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The Scottsdale architectural firm of Candelaria Design Associates is one of the premier luxury residential architecture firms in the country. Enjoy our blog which features our work, our travel, our recipes, wines, tips on design and decorating, and the lives of our clients and employees, etc.....its all the ingredients for the Candelaria Design Lifestyle. Contact Candelaria Design to start your dream residence 602-604-2001!


Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2014 - Day 8 - A day at the Country Houses



Well as you can tell we have pretty much been on the go non stop since our departure a week ago! With the time change and my Candelaria pace my travelers are ready for a pause and reset. What made it even better was some rain was in the forecast which is perfect for a rest day. Make a fire, sleep in and relax.






I tried to get a group to run into Umbertide at 9 am for the Farmer's Market but no answers to the texts. I tried again at 10 am - a couple takers. By 10:30 I had 7 travelers ready to go. So by 11 am eight of us were on our way to Umbertide for the Farmer's Market. The rest of my travelers were going to enjoy a quiet day at the houses.

I love the little Farmer's Market. The same faces, in the same booths, in the same locations! First stop is always for the porchetta sandwich. My favorite is right before you enter the central piazza and before you cross the bridge. A cute husband and wife team make an incredible roasted pig stuffed with herbs sliced and served on a French roll. What a breakfast.



We then wondered into the piazza for a cappuccino and a stroll through the market. Our cooking class is also on this evening so we stocked up on a few additional items for the evening festivities. Fresh fish, cheeses, sausages, salamis, fruits and veggies. All fresh and all proudly displayed and sold.


























A quick stop for a gelato on the way out of town and it was back to the Country Houses. Many tours we then make our way to Lacole' but this year we were all ready for a day at the houses so we headed home - but not first with a little side trip to Preggio!




 Preggio is just up the hill from the country houses but we came in from the back side from Umbertide. What a beautiful drive through the countryside! At the top of the mountain (just like all the towns here) we arrived in the little village of Preggio. Virtually silent, but for a few locals and the occasional tourist who also likely stumbled on this town by accident, we stolid through the village whereupon we found a small restaurant - provision store and grabbed some bottled beers, a couple glasses of wine some pancetta for our veggies, some jug wine, and of course a bottle of Lemoncello for the evening celebration. We sat on the terrace, snapped some photos, shared some laughs and enjoyed our refreshments.




We then made our way down the hill to our houses where others had been relaxing enjoying the incoming rain shower and we had a couple hours until the commencement of the cooking class! Yes - siesta time!









At 5 pm we started the cooking class.  This is truly the crescendo on this trip! It is the moment the group really bonds and comes together. And just as with all the other trips this one was no exception. Cooking, music, a fire in the fireplace, stellar scenery with a magical sunset and a relatively speaking rested group of travelers - its all the perfect recipe for a memorable evening. Our house host and chef, Elizabeth Wholey and her amazing partner, Paola, went to work. From peppers cooked in sunflower oil, to mozzarella balls wrapped in cooked strips of zucchini, to grilled pork shoulder, polenta and of course tiramisu - we learned to make it all! Nothing like a three hour cooking glass and a two hour dinner all accompanied by amazing wines purchased just the day before on our wine tour with Pino and this party was off an running! Stay tuned in the weeks ahead for many of the recipes from our trip here in Umbria!!!!







What a fabulous way to spend a quiet day in Umbria.


Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2014 – Day 7 – Wine Tour with Pino





Well after yesterday’s wild day it is nice to get to Tuesday and our Wine Tour of Tuscany. What is nice about the Wine Tour is our tour guide Pino arranges a bus for us so we can all enjoy the day, enjoy the wine, catch some zzzz’s on the bus and not have to drive!


We simply had to drive about 10 minutes from the houses to Mercatale and our rendezvous spot with Pino where there is a fantastic little coffee bar.  Grab a cappuccino, a pastry, some water for the road, and we were off.

Our wine guide, Pino, has been my guide for over 14 years. It has been fun to watch him change and transform over the years. What an interesting fellow he is. Trained as a geologist, Pino has an amazing grasp of the makeup of the land and its history.






So of course like everything in Italy, the bus and driver missed the communication on the rendezvous spot and was in the next town about 20 miles away…..So we followed Pino in a convoy to Camuchia and met the bus driver parked at a large Supermarket by Italy standards! Wow what a break to be parked here! You see, two of my travelers were not going to let those giant bisteca alla Fiorentine go to waste from our first night in Florence and had taken doggie bags with them and had been schlepping these steaks with them to the Country Houses and had decided to make the group an amazing stew. So they had been collecting veggies, broth, etc. for this stew but were needing corn starch to thicken the stew. Looks like we hit pay dirt!







We boarded the bus and we were off. Our first destination the winery of Casanova di Neri just outside of Montalcino.. This winery is amazing, sophisticated, scenic and dedicated first and foremost to quality. Their marquis wine is their Brunello. What impresses me about this winery and their wines is the steps they take to ensure the highest quality wine possible. From hand picking the grapes, sorting the grapes, pressing the grapes, storing and aging, down to specific details for their requirements for the bottles and corks. What tops this particular tour is their scenic wine tasting room that overlooks the Tuscan landscape and the hill town of Montalcino. They set an elegant table where we could sit and enjoy our wine samplings paired with cheese and bread to cleanse the palate after each tasting. What a fantastic experience only further enhanced by the wine and its effects at 11 am in the morning!

From here we went to the hill town of Montalcono and a marvelous wine shop where we could further our tasting extravaganza! Yum!!!











From there we made our way across the Tuscan countryside to Pienza and the home of the pecorino cheese – sheep cheese and of course more wine. A quick walk through the village, grab a porchetta sandwich and it was back on the bus…. Where I realized I had forgotten the envelope of cash for the payment of Pino and the driver…..I seem to manage to do this every year for some strange reason. So I rallied my troops and we a couple of my travelers spotted me the cash to pay the driver so we wouldn’t have to drive all the way and then back over the hill to the driver all the while they are waiting…..I hate when I do that.



So with Pino and the driver squared away it was off to our final stop, Montepulciano and home of the Vino Nobile wines. Another picturesque hill town with many amazing shops, sights and restaurants. Here we toured another very old underground cellar that was just beautiful and such a contrast to the Casanova di Neri cellar which is much more modern and state of the art.

 





The sun was starting to set and so we enjoyed the bus ride through the hills of Tuscany and the light cast on the villas, vineyards, and cypress trees of this magical land.

We arrived at the supermarket, grabbed some more provisions including of course and most importantly, corn starch and we were off to our final destination – Trattoria di Mimmi's in Mercatale!

Mimmi’s has been our final stop of our Wine Tour day for years. It’s a little bed and breakfast farmhouse with a fabulous restaurant that serves a family style 8 course farmers meal. We start with melon and salamis, followed by a couple crostinis and then on to three different pastas and then finally three different meats including roast turkey, roast pork and finally roast beef.  All along our pitcher of house wine is filled and consumed, filled and consumed, filled and consumed……all finally culminated in two deserts – panna cotta and tiramisu!
 

Fantastic day and evening – no one lost!

Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2014 - Day 6 - Umbria Hill Towns



Day 6 is always a busy day. Some years we just tackle one hill town but we have done as many as three in a day. This year we went for two - Perugia and Assisi.

First and foremost we consolidate bodies into fewer cars. So instead of 8 cars we double up and get it down to 4 cars. Trust me that is still plenty for avid adventure! We start with our morning coffee and some eggs and potatoes for breakfast in our little quaint Umbrian kitchen and then its down the hill and off on our Umbrian Hilltown adventure.

Our first stop is Perugia. 4 cars all traversing the hills, then the highway and then the first exit into the city…..and then the separation, cars get lost and we are off and into our own version of the CBS show The Amazing Race. Trust me - our version would be better! Cars get separated, and then my job is to figure out where everyone is and how to get them to the parking spot! Always a challenge but we always eventually get there and this year was no exception.


The first thing my travelers learn is not to panic. As in life, when drama or storms come your way, the best thing to do is forget the emotion and look closely at the situation and start assessing options. In this case my goal is always to get one car at a time back to where I am. Here is where I learn who my good navigators and travelers are. Yes we could get a bus and all follow Mark with a flag but that is not what this trip is about. This trip is about getting you out of your comfort zone and trust me - we don't realize it, but we spend every day of our lives insulating ourselves from adversity and have feathered our comfort nests to the point that we don't even recognize the fact we are sitting tight there in the middle of that nest. I want my travelers to find that part of them they have lost - that sense of adventure which brings along a heightened awareness of living and stepping out and seeing the world and experiencing new things that most people would prefer to live through Rick Steeves and his travel shows. This trip gets you out of the couch and off the internet and behind the seat of a car desperately searching for me somewhere on some side street in Perugia!!!!

Ok - so back to our journey! The one thing I also find are who my good Google Maps navigators are and who even has a decent phone with data! Trust me when you travel like this - forget paper maps they are worthless - not bad back ups - but Google Maps works great….as long as you have a signal :-). Fortunately, it seems to work pretty well in Italy. So my travelers start to learn what a dropped pin is and how valuable they become. With a dropped pin I can get blow by blow directions to that pin. So I can send a pin to where I am and my travelers can find me or vice versa. It works very well and once my travelers start learning how to do this it is a great resource and skill for years and trips to come.

We all find each other and make our way to the parking lot…..one problem I didn't follow MY pin and had us park in a private swim club parking lot! Ok so now we are all in this lot but there is a gate you need to have open to get out. Luckily someone was answering the call button and between my broken Italian and the gate operator's broken English we managed to get 4 cars through the gate. So now back up a few more hairpin turns up the hill and we were to our true pinned parking lot.



Parking is always a challenge as I try to get all my cars together. The spots are tight and the spaces come at a premium - sometimes we have to wait several minutes for someone to leave and then use our traveler body guards to defend the spots! I told you this was an adventure.

With cars parked we made our way up, up, up to the old city of Perugia. Perugia is the capital of Umbria and a beautiful city with a lovely main thoroughfare framed by churches, museums, trattorias and bars and of course shopping. So we picked a group rendezvous time and place and we were all off on our own mini adventures…..see no following Mark with a flag. Everyone found nice little spots to dine and relax and enjoy a beautiful lunch hour in Perugia.



Now it was off to Assisi. Ahhh my travelers stay a lot closer now…..Nice and tight. We make our way down the hill from Perugia, drive across the valley and then make our way up the hill to Assisi which is spectacular. Everyone loves Assisi. It is definitely one of my favorite towns for sure. Assisi is the city of peace - and yes you really feel it. This is the town of Saint Francis and he is entombed at the bottom of the main cathedral on the west end of town.




We parked and made our way down the main thoroughfare into the main piazza where we found our gathering spot and set our rendezvous time. Group photo in front of the cathedral and then it was off to all go and explore. Isabel and I have seen the church many times so we went and found a fantastic wine shop and enjoyed a glass of wine and some antipasti and some quiet time.

Gradually, we all made our way back to the piazza where we shared stories of our explorations and finds, grabbed a cappuccino and some gelato and made our way back to the cars. Isabel is my driver and of course I am the navigator. We had brought two of our travelers that wanted to stay in Siena for the night and then drive home on their own. So I thought I would surprise one of them by having them drive us home to give them a sense of the experience before casting them off later in the week to the Tuscany drivers and roads….. Well she was surprised all right but with me as her navigator she did great. I do think the experience though made them realize that they probably were not quite ready to do this on their own. Better they find out today than later in the week and they lose a day trying to find their way home!



We made our way back to our valley and were heading to my little pizza stop but unfortunately they were closed….and it was getting late. We asked at the next door bar if they new anything nearby and a lady showed my on my Google Map a place not too far away where we could grab some pizzas. Perfect! I got my travelers in their cars and we were off on a short jaunt around a couple corners to a new find. That's all fine assuming you make the right turn….well we made the wrong turn and ended up on this steep little one way road that dead ended at someone's house with very little room to turn around 4 cars. After doing the Austin Powers u turns we made it back down the hill and over to the new restaurant. It looked a bit dark so I walked up and sure enough it was open and they were happy to serve us. Great little place and fantastic food.


Vivian and I had to do a conference call from our cars so we missed dinner but got doggie bags to go! We then drove off and headed home……no wait - two cars turned the wrong way and they were off in the wrong direction….. one last adventure…..well after about 30 minutes of frantic texts we figured out that they had figured their ways home through the country roads!!! We all made it home, grabbed a glass of wine and relived our day.





I had achieved my goal! I had created some new adventure travelers! 

Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2014 - Day 5 - Villa Piazzano and Cortona

















Sunday is one of my favorite days. How many times do I say this during the trip…..!



It's our first full day in the country. Fresh air, birds singing, the fog slowly disappears from the valley floor as the sun peaks its first rays over the hilltops of this magical land that time has forgotten. I got the coffee going, started a nice fire in the fireplace, and slowly my travelers, not sure where they are by now, awake and started their day. Today we get to sleep in a bit as we don't have to be to our first destination until 11 am. So it was nice to see everyone discover the homes and watch the fog lift for the first time.



Today we start the day at the Villa Piazzano Villa Piazzano. One of my favorites…..see there I go again! But truly, this is. I stumbled upon this property in 2000 by making the wrong turn down the road….I've discovered a lot of great things during my travels that way.  Once I realized I was on the wrong road it was too late as I was quickly mesmerized by the Italian cypress alle that seemed to never end. Only after a mile of repetitive trees did it end at this amazing villa. When I first saw this property back then it was in poor order and was really nothing to get too excited about. I saw a family strolling the grounds and asked them if they knew what this place was. They indicated they had just purchased the property and were in the process of restoring it. Well, seeing it now some 14 years later and it is simply marvelous what has been accomplished. This is a premier  destination if you are ever in this area. Beautiful grounds, amazing history, friendly and charming staff, and all at the foot of Cortona, Tuscany and Umbria. I cannot think of a better place.






So after our drive in which again mesmerized us all, we parked and made our way into the Villa where we were all welcomed. We were given a short tour of the Villa, the wine cellar, which is terrific, and then it was off to brunch on the garden terrace overlooking the pool. This beauty of this setting is hard to capture in words or pictures. It can only be understood by a visit. The sights, smells, warmth of the Tuscan sun, colors, and then ultimately the taste of the food - what a plethora of stimuli. That is what Italy is all about…..!






The brunch they prepare for us is a masterpiece - a true work of art. Carefully arranged in the dining room, this brunch is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the palate. I think my travelers spend more time photographing the food as they do eating it. Of course this is all accompanied by prosecco!

A quick group picture and it was back to the country homes for a siesta and time to just grab a breather after the hustle of the last 5 days.


















Before you knew it, it was 4 pm and time to make the drive back over the mountain to Cortona for a fun evening in the city famous for the Frances Mayes book and then movie, Under the Tuscan Sun. And Tuscan sun we had. Wow, what a beautiful late fall day. We walked through the main street to our restaurant at the far end of town and then turned my travelers loose to go explore. Cortona was having a street antique fair and so it was very busy, really alive and a great time to see the energy of this vibrant hill town. Our dinner reservations was at 7 pm and gradually everyone arrived and dinner was on!

I love this first dinner in the country side. Different items on the menu and the prices always blow people away. Nearly half to a third of the prices in Florence. From 70€ in Florence per person for wine and dinner to 20€ per person for wine and dinner in the countryside! No drop in quality - in fact I think the quality is better. This year we dined at the Trattoria Dardona, which is terrific. Veal porcini, wild boar pasta, and of course bisteca - amazing.

After dinner it was time for some gelato down the street, a cigar and a stroll through the now quiet and tranquil streets back to our cars and the drive home……magical.


Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2014 - Day 4 - Drive to Umbria


Ahhhhhh - the most stressful day of my trip. Putting 15 novice drivers behind the wheel who do not have a clue as to where they are going and all need to stay together in a convoy down the Autostrada! It has always been an adventure, but fortunately for me, always a successful one!  The reward is ending up at the Country Houses in Umbria and finally truly relaxing.


We started our Saturday, Day 4, with breakfast at the Hotel and then a few of us walked to the San Lorenzo Marketplace to stock up on some goodies for our trip to the country and gifts for friends and family back home. The San Lorenzo Marketplace is fantastic. I wish we had one like this in Phoenix - although I would be there everyday picking up fresh meats. fish, veggies, fruits, nuts, berries, olive oil, and of course truffles!!!! I LOVE this place! A quick cappuccino and then a little shopping and it was back to the hotel to pack up and get ready for the rental car adventure.




















Ok so the first step is getting everyone checked out of the hotel as transport vans are there at 12 sharp to take us to the rental car location. Checking out went smoothly as it usually does. The transport vans were there for the most part. One made it right to the front door of the hotel, the other two were around the corner and down the street. You see around the corner here in the old part of Florence can mean a space of about 9 feet to make a turn….! So we loaded up some of my travelers at the front door and others had to hike down the busy streets to find the vans in the now crowds of people filling the streets.

So right away everyone is separated. Then I come to find they have moved the pick up location from the airport to in town. Ten years ago - in town - meant really in town. If any of you have ever been to Florence you know that driving "in town" is a big no no even for the most seasoned driver not to mention trying this with 15 novice drivers. So when I heard this my stress level went through the roof! The driver assured me it was not the "In town" location I remembered and that I would be happy with where they were taking me as it was "close" to the airport….????

So off we went - now we were all in adventure mode! As we drove I could tell we were in fact getting very close to the airport which eased my trepidation. I like the Florence airport because you virtually make one turn and you are on the Autostrada heading south towards Rome and our destination. Well our new location was just a few blocks away and underground in a nice air conditioned garage as opposed to the old airport location in full sun - so much better.

Ok then I prepared everyone with the fact that it would take a good two hours to get our 8 rental cars. I always receive a few raised eyebrows but after two hours of getting us all checked in everyone was shaking their head in awe of how well I predicted that. You see in Italy NOTHING moves fast!  As quickly as you can come to terms with that and accept that you are much better. If you expect the efficiency of America you will be disappointed your entire trip. When in Italy chill out and just roll with it and enjoy watching their dramatic banter. Every action is filled with Italian drama!

So after two hours we  had all of our cars lined up in our convoy order with Isabel driving the lead car and me navigating. We were OFF!

Oh but not too far….. we probably went about 4 blocks when the car behind us was flashing us in seemed like utter panic. So at the next stop light I jumped out of my car and ran back to see what the problem was. My rookie driver was shaking in horror ad quickly described the problem….the car would not shift out of first gear. My choice now was to try and get everyone off to the side and wait as I would drive the car back to the garage or see if I could figure out what was wrong in

the middle of a busy thoroughfare with cars honking and gesturing at us to get moving! Meanwhile my other 6 cars were behind us wondering what was going on??? Quickly, I asked the driver to get out, run up to my car and jump in on the passenger side with Isabel and I would try and drive her car and see what was going on.

Luckily, the stick was just in the wrong location and so I was able to get things going! At the next light I flashed Isabel and we did one more Tuscan Fire Drill and shifted back into our respective cars and we were off! Always and adventure…..

A quick two hour drive down the Autostrada and some of the most beautiful countryside and before we knew it we were in Umbria.  From the A1 south we take a left to Perugia and then the exit for Tuoro where we went up and over the hill and then drop down to Lusciano-Niccone Valley and our Umbrian Paradise. We stopped in the small market in Lusciano-Niccone and made that shopkeepers week.

With provisions in tow we made our way throughout the valley and then up a dusty and very steep road to our Country Houses. I love the arrival - from a luxury hotel in the busy city of Florence to these charming stone Country houses with stunning views of the valley below embraced by the hills of Tuscany and Umbria…..it doesn't get much better than this.





With everyone settled and unpacked its up to the main house Casa LaPietra for a home made meal by our host Elizabeth Wholey who runs the operation. She prepared us a wonderful meal featuring truffled hardboiled eggs, peppers stuffed with local sausage, baked figs stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and wrapped in bacon. This was followed by homemade lasagna and a salad dressed with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and honey - the best. This capped off with pana cotta and fresh local berries…..heaven.







Ok - we made it to Umbria. From dining at the Villa San Michele the night before to dining in an old Country Farmhouse Kitchen - that is the contrast I love to paint for my travelers. Both so different, yet both so magical and amazing. Welcome to Italy!


Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2014 - Day 3 - Florence

Good morning from Italy!

On Day 3 we enjoyed everything about Florence! We started the day with a walking tour led by none other than me. I love this experience - rising before the crack of dawn and heading out onto the streets before a soul awakes. The streets are empty, there is very little sound, and the indigo light of the morning sky gradually transforms and brings this time capsule of the Renaissance into another day. I believe 9 of my travelers answered the bell and joined me in the lobby at 6 am. We were off and walked for 2 hours exploring the Piazza del Duomo, San Lorenzo Market, the Piazza Republica, the Palazzo Pitti, and the Piazza Republica along with many streets and sights along the way.


We then made our way back to the hotel for a lovely breakfast and then a group of us went for a quick climb up the Giotto's Campinile - what a work out only to be rewarded by an amazing view! All of these structures are unbelievable - the craftsmanship, the thought and engineering all constructed over several years and three architects. Started in 1334 by Giotto di Bondoneand then finished in 1359 by Francesco Talenti. 25 years to build and of course it is stall standing some 650 years later. A far cry than some of our grand stadiums that are lucky if they last 25 years! You have to love our disposable way of life today….









After the climb we took a quick pass through the interior of the main cathedral and returned back to the hotel for a quick cat nap. Then Isabel and I grabbed a quick bite and then joined 10 of us for a guided walking tour of Florence including the Accademia where of course the David is housed. We toured the Cathedral one more time - only in amazing detail, the Accademia and then the Palazzo Vecchio and the Piazza del Signoria. So fascinating to get an understanding of all the challenges and time these people went through to virtually survive and at the same time express themselves both from an artistic and political manner. Its funny how things seem so different now in modern life yet are so the same. We share the same struggles to put food on the table three times a day, protect ourselves from danger and our enemies, yet strive to create beauty along the way.

With the tour complete we all gathered for in the lobby for our trip up the hills above Florence to the Villa San Michele for cocktails on the terrace and dinner on the loggia overlooking the city. What a magical time to drive up the hill - out of the hustle and bustle of the city and to the cypress dotted hills of Tuscany. The dinner at Villa San Michele is truly a highlight of the trip. I have had the same waiter, Antenello, for over 10 years. The building was originally constructed as a monastery by none other than Michealangelo, and it is truly spectacular, sophisticated, and elegant. Belinis were served on the terrace, followed by a fantastic dinner of mushroom raviolis, salad, and sliced roast beef with a Brunello sauce. Only to be outdone by an amazing dessert. What a treat and what a contrast to dining on the streets the night before.





Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2014 - Day 1 & 2

Our trip is off to a fantastic start! A couple of my travelers unfortunately got bumped off a connecting flight as they were coming via a different route and ended up taking a tour through Germany - but they finally made it.

The rest of us all made it on time and with no luggage hiccups this year! We checked in and was able to relax, catch a quick cat nap, get some Euros from the ATM and get ready for our first full evening in Florence.




We are staying in the Hotel Brunelleschi which is the  best place to stay for the money while in Florence. It is right in the middle of all the action and is extremely convenient. The hotel was redecorated a few years ago and is just stunning - a great combination of old and modern - transitional I like to say, and they nailed it. The staff is fantastic and I have had the same staff here for me for over 14 years.






We all met in the Hotel bar for a welcome cocktail and then it was a short walk to the Piazza del Duomo and the restaurant right there on the piazza -  Buca san Giovanni Nothing better than dining right on the street with the duomo as your backdrop on your first night in Italy. We started with an appetizer mixer that seemed endless and then our main course. Ok, everyone thinks pasta and pizza when they come to Italy, but in Tuscany steak is king! The Bistecca all a Fiorentina is the way to go! I warn everyone these are big…. and yes they are! Two steaks can handle a table of 16 well my travelers must have been hungry as they order six of them! I love the looks on their faces when the waiter drops these massive steaks on a cutting board in front of them. A little chianti, steaks, the cool fall air and the duomo as a backdrop - how better to kick off the first evening???
















Following dinner it was off for a nice evening stroll, a cigar, and of course a gelato. What a nice way to wind up our long day of traveling!











Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2014 – Tour 11





We are off!!!  And so we begin our 11th tour. It’s hard to believe that I did my first tour 14 years ago with two clients. This year we have 17 travelers from several different locations from the country. I have a number of repeat travelers and some travelers who have never been to Europe.  Every tour is so different – obviously due to the people. This year I have all ages and all walks of life. That’s the other aspect I enjoy of this trip, watching the group come together and the friendships that are created.



This whole trip started with a client who wanted to have us design a “Tuscan” home. I convinced him and his wife to go to Italy and really research what a true “Tuscan” home was all about. At the same time I was working on a remodel for a travel agent. I told her of my other client’s desire to go to Italy and so she put the whole trip together for us and asked to join us. That is how it all started!







During and after the trip, my clients encouraged me to make this part of our business plan. So the next year I promoted the tour and was surprised to get 8 travelers…. The Candelaria Design Tour Italy was born! I’ve had every size group ever since from four travelers to up to 22 travelers. Ages from 8 to 75!

This year we will fly from Phoenix to Washington DC for a short layover and a chance to stretch out, charge the phones and computers, make some calls and then we fly across the pond to Brussels, Belgium. Another quick layover and a plane switch and then we move on to our final destination – Florence, Italy!

Each trip has its own challenges, joys, apprehensions, laughter, surprises, and most of all great memories. Despite all the great planning by my staff – primarily Evelyn –  things happen!!! It’s just like life. You deal with it, keep things positive, and turn what might be perceived as a hiccup into an amazing experience and memory! 





So here we go! We are off on another adventure! Follow along here on our blog and on our Candelaria Design Tour Italy Facebook Page. I will do my best to keep up with the trip and we will be adding much more video clips this year.  Next year we will go to the Amalfi Coast and Positano and Capri. So make sure you get your reservation in as the trip fills up fast during and right after this trip.

Here is this year’s itinerary:

September 24th          Departure for Florence
September 25th          Our arrival in Florence and dinner on the        Piazza del Duomo.

September 26th          Our day in Florence and dinner at Villa San Michele
September 27th          Drive to Umbria and our arrival dinner at our Country Homes
September 28th          Brunch at Villa Piazzano and dinner in Cortona
September 29th          Perugia and Assisi
September 30th          Wine tour in Tuscany
October 1st                 Farmer’s Market in Umbertide, Antique shopping, cooking class farm houses                                                  
October 2nd                San Gimignano and Siena
October 3rd                 Free day at the Farm Houses
October 4th                 Drive to Lake Como and arrival at Villa d’Este
October 5th                 Lake Como & Milan
October 6th                 Lake Como
October 7th                 Fly home to Phoenix

Finally, Thanks for all who attended Isabel and my American Wedding reception last week! We had a such a great time and it was wonderful to see so many of you!! We also appreciate and thank all of you for the gifts to the American Heart Association on our behalf.  Here are a few pics from that wonderful day and evening!





Ciao,

MARCO




The Move is On & Done!



Ok August went by like a blink of an eye. My last blog was written from Santa Fe on August 10th and here it is September 7th already! Geez…. And I’ve squeezed in a trip to New York and of course the office move! Yes we are all moved – from our offices on 12th Street and Campbell to our new home on the 4th floor at 6900 East Camelback Road right next to Nieman Marcus! How perfect is that ladies! In fact when you leave our office building you have to walk through the Ladies Shoe Department of Nieman Marcus…..

First and foremost, I have to thank in particular my associate and Director of Operations, Evelyn Jung, for spearheading the idea of moving us to Scottsdale. She willed it and made it happen – and trust me it has not been easy! Second, I want to thank my Project Manager, Peter Ekema, who ran the day to day architectural and construction administration side of the project. From coordinating the design (try coordinating the desires and wishes of 12 architects) and drawings to being on site virtually every day during the construction! Great job you two!!!
 
Of course they shipped me to NYC the week the office was moving so I would be out of the way and the whole CDA team could make the move. That was a smart decision. Thank you!!! After moving my home in July and now the office in August it has been quite the whirlwind – all the while keeping the projects moving! 


But we are there, we are in, and we are loving it! Our clients are loving it – better parking, Scottsdale location, shopping, and restaurants. The AV equipment goes up this week along with our pictures and artwork so it is coming along and soon I’ll be able to have all my presentation tools at my fingertips.


Get ready for our Open House later this Fall! In the meantime, stop by for an espresso and come check us out!



From New Mexico to New York


My life is full of contrasts - that is totally who I am. I remember telling Isabel this when we first met…."we could be riding horses in the boonies in the morning and attending a black tie fund raiser that same evening - so if you are up for that and that works for you this will work out!" Of course she was on board and I'm sure she would be the first to tell you that our lives have lived up to that statement.














I write this week's blog from the boonies of Northern New Mexico and next weekend we will be staying in Mid-Town Manhattan! What more of a contrast can you find than that - and I LOVE both. Northern New Mexico is special to me in that our Candelaria ancestors originated from this region and my wife Isabel was born here. So this is kind of a second home. I love the land, the architecture, the friends we have made here, and especially the food! Red chile, huevos rancheros, tortillas…..oh my God, this is some of the best and just like my Grandma Rose used to make.

We are relaxing this weekend on Isabel's cousin, Jarred Conley's ranch north of Española, and just a bit south of Goergia O'Keefe's Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu. What great country and how appropriate to be in O'Keefe's lands this weekend and her antitheses next weekend, New York!










We toured an amazing home in the area that Jarred has the listing on Hacienda Gracias in Abiquiu that is a very unique interpretation and adaptation of Luis Barragan / Legorreta architecture of Mexico to the style and landscape of Northern New Mexico. From there we went to the Abiquiu Inn for breakfast and then made our way to Chama, NM and then up to the top of Northern New Mexico and Jarred's family's ranch up in the Tusas Mountains. After a relaxing afternoon we went to Taos for dinner and then back to Jarred's ranch. Nice loop across some amazing country.









Northern New Mexico has so much to explore from desolate deserts to green aspen and pine covered mountains. Coming here is like going to a foreign country with the Hispanic and Native American cultures taking precedent. There are small towns we stop in at and you are hard pressed to find anyone speaking English. There are places here that time has literally forgotten and so many of them to explore and experience. It's been so nice to sleep with the doors and window open, hear the coyotes howl in the distance, and feel the spirit of this land.





















So let's move from that image to cabbies, skyscrapers, and Times Square…..that will be about as far from the New Mexico howling coyotes as one could get but I love NYC just as much. What a contrast in energy. I always feel it when we cross the East River and you arrive in Manhattan - I can feel the vibe and electricity of this place. Speaking of cultures - you name, it it is here. Architecture, food, people, sights, sounds - energy! We are coming this time for Isabel to hit the market and we have two sets of clients meeting us for a little shopping - and of course we will make some time for some fantastic dinners.  Little Italy, Chelsea's, Upper West Side…..Finally, I look forward to checking out the completed Freedom Tower and 911 Memorial. Looking forward to seeing the progress since I was here in April.










Busy weeks ahead….the office move is right around the corner and of course the Candelaria Design Tour Italy is only 45 days away! Stay tuned for my blog next week from Manhattan!



Summer Adventures

I hope everyone is having a great summer. It's August and we have at least come close to the halfway point of summer here in Arizona. Hence the reason I do most of my traveling in August and especially in September. September is the toughest month in Phoenix/Scottsdale. It's September, football, fall, school, yet its still 100 gazillion degrees out. So - its the perfect time to just go somewhere else where fall does begin in September.






Some of my favorites places of course are Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Santa Fe, Colorado, NYC and oh ya….ITALY! All but Colorado are on the Candelaria agenda for the next two months. And just to make things interesting,  let's throw the Candelaria Design office move in there capped off with the Candelaria Design Tour Italy at the end of September. I love all of these places for the lifestyle, culture, architecture and of course the food! Sharing these times and trips with my lovely, Isabel, even makes them more special. Do you see a trend here…..?





We are finishing a nice extended weekend here in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We are very fortunate to have three projects going up here now to add to our four completed projects. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love this place. One of my projects here was my first project period for Candelaria Design. In 1999 my good friend, Patrick Murphy, brought me up here and encouraged me to go on my own and make his project my first. I am typing this blog from that cabin/lodge now some 15 years later! From there I ended up purchasing a second home right across the street that I had for nearly six years. What good times we had being neighbors up here and platooning my Candelaria Design staff and their families up here in the summer.  So the remodel of that home became my second project.



Then we got a wonderful commission to design a home for a couple in Black Rock - a beautiful golf community just south of Coeur d'Alene. We were here all afternoon and evening this Friday getting the home professionally photographed and of course spent the night in the guest room downstairs called the Candelaria Suite. Earlier that same day, one of my outstanding associates, Vivian Ayala, and I measured up our newest project, a master suite addition to an amazing home on Hayden lake which is just north of Coeur d'Alene. This was Vivian's first time here and she brought her husband and daughter to come up for the fun. I get the feeling they loved it and will be back. While we were there we toured the home we designed right next door - a magnificent 10,000 sf lake home for another amazing couple who truly inspire me. He likes to call me "Lefty" and we had some fun times creating that masterpiece together.  To top it all off we are designing a fun 3500 sf mountain spec home on Lot 176 at Gozzer Ranch here in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. This is a little gem sited on a beautiful pond overlooking a fun par 3. Nighthawk Lot 176





As you can tell from reading this - it's not just about creating a set of plans and getting a permit. That is not what Candelaria Design or I am about. It's about the experience - not only the creation of block and timber, but of the creation of a friendship. We (my staff and I) have became such great friends with these clients and it has brought such fulfillment to all of our lives. I think that is the real point of taking on a commission and designing something as personal as a house for someone. If you can't put your heart and soul and friendship out there then it's not worth it - at least on my side of the equation. The richness this approach has added to my life is unmeasurable. I truly appreciate the friendships, graciousness, generosity, and hospitality I have received from all of these clients.

It has been so rewarding and educational to spend evenings with clients in these homes, watch them use them, cook with them in the kitchen we all worked so hard to create, spend a night and really understand how it all feels - it's the best.

Yes - I do travel a lot and I do like to cook, play the piano, sing and spend time with my clients. I absorb it all and it all becomes this huge database that I draw upon in the design of every home. Not just the layout and the details but what that plan will do to steer every moment in a client's life. The other thing I have learned is that small details and adjustments in a home no matter how big or small can make such a difference in how you live and experience life each day. We take it all for granted and we don't realize the opportunities to live so much better that we do. Great design and taking the time to really think it through and create something that is a complete reflection of who you are and more importantly where you want to go can make all the difference. But don't wait for the chance to design a whole home. Take a room and dial it it and watch the difference, then go from there……

Life is an adventure…..live!


July 2014 - Get Ready for the MOVE!

Movin' on Up!

I hope everyone is having a great summer! We are about halfway through it. We have been doing our best to escape the 100º plus temps as have our clients. I have enjoyed hearing about all the trips.


Couple things - make sure you VOTE for us at Ranking Arizona. We greatly appreciate your support and have been Voted number 1 every year since 2012. So we hope we can keep our streak alive.

Well speaking of 100º plus temps - what better time to be moving than in July and August! Yes Candelaria Design is on the move! As many of you know, our Candelaria Design studio has been located in a wonderful, Al Beadle office building at the southwest corner of 12th Street and Campbell, since April of 2000. 14 years plus at this location and it has served to be a productive home for us.

But it is time to make a move and we are very excited to announce our upcoming relocation to the AmTrust Tower in Downtown Scottsdale. Our new studios will be located on the 4th Floor of the Tower and our elevator will bring you up from the Scottsdale Fashion Square parking structure and when you leave you will pop right down to the Neiman Marcus Women's Shoe Department….what could be better than that for my clients!






Our new offices are slightly larger than our current location but it is laid out so much nicer. Our decor will be clean, sleek, and simple infused with warm materials for a transitional vibe. Our reception area will feature a contemporary reception desk with a white washed, reclaimed brick backdrop feature wall from Telluride Natural Stone and of course a large screen TV always featuring our work and TV Show. We will then have two conference rooms in the new office which will allow us to have a lot more flexibility to set up for samples, consultants and in house team meetings and design charrettes. Then along with a few private office a Kitchen and Copy Room we will have a beautiful and large design studio for all of our staff's work stations with a central throw space and community table which will be great during working hours and equally functional for after hour parties and get togethers.




We are set to move in right before the Labor Day weekend and I cannot tell you how excited we are. Follow our move on our Candelara Design Facebook Page at Candelaria Design on Facebook.We will announce a Grand Opening Open House this fall once the temps come down and everyone is back in town. We want to thank so many of our vendors for helping us pull this all together. We will feature all of you and your work on a follow up Blog once the offices are complete and we can get some professional photos featuring your work.





Also - stay tuned to our show on The Design Network. We are changing our name from Architainment to Sketch with Season 2 that we will be releasing this coming month. Our opening episode will feature the transformation of one of our homes in Arcadia, along with our Guest Chef evening with Marcellino's Restaurante and the $5,000 we raised for St. Mary's Food Bank. This episode ties it all together. Other Episodes will feature our office move; a transform on another Candelaria Design home in Paradise Valley in time for our client's wedding which we will also feature; an amazing North Central home and its secret wine cellar, our extreme Guest Houses, and then great grand finale that you will hear more about as we get closer to the date…..stay tuned.


Finally, if you are a Flipboard fan enjoy our Candelaria Design Lifestyle magazine on Flipboard featuring architecture, design travel, food, wine, cars, fashion, tech, lifestyle….. its a lot of fun and easy to use.

Ok - stay cool and stay safe and enjoy life! Here we go!

Candelaria Design participates in the 2014 Phoenix Dream Center

Congratulations to everyone and all the teams, vendors and subcontractors that participated in the rework of six rooms at The Phoenix Dream Center!!! Our room was revealed yesterday for the first time to two special young ladies who will now call this their home. I want to give a special thanks to my Project Manager, Peter Ekama, who spearheaded the architecture for our Team. 

Last September Candelaria Design Associates was invited to take part in the phase II renovation of the Phoenix Dream Center’s Hope Wing by Mark and Chrissy Donnelly who spearheaded this entire project. Candelaria Design Associates was joined by Lynda Martin and Rebecca Arteaga of Camelback Interiors and John Gurley of RJ Gurley Construction and given one former Embassy Suites to transform from its worn and dated state into a home for two women and their newborns. 









Candelaria Design Associates jumped at the opportunity to use our design capabilities to enhance the lives of two women we have yet to meet. Our room, #409, will help expand the capabilities of the PDC’s fourth floor Hope Wing, which is already operating at capacity.

Since 2009, PDC has implemented an amazing outreach program called The Rescue Project (http://www.rescueprojectphx.org/) to bring women to the Hope Wing, and through their efforts, more than 161 women have taken part in the program with 100% retention. The Phoenix Dream Center provides rescue, housing, education, counseling, legal, and medical services, and much needed love and support for women to rebuild their lives shattered by commercial sexual exploitation.

Our room, among the others, plays a key role in providing the safe and loving environment for the women and their children to heal, dream, and ultimately thrive. A beautiful and safe well-design space goes a long way in fostering Hope. CDA thanks all those who have helped to bring our labor of love to fruition. Please come see what we believe is just the beginning of transformations, with many more transformations to come in the lives of the women and children that now make the Hope Wing their home.
 

If you were unable to make the Open House the September Issue of Arizona Foothills Magazine will feature the Phase II Dream Rooms as well as many of the people and companies that contributed to making the rooms possible. Arizona Foothills will also hold a voting similar to Arizona Ranking (http://azbigmedia.com/vote-ranking-arizona) for the public to vote on their favorite Dream Room.  





If you would like to join the efforts of the Phoenix Dream Center through either physical or monetary donations please contact Kathie Gadberry the Dream Center’s Chief Development Officer at kathie@pdcfoundation.org phone: 602.346.8778. We will be gearing up for next year’s makeover so please join us in making a difference. All donated materials and labor are tax deductible.

Thanks to the following Vendors and Subs - your generosity is so appreciated! Many if not all of you are good friends and companies we have had the pleasure of working with over the last 30 years. Thanks for stepping up and making us all look good!!!:

Alexander Sinclair, Banker Insulation, Breinholt Demolition, Ceramica, Chisel Marble & Granite, Clyde Hardware, CopperStone Construction, Creative Designs in Lighting, Creative Metals, Currey Plumbing, Dennis Sage Home Entertainment, Distinctive Custom Cabinetry, Ed Nolte Quality Painting, F1 Cabinets & Furniture, Foreman Furniture, Horizon Art, J Squared, Kravet Fabric,  La Galleria of Scottsdale, MAS Framing, MCC - James Morrissey, Norcon Industries, One Way Electric, Premiere Wood Floors, Roardrunner Glass, Saguaro Drywall, Sexton, Sierra Pacific, Superior Stucco, Surface Refinements, Today's Window Automation Systems & Design, & Younger Brothers!

Let's get Summer Started!

It is time for summer to begin….105º, 110º, 118º???? The mass exodus to the coast, the lakes and the high country has begun. I am off to Durango, San Francisco and Dallas in the next month. Durango and San Fran sound good – Dallas might not be the perfect spot to spend the end of June but I’ll be heading to Coeur d’Alene for the week of the 4th so that will definitely be the reward.



One of the things I love about our body of work are the summer getaways we get to design! From homes in Colorado, Mexico, Canada,  LaJolla, Coeur d’ Alene, Northern California, to now a lake house in Michigan – what fun! It’s amazing the different approach a client takes with their getaway house from their primary residence. Even their spirit and energy is different.  – so it becomes a very creative endeavor. It all becomes more about living and enjoying life and not so much about working and getting the kids ready for school. It’s about barbecues and entertaining, guests, sleepovers and outdoor spaces.



I think second homes make sense when your children are very young or when you are an empty nester. When your children are in those tween and teen years it is just tough to get everyone there. Second homes also make good sense as a family compound where you share the whole place amongst the family…..if you can get everyone on the same page. Of course, there is always the upkeep, taxes, and HOA’s to deal with any home and vacation and second homes seem to always have their share – especially because they sit empty sometimes for weeks or months.



We have designed some amazing second homes. The key is being able to accommodate lot’s of people at any one time. From a large functioning kitchen, to plenty of outdoor spaces, to ample places to sleep including some creative bunk rooms. It’s all about making it fun and beautiful.

People always ask us can we use you to design our home even if it’s outside of Phoenix. The answer is an affirmative YES! We love it and because design is so virtual anymore we can design a home anywhere. The key is to have your initial meetings on site to really understand the place, spend some time with the local governing authorities to give them some face time, and get to know some local builders and generally a local structural and civil engineer. Once the preliminary design is going everything else can be done long distance – not an issue! We love being able to work with different materials and styles and a different climate and landscape.


So with summer coming keep Candelaria Design in mind not only for your Arizona home but anywhere…..perhaps Italy!!!


Spring 2014 - Possibilities


What a busy start to this year! WOW – I have already traveled to Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, North Carolina, Kansas City, and now New York City and its only April. Off to Denver next weekend to start on a new project, and get a little fly fishing in up in Wyoming and then back to Denver to help my mom and dad move to Phoenix! I am so excited they are moving closer to me. I am looking forward to some of my mom’s amazing cooking and just having more time with them! Then it’s off to Couer d’Alene in a couple weeks to start the design on a new home on Hayden Lake.


All this traveling is totally for fun – fun projects!!! We have eight projects going in California, one now in Idaho after completing four, a couple going in Colorado, several in New Mexico, one in Las Vegas, and a lake house in design in Michigan. Excited about all that’s brewing in Kansas City and Dallas too!  Of course I always work some non-working fun in too on these trips! New York was one of those strictly non-working trips….I took my three daughters, ages 26, 12 and 8 for their first trip to New York. What fun and wow did we cover some ground….as anyone knows who travels with me.  More on that below.

On May 20th I will be the Guest Chef with my good friend Marcellino Verzino at his fantastic restaurant, Marcellino’s in Old Town Scottsdale.  This started with us selling the 16 spots around the exhibition kitchen table for $165 a pop but then decided to auction the 16 spots off and donate the proceeds to the St. Mary’s Food Bank. We have roughly a month to go and we have already raised over $2500. Go to this link and get your spot! www.candelariadesign.com/auction/ We will be filming the evening for one of our Architainment episodes for Season 2. www.thedesignnetwork.com This is going to be a really fun evening so come join us for some fun and great food and wine! By the way – thanks for the over 250,000 views of Architainment’s Season 1 – on to Season 2!


Meanwhile,  besides my mom and dad moving we are moving our offices. We have been in our little Al Beadle courtyard office for 14 years and this summer we will be relocating to the 4th floor of the Am-Trust Tower in Scottsdale just to the west of Nieman Marcus and the Scottsdale Fashion Square. Imagine a Candelaria Design meeting and then go right down the elevator and into the Nieman Marcus shoe department….



In terms of exciting projects we are now underway on the design of the Residence at Mountain Shadows. We are designing a number of models that will range in size from 3800 sf to 5500 sf. The plans will be very open with indoor-outdoor features, roof decks with incredible views of Camelback, three car garages and a transitional style. We will be downsizing our typical Paradise Valley 7500-10000 sf home with all of its bells and whistles into these comfortable gems we will be creating. Get ready for more on this!

Our 2014 Candelaria Design Tour Italy is SOLD OUT and we will be starting to fill spots for our 2015 May trip to Florence, Umbria/Tuscany, and Positano/Capri.  This year will be our 11th tour and we have 20 people traveling with us. Our itinerary this trip includes Florence, Umbria/Tuscany and Lake Como. I am looking forward to this year’s trip and the group we have going! Isabel and I will celebrate our one year anniversary at the Villa d’Este where we got married on the last day of our Tour Italy last year.

Ok now on to New York…. What a great trip we had this last week. I love New York and have now been there several times – the first time being a spur of the moment trip where I was in Virginia for my brother’s wedding in 1990 and I convinced my mom and dad to hop in a rental car after the wedding and we drove up the entire eastern seaboard in one day ending up in Manhattan at dusk whereupon we drove across the Holland Tunnel and parked in the basement of the World Trade Center, took the elevator up to the observation deck and grabbed some pizza.  Got back into the car and then drove across the Brooklyn Bridge and back across Manhattan and then all the way to Philadelphia where we found a hotel.  What a great trip and the only time my folks have been to NYC, and of course the last and only time I was in the World Trade Center. Wow has life and times changed since then.

This trip I took the girls to as many spots as I could in the five days we were there including the new Freedom Tower and the 911 Memorial, the Empire State building, the Today Show, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Easter Mass, a Broadway play – Mamma Mia – Little Italy for dinner, Mario Batali’s Eatly for lunch, Chelsea’s Market, Central Park, Strawberry Fields, 5th Avenue for shopping, a ferry ride around Manhattan, Carnegie Deli, and of course Times Square.
 



I love NYC and the can do attitude this city represents. Nothing stops it – it just goes and goes and goes…..I like that as you can probably tell! Every trip I find new great places to dine and new streets to explore. I enjoyed getting the girls out of their safe little Phoenix bubble and showing them a place like this with people from every corner of the world. I know it really opened their eyes to what a big world it is.

I love travel for that reason – it keeps your eyes open and shows you endless possibilities. I love possibilities….