Palm Springs view from Bob Hope’s house

My Kasbah

Honestly, I’m a little scared of the heat, as so far I’ve only experienced a couple of days around 102 and don’t know how I will handle the real deal when Summer hits, but I discovered that our bodies really do adapt and there are tricks to live your everyday life without being too affected by it. Also, contrary to the usual stereotypes, yes this is mainly a retirement area, but I already met a vibrant community of young artists, entrepreneurs and movers and shakers. Culturally, Palm Springs is considered the epicenter of midcentury architecture and art in general, with a stunning number of houses that are case studies and art collections displayed at the museums and also private estates (Sunnylands being the most notorious and open to the public.) Also, did I mention this used to be the playground for the rich and famous? Being home to Hollywood royalties such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope to name a few. Their legacy is palpable and makes it all the more glamorous!

Palm Springs Art Museum

Marilyn in downtown Palm Springs

On a personal note, I started juicing regularly and enjoy going for long walks on the nearby washes by the mountains. I’m definitely going to write more now and explore all that this community has to offer. I like change, so I’m diving in this new adventure with an open heart and open mind. Stay tuned!

At first, I felt overwhelmed by all those ‘rude’ people rushing in masses on the streets, (after all, Angelenos make eye contact and say ‘hello, how are you?’ on the seldom walks, so why shouldn’t New Yorkers do the same?), but despite this initial impact, I left the ‘Big Apple’ thinking that New Yorkers are genuinely good people and go the extra mile to help you. Traveling sometimes is all about getting to know people and their culture, rather than visiting landmarks and museums. New York surprised me like that this time and I enjoyed chit chatting with cab drivers from Africa, Bangladesh, Tony from the bagel shop down the street whom we greeted each other with a fist bump and countless of other people from  small mom and pops stores that makes you feel you belong to a small community. I’ll particularly never forget three employees from Duane Read, these kids helped me located my cellphone in a moment of panic in the midst of a small snowstorm on Broadway. One of them actually had the permission from her manager to leave her job temporarily just to assist a perfect stranger like me in the search. I was so moved by their kindness!!

In my spare time, I walked all over the place down Park, 5th, Madison Avenue crossing Time Square, Herald Square and, Union Square. I dined in Chelsea and the East Village.  I shopped at the Hell’s Kitchen flea market  and hung out in my favorite part of town; the Meatpacking district where I had a delicious brunch at the Standard Grill. I was blown away by the High Line, an old rail way in disuse for decades which has recently been converted in a green oasis, with a beautiful landscape and art installations. The aesthetic is just exquisite and matches the railroad look with elegance and harmony; it’s a very special place for a romantic or relaxing walk. After walking like 50 blocks, the High Line was the perfect place to relax!

The duke and I have been enjoying exploring our dukedom Silverlake by going for long bike rides around the reservoir, the rolling hills and the farmers’ market. I love buying veggies and grabbing some breakfast while checking out new booths and hidden treasures. It’s absolutely genius to go garage sales hopping on a bicycle (unless you are buying furniture, of course!); you can stop at your leisure and not get into an accident trying to get a glimpse of what it’s displayed on the lawn.  Every weekend there is a fabulous garage sale happening on the rolling and stylish hills and the effort of riding up to the top is soon replaced by the thrill of going downhill super fast! The Silverlake meadow is my favorite spot to take a break and lay on the soft lawn overlooking the reservoir. It opened two years ago and it is the best urban space improvement ever!

We also have ventured down to the beach (not all the way from our house, that would take 2 days to complete LOL!); we unloaded our two wheels and went off on a great ride all the way from Venice to the Malibu Lagoon. Pedaling along the boardwalk is always something I recommend to friends from out of town. The salty air, the sand and the shiny ocean under the sun are a great backdrop for a romantic afternoon.

We covered the Highland Park and Pasadena neighborhood by Avenue 66, admiring the beautiful Victorian houses and estates. If you love Architecture, riding a bicycle is the best way to discover many beautiful style variations and details at every corner.

Notoriously, LA is not a biker friendly town through and through, but this map should be helpful in pointing out the safest cyclable paths. Of course, there are many riders’ clubs around town that organize midnight rides like critical mass  and also the city’s sponsored ‘Cyclavia‘ when some streets are completely shut down for cyclists to enjoy.  This is truly a great punk rock thing to do in a city that thrives with cars! We’re joining the revolution!

The Roosevelt

The Biltmore

The Roosevelt Lobby

The Biltmore

You might also want to dine at Musso and Frank;  opened in 1919, this restaurant is steeped in Hollywood history, having been the hideout of a host of famous Hollywood celebrities from days gone by. It is named for original owners Joseph Musso and Frank Toulet. As Hollywood’s oldest eatery, Musso & Frank is the paragon of Old Hollywood grillrooms. In Hollywood’s boom years it was a prime destination for Hollywood’s movers and shakers, including, directors, movie stars, producers and noted writers.

If you want to have a close look at the modern day Hollywood, then I suggest taking a stroll down Hollywood Boulevard. By now, the blocks between Orange and La Brea are closed and decked out with larger than life Oscar statues, red carpets, flowers, bleachers and lights, but you can still get a great view if you actually go to the Hollywood & Highland complex, home of the Dolby Theatre (Former Kodak Theatre) where Sunday’s ceremony will take place. You will literally rub elbows with all things Oscars and this is the closest you will get to the action. There is a stairway leading to the theatre with the names of all the best movie winners since the very beginning, the next one will be revealed tomorrow; I bet ‘Lincoln’ will win, but anything is possible on Academy Awards night and who knows? Maybe you will end up rubbing elbows with the winners at an after party

Hollywood & Highland

I can’t believe it’s been this long…but here I am, in Italy at last. I finally got over the jet lag and the cold weather and I’m fully enjoying my home town, Bassano del Grappa, with my family. Last time I was here was over three years ago and I immediately noticed many changes; there are new stores, bars, restaurants and even a mall which, it’s the perfect copy of any small U.S. shopping center! Even some boulevards and streets have been redesigned and feature elegant roundabouts with flower beds and cyclable pathways. I guess the biggest changes, though, are the ones that I’m seeing in my parents, relatives and friends; for years, it seemed that everyone was doing the same things, working the same jobs and living in the same places. This time though, everything is shaken up; everyone looks a little older, has babies or is trying to, is about to move to a new house or start a new career. I have mixed feelings of joy, nostalgia and sadness to realize that I, too, am not getting any younger and the city is growing and becoming a foreign creature that I almost don’t recognize. It’s a somber realization but I quickly understand that the people are the ones who make the city and the memories, not the city per se’. My hometown can grow in leaps and bounds, but if my friends don’t change it will always be the same. If my friends change, however, everything will feel and seem different, too!

This doesn’t apply to the other cities and towns that surround Bassano, including Asolo, the unchanged ever charming pearl located on the sweet Trevisian hills, just a few kilometers East. This enchanting Medieval village with beautiful palazzos and castles, built in Roman times, attracted many artists, poets and foreign literature personalities throughout the years including the international acclaimed theatre actress Eleonora Duse (who lived there between 1919 and1924.) No matter how many times I visit Asolo, I can never get enough of it. When I’m there, I breath poetry and beauty and discover a new palazzo or architectural detail that it’s always been there but I’ve never seen before. I was in awe by the gorgeous garden I spotted on the side of a small road leading to the historical centre; it’s exquisitely designed with beautiful statues and geometrical shaped bushes overlooking the sweet adjacent rolling hills. Ah, Italy, you never cease to amaze me!

Around this time of the year, I have the opportunity and pleasure to dive into familiar dialects, expressions, places and traditions that wake my senses and memories. During the film festival, Cinema Italian Style, I get to see all the classic and new movies that depicts stories and characters wrapped in the historical or contemporary fabric of Italian society. It’s a fantastic way to see how the Italian movie industry is carrying on with its glorious cinematic past and a chance to see first hand how my culture is expressed through and in films.

Among the impeccable selection of great movies, Cinema Italian Style always features the film picked as Italy’s official entry for Best Foreign-Language Oscar category.  This year, the selected movie to represent Italy is ‘Caesar Must Die’, already a winner of the top prize at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival. The movie is inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ and was shot entirely in the maximum-security prison of Rebibbia with the characters being played by real life inmates. The result is amazing visually (despite the scarcity of props or the bare-bone costumes) and emotionally; through enacting the timeless tale of betrayal and downfall, the inmates’ feelings are raw and as real as they can get. At the premiere held at the Egyptian theatre, legendary directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani spoke about the process of making this film and the ambivalent task of directing former criminals in scenes where vengeance and anger prevail.

This weekend I can’t wait to see ‘The Entrepreneur’, ‘Magnifica Presenza’, ‘Il Cuore Grande delle Ragazze’, ‘I Primi della Lista’ at the Aero theatre in Santa Monica. Don’t miss the chance to spend some time ‘Italian style’!

In the quiet city of Artesia, 20 miles south of Los Angeles, there’s a four block stretch that will teleport you to the heart of India. On Pioneer Boulevard from street 184th to 188th, your senses will be infused with spices, colors, scents and sounds that will trick your brain into thinking that you’re living the real Indian experience. There are countless restaurants, sari boutiques and stores selling traditional jewelry, furniture, food and spices. Women in their beautiful Indian outfits walk gracefully and shop quietly at their favorite stores, men also wear their best outfits with colorful turbans and they make small chat at the street corner, children play loudly in restaurants; it’s hard not to love this beautiful culture. While I was visiting yesterday, there was a special trepidation for the upcoming Festival of Lights (Diwali) a five day celebration of the victory of the Good over the Evil and Light over Darkness. ”Victory of good over evil”, refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one’s true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings anand (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this Inner Light.

Diwali is celebrated in families who perform traditional activities together; one of them   involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. These lamps are kept on during the night and one’s house is cleaned, both done in order to make the goddess Lakshmi feel welcome. Firecrackers are burst in order to drive away evil spirits. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends.

It is said that this celebration brings good luck, wealth and prosperity. Well, I guess I was just lucky to stumble upon it in Little India, but to increase my fortune I purchased some clay lamps, too!

Altars are incredibly creative and feature anything from the dead person’s pictures and personal effects to sculptures and installations. People also dress up in colorful costumes and make up inspired by the sugar skull art, the folk art style of skulls with big happy smiles, colorful icing and sparkly tin and glittery adornments.

Last year I went in my sugar skull make up, too, and had a surreal time walking at dusk by dozens of different altars infused with incense and music. It was joyful but yet, respectful and it was definitely a new way to see how death is considered in another culture and during Halloween.

One of my favorites is Oktoberfest, the annual 16 day beer festival held in Munich, Bavaria. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in Germany both as an exchange student and as a reoccurring visitor; so, I know this country rather well and enjoy some traditions and the food. I will never forget the Summers spent drinking Spetzi with my German classmates at the local music festivals or the big weekend brunches featuring eggs, all kinds of salami, black forest bread and bratwursts with ‘my’ German family. I was pretty fluent in German and that made things easier everywhere I went in the country, as I was able to dive into their culture. A universal tradition that doesn’t need any translation, though, is drinking beer and Germans do that on a regular basis! I’ve been to Oktoberfest in Munich and let’s just put it this way; it’s wild! Not crazy wild, but rather outrageous, the amount of ‘Stieg’ people drink!! But the good thing is that everyone is happy drunk and there’s always a fun band performing traditional German songs and blonde braided waitresses wearing maid costumes.

Living in Southern California, I had almost forgotten about Oktoberfest, until last year when I found out that there is not one, but so many right in our backyards, I couldn’t believe it!! While last October, I celebrated it in grand style but privately with real German expats in Topanga Canyon (and practiced the language a lot!), this year I decided to venture to a public one. My friends and I picked the one in Lake Arrowhead. The decision was made based on the picturesque location; you can’t get more German than Lake Arrowhead with all the delightful chalets and houses framing the blue lake against the silhouettes of the mountains!

We arrived around noon, right when the action was about to start and we were thrilled to see that also a vintage Volkswagen car show was under way. It was so cool to see all the signature models from all eras and colors parked in all their customized splendor! All those cars were competing in different categories and announced on the main stage of the  Oktoberfest area. When we cued for food and beer and sat under the tent, a ‘German’ band was already performing traditional songs. They were all dressed to impress with semi authentic attire and they would play after a couple of songs, the signature toasting song “Prosit.” What we enjoyed the most were the contests; we all had been signed up to participate in one by the lovely Shannon! So, I found myself holding a Stieg with 6 other women but failed to win when my arm gave up the task (a pilates instructor ended up winning, in case you were wondering.) The men’s Stieg holding game was actually more fierce and competitive; I thought the last three contestants were going to have a hernia for sure! Shannon and Lynde were in the ‘beer chugging’ contest and, considering that none of them really drinks beer, it was a show!

Oktoberfest happens every weekend in Lake Arrowhead in October, don’t miss the opportunity to get a taste of Germany and ‘Trink, trink, bruderlein, trink! Lassen die Sorgen zu Haus!’ (drink, drink, lil’ brother, leave the worries at home!)

Many major cities have lush parks and gardens that, not only are landmarks but are prime tourist destinations. New York’s Central Park is a major attraction and literally the ‘green lung’ of this concrete urban jungle. Chicago has numerous parks and areas richly decorated with fountains and contemporary sculptures and installations, with Millennium Park being the most electrifying and stimulating one. The Cloud Gate, a giant bean shaped sculpture which reflects the city’s skylight and the Crown Fountain, two 50-foot glass block towers of flowing water that project the video images of 1,000 different Chicagoans, are a must see public spaces that bring people together. When the city of Los Angeles opened Grand Park this Summer; I was simply thrilled! We now, too, have a park in the middle of downtown Los Angeles that brings elegance and beauty, but most of all, brings the whole community together.

The 12 acres park, which stretches from Grand to Hill Avenue spanning for four blocks from the City Hall to the Music Center, is now one of the biggest one in Los Angeles County. Grand Park features the most gorgeous fountain (the beautifully remodeled Arthur J. Will Memorial fountain) with towers of water dancing in unison and also emerging from jets that allow families to water play, picnic areas, a built-in stage for different performances all framed by a landscape inspired by the 6 Floristic Kingdoms (Boreal, Neotropical, Paleotropical, South African, Australian and Antarctic.) At night, the fountain displays a spectacular range of colors and the stage comes alive with different eclectic acts. There are many upcoming events planned at this park in the next few months, so catch the metro and get off at the newest LA’s landmark for some excitement!