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Be Italian! |
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Written by Sean Krebs |
Friday, 12 June 2009
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Have you seen the trailer for the new movie musical Nine (directed by Rob Marshall of Chicago fame) yet? What an absolutely stellar cast – Daniel Day Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruise, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench and Kate Hudson (playing an American fashion journalist – a role very close to my heart!). Plus Fergie (perfectly cast as “the whore from his youth”) belting out the song “Be Italian” – WOW!! And that scene where Daniel Day Lewis is driving the convertible along the winding Italian coastline totally gives me the chills every time I watch it (which has been many).
I love Italy. I’ve gone to Milan (for the runway shows) and Florence (for the Pitti Uomo trade show) several times for work. And my boyfriend and I have been spending a week in Capri (with a day in Rome on either end) every summer for the past four years. He speaks fluent Italian (perfected after attending business school in Milan for three years) – which makes everything that much easier.
For our tenth anniversary (yes, TEN years!) this past May, he surprised me by planning a romantic long weekend getaway. I only knew what to pack and what days we were leaving/returning. Even when we landed at Malpensa and were escorted to the tomato red vintage (1969) Fiat convertible that he had rented for us (inspired by my all-time favorite movie, Two for the Road, starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney), I still had no idea exactly where we were going.
After an hour drive with the top down and the sun shining (not sure how he managed that – as it had just been raining there non-stop for the past week), we ended up in Gargnano on the western coast of Lake Garda at the magnificent Villa Feltrinelli (see photo). The neo-gothic mansion, which has only 21 guestrooms, was the summer home of the extremely wealthy (obviously) Feltrinelli family and dates back to 1892. The villa underwent a major multi-million dollar renovation (that lasted four years) before re-opening to the public in 2001. Mussolini stayed there during World War II, Winston Churchill and (consummate interior illustrator) Jeremiah Goodman both painted it, and D.H. Lawrence deemed it “one of the most beautiful places on earth”. Believe him (and me), it is.
Of course, no trip to Italy would be complete without copious amounts of food and wine. We took a private boat trip (helmed by a handsome young local straight out of Central Casting) to dine on the patio at San Vigilio overlooking the lake. My boyfriend also discovered (after reading about it in the Financial Times) another perfect spot for outside dining – Antica Locanda Mincio in Valeggio sul Mincio (about an hour from the villa, outside of Verona). There I had the house specialty (pumpkin ravioli – see photo) and he had the trippe (cow stomach – I’ll spare you the photo of that) while we watched the fish in the perfectly clear teal green river. My favorite meal (filet mignon with a local melted cheese on top) was at the charmingly rustic La Tortuga, while my boyfriend loved the sardines at Ristorante Lido where you could see the 75 year-old grandmother/owner personally prepare all of the food in her brightly-lit kitchen.
Article continues below... 
Viva Italia!
PRIZE PATROL!
Need more reasons to love Italy? Continuing with this month’s theme, Instinct is accaldato (that’s “excited” in Italian) to give away 10 bottles of Only The Brave – the latest fragrance from Diesel (the international mega-brand which calls Molvena, in Northern Italy, home).
Inspired by the pioneering spirit of Diesel’s Founder, Renzo Rosso, and men that possess the determination and strength to stand up and be counted - Only The Brave is a provocative blend of powerful notes (including coriander, lavender, and amber). Only The Brave truly is the essence of the Diesel man in a bottle (a bottle in the shape of a fist, no less!).
Think you’re man enough? Then e-mail us at
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with “Diesel” in the subject line and tell us in 100 words or less about your latest act of bravery. The first 10 entries (with a valid e-mail, home address and telephone number) win a 1.7oz. bottle of Only The Brave – which retails for $52.50. Only one entry/winner per household please.
Go to www.isbrave.com for more information – and make sure to check out the videos of recording artist Common (the star of the Only The Brave advertising campaign) performing at the launch parties in Los Angeles and Paris!
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