From my article in Vanity Fair Italy …the amazing Christmas Windows in New York . Here the link. Check the gallery, add a ‘like” (thanks!) and Merry Christmas!
http://www.vanityfair.it/viaggi-traveller/notizie-viaggio/news/14/12/15/vetrine-new-york-natale-2014
I LOVE TO TRAVEL!
VILNIUS , the beautiful capital of Lithuania. published in Vanity Fair/Traveller ….
Where to go, what to see, where to eat, where to sleep
check it out
http://www.vanityfair.it/viaggi-traveller/viaggi-mondo/reportage/14/12/12/vilnius-lituania-cose-da-fare
“Into the Woods” is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), the Wolfe ( Johnny Deep)Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy) – all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them. Rob Marshall, the talented filmmaker behind the Academy Award®-winning musical “Chicago” and Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” helms the film, which is based on the Tony®-winning original musical by James Lapine, who also penned the screenplay, and legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, who provides the music and lyrics. Produced by Marshall, John DeLuca, “Wicked” producer Marc Platt and Callum McDougall, “Into the Woods” hits theaters December 25, 2014.”
CHECK THE TRAILER AND MORE
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Extensive-New-INTO-THE-WOODS-Opening-Sequence-Clip-Behind-The-Scenes-Featurette-20141203
BURGERMANIA!!!!
Chef Joe Calderone for Serendipity 3 in New York created its Burger Extravagant, featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the most ‘expensive in the world’. It ‘a mix of Japanese Waygu meat, butter with 10 herbs, truffles, golden leaves, quail egg, a touch of caviar and Paramount cheddar cheese. The whole thing comes equipped with a toothpick in gold and diamonds. The price? $ 295 and must be ordered 48 hours in advance.www.serendipity3.com
Troppo caro? Al DB Bistro Moderne del celebre chef Daniel Boulud, viene servito in versione royal con una composta di pomodori che sostituisce il banale ketchup, mentre dal piatto strizza l’occhio una peccaminosa farcitura di foie gras impreziosita da tartufo nero. “solo” ….140 dollari. www.dbbistro.com/nyc
Looking for something cheper?
Celebrity chef Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne created the “royal version” of a burger., where a compote of tomato ketchup replaces the trivial, while the flat winks a sinful topping of foie gras embellished with black truffle. “only” $ 140.
I Found an exquisite hotel in Santo Stefano Di Sessanio, Abruzzo, Italy
its name is Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, a smattering of hotel rooms spread throughout a preserved medieval village nestled in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
The local farms have ancient Mediterranean varieties of spelt, lentils, and garbanzo beans growing on the rolling hills in much the same way they did over 3,000 years ago. Recipes going back generations are used in the hotel’s kitchen to serve up traditional Abbruzzese dishes in the private dining room. 
A stay here is an experience like no other. From the artisanal cheeses to the handmade soaps to the local tailors, this hotel encompasses everything the slow movement has come to represent.
In the enchanted land of Sicily, there is a beautiful village by the blue sea :
San Vito Lo Capo.
Every year San Vito hosts a huge culinary competition featuring great cous cous dishes from all over the world. 
This year France, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Senegal, Tunisia, USA were dueling for the Cous Cous Awards.
Italy’s Chefs Andrea Provenzani e Giuseppe Salmeri won big time, and their recipe “my Sicily” got awarded twice by the popular and the technical jury.
The winner: amberjack, onions, Marsala, fennel pesto, pistachio and lemon, almond milk and coffee powder.
The Award for the most original dish went to French Chef Marion Roger with Chiara Cilio who created an amazing verbena ice cream topped with a bittersweet cous cous.
A french “delicatesse”: verbena ice cream with bittersweet couscous topping. Awarded as most original
The best presentation award went to Ivory Coast native Abibata Konate, known as Mama Africa. who runs a small inn in Palermo. Her plate was throwing a message of peace and integration, and showing a black hand and a red heart.
Mama Africa with best presentation winner dish
The feast continues all around the town.
From morning till late night, You can find everywhere traditional dishes, Sicilian pottery, local products, original handcrafts, great fish specialties and of course delicious cous cous. a lot of it, cooked by dozen of street vendors. 
A tea from Nepal? or from Africa? A tea flavored with jasmine? or mixed with toasted rice and corn blown down to the rare white tea: the Nepal Himalaya Shangri-La ?
From October to March, from 15.30 to 17.30, the Oriental Bar at Metropole Hotel opens its doors to the city proposing the celebration of tea with established
collaboration of Dammann Frères French Tea House since 1825.
An indispensable opportunity to meet in a place where you can savor the atmosphere enveloping a tea mixture can become a valuable emotion
Tonight Milan press preview of a movie just perfect fro those who (like me) love foody-movies. One of my favorite directors, Lasse Hallström (author of Chocolat) directs an ‘impeccable Helen Mirren (acting with a french accent) in
‘Hundred-Foot Journey’ (translated into Italian with the funny title Love, cuisine and curry) Here’s the trailer (obvuiosly in the original version)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEO1TWeM5JU
http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/man-known-as-italys-greatest-chef-did-not-cook
“CAPPELLETTI ALL’USO DI ROMAGNA” served in a traditional ceramic pot from Faenza. The most celebrated recipe created by Pellegrino Artusi, the greatest Italian Chef …who didn’t cook! Credit @ Cesare Zucca
The legendary Italian champion Fausto Coppi
The legendary Bianchi cycles celebrates its 130th anniversary with the opening the new innovative “Bianchi Cafè & Cycles” in Milan.
A must go, if you love top quality bicycles, Italian taste and a sporty lifestyle.
The Milan location will provide a wide range of services, including bicycle shops, technical assistance, bike fitting and fined restaurant cafè.
For the press preview Genova’s Pasticceria Poldo served a delicious rupsberry semifreddo.
Rupsberry semifreddo by Particceria Poldo in Genua.
Genua Poldo’s Chef Francesco Crocco
Poldo’s Chef Francesco Crocco whispered to me that he would impress the evening crowd with a chocolate fountain…
For the opening super Chef Davide Oldani, created some amazing hors d’oeuvre, including a tuna creme decorated with beetroot and fried capers
A superChef Oldani ctreation: tuna mousse with beetroot, arugula and fried capers
followed by the succulent Fregole al Caffe (the fregola is a toasted pasta with an earthy, nutty flavour) with rosemary oil, pears and a zest of coffee.
Fregole with pears ,rosemary oil and a touch of coffee
Bianchi Cafè & Cycles
Via Cavallotti, Milan
www.bianchi.com
Every year the beautiful Sicilian town of S.Vito Lo Capo hosts a huge Cous Cous Fest featuring a contest to award the best, the most original and the better looking
cous cous of the year.
Experts and Chefs superstar from all over the world meet here to create and cook dozen of yummy dishes.
The kitchen is a real battlefield, the temperature is heating up, the stress is on! Everybody is working hard. although I think that the “i veri eroi”
( the real heroes) should be considered the great guys from the Palermo.’s Institute Pietro Piazza coordinated by Professors Rosario Picone and Vincenzo Prinzivalli.
Imagine a squad of young tireless, professional waiters and chef-assistants
able to prepare and serve more than 900 dishes during a grueling, nerve-wracking three-day competition..
Always with a big smile on their faces. Bravi ragazzi!
Milan Fashion Week: A Week overflowing with silly fashion victims of the Bronx Padano, Useless “New Emerging Designers” and thousands of wanna be.
Luckily tonight I went The the extraordinary exhibition of the legendary photographer Hans Feurer, a triumph of ALL images in film, spanning from 70s to 90s , no digital, no photoshop! 
If You are in Milan
and if you are a fan of “real” photographic art , do not miss it! 
.Palazzo della Permanente , Via Turati.
Here I am with the great Maestro.
RHIÉ fashion-short was the big winner last night at the Milan Fashion Film Festival!
3 Awards for Best Director, Best Art Direction and BEST FILM
Check this amazing video, starring Sonja Kinski, She couldn’t be as better choice for this thriller-like short.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wqsiPazPoY
Here Rhie’ with 3 Awards designed by Fornasetti ( Photo)
After the FFF Award ceremony, I met her at the party. She is so fun !
Check RHIE’collection at http://rhiestudio.com/
“LA TORRETTA”, Cinque Terre, Ligury
A gentle yet accurate reception, bottles of Italian prosecco and Cuban rum welcome you in one of the ten gorgeous sunny rooms that harmoniously mix a combination of antique and contemporary pieces.
My suite with a nice welcome! an iced bottle of prosecco
Most of them have balcony overlooking the vineyards to one side and the blue Mediterranean to the other. At breakfast time, the “buongiorno” , is a real “good morning” thanks to Gabriele’s Mamma who prepares the most delicious torte salate (salted cakes with fresh vegetables) and the succulent torta di riso ( a rice cake traditionally cooked every year con August 10th, but available here every morning! ). All this goodies enhance a generous breakfast with local cheeses, meats, home-made patisserie, fresh squeeze oranges.
Mamma does breakfast. Do not miss her “torte salate” and the traditional rice cake!
Enjoy one ( or more…) glass of wine offered at your arrival or served at the sunset aperitivo time in the terrace that boasts a spectacular views of the stunning Bay.
Spectacular view from the terrace
Superbly located in the centre of the wonderfully picturesque village of Manarola a once-in-a-lifetime ultimate destination in beautiful Cinque Terre, Ligury, Ital. Reservation a must. Here the link
http://www.torrettas.com
This gallery contains 4 photos.
Here the only Italian words that Kate ever wrote in this 7 minutes magical song ….. I remember I took her to Bussana Vecchia, a little village above San Remo, Ligury, devastated in 1887 by a terrible earthquake. All the … Continue reading
From my photo album:
To dear Cesare , Thank you for keeping us full of smiles ( fanny face …. Kate’s ? )
Lots of love Kate Bush
Dear Kate, Thank YOU for keep us dreaming….
Lots of love Cesare
Ian, 67, from Hammersmith with his photograph of Kate Bush, outside Hammersmith Apollo. He doesn’t have a ticket. Photograph: David Levene
Since 1968 Venice Biennale’s International Architecture Exhibition sprawls across the famously watery city for a few months every two years. 
Absorbing Modernity: 1914-2014 is the idea of this year’s curator., Rem Koolhaas, and his collaborators At Giardini the exhibit spams from the Russian ironic views to the more pedantic Denmark, to pretty quiet Germany and Switzerland, 
while Holland centerpiece Elements of Architecture, is an engaging look behind the elegant facades of international architecture. Beyond the main events Arsenale and the Giardini, many other shows spread art qll around the city There is Sguardi Incrociati a Venezia at Espace Louis Vuitton Venezia, a double Venice by
Japanese Manga artist Jiro Taniguchi 
and the painter, photographer and set designer Mariano Fortuny, 
Emperor Augustus started the FERIAE AUGUSTI, a full month of parties and celebrations.Today in Italy is called Emperor Augustus started the FERIAE AUGUSTI, a full month of parties and celebrations.Today in Italy is called FERRAGOSTO
Check my piece in Italian Traveller FERRAGOSTO on BROADWAY
http://www.vanityfair.it/viaggi-traveller/viaggi-mondo/week-end/14/08/11/broadway-spettacoli-ristoranti-cosa-da-fare-metà-prezzo
nontouristytourist.com 