John Robshaw on One Kings Lane!

photo from One Kings Lane 

I'm overdue on continuing to post pictures and design inspirations from my travels in Europe, but our apartment is quickly getting packed neatly into seemingly hundreds of boxes today (thanks to the relocation services of my husband's new company) and I have been relegated to a single spot on my bed with only a phone and laptop.

So, what's a girl to do other than hunker down to comb through the latest issue of Rue Mag (just out yesterday) and to online shop? And lucky for me the "Prince of Prints", John Robshaw, has bedding featured today on One Kings Lane.  I'll work on chronicling my time in Florence and Venice after I fill up my OKL cart.

En Vacanes: Tuscany

After a week basking in the suns of two Greek islands, we carefully rerolled our clothes into compact carry-ons and flew to Rome via Athens.  Seven days of olives and feta, carafes of dry white wine, and mismarked Greek road signs, left us with tanned skinned and a craving for vegetables.  From bustling Rome we took the fast train 170 miles north to the arts capital Florence, met my in-laws, rented a car and drove to Montestigliano, a Central Tuscan 2000-acre olive farm nestled in the hills just 20 km southwest of Siena.  

De Vecchi family crest, 18th century owners of Montestigliano

One of the 18th century farmhouses, Casa Massimo, would be our cozy home for the next five nights.  The first day we shopped the local markets, filling our carts to the brim with ripe, colorful produce and fresh pastas, planning a four-course Italian feast as we wove through each aisle.  The days would be filled with hikes in the shade oft cypress-lined paths on the farm, day trips to ancient, terracotta-roof hilltowns, paging through novels by the pool, and slipping into a lifestyle of blissful sensory experiences.

Below are a series of pictures from our time in the picturesque Italian countryside where we lived "under the Tuscan sun."

Montestigliano's main house that belongs to the Donati family, 
the farm's owners since 1950

terra cotta pots lining the property's old stone wall are warmed
in the morning sun

17th century stables of Montestigliano, now transformed to 
comfortable 5-room villas

cypress-lined roads throughout the farm made for idyllic walking trails

butterfly and thistle; simplistic natural beauty found on our walks

Villa Pipistrelli, a 17th century stable on the Montestigliano farm, 
that has been transformed into a luxury villa 

quintessential Tuscan style: rustic wood and cheerful accents

reclaimed limestone from 300 years ago becomes a deep sink for outdoor entertaining 

Villa Pipistrelli's infinity pool

view of Siena in the distance from Montestigliano

Tuscan vistas from Montestigliano; on our last night in Tuscany
we enjoyed a sunset and a local pinot grigio from these four seats

the fireplace and hearth was restored in 18th century style 
in our living room at Casa Massimo

Casa Massimo kitchen

Casa Massimo living room

my antipasta creation: melon and proscuitto, 
caprese and white bean bruscetta

our Tuscan table at Casa Massimo, ready to receive dinner guests

fresh tagliatelle with pesto and argula and caper stuffed 
orato (sea bass),bon appetito!

the hilltown of Montalchino known for its bold Brunellos

Tuscan ceramics in Montalchino

Taverna at Fattoria dei Barbi where we enjoyed 
a delicious, leisurely four-course lunch

polpi bruscetta

braised pork in Brunello sauce

dolci: "carrot cake" and chocolate gelato

frothy cappuccinos punctuated most meals

Fattoria dei Barbi sangiovese vineyards

award-winning brunellos stand at attention within the Barbi cellar

our last meal in Tuscany was a family-style feast
for all the guests at Montestigliano

En Vacanes: Greek Isles, Crete

Chania harbour at sunrise, Crete

On day five of our trip we journeyd aboard a two-hour ferry from the southern port of Santorini to the northern city of Heraklion, Crete.  Docking a bit later than expected, we rushed out of the port and across the street barely making the last public bus westbound to Chania.  Of all the places we visited in Europe, this leg of the journey was the most "lonely planet" experience encountered.  Most tourists sunbathe and sightsee on the well known islands of Mykonos and Santorini, entirely missing Crete, rich in history and culture.

Chania harbour still looks much like it did when Venetians occupied
the island starting in 1204

Crete's ancient history can be traced back to the Minoan civilization; you may recall its mention in the famed Homer's Odyssey (1100 BC).  Because of the island's location, it sits as a Mediterranean gateway from east to west and north to south.  And thus this ancient land was conquered and occupied by some of the greatest naval military powers for centuries, including the Byzantines, the Venetians, and the Turks.  The architecture that remains today are relics of the various inhabitants since the 15th century.

my husband was up at 6am the first morning photographing
the glowing sunrise from our balcony

Casa Leone, a 15th century Venetian villa where we stayed

view from our patio of the Chania harbour

looking out at the harbour from Casa Leone's main room;
the Venetian Gothic arches and rod iron spindles transported us back in time
to the 1400s when the wealthy Leone family lived in Chania

our guest room with Venetian glass chandelier

Most of our full three days in Crete were spent wandering the labyrinth of streets of "Old Town" in Chania, admiring the large, fortress-like Venetian doorways and Turkish spires of many of the municipal buildings, chatting with the friendly restaurant owners and eating unimaginable quantities of feta cheese, tomatoes, olives, and tzatziki.  Our last day on the island we cautiously maneuvered a stick-shift Fiat Punto across 80 km of narrow mountainous terrain in search of Elafonisi Beach.  While the journey there tested our defensive driving skills (and our ability to read a Greek map), it was undoubtedly worth it when we crested the final peak and saw Elafonisi's sandy beaches glimmering below.  With it's soft pink sands, crystal clear water, and undulating coves, this beach was unlike any I've seen. 

Venetian doorway in "Old Town" Chania

 endless piles of sandals at the leather market in Chania

Greek cheese and olives at the Agora food market

Chania Cathedral built by the Turks when they occupied Crete
in the mid 19th century

Chania harbour lighthouse

moussaka

Elafonisi beach in western Crete; its beauty made me jump for joy

Cretan seagull surveys the shores of Elafonisi 

small herds of mountain goats crossed the road numerous times while
we were driving through the countryside