Escapeseeker

I’ve just finished responding to all of the urgent ESCAPESEEKER TV series related e-mails, and it is now nearly 2 a.m. I can’t believe it is no longer my birthday! Rats! However, my computer tells me that it is only 4:55 in Newport Beach, so I guess I can choose which time zone to abide by…or just keep on celebrating and have a birthday month! YEAH, that sounds better…so if you’re reading this from the U.S., don’t think you’re getting out of celebrating my very big birthday ok?

Seriously, before I finally climb into bed, I must share one of the most unique Tuscan experience we’ve had thus far. I apologize for being a little slow in updating my blog today.

My team and I just returned from Tuscany where we were hosted to an exquisite day, by the illustrious Frescobaldi family whose history dates back 700 years! The youngest of the Frescobaldi sons, Matteo, is participating in our ESCAPESEEKER program–so we will be returning to film at their Tuscan estate in September.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the FRESCOBALDI name–let me give you some insight into this exceptional Florentine/Tuscan family:

The Frescobaldi name is renowned throughout Italy (and other parts of the world also) for their long standing tradition of involvement in the art, culture, and history of Italy and of Tuscany that stretches back more than 700 years. The Frescobaldi family includes authors, explorers, musicians, financiers, as well as politicians and statesmen.

A dedication to viticulture and to agriculture in general has always been a major characteristic of the family: for fully 30 generations, beginning in the very first years of the 14th century, the Frescobaldis have been producing wine in Tuscany, as attested by countless historical sources!

Even as early as the 16th century the Florentine family was a supplier of wines to the Royal English Court and to many other courts throughout Europe. Letters and legal papers in the family archives document during the 13th century, contacts and business contracts with many European monarchs, among them Henry VIII of England.

Well today, July 21, 2008, I too felt like a member of a monarch while dining with my ESCAPESEEKER team and MATTEO FRESCOBALDI! The photo of the Tuscan villa above is where our ESCAPESEEKER team spent my birthday. Now, that’s just one more special day to add to my journal of life.

Thank you friends and family for your warm and loving wishes…and thank you ROY for the gorgeous flowers and sweet, loving poem…I will have our photographer take a photo of them. You will not believe how BIG Florentine rose buds are!!

Well, I’ve really gotta hit the sack…we depart early tomorrow morning for Italy’s food capital, BOLOGNA–that is after we shoot a sunrise over Florence at around 5 a.m. No sleep for these serious ESCAPESEEKERS!

With all my love,

ESCAPESEEKER

Author, Samuel Rogers

The ancient civilization of the Celts may have diminished, but their legacy to Western culture has been profound in terms of their bold, very proud approach to life, their wit and merriment~and their richly evocative music, poetry, art, mythology and literature. And just in case you were too busy “pubbing it” in Ireland, no worries, you’ll get one final chance to taste Irish literature. Where? Would you believe the departure terminal? What other airport in the world contains wall after wall of inscriptions~quotes and passages from some of the world’s greatest literature penned by none other than their own Irish geniuses. Make sure you allow enough time after you check in at Dublin airport to take a nice stroll through the terminal. Forget shopping…just start reading…you can’t miss it. The inscriptions are floor to ceiling and even includes an illustrated image of the author. Enjoy…you may even be inspired to pen your own creative genius!

There is so much to learn and discover about Ireland, that you must stay tuned–We return in July to do Part 2 of our research! So note that our “must do list” below is sure to grow after Part 2 is completed.

While in Ireland, you must experience:
…its 5-star destination resort/hotel, the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt with its heavenly beds, sensational ESPA, complete with a glistening black pool, and Gordon Ramsay restaurant offering his signature dishes,
…its oldest PUB, (By the way, we found pubs to have excellent Irish food),
…its places of worship…there are hundreds of cathedrals from which to choose,
…its great green countryside with clear emerald lakes–great for day or extended hiking too,
…its not so inviting frigid cold ocean–I felt it, frigid is an understatement, but the natives think nothing of diving into it for their daily swim,
…Bono’s favorite hotel (he owns this one located in the heart of Dublin, and it’s very popular with his peers–other musical artists too, so if you’re a Bono fan, this may be your best spot to get a Bono sighting 🙂
…and of course, while in Dublin, visit this unique statue, a tribute to one of its greatest literary minds, Oscar Wilde. It is located at Merrion Square Park. This may be the only statue in the history of statues both to totally capture the subject’s personality and do it in a way that would have delighted the author and playwright.