Italian Cars

I love seeing all the interesting little cars that I often encounter when I travel to places like Italy, France and Japan.  Due to the lack of space, these cities all have come up with some innovative and cute means of transportation.  My Italian friends always ask me why Americans drive such big cars (suv's, large sedans etc) when they don't really need such a large car.

I am glad to see that hybrid cars and smaller vehicles like the Mini Cooper and now the Smart car which was introduced to the U.S. a few months ago are becoming more popular.  It is better for the environment, not to mention your wallet as we continue to see gas prices soar!

Roma Bound

Ciao Tutti!  I am happy to say that I will be heading to Roma next month for a mini vacation with my good friend Felicia from California.  It is a well deserved vacation as I have been working 24x7 on completing my Spring 2009 collection and also filling my Fall 2008 orders which hit stores last week. 

The Fall 2008 collection has been selling well and I am getting good feedback from the store owners as well as the customers!  What a relief, it is such a thrill for a designer to know that their hard work is appreciated.

Now I will head to Roma to experience new sights, sounds and of course new gelati flavours!  Anyone who has already been to Rome knows about the famous gelateria's that seem to pop up on every cobblestoned street.  The presentations are always delightful and the flavours so fresh and out of this world!  So many flavours that you have never heard of in the States.  It is definitely one of my most enjoyable past times when I am in Roma.  I try to taste a new flavour every day and sometimes several times a day. 

My two favourite Gelateria's in Rome are Giolitti & San Crispino for both the freshness and the unique flavours.  Don't forget to get a cono con panna as the whipped cream in Italia is to die for! Buon appetito!

Giolitti www.giolitti.it

Via degli Uffici del Vicario, 40
00186 Roma (Lazio), Italy

San Crispino www.ilgelatodisancrispino.it

Via Della Panetteria, 42
00187 Roma (RM), Italy

Stay tuned for pictures and reflections from this upcoming trip! Ciao!

The Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre is located in the provence of La Spezia in the Ligura region of Italy.  Cinque Terre is comprised of 5 coastal villages called Monterossa al Mare (my favourite), Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. 

Last June, I had the opportunity to visit these 5 villages and did the famous Cinque Terre hike where you start at one village and hike from one village to the next. 

The hike was several hours long and although it was very hot, the scenic views of the beautiful azure ocean and the charming towns and vegetation made the hike a very worthwhile adventure!