Leading the Way

Courtesy of MCA, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
Courtesy of MCA, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney

June Update Text Size A A A

This week on Indagare: Three-day itineraries for Provence and the Côte d’Azur, Hamptons Update, Postcards from Tuscany & Rome and Barcelona & San Sebastian. Where to Go Next: the Bhutan of South America. Plus, a fashion designer’s Athens and great summer garden terraces.

You Asked: Provence Itineraries

A member planning a sojourn around Aix-en-Provence asked for advice on the villages, restaurants and activities not to miss during a trip to the region. We asked our South of France-based contributor to pull together two ideal, three-day itineraries for central Provence, including Peter Mayle’s fabled Lubéron (above, Crillon Le Brave), and eastern Provence, including the Côte d’Azur. Highlights: this summer’s table to get (in the former private home of a Michelin -starred chef); a newly opened perfume museum in Grasse; and hot spots in Cannes, Cassis and Arles. Itineraries for Istanbul, Rome and Spain’s northern coast are in the works. Are you curious about another destination? Let us know, so we can add it to the line-up by sending us an email.

Update: Hamptons Summer 2009

“Low-key and beachy is the theme in the Hamptons this year,” proclaimed the New York Times earlier this season. And indeed the most anticipated openings have little to do with flash and ostentation. Rather, they are focused on green living (the revamped Maidstone hotel), giving back (Surevolution boutique) and spending uninterrupted family time (the renovated Montauk Yacht Club). Sure, some big-name labels have debuted in the East End, including Diane von Furstenberg, Tomas Maier and Hèrmes, but balancing the haute fashion this summer are such projects as Christane Celle’s Clic (a bookstore and art gallery curated by the Calypso founder) and the Living Room, a restaurant that champions local, sustainable slow-food, in East Hampton. Read more about this summer’s most exciting newcomers.

Just Back From: Member Discoveries

One of the most vibrant aspects of our community is members sharing their discoveries upon returning home. New York-based Jackie Cittone Magid, who traveled to Tuscany and Umbria with her husband, wrote about a tiny trattoria that serves delicious, rustic Tuscan cuisine, in Florence, about a stay at Villa Mangiacane (a perfect getaway for couples) and about “a special place with incredible food and wine, and jaw-dropping views” in the Montalcino region. Another member shares her finds from a recent trip to Barcelona and San Sebastian, including an affordable, stylish hotel option located just above Barcelona’s Old Town, favorite tapas bars and a treasure of a small restaurant in tiny Hondarribia, near San Sebastian. Other member journeys include a road trip from Charleston to Savannah, a Wild West adventure and a mother’s account of taking her nine-year-old granddaughter on a multigenerational trip to Italy. Read other member dispatches, including tips from a longtime Venice visitor, and a review of the Venice Biennale.

Where to Go Next: Boliva

Bolivia is a well-kept secret,” says Marcella Echavarria, the founder of Surevolution, an innovative New York-based company that helps bring the products of skilled, Third World artisans to a worldwide stage. “In some ways, it’s like the Tibet or Bhutan of South America.” To keep her showrooms in Manhattan and the Hamptons stocked with unique fashion and decorative objets, Echavarria travels extensively in South America; Bolivia is her latest passion. This week on Indagare, she talks about the exquisite products she brings back, including handcrafted silver and recycled glass, and shares her favorites discoveries in La Paz and what not to miss in the countryside. “Bolivia is best for the seasoned traveler who is out for an unprecedented journey that starts and ends from the need to unveil a mystery,” she says.

New on Indagare: A fashion designer’s insider guide to Athens, great garden terraces around the world; the renovated Sagamore Resort on Lake George; and Just Back from Madrid. Plus, a postcard from a multigenerational journey through Italy, a road trip from Charleston to Savannah, tips from a longtime Venice visitor, and a review of the Venice Biennale.

New Feature: We have also added a “map it” feature, where members can now view hotels, restaurants and shops on Google Maps—look for it next to each address on the site.

Coming soon: A Q&A about Culinary Paris; and three-day activities itineraries for Istanbul, Rome and northern Spain.

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