On Thursday I will be leaving on a ten-day whirlwind trip to Italy, a country I know well. My Father’s sister married a Sienese. We had the great fortune of spending our summers in the family houses outside of Siena and in Florence, and a couple of summers, so many years ago, we rented a home in Porto Ercole (long before Il Pellicano) and in Capri (where I got my first job at the age of 8).
The objective of this return trip is to update myself on hotels and houses which, after sifting through the wealth of new properties, has transformed a leisurely meander under the Tuscan sun into a romp, if not a race, from ankle to thigh of boot. I start in Amalfi’s lovely town, Ravello, and then move on up to Sorrento, pausing in Positano and overnighting in Capri. From Naples, I Eurostar it to Rome and head directly up to the Maremma for a short visit of l’Andana, Alain Ducasse’s gem nestled in vineyards and overlooking the sea. From there, to Castello di Vicarello, also in Southern Tuscany, where an evening massage awaits and an early morning yoga practice before driving further east to Perugia where I will stay one night with Valentina at Palazzo Terranova. And then there is an agenda quite tightly packed as I make my way to Florence – Borgos of different names to visit and maybe even a stop at the family house outside of Pianella – ending up at the Four Seasons in Florence, a convent turned into another Four Seasons gem of a hotel. Finally, I will spend two nights in Fiesole at San Michele, gazing out on this Medici city and contemplating the beyond from whence I have just travelled.
Please come with me!
John Derian is a treasure. It's not that there aren't many with talent and vision because there are, the world over. But Derian has other attributes that make him so beloved. His eye is unerring, his sense of scale is perfect, he layers cultures and eras seamlessly in a room. And he is accessible in brick and mortar. His two shops on East Second Street have been haunts for years. One carries the decoupage he designs and constructs locally (and that make the best gifts ever) along with the coveted ceramics of Astier de Villatte. The second Dry Goods store next door showcases quirky antiques, an assortment of vintage furniture, stacks of heavy french linen, Moroccan rugs and soft cotton Indian clothing. Both are small, but intriguing and interesting enough to seduce you on a journey of the senses.
And now, Derian has opened on Christopher Street in a double-windowed storefront of a two-story 18th century house. It's like walking in to another world. Traditional Astier, and the later Derian/Astier collaborative pieces, line the walls from roof to floor of the front room. The back room, wallpapered in his new cabbage rose design and lit by beautiful Balthus-designed standing lamps with parchment shades, offers a living room in which to settle in, thumb through books and albums, and rest the soul.
So, go to shop, or simply go to travel in spirit to another place and time.
https://www.johnderian.com/pages/our-locations"
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