Falling in Love with Italy - Anita Carmin

8/9/2019 Falling in Love with Italy - Anita Carmin

1/4

V i r t u o s o i n s i g h t s0 V i r t u o s o i n s i g h t s

he mot romntc countr on erth? it, hnd down. Brthpce of Romeo nd Juet, nd

pground of Cnov, th boot-hped pennu between the prkng adrtc nd

Medterrnen se h ured over to t ve cte, bella countrde, nd eductve cot

for centure. Trve ong on one coupe quet for the bet food, wne, nd odgng n twoof the nton mot enchntng oce. (Then write your own sequel.) P

iTalyFalling inLove with

T

by Anita Carmin

e were dying to visit Italy. ActuallyIwas

dying to visit, having never been. Robert, my

Romeo, was eager to return. A full-blooded

Italian born and raised in the States, he had

made his first trip to Italy as a young

backpacker decades ago.

The scenario: We had two weeks and two opinions on

where to go. Robert loves art. I have a fondness for

architecture. We both have a weakness for good food andwine, and looked forward to discovering Italys take on

Italian cuisine. And yes, most important, we wanted

someplace romantic but not cloyingly so. Roberts first

choice: Venice. Mine: the Amalfi Coast. That decided, we

set out to find the perfect, private (read: off the well-

trodden path) retreat in each storied locale.

Venice:Th Ct f LvAs it turned out, Robert wasnt the only one enamored

with Venice. This storybook city of palace-lined canals and

labyrinthine alleys was breathtaking, though not short of

tourists which made us especially glad we had booked

our stay at Hotel Cipriani. Located on the tip of Giudecca

Island, this legendary hotel is just a five-minute boat ride

from St. Marks Square, but a world away in the peace-

and-quiet department. For half a century, t he Ciprianis

stately lobby, decadent Fortuny Restaurant, and

enormous outdoor saltwater pool have set the standard

for chic and remain the place to see and be seen.

Dont wish to be seen? Opt, as we did, for a suite in

the discreet Palazzetto , a 15th-century building linked to

the Cipriani through an ancient courtyard and flowered

Ww t at: Cip Club, te Ciprini ore cul re

locted on te ground floor of te Plzzetto. Cip lo

feture outdoor eting on terrce overlooking te c

wat t d:Costoletta di vitello alla milanese con in

di rucola e pomodori ciliegia (breded vel cutlet wit

nd cerry totoe).

wat t dink: Casanova Salso, liited-production re

creted wit grpe fro te Ciprini privte vineyrd

jut 2,000 bottle produced ec yer, ti wine i re

collector ite. We brougt bck two bottle to reeour trip.

wat t tak m: Trditionl Venetin k nd mu

gl wine bottle topper.

rmanti musts: sip Bellini de wit Proecco n

pece t unet. Tke gondol ride in te oonlig

Indulge in couple ge t te hotel Ciprini C

sp. attend Vivldi concert t Cie di sn Gicoet

oldet curc in Venice.

When in Venice

Views of Venice from e hoel Cipriani.

Open air massage in hoel CiprianisCasanova Beauy & Wellness Cener.

Aprodisiac die: Pizza is repupossess vial, love-enancing prop

moe itly on pge 42 P

Panrami Images/GettyImages


2/4

passageway. The Palazzetto and neighboring Palazzo

Vendramin are the preferredpieds--terre for privacy-

seeking movie stars and world leaders. I must confess, with

a butler the solicitous and ever-smiling Umberto atour beck and call, we certainly felt like celebrities as we

lounged in our lavish suite decorated in Rubelli and

Fortuny fabrics, sipping the complimentaryNino Franco

Prosecco di Valdobbiadene that greeted our arrival. Noting

how much we had enjoyed this Italian sparking wine,

Umberto appeared just before bedtime one evening,

surprising us with a plate of amaretti cookies and two

glasses of another Prosecco to try.I could have spent our entire stay being waited on by

handsome Umberto and gazing out at the never-ending

parade of gondolas, vaporetti (water buses), and cruise

ships that glided past our windows. But we had places to go

and things to see. Top of our list: the Peggy Guggenheim

Collection, an impressive museum of modern art housed

in the late heiresss palazzo on the Grand Canal. The great

thing about Venice is you can get around easily by foot and

vaporetto, and the Ciprianis complimentary 24-hour boat

shuttle makes it possible to zip back and forth between

Giudecca Island and the mainland whenever you wish.

The Art of Living WellWhile we traveled to Venice in part to experience its

vibrant art scene we timed our visit to coincide with the

Biennale, the international contemporary art festival held

every odd year we left plenty of time for il dolce far

niente: the sweetness of doing nothing. We spent hours

sitting in outdoor cafes, sharing plates of pasta, and sipping

Veneto-region wine while drinking in the lively street-and-canal scene. Back at the Cipriani, we strolled the estates

serene Casanova Garden named for Giacomo Casanova,

the legendary lover who once held clandestine trysts on

this very spot. Fellow lovers, take note: With the addition

of the new garden-side Casanova Spa, those seeking their

own romantic indulgence can book a couples massage in

a sensuous treatment room equipped with Dolby Surround

sound music. La dolce vita, si?

We left plenty of time for il dolce far niente:the sweetness of doing nothing.


3/4

The Amalfi Coast:Hm Hav f th GsLegend has it that ancient gods were married on the

Amalfi Coast. I believe it. On one Monday afternoon

alone, we spotted two wedding parties one in the

town of Amalfi, the other in Positano. For our romantic

getaway, we settled on Ravello, a charming hill town

perched high above the dramatic Amalfi Coast with

drop-dead-gorgeous views of the sapphire-blue

Mediterranean. Our chosen hideaway: Hotel Caruso,

an 11th-century palazzo recently restored to the tune

of $30 million to its former glory. Inside, we marveled

at the meticulously restored ceiling frescoes and striking

cotto tile floors. Outside, we admired the lush gardens

(including the prolific herb garden, which figures

prominently in Caruso cuisine) and the adjective-defying

infinity pool.

But the best was yet to come: Our sprawling and

tastefully decorated suite opened out onto a shadedterrace and, beyond that, a private garden with

spellbinding views of the coastline. The outdoor setting

was so spectacular and so secluded we couldnt bear

to close the curtains. We fell asleep to star-studded skies

and awoke to the enchanting light that has inspired

Amalfi Coast creative-types for centuries.

View over Capo dOrso from e terrace of Villa Rufolo.

w t at: Poolide t te hotel Cruo.wat t d:Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, Colatura di Alici(te

hotel Cruo ignture di de wit colatura, loclly

produced ber liquid derived fro ncovie); Cpree

ld de wit totoe grown in mt. Veuviuenriced o

nyting wit leon.

wat t dink: Marisa Cuomo Ravello Bianco (wite) &

Furore Rosso (red).

wat t tak m: s ll b ttl f li ll d

When in RaVello

Photo

by

GenivsLoci


4/4

VeneSitated n qiet Gidea Island amidst lavish gardens ne freqented bycasanva himself, the venerable htl cipiani & Palazz vndamin, anoint-expss htl, is jst five mintes frm St. Marks Sqare via the htelswn lanh. Fifty-fr rms and 52 sites featre views f the lagn andPalladian San Girgi t the east r the walled gardens and vineyards t thewest. Adjaent t the cipriani, Palazz vndamin and the Palazzett fferdelxe apartments, btler servie, and magnifient views f St. Marks Sqareand the bstling canal Gidea. Htel highlights inlde the heated, olympi-size saltwater pl, lay tennis rt, and casanva Spa. Virts gests enjya rm pgrade (if available); fll breakfast; a bttle f Casanova Salso wine;and a uS$50 fd and beverage redit dring their stay. From EUR1,188(approx. US$1,685) per room, per night.

alf cost: rvelloPerhed n a prmntry verlking ne f Erpes mst enhantingastlines, htl caus, an oint-expss htl, is the grande dame fRavell, a harming hill twn knwn fr its annal smmer msi festival. Theexqisitely derated htel ffers 54 rms, f whih 36 are sites. (Fr theltimate rmanti indlgene, reqest ne f the private garden sites.) Htelhighlights inlde an tdr heated infinity pl; wellness enter and spa;tdr massage pavilin; indr and tdr restarants; pian bar; and a

btiqe selling signatre designer lthing. The htel als ffers mplimentaryAmalfi cast bat exrsins and shttle servie t Amalfi and Psitan.Virts gests reeive a rm pgrade (if available); fll breakfast; mpli-mentary Internet aess; fresh flwers and frit pn arrival; and a uS$100resrt redit. From EUR878 (approx. US$1,245) per room, per night.

WHere To STAy: VeniCe And rAVeLLo

Documents

Falling in Love with Italy - Anita Carmin