive to Montalcino and the Enoteca di Piazza to taste more wine and make our purchases.

Of course there is always a little time to explore and this time I found a great little delicatessen in the heart of Montalcino - A&G. What a cool little place to pick up a little ham or salami to enjoy that wine we just purchased. 

From Montalcino it was a two hour drive back to Umbria and Mimmi’s Trattoria in Mercatale where we celebrate our day with a seven course farmer’s meal and an endless pitcher of Vino Rosso de la Casa. Just another tough day in Italy.