Author Archives: trickiedickny

  • Clubbin’ It!

    September 6, 2012

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    St.Tropez, France…summer has returned to the south of France! The sun is shining and the skies are blue…a perfect beach day!

    So, it’s swanky beach club “Le Club 55” today for a taste of the good life! I get my over-priced lounger and umbrella on the sand and settle in for some fun people watching! I ask to be farther from the water, shocking my beach boy, as this is not as “chic”; but I rather be further back to take it all in! I see Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas cavorting on the beach and figure it’s gonna be a fun day!

    After some sun, I settle into my table at 55 for a serious lunch of who’s who! It’s September, so most of the “Fabulous” have already left for the season…the true celebs come in July before the tourist hordes descend in August!

    It may be Fashion Week back home in NYC but this crowd is doing their own runway right here on Pampelonne Beach! The style here is decidedly French and certainly eccentric and ostentatious…More is better to this crowd! The shoes can’t be high enough, the bling not showy enough, and the tan not dark enough! The must-have accessory is your pooch!

    It’s essential to make reservations at 55, which I did and I am swiftly shown to my Provencal blue and white decked out table! Yachts pull along the water front and Club 55 sends their small dingy boat to bring them ashore for lunch…how fantastic! The menu is a feast of French favorites and the prices are “sticker-shock” stunners!
    A rich goat cheese and tomato salad and Sole Meneuire makes a perfect French lunch for me! Yet, everyone orders the huge Crudités plate to share, but being solo I pass! Is this the best French food you will have, no! All for a small price of 100 euro for one (US $125)…But definitely it’s the most fun afternoon feeling part of the International jet set you can experience!

    Oh la la, life on the French Riviera!

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  • Through Artist’s Eyes!

    September 5, 2012

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    St. Tropez, France…the harbor is lined with artists showing off their craft. It is amazing how we all look at the same thing but see it so differently! I was taken by how each artist interpreted the beauty of this place with such a distinctly different point of view.

    I love creativity and it goes to show there are many ways to look at this world! We each have a different filter…that’s why we each can experience the same place in our own unique way!

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  • Retail Therapy!

    September 5, 2012

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    St.Tropez, France…Mother Nature is not being kind to my visit to the Cote d’Azure! Clouds are stopping the sun from shining and dampening everyone’s spirits! But regardless, the yachts are still lined up in Saint Tropez’s harbor and the beautiful people won’t let summer slip away that easily!

    I did a quick boat tour of St. Tropez, admiring the houses that dot the waterfront. These mega rich digs are vacation homes for the Fayeds, the Hiltons, the Loreal Company, and numerous other billionaires and international elite!

    They love the paparazzi here and star spotting is a major sport! The boat is decked out with shots of celebrities in St. Tropez and they pass around a photo book that documents the who’s who that came to town this summer! Rihana, Zac Efron, Leonardo Di Caprio, and Magic Johnson to name a few!

    Since today isn’t a beach day…the next best thing to do here is to SHOP! It’s like being in Paris, except at the beach…the shops are housed in the most magnificent settings and it’s fun going from designer to designer!

    Oh la la…I am tempted but gotta have some self control! There are some Lanvin high tops calling my name!

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  • Market Daze!

    September 4, 2012

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    St.Tropez, France…So far this trip, I have hit the Italian, Spanish, and Croatian Rivieras…now it is time for the French Riviera!

    I arrived in Nice from Rome yesterday and then took a very expensive 2 hour taxi ride to St. Tropez. The weather wasn’t in my favor, but I was tired from partying on the cruise so some r&r was fine by me!

    There is something magical about St Tropez…the gorgeous people, the wealth, the fashion, and the food! This morning, I was greeted by blue skies and headed to one of my favorite events in St. Tropez; the market at Place des Lices that is held every Tuesday and Saturday!

    This is one of my favorite markets! Food, soaps, tapestries, hats, you name it; all with that indelible French accent to it! You can wander for hours through this crowded market of goodies!

    I’ll get to the jet set and yachting fabulousness that this town is known for, but first I treated myself to a morning in the market for a total French fix!

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  • The Party is Over!

    September 3, 2012

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    Civitavecchia, Italy…everything must come to an end and my cruise is over! 10 days on board this Celebrity Cruise line went fast…

    Dancing, partying, and hanging out with 2800 men all set on having a memorable vacation as we sailed through the Mediterranean! What a blast we had! Maybe a bit too much of a good thing as I managed to loose my voice for 2 whole days…

    It’s incredible how all these people from all over the world can come together and put everything aside with one goal: HAVING FUN!

    The lack of gay marriage equality, the prevalence of bullying, the debate in political views, race or cultural discrimination, ageism, and snobbery doesn’t exist on this vessel…it’s like a safe haven for all of us in this large community to come together and have a great time free of what whatever we may face back home!

    Thanks to Atlantis Events for producing these one of a kind trips for us! Thanks to my co-passengers for being so sexy and completely fun!

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  • La Dolce Vita…Sicilian Style!

    September 2, 2012

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    Palermo, Italy…Sunday in Sicily…not much to do as much of this town is closed! A stroll through Palermo just gets you in that Italian mood!

    Mangia, Mangia…the freshest homemade food is everywhere! Eggplant, pasta, pizza, and of course cannoli! A must stop for a delicious cannoli and strong italian coffee and I am living “la dolce vita”!

    Old churches, cathedral, and magnificent opera house frame this town. I notice a lot of art nouveau touches especially the decorative kiosks scattered on various street corners.

    It’s a quick visit to Sicily and I hope to return to take it all in a bit more!

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  • A Day in Malta!

    September 1, 2012

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    Valletta, Malta…today we arrived at the walled city of Valletta on the small island country of Malta! Close to Sicily, the harbor approach into and out of the fortress of a city is magnificent. Yellow hued limestone rises from the Mediterranean setting a striking scene.

    Famous for it’s Maltese cross and a major part if the Crusades, Malta retains it’s historic feel and charm. I am drawn to the building facades with their ornate balconies and porches. These buildings look like utterly unique to this country and the whole place is a mix of Italian and French styles.

    The uniformed guards look very handsome as they patrol the palace. So much of the architecture has a military tone with canons and protective details. The best view is from the Saluting Battery where you can literally have a Birdseye view of the entire harbor enclosed within the fortress walls.

    For now I am just enjoying the view of this gem of a country.
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  • Total Recall!

    September 1, 2012

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    At Sea in the Mediterranean…as we sailed our way under tonight’s Blue Moon, we were treated to a special performance on board the m/v Equinox! Andy Bell was our star performer…

    For those who may not be familiar with him: he is the 80’s iconic gay singer of the British group Erasure. I loved Erasure and it seems like so much of my youth was set to a soundtrack of their songs! Alison Moyet, Culture Club, Dead or Alive, and a whole crop of British imports blasted throughout my teens…but Erasure was a prominent sound besides mainstream music from Madonna and the Go Go’s…

    It all came flooding back to me sitting in the ship amphitheater tonight! My college roommate used to blast Erasure and we would sing and dance all night to it! It seems like yesterday when overnights were spent in the school sewing labs with Erasure tunes blaring up and down the halls of F.I.T. or remixes were danced to in the hottest NYC clubs…

    Andy sang his greatest hits including one of my favorites, “Blue Savannah Song” in his silver sequin leggings, 80’s inspired oversize tee, and red soled high tops. It was great fun and brought me back over 25 years!

    The 80’s came back to me and it seems connecting to my personal memories and my family heritage is a reoccurring theme of this trip! The days full of an unknown future and the never-ending new experiences of my teens are sort of a full circle moment! I feel like that 18 year old again on a quest for the next stage of my life: what lies ahead as I experience things along this journey in a whole new way!

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