This gourmet store was as delicious on the eyes as it was on the palate. The gorgeous rustic farmhouse setting entices all the senses. There are treasures to behold in every corner.

And then, there is the tasting bar where the pestos are on display, ready to be experienced. A visit to their website tells the Bella Cucina philosophy, which will explain why I immediately connected with the store:

“Bella Cucina celebrates the passion for living soulfully… Its artful food celebrates the artisan tradition of bringing foods from the earth to the table… Eat simply and deliciously… It seems appropriate now more than ever to surround ourselves with the warmth of family and friends and the comfort of good food… Bella Cucina honors the philosophy that food is daily sustenance for the spirit as well as the appetite…”

This credo was palpable throughout the store. I arrested my choice on the house favorite Artichoke Lemon Pesto and the gorgeous Farmhouse Lemons. These were for my own personal use, but what great gifts – and corporate gifts too – these would make…

A little further on North Highland Avenue was the colorful and happy and so aptly named Urban Cottage boutique which features contemporary casual furnishings and gift items. With very little room left in my luggage, I simply picked up these note cards from the fantastic “She is…” stationery collection. I will be giving these cards to a few targeted good friends. My favorites read: “She decided to start living the life she’d imagine” and “She designed a life she loved”. Who of your girlfriends does not need that inspiration! Frame-worthy, I tell ya!

I concluded my visit with a quiet and delicious, well presented with great service, late lunch at Murphy’s. That just made the whole Virginia Highland tour even more satisfying….

A couple of hours is not nearly enough to even scratch the surface of the treasures to be discovered there. The historical covered bazaar has 58 streets and over 6000 merchants. Count on getting lost. And lost, we were, my daughter and I, but not before discovering a delightful jewelry shop. I did some early holiday shopping  and bought some interesting necklaces. I was told that silk and cotton was used as the structure for much of the jewelry at a certain time as metal chains and wires were not available. I love how the necklaces are mounted on silk cords and embellished with bits of stones and fabric. Personally, the ethnic, old world, non-polished and colorful look of these necklaces is totally to my taste. The collar-like necklaces were bought in Izmir. They feature stones and beads on a cotton backing. And indeed, as per historical accurateness, there is not a bit of metal on these pieces. They look great under a jacket.

More on other Turkish discoveries in a future post.

I don’t know why I have not written about this truly lovely inn before. We like to discover new destinations and hotel properties, so for our family to go back to the same location more than once is an exception. Indeed, The Desert Pearl Inn, Springdale, Utah is exceptional and has been my family’s getaway oasis for about 5 years now. We try to go there at least twice a year to recharge and to take a break from our own Las Vegas desert (climatic and cultural!).

We discovered the Desert Pearl after our first visit to Zion National Park, at which time, not knowing any better, we stayed at a less than satisfactory place.

This is the type of sharing of “best kept secret” that is hard to do. When too many people know about a good thing, it becomes too popular for its own good. Not that I think that I have that kind of influence, but you know what I mean…

Anyhoo, here are the facts. We love the Desert Pearl Inn for so many reasons, but mainly because:

• of its location, right smack in the center of cute Springdale, Utah, walking distance from restaurants and little shops
• it’s about 1 mile from the entrance of Zion National Park. You can drive or take the shuttle, with a stop conveniently located in front of the Inn. We prefer taking the shuttle than fighting for a parking spot
• its owners, Robin and her husband have built this place with passion and it shows. Besides the idyllic location, the inn was built with every detail & amenity that a guest could want or expect. Rooms are very large and sleep 4 very comfortably. The decor is a cool contemporary southwest style, totally in keeping with the surroundings. The whole is enhanced by handcrafted furniture and local art
• we love reserving one of the first floor rooms which open either on the pool view (with a wonderful grassy area perfect for Frisbee or football throwing) or on the other side of the property, on the river view. Either way, the personal patio space is fitted with two comfortable Adirondack chairs, perfect for watching the children play on the grounds, for savoring our morning coffee or indulging in a glass of wine. Usually our kids make new friends and adults start talking. It makes for a real sense of community.
• we love the heated pool and the generously sized spa
• we love that the rooms are equipped with a refrigerator and microwave. Makes snacking and appetizer preparation easy.  You know, need some hors d’oeuvres to go with the wine
• always first on the list for me: free WiFi. Registration not even required
• the Inn has just completed some suites, 1100 sq. ft. each (we visited. They are Fab with a capital F) that we hope to stay in next time.

So, what is there to do in beautiful Zion? Well, just being in Zion quiets the mind and rejuvenates. But, we really love the hiking. Most especially the Virgin River‘s “The Narrows” hike in warm weather. We do a 6 mile return hike through the river. Always an exhaustingly satifying hike. Other than that, we love going to Zion to catch up on reading and family time and conversation and to just plain relax and take in the beauty of the surroundings. There is also plenty of cycling and mountain biking, ATV-ing, horseback riding and tours. Lots of equipment rental places are around if you don’t have your own. And then there are sites like the Coral Pink Sand Dunes and the tiny ghost town of Grafton, UT. This one is fun for a 20 minutes detour; parts of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were filmed there.

I hope that you get to discover this wonderful and very scenic part of the American Southwest.

In Archport’s own words:

We offer the most remarkable sandals on the market, with large compartments in the soles. Nothing on the market comes even close to matching them. Our sandals are a completely new, patented product! Easy access to ID, credit cards and cash without taking off your shoes. Conceal your valuables from thieves.

The sandals feature two compartments with hook-and-loop closures, and snap buttons for enclosing articles. The left sandals includes a compartment with an ArchPort wallet feature that is removable, and custom designed for several credit cards, ID, cash and a key.  The right sandal includes a cavity for carrying larger articles, or a stack of cash. It snaps shut.

Athletic shoes with same “secret” compartments are also available. Cool!

You have probably heard about this new bike sharing program launched in Paris ten days ago.  Given the traffic and parking problems in Paris, weaving around the city on a bicycle might be the most efficient solution for short distance commuting.

Velib is a new a self-service bike rental program where a user can pick up a bike at various designated
stations (pick up and drop locations). Almost 20,000 heavy duty bikes and 750 stations are already peppered
throughout the metropolis. One can rent a bicycle for an annual membership of 29 Euros or by the half hour at various rates ranging from 1 to 4 Euros. The first half hour is free. Yeah!

So far so good. No bike accidents in the first week and about 45,000 rentals a day already. A great above ground alternative to the Metro, especially in good weather. Oh, and the service is also available to tourists.

Anyhoo, a little bit of research unveiled the Belamar Hotel – only one L  – Hotel. I always, always read reviews on Trip Advisor before I commit to staying at any independent hotel property. Reviews were excellent and I will add my favorable comments to the mix. Although the hotel is 1.5 miles away from downtown Manhattan Beach and from the beach itself, we thoroughly enjoyed walking there, through the residential neighborhood and admiring this and that house. There are parking meters along the beach if driving is your thing.

The room was EXACTLY as pictured here. Pristine and clean and lovely and a relaxing shade of turquoise blue. The  artwork displayed throughout the hotel was amusing, not serious or self-important which was a nice way to make the hotel more “approachable” to some of us who may not feel like our cool factor is totally up to par.

Since we had a huge ice cream sunday at the fabulous Manhattan Beach Creamery, we weren’t hungry for dinner till late, so decided to stay in, order a movie and get room service. Not only was the food really, really good, but the prices – relative to room service pricing – were actually reasonable.

We did not go for a swim but did go down to take a look at the pool. It almost qualifies as an interior pool as it is surrounded by 3 solid walls and has a roof that seems to slide open, but a cozy fireplace and candles and great lounge chairs make it very inviting. Oh, and the water was warm.

Highly recommended by moi. I’m going back. Oh, forgot to mention the free WiFi. Duh!

Indeed, this place is not a disappointment. On the contrary, what a “find” this is. And, it does not look like anything else in town. What a relief!! The photos unfortunately do not do justice to the drama of the hotel decor. They have created a feast for all senses, where sight, sound (perfect lounge music) and smell (some delightful scent was circulated in the air) are immediately catered to. The setting is purposefully dark and pays reverence to classic art as antiques and framed reproductions hang on every flat surface, ceiling included. Candles and votives are lit everywhere to add to the unique atmosphere.

We had a light dinner and drinks in the restaurant. Food was wonderful and nicely presented. Classy and attentive service. We felt quite hip and succulent sitting in this very different and unique environment.

I have not seen the rooms but have checked out reviews on Trip Advisor. I’m pretty sure that I would recommend this hotel to friend traveling to LV seeking a non-formula experience. The price definitely seems right.

I’m going back for a romantic evening with hubby.

The Philip Johnson‘s Glass House, is one of 28 National Trust Historic Sites. It was a remarkable achievement when it was completed in 1949 and still looks stunning today and fills me with wonderment. Its exterior walls are of glass with no interior walls touching the exterior. The 47 acre estate in New Canaan, Connecticut includes 11 structures. Among them, the Guest House, Lake Pavilion, Painting Gallery, Sculpture Gallery, Ghost House, Studio, and Visitors Pavilion. And let’s not forget the sculpted gardens.

A visit to this site, or should I say a pilgrimage for some, would be the best way to appreciate this legendary Modernist architect’s life work. Opens June 23 and already sold out through August 2007. Hurry, there are only 50 visitors allowed each day!

Glass House Tour
90-minute guided tour | $25 per person
The Philip Johnson Glass House
199 Elm Street
New Canaan, CT 06840
tel 203.594.9585
fax 203.594.9885
The official site: http://www.philipjohnsonglasshouse.org

Great article about the getting the estate prepped for visitors here on www.businessweek.com

Great article about Philip Johnson’s life here on  www.nyc-architecture.com

This is not surprising, since Frank Lloyd Wright designed and established Taliesin West there, a self-sustaining community of apprentices and architects who would learn and practice the philosophy of organic architecture by sharing in architectural work, building construction, and the related arts. His legacy lives on. To our great dismay, Taliesin was closed on the day we wanted to visit, but we did manage to visit the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, which is the only hotel in the world to which Frank Lloyd Wright contributed.

Besides the inspiring architectural sights, we made a stop at the Phoenix Art Museum that is hosting the much sought-after Rembrandt exhibit. It was a good exhibit, but not entirely satisfying. Just a few Rembrandts and none  of the really well known pieces. Nonetheless, the free audio guides did make the visit interesting and informative. Even the kids got into it! On till May 6, 2007.

The other exhibit at the Museum was really fascinating: Curves of Steel.

This exhibit explores the streamlining of automobile design in the first years of the last century. Beautiful, glossy, mesmerizing. And this is from someone who has never really exhibited any particular fancy for car design. I wanted to buy the souvenir book but the store was closing!!!! A great design source.  You need to see this. On till June 3, 2007.

On the drive back home, we discovered the really charming historical town of Prescott, AZ and had dinner in the original Palace saloon.  The city is known as the first territorial capital, and has been home to a few illustrious characters of the Wild West era, The Earp brothers among a few of them.  Worth the detour if you are traveling in the area! the place is filled with antique shops.

I am loving Arizona!

This year, I am quite excited at the idea that we could be choosing a Volunteer Vacation. Indeed, I just found this great company that organizes such vacations for families: www.CrossCulturalSolutions.org. It’s still expensive, but I think that it would make an incredible impact on my children. Personally, I have lived in a third world country, the Congo to be exact, so I have an idea of what abject poverty looks like. Although, I must shamefully admit that I never have done anything to “help” directly. And, as much as we criticize this country that we live in, we are completely ignorant of the living conditions that the vast majority of this planet’s inhabitants deal with in their everyday. I need my children to have a better appreciation for what they have. Be grateful and remember to give back.

This “vacation” would definitely be pricey, but also “priceless” in terms of the life changing experience it would bring to all of us.