All About Me In...

Emirates A380

2008-09-20T19:27:00.001+01:00

2008-09-05T15:27:00.002+01:00

Sterling Magazine

Mykonos

2008-08-26T17:22:00.001+01:00

Lisbon

2008-08-12T14:52:00.004+01:00

Air New Zealand

2008-08-09T21:46:00.003+01:00

Pink Flight

Côte D'Azur

2008-08-03T23:13:00.010+01:00

Grand Hotel Cap-Ferrat

Hotel Byblos

Hotel de Paris

Hotel Chevre d'OR

Hotel Hermitage

Hotel Martinez

www.youtube.com

2008-07-30T01:16:00.001+01:00

LunaJets

2008-07-19T15:35:00.005+01:00

www.lunajets.com

2008-07-07T00:12:00.001+01:00

Gucci Cruise 2009 Fashion Show

I love my job...

2008-07-06T14:58:00.002+01:00

Hair Salon in Bond St. - Work in progress.

London

2008-07-06T13:41:00.001+01:00

The Blue bar at the Berkeley Hotel

Rio de Janeiro - Sao Paulo

2008-07-03T18:12:00.001+01:00

Hotel Fasano

2008-07-03T18:08:00.002+01:00

Hotel Oscar - Madrid

2008-06-27T15:21:00.003+01:00

Room Mate Hotels

HELP!

2008-06-19T15:40:00.000+01:00

Cartier

2008-06-18T11:24:00.002+01:00

Love Cartier

Sevilla

2008-06-17T11:56:00.004+01:00

El Buli

For culinary enthusiasts who consider Molecular Gastronomy a religion, Chef Feran Adria is the Messiah. Adria is credited with putting foam (and the small town of Roses, Spain) on the map. And although it might sound like a case of The Emperor’s New Clothes, people make pilgrimages from far and wide to taste dishes garnished with ‘Cordoba air’. The menu changes constantly based on what the mad scientist is destabilizing in the laboratory.

To reserve: Visit the ‘Reservations’ department on the restaurant’s site and you’ll read that, “The restaurant is fully booked for our season 2007… but we will be at your disposal to revise if cancellations are produced…” Meaning: Keep your Learjet at the ready during ‘the season’ (April to September) and call or e-mail each day to check for cancellations. To secure a slot in 2008, launch a heavy contact campaign the second week in October.

Mexico City

2008-06-17T11:49:00.002+01:00

Chic by Accident

Shangai

2008-06-17T11:42:00.001+01:00

M Suites at Pier One, Shanghai

The facts
M Suites is one part of the supper club-lounge-boutique hotel Pier One complex. The 24 rooms in this boutique lodge were decorated by eight international minimalist designers with the über-chic in mind. The suites feature expected amenities for a boutique hotel such as flat-screen TVs and iPod stereo, plus other fashionable inclusions like a private yacht at the guests’ disposal.

The scoop
Located in the warehouse-trendy Suzhou Creek area, Pier One, a former Chinese beer factory, now resembles the Art Deco buildings one could expect to find in Miami’s South Beach. The edifice is in short distance of numerous concept shops, trendy office lofts and Moganshan Lu, the art gallery district of the city. Apart from the petite hotel, the meticulously chic complex also serves as home to Mimosa Supperclub – a white-themed restaurant specializing in 3, 5 and 7 course meals served on indulgent bed/tables – and Monsoon – a modern Asian decorated bar and lounge complete with a roof terrace and a Jacuzzi overlooking the creek. A younger, hedonistic crowd is seen here on a regular basis, attending mostly private functions hosted by luxury brands.

The vibe
Expect an active, champagne-influenced environment on weekends with a more relaxed, yet just as chic, atmosphere throughout the week. M Suites is a haven for those who crave a young, hip and artsy environment with their glass of Cristal.

Somewhere near Porto

2008-06-10T13:58:00.008+01:00

My friends farm in the (deep) countryside...

Porto

2008-06-06T18:34:00.002+01:00

The Sheraton Porto - A more or less of a good hotel...

I'm not a fan of Porto - not at all! But if you find you have to go to Porto, this hotel will serve you well. The hotel is large and modern. The furnishings are a nauseating red and brown - made me feel like I'd travelled back in time into the '70s...
The big plus is the spa. Amazing actually!

At Home with Ivanka Trump

2008-06-04T21:59:00.000+01:00

In Porto...

2008-06-04T19:43:00.001+01:00

Oh Yeah!

2008-05-30T22:23:00.004+01:00

Os cães ladram e a caravana passa

2008-05-26T02:23:00.004+01:00

O VALOR DO SILÊNCIO

No decorrer de nossa vida, muitas vezes sofremos ataques injustos, ofensas, e até mesmo somos vítimas de calúnias, fatos provocados por momentos de raiva de algumas pessoas, que, com motivo ou não, se acham no direito de nos atacar. Quem não já passou por momentos assim? Sempre existem pessoas que se comprazem em agredir alguém.

O nosso primeiro impulso é revidar, devolvendo as violências e as ofensas à altura, dando assim início a um círculo vicioso sem fim, pois sempre atos violentos, geram uma resposta de igual ou maior violência.

Se tais ataques representarem iminente perigo para nossa integridade física, claro que deveremos armar um esquema de defesa. Contudo, se forem ataques meramente verbais, cuja resposta poderá originar uma discussão que poderá ir num crescendo, podendo levar a conseqüências tristes, penso que a melhor política é a do silêncio.
Simplesmente ignorar os ataques, dando tempo para a pessoa refletir e possivelmente cair em si, e chegar à conclusão de que tais atitudes não levam a nada. E as reveja.
Uma citação do Dalai Lama:

"Descobri que o mais alto grau de paz interior decorre da prática do amor e da compaixão. Quanto mais nos importamos com a felicidade de nossos semelhantes, maior o nosso próprio bem-estar. Ao cultivarmos um sentimento profundo e carinhoso pelos outros, passamos automaticamente para um estado de serenidade. Esta é a principal fonte da felicidade".

American Express New Service

2008-05-25T14:02:00.000+01:00

Amex-Travel

Nike does Lisbon

2008-05-25T13:29:00.000+01:00

Lisbon

2008-05-22T23:17:00.000+01:00

Suites Bairro Alto

Back in Saint Paul de Vence

2008-05-19T20:27:00.000+01:00

Me

2008-05-15T16:47:00.000+01:00

Pedro Caldeira - updated

Photos by Charney Magri

London

2008-05-15T00:59:00.000+01:00

Kensington Roof Gardens

Arizona

2008-05-15T00:45:00.000+01:00

The Four Seasons - Residence Club in Scottsdale

Chanel

2008-05-09T13:31:00.001+01:00

Chanel - Mobile Art

Virgin Atlantic - Upper Class

2008-05-07T09:57:00.000+01:00

For the super rich...

2008-05-07T09:45:00.001+01:00

Quintessentially

Delhi

2008-05-06T10:25:00.000+01:00

The Imperial Hotel - Delhi

This gracious establishment (built in 1931) is the best hotel in Delhi -- certainly for anyone wanting something a little more atmospheric than any chain, no matter how luxurious, can hope to offer. Only at The Imperial can you recover from your jet lag in luxury while experiencing something of the elegance of colonial-era Delhi -- without even setting foot out of the lobby. It's also incredibly convenient (only a short stroll to Connaught Place) yet tranquil. It's comfortable as well, having undergone a major renovation that left the Raj-era atmosphere untouched but loaded with every amenity you'd expect from a five-star hotel. Spacious guest rooms (no need for a suite; opt for an Imperial or Heritage Room) with wonderfully high ceilings are furnished in colonial-era elegance. However, it is the public areas, like the double-volume colonnaded veranda and grand 1911 bar, that are a sheer delight -- huge, elegant, and everywhere a showcase of Delhi's imperial past. A huge collection of original art adorns every corridor. Silver-service breakfasts are among the best in the world. This quiet, dignified hotel is not only the perfect place to acclimatize, but we believe it ranks among the top city destinations in the world.

Inevitably, prices have risen, but it's worth every penny!

Goa

2008-05-03T10:58:00.000+01:00

The Club at the Leela Hotel

There is nothing less positive to say about this hotel.

The service, interiors, restaurants, swimming pool, spa and beaches, they all truly deserve five stars!

2008-05-01T17:30:00.001+01:00

THE HOUSE DIRECTORY

Mumbai

2008-04-30T15:26:00.000+01:00

The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower

The Reality...

After four visits to the Indian Embassy in London (to get my visa) and four other shots in both my arms, seven malaria pills and a ten-hour flight, I finally got to India.

I always heard this place would be an extreme between rich and poor, I also knew it probably wouldn’t be my cup of tea. But I made it anyway and I think I can now say that I know the world, much better.

I got to Mumbai around 2:00pm and from the moment I stepped out of the airport, into the taxi, I was in constant disbelief!

So far I have been in India for five nights and the only thing I can think of to describe this city is - MESS! One good example of it – When I asked the taxi driver if these beggars, who I was seeing them everywhere, where really hungry or just trying to get some cash out of the tourists, he told me that these people are actually in a organized group.
The grown up’s are actually not hungry but the children are. Many couples have one baby after the other just to make life easier by carrying them around and touch peoples hearts and wallets.

It is shocking to know that here you can find some of the richest families in the world and yet, at the same time, the poorest. It is impossible to go anywhere without having a beggar asking you for help. The moment you step out of a hotel (even a five star one) you are woken up with a dramatic reality check.

Being positive and looking at the flipside to this all, is that Mumbai has a great nightlife, amazing hotels and even better nearby beaches. It is also a fact that India, together with Brazil, Russia and China is the fastest growing economy in the world. Hard to believe!

Virgin Atlantic - The Lounge

2008-04-29T16:13:00.000+01:00

Virgin Atlantic's vision is to create an airline that people love to fly, and they add to that that they want to have some fun doing it. The business class lounge at London Heathrow is a perfect example of just how they are bringing this vision to life.
The airline was created by Richard Branson, and now part owned by Singapore Airlines. It s based out of the UK, and seems to be adding more and more routes every year.

I have never been in an airport lounge quite like it.
I used to think that their old lounge was something pretty amazing, but this one leaves you literally breathless. The lounge opened a few months back and is open to people flying Upper Class or who have a Frequent Flyer Gold card.

Upper Class is what they call their premium cabin as they do not have a First Class but offer a kind of hybrid First/ Business. I say hybrid as they price it the same as business class fares of their competition but throw so much more in.

The sort of extras that they throw in for the fare includes: a limo that collects you and takes you to the airport (which in the UK checks you in and had a drive through check-in so you never have to queue), the amazing Clubhouse at Heathrow, seats on the plane that are lie flat and are the largest in the business, a sit down bar and also free massages en route!

But the feature of this posting is the lounge at Heathrow. Posted below are a pile of photos of the place to show how stunning it is. It takes your breath away when you walk in for three reasons: (1) as it is so huge, (2) it looks incredible, like a 1970s inspired fantasy of an airport and (3) the glittering array of free services and features.

The services and features include (and remember you pay nothing extra for any of them):

Cowshed spa with massages, wet shave etc
Bumble & Bumble hair salon
Shoe shine service
Brassiere restaurant
Deli
Menu and drinks service at all seating areas (I had delicious organic scrambled eggs and Scottish salmon)
Cocktail bar
Pool table
Monster multi screen cinema
Internet café and library, although there are laptops with free internet access dotted all over the place for you to use
Play area with games
Business Center
Outside viewing area, to watch the planes taking off

The Ritz - Lisbon

2008-04-26T11:25:00.000+01:00

What are people saying about the Ritz...
aSmallworld.net readers:

Perfect Pilates studio with an outstanding teacher, great Spa, friendly staff.
Olga
Great service. Varanda restaurant definitely worth dining at.
Pedro

Amazing hotel and restaurant... very luxurious rooms and friendly staff
Turan

GRAND. One of the best 10 hotels in the world.
Manuel

Great breakfast buffet. The rooms are old and the entire building is crumbling
Cristina

Best service, best views and amazing refurbished rooms... Definitely the top hotel in Lisbon!
Pedro

The Spa is fantastic and so was the service!! Loved it!
Daniel

Best breakfast, incredible spa... superb organiztion and the most confortable bed... my rate is a 10!
Jose Manuel

Great for lunch
Marta

Best hotel for business in Europe. Best Hotel buffet I ever tried (both breakfast and lunch). No comparison to Hotel da Lapa, the Ritz is much much better.
Pedro

2008-04-16T14:33:00.000+01:00

Me

2008-04-15T18:41:00.000+01:00

Pedro Caldeira - Updated

Lanesborough Hotel

2008-04-15T17:46:00.001+01:00

Lanesborough Hotel

Harvey Nichols

2008-04-15T17:27:00.000+01:00

Spring/Summer 08 Key Trends

Put away your reservations and your boring old grey suits, because this season is all about bright colour, and lots of it. Red, green, blue, you name it, it's en-vogue. If sport's more your thing, then Olympic-inspired styles from Dries Van Noten's judo tops to DSquared2's racing driver jumpsuits, are also going to be key players. For a smarter tailored feel, choose one of the Summer's reworked and very modern blazers. Here's the full details...

India

2008-04-14T13:37:00.000+01:00

Amanbagh

A small publicity...

2008-04-14T13:19:00.000+01:00

Amélia

London - Home

2008-04-14T12:52:00.000+01:00

The birthday girl...

www.paulabobone.net

Sex And The City - The Movie

2008-04-13T02:16:00.001+01:00

2008-04-11T19:40:00.000+01:00

A kithaus

Four Seasons - The Ship

2008-04-11T19:36:00.000+01:00

The Four Seasons will launch a residential ocean liner from London with spa and concierge service, among others. Residences starting at $3.8 million. Sales began recently, and the ship is scheduled to begin service in 2010.CONTACT (877) 507-3393 or www.oceanresidences.com.

The Four Seasons — a 719-foot, 13-deck ship operated by the hotel company that will be filled entirely with residences — will begin construction next spring in Helsinki, Finland. Its 112 residences are described as nothing like standard cruise ship cabins. The one- to four-bedroom units, sold in whole ownership, will range from 800 to more than 7,000 square feet and will have full-length windows, walk-in closets, terraces and full-size kitchens. Each residence will be credited $12,000 a year for food, drinks and spa services. Amenities, other than the spa, will include a fitness center, a pool, a shopping promenade, four restaurants, a specialty food market, a wine cellar, a business center, putting greens and a driving range. Sailboats and motorized water scooters will be launched from the ship’s marina area, which will also be used for diving trips and shuttles to shore. Round-the-clock concierge service will be available to help arrange on-shore activities, and in-room dining will be offered. Plans call for the ship initially to follow a two-year fixed itinerary that will take it to Antarctica, the Amazon and the 2012 Olympics in London. During that time, it is expected that the ship will spend an average of 250 days a year in port.

Melbourne - 2007

2008-04-08T23:45:00.000+01:00

Its your birthday!

2008-04-07T11:33:00.000+01:00

As letrinhas de Amélia

Trureloo

Philippe Starck

2008-04-06T17:35:00.000+01:00

Philippe Starck Wants You to be More Sexy

Internationally renowned lifestyle designer Philippe Starck has a dream to "make a place where people are more awesome, are more sexy, are more smart, more sparkling... " and he announced today a global partnership for a new ultra-luxury hotel brand, Starck Hotels, that he says will make people fall in love all over again.

Philippe Starck is the world's leading lifestyle designer with a self described 'tribe' of millions who covet his every concept, whether it is for a computer mouse, chair or hotel. It was Starck who redefined what a hotel could be nearly two decades ago and who now, in partnering with Geneva based F6, can finally realize his life long dream to infuse a luxury hotel with what he calls the "beauty of intelligence."

Starck said he is granting F6 an exclusive Master License Agreement (MLA) to develop, market and operate the brand with Starck providing all design and conceptual support. Starck Hotels will be a subsidiary of F6; formed to launch the brand, work with Starck to develop a new template for an ultra-luxury hotel and identify prime locations to work with partners towards the development of up to 35 hotels in prime locations around the world in the next five years.

Geneva

2008-04-04T17:12:00.000+01:00

Have a lunch in Old town (La Demi Lune for snacks, tapas or main plate or Le Mortimer for nice bistro) and then have a walk. Begin around old town and finish along the lake.

La perle du Lac is more for business lunch and a bit out of the center and L'Entrecôte is well know for its unique plate "entrecôte" but you have to queue if you arrive after 12:00 as there are no reservations!

Going back to The Hotel Richemond after fifteen years was a disappointment!
Recently renovated, they transformed what was a beautiful, elegant and chic hotel, into a bad taste and pretentious one. Shame! The Four Seasons is a much better option for hotel fans!

Verbier

2008-04-03T19:37:00.000+01:00

Restaurants:
Au vieux verbier
Toro Negro
Hôtel & Restaurant Le Chalet d'Adrien
Alpage

Hotels:
Hotel Nevai
Hotel Montpelier
Le Chalet d'Adrien

Nightclubs:
The Farm Club
CocoClub

Ivanka Trump

2008-04-03T09:27:00.000+01:00

The Ace of Diamonds

"The first fashion show I attended was Valentino in Paris when I was six or seven," says the exceptionally poised Ivanka Trump, who sits across from me in her spacious Trump Tower corner office with a mega view, wearing Prada culottes, Asprey loafers, and a casual knit top. Her office walls are adorned with articles about herself and her family. "As long as I can remember I've always appreciated the finer things—whether they be jewelry or architecture." It is evident that if anyone has a keen eye for aesthetics it should be Ivanka, who undoubtedly learned about fashion and jewelry from her mother Ivana Trump. She says, "from a young age, I was exposed to a really amazing collection of fine jewelry, and I took my love of that from her."

Now 26 and very much a confident woman in her own right, Ivanka has just launched a diamond jewelry line that bears her name and is housed in a feminine, boudoir-inspired shop on Madison Avenue in New York. The line, which seeks to reinvent older Hollywood glamour by offering modern day interpretations of collections from the 1920s to the 1960s, includes engagement rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. A delicate diamond oval, accented with coral detail, is the signifying emblem of the collection and is discreetly designed into each style. Her favourite piece from the collection is a pair of diamond briolette tassel earrings.

Already bullish about the success of her line, the Wharton grad has high hopes for the future, with plans to open shops in Las Vegas and Japan. All the while, she continues her rapid ascension in her father Donald Trump's empire: She was recently named director of the Trump Gaming Company, serves as the vice president of development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization, and is a boardroom advisor on The Apprentice.

Ivanka is not just beautiful; she is decidedly sexy—and not shy about it. Case in point, her recent story in Harper's Bazaar in which she appears on a construction site as a "Drill Sergeant" in Dior by Galliano heels, and a low cut Eres bathing suit. What's more—in the photo, she's pumping a drill. "I think you walk a thin line," says Ivanka. "The Harper's Bazaar [piece] was certainly the furthest I've ever crossed it in terms of what I would consider appropriate but I have to think about the fact that I'm 26 years old. There is a time and a place to do that type of stuff and have a little fun and laugh about the duality of the young girl/business individual. I'm much more self confident in my abilities and skills now so I don't think that stuff undermines me."

To me, Ivanka demonstrates the qualities a post-feminist icon—feminine and powerful while visibly dominating a man's world. Not scared by the F word, she takes my observation as a compliment and remembers how hard it was for her mother's generation to break into "the club." She also laments how "80s powersuits with big shoulder pads" made women appear masculine. Today, Ivanka tells me that she would have no qualms about showing up to the office in a pink suit.

When she's not busy being a Trump, I see glimmers of the softer, private Ivanka. In recalling a time when she felt true embarrassment, she shares an amusing story of her first day at boarding school when her wrap skirt fell off. "I walked half way across campus before realizing my skirt was half a mile back – that was awkward." Describing herself as "pretty mellow," she enjoys spending time with school pals she's known her whole life, watching cheesy 80s movies and eating mozzarella sticks. Of her personal convictions she's passionate, and speaks freely of her disdain for the Iraq war. "A great social injustice is that we are in Iraq – I spend a lot of my time thinking about that."

When asked what Ivanka would change about herself, she confesses, "I'd probably take more time to reflect—it's easy to get consumed with everything that's going on." And then, without missing a beat, she was off to a board meeting.

I can't help but wonder how she does it all, and what her average day entails. "There is no typical day. I don't think I'd be as excited about what I do in life if there were." She does, however, admit that she doesn't sleep much and works long hours, often with periods of lengthy travel. On weekends, she comes into the office to attend to "non time-sensitive initiatives."

It's clear that Ivanka is a hard worker. About those who have judged for her being spoiled, she says, "I think that I used the prejudgment or condescension of others to motivate me to push myself harder to do more. It made me more defiantly ambitious, if you will. I expect a lot from myself but there is something extremely motivating about knowing that people are underestimating you."

On the flip side, being born a Trump does have its privileges. "I never really wanted for much growing up. I didn't have to worry if I could afford to attend the college I was accepted to, or if I had a roof over my head. These are things we should not take lightly."

American Boy

2008-03-28T15:23:00.001Z

Virgin Atlantic

2008-03-27T14:21:00.001Z

Inflight massage station

Virgin Atlantic's new Upper Class Suite is set to challenge the traditional first class market and become the natural choice for soon-to-be homeless Concorde flyers. Priced at a business class fare, but targeted at both business and first class markets, the Upper Class Suite is supported by a groundbreaking integrated launch campaign, created by Start.

The challenge; To create a revolutionary strategy, which would be Virgin Atlantic's first ever global below-the-line product launch and branding campaign solely from the UK.
Initially, Start branded the new Upper Class Suite following extensive strategy and naming discussions with Virgin Atlantic's Brand Team and advertising agency Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R. The name 'Suite' signifies a quantum leap in quality and comfort offered by the new concept - a radical, patented new design providing passengers with an extra-wide seat that flips over into a customised, extra-long bed - in relation to rivals' standard business and first class seats. This required a novel approach for launch communications.

The solution: a global campaign featuring integrated, on and offline direct marketing pieces tailored to key audiences. The high-value showcase brochure was styled after a 12" limited edition album and will be sent to 2 400 top corporates and premier flying club members across the UK. A 7" version of the brochure was also sent to over 90,000 flying club members, travel agents and flyingco. companies across the UK. In the US, a total of 120 000 brochures are being sent out to top corporates, flying club members and travel agents. Over 56 000 will be sent out in South Africa, and 4 000 in Japan.

The key brochure pieces invite the audience to the microsite, the hub of the campaign. The site enables the visitor to explore the Suite concept and simulate the new Upper Class cabin experience. HTML emails were sent to over 230 000 flying club members across the UK, and over 118 000 members in the US, to drive them to the microsite where they can experience and explore the Upper Class Suite for themselves. Start also developed a moving image video that translates the ground-breaking Suite concept into a corporate sales environment.

Start also created a 'Suite Selection' chocolate box, sent to nearly 2 500 agencies and intended as a 'sharer' mailer for agencies to distribute and enjoy. The 'Suite Selection' raises awareness and drives excitement about the new product. It includes the 7" brochure and encourages agents to visit the microsite trade section for offers, incentives and to experience the Upper Class Suite.

With the Upper Class Suite campaign, Start has made a revolutionary change to the look and feel of airline photography and imagery. By layering interiors photography with moving-image fashion-style photography inspired by style and fashion magazine art direction, the brochures, video and microsite have real energy and synergy.

Breda Bubear, Head of Advertising and Promotions, Virgin Atlantic says: "The day has finally arrived and didn't you do us proud! The site is working perfectly and we're getting great reaction to it...Thanks again for being as passionate as us about this project - we couldn't have done it without you!"

Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin, says: "Our Upper Class Suite demonstrates our firm commitment to continue to invest in product innovation. Quite simply, our Upper Class Suite gives you everything and more than you get in others' first class - except the bill!

Saint Paul de Vence

2008-03-25T13:57:00.000Z

United International First Class

2008-03-20T13:49:00.001Z

Lounge

Terminal 5 Heathrow

2008-03-20T13:38:00.000Z

Facts and Figures
Terminal 5 will be able to handle 30million passengers per year, taking Heathrow's total number of passengers to around 90 million. This will make Heathrow the world's busiest airport.

The new terminal building will be big enough to fit around fifty football pitches across its five floors.

The terminal's control tower will be the highest in the UK.

Around 18km of conveyor belt will be used to transport luggage around the terminal when it opens.

It is the UK's largest ever single site archaeological project, with over 100 hectares of land requiring investigation.

So far there has been over 80,000 artefacts found throughout the project, including pottery, worked flint, a hand axe dating back to 3000BC, a wooden bowl and a wooden bucket dating back to 1500BC - 1100BC.

My new investment - Madrid

2008-03-19T16:50:00.000Z

Off to Saint Paul de Vence

2008-03-18T20:00:00.001Z

I am finally off to Saint Paul de Vence, a small medieval village fifteen minutes from Nice, twenty from Cannes and hour from Monaco and Eze. Originally made famous as a favourite of Picasso and Matisse and today is the chic, secret enclave where stars have their second home – Rod Stewart and Roger Moore.

Anyone who is anyone at the Cannes film festival heads to the terrace of La Colombe d’Or which hasn’t changed for fifty years. The walls are adorned with original paintings by Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Van Gogh and there is even a Giacometti sculpture by the hotel pool.

La Colombe d’Or

Why I like going there so much? Because its understated, chic, close to the sea and all the French riviera parties, yet it seems like a world away.

M's House

Ramses - Madrid

2008-03-18T18:54:00.000Z

Ramses - a bar, a restaurant and a club - is the most recent creation of a designer-hooligan - Philippe Starck. Expanding on three floors and opened just in December 2007, it outshines any of Starck's latest designs, including Bon restaurant in Moscow or a hotel Fasano in Rio de Janeiro.

Though, a bar occupies a large space in the centre of the first floor, do not rush to associate it with a lounge. Old guy Starck has found again an opportunity to play around with his favorite interior object - a chair. Scalps are split off not to garden gnomes at this time (as at St.Martins Lane hotel, London), but Oscar statuettes - at least gold-color faces seem to have exactly the same features as the famous Hollywood movie award. Someplace else guests may plop down on small rocking-chairs, with seats bearing cheeky posteriors' imprints! Despite this minor recklessness, Starck reveals his presence just in few more details there - leaving the overall ambience of the bar light and tastefully minimalistic.

The dance club, too, located in the basement floor, does not present much surprise to Starck's style connoisseurs - a small bar, dim lighting and an excellent nightclub atmosphere. The true Starck's extravaganzas start at the second floor restaurant, lavishly garnished with flaunting decadent elements. Pompous candelabra, eclectic sofas and an absolute mixture of styles in chair design - some being upholstered with black and white fur even. Also a bar design stirs a peculiar sensation, as you savor a drink sitting on a bar stool with broken off arm supports and a word "DEAD", as if with a designer's own thumb, daubed on its back...

Along with the main restaurant area there are two smaller dining-rooms - the biggest of which may seat no more than twenty guests. It's almost impossible not to put your nose in the air there, as an impressive El Greco copy stretches all over the ceiling. Another, the smallest one, meant for just ten people, features an autonomous kitchen, with a chef cooking according to particular wishes of the guests only.

And, yes, a visit of a restroom! As in most of Starck's restaurants, it is an experience in itself. A marble washbasin bears an amazing resemblance to a table used in forensic medicine, while a graceful swan neck stretches out instead of a water tap - much like the ones of the hotel Faena in Buenos Aires (priding in Starck's interior, too).

Cuisine, although seemingly disregarded (quite often being the case at Starck's restaurants), is outstanding, too. It features a creative approach in vast variety of international dishes, including Middle East hummus and beef tails.

Hotel Santo Mauro - Madrid

2008-03-18T17:16:00.000Z

The Dior Party - Madrid

2008-03-14T18:25:00.000Z

Plaza Athénée pedals ahead of the pack

2008-03-09T03:21:00.001Z

The bicycle has arrived in Paris! Starting with Vélib, the new city-wide bicycle renting
program, travelling on two wheels is the hottest way to explore the City of Lights. Hôtel
Plaza Athénée is now offering guests a piece of the action with “the Plaza touch”: a chic
and comfortable geranium-red bicycle with all the trimmings.

Based on a Dutch model, the bicycle combines luxury and practicality. Cheery red
paniers are attached to either side of the rack, permitting cyclists to tote that day’s
shopping back to the hotel. An elegant golden bike lock comes with a matching key
that can be worn around the neck, and a Plaza-red helmet ensures safety without
sacrificing style.

Just imagine! The freedom of taking a leisurely ride along the Seine, sun shining
overhead, with a gourmet picnic tucked snugly behind....

The bicycles are available to hotel guests through the concierge team at Plaza
Athénée. Upon special request, they are also available for purchase – a very special
souvenir from the quintessential Parisian Palace.

www.indagare.com - A great idea!

2008-03-09T03:09:00.000Z

Indagare arose out of my frustration. As the founding editor of an award-winning travel magazine, I planned trips often and felt that there must be a better way to do so. Thanks to the Web, I can do everything from shop for groceries to manage my music online, so why was researching travel so excruciating? I was tired of collecting torn-out pages, digging through notes and tracking down people who really do know a place and what’s happening there now.

I wanted a well-curated archive of sophisticated cheat sheets, but I also had to be able to customize them. And more than that, I craved the ability to tap into a community of worldly friends and trusted experts—people who understand my tastes and share my passion for authentic experiences—with whom I could exchange advice and addresses. After all, today luxury travel goes beyond staying at a five-star resort, and the recommendations that so often make a trip memorable cannot easily be found online or in books.

Whether it’s hosting a concert for your friends in a palazzo in Venice or touring the ruins of Angkor Wat with an archaeologist who protected them from looters, these are life’s unforgettable moments. When you join Indagare, the keys to experiencing them will be at your fingertips. Like you, I trust a tip from a friend more than one from any other source. Indagare’s reports are written by me and by journalists who are my friends, whose opinions I value and who understand my high standards.

Become an Indagare member and gain access to the ultimate directory, one that will steer you to the people and places that will make your journeys remarkable. Join a club for passionate, like-minded travelers so you can trade opinions and share discoveries.

Indagare is the premier resource for the world’s most discerning travelers. We hope you’ll join us so your journeys can be enhanced by ours—and so ours will be inspired by yours.

Home - London

2008-03-07T16:46:00.001Z

Madrid

2008-03-07T16:26:00.000Z

Why am I investing in Madrid apart from being Spanish? Here is why:

1.Madrid is an economic, political and administrative hub with a solid and diversely structured economy, and a truly dynamic city. In 2005, Madrid's growth has reached 4.0 percent, the highest amongst all Spanish regions and 6 tenths over the national growth.

2.Diversity and differences co-exist with social harmony and institutional stability. Madrid is renowned for its generosity and hospitality. The political framework is peaceful and offers guaranteed growth and stability.

3.Situated in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, Madrid has a privileged geo-strategic position and is the natural link between Europe, Latin America and North Africa. Naturally, the top foreign companies setting up in Spain have chosen Madrid as the base for their head offices.

4.The hospitable administrative, fiscal and political environment encourages investors and the availability, price and quality of land and offices are amongst the most competitive in Europe.

5.At the forefront of scientific and technological innovation, Madrid has one of the most advanced regional networks of science and technology in Spain, and indeed Europe.

6.Madrid offers a highly qualified work force yet considerably lower labour costs than cities such as London, Paris or Amsterdam. It is an ideal space for creativity as its young, vibrant and intellectually inclined population is coupled with an extremely dynamic and consolidated business culture.

7.It has modern, high-quality infrastructure where innovation is the common denominator.

8.Its cultural heritage is among the most important in the world in terms of art, culture and monuments.

9.It is a cosmopolitan city embracing new cultures, where visitors quickly feel at home and where more than six million people from 172 different nationalities live side by side harmoniously.

10.Madrid is not only the gateway to the South American, North African or European markets, but also the largest local market in Spain.

2008-03-05T00:42:00.001Z

Amanjiwo

2008-03-04T23:51:00.000Z

REVISITED: AMANJIWO
Practically every upscale travel magazine from Peking to Paris has written about Amanjiwo over the past decade. Editors have gushed about its unique and romantic location amidst the padi fields with direct views of Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist monument. But ten years on, does Amanjiwo still make the grade?

You can feel your shoulders physically drop as you arrive at Amanjiwo. Everything about the place is calming, from its design that carefully mirrors Borobudur to the mute tones, exotic smells and gentle tinkle from the Javanese gamelan orchestra who play under the central dome. Indeed even the word Amanjiwo means peaceful soul.

The site is located in a natural amphitheatre with the Menoreh Hills rising directly behind, the Kedu Plain in front and four volcanoes Sumbing, Sundoro, Merbabu and Merapi in the horizon. The main limestone building is framed by just 36 suites so the whole place feels quiet and very personal. My suite had a high domed ceiling, separate his and hers open bathrooms, sliding glass doors onto a private garden with an outdoor bath and cushioned lounging area overlooking padi fields. The views are so inspiring rooms are stocked with a water colour set in case you’re overcome with artistic inspiration. There is a high-fi but with just one local CD and no TV, which definitely adds to the away-from-it-all feeling, although some may like the option of a post dinner movie in bed especially given how little there is to do. This hotel really is remote, so definitely not the place to have an argument with a loved one and don’t expect any local restaurants. Luckily the hotel kitchen serves up consistently good Indonesian and Western cuisine in a stylish silver-ceilinged open air dining room. Try the Makan Malam a 7-course tasting menu and if you have a special request, the charming Portuguese food and beverage manager Felipe Lencastre bends over backwards to oblige. Service is often an issue in very high end hotels that rely on local staff who inhabit a very different world. It must seem odd for a waiter who’s family earns a $1 a day in the rice fields, to serve $650 a night guests expensive western food and flutes of champagne. But although service is definately slow, it is always discreet, seemingly genuine and with a smile.

One of the main reasons people go to Amanjiwo is the 4am trip to Borobudur. The hotel has negotiated special early access to the site that allows guests to climb to the very top of the monument and watch the sunrise. It’s a privilege to see this great monument without the hordes of tourists who trample it by day, often stopping just for a photo opportunity and not taking the time to truly understand or appreciate what they are looking at. Standing almost alone adjacent to Borobudur’s great 8th century stupa at daybreak is mystical, moving and touches your very core. From here, through the morning mist you can see the several kampungs (small villages) that are within walking distance from the hotel and you can even opt to ride through them by elephant.

There are certainly things to do if you want to fill your time – jungle treks, cooking classes, cycling, lectures in the hotel library, charcoal sketching with a local artist, day trips to local markets and Yogyakarta – but for me Amanjiwo is about escape, stillness and tranquillity. You can spend days without seeing more than just a few guests. Whilst there is no spa which is a negative, good masseurs come to the room and there is a beautiful infinity swimming pool, overlooked by banyan trees and set into the rice paddies.

A decade on, does it still measure up against new contenders and stalwarts like the Four Seasons? Absolutely, but bear in mind that the management style is decidely more relaxed. By day two, Sean the laid-back aussie General Manager was calling me “mate” and joining us at the dinner table for drinks. His friendly British wife was shouting hello over the garden wall whilst walking her dogs. Now, for better or worse, that wouldn’t happen at the Four Seasons.

Mandala Airways Magazine

The Saint

2008-03-04T21:38:00.000Z

Verbier - Booked

2008-03-04T18:32:00.001Z

Four Seasons Island Spa

2008-03-04T18:22:00.000Z

Welcome to Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa. Covering an entire private coral island, fringed with white sand and crystal clear, perpetually warm water is our most secluded tropical resort, Maldives at Kuda Huraa. Here, palm-thatched water bungalows dip their feet into a sea of turquoise, and sunrise, sunshine and sunset paint the endless sky

This one could come in use after a very drunk week in Lisbon...

Marbella 2000

2008-03-01T18:06:00.000Z

La Notte

Paris

2008-02-27T13:53:00.001Z

T Minus 3, 2, 1...

DESPITE the imported Oscar buzz, Paris Fashion Week unofficially kicked off last night with the T Magazine party at the Mini Palais inside the Grand Palais (No, not at the Petit Palais!). There was no shortage of champagne and most likely the highest concentration of international beau monde this side of the Atlantic – Angela Lindvall with her sweater casually thrown over her shoulder; Karl Lagerfeld with his signature sunglasses-at-night look; Lou Doillon with her eyes tucked under her signature hat; Gareth Pugh swaddled in fur; Liya Kebede standing tall (and arriving very late); oh, and just about every single person that has ever worked at a magazine.

Vienna

2008-02-26T19:58:00.000Z

After twelve years I got back to Vienna. One thing I can say – Places I thought of being boring as hell like Geneva, Brussels, Luxemburg, Gant, Frankfurt or Taipei are WILD next to Vienna!

How can such a grand city, with so many unique buildings, squares, hotels, opera houses and money be so boring?!
It just has a really, really heavy and negative energy. Most people are rude and look like their about to punch you in the face and its not very usual to see someone talk or laugh!

If you have or want to check out Empress Sisi’s city anyway…Don’t miss Madame Butterfly in the Vienna Opera House – I did go and was amazed by it all!

After that treat yourself for a flute de champagne in the Hotel Imperial bar and a real royal dinner in their restaurant.
Their “café’ is also a great option for dinner. There you will find a mix of very rich business men with their lovers and la crème de la crème of the 1800-1900’s society. Ladies, covered in jewels and smoking like there is no tomorrow. Really worth seeing it!

The Hotel Bristol was my option to stay and I have to say it was also a great alternative. Not as grand as the Imperial but still a very old fashioned, chic and central hotel. The rooms are big, with marble bathrooms, walls covered in silk and some even have a balcony facing the Opera House!

Please do not miss a walk around town and especially don’t miss Demel Chocolate House – WOW!!

Venice

2008-02-26T19:06:00.000Z

Venice was a true surprise! I always had the idea that Venice, was just like Rome. But surrounded by water canals, more and too many romantic couples, groups of tourists armed with photo machines – taking snap shots of every fountain and corner and a terrible smell of shit!

I couldn’t be more wrong! Venice is charming, romantic and chic. True – It has also its share of tourists walking around and renting black gondolas and cheap shops selling the most horrendous carnival masks. But all the negative side is forgotten once you enter in the right places.

Forget all restaurants mentioned in guides! The good food is where you least expect. And that is also where you will find the most sophisticated Italian crowed, covered in mink coats, vintage Hermes bags and heavy make-up.

Its pretty easy to feel at home after 24 hours and even more to know all streets corners.

Not to miss:

Hotel Danieli – Dead, dead ,dead but worth the visit for its amazing entrance, marble floors and worked ceilings.

Gretti Palace Hotel – The place to stay. Especially if you are loaded and never bother looking to the right side of the menu!
Like the Danieli, it has amazing antique pieces, marble floors, and worked ceilings. The difference is that here you get a real five star service, a terrace by the Gran Canal and one of the most beautiful bars I have ever seen!

Hotel Baglioni – Maria Callas always stayed there. Think that says it all!

Tratoria de La Madonna – In a dead end street (at least it looked like it!) with horrible tables and white ugly light but with the best seafood one can have. The atmosphere is also the best.

Planing one more perfect trip...

2008-02-19T22:02:00.001Z

Vienna, Venice, Bratislava and Lisbon

Vivienne Westwood

2008-02-19T20:41:00.000Z

Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in the village of Tintwistle in Glossop, Derbyshire on April 8 1941, daughter of Dora (Ball) and Gordon Swire, a storekeeper.[2] She studied at the Harrow School of Art (later to become the University of Westminster) for one term. Vivienne went on to attend Trent Park College(later to become the Middlesex University) and later taught at a primary school in North London. She loved teaching.

Vivienne's first husband was Derek Westwood, with whom she had one child named Ben. Their marriage lasted three years before she met Malcolm McLaren, later known for being the manager for punk band The Sex Pistols. The two had a son named Joseph, and Westwood continued to teach until 1971, when Malcolm decided to open a shop, Let It Rock (also known as Sex, Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die, Seditionaries) where Westwood began to sell her outrageous designs. During this period, Westwood, McLaren, and artist Jamie Reid were influenced by the Situationists. She still owns the shop, which is at 430 King's Road, and sells her Anglomania label from there. The shop is now known as World's End.

The punk style began to gain notoriety when the Sex Pistols wore clothes from Westwood and McLaren's shop at their first gig. The "punk style" included BDSM fashion, bondage gear, safety pins, razor blades, bicycle or lavatory chains on clothing and spiked dog collars that were used as jewelery, as well as outrageous make-up and hair. Westwood invented the slashed A symbol for Anarchy at this time.

The inclusion of more traditional elements of British design, such as tartan fabric, amongst the more unusual elements of her style only served to make the overall effect of her designs more shocking.

Together, Westwood and McLaren revolutionised fashion, and the impact is still felt today. She has only a few exclusive shops including three in London, two in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Leeds. A ninth will open in Nottingham in 2008. Westwood worked historical factors into her collection by using historical 17th-18th century original cutting principles and modernising them. This collection was about 'gold and treasure, adventure and exploration'. Other influences in Westwood's work have included ethnic Peruvian influence, feminine figure, velvet and knitwear. A historical influence has always shown in her work.

In December 2003, she and the Wedgwood pottery company launched a series of tea sets featuring her designs.
Her first major retrospective of her work was shown in 2004-2005 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the National Gallery of Australia. The exhibition is made up of around 145 complete outfits, grouped into the themes which have dominated her work from the early 1970s to the present day and were drawn from her own personal archive and the V&A's extensive collection. They range from early Punk garments to glamorous 'historical' evening gowns. The retrospective is touring the world and is set to continue until 2008.

In September 2005, Westwood joined forces with the British civil rights group Liberty and launched exclusive limited design T-shirts and baby wear bearing the slogan I AM NOT A TERRORIST, please don't arrest me. Westwood said she was supporting the campaign and defending habeas corpus. "When I was a schoolgirl my history teacher, Mr. Scott, began to take classes in civic affairs. The first thing he explained to us was the fundamental rule of law embodied in habeas corpus. He spoke with pride of civilisation and democracy. The hatred of arbitrary arrest by the lettres de cachet of the French monarchy caused the storming of the Bastille. We can only take democracy for granted if we insist on our liberty", she said.[3] The sale of the £50 T-shirts raised funds for the organisation. Dame Vivienne has recently stated on television that she has transferred her long standing support for the Labour Party to the Conservative Party, over the issues of civil liberties and human rights.
Her Autumn/Winter 2005/06 Propaganda Collection drew inspiration from her archive, reinterpreting designs using Wolford’s exclusive knitting technology, who she has worked in close collaboration with since 2003. In 2006, collaborated with Nine West. These shoes are not designed directly by Westwood, however, the Nine West brand name shares its label with Westwood.

Westwood accepted a DBE in the 2006 New Year's Honours List "for services to fashion", and has thrice earned the award for British Designer of the Year.
In May 2006, Westwood wrote a poem and provided personal photographs eulogising Swallows Wood, a Nature Reserve near Tintwistle where she was born and grew up. The Reserve is threatened with destruction by the construction of the Longdendale Bypass.

Vivienne Westwood has spent much of 2007 designing new graduation gowns for King's College London, which will be conferring its own degrees for the first time in summer 2008.
Throughout her career, Westwood has been influential in launching the careers of other designers into the British fashion industry. Most notably, she employed the services of Patrick Cox to design shoes for her "Clint Eastwood" collection in 1984. The result was a prototype of the nine inch heeled shoes in which supermodel Naomi Campbell famously fell during a Westwood fashion show in Paris in 1994.

It is a SmallWorld!

2008-02-19T19:51:00.000Z

From a Hong Kong reader...

Pedro,
I don't usually read blogs but I came across yours when I was looking for something on the net. What caught my eye was your lovely house...Then the fact that you seem to travel about as much as I do....and then the fact that you have listed some of my restaurants on your blog (www.LKFE.com), thank you for that...I hope that Google picks up on them!
Perhaps see you in HK when you are next passing through.
Marisa

February 18, 2008 7:23 PM

I Love My Job, I Love My Job, I Love my Job...

2008-02-18T11:46:00.000Z

Home - London

2008-02-17T19:51:00.000Z

Daylesford Organic

2008-02-17T18:27:00.000Z

As you walk in you see gorgeous fruit and veg, lounging in tasteful baskets. A display of white flowers jostles for attention. And when you turn the corner, the food counters offer up the most tantalising treats we've ever seen - pungent cheeses, artisan breads, tempting pastries and cakes, organic meats - each section more appealing than the last. Cheeses are hand-made next door at the Creamery using traditional methods - the farm's Organic Cheddar won Best English Cheese in the British Cheese Awards 2002. Book a time on Mondays or Thursdays to watch the cheesemaking in progress.

Once you've done your shopping, grab a table on the ground floor by the gifts section (loaded with edible goodies and wonderful pottery) or in the upstairs seating section and enjoy a cup of tea, a freshly squeezed juice, light meal or pudding. Even pooches are pampered here, with their own dog parking area and organic biscuits. But while the experience at Daylesford is up-market, the farm doesn't lose sight of its roots - focusing on organic products and sustainability.

Daylesford has now opened the Hay Barn, an airy eco-spa made with recycled materials and offering holistic treatments such as Indian head massage, shiatsu and yoga.

Home - London

2008-02-17T18:08:00.000Z

Have a nice flight to Bangladesh...

2008-02-15T15:09:00.001Z

Hell or Heaven?

2008-02-14T19:00:00.000Z

Britney Spears shows off her new private jet.

Thinking of May...

2008-02-14T18:52:00.001Z

Perivolas Hotel - Santorini

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T12:35:00.000Z

The7thart - Aman Luxury Resorts and Hotel

2008-02-13T01:18:00.000Z

I know, the music sucks!

Tudo em Petras e desertos...

2008-02-13T00:01:00.001Z

A nice time in London...

2008-02-12T23:18:00.000Z

2006 New Year's Eve

2008-02-10T23:47:00.001Z

Cannes

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Trump - aSmallworld.net magazine

2008-02-10T23:26:00.000Z

"I tried on a 300,000-dollar necklace; it felt wonderful" managed to belt out Quest Magazine's Elizabeth Meigher as her car drove away from the Madison Avenue boutique on the night of February 5th. In this occasion, Ivanka Trump opened the doors of her recently inaugurated boutique, featuring her own jewellery collection, to ASW Members in celebration of Valentine's Day. The pieces, which sport an exquisitely tasteful signature oval shape, were the centre of attention of the evening and merged seamlessly in an Ivanka Trump-signature coral-tinted sea of New York ASW Members.

Ivanka Trump, Steve and Heather Mnuchin, ASW's Joe Robinson

As she walked through the flagship boutique, an effortlessly stunning Trump would come up to greet guests personally. "How are you? It's nice to see you. Thank you for coming," the New York Real Estate heiress would say. As for her favourite piece of jewellery in the room, Trump responded, " Too hard to tell. I like them all."

Eric and Kimberly Villency, Donald Jr. and Vanessa Trump

The guests—mostly gentlemen—were greeted by an assortment of Johnnie Walker Gold cocktails and were invited to peruse the collection in search of, as Trump herself put it, "the perfect Valentine's Day gift." Guests like Fabian Basabe, who made an appearance with pal Chudney Ross, also found it hard to choose a favourite: "They're all beautiful," Basabe said.

Some of the most notable guests in attendance included ASW's Joe Robinson, Holly Doran, and Sabine Heller along with Donald Trump Jr., Vanessa Trump, Dimitri de Yougoslavie, Vogue's Genevieve Bahrenberg, Addison O'Dea, Tara Subkoff, Nicola Blatsiotis, Alex Sapir, Steve and Heather Mnuchin, Joseph Varet, Pheobe Gubelmann and Eric Villency, who arrived accompanied by wife Kimberly. When asked about the jewellery, the furniture designer replied: "The collection is fantastic. She [Ivanka] did a great job."

Alonso Dominguez

Michael Moore - A hero

2008-02-09T23:50:00.000Z

Michael Moore
born: 23-04-1954
birth place: Flint, Michigan

An unlikely political figure, bumbling along in glasses, cap and baggy jeans, Michael Moore is America’s most fearless and populist political commentator. A passive aggressive, Moore’s style is to hurl himself into major issues with wit and humour, and hope his energy captures public opinion. He believes fervently in the common man’s stand against the State.

Moore’s politics is home grown. Born in Flint, a town then dominated by General Motors car plants, he saw his Irish father and grandfather earn their livelihood at the factories, and then watched as a town of men like them were sacked, as GM relocated to cheaper labour pools in Mexico. The town was left destitute as GM and its shareholders' profits fattened.

Moore’s lust to reveal cooperate injustice and misdemeanour began when he was an Eagle Scout and made a slide show exposing all the businesses that polluted Flint. At 18, Moore won a seat on the Flint school board, making him one of the youngest people in the US to hold public office.

Preferring activism to study, Moore became a journalist on the 'Flint Voice' and, in time he became editor, and the paper expanded into the 'Michigan Voice'. The outspoken writer graduated to editor of 'Mother Jones', the leftist political journal in 1986, though frequent arguments with the publishers made the partnership a short one.

Moore used his 'Mother Jones' settlement money as the seed for 'Roger & Me' - a documentary film describing GM’s part in the economic collapse of Flint. Determined to get the story on the air, Moore had to sell his house and host bingo evenings to finish the film. It was one of the most financially successful documentaries ever.

Moore then dabbled in TV, but could not get his ratings up, so in 1996 he wrote 'Downsize This' - a political commentary. It was a best seller. Since then, Moore has continued to write and make successful documentaries - 'Bowling For Columbine' (2002) won a Jury Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Moore is a fierce and very public critic of George W Bush, his administratiion and the US invasion of Iraq. His hard hitting documentary, 'Fahrenheit 9/11', an attack on Bush's ability to run the US, has become a worldwide blockbuster, becoming the highest grossing documentary of all time.

Home - Drunk

2008-02-09T14:13:00.000Z

Art Basel - aSmallworld.net magazine...

2008-02-08T19:21:00.000Z

Another art fair?
Art Basel Miami Beach is no ordinary art fair. It’s the pulsating tropical souk of the frenzied contemporary art market. And it’s a mega massive deal. It’s almost impossible to estimate how much art is sold since Basel is not the only art fair in town in early December, but in 2006 estimates suggest that the number was around $500 million.

Who goes?
Virtually everyone in the art world gets down to Miami for the week. Throw in some rockers and rappers, fashion types, nightlife impresarios, socials and you have a fête like no other. Last year, the guest list looked something like this: Larry Gagosian, John Currin, Kanye West, Nadja Swarovski and Zaha Hadid. Expect a similarly high-voltage atmosphere this year.

So I can pick up something for the mantle piece?
The options for browsing and buying of all manner of art are phenomenal. Over 200 galleries representing the biggest names in contemporary art will set up shop at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The main fair also includes enough talks and satellite exhibitions to keep the keenest art buff busy. The Art Positions section, which features 20 art projects housed in shipping containers on the beach at Collins Park, is a perennial favorite. Check out the various lounges such as the Cartier Art Guest Lounge, designed by architect Jean Nouvel and the Visionaire SOUND lounge at the Raleigh hotel, where you can hear audio works from the likes of David Byrne, Robert Wilson, Cat Power and Cindy Sherman.

See official Art Basel website for full list of programs: www.artbaselmiamibeach.com

Is that it?
No, the art fest extends beyond the Convention Center. Explore the many alternative art fairs spread around the Miami area.

Design junkies should head to Design Miami, which takes place from Dec. 7-9 (www.designmiami.com). This year, former Issey Miyake collaborator, Tokujin Yoshioka is being honored as the designer of the year. His name might not be as familiar as say previous honorees – Zaha Hadid and Marc Newson – but we’re guessing that it will be soon.

For the next-generation of Gagasosians and John Currins, go to the NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) fair, which runs from Dec. 5-9. Exhibitors include hip young galleries, such as New York’s Rivington Arms. This year, the fair will host the benefit for the spanking New Museum on New York’s Bowery. The night will include a performance by San Francisco rockers Deerhoof and artist Ken Kagami. For tickets, see www.newartdealers.org

SCOPE Miami (Dec. 6-9; www.scope-art.com) celebrates the as-yet-uncelebrated artists. The fair has discounted exhibition space for new galleries in its ‘Breeders’ section. You can count on some provocative performances during the fair. In his Self-Portrait Fight, Shaun El. C Leonardo will reenact a boxing match after training for eight months for the part. Miami artist Jason Hedges’ Vertical Triple Chamber Smoker sculpture will meditate on our existential sustenance: food. He’ll also grill up a storm for visitors on Sunday afternoon.

In its new SoHo Studios location, the three-year old Pulse Miami fair (Dec. 5-9; www.pulse-art.com) will include the U.S. debut of Takashi Murakami’s Japan-based GEISAI show, which will highlight works by artists without current commercial representation.

Having previously used the rooms, walls and courtyard of the Aqua Hotel as gallery space, Aqua Art Miami (Dec. 5-9; www.aquaartmiami.com) is also expanding this year to include a second space in the Wynwood Art District. Go for the West Coast-centric selection of galleries and artists.

Photo enthusiasts and their dogs will be welcomed at Photo Miami (Dec. 5-9; http://artfairsinc.com/photomiami/2007/index.html) for Maarten Wetsema's Dog Shoot installation, which is devoted to dog portraiture. The artist has invited the four-legged loves of Oprah, Madonna and Paris Hilton to sit for him. No word yet on the status of their RSVPs. At least one other animal will turn up since Janet Biggs’ Enemy of the Good performance, an exploration of man’s pursuit of perfection, features a horse – a real one.

Another must-see is the Swarovski Crystal Palace (http://www.swarovskisparkles.com/crystalpalace/crystalpalaceexhibitions.html), which runs Dec. 7-9. This year New York architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro have re-imagined the chandelier as the Light Sock. The result? Oversized mesh bags filled with Swarovski crystals. Like much else at Art Basel, you can buy them to hang at home.

For a different art viewing experience, head to the Miami Beach Marina for the ARTMB, the fair that takes place aboard the SeaFair, a multi-level 228-foot mega-yacht art exhibition space, where you can check out works from artists such as Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns and others. The ship will be docked at the Marina until Dec. 9.

What about the stuff that money can’t buy?
You’ll find that at Miami’s various museums. The Rubell Family Collection (www.rubellfamilycollection.com) is hosting two solo exhibits – Hernan Bas and John Stezaker – as well as a group view of the family’s European art collection, Euro-Centric, Part 1: New European Art from the Rubell Family Collection during the Art Basel week.

Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (www.mocanomi.org) will host a mid-career retrospective of the work of Cuban-born, L.A.-based artist Jorge Pardo from Dec. 4.

The paintings of Cuban-born Enrique Martínez Celaya and audio installations of Canadian duo Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller are on show at the Miami Art Museum (MAM) (www.miamiartmuseum.org). Also check out the exhibit that looks at the Museum’s new building to be designed by Herzog and de Meuron. MAM will also host its Party on the Plaza on Dec.6 and its annual ball, a highlight of the Miami social calendar on Dec. 8.

Curated by Julie Sylvester from St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum, RUSSIA MIAMI (www.russia-art-miami.org) will showcase contemporary Russian art from Dec.3-10.

All art and no play then?
Absolutely not! Miami during Art Basel is as much about the parties – perhaps more so in the opinion of art purists – as the art. The Raleigh hotel is party central. We can’t tell you about the impromptu room parties but there are plenty of dos to which you might want to wrangle invites. For starters, Paper Magazine is hosting a party on Dec. 4 at the Raleigh Oasis. Deitch Projects will open the fair with a concert-soiree featuring Coco Rosie at the same venue on Dec. 5. The same evening D.J. Spooky will be amongst the performers at the Rubell Family Collection dinner to kick off the SCOPE fair film and lecture series. And the Marlborough Gallery is throwing a party in honor of Spanish artist Manolo Valdes at the Setai.

On Dec. 6, Sotheby’s and Mandarin Oriental will celebrate their joint contemporary Asian Art exhibit with a dinner to be attended by Vivienne Tam and honoree, artist Zeng Fanzhi. Also on Dec. 6 is the book launch party for Bob Colacello's OUT at the Raleigh. The next day Tamara Mellon will host a dinner at the Raleigh Ballroom to toast the limited edition handbags designed by Jimmy Choo and artist Richard Phillips.

Also on Dec. 7, Janna Bullock and Thomas Krens, director of the Guggenheim Foundation, will host the Russian Party at the Raleigh Oasis. That same evening, Visionaire will host a preview of Visionaire 53 Sound at the Florida Room at the Delano, hosted by Linda Evangelist. Meanwhile, guests at the Art Nexus Gala will raise their glasses in honor of Haluk Akakçe. On Saturday, the Adidas Y-3 store opening promises to be another must-go on the party schedule.

If you get there earlier, the NADA Gala in aid of the New Museum takes place on Dec. 4. We expect a starry art crowd since the likes of Beth Rudin deWoody, Yvonne Force Villareal and Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy sit on the benefit’s committee. More museum soirees taking place include: The Whitney’s do with David Yurman at the Sagamore on Dec.5 and the MOMA Junior Associates with Vanity Fair and Banana Republic party at the Shore Club on Dec. 7.

And from Dec. 5-7, look up to the sky as “Krug is in the air” or at least it will be in the form of a new luxury hot air balloon designed by Domeau & Peres and Marc Bretillot. The balloon is modeled on the Krug Rooms in London’s Dorchester and Singapore’s Lausanne. Do your best to hitch a free ride. Additionally, make sure to check out Russell Simmons and Allison Weiss Brady's party at Intermix—the soirée will benefit Simmons' charity Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation on Dec. 8.

Finally, don't miss the Cartier Dôme,which features the brand's high jewelry collection and time pieces. Sip champagne and salivate over the gems from Wednesday to Sunday from 2-8pm and Thursday, 2-4pm.

The details
The fair runs from Dec.6-9. For full schedule and programs see www.artbaselmiamibeach.com

—Jessica Ramakrishnan

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2008-02-07T22:13:00.000Z