Ciaotraveler

and counting...thanks for reading and hope you view many more of my posts... more photos...

Top: Portugal, Ireland, France and Britain Who Drinks the Most? From country to country around the world, people’s relationship with alcohol varies greatly. In some places it serves as a point of national identity, and in others it has become detrimental to a country's overall health.   This data is presented by average annual per capita alcohol consumption (in liters of pure alcohol), drawing from both recorded sales figures and estimates of unrecorded usage, as well as further breaking it down by type of alcohol consumed.   As far as alcohol consumption goes, the United States is middle-of-the-pack , consuming only 9.44 liters of alcohol per person, per year, which is approximately half of the most heavily drinking countries.  One major trend: males consume more than females. This fact may not surprise most people, but there is only one county where this trend is reversed: Ecuador. See the list...

Europeans love their fresh brewed coffee and brewing it is as much of an art as it is a science.  Most coffee lovers say t he best way to control the time and temperature is to use a French press coffee maker , thus making it the best coffee making process.  The French press offers unparalleled flavor due to perfect extraction time and delivery of the volatile oils that are often trapped in paper filters. A French press is also the least expensive coffee brewer available.  To Make French Press Coffee read on...

From Italy Mag This is standard fare all over Italy after a hot summer meal. The wine is usually the red that was served with the meal, preferably a fruity one. At dinner parties, peach wedges are often presented on a large bowl of ice cubes. An easy but delicious "peach sangria" Italian style! Ingredients (per glass) 2-3 very ripe peaches A glass of chilled fruity red Italian wine such as Bardolino, Montepulciano D’Abbruzzo or Cerasualo di Vittoria. Slice the peaches into big wedges and place them in a glass. Pour in some wine until peach slices are covered and allow to soak for about 10 minutes, then use a fork to lift the marinated peaches from the wine and eat them …simply a beautiful habit!

Villa Toscana  is a popular name for all sorts of establishments around the US and Europe.  It can be anything from a restaurant, inn, clinic, plaza...  I love the name but don't want to feature every VT around the nation so here' s  Villa Toscana  in  Paso Robles , CA. and the  Villa Toscana , near Florence in  Italy .  Read on...

Upper left: Rustic in Rockport, Maine  Upper Right: Contemporary in Beverly Hills Lower left:   New England charmer Lower right:   Southern Stonecroft remodel from Hooked on Houses.                                                                               Thanks HonH; Curbed; WSJ Which one do you like the most?  Comment at end of post.

This infinity pool would be scary but exciting to use at least once.   Find this at the  Joule Hotel in Dallas Texas  (So.Living Mag) Californians have enjoyed the gorgeous  Neptune Pool at Hearst's Castle  (below) while touring Hearst Castle but did you know it's one of the 10 most extraordinary pools in the world?   I do like the old world design and Hearst flew in all of the Grecian and Roman columns, re-doing it several times before it was right.  Read on...

  The Maze at Leed's Castle ("The Loveliest Castle") i Kent, Eng. Hedge mazes were first gardens of decorative designs, edged with small hedges. Between the hedges was gravel, or flowers, or herbs, or grass.      It's a pleasant feeling to wander between the hedges. But as the hedges were made higher, it meant that you couldn't grow flowers or herbs any more. Finally, you have a full-size maze, where you can get lost (as I did).   Mazes are fun but can be very frustrating if you don't know where you're going, read on...

I've only been to Barcelona and Pamplona, Spain for the Bullfights and the Running of the Bulls (San Fermin Festival) but the food is very memorable...we ate paella every night to be exact.  However, in many of the larger cities, p eople gather in the streets to "food crawl" for tapas and wines late into the evening.   Tapas is more than a food, it's a "lifestyle" in Spain.  A nnie Sibonney  (above) knows Spain. After starting her own culinary tour company, she's spent the past five years eating her way through the rich cooking history of the country in search of the most memorable meals and culinary pleasures.  I love her show on Sunday mornings.  She recently featured Tapas on her show, read on...

Clips by ala-Parisienne The  Via Fillungo, Lucca, IT. The last time we visited Lucca, the fashionable window dressings along the Via Fillungo (main street) were filled with purple clothing and accessories.  When it's hot it's hot.  Cousin Nina even bought a purple leather purse!  That was cool...but the new Euro Pink is somewhere between muted salmon, fuchsia and a great raspberry tea --whichever you prefer. See more...

Piers Morgan interviewed Jeff Bridges this week on his show and they agreed the "Big Lebowski" was an all around good movie-comedy.  Bridges enjoyed playing "Dude" and has actually continued the "look" of Dude since then in my opinion...

The Germans love their beer.  The Bier Bike was spotted in Berlin, Germany A bizarre contraption, the Bier Bike has been on the streets of Berlin since this May. It operates on a simple system. Eleven peddlers sitting on bar stools move their feet in unison to propel the bike forward. The company’s sober driver sits up front and steers, making sure that the bike stays on course.   More photos:

  Hand made items at etsy-europe.com listed by countries (above rt:  My Cherry Tree)

Villa d'Este in Cernobbio (Lake Como Southwest section)

Tuscan Design The main colors used in  Tuscan decorating  are   earthy tones like  terracotta, olive green, deep browns  as well as  blues and gold  for  bright sunny days under clear  skies and the rich farm lands.   Tuscan style is the use  of  natural colors   in the  basic decorating schemes.  They are much  more bold in their ceramic pieces.   In Tuscany, the kitchen is one  of the most important  parts of the home.     I think that's true with any Italian family home.   When visiting with Italian relatives or friends, we'd eat, drink and talk  around the dining table for hours into the wee hours of the morning.   Everyone enjoys the ambiance of friends, family, some music and food.  There's  always plenty of everything to go around! Continue...

                                                                                                                             At Bella LaVina Wonderful Wines and T raditions  in Terra Bella, CA.! My friends Robbin, Susan and I recently enjoyed a warm Saturday in the agriculture- rich Central Valley in Terra Bella, California .   We met three wine producing families and sampled some country wines at their wineries.  Terra Bella has three new wineries that's starting a trend in the Central Valley.   They're all known for their    h and-crafted boutique wines  that are  often featured in  many valley restaurants.   Did you know that 90% of all US wine exported comes from California?  It ranks first in wine consumption in the USA and the fourth largest (regional) producers of wine in the world.   Although the Central Valley produces 71% of all grapes consumed in California,  little is known about this   beautiful land (Terra Bella) wineries.  Terra Bella is located

After four decades, Windsor Castle tower has reopened for tours read on...

My dear Cousin Maria sent these gorgeous photos taken in Napa during their recent trip with friends.  They flew out from Texas and were tasting wine by the afternoon!  More...

Portofino  is one of the crown jewels of the Italian Riviera, and this pastel sea-view villa is enshrouded in vines and bushes, with a peek at Praggi Bay below, the estate consists of five separate structures, a main house, an apartment house, and three guest houses for a total square footage of around 15,000 square feet. Italy , with all its history and historical attendance to style, has produced some truly stunning properties over the years, but the prices of the most ravishing villas can usually only be obtained on request.   These are advertised Italian Villas and Palazzos for sale with unadvertised prices.  Continue to see Venice, Rome, Lucca, Sorrento villas...

When I find something unique for those who love to travel I like to share it.  Spruce up your office bulletin board with these fashionable  Euro City designer push pins from Ballard Design.  I've used them in my graphics of photos below: continue for more.. .

Enjoy the Taste of Italy with Pizza Margherita! Julia Roberts enjoyed an original Pizza Margherita in Eat, Pray, Love... (see my post) Naples residents (where the pizza was created) say there are only two real pizzas: the Marinara pizza and the Margherita pizza . read on for the recipe...