Puligney-Montrachet, Cortina, Bled – During these short, COLD days of winter it is only natural for the mind to wander to the long, WARM days of summer. In reliving some of our favorite summer walks, we hit upon a few of our most beloved, not so much because of geographical location, but because of the […]
Chiavenna – When we are home in Chiavenna, just about every day we walk to the small village of Crana which is about 40 minutes by trail above our home. On a sunny afternoon in 2002, Donna was just starting out when she got the surprise of her life. Something jumped on the back of […]
Chiavenna, Italy – One of the most extraordinary relationships we have ever had with an Italian local is the one that we share with our pup Poldo. His is an amazing story. He came to us young but already with a few lifetimes of experience behind him. He knew about losing his family, abandonment, life […]
Capri/Chiavenna, Italy – Some of you may have braved the crowds at the entrance to the Blue Grotto on the lovely Isle of Capri and taken in its eerie blue glow. Perhaps it is not a secret magical cavern but it is magical nonetheless. Surprisingly, our little alpine hamlet of Chiavenna derives a fair amount […]
Savogno, Italy – Here in Chiavenna, we are quite lucky that the trailhead to one of the area’s most panoramic hikes is our garden gate. When we are feeling up for something a little bit ambitious, our destination of choice is the mountain village of Savogno. It lies about 1,800 ft. or 1,400 stone steps […]
Chiavenna, Italy – Our garden is about three kilometers from Chiavenna proper. We reside in the leafy ‘burbs, far away from the pleasant bustle of the town center. It is a gem of a town, situated on the Mera River at the base of the Spluga and Malojia mountain passes and it is easy to […]
Chiavenna, Italy – For those of you who have participated on our Assaggio trip, this photo should bring back some memories. It is a shot of the little known Chiavenna Valley and it is one of the few vistas that includes a view of our home here, Next Step’s European Headquarters if you will. If […]
Rab Island, Croatia – We just returned from a fantastic week in Croatia and would like to thank everyone there who made it such a special week, especially our good friend Eros, his pup Fido and Mario, the hearty captain of the Vagabundo. This is the team that has helped us explore the Island of […]
Brooklyn, New York — Looking at a map of the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, no one could blame you for thinking that it is a fairly mountainous affair. You have Clinton Hill, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Vinegar Hill and these are surrounded by Prospect Heights and Brooklyn Heights. We’ve spent a fair amount of time over […]
New York, New York — Yesterday, they added the final small piece to the new tower number one at the World Trade Center, the crowning touch to the tallest building in the western hemisphere. We were on our way into the city so we decided to get off the train a few stops early and take […]