Staying in Florence? The Most Beautiful Bathroom in the World!

A while ago, my sons and I stayed in Florence at the most wonderful boutique hotel E*V*E*R! It wasn't that it was so chi-chi or uber-designed or architecturally astonishing. It was just so fully realized and immaculately presented.

I love living in a world knowing that lovely hotel is in it.

I remember in a previous post, I waxed poetic about my pink dogwood overhanging my back terrace saying something like I have complete confidence that the path into heaven is lined with pink dogwood eternally in bloom (or, something like that.) Well, if God or any of his heavenly hosts were staying in Florence, they would certainly stay at The Lungarno.

First of all, it's across the bridge from Palazzo Spini Feroni ~ the Palazzo Ferragamo and shop. Nice neighborhood! I mean, really now, how horrible can that possibly be? Right! Not at all.

We had taken the train down from Milan and arrived in the mid to late afternoon. Well, the Bear (my adored oldest son) is all about Prosecco when we visit. So, we hung out in the lobby toasted each other and laughed up a storm.

The lobby is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! The seating is extremely comfortable and everything is upholstered in cream/white linen with navy blue fringe piped around the cushions and a generous deep navy border around the bottom of each piece. Quiet, summery, inviting.

For me , the art is the showstopper. All original, pen and inks, charcoals, black and white water colours. All interesting and wonderfully presented. It also feels personal. Like the person who curated had an intelligent eye. Each piece felt selected on its merits. Handsome.

When we went up to our rooms, the wonder continued. My bedroom was not large but so immaculately appointed it left me breathless.

But, the bathroom! Oh, dear God, it was so exquisite. First of all, it was small. I mean weensy. Not that one would swing a cat, but, well, there wasn't room for that. As I've mentioned in my other posts, my bathroom is weensy, too ~ 5' 0" x 8' 0". Shower, toilet, vanity. My bathroom at the Lungarno also included a bidet so it was slightly larger than mine at home. And, that is where all comparisons end.

Marble! Marble wainscot. Marble floor. Marble moulding around the door frames. Marble base. Marble shower. Marble vanity. Beautiful. Heavenly. Marble.

Not certain of the kind but reminds me of crema marfil. It's deeply creamy. If you ever think of marble as edible. This is the one!

The towels thick and white. The linen towels crisp and white. The spa robe? You get the drift . . . yah, thick and white. The fixtures and fitting? Matte nickel ~ either by age or by design.

 



The bedroom walls were a true butter cream. The mouldings, wainscot and millwork were white. Did it have the best view in Florence? No, but I loved looking out at the old ivy covered walls. It was very much like a secret garden. Romantic and atmospheric as hell!

So, if you are planning a trip to Italy and Florence is on your itinerary, think about staying at The Lungarno. Is it expensive? Yes. But, if you stay in pensiones and small out of the way places on your trip, this is the place to splurge!

Day 38 Everyday Grateful ~

Coffee with my next door neighbor, Chuck

Started out bright blue skies. Now a little cloudy

Group of us having dinner this evening.

A perfect Seattle day. Lovely.

http://www.lungarnocollection.com/en/the-collection/florence/hotel-lungarno/5-stars-hotel-in-florence

Shopping in London ~ Bermondsey Square Antiques Market

Bermondsey Square Antiques Market may be the most fantastic place to shop ever! Or, at least, in the English-speaking world . . .  

This weekly market has been around since 1855. These are the things to keep in mind:

First, it's a dealers' market. It opens at 5:00am. The vendors start arriving around 4:00am. Get there early! This is the real "you snooze, you lose" market. It closes before 9:00am so shopkeepers can take their newly acquired finds to their shops to sell. Sure, there are the ordinary dust-catching tchotchkes  you'd find anywhere, but there are also tables heaping with Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian antiques.

During my trip, I got up early, heated a cup of yesterday's coffee, hailed a cab and arrived as dealers were setting up. My jaw dropped when I saw a dealer pull milk carton crate after milk carton crate out from under his table and dump crate after crate of sterling silver on to the surface. Yowsa! Fantastic.

You'll find art of all kinds ~ oil paintings, watercolours, sketches, ephemera like sheet music, post cards, unframed etchings, theater tickets and programs, glassware, china, furniture, etc.

If you'd find it in an antique store or second-hand shop, you'll see it first at the Bermondsey Square Antiques Market.

Listen to the voices. Dealers from all over the world cruise the aisles in search of treasure. And, to quote another, "it's a mecca for serious collectors."

Because, as you know, I'm traveling and on a budget, I look for small things; in this case, canister shaped demitasse cups. I love the eclectic look of several different patterns out for coffee or cocoa after dinner. It's fun to see how each is chosen. My friends all have personal favourites they always select.

While it is true, I love Portobello Road antique shopping, there is something very cool about getting up really early, throwing off your jammies, throwing on your clothes, and heading off to shop while it is still dark.

Talk about hidden treasure!

http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Attraction/New_Caledonian_Market/a544/

Day 24 Everyday Grateful ~ Ramses and I are going

for dinner at Barb's.

Misty morning. Sunny afternoon. Thankful.

Not Quite 1 Corinthians 13

Ah, the island life!

This morning, three of us took the ferry to Whidbey Island for lunch with a friend.

Susan, our island-dwelling friend, is an exuberant powerhouse.

Every gesture is lavish. She has an infectious laugh and a bright, ready smile. She is bold. She is passionate. She is generous. She is confident. And, her house is a complete reflection of everything about her. Did I mention she's funny?

Just to give you an idea of what we are dealing with:

So, hanging from a hook on the ceiling in her living room is an actual ruby slipper. A deeply red, high heeled, covered with dazzling red sequins, ruby slipper. Only Susan could put it so perfectly ~ "sometimes, the other shoe doesn't drop."

Art is everywhere. Sculpture. Paintings. Collage. On the walls. Inlaid in the floor. All on a backdrop of rich jewel-toned walls, large light-filled windows, acid-etched concrete floors, and comfy, overstuffed furniture. There really is something hilarious in stating the obvious. The large cream pillow on the purple sofa ~ "Sit Here." The small marble plaque under the light switch to the back yard ~ "omnia vincit Amor." The plastic joke cup of spilled coffee on the immaculate kitchen counter.

This is a home that says happiness and a free spirit abides here.

As we got ready to go, I asked to use her powder room.

S*M*A*L*L and completely darling. Oh, rats and double rats. Why did I leave my camera at home? So, using the camera on Susan's phone. Let me tell you about this space. Deep intense colour with amazing tangerine accent pieces. And, behind the matching blind? The shower. A perfect solution to disguise a difficult element.

And, on the back of the powder room door. A very updated 1Corinthians13. I'm sure God doesn't mind, because, He knows the truth of "and, a time to pee and poop!!!!" and, would really appreciate that it's handwritten under the artful Biblical reminder.















Driving up the Susan's house, you'd just know a fascinating person lives there.

The exterior is just as remarkable and personal as the interior. From the rich, dusty French Blue picket fence to the crystal balls on the corner posts of the fence. A clematis to die for. Lush. Covering the gate from the side yard.

The front porch sports two round blue rugs plus a red-centered bull's-eye rug at the front door with an arrow ~ "you are here." Cheeky.

Guarding the front door is a sculpture of her beloved, late Dalmatian, "Spot," with his food bowl full of primroses.

For me, this is a capital "T" truth about design: the best design is personal.

It really does reflect the  hopes, vision, dreams, aspirations, and character of the person who lives there. It is never achieved by buying a suite of furniture (no matter how expensive) at the store, having it delivered, propping your feet up on the coffee table, and thinking, "there, I'm done." Boring! Not to mention, slightly depressing.

Great design is risky. Exciting. Thrilling. It takes courage and most of all ~ vitality. When you go into a room and think "a real person lives here," it is nearly always because it is original. That "one-of-a-kind"ness is exactly why it is special!

Our field trip to Susan's Whidbey Island home was the cherry on the top of our excursion sundae. A ferry crossing on a beautiful clear sunny day with a destination full of whimsy!  

  

Day 15 Everyday Grateful ~ a rainy Seattle morning,

a ferry ride on completely calm water

and a sunny afternoon coming home.

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning . . .

Another reason we live in Seattle! I suspect the reason we tell everyone it rains all the time here is so they won't move here ~ and, make the traffic worse than it is!

But today . . . oh, so utterly gorgeous! The sky is robins egg blue and not a cloud in the sky. The sun casts deep, dark shadows across the lawn. The air is soft and clean. The leaves sparkle as they move in the breeze. This day has all my favourite things ~ the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, someone is mowing a lawn, a couple of dogs are barking, parents are walking their babies up the street under my window, you can just hear the wind chimes like very quiet, small bells and a group of kids are laughing and playing next door.

Talk about Everyday Grateful! This is one for the list.

As I was walking in the garden this morning and feeling the sun on my face, I am reminded of why I think of the garden as a lovely scented room. And, as we all know, the thing that makes a room is the accessories. In this garden, I love the dozens of pots filled with bulbs just beginning to open; their full heavy heads nodding in the breeze. There are pots of perennials; pots of annuals. Amazing pots. Plain vanilla pots. All working together to create a personal space of comfort and beauty.

As I've mentioned before, if I buy something, I look first at salvage and used. I've been very fortunate to find fantastic things for pennies on the dollar. I gravitate towards an eclectic mix that has an acquired look. The strength of the "acquired look" is it is visually interesting and benefits for the occasional addition to spice up the whole. It isn't necessary to go out and spend hundreds of dollars getting all matchy-matchy pots. Add a single "star" every year or so and the result will be more interesting.

Don't forget to add your found objects that can be used as garden art. This garden has a wonderful metal heron in a bright green glazed pot, a bamboo ladder leaning up against the wall and a black metal pergola with a floor of salvage cement tile from Singapore covered with moss, add your own acquired items to personalize your garden.

Parts of the garden are still sleeping. The mulch covering the beds is warming in the sun. The perennial peonies are just poking their soft red leaves out of the ground. The new leaves on the roses are soft, furled and a deep oxblood colour. Things are beginning to stir.

 

 Spring really is just around the corner.

Day 3 Everyday Grateful ~ Seattle in the spring.

The Romance of Naming your Home

After my husband died, I decided to blow this pop stand and take my sons to Italy at Christmas. It was a two week slumber party and the first time I'd heard them laugh in months.

My sons are both 6'5" tall ~ talk about seven league boots! In Florence, they were striding along and pretty soon out-distanced me but I could hear them laughing from the next block. Heaven.

Because I adore architectural salvage, my walking was hampered by the visual wonder of Italy. I stopped often to admire a door knocker or a light fixture or the brace of an eave. Walking along the streets, block after block was the salve my soul needed.

We were in Florence for Christmas when we decided to take a midnight stroll and watched the full moon rise between Giotto's Bell Tower and the Duomo. Breathtaking. In one of the side streets of the Piazza del Duomo, there was a very small shop with a soaringly high ceiling and walls filled with wonderful signs. Enameled letters. Brass plaques. Individual house numbers in bronze and brass and steel. Utter desire!

The next day, we stopped into that mouthwatering store. As we entered, a thousand year old man walked out from the back room with the International Tribune under his arm. I started to ask him a question. He just turned on his heel and walked back into his office. We stood there a little flat footed and finally left.

The next year, my oldest son was studying in Florence. After nine months of Italian lessons and just before my birthday, he returned to the shop and ordered me a sign for my 50th birthday. And, in an understanding of the importance of international peace, he said that the owner reminded him of Grampa ~ a bit of a curmudgeon, he doesn't like speaking English to "tourists" but was very charming when you get to know him.

And, there it is ~ a little grace note on the side of my home. And, a touching present from my son. Heaven!