Archive for April, 2011
“The first time I came to Italy, in Naples, I was struck by the cribs of 1700. They opened new horizons to me. I was used to the one of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, small and simple at the base of an imposing Christmas Tree.
The cribs of Naples were a real discovery to me!” Together with the crib Yvonne DiPalma – born in Philadelphia – met also the sculptor Michele Attanasio. She fell in love with him, got married and with him opened the “Paul Whistler Art Gallery”, near Sorrento.
For Christmas, in a place where everybody prepares a crib, they started to make one in the Gallery: scenarios by Michele and characters by Yvonne.
This is how it has begun, by chance, the most charming and passionate adventure of the life of this artist. In the first “Installation” there are 20 characters: sculptures representing the people of the town and famous figures.
This was the start of a thirty-year experience. Every year after that debut in 1976-77 it has had more and more success; it was an opening up of a new life.
The crib emigrated to Florence where it found in Monsignor Setti a supporter and in the Basilica of San Lorenzo a home. In the town of iris the two artists found the same enthusiasm of the first time: that miracle of a sincere participation.
After San Lorenzo, it went to Loggia Rucellai (1981), then to Rome, in the Oratory of Santa Maria in Via, then back to Florence, in the church next to the Gallery of San Jacopo Sopr’Arno (1991). In 1992 the crib by Yvonne was the set in the Theatre Parioli of the programme Maurizio Costanzo Show.
Since then, the work increased “at home” until the interlude of Christmas 1999, when it was lent to the 7th International Festival “Costruimo il Natale”, in the crypt of Santa Croce of Florence.
And now let’s know better this very special crib made of characters of about 50-centimetre height. Yvonne creates the body with iron wire, fabric and stuffing.
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Finding a hotel that suits your budget comes easy when you take into consideration the activities that you will be busy with, or what you want to achieve during your stay. If being extremely pampered and totally worry-free comes last on your list, then you’re welcome to try a 3-star hotel. This is not to say that 3-star hotels do not offer any degree of comfort or luxury; it just seems impractical to be paying for lavish amenities when you won’t have the chance to take advantage of them.
If you’re a business traveler, who intends to be primarily engaged in, well, business matters, and not that concerned with having a fun and relaxing time, then a 3-star hotel with provisions and facilities that are useful for conferences and business correspondence would be a good recommendation. Furthermore, the affordable price is more attractive if you intend to keep the business expenses low. Also, an in-house restaurant, bar or lounge eliminates the need to go elsewhere for lunch or dinner meetings, and thus saves you time that you can spend preparing for presentations instead.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the tourist spectrum, a weekend traveler who has a planned itinerary can find good value in a 3-star hotel that is within minutes of a popular tourist destination, such as Paris or Amsterdam. Just because you’re visiting a top tourist spot doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot on accommodations. For instance, three star hotels like the Hotel Windsor Opera in Paris (only over a kilometer away from the city center) even offers services such as a business center facility, room service, and a fitness center, with rates that are at least about fifty percent lower than the best hotels located in the heart of the city.
While 3-star hotels may be expected to offer more than basic accommodations, it may be best to assess them and make a choice according to your expectations and needs. For instance, you may deem access to a fitness center more important than room service, or prefer Internet access and a business center to availability of a swimming pool. Whatever you prefer, be reassured that you can consult with an online guide and make sure to ask the right questions that will ultimately lead to a pleasant 3-star hotel experience.
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Air Travel with toddlers doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Here are some exclusive tips that will help you make it through your flight.
Schedule your flights to coincide with nap/bedtimes.
Whenever possible, try to book direct flights during the time of day or night your child would normally be sleeping. In all likelihood, they will keep up the pattern and fall asleep despite being 25,000 feet in the air. Any sleep they get on the plane will serve to cut down the time they must be entertained while awake!
Car seat on the plane?
When our daughter was an infant we choose to save the money and only purchase seats for ourselves which meant she spent the duration of the flight(s) on our laps. More recently, we have taken to carrying-on the car seat which accomplishes two very important things: freeing up our laps, arms, and such, and keeping her in the seat. It also adds some familiarity to a new vehicle/mode of transportation – a little piece of home(life) in a new place. Yes, it is frustrating having to carry the seat around the airport, but the in-flight payoff is worth it. One Step Ahead sells an adapter to turn a car seat into a backpack which may help you manage your carry-ons.
Managing the Flight
An easy and effective way to manage your in-flight, family-with-toddler(s) experience is to break the trip down, mentally, into 20 minute segments (to borrow an airline term). So, if you have a 2 1/2 hour flight, you really have only 7 twenty minute segments to schedule and occupy your child’s (or children’s) time. When you think of your flight in this manner it becomes a relatively manageable event. Here are some parent and flight tested tips on segment ideas that will occupy and entertain your kids, providing you with some down time to peruse the SkyMall catalog, and not have you lugging a suitcase full of toys around the terminal.
(remember: each idea has to occupy a mere 20 minutes, anything more than that is a bonus!):
* A new toy or book (nothing fancy, just something brand new to him or her)
* Crayola Color Wonder Markers (an inventive product that will only write on the special Crayola paper) – This is a favorite of ours. No messes at all and no toxic marker smell. The marker caps make for great, silly kid fingernail extensions. In fact, if your child is anything like ours, the caps alone could be their own segment.
* Tape and/or Stickers – Plain old Scotch tape can be a load of fun for a little one. Roll it up inside itself to make a sticky circle and let them stick it to their nose, your nose, between their fingers…just good old fashioned fun with a 2 inch piece of tape.
* Magna Doodle (Travel Edition) – A classic toy that our modern kids still enjoy. (Note: really young ones may get frustrated at their inability to, independently, erase their work as the tab to clear the screen can be rather difficult to slide)
* A Discman/Portable CD player – If you do not have an old one collecting dust somewhere, they can be had relatively cheap in the iPod age. This is perfect if your child has a particular CD they are diggin’ at the moment (or if you have made a Mix CD of their favorite songs). If they have never used a portable cd player before, the novelty of this device combined with the music they already love should carry you for two segments. Be sure to keep the volume at a low level and use only the classic earphones with the large, round and padded ear pieces that sit on the outside of their ears. kid size earphones? Read the rest of this entry »
Time out of doors is a precious commodity to the outdoor enthusiast – but are we getting the most out of this time. One way to ensure maximum backcountry enjoyment is to get the most possible value from the gear you acquire and use. Here are 5 ways to get the most out of your backcountry gear – and your backcountry experience.
- Purchase the best gear you can possibly afford. If you are going to spend a year planning your next excursion on the continental divide, spend three months getting into great shape, take three weeks vacation when it’s time for the hike, purchase an airline ticket, and so on – then why are you using the cheapest backpack you can find? A good backpack will make all the difference in the world. This applies to all of your backcountry gear. Whether its your GPS unit, sleeping bag, rain gear or dual-fuel portable stove, be sure to carry good equipment in order to get the most value for your money. Don’t buy cheap!
- Learn how to use all of your gear correctly and practice using it. When you are completely lost, it’s not the time to learn how to navigate with a compass and map. When you and your firewood are wet, it’s not the time to learn how to start a fire with the flare you’ve been carrying for 5 years in your pack. Take time to learn all of the features of your gear. You might be surprised to learn just how useful your GPS really is when you understand how to use the backtrack feature. You’ll be mighty thankful when you learn the proper weight distribution for your backpack. Take time to learn – practice around your home before you venture into the backcountry.
- Keep your gear with you and use it as much as possible. Your backcountry gear isn’t just for the backcountry. It has unlimited uses in everyday life. Never go on a road trip without your pack. You’ll almost always find an opportunity to use your binoculars or GPS unit. If you don’t have your gear with you, you’ll need it – never fails.
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