Charleston Living Magazine Nov-Dec 2023

More documents

Info

TRAVEL The hotel, which is named for both the number of rooms and the year of the eruption, feels grand but not flashy, with marble, wood and jewel-toned velvet in the public areas and lots of soothing blues and greens in the rooms. The hotel’s restaurant, Il Circolo, has become a hub for locals, who gather each morning for espresso and gossip at the bar. In the evening, dressed to the nines, they return for apertivo— which resembles a cocktail party—a late and, if there’s live music, dancing. It became clear that we were the only outsiders, but, before long, we’d been gathered into the friendly fold, where we did a bit of dancing ourselves and learned that dinner is just a small part of an Italian evening out. It’s fun, festive and, thanks to Executive Chef Roberto Lepre’s knack for lushly-sauced pastas, delicious. If you’re lucky, Chef will hold one of his casual cooking classes while you’re there; ours taught me that making gnocchi—tiny pasta dumplings shaped one-at-a-time around the tines of a fork—is best left to professionals. During the warmer months, the action moves to the rooftop, which offers gorgeous views of Mount Vesuvius. The hotel is also home to a Nuxe spa and it offers something quite rare: a hot stone massage with local volcanic stones. I wish I’d booked two. Since Pompeii’s ruins are the most-visited archaeological site in the world, I had expected a typical touristy town but instead I discovered a city that, once I got beyond the entrance to the ruins, was so traditional that shops still close during the middle of the day. It was lovely and refreshing to find myself immersed in authenticity as I wandered through the dusty hardware stores, beautiful fur and leather boutiques, shoe shops, butchers, fruit markets and decadent gelaterias along Via Lepanto. Pompeii’s ornate cathedral was consecrated in 1891; a highlight is the painting Our Lady of Pompeii, which was purchased for the equivalent of one dollar and transported from Naples to the church in a manure-filled wagon. I was surprised to learn that Vesuvius itself can be explored on foot via the Gran Cono trail. It takes about two hours to complete the 110 | CharlestonLivingMag.com popular four-kilometer journey. I highly recommend hiring a guide to take you through the ruins. Though the signage is ample, and in English, it doesn’t convey the emotion that locals and historians still have for the place. I didn’t realize, for instance, that Pompeii was a bustling trade port (the eruption moved the coastline further west) that was home to about 20,000 residents. There were wine bars, restaurants, brothels and a huge amphitheater where gladiators trained. The guide shared brilliant innovations, too, like the stepping stones that stretched across streets so that pedestrians could cross without getting their feet wet when the roadways flooded. The raised stones were spaced so that chariots could pass over them without breaking an axel. Walking through the crowded streets of Pompeii, I had no trouble imagining the city as a lively metropolis where people lived, played, loved ate and schemed. Within the praedia—or inn—owned by a woman named Julia Felix, I discovered ornate gardens, deep soaking tubs and a spa with an outdoor pool. At the House of Vettii, which reopened to the public in early 2023, I marveled at remarkably vibrant frescoes of angels, buildings and scenes of gruesome punishments framed by walls painted in deep shades of red and yellow. Tragically, it was also easy to imagine how these families had died: some skeletal remains lie in situ; there are also full-sized plaster casts fabricated by archaeologists more than two hundred years ago. The casts were made when scientists discovered that, long after the bodies of the victims had decomposed, the ash that had killed them retained the shape of their bodies. After pouring plaster into the voids and allowing it to harden, workers were left with life-sized statues of men, women and children that are remarkable in their detail. I’m glad I had several days to take in Pompeii. Not only was I able to stare at Vesuvius and wonder about the lives it had changed, but I was also able to explore the wonderfully unscripted city, all at my own pace. • PHOTOS HABITA 79
Oppostie (top): Habita 79 offers views of Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii’s cathedral. (Bottom): Take in the views and a cocktail at Habita 79’s rooftop lounge. This page (clockwise from top): Public spaces are hushed but glamorous. World Tours makes it easy to explore Pompeii and beyond. One of Pompeii’s most well-known statues is that of a Centaur, a half-man, half-horse beast from Greek mythology. Art deco accents give Il Circolo a vintage vibe. November/December 2023 | 111
Page 1 and 2:
November / December 2023 Stir SomeC
Page 3 and 4:
1225 BELK DRIVE | SUITE H-2 | MOUNT
Page 5 and 6:
Discover the Sweetest Season at Hot
Page 7 and 8:
STRETCH your body & your experience
Page 9 and 10:
EXPERIENCE EMELINE Nestled amongst
Page 11 and 12:
Classic Jasmine Hand Made Hand Engr
Page 13 and 14:
Location. Luxury. Legacy. Your wish
Page 15 and 16:
Buzz YOUR LOCAL RUNDOWN ON NEWS AND
Page 17 and 18:
November/December 2023 | 15
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Holiday Swing Dec. 2 The Lowcountry
Page 25 and 26:
Your local drug store for over 86 y
Page 27 and 28:
“Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Chr
Page 29 and 30:
Proudly we are a Locally Owned Smal
Page 31 and 32:
Holiday Magic At The Kaminski House
Page 33 and 34:
BUZZ | BUSINESS M From Service to S
Page 35 and 36:
also known for his engaging persona
Page 37 and 38:
It was around this time that Carl t
Page 39 and 40:
Ryan Smith Maintenance supervisor a
Page 41 and 42:
Well Styled DESIGN | HOLIDAY MARKET
Page 43 and 44:
I ONCE WAS AN HERMÈS SCARF I ONCE
Page 45 and 46:
Charleston Farmers Market will turn
Page 47 and 48:
North Charleston Colesium Market 4t
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
for Accessories 1. 2. 4. 3. 1. Kami
Page 55 and 56:
for the Host 1. 2. 4. 3 . 5. 1. Bou
Page 57 and 58:
Spend a year on the coast of Charle
Page 59 and 60:
Photographer: Aleece Sophia, Fashio
Page 61 and 62: MINKPINK Green Fur Coat, $182; Le L
Page 63 and 64: BADGLEY MISCHKA asymmetrical sequin
Page 65 and 66: nutcracker DEC 15-17 Charleston’s
Page 67 and 68: OVER 30 YEARS OF CREATING & SUPPORT
Page 69 and 70: Nutcracker" will be held at the Sot
Page 71 and 72: NON-PROFITS Staff members at the ba
Page 73 and 74: fun and interesting,” Donnelly sa
Page 75 and 76: a stunning winter resident—the wh
Page 77 and 78: Chipping Sparrow, Fort Moultrie Red
Page 79 and 80: The ‘Marsh House’ Showstopping
Page 81 and 82: A Fischer Weisman chandelier adds a
Page 83 and 84: The North Tower houses a small bedr
Page 85 and 86: November/December 2023 | 83 Novembe
Page 87 and 88: Coffee Talk Passionate coffee roast
Page 89 and 90: King Bean Coffee November/December
Page 91 and 92: Food DINING OUT | HOLIDAY COCKTAILS
Page 93 and 94: (Opposite) The dining room at Frann
Page 95 and 96: Battle Star Galactica 2 oz Rittenho
Page 97 and 98: PHOTO ANDREW CEBULKA Santa’s Litt
Page 99 and 100: The holiday season is here and we c
Page 101 and 102: Winter Soupe au Pistou Servings: 4-
Page 103 and 104: Savory Pumpkin Pie Ingredients: Cru
Page 105 and 106: Thanks for Voting Peninsula Grill a
Page 107 and 108: CHARLESTON FLOWER MARKET creative f
Page 109 and 110: Peninsula Grill (D) 2 Unity Alley,
Page 111: TRAVEL A New Way to Pompeii Discove
Page 115 and 116: A A RecoRd RecoRd of of SucceSS Suc
show all

Charleston Living Magazine Nov-Dec 2023

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?