For many people, the scenic Cotswolds epitomize their vision of quintessential England.
The glorious hotchpotch of honey colored stone buildings, ancient rooftops and wonky gables.
Popular with both the English and foreign travelers alike the Cotswolds are famous for their gentle rolling hills and historic towns and delightful villages.
The Kiss, with its gold symbols and romantic appeal is one of the best known paintings in the modern era. Gustav Klimt is best known for The Kiss, despite a career full of extraordinary works, with the others sometimes overlooked.
The glowing themes of The Kiss painting by Klimt showed lovers intertwined into one being, symbolizing the strength of this bond. Some art traditionalists rejected this for its use of eroticism, but others found it refreshing.
Gustav Klimt’s ground breaking art style courted controversy but his support from key areas of Austrian society helped him to continue his style. Key features of Klimt’s work were intensive colors, golden backgrounds & ornamental layouts.
The Museum of Applied Arts and the Belvedere are best known for housing Klimt’s art in the modern day, after much was taken by the Nazis or fell into private collections. Much has been restored to Vienna and Austria. Klimt’s The Kiss is on show around the world in reproduction form too.
The Kiss uses two lovers intertwined with bold jewelry and shapes to illustrate his symbolic intentions and this method was continued in Klimts Beethoven Frieze and Stoclet Frieze, which further established Klimt’s art.
The style of Gustav Klimt is closely tied in with Art Nouveau and Arts and crafts, with the extravagant, golden styles to convey his feelings into a decadent painting.
The Kiss has supreme popularity amongst even those who know little about art and is a rare case of a painting becoming well known with so many people across the world.
Expert Art Author Tom Gurney is ready to hear your views on all things art, simply drop him a comment on any of his art blogs!
Christmas in Madrid is an unforgettable experience.
Madrid, the capital city of Spain presents innumerable prospects for enjoying Christmas holidays, because Christmas is celebrated with lot of frolic and fun in this part of the world.
Like most other European cities, Madrid showcases its own unique version of these traditional Holiday markets and events. The city comes alive with an array of colorful lights and festive holiday cheer.
Christmas events in Madrid make the Christmas celebrations in the city all the more enchanting and exciting. Be a part of this festivity this season and celebrate this festive season with Christmas Carnivals.
The main Christmas Market is located in the beautiful Plaza Mayor. Some of the highlights of the season include; extensive lighting displays along all the main boulevards, a sound and light display for kids at the Gardens of Discovery near the Plaza Colon (Dec. 22 – Jan.7), and the annual animal parade in Retiro Park on Christmas Eve.
For a little exercise and fun during this time, the city sets up outdoor skating rinks in the parks around this historic city.
It’s hard to be believe it’s been 20 years since the fall of the mighty Berlin Wall in Germany. The wall that divided East versus West and divergent ideologies is gearing up for a huge celebration.
Arguably the most moving historic moment of the 20th century, was the ultimate fall of the Berlin Wall. 2009 will mark 20 years ago this year– was an unforgettable triumph.
Not hard to imagine that Germany is scaling up for a huge celebration and is planning an array of exciting events to commemorate this momentous occasion.
Berlin, now country’s capital, is a haven of creative design and hip cultural delights – is throwing a year-long party for the world to enjoy.
In May, visit the launch of an open-air exhibit on Alexanderplatz (formerly in East Berlin) about the fall of East Germany’s communist government. From November 7 to 9, a three-day “Festival of Freedom” will take place at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. This historic event will be “culminating in a multimedia recreation of the wall coming down.”
If you are looking for a luxury hotel during your stay in Berlin, Germany ….. try these favorites:
Hotel de Rome: Housed in a historic bank building (with the bank vault converted into a pool) and boasting panoramic views of the city’s attractions, this hotel is a member of the prestigious Rocco Forte Collection. Enough said.
Hotel Adlon Kempinski: A fixture on the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List, this illustrious hotel is actually offering a special package to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s demise, which includes a guided city tour of Berlin’s historic sites.
Kempinski Hotel Bristol: The first five-star hotel to be rebuilt after the war and a symbol of Berlin.
Ritz-Carlton Berlin: The posh hotel features the La Prairie Spa pool. Bathrooms in the guestrooms are just as sumptuous and spa-like.
Radisson SAS: Stocked with 2,500 exotic fish, the enormous lobby AquaDom is the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium.
Hotel Concorde: The sleek hotel is all about design with stylish minimalist interiors with lots of contemporary art.
The Black Forest region is one of Germany’s most popular and scenic tourist destinations.
The Black Forest is one of the most beautiful, most romantic highlands with innumerable hiking trails and opportunities to go for a swim. For more than two hundred years it has been a region of German spas famous for their hospitality.
Like Bavaria to its east, the Black Forest combines great outdoor scenery with unique local customs, products, and fare. The Black Forest is also in the middle of Germany’s timber and woodworking industry. This area contributes much of the region’s economy beyond just tourism.
In this part of Germany, the forest is everything, and therefore the forests are carefully managed. Each year, carefully selected plots of land are cleared of trees and replanted, under the watchful eye of forest rangers. The timber comes from a variety of pine tree that literally grows straight up without creating many branches, so the logs are very well suited for making lumber.
Driving through, it seemed like every town had its own lumberyard and sawmill. In between would be piles upon piles of cut logs being watered down and readied for the mill. Trucks carrying huge loads of logs were commonplace.
Black Forest is also well known for its musical diversity. From the spa concert to chamber music, music played by symphony orchestras to Swing, there is a wide range of concerts which not even every city can offer.
Winter is approaching and it’s time to consider where to spend that luxury ski vacation. Skiing in the lap of luxury also means personalized services, privacy and being pampered.
We constantly search for the best ski resorts around the world. Here are five of the best ski resorts to consider.
Fairmont Chateau Whistler – Canada
As both the top golf resort in Canada and top resort for luxury ski holidays in North America, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler combines an exterior resembling a medieval castle with a classic resort interior that will satisfy the most refined of tastes. The decor at the Chateau Whistler consists of beautiful exposed woods, gorgeous stone hearths and large, cozy leather furniture that is perfect after a long day on the ski slopes.
Guests are also welcomed to relax at the Vida Wellness Spa and stay active with the recreation concierge. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler is located in Whistler, British Columbia.
Hotel Hermitage – Italy
Resting adjacent to the ski slopes of Ponte Vecchio, the Hotel Hermitage has long been considered to be Italy’s premiere ski resort. Suites at the the Hotel Hermitage are centered around classic aristocratic luxury with antique furnishings from the 17th to 19th century. However, each room has been freshly renovated with exquisite bathrooms, hardwood floors and tasteful wall coverings.
The interior decor and general atmosphere is bound to turn off travelers in search of a high end contemporary hotel, but guests in search of a luxurious private getaway reminiscent of the greatest bed and breakfasts will find the Hotel Hermitage to be impeccable.
Kulm Hotel – Switzerland
In a resort town full of five star hotels, Kulm Hotel prides itself on exceeding the expectations of every guests for reviews that are truly off the charts. This 150-year old ski resort is decorated with luscious Swiss pine and yarns of the highest quality velvets and other textiles. With the best location in all of St. Moritz, the Kulm Hotel offers simply stunning views of the Engadin lake, valley and mountains that define luxury vacations.
When guests are not skiing, they are enjoying the high end spa or walking on foot to the nearby restaurants and bars. The service at the Kulm Hotel is impeccable, with a personal greeting by the general manager upon arrival and a staff that is dedicated toward fulfilling the promise of the hotel’s motto: “whatever you like.” Be aware that this is considered a fairly formal hotel for the wealthy elite of Europe, with a strict dress code that borders upon black tie for most public areas.
Arlberg Hospiz – Austria
The Arlberg Hospiz is a luxury ski resort that has earned a reputation for being one of the most well managed boutique hotels in the world, despite the fact that it has been operating in its current incarnation for a little over a decade. Unlike most top luxury ski resorts, the Arlberg Hospiz manages to deliver five star accommodations and service while retaining a surprisingly warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The hotel is furnished like most high end hotels in Austria with heavily carved wooden decor and huge, comfortable furniture. The wine list at the hotel is especially noteworthy for its impressive collection of top clarets that are simply not available to the average consumer.
La Seizena – France
Nestled at the overlook of the ski slopes at Courchavel, La Seizena is one of the most breathtaking and modern luxury ski resorts in the world. With panoramic views of the Courchavel valley and elegant decor of polished aluminum evoking the spirit of flight, this boutique hotel has accommodations of only 20 suites and a dedicated staff to ensure that their quests enjoy the very best in luxury accommodations.
All of the spacious rooms and suites come accommodated with large plasma televisions, exquisite furniture and internet access, and guests have complimentary access to the Hamman spa, fitness room and library lounge. However, La Seisena is perhaps best known for its accompanying restaurant serving world class continental cuisine.
A trip to Italy is simply amazing. Italy is simply an unforgettable and beautiful country, with wonderful landmarks, museums filled with priceless works of art, and a rich culture that goes back thousands of years.
Due to the long list of sites to see, you can visit the large cities of Rome, Venice or Florence or just relax and soak up on the sun on a beautiful Italian sandy beach.
Here is a list of some of the very best locations to visit in all of Italy.
Let it rain! That’s what tennis fans and Wimbledon All England Club officials can now be heard heard uttering. It doesn’t matter anymore because Wimbledon’s famed Centre Court now has a new retractable roof.
Last month, the All England Club tested its new retractable roof over the Centre Court at Wimbledon. This historical and world famous arena has offered tennis fans some of the most dramatic duels in tennis history.
The addition of this retractable roof has to be one of the biggest changes in Wimbledon’s long history.
The Wimbledon Centre Court retractable roof covers roughly a 246 feet area. It takes only about 10 minutes to close. Construction of the retractable roof took 3 years, and is part of an overall $146 million renovation to the Center Court Stadium.
Wimbledon’s retractable roof is the centerpiece of upgrades to Centre Court that include increasing seating from 13,800 to 15,000, and providing more stairs and lifts.
The new retractable roof will allow all-weather play at the venerable Wimbledon facility, just outside of London, England. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tennis event that is still played on grass. Because of the challenging British weather, Wimbledon is consistently plagued by rain delays.
The retractable roof, which is described by the Wimbledon club as a folding fabric concertina type, will provide a non-slippery playing environment in both the open and closed positions.
An important element of the roof design, is to allow natural light to reach the lush green grass. An airflow system will remove condensation from within the stadium to provide a comfortable environment for spectators and players alike, when the retractable roof is closed.
The world’s economy may be in shambles, but in some corners of the art world …. it is thriving. Center stage is Venice’s Punta della Dogana.
In Venice Italy, a large art exhibition is now on view in two historic buildings. June marked the opening of a new museum in Venice, dedicated to contemporary art, at Punta della Dogana.
Punta della Doganais a historic complex that was built back in the 17h century. Many years ago, it once served as a the Venetian Republic Customs House, but recently redesigned by famous architect Tadao Ando.
Punta della Doganais was envisioned as a single artistic journey. The exhibition presents approximately 300 works of art from French magnate, Francois Pinalut’s art collection.
The collection is presented as dialogues between artists of various generations, of various artistic forms of expression and sensibilities.
Included are a variety of artists such as contemporary art luminaries Jeff Koons, Sigmar Polke, Rudolf Stingel, Cindy Sherman and Richard Price. Also participating are new emerging talents and artists who have been unjustly ignored by the art World.
This event marks the second year in a row that the personal art collection of the Francois Pinault. Pinault is well known as the man behind the Gucci Group – which is the luxury conglomerate that includes such luxury brands as Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney.
Last year, Francois Pinault’s collection was displayed at the Palazzo Grassi. This year, the Punta della Dogana is proud to host his collection again.
The Punta della Dogana is located at the center of the Venice lagoon on the Grand Canal – across from Piazza San Marco and San Giorgio Island.
Edinburgh Castle is the most famous, most frequently visited castle in Scotland, and really worth the steep entrance fee.
Edinburgh Castle was built in the 7th century and sits high on Castle rock, which is a 437 feet high chunk of black, basalt rock. Years past this rock was once a volcano.
Three sides of mighty Edinburgh Castle are surrounded by sheer volcanic cliffs. To the east, is a long, cobbled road named the “Royal Mile”.
The first record of the Edinburgh Castle being used as an actual royal residence, occurred sometime in the 11th century when Margaret, the wife of Malcolm III died there, after hearing about her husband’s death at Alnwick in 1093.
In the past, Edinburgh Castle was used for keeping valuable royal treasures and records. Kings frequently lived in it. But when William the Lion was captured at Alnwick in 1174, Edinburgh was one of a number of castles handed over to Henry II of England.
Today, dominating the inner city of Edinburgh is the most popular national monument in Scotland. A trip to Edinburgh Castle affords visitors a magnificent view of the city.
A classic drawbridge lowers over a dried-out moat from the broad Esplanade where the famous Military Tattoo is held every August.
As you approach the main entrance to the Edinburgh Castle, it is flanked by bronze statues of famous people. Legendary William Wallace. Wallace, the main character in the 1995 movie “Braveheart” starring Mel Gibson, led the Scottish resistance against Edward I. William Wallace was later executed in London. The other bronze statue is of Robert the Bruce. Bruce is Scotland’s national hero, and is fame arose from defeat of the English under Edward II at Bannockburn.
Some of the major sites to see at Edinburgh Castle are: Argyll’s Tower, Crown Square Scottish National War Memorial, French Prisons, Great Hall, Mons Meg Cannon, National War Museum of Scotland, One O’Clock Salute, Royal Palace, and St Margaret’s Chapel.
CLICK HERE for more information about the Edinburgh Castle.
Ritz Hotel – Paris
Located in romantic Paris France, the luxury Ritz Hotel is pure elegance. A synonym for elegance and perfection it is the oldest Ritz Hotel in the world. The Ritz Hotel in Paris, the “city of love” offers visitors a pure luxury hotel experience.
Tradition, prestige and a legendary past set the Ritz Paris apart from other palace hotels. In 1898, Cesar Ritz created an exclusive luxury hotel where comfort, gastronomy, and service were accorded the highest priority.
Located on the Place Vendôme, in the heart of Paris, you will be within walking distance to many historical Paris monuments, fashionable shopping areas and wonderful restaurants.
There is no denying that Paris, the City of Light is supremely stylish, and there’s no better way to experience Paris in style a memorable stay at the Hotel Ritz Paris. This legendary Paris hotel is the perfect home base for any “Best Of” European vacation.
The Ritz Hotel has long been a playground of royalty and the rich since César Ritz turned Duc de Lauzun’s palace into a hotel in 1898. Millions of dollars in upgrades have been invested since Mohamed Al Fayed bought The Ritz in 1979.
The rooms were redesigned yet remain traditional French and decadent with Italian silk satin sheets. But they also include luxury features such Wi-Fi and plasma TVs with Bose sound.
Service at the Ritz Hotel Paris is flawless yet unpretentious and indulgences are everywhere, from the 100,000-bottle wine cellar with rare bottles from the Grand Crus to the spa, beauty salon and lavish pool with mosaics and frescoes.
The Ritz Hotel is located in the heart of Paris and is only a brief walk from classic Paris monuments such as the Louvre, Notre Dame and others sites that make Paris so special.
The Ritz Hotel Paris offers the highest standards of service and the best of luxury French style. The hotel has 103 superbly appointed rooms and 56 suites, each with their own decor and special allure.
Of all the Parisian palaces, the Ritz Health Club offers the biggest in-house swimming pool. It includes fantastic Roman-style decor plus a six hole putting green. All this is just part of an impressive range of facilities and well being treatments the Ritz offers to guests.
Hotel Ritz
15, Place Vendôme
Paris, France