Monday, January 30, 2017

Designer I Love: Eche Martinez

San Francisco interior designer Eche Martinez deploys artful color, graphics, and modern simplicity with verve.

Eche Martinez grew up and studied design in Buenos Aires, and worked on design in Paris. His cosmopolitan approach to style and his confident interplay of textures and colors have captured the imagination of clients throughout California.

Martinez has become the new favorite of young families, tech couples, and leading talents in the financial and art worlds.





“I always ask myself as a designer, ‘What’s next?’. I enjoy trying to figure out in which direction our taste and our industry are evolving, and discovering items that seem to be unrelated end up having a big impact in how we see and design spaces.”—Eche Martinez


Photo by Christopher Stark.

The versatile Martinez is currently working with Charlie Barnett Associates, Architects on a spectacular remodel of a Spanish colonial house in the Berkeley Hills that’s almost a hundred years old.

“It has proven to be a challenging project, in the best possible way, through a great collaboration with Charlie, his team and the clients,” said Martinez. “The level of restoration taking place in that project would make any historian proud.”

The designer is taking an eclectic approach and a more experimental style with elements like lighting.

“This house will see another hundred years, thanks to a very dynamic collaboration with the clients and Charlie,” said Martinez.


Photo by Christopher Stark.

Photo by Christopher Stark.

Photo by Christopher Stark.


“Early in my career I worked at branding and advertising agencies,” said Martinez. “This made me develop a deep interest for tools usually exclusive to graphic and web designers. I’m inspired by the use of typefaces, for example. It’s usually in new apps or websites where I spot the genesis of trends that end up having bigger impacts on design and fashion. I’m watching bold graphic statements through black and white, and ombré effects as visual backdrops. I admire the use of simple geometries like perfect cubes and spheres in contemporary lighting designs.” — Eche Martinez, January 2017

Martinez said that when he launched his design firm, Eche, in 2014, he wanted to be true to both architecture and design, combining them into a singular approach. His designs are informed by classical design juxtaposed with bold contemporary art.

“I want my work to be superbly planned and with lasting style. I love to reflect a fun, almost naughty and irreverent approach to life,” said the designer, whose studio is located in the heart of San Francisco’s design district. “ I believe that the everyday should be imbued with bit of theatricality and playfulness. Color should feel fresh and uplifting. Design should not be too serious or precious. Life and design should be joyful.” 


Interiors of a new apartment at the Millennium Tower  in San Francisco. Design by Martha Angus, styling by Eche Martinez.

Interiors of a new apartment at the Millennium Tower  in San Francisco. Design by Martha Angus, styling by Eche Martinez.

Interiors of a new apartment at the Millennium Tower  in San Francisco. Design by Martha Angus, styling by Eche Martinez.

Interiors of a new apartment at the Millennium Tower  in San Francisco. Design by Martha Angus, styling by Eche Martinez.


Martinez said that his design is also informed by his travels.

“After I attended design and business schools in Buenos Aires and Paris, I was hired to shape brands and interiors for premier real estate developments and homes in Europe and The Americas. My passion for bold graphical elements became apparent and to this day I use the tools I learnt in those early days of my career.”

For Martinez, experiencing a wide range of top-level design concepts enriched his ideas. 







Martinez said he finds endless inspiration in the work of French thirties designer, Jean-Michel Frank.

“I love his constant experimentation and use of unconventional materials like rye-straw marquetry, glove leather, mica, or parchment to create design with luxurious austerity,” he said.

French designers fire his imagination.

“Among the great contemporaries, Jean-Louis Deniot is the ultimate rock star in our industry,” said Martinez. “ I saw his work for the first time almost fifteen years ago and up to this day I am still amazed at his talent when it comes to compositions. He doesn’t lock himself up into any particular point of view and he keeps pushing boundaries constantly. I am to do that myself in my work.”







Carefully considered color and sensual textures are key elements for Martinez.

“Given my modernist aesthetic, I prefer staying away from pattern, which I usually consider a distraction taking away from the key elements in a room,” he said. “Growing up in South America had a deep impact in how I see and interpret color, making me tend for a bolder sense of color and contrast when coming up with palettes. Though people notice I am not afraid of bold accents in my designs I also gravitate towards subtle neutral palettes with softer accents.”


Vivid and inspiring children’s playroom with custom-made teepees, at a recent San Francisco Decorator Showcase, designed by Martha Angus with Eche Martinez.

Vivid and inspiring children’s playroom with custom-made teepees, at a recent San Francisco Decorator Showcase, designed by Martha Angus with Eche Martinez.

Vivid and inspiring children’s playroom with custom-made teepees, at a recent San Francisco Decorator Showcase, designed by Martha Angus with Eche Martinez.

Vivid and inspiring children’s playroom with custom-made teepees, at a recent San Francisco Decorator Showcase, designed by Martha Angus with Eche Martinez.


“Some of my fondest memories growing up in Argentina were spending afternoons at my grandfather’s test kitchen. He had trained in London and was an incredibly talented pastry chef,” said Martinez. “My grandmother, an unbelievably chic and smart woman was passionate about design, and my mother went back to school and pursued a major in interior design. Though she never practiced as a designer she had a deep impact in the development of my career interests.”

Today, his days buzz with new projects, travels, collaborations, study and discoveries.

“Always an optimist, I believe this is the best moment and place to be a designer,” said Martinez. “Today, through technology I can connect and collaborate with artisans from all over the world, working in an easy and efficient way. We can help create work for artisans and their immediate communities in places that would otherwise seem isolated. All while creating a beautiful space/environment that celebrates that global connection. Count me in.” 




Images with kind permission of Eche Martinez. Some photography, as noted, is by Christopher Stark 
(http://christopherstarkphoto.com).

Eche’s office is located in the Design District of San Francisco:

2021 Seventeenth St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
eche@echemartinez.com

Monday, January 16, 2017

The Beauty of Ballet: San Francisco Ballet Opens a New Season This Week and Debuts the Thrilling All-New ‘Frankenstein’ by Liam Scarlett

Think of ‘Frankenstein’ as The Winged Energy of Delight…an emotional flight though fantasy and myth, love and loss.

I’m in ballet bliss. San Francisco Ballet’s 2017 season includes both classics of the repertoire as well as thrilling and provocative all-new productions.

Come and see my picks below, and the ballets you should not miss.

This is a long-form report. I propose pouring a nice crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Noir. Get inspired. Plan your ballet season.




Vanessa Zahorian in Tomasson's Haffner Symphony.
(© Erik Thomassen)


‘Frankenstein’…I propose that you quickly make a reservation or two.

This is the co-production with the Royal Ballet. It opened in London where is left audiences gasping, crying, and applauding wildly.


Steven McRae as The Creature and Federico Bonelli as Victor Frankenstein in Liam Scarlett's Frankenstein.
(© 2016 The Royal Opera House. Photo by Bill Cooper)

Set designs by John Macfarlane for Liam Scarlett's Frankenstein.
(Courtesy The Royal Ballet)

Steven McRae as The Creature, Federico Bonelli as Victor Frankenstein and Alexander Campbell as Clerval in Liam Scarlett's Frankenstein.
(© 2016 The Royal Opera House. Photo by Bill Cooper)

Set designs by John Macfarlane for Liam Scarlett's Frankenstein.
(Courtesy The Royal Ballet)


Liam Scartlett

I have been fortunate to meet Liam Scarlett. He is engaging, very attractive, and highly talented, and probably the most admired new choreographer in the world.

Scarlett is a classically trained dancer who boldly adds his own quirky, engaging, idiosyncratic, and witty choreography.

Choreographically, ‘Frankenstein’ is tied, and bound and laced with emotional characterizations, and filled with daring movement that is distinctly Scarlett’s. You’ll be captivated by the quirky choreography that Ricardo Cervera, a ballet master at The Royal Ballet, calls “Liamisms.”


Frances Chung and Joseph Walsh rehearse Scarlett’s Frankenstein (©Erik Tomasson)

San Francisco Ballet rehearses Scarlett’s Frankenstein (©Erik Tomasson)

Liam Scarlett tells the story of ‘Frankenstein’ through movement in a poetic way, embodying all the dualities of Shelley’s book—mystery, beauty, humanity, lies, love and hate, curiosity and fear, desire and guilt—within one man, Victor Frankenstein.

That duality is amplified by the overarching design concept.

In every scene, we see two worlds: Victor’s, represented by the 18th-century buildings he inhabits, and the Creature’s world, a landscape described by scenic and costume Designer John Macfarlane as conveying “an overwhelming sense of emptiness.”

When Kevin O’Hare, The Royal Ballet’s artistic director, pitched the idea to Helgi Tomasson, SF Ballet’s artistic director and principal choreographer, he described Scarlett’s vision for the production.

“I was intrigued right away,” said Tomasson. “I’m always looking for something new, and it’s hard to find full-length stories that are different and daring.”

Prepare for a glorious evening.


Maria Kochetkova and Joseph Walsh in Wheeldon's Cinderella©.
(© Erik Thomassen)

Maria Kochetkova and Davit Karapetyanin Tomasson's Swan Lake.
(© Erik Tomasson)


The Importance of Feeding the Eye and Heart — New Works I’m Looking Forward to Seeing

Here are programs I’m looking forward to the most. Naturally, we don’t have images of the newest ballets which are in rehearsal but have not been performed on stage.

Fragile Vessels (World Premiere)

Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov
Choreographer: Jiří Bubeníček
Scenic Design: Otto Bubeníček
Costume Design: Uroš Belantič
Lighting Design: Jim French

World Premiere: 
January 24, 2017


A ballet from Czech choreographer Jiří Bubeníček, is a package deal: Jiří and his twin brother, Otto, collaborate on creating works for companies in North America, Europe, and Asia. In choreographing Fragile Vessels for San Francisco Ballet, Jiří had Otto at his side, as designer, assistant, and advisor. What this prolific choreographer has created is a ballet that carries tremendous emotional weight for him, in both music and concept. 


Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan in Balanchine's Jewels.
(Choreography by George Balanchine © The Balanchine Trust; Photo © Erik Tomasson)

Optimistic Tragedy (World Premiere)

Composer: Ilya Demutsky
Choreographer: Yuri Possokhov
Scenic and Projection Design: Alexander V. Nichols
Costume Design: Mark Zappone
Lighting Design: Christopher Dennis

World Premiere:
January 26, 2017


When Choreographer in Residence Yuri Possokhov commissioned music from Russian composer Ilya Demutsky, he had no idea he would end up making a ballet about revolution. Demutsky hadn’t anticipated it either. But when Possokhov told him the music brought to mind the 1933 play An Optimistic Tragedy about the 1917 Russian Revolution, Demutsky immediately understood the connection. Possokhov turned to the play for its story and to Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 silent film Battleship Potemkin for visual inspiration, creating a dramatic ballet driven equally by emotion and aesthetics.



Salome (World Premiere)

Composer: Frank Moon
Choreographer: Arthur Pita
Scenic and Costume Design: Yann Seabra
Lighting Design: Jim French

World Premiere:
March 9, 2017

Salome deals with mature themes and subject matter. Not recommended for children under 12.


When a choreographer with an affinity for David Lynch films gets his hands on the story of Salome, unusual things are bound to happen. And they do, in Arthur Pita’s first commission for San Francisco Ballet. His Salome is inspired by two other works by that title, Oscar Wilde’s 1891 play and David McVicar’s staging of Richard Strauss’ opera, plus the Bible story and the style of David Lynch. But the influence of previous works is overshadowed by Pita’s freewheeling imagination and textured contemporary movement. His Salome explores power, ritual, and desire like you’ve never seen it done before.

The way Helgi Tomasson sees it, Pita’s work is dance theater. He had been keeping an eye on Pita’s career. “I knew he was very much a theater person, and I thought that would be good for us,” he explains, noting that he likes that Salome is “completely contemporary, It’s not in biblical costumes. The story is strong.”




New Miles Thatcher (World Premiere — as yet unnamed)

Composer: Michael Nyman
Choreographer: Myles Thatcher
Costume Design: Susan Roemer
Lighting Design: Jim French

World Premiere: 
April 5, 2017


Choreographers contemplating a new work find inspiration in all kinds of places—a piece of music that stirs up emotions, an image that triggers an image or memory, a snippet of history that leads to a story idea. SF Ballet Corps de Ballet member Myles Thatcher’s imagination was sparked by a quote by comedian Louis C.K.: “The world is amazing and nobody’s happy.” Thatcher interpreted the quote to mean that “it’s easy to get stuck in our own personal agendas, baggage, and dramas,” he says. “To get out of that, first we need each other, to relate to each other and be there as a community.”

For Thatcher, the first step in creating a new work is finding the music. For this as yet unnamed ballet, the second he has created for SF Ballet, he turned to the work of composer Michael Nyman. Thatcher selected seven short pieces and arranged them in a structural and emotional arc to fit his concept. “I wanted [music] that had some darkness and pain, but also had lightness and joy to it.”


Myles Thatcher rehearses his 2016 new work.
(© Erik Tomasson)

Myles Thatcher during rehearsal of his 2016 new work.
(© Erik Tomasson)

The ballet opens with a couple in conflict. In rehearsals Thatcher tells Principal Dancers Vanessa Zahorian and Joseph Walsh that the first moments of their duet “should feel like a face-off at an old abandoned warehouse.” Later he explains that they’re like “those people who enjoy confrontation. In the beginning, we’re not sure if they’re having fun. It’s like when you have chemistry with someone who isn’t really good for you; there’s a toxicity there, but there’s pleasure in that. I wanted that kind of dynamic.” 


Yuan Yuan Tan in Balanchine's Stravinsky Violin Concerto.
(Choreography by George Balanchine © The Balanchine Trust; Photo © Erik Tomasson)



2017 Repertory Season

The following are particular favorites of mine. After ‘Frankenstein’ (can’t wait), the following are the programs I’m looking forward to. So many new works…and the classics.


* Program 1 *


Opens Tuesday, January 24 with Tomasson’s Haffner Symphony, a new work by Bubeníček, and NYCB Resident Choreographer Justin Peck’s In the Countenance of Kings. Haffner Symphony, is set to Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 in D Major.


Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan in Tomasson's Haffner Symphony.


* Program 5 *

Contemporary Voices

Fusion
Fitkin, Burman/Possokhov/ Pierce/Woodall/Ingalls

Salome
Moon/Pita/Seabra/French

Fearful Symmetries
Adams/Scarlett/Morrell/Finnish

March 9 eve, 11 mat & eve, 14 eve, 15 eve, 17 eve, 19 mat


Lorena Feijoo and Luke Ingham in Scarlett's Fearful Symmetries.
(© Erik Tomasson)


* Program 6 *

Swan Lake
Tchaikovsky/Tomasson after Petipa, Ivanov/Fensom/Tipton/Ortel/Ward

FULL-LENGTH PRODUCTION
March 31 eve; April 1 mat & eve, 2 mat, 6 eve, 7 eve, 11 eve, 12 eve


San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson's Swan Lake.
(© Erik Tomasson)


* Program 8 *


Cinderella
Prokofiev/Wheeldon/Lucas/Crouch/Katz/Twist/Brodie

FULL-LENGTH PRODUCTION
April 28 eve, 29 mat & eve, 30 mat; May 2 eve, 3 eve, 4 eve, 6 mat & eve, 7 mat


Maria Kochetkova in Wheeldon's Cinderella©.
(© Erik Tomasson)

Maria Kochetkova in Wheeldon's Cinderella©.
(© Erik Tomasson)

Maria Kochetkova in Wheeldon's Cinderella©.
(© Erik Tomasson)

Watching and immersing myself in a ballet performance, I’m at once observing and experiencing the emotion of the virtuoso dancers, but also attuned to the ever-changing structure of a dance, the deft geometry of steps and movement across the stage, and the ensemble of costume design, set, lighting, and the mood created. My ear is following the violin or cello or cymbal, my eye is feasting on color and movement and abstract pattern. My brain follows the composition and structure, and my skin tingles with the evanescent beauty.

Doubtless the dry scent of the stage, and frissons of moving air from tutus and ballet slippers and whirling tulle stir memories of dancing class, the Paris Opera ballet, Margot Fonteyn’s lyricism, the Lyon ballet’s clashes, and the wildly erotic male dancers of the innovative Les Ballets de Monte Carlo.

In the profound creative terrain of Balanchine, for example I see the history of ballet re-invented, just as modern architecture re-evaluates classical architecture.


Sarah Van Patten and Luke Ingham in Wheeldon's Within The Golden Hour©.
(© Erik Tomasson)


Behind the Scenes: New Ballets in Rehearsal San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco


Arthur Pita and members of San Francisco Ballet rehearse Pita's 2017 Salome.
(© Erik Tomasson)



Lorena Feijoorehearses Possokhov's Optimistic Tragedy.
(© Erik Thomassen)
Jiri Bubeníček and Dores André rehearse Bubeníček's Fragile Vessels.
(© Erik Tomasson)

San Francisco Ballet

“The San Francisco Ballet company delivers performances where nothing is more engrossing than the choreography. The sense of selflessness is a crucial characteristic of good Balanchine style,” wrote New York Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay.” The San Francisco dancers are a remarkably unmannered, elegant and grown-up company. The adult quality is impressive. Ballet elsewhere so often looks to be a matter for girls and boys.”

San Francisco Ballet, the oldest professional ballet company in America, has emerged as a world-class arts organization since it was founded as the San Francisco Opera Ballet in 1933. Initially, its primary purpose was to train dancers to appear in lavish, full-length opera productions. The company now performs it repertoire from January to May each year in San Francisco, and then presents programs around the world, including, recently, in Paris and in Beijing.


San Francisco Ballet Dancers V
anessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan to Lead Pennsylvania Ballet Academy Following 2017 Season

Dancers give so much pleasure and emotional uplift, that when they retire or depart the company we all cry, applaud, wish them well, and loudly clap to show how much we appreciate their dancing. It is truly bittersweet.

San Francisco Ballet has announced that Principal Dancers Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan will retire from the Company, following the 2017 Season. The married couple has been appointed joint artistic directors of the Pennsylvania Ballet Academy. This summer, the Academy will move from New Cumberland to Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, where it will open a brand-new facility. A Farewell Performance is planned toward the end of the season, with details to be announced.

Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan in Balanchine's Jewels.
(Choreography by George Balanchine © The Balanchine Trust; Photo © Erik Tomasson)


“Vanessa Zahorian has a rivetingly elegant physique, sparklingly precise legs and feet, a beautiful face offset by raven-black hair, and apparently complete technical accomplishment,” said Alastair Macaulay in the New York Times. “She switches effortlessly from sustained adagio to scintillating presto, and the fluent conception of legato behind everything she does helps to give her the pose of a rare artist.” — Critic Alastair Macaulay, New York Times, Feb 14 2010

For More Information and Tickets:


All performances of San Francisco Ballet take place at the War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco.

War Memorial Opera House. Photo by Cesar Rubio.


San Francisco Ballet 84th Season Gala
8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19. War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. (415) 865-2000, www.sfballet.org


Credits:
All photography here courtesy the San Francisco Ballet.

Photography by Chris Hardy and Erik Thomasson.




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Monday, January 9, 2017

Adventures in Sicily — Part Two: Chasing the Baroque in Beautiful Noto

Come with me this week to sun-struck southeastern Sicily and the dramatic small town of Noto, a UNESCO region of world heritage.

Noto, formerly a significant religious center, is at the heart of wildly beautiful Baroque architecture dating from the 17th-century.

A very effective restoration of significant churches, monasteries, palazzi, the cathedral, and other historic structures has recently been triumphantly completed.



Come with me for a walk around Noto, and enjoy lunch (and dinner) at my favorite restaurant, Manna.

With great curiosity, we visit a palace, swoon over the baroque interiors of 17th-century churches and chapels, and take a little trip to the Sicilian countryside for lunch.

Noto was a fantastic discovery. See below for details on hotels and restaurants—and books to read about Sicily and the baroque towns of the Noto valley.












A sunny walk around Noto—with a stop for lunch at Manna

On the menu: a lovely fennel and tomato salad, crunchy bread, and spaghetti with mussels and bottarga (sun-dried mullet/ tuna roe, from the region).

Sicilian wines are served, of course. And crunchy almond cookies with sweet cherries.






Where to Stay

La Dependance
I discovered and stayed at a charming new small hotel, in a former ducal palace. La Dependance has elegant, airy rooms and a restaurant downstairs (open from early summer).

It’s perfectly located in the middle of the cobblestone town of Noto, and within walking distance of baroque churches, former nunneries, cathedrals, restaurants, and further exploration.

The service when I was there was friendly, and the young owner, Andrea, was extremely helpful. Color palate: ivory, taupe, black, white. Request a suite overlooking via Rocco Pirri.

Located on via Rocco Pirri, at via Cavour.

www.ladependancehotel.com
info@ladependancehotel.com


Palazzo Nicolaci and 7Rooms
I was very fortunate to spend time with the wonderful hotelier/interior designer Cristina Summa, originally from Noto and now living in Milan. Cristina has developed 7Rooms hotel/inn at the historic Palazzo Nicolaci, on via Cavour in Noto.

Cristina designed the rooms in palest taupe, white plaster, ivory and white, and with a deft use of tufted sofas, linen covered chairs, plaster walls, and a very relaxed and elegant style. The hotel had been booked by a wedding party when I was in Noto, so I stayed at La Dépendance, which is decorated in a similar paled-down, understated style.

Book far ahead for 7 Rooms, as it is small and special. Breakfast is served in a handsome kitchen designed by Cristina.

www.7roomsvilladorata.it


Country House Villadorata
I also took a trip with Cristina to her new Country House Villadorata, a few miles out of town.

It’s a series of modern villas in an olive grove, with swimming pool, and an excellent restaurant. From each terrace, guests can see over olive trees to the blue horizon of the Mediterranean.

I enjoyed a lovely lunch there, and bought some of the toiletries. The fragrant collection of Officine Villadorata includes natural soaps with extra virgin olive oil from the property. Definitely you’ll want to bring some home.

www.countryhousevilladorata.it/EN_boutique_hotel.html
info@countryhousevilladorata.it






When to Go to Noto and Southeastern Sicily

Check weather patterns, and time a visit ideally to early summer/ spring or fall.

Avoid July and August when it is very hot and very crowded, according to my friends in Noto.

Some restaurants open their terraces only in early summer and dining outdoors is exactly what you’ll want to enjoy. Some restaurants and shops are closed in the off season (winter). New shops open in spring, for summer season.






Dining in Noto

Manna
The center of Noto, along the corso Vittorio Emanuele, includes restaurants and cafés, and many sellers of fresh orange juice and granita and gelato so delicious you could float on a sugar high all day.

Instead, I lunched late, and dined late at Manna café/ restaurant, which happened to be just a one-minute stroll along via Rocco Pirri, where I was lodged at La Dependance.




It’s situated in a corner of the Palazzo Nicolaci, and is another genius part of Cristina Summa’s Noto holdings. From the terrace, I loved watching the passing scene along the cobblestone street. The bar is also stylish and easy for an aperitif and bite. But be sure to explore the various rooms of the restaurant. They are handsome. Cuisine is very seasonal, light, and inventive. Enjoy with Sicilian wines. And the manager and wait staff are wonderfully warm, chatty and professional and polished. Loved it.

www.mannanoto.it/ristorante_manna_noto.html#3

Manna was designed with panache by the international architect/ designer, Gordon Guillaumier, based in Milan.
www.gordon-guillaumier.com/work/bistro-manna-noto/








Excursions

Noto is situated in the valley of Noto and you’ll want to hire a car and driver to visit Ragusa and Modica, two significant Baroque towns. Don't even think of taking the local bus to go exploring. Quirky bus schedules in the region make a day trip from Noto to Ragusa, for example, virtually impossible, according to my Noto experts.

Syracuse is an essential day trip, to enjoy lunch, and to visit the island of Ortygia, a living museum of Greek, Norman, Aragon, and Baroque eras. The Piazza del Duomo is handsome, and wandering along the maze of streets and lanes offers discoveries and a dreamy sense of getting lost and found. Take a taxi from Noto.

There are lovely beaches along the coast as well.





What to Read Before You Go

LONGITUDE BOOKS is my favorite travel books catalog. See website below. I found the following books on Longitude, and I studied them before departure:

‘Sicily, An Island at the Crossroads of History’ by John Julius Norwich. Sicily is located at the crossroads of exploration and pillaging and conquering and land-grabbing by the Greeks, Romans, Normans, Saracens, various Spanish duchies, North African leaders, and others, until it finally became part of Italy. The resulting architecture is influenced by all of these marauders. Fascinating.

I also have a copy of ‘Sicily’ a Silver Spoon cookbook published by Phaidon. It offers not only simple fresh recipes but also inspiration on the seasons, regions, ingredients and unique wines and styles of Sicilian cuisine.

‘The Leopard’ by Giuseppe di Lampedusa is the essential book to read before traveling in Sicily. Moody, poetic, sensual and piercingly emotional, it’s one of the great historic novels.

‘On Persephone’s Island’ by Mary Taylor Simeti takes you to the rural life of Sicily, describing traditions, seasons, foods, and a year on the island.

www.longitudebooks.com




Photo credits: 

All photography by Diane Dorrans Saeks.