So this is the first entry on this blog and as i write it i am full of anticpation and excitement.

This weekend we are making the journey to Heathcote Victoria for the Nostalgia Drag series.

The crew is all ready for the eight hour journey and we are ready to get some passes under our belt.

Our last meeting at the track was a success and we ran our first quarter mile with a time of 10.76 @124mph. The car hadnt been tuned and there were a couple of minor variables which have now been adjusted. We are hoping to get our times into the low 10’s and mile an hour up around the high 120’s.

You may think you already know The Capri Boutique Hotel in Laguna Beach, but you wouldn’t recognize it when it’s all dolled up for a wedding, reception or private party! The multi-talented Adina, owner of Fleur de Lis Events, is the exclusive representative of this venue and has made BIG changes!  Call her at 949-870-5190 to tour the property. If you’ve looked at beachfront sites, you know how few there are to choose from. And Capri is just a few feet over the sand.

Nicole and Nick’s wedding this past weekend was absolutely beautiful, with a coastal theme as serene as the blue of the ocean.

Thankfully, the threat of rain didn’t manifest, and the clear tent kept everyone toasty warm. Blue sky met the ocean for as far as the eye could see.

The balcony shot is on the patio of the honeymoon suite.

Here’s Nicole with her bridesmaids.

Nick and Nicole right after the ceremony.

This couple was fun!  They loved our idea of having Nicole jump on the bed.

South Beach with Flamingo Towers & Capri, originally uploaded by AshtonColeman.

South Beach real estate with Flamingo Towers & Capri

La Grotta azzurra la poesia della mia rinascita 

LA GROTTA AZZURRA  LA POESIA DELLA MIA RINASCITA

Entrai in siffatto anfratto
al richiamo del bianco cobalto
in assetto di apnea nel suo ventre
respiravo, in ossigeni altrui,
eteri non ben figurati
da fibre ottiche misteriose.
Quel pianto ,tanto atteso,
nel battito assente,
si refluse nelle pieghe
di guizzi sereni,
che si rinfrangevan
intorno alle parate
vanitose
di quella Azzurra Grotta
con le sue Dee
imperiose e spose.
Connubbi strani
nascenti ,in corpi sani,
presagivano l’avvenire
di una Dea ,nel suo gioire,
bagnatasi nelle acque monde
inventata da intuizioni profonde,
apprese con arte e maestria
nell’immaginazione della fantasia.
In spirito di rinvincita
da quel passato
nell’oggi evocato
mi ammiro come opera perfetta
tenendo tra le mani una saetta,
scagliata nello scintillar del mio nome
verso il futuro da sovrana pura
acclamata per meriti in investitura

Designer Kurtis are becoming one of the latest fashion. These designer clothes are are usually beautify with stunning embroidery work and good for casual, party, official wear. They are available in every material and color. Best part of this dress is, its can be wear by any age group, and you can wear on jeans, salwar, Capri.

There are variety of Kurtis available in the market like Silk Kurtis- Silk Kurtis look more elegant and silk Kurtis can be wear in parties also. Formal Kurtis- To get the attention of other on occasions there are formal Kurtis which are cool and comfortable also to wear. Office wear- Wearing those regular dress in the office, of same pattern get monotonous so there are official Kurtis are there from which it will look you more beautiful at the same time you will look elegant and classy also.

It is a combination of Indo-western dressing style and they are equally popular in western countries also, in this dress women will more beautiful, aristocrat, fashionable. You will long,medium, short Kurtis according to buyers choice. You will find designers, formal, office Kurtis in every store and of many famous fashion designers like Manish Mahlotra, Ritu Beri,Rohit Bal, Ritu Kumar and many more. It is affordable also, you can get beautiful Kurtis at low price.

Capri Magia, è un brand di gioielliera tutto italiano, che prende spunto dalle leggende e dai racconti dell’isola, dalla sua natura e i suoi colori, coniugando il gusto della gioielleria Virginia di Capri, storico punto di riferimento di vip e star, con la sapiente arte gioielliera valenzana.

L’ultima proposta della linea Lucertole ben si adatta anche ai colori invernali con il suo design lineare ed essenziale: la lucertola è integrata nel gioiello, ne è parte in movimento e in evoluzione e da cui sembra uscire, generarsi; non è più solo ciondolo e non è più elemento a sé stante: è la forma stessa che immortala la creatura leggendaria in amuleti di oro bianco, giallo o rosa.

La collezione, molto attuale, presenta chevalier, orecchini, bracciali e collane multifilo con brillanti e pietre dure (onice, turchese, corallo) montati su oro bianco, rosa o giallo.

Capri Magia propone 6 linee: lucertole, ranocchi, cornetti, pesciolini, campanelle e fiori di Capri. Ciascuna linea include anelli, orecchini, ciondoli, bracciali, collane – in oro bianco, giallo, rosa o brunito; quasi tutti i pezzi prevedono la presenza di brillanti, zaffiri, madreperle colorate e pietre dure.

Ecco la bellissima favola caprese da cui sono nate le linee lucertole e ranocchi:

Narra la leggenda che una perfida maga, invidiosa dell’armonia che regnava a Capri, impose un maleficio sul re e sul principe, trasformandoli rispettivamente in ranocchio e lucertola azzurra. Il giorno del solstizio d’estate una falchetta, in realtà una splendida fanciulla anch’essa vittima di un sortilegio, commossa dallo sguardo malinconico della lucertola azzurra, la prese fra le zampe e si involò verso il sole, qui entrambi vennero liberati dal maleficio e fecero ritorno all’isola accompagnati da una luce abbagliante, segno della ritornata felicità, salvando anche il re.

Ancora oggi a Capri il solstizio d’estate è un giorno di festa, ecco perchè la lucertola azzurra e il re ranocchio racchiudono in se stessi un pizzico di Magia. capri

Capri Magia l’energia, l’allegria e la luce del sole italiano anche a Natale!

Vivi la tua favola nelle migliori gioiellerie, in Italia e all’estero.

per vedere le collezioni vai sul sito caprimagia.com

Helenia Tedesco – delmonteepartner.it

Anello lucertola in oro bianco, brillanti e onice

]]> http://daveonthesolstice.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/nov-21-09/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:39:55 +0000 legbone99 http://daveonthesolstice.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/nov-21-09/

Having Donna Delany here on the ship for the 11 day cruise was a wonderfully different change for me in many ways. As I mentioned, Donna and I have known one another for a long time and we get along real well. She’s an adventuresome soul and motivated me to do many of the things I would not have done otherwise in the ports of call. One of the first places we hit was Santorini and it was the worst weather day of the cruise. The wind was very strong which made the tendering to the ports interesting. Once we got to the island, which was fairly early, we saw that the cable car line to the top was way too long to wait, so for the third time I climbed up the twisty mule poop road to the top of the cliff and the town of Fira, Santorini.

Donna hikes regularly around the mountains of Pennsylvania, so the climb was not a big deal for her. She also loves animals and thought the mules were cute. I was struggling to keep up and trying to wave the mules out of my way while she was barely winded and petting the varmints as she climbed the cliff. From the looks on their long faces, I think they actually appreciated a kind voice and a gentle touch. I don’t think they get much of that. I actually did fairly well climbing and made fewer stops than previously, so I guess my mountain climbing muscles are improving. I think I’m going to need to keep at it though.

Once we got to the top to the town of Fira, we wandered around, got a little lost trying to get away from the tourist section and see the far side of the island, which we did, and paid attention to the massive dark storm cloud that was approaching the island with streaks of lightning and distant thunder. We really weren’t topside for more than an hour or two before the wind picked up even more and the rain started and by then we were near the descent line for the cable car, but everyone decided when the rain started that it was time to go, so the line was really long.

We debated our options and finally decided to brave the mule poop trail to get down to the tender dock. Now THAT was an adventure. The wind was howling and the rain was pouring down as we started down the road. There were only occasional lights on the road and it was dark as night. The road is slippery under good conditions, but was treacherous at this point and we moved very slowly, a step at a time, as the wind and rain tried like an angry god to tear us from the cliff face. I was having some serious second thoughts about our decision to walk down the poop road, but at a certain point you are committed and all we could do was proceed, very carefully.

Thankfully the rain began to let up as we descended and the lower we got, the more the cliff sheltered us from the wind. I had only one slip which had no worse result than mule poop on my hands, which while not pleasant, sure beats a broken hip. We finally made it down to the tender dock, much to my relief, and headed back to the ship. It was a truly exciting first port-of-call. I was hoping the rest would be a bit more peaceful, and thankfully, that’s the way it turned out.

I’ve previously related our ventures into Mykonos and Istanbul. Our visit to Athens had us doing the trip I’d previously scoped out and we had an excellent day visiting the Acropolis, riding the train and having a traditional Greek lunch at an outside cafe next to a large public square.

When we got to Naples, Italy, Donna had done some research (she had brought several books about our various destinations) and suggested we visit Capri while we were there. My wonderful supervisors had given me the day off, so there was no reason not to go and we headed out as soon as we could on that, the last day of Donna’s cruise.

We left the ship and walked a short distance to a hydrofoil dock. We got our tickets and barely made the 9:35 boat to the Island of Capri. It was about a 50 minute ride and a light haze gave the passing islands a ghostly quality, but as the Island of Capri came into view in front of us, the haze was burning off and the soaring cliffs had everyone clicking away with their cameras.

Capri is simply one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. It is a giant limestone rock, pushed on edge by millenia of tectonic forces and weathered to a verdant, tropical paradise inhabited by easy-going, friendly people. Donna had found a few things in her books that we needed to see and we wasted no time buying our tickets and trying to figure out how to go about our adventure on Capri.

The first thing we did was book a trip to the Blue Grotto. We first took a small boat out of the harbor where the hydrofoil had docked and traveled along the massive cliffs to a small anchorage at one end of the island. At the bottom of the cliff face was a small opening to a cave. There were about a dozen row boats taking people from the tenders three or four at a time. They would approach the cave opening and, timing the waves, everybody would duck down into the rowboats and the gondolier would haul them into the grotto using a chain fixed to the cave opening.

Once inside, you are in a cavern where you can barely see the rock ceiling, but the water is lit an amazing blue color from the the light coming through the cave entrance. The bottom is apparently white sand and the water is crystal clear, so you get the impression that you’re floating on glowing irridescent liquid. It’s otherwordly and exquisitely beautiful. The gondolier plays it up and sings “Oh Solo Mio” and “Volare” as he rows us around the cavern for a while, and of course the resonance in the cave creates quite an effect. Finally it is all over and we time the waves once again to rebirth ourselves out of the cave and back to our waiting boat.

Once back at port we took a series of transports up the very vertical island, including a “funiculare” or cable car up to the the actual town of Capri. Next we got on a bus which took us on a winding adventure up the mountains on narrow roads that overlooked steep drops with crazy Italians on motorbikes and tiny cars passing us and scaring the hell out of me. Finally that dropped us off at a quaint little village and we soon found a ski lift that took us on a long climb over the green mountainside to the very top of this exquisite island.

It’s overwhelming once you get off the lift and walk around the stone patios that are there expressly for viewing the natural beauty that surrounded us on all sides. Did I mention that this is about as romantic a trip as you can possibly take? I can’t express the peace, joy and gratitude that I felt as I looked out at one of the most beautiful scenes possible and considered the amazing series of events that had brought me there. It was one of my finest moments and will stay with me forever. Capri will always be an extraordinary memory for me.

Of course we got to enjoy the return trip and had enough time to sit at a seaside cafe to enjoy some lunch where we were joined by some of the more entertaining characters from the ship and a good time was had by all until it was time to board our hydrofoil back to Naples and an evening of fun and frolic aboard our floating luxury hotel.

********************************************************

The next morning had Donna and I saying very early, very hurried goodbyes after our 11 day Mediterranean adventure together, and I joined three of my fellow crewmates for a day trip into Rome, this being one of our last chances to visit this historic city. Eric and Alex, two of the ships’ glassblowers and Brad, one of the main singers in the theater cast, joined me as we took the shuttle bus into Chivitavecchia and made a short walk along the seaside promenade to the train station where we purchased round trip tickets to Rome.

The train was very nice and I dozed much of the 50 minute ride to San Pietro Station in Rome. We made a rough game plan. Brad had brought very good guidebooks with maps and soon we were in a taxi, winding through the impossibly mazelike streets of Rome to our first stop, the Palindrome. This ancient structure is one of the best preserved buildings of Roman antiquity. Soaring columns on the outside were impressive, but inside you are amazed by the perfect domed ceiling with an open top and the grand walls and columns that house the statuary, alters and the tomb of Raffaele. Since the very top of the dome is open to the outside, the marble floor is slightly slanted to the sides so rainwater can drain. This monument, like so much of Roman architecture, was only our first mindblowing stop. The weird part is that after you leave the building and look out over a large square, you can’t help but notice the McDonalds on the other side. Life can be funny sometimes.

After that we managed to use the maps and Eric’s beginner Italian to make our way to the Trevi Fountain which is yet another remarkable and massive piece of artwork that simply sits tucked into a busy neighborhood in this remarkable city. From there we decided we’d better head to our main destination, The Vatican. Another taxi took us on a fast joyride through the impossible streets of Rome and dropped us off unceremoniously right in front of St Peter’s Square. I don’t think the driver even looked up, but from the moment you see it, you can’t help but be captivated by the grandeur and magnificense of this famous monument to one of the world’s biggest religions.

In the grand square that is surrounded by columns topped with statuary there is a giant obelisk that was brought there, after several other stops, from ancient Egypt. Topped with a small cross it is apparently there to remind the faithful of the humble station of a Christianity that was built on the roots of paganism. Nice touch. Behind it sits the entrance to St Peter’s Basilica, one of the most famous and recognizable sights in the world.

There was a huge crowd, but we were fairly early and the lines moved rather quickly as we made our way inside. There is no way to describe the impact of entering St Peter’s Basilica. Every inch of the church is a sight to behold, from the massive vaulted ceilings to the intricate ancient marble floors. There are statues and paintings at every turn. The Pieta is right by the main entrance. The massive bronze columned main alter where the Pope says mass sits in the very center, but there are many arms and branches to the edifice, each as intricate and mindblowing as the next.

Cameras can’t capture it. Words can’t describe it. We conjectured that The Solstice, a very large ship, could easily fit into the main section of the church. I’ve been to St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey in England, the second and third largest churches in the world and they would each fit easily in St Peter’s. The statues are ever-present and all the artwork is humbling, to say the least. We stayed as long as we could, but had to stay on schedule. We were meeting a friend of Brad’s and had tickets to tour the Vatican Museum.

So we eventually made our way out of St Peter’s, miraculously bumped right into Brad’s friend, Clare, amidst the thousands of tourists, and walked about twenty minutes to the Vatican Museum. I will not go into detail about this amazing collection of artwork, sculpture, cartography, architecture and history, but we seemed to go through dozens and dozens of rooms, each filled with more than the mind could absorb. It is enormous and took a few hours just to make our way through until the last stop, which is the Sistine Chapel.

Every inch of the Sistine Chapel is covered with artwork, floor to ceiling, topped by the famous image of God touching Adam’s finger. Once again, words cannot describe it. Cameras can’t capture the effect. It is quite overwhelming, even after several hours of viewing the overwhelming. After the Sistine Chapel, we were led through dozens of more rooms of artwork and managed to exit the building with only about twenty minutes before our return train to Chivitavecchia. The Roman taxis are quite efficient, though, and we got to the terminal with about ten minutes to spare before our train came. Needless to say we were all exhausted and it felt great to get off my feet and enjoy the ride back.

I managed to get back to the ship with enough time to get a short nap and ready myself for the evening’s duties which, thankfully, were fairly light. After the passenger drill I finally ate some food and took a good long nap before my late set. All in all, it had been a whirlwind two days. I slept really well that night.

Capri

By Dian Hasan | November 19, 2009

What would a resort stay experience be without a pool? Unthinkable for today’s travelers. They’ve come a long way, playing a central role in creating a distinctive experience and the common denominator as a social hub. Integral to a hotel’s brand identity. Here’s a glance at some of world’s most gorgeous resort pools, sharing the same traits regardless of their locale: sexy and chic!

Please click on an image for more information.

Autocar Trucks of the 1960s at Work
Cadillac Fleetwood Series Seventy-Five Limousines Photo Archive
Ford’s Feisty Capri, European Sporting Coupes 1969-1987
The Car (DVD Feature FIlm)
White Trucks of the 1960s at Work

Capri South Beach, originally uploaded by AshtonColeman.

Capri South Beach with an incredible Penthouse boasting over 2500 square feet of South Beach bliss.

Calça capri DASLU com bolsos laterais
Tamanho 42
R$ 25,00
Obs: calça de bazar, com pequenas manchas (não dá para perceber!)
Gostou? email-me: dcaroldias@gmail.com

L’isola di Capri è fra i luoghi più pittoreschi e più visitati della Campania. La sua bellezza e la sua fama sono note da tempi lontani quando gli antichi l’avevano legata ai miti di Ulisse e delle Sirene e ancora oggi attrae i numerosissimi visitatori che fanno dei suoi panorami mozzafiato la meta più ambìta. A Capri si puo arrivare via nave, sia da Sorrento che dal porto di Castellammare di Stabia che dista solo 8 km dal Bed and Breakfast Il Fauno, facilmente raggiungibile sia in auto che con il treno della Circumvesuviana (a soli 500 metri dal B&B). Prenota Ora

L’isola è di origine carsica, separata dalla terraferma da uno stretto, e presenta numerosi rilievi fra cui quello di Anacapri che ne è il principale. Il mare da cui emerge è particolarmente profondo, le coste sono aspre, frastagliate e ricchissime di grotte fra le quali la più famosa è la Grotta Azzurra, ma ciò che colpisce di più, a picco nel mare, sono i celebri faraglioni, piccoli isolotti rocciosi dalle forme più variegate, che sembrano emergere dalle acque azzurre e profonde puntati verso il cielo. Il fenomeno del bradisismo, cioè il continuo alzarsi ed abbassarsi delle maree, presente anche nella Grotta Azzurra, fa sì che resti di epoca romana un tempo sulla terraferma, ora quasi del tutto sommersi, si possano vedere spuntare dall’acqua.

Capri per i Greci e per i Romani era l’isola delle capre, a questo si deve il suo nome. I Greci la colonizzarono e divenne un possedimento di Napoli, poi l’imperatore Augusto, in visita nell’isola, vide fiorire un ramo secco e fece di tutto per ottenerla da Napoli in cambio di Ischia. Anche l’imperatore Tiberio se ne innamorò e ne fece il suo rifugio costruendovi più ville, forse dodici, secondo gli autori latini; in realtà, a testimonianza della sua presenza, resta oggi la sua villa lussuosa dedicata a Giove, un delizioso esilio volontario, da cui continuava a governare l’impero. Alla fine dell’impero Capri non fu immune dall’invasione di Vandali, e neppure più tardi da quella dei Saraceni che spinse gli abitanti, come accadde anche in altre città d’Italia, a rifugiarsi nel punto più alto del’isola tra la cittadella murata e il Castiglione, in un posto impenetrabile, difficilmente raggiungibile e con un’ottima vista sul mare, per individuare i nemici in arrivo. L’isola passò poi sotto la dominazione Longobarda ed in seguito Normanna, finché con gli Angioini, che fondarono la grandiosa certosa di San Giacomo, non tornò all’antico splendore.

La fama turistica di Capri iniziò alla metà dell’800, con la riscoperta dell’affascinante Grotta Azzurra; divenne così una meta immancabile nel Grand Tour di scrittori ed artisti di fama internazionale che descrissero gli effetti luminosi ed i giochi di luce cangianti all’interno della grotta. Oggi l’architettura dell’isola mostra nelle tipiche abitazioni “a volta”, le tipologie costruttive utilizzate già dai romani e dai bizantini, legate alla particolare conformazione del terreno ed alla difficoltà di reperire legname ed acqua: ancora oggi infatti l’acqua è un bene alquanto raro e prezioso, perché l’isola non dispone di sorgenti proprie e viene rifornita d’acqua potabile con navi-cisterna provenienti dalla terraferma. L’isola è composta da due comuni, ognuno con la propria amministrazione: Capri e Anacapri, e da sempre è nota la rivalità tra i rispettivi abitanti.

The Island of Capri is one of the most picturesque and visited locations in Campania. In Capri can be reached by boat from both Sorrento and the port of Castellammare di Stabia, which is just 8 km from the Bed and Breakfast Il Fauno, easily reachable either by car or train Circumvesuviana (only 500 meters from the B & B).Book now.  Its unique beauties were celebrated in ancient times and later published for the world in Homer’s works: Odysseus (known in Latin as Ulysses) sailing past the island, narrowly escaped the fate of those who hear the voices of the Sirens.

Thus the island has a mythical charm, as well as its natural treasures, through the writings and legends of Ancient Greece. Its breathtaking landscapes and beauty stretch from the rocky caves around the island to the edge of the horizon, and has been an inspiration to poets, lovers and travelers throughout the centuries. Geologically speaking, the island is Karst, underlaid with limestone which has been eroded by dissolution over the years forming fantastical ridges towers and sinkholes in the rock. This process over time separated Capri from the mainland.

The island of Capri is composed of two municipalities: Capri and Anacapri, each with their own administration and touch of regional rivalry. The latter is built on a high plateau, affording staggering views of sheer cliffs from dizzying vantage points.

The sea emerging below is very deep, and harsh jagged caves have formed there. The most famous of these is the Grotta Azzurra or the “Blue Grotto“, now known to have been a Roman bathing place. This lagoon is haunted by a dazzling shifting turquoise blue. Small openings in the back of the cave admit daylight which, reflecting on the limestone floor and walls, creates a fantastical and magical atmosphere. It has attracted visitors and inspired awe from all who have seen its ancient limestone walls and learned of the history of this oceanic cave.

In contrast to the intimate space and vivid color of the cavern, are the three peaks further out to sea, emerging from the azure blue water, pointing toward the sky. These peaks are known collectively as the Faraglioni. Their names are: Stella, di Mezzo and Scopolo or Fuori (meaning outside, probably because it is the furthest away). These three splendid fragments of Capri are known technically as stacks and are formed when erosion causes a solid land mass to divide and it becomes separated by water, or when a cave or natural rocky arch collapses. A fragment of the land is then isolated from its original body in the shape of a vertical column or steep rock rising out of the sea. The Faraglioni are famed for their breathtaking beauty and home of a variety of rare wildlife.

The phenomenon of Bradyseism is another fascinating geological aspect of Capri and of all the Phlaegraean Fields. Bradyseism is a process in which the surface of the earth rises and falls due to the movement of volcanic lava deep beneath the surface of the earth. Its effects can be seen in Capri in various spots, including the afore mentioned Grotta Azzurra.

When the tide is low, Roman remains are visible through the water on the floor of the cave, suggesting that in bygone times the ground in and around the blue grotto which had itself been the site of a Roman villa, was higher. The artifacts on the floor of the cave are thought to be connected with the Emperor Tiberius who may have used the cave as a bathing place, and probably decorated the floor with statues. It also seems that other entrances to the grotto were created in an attempt to improve irrigation and later abandoned, supplying spaces in the rock by which sunlight could enter with dramatic effect. So unless visitors simply wish to swim in the grotto, it is wise to coincide visiting times with the falling tide.

Tiberius loved the island, and having obtained it from the possession of Naples in exchange for Ischia, he had a series of villas built there, and spent the last ten years of his tyrannical reign secluded from the manic realities of Roman life amid the tranquillity and beauty of this unique island. He also founded the world’s first Archeological Museum to display the fossils and artifacts discovered during excavation carried out by his workers for the building of the villas.

For the Greeks and later the Romans till Tiberius, Capri was an island of boar goats, and other animals. Hence the Island was named Kapros, which in Greek means “wild boar”.

Capri was colonized by the Greeks, and was later adopted as a possession of Naples, till the Emperor Augustus upon visiting the Island saw a dry twig of the island in flower. The element of the miraculous in this made a profound impression on him, as from that time on he did everything in his power to obtain the Island. Having achieved his aim, bartering Ischia for Capri with the Neapolitans, he commenced with a multi villa building project probably as many as twelve, rendering the island habitable.

Ritorno al barocco. Da Caravaggio a Vanvitelli.
Napoli ricorda la grande stagione del Barocco. Lo fa con la grande mostra (promossa dalla Regione Campania e curata da Nicola Spinosa) dislocata in sei prestigiosi musei cittadini per sei esposizioni tematiche, più una serie di itinerari ad hoc. Rivivono così, da questo inverno alla prossima primavera, trecentocinquata opere della lunga stagione d’oro dell’ex capitale europea, tra dipinti, disegni, sculture, arredi, gioielli, tessuti, ceramiche e porcellane. In bella mostra pure chiese, certose, collegiate e palazzi per rimarcare l’immagine opulenta e dinamica della Napoli di quel tempo. Due secoli irripetibili per una città in prima linea nelle arti, sfarzosa, sgargiante e coinvolgente agli occhi dei tanti viaggiatori. Con questa importante e rara rassegna si omaggiano quei fasti. Da geniale contrappunto farà l’altra grande mostra, nome post-moderno Barock, organizzata al Museo Madre, nelle cui sale illusioni barocche e realtà rivivono in una versione riveduta e corretta dall’arte contemporanea.

da sabato, 12 Dicembre 2009
a domenica, 11 Aprile 2010
Napoli
Via Miano 2,
Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte

Napoli, Via Miano 2, +39 848 800 288

+39 081 2294498

http://www.ritornoalbarocco.it

mostre@ritornoalbarocco.it

 Orari di apertura: dal lunedì al sabato dalle 9 alle 18. Sabato dalle 9 alle 14.

The Sebastian Gibson law firm provides International Business and Entertainment representation to businesses, entertainers, artists and celebrities from offices in Southern California. Learn more at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com

English and Welsh-trained and internationally experienced, the Law Firm of American Attorney Sebastian Gibson has been established for over 25 years. Experienced in practicing international law in Europe and around the world from California, Sebastian Gibson is one of those exceptional attorneys.

Specializing in the representation of entertainment and sports celebrities, business and international figures, Sebastian Gibson is that rare European trained international lawyer you need for your international representation.

Today, Capri is becoming one of the world’s leading centers for business and entertainment. Sebastian Gibson has had a strong affiliation with Capri since the 1980’s when he practiced exclusively in London and represented international figures and multinational companies in their business enterprises worldwide. His representation has included celebrities, royal family members, multinational corporations, insurance companies and even foreign central banks in a wide variety of legal matters.

Working with local Italian attorneys and lawyers, Sebastian Gibson can assist you with your legal issues and disputes and protect your legal rights in Capri and throughout Italy, Europe and the World.

Some of the areas of law the law firm specializes in include, celebrity, entertainment and sports figure representation, publishing law, invasion of privacy, defamation, misappropriation and misuse of images, music, film and television law, multimedia law, internet and advertising law, modeling law, talent agent and management representation law, intellectual property, trademarks, copyrights and patent law, licensing, gaming, media, marketing, business, real estate and personal injury.

The Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson can assist you in your international legal matters in California as your American law firm and we will coordinate representation of your international legal matters throughout Italy, Europe and the World, working closely with local attorneys.

U.S. and non-U.S. companies can enlist the assistance of International Attorney Sebastian Gibson in their legal matters by calling Sebastian Gibson internationally or e-mailing us from our website, www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com

In the entertainment and sports representation of celebrities, our experience affords us the ability to handle international contracts, licensing agreements, and to protect celebrity rights in privacy law intrusions, defamation and misuses of their names, likeness and images.

In business matters, the Sebastian Gibson law firm represents individuals as well as U.S. based and non-U.S. based companies with all aspects of their business ventures and enterprises. The law firm’s international business representation includes contract negotiations and drafting of complex international agreements, business fraud representation, intellectual property rights protection, joint ventures, licensing, distribution, agency matters, trade and customs disputes, electronic discovery, and dispute resolution.

Today, Sebastian Gibson represents models, writers, artists, performers, publishing companies and advises a host of celebrities in the entertainment field. Sebastian Gibson has also represented international insurance companies based in London as well as Canadian insurers and as a personal injury attorney today he knows how insurance companies analyze cases for settlement as well as anyone.

As a litigation lawyer, Sebastian Gibson is an accomplished attorney not only in litigation and discovery, but is also experienced in mediation and arbitration. He has obtained millions of dollars in settlements and has a number of seven figure million dollar plus settlements to his name.

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Sebastian Gibson received his B.A. from UCLA, and then obtained two law degrees, the first from Cardiff University in Wales, Great Britain and the second from the University of San Diego School of Law. He graduated cum laude from UCLA and magna cum laude from Cardiff University.

If you need legal international legal representation, call the law firm of R. Sebastian Gibson today, or e-mail him from his website at www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com

X-Pack

The clutch issue with the X-pack turned out to be a poorly adjusted clutch. I got underneath the car and fiddled with the clutch adjustment to see if that was what was causing it, and took it out for a spin confirming the clutch was working fine. We need to get a bracket or two to hold together the two parts of the gear linkage on the x-pack before the gearbox is working again. I was able to hold it together with some wire just to test it out on the road.

Skoda

Looks like the Skoda’s going to go to the great scrapyard in the sky. We removed the wings from it (barely had to use tools, just pulled them) and the rust on the inner wings and A-posts is pretty terminal looking. Niall’s stripped the car to a point where there’s not much left on it, and may be able to source a rapid in much better condition from the fella that sold him the estelle as a consolation because the estelle is so bad, which is nice.

Scirocco

The scirocco went in for its MOT with seven fails this week, so the weekend is going to be spent repairing that and then we’ll put it back through. A couple of brake pipe issues, bulb issues, and one of the rear shocks is gone. My friend is going to buy it from me once it goes through the MOT, but it’s had a couple of fueling issues recently too! So we’ll need to sort that out.

A tour through a land of astonishing beauty and amazing sites, combining exploration with relaxation, the ancient with the modern, fertile seascapes with volcanic terrain.

SORRENTO & VESUVIUS
Our tour includes Sorrento, dramatically positioned on a cliff-top position above the Bay of Naples. Great food and wonderful views beckon as we enjoy the evening passeggiata around the old, with its narrow streets. We are based in a family complex in Sorrento Peninsular, a short bus or train ride into the main town which makes a great base to take the short walk up to the crater rim of Vesuvius itself for a peep inside and some superb views right across the bay of Naples!

POMPEII & CAPRI
One of the highlights is our time at Pompeii, an affluent Roman city frozen in time. Once home to 15,000 citizens, these remains are a true archaeological wonder – a ghostly photograph of the instant when, in 79AD, an entire community was overcome by a blanket of scorching ash. Much of this unique site is preserved virtually intact, from the roadside ‘fast-food’ taverns, to the political graffiti, to the many palaces and ornamental courtyards; the plaster casts of the victims and animals gasping for breath add to the eeriness. Next we journey to the island of Capri, an artist’s haven. We take a cruise around the island (or visit the delightful Villa San Michele with its eccentric museum if the boat trip is not running), as well as enjoying some free time to discover the delights of this island.

EXPLORING THE AMALFI COAST
From our base in the Sorrento Peninsular we drive the short distance to one of the most celebrated stretches of the Mediterranean, the Amalfi Coast. The landscape is ideal for some gentle hikes along this rocky and lush shoreline. We visit a local Agriturismo to see how local produces is made, as well as a visit to local villages to stop for ice cream. The afternoon is spent making pizza or pasta so its time to become Jamie Oliver for the day, especially as Mum and Dad will be eating your creation afterwards! Your education continues when you visit a buffalo farm to watch a demostartion on how mozzarella cheese is made and try their produce as well as seeing the buffalos themselves and experiencing a working farm in action.

Source: Nature & Kind Travel Collection

Il Bed & Breakfast “Il Fauno” nasce dalla completa ristrutturazione di una villetta degli anni ‘70, situata in un’oasi di tranquillità a pochi passi da Pompei e dalle altre meraviglie della Campania.

La vicinanza a Pompei e il transfer gratuito da e per il B&B ne fanno il punto di partenza per una vacanza nell’assoluto relax per visitare gli Scavi della Città eterna e le altre meraviglie della Campania, quali Sorrento, Amalfi, Capri, Positano, Vesuvio, Napoli.

La struttura dispone di 3 camere doppie, dotate di ogni comfort come riscaldamento, aria condizionata, tv lcd, bagno privato “en suite”, phon, cassaforte,doppio specchio, specchio lungo, frigobar, connessione Wi-Fi in tutta la struttura, balcone attrezzato con vista giardino,book informativo.

La prima colazione è molto ricca, composta da latte, caffè, tè, biscotti, fette biscottate, brioches, croissant, corn flakes, miele, marmellate, frutta fresca e varia.
Insomma è una vera “festa del palato” che connota la loro ospitalità.

Il Fauno, luogo ideale per concedersi una vacanza alla scoperta dei tesori artistici e naturalistici della Campania, terra del Sole!

Per informazioni:
Bed and Breakfast Il Fauno
Via Domenico Catalano, 97
84018 – Scafati- 900 metri da Pompei
Tel: +39 334 9332434
Visita il sito ufficiale

Emma Marcegaglia spara a zero contro la spesa pubblica improduttiva e fa bene il Presidente di Confindustria a reclamare di diritto la diminuizione del peso fiscale alle imprese,perchè il fardello del carrozzone pubblico è principalmente politico.La politica corrotta ha creato un mostro della Pubblica amministrazione fatto di …

Marcegaglia offre collaborazione, facendo appello a una convergenza tra le forze politiche ed economiche, per uscire dalla crisi e per rilanciare il Mezzogiorno, al centro della due giorni a Capri dei Giovani Industriali: “Per il Sud servono politiche ordinarie, non straordinarie, fatte con intelligenza e serietà”, afferma il presidente di Confindustria, facendo appello a “una classe politica che non sia interessata al malaffare ma ai cittadini e alle imprese”.

E chiede al governo, e in particolare al ministro dell’Economia, Giulio Tremonti, che ”ci confermi una cosa molto importante per noi: la volontà in poche settimane di dare vita al fondo per aumentare il capitale delle Pmi”.

Rivolgendosi al governo, il presidente di Confindustria insiste nel fondamentale ruolo giocato dalla politica per il rilancio del Paese: “Come gli imprenditori che sbagliano falliscono, anche sul fronte della sanità gli amministratori che sbagliano vadano a casa e non siano più eleggibili: è un tema di efficienza, lealtà e correttezza”.

Fonte:
http://www.corsera.it/notizia.php?id=1693

Si chiama Vera Classe ed e’ il portale dedicato all’ eleganza ed al buon gusto ma anche alla moda raffinata, agli eventi di stile, ai motori di prestigio e naturalmente a viaggi meravigliosi in Italia e all’estero. In occasione del ponte dell’8 dicembre dedica uno speciale alle idee vacanze più esclusive. Dal fascino della capitale, fino alla spettacolare Venezia, passando per la romantica Parigi, la sofisticata Praga e la dinamica Milano, ma l’8 dicembre è tempo anche per la montagna, i Mercatini di Natale, la neve e le esclusive spa, alla ricerca del meritato relax. Nella foto l’Hotel Augustus di Capri, situato sull’Isola di Capri, l’Hotel 5 stelle domina e ammira uno dei paesaggi più belli al mondo ed è  facilmente raggiungibile in elicottero con Hoverfly da Roma e da Napoli. leggi lo speciale di Veraclasse.

Ingredienti:

• - 20     g       ricotta vaccina
• - 3       p.zi   trippa di baccalà da 10 grammi l’ una
• - 1                  taccola
• - 10     g        pancetta D’Osvaldo
• - 6       g         caviale Calvisius
• -          q.b.    sale fleur de lune, pepe e crescione shiso purple

Preparazione:

• - mettere la trippa di baccalà sottovuoto e cucinarla a 62°C per 60 minuti
• - passare la ricotta nel paco jet
• - tagliare le taccole e la pancetta a losanghe
• - saltare la pancetta in padella con poco olio e aggiungere le taccole
• - finire la cottura e condire con sale e pepe
• - cucinare la trippa in padella di ferro e condire con sale fleur de lune
• - mettere con un sac a poche una striscia di ricotta al centro del piatto
• - aggiungere taccole, pancetta e trippa
• - aggiungere caviale e decorare con shiso purple

Ricetta di Oliver Glowig, executive chef del Capri Palace Hotel&Spa 

Ristorante il Geranio: “Il Geranio”, a pochi minuti dalla famosa “Piazzetta”, affacciato sui mitici Faraglioni ed immerso nel verde del Parco Augusto, è il ristorante che oltre ad offrire l’arte della gastronomia mediterranea ed internazionale, ha un panorama mozzafiato che lo rende davvero unico per una cena all’insegna dell’ospitalità e dell’eleganza. Il ristorante dispone di una cantina fornita dei migliori vini italiani ed esteri. Ristorante Il Geranio: “un diamante incastonato nella Perla del Mediterrane…

Book Five — Chapter Ten Harold, Panflickian Mysticism, Adam Paints

CONTENTS NEXT

The Independence was small compared to the Cunard Queens Adam had travelled on on jaunts with the family and on solo trips with Melchizedek. Adam had the cheapest quarters he could get and still not have to share a cabin. He was in an inner room on the lowest deck surrounded with groups of female students in whom he displayed no interest. He was called on his anti-social mein and responded with simple demurrals such as, “I am not a hostile person,” and “I am not that social, that’s all.” He had brought along a ratty copy of “Jane Eyre” and would occasionally dip into it. He dined with his neighbors but offered little other than polite responses. He paid scant attention to much at all. The funk of chapter nine persisted.

But.

One evening when he was sitting quite alone in a large room in the bowels of the Independence, he watched as what appeared to be a family walked through the far entrance. The light was neither dark nor bright. It was an odd place for anything momentous. The children of the family could not have been more than pre-adolescent. A boy on the chubby side with slightly more than a crew cut. A taller girl with an infectious smile and long light brown hair. Behind them walked a woman who can only be described as a statuesque blonde, with a full head of hair that would do Betty Hutton proud. And behind her came a man of great solidity whose bulk suggested no shred of indolence or absence of strength. If one were to say he looked a bit like Ernest Borgnine, that would be accurate, but the man’s face was, in fact, about to become familiar to anyone who had an interest in classical music.

Yes, he would soon appear on television screens all over as the most photogenic member of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Its conductor Leonard Bernstein would, in 1958, launch a memorable series of Young Peoples Concerts. The man’s name was Harold Gomberg. He played oboe. The woman’s name was Margaret Brill. She was a professional harpist. The children were Gerald and Andrea.

Within less than five minutes, Adam had somehow been integrated into this Bergmanesque group, taken over as it were, in a fashion reminiscent of Sinicock. He spent most of the rest of the trip, through Gibraltar to Genoa, talking with Harold and socializing with the Gombergs. At times, there was a tension. Margaret might appear to wrest Harold away from some intense late night chatter.

I have said this was a seismic summer. Meeting Harold had much to do with it. But there was more.

The Gombergs were shamelessly wed to the small island of Capri, just off Naples. Even then Capri might have seen a “touristic” choice. But Capri was miles removed from what it is today. Tourists came, most certainly, but the island was doable. Its magic was unimpaired.

Harold invited Adam to spend the summer in Capri. Adam had few plans for his trip. So he proceeded from Genoa to Naples with not even a brief stop in Rome. He rode a boat across to Capri and took the funiculare up to the main square and wandered until he found a nearby albergo called La Residenza. That evening he walked back to the square and found Harold and his family in their favorite cafe, the one closest to the place where cabs disgorge their passengers. That was where all vehicular traffic was halted, making Capri proper deliciously car free.

Other people happened by the Gomberg’s table. Soon Adam had a passing acquaintance with the disparate group that formed Harold’s circle on the island.

Harold attributed the magic of Capri to radioactive air. Adam had no reason to question any scientific statement — lacking knowledge of the whole realm. The place was beautiful. It was a wonder. He made friends with Anello the owner, the owner of La Residenza. He wandered all all over.

What Harold imparted to Adam, aside from being a wonderful companion, was a sense of freedom. Adam could not get over the fact that Harold engaged in rigorous practice for six hours a day. The oboe is exacting and precise. It requires every ounce of feeling one can bring to it. When Harold emerged from this intense daily routine, he was a free man, at ease with what he was able to do, in love with the languid pace of life on this island. He exulted in the dolce far niente, the sweet doing nothing of the place. Swims in the sea, meals by the seaside, walks all over, long evenings in the piazza, talking, looking, breathing, being.

And painting.

Harold painted and his paintings were of sufficient quality to be exhibited and sold.

What Harold brought to Adam was an inestimable gift that was rarely stated in words. But it was easily understood and utterly right. It was the perception of the artist in our hero. Whether Adam understood this then is less important than the fact that it was true.

Harold encouraged Adam to paint. But I get ahead of the story.

Remember the massive funk our hero was in when he decided to make this trip? It did not leave him. It was going strong all the while. I do not think it was Portia so much as women in general, the need for women, the place of women in his life. When he experienced his depression, tendrils of despair enfolded his heart, suggesting a conundrum beyond his capacity to understand or reckon with.

But help was on the way.

Our hero had a notion to visit Rome and Florence. So after an orientation to Capri, he left the island. He was soon wandering the streets of Rome. Smelling the smells. Bumping. Dodging. Eyes darting. Ears filled with street noise and songs in the background,

He stayed on the cheap. His dark and rambling pensione stood near the too of the Spanish Steps. He read “Jane Eyre”.

Soon he set out for Florence by way of Siena. When he got there, he found a rather splendid pensione by the Arno. The Consigli. He got a spacious room with a painted ceiling and carved wood trim on the main floor. He promptly fell into bed. He had a discernable fever. He did not need a thermometer to know. He was burning bright.

The weather outside was threatening He spent a fitful night. He woke with the same fever. He huddled under the covers and read deeper into Jane Eyre. He set the paperback down and nodded off. He woke up. He nodded off. The depression was there in full flower.

As he read, something happened. He came to the following words in “Jane Eyre”.

“Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs. We are, and must be, one and all, burdened with faults in this world: but the time will soon come when, I trust, we shall put them off in putting off our corruptible bodies; when debasement and sin will fall from us with this cumbrous frame of flesh, and only the spark of the spirit will remain, — the impalpable principle of light and thought, pure as when it left the Creator to inspire the creature: whence it came it will return; perhaps again to be communicated to some being higher than man — perhaps to pass through gradations of glory, from the pale human soul to brighten to the seraph! Surely it will never, on the contrary, be suffered to degenerate from man to fiend? No; I cannot believe that: I hold another creed: which no one ever taught me, and which I seldom mention; but in which I delight, and to which I cling: for it extends hope to all: it makes Eternity a rest — a mighty home, not a terror and an abyss. Besides, with this creed, I can so clearly distinguish between the criminal and his crime; I can so sincerely forgive the first while I abhor the last: with this creed revenge never worries my heart, degradation never too deeply disgusts me, injustice
never crushes me too low: I live in calm, looking to the end.”

Adam got up. He set the book down, He dressed and made his way out to the street that ran along the Arno. He went in the direction of the Ponte Vecchio. He came to a square.

He walked into the square in the rain and the afternoon darkness and saw the open door of the Chiesa degli Ognissanti. He entered. It appeared empty. He went forward and took a seat in the rear. Even with the dark outside, the place was light. Before him, he could see a giant elevated crucifix.

He sat waiting. For what he did not know. No thoughts were in his mind. He simply sat. Time passed. An old woman came in. She passed Adam and took a seat farther up.

Adam sat.

Suddenly, the space filled with music. Someone playing the organ perhaps. Before he could ascertain this, Adam was seized by a sense of wholeness, of oneness with everything.

The words of Charlotte Bronte about the motion of things had touched something in him. He now felt an all-embracing sense of unity. I have ill-described it. It was his experience, not mine. In the rain that day in Florence his life was changed. His fever was gone. His depression was gone. He was healed at a deep level.

Why do I claim this? This unity, this sense of connectedness to everything, the ultimate redemption of everything? This visionary certainty? Many others have claimed the very same experience. Nietzsche up in Sils. Wesley at Aldersgate. Anyone suddenly swept with a tangible sense of oneness with everything.

When Adam got back to Capri, he did not speak of this. It was not something he ever spoke of. It simply was. There was an echo of it which was visual. One evening Adam walked alone to a vantage point south of the main square of Capri. It was a starry night of the sort one rarely sees today. Between the plethora of glittering stars in the sky and the plethora glittering lights on the of boats on the sea could be no line drawn. Heaven and earth were seamlessly joined. It was not a deduction. It was a jolt. An amen to Florence.

I have stated that the summer was seismic. Readers may scoff. Let me dare to advance. Remember Adam’s three month window of freedom after O-At-Ka? The Italy experiences were closer to ecstatic knowledge. Closer to the affirmation in “Jane Eyre”. If Adam had to choose a state of being, it would be the freedom he felt the previous summer and gradually lost. If Adam had been asked what he believed, he would have referred to the ultimate unity he sensed in his summer abroad. Together, Adam now knew what was important, what was true.

Though his depression had lifted, Adam was left with the problem of relating to women in some significant and enduring way. But he now began to be a bit oriented to opportunities that existed before his eyes as he wandered about Capri. There was a little clique of Roman nobles. I use the term loosely. They were rich. Their parents sat on the opposite side of the square from where Harold sat.

There was a club in Capri called Number Two, so named because its address was 2. The Number 1 address was for the resplendent Hotel Quisisana across the street. Numero Due opened very late every night and was actually a sort of cellar with dancing and the opportunity to buy a Strega or beer at the bar.

Integrated into this ciique, Adam danced at close and sensual quarters with a delightful young woman named Anna and then went parading with her in the sultry night air. Careful to emulate the hand on shoulder perambulations of his Italian counterparts. The group marched through the Piazza Umberto, with Harold and his friends looking from the left and the Roman nobility in horn rimmed glasses and high fashion regalia, looking from the right. Fellini missed the scene,

In addition to these pleasurable activities, Adam took up painting. Harold urged him. Adam liked the work of the local artist Eva Fischer. She did facades. He set out to paint his own facade. A river with a one dimensional collection of building faces filling the canvas. It consumed him. Colorblind, he simply used the colors as he pleased. Hour after hour. Day after day.

In the mornings a young, gay German named Klaus would arrive and see him through the consumption of a large glass of water. Adam would imbibe standing up and contracting his abdominal muscles so he could feel the liquid descending inside him. Klaus swore by the exercise. As in all his relationships with gay folk, there was never a moment of awkwardness. Adam’s proclivities were understood. Life went on as it should.

Painting. Drinking water in the morning. Walking down to the Piazza. Taking the funiculare down at noon. Riding a small boat to a little grotto where you could swim and find an outdoor buffet of sorts. Eating lunch under the noonday sun. A dish of delectable mashed potatoes with chunks of ham scooped onto a platter. Sitting nearly naked in the peace of the island’s radioactive air.

One day Harold almost got into a fight with Carmine, an Anthony Quinn-like native, but it subsided and all was well.

Adam wondered what it would be like to sleep with a woman. It almost seemed he would, with an older friend of Harold’s, but it never happened. He never knew why. Or maybe he did.

Back up to the Reginella on the Via Matermania for a snooze and more painting. The arrival of dark. A walk down the hill past small and wiry men carrying huge sacks of concrete. Crying “Attenzione!”

Another night of talk with Harold. Another trip to Number Two. Adam was exhaling.

The summer drew to a close. Harold came to inspect the painting. After more than a minute, he put his hand on Adam’s shoulder. “I can say honestly I would be happy to have painted that myself,” he said.

Adam took the painting back on the Independence. He carried it to Pickinsboro. Mildred was impressed enough to put in a handsome frame. He took it back to Williams. He hung it in the living room of the Panflick-Lanvin suite.

Portia was a few miles away in Bennington and he maintained some contact. But the pull was over. And he was entering a time when he would have no serious relationship with any woman until he met Ganya a few years hence. This would be the year when he would cause Melchizedek the worst pain of his life.

Portia never saw the painting. It turns out that no one would.

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