FIRENZE HERE WE ARE

The Pitti Uomo Fair is always a great moment for the people working in the fashion industry.

It's one of the first fair of the season and we can feel the trends that will come in the near future.

It's a also a great fair because of it's location, Firenze, one of the nicest city in Italy with beautiful people, great food and a cool atmosphere.

We stayed at the "Home Hotel".

I realy don't like this hotel.

On the website it's look ok but when you are there.....

It's located 15 minutes walk from city center and the location is horrible !

The hotel is one a square surrended by the road getting to and out of Firenze.

As the soundproofing is very bad you will imagine the rest.....

The rooms are small and the bathroom are even smaller than a toilette in a regular hotel....

There's a wi-fi in the hotel but works an hour or two per day.....

They have 4 stars and it's quite expensive.

Just forget about it.....

In terms of restaurants, there's some very good places in Firenze.

Starting with Gastone, a modern restaurant using toscans ingredients but in a "nouvelle cuisine"; good food and great service, to recommend !

If you are more for a typical kind of restaurant, try Sostanza Troia.

This is an old butchery converted in a restaurant by the butchery owners.

Small, but very typical and very good food.

Much a kind of "cantine" than a restaurant but great.

For the ones who want to have good fish dishes, try the Fuor d'acqua, it's located on the other side of the Arno (much more quite) and they have the best fish in town.

Don't forget to reserve.

The shopping in Firenze is also a magic moment (not for your credit card....).

If I have to give you a few names, go for :

Gerard Loft : always a nice selection for men and women.

Flow : the brother of the owner of "Gerard Loft" have open his own shop; not to be missed !

Milord : a very classic selection but with an italian twist. A nice selection of Tricker's, Santoni and Boglioli.

WP Store : the new store of the WP Group with all the brands they have (Save the Khaki, Barbour, Woolrich, Blunstone) and a selection of other brands like Engineered Garments, Mark McNairy and others.

Santa Maria Novella : the great perfums of SM.

Have fun.

BACK TO THE OFFICE

After two monthes being out of the office we're back.

We made a big european trip preparing the next season.

Sorry to all of you to whom we didn't answer mails but it will come shortly !

As we were all that time out in hotels and eating in restaurants, we thought it will be nice if we will give you some goods addresses we went to (summer holiday start next week).

We will start with Greece and the region of Halkidiki.

We were in a small village name Vourvourou.

The village is on the sea and there's a beautiful view.

The village have nothing special and isn't so nice but you have a nice hotel name "Ekies All Senses Resort".

For the view, the relaxing spot and the nice lofts they rent it's worth going there !

After this spot, we went to Italy in the Südtyrol.

For those of you who don't know, it's near to the Austrian border and you already think you are in Austria.....

Everything is written in Austrian, the names are kind of Austrian and they speak Austrian....

Anyway, to be honest with you, we were in one of the nicest hotel I ever been !!!

It's located in a village name Lana on a mountain at 1600M.

The hotel name "Vigilius" is a eco-hotel.

The design is very pure and the service is perfect.

On top of all, imagine yourself waking up in the middle of the clouds !!!

If there's one destination I will suggest it's that one.

We had to be in Barcelona where we spend a week.

We stayed in the "Grand Hotel Central".

If you are searching an hotel with a great location (in the middle of the city), that's the one.

BUT : I don't understand how they get the 5 stars ?

The design is nice but the service is very bad.

We had to wait more than 35 minutes before they came to take our order in the restaurant of the hotel (just 3 tables were busy,

we came back to the hotel at 16h00 and our rooms were still not made, and others....

They have a nice roof with a bar and a pool but it's realy too small for such a big hotel.

People are walking one each others just to try to find a place to seat and enjoy the sun and the view...

NOT TO RECOMMEND !

After some days we moved to the "Miramar" hotel.

The hotel is located on the Montjuïc wich is not in the middle of the city and offer a view on the Barcelona Pier.

It's a kind of "chain hotel" but the rooms are quite big and well equiped, clean, the staff try to do them best and they have a pool surounded by a nice garden.

In terms of value/money that's a good spot.

During our stay in Barcelona, we were realy disappointed by two restaurants we used to go.

The first one is Catalania Tapas.

It use to be a very good tapas bar but I think that due to the succes, it just became a tapas manufacture for tourists !

The second one is Los Caracoles.

A kind of Catalan brasserie that had for long time good food.

Today it's just a tourists catcher with fake Catalan musicians and very bad food !!!!

The one that stay Top Notch is Cal Pep !

It's a real Catalan tapas bar with fresh fish and sea food (also meat for the ones who love that).

But just keep in mind that it's a bar with 22 seats and that if you want to go and eat there, you will have to make a queue of +/- one hour....

We also found a shop name La Commercial.

That have a hugh selection of Paul Smith stuff (wich is realy not our cup of tea) but they have a very nice selection of silver rings and perfums (Byredo and lots of others).

From Barcelona we went to Firenze but that will be for tomorrow...

 

NORTH SEA CLOTHING

A week ago we were contacted by the Guys from North Sea Clothing.

We knew this brand for a while but just didn't thought about for Supra-Quintessence.

Not that we didn't liked it but too many things to do and just "forgot" it !

It was a nice surprise that they have contacted us cause we MUST have this brand in our selection !

It's realy the kind of brand that we like : not following a trend, not trying to be fashionable.

Everything is in the products details and quality.

Hope to receive them for July......

IL BUSSETTO

We have received some month ago the Il "Bussetto" coin pouches.

 

Il “Bussetto” is specialised in the production and distribution of small leather goods. 

The Il "Bussetto" craftsmen still use an ancient Italian technique which allows the creation of complex objects without using any kind of seams. 

The products are completely hand made and the time required to create them is very long; they have decided to follow the tradition because they think that the high quality and the originality of our products are the points of strength and of distinction of the brand.