Destination: Taormina/Sicily
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Where to stay:
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Hotel
Grand Timeo |
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Why:
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Best spot in town, oasis from
crowds. Greek theatre behind you, Mt. Etna in the distance, out front.
Elegant retreat. |
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Where to shop:
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Bottega Lagana gourmet shop |
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Why:
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A visual treat to see. Act
like a kid in a candy store, but think pasta Different colors & shapes. Great gift, but so hard to pick just one. |
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Where
to eat:
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a' Zammara |
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Why:
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Great bruschetta. Eating it
under a canopy of fruit trees is so Sicilian. |
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Where
to go:
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The Trevelyan Garden (Public
Garden) |
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Why:
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A little fantasy world given
to the city by an Englishwoman in the 1920's. A Victorian folly of
twig structures & beautiful plantings. You expect to see gnomes
or faeries around here |
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Destination:
Venice, Italy
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Where
to stay:
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Boscolo
Hotel dei Dogi (Cannaregio District) |
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Why:
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Historic
palace that still feels like one. Elegant 18thc furnishings.Internal
garden. Away from the maddening crowds. |
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Where
to shop:
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Marzato
(San Marco District) |
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Why:
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Get
in touch with your hat personality. Have a hat custom created for
you by this talented couple in their upstairs workshop. A veil
perhaps? Or some antique lace? |
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Where
to eat:
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La
Corte Sconta (Castello District) |
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Why:
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The
seafood house appetizers. And the sconta (hidden) corte (courtyard)
to eat them in. Elegantly informal. |
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Where
to go:
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Correr
Museum ( Piazza San Marco) |
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Why:
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Venetian
style you can't find elsewhere. See Doges headgear.Outrageous, over
the top Murano chandeliers. And best of all...the
antique zoccoli. Elevated shoes. One pair are over 18" high! |
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Destination:
Mykonos, Greece
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Where
to stay:
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Cavo
Tagoo |
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Why:
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Hip,
ethnic-styled lodging with an architectural award-winning design.
Suites are more savvy than rooms. |
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Where
to shop:
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Bougainvillia
Fine Arts, Little Venice |
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Why:
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After
so much typical-tourist art, it's nice to see some really good paintings
by local artists. Friendly atmosphere. No hard-sell! |
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Where
to eat:
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Katrin,
Mykonos Town |
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Why:
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Nice
change from the taverna-scene. Elegant little place, spilling out
onto sidewalk, where best linen-covered tables are hard to come by.
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Where
to go:
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Paleokastro
Monastery, near the settlement of Ano Mera. |
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Why:
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There's
more to Mykonos than Mykonos Town. Marvel at the monastery's magnificent
green setting, so strange in the middle of an
otherwise barren landscape. |
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Destination:
Terre-de-Haut, Les Saintes/Guadeloupe
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Where to stay:
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Petits
Les Saintes |
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Why:
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Charming creole flavour. Small, friendly & comfortable. Real Les Saintes neighborhood character. |
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Where to shop:
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Maogany
Artisanat |
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Why:
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The color blue never looked so good. With
batiks & handpainted crisp cottons. Interesting shop. Interesting
owner. |
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Where to eat:
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Le Triangle, on the beach in Le Bourg (main
town). |
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Why:
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Simple wooden building, opening onto the
beach. Simply cooked fresh calamari & other local delights. |
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Where to go:
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Le Chameau |
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Why:
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The view is outrageous. The
climb is rough, so not for everyone. At the very least walk through
the outskirts of Le Bourg to see the neighborhoods, with their french
creole houses & gardens. |
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Destination:
Harbour Island, Eleuthra/Bahamas
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Where to stay:
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Pink
Sands |
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Why:
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Luxury without arrogance. The beach is
one of the best in the world. Very comfortable Bahamian-style bungalows.
You never know
who you'll run into(like Stella McCartney or Susan Sarandon). |
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Where to shop:
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Miss Mae's, Dunmore Town. |
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Why:
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Eccentric inventory, including irrational
straw hats, oriental bliss & Antik Batik clothing. Not really
Bahamian, but we love it anyway... |
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Where to eat:
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The Landing, at the Wharf in Dunmore Town. |
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Why:
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Food is good but real draw is savvy decorator
India Hicks' remodeling job of the place. Atmosphere is vintage colonial
Bahamian. |
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Where to go
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See the driftwood tree in Girls Bay |
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Why:
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Bizarre, popular photo site.
You've probably seen it as a backdrop in a fashion magazine. You must
see it in "person." |
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Destination:
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts/New England
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Where to stay:
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The Outermost Inn, Aquinnah outermostinn.com
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Why:
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Warm, friendly house that serves up great
hospitality. The setting is beautiful and quiet...hard to find both
on this island. |
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Where to shop:
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Gone with the Wind, Vineyard Haven |
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Why:
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It's a small, jam-packed space with an
artist's
eye in jewelry & accessories. Some great vintage. |
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Where to eat
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La Cucina Restaurant/The
Tuscany Inn, Edgartown |
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Why:
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We think it has the best alfresco spot
to eat, with fine Italian haute cuisine. (Check out the cooking courses
offered here). |
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Where to go:
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Menemsha docks. Very, very early in the
morning |
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Why:
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No one else will be there. Except you & the fishermen...hopefully. |
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