I'm out of here #1: Viva Las Vegas!

First of all, I have  to apologize about my Absence the last couple of weeks. I had a lot to prepare for my big trip out on this planet and I didn't really have the Chance to put all my Picture together and write my first Posts. And additionally, there is a lot of bad wifi all over this world...

After being one night in cold New York City, I headed directly to Las Vegas the morning after. A big Boom for the first Destination, isn't it? I've been here three times already, so I was pretty Aware of what this City has to offer or better said, how versatile this playground for adults can be.
We checked in at The Venetian and Palazzo, the best copy of the Italian City I've ever seen. Our Bella Suite was spacious and the giant beds were perfect to rest and sleep away the past few months spent in Switzerland.

Even if I was here before, I had to get used to Sin City again. You have so many possibilities in this sleepless town - it literally eats you up. :)

Nevada is one of the US states that has the lowest taxes, so it was pretty clear that we went for some Shopping. There are two huge outlet malls in the southern and as well in the northern part of Vegas to spend all the Money won during gambling (unfortunately, it was not my lucky case). The Premium Outlets and  Town Square provide the most american brands so that everybody is able to  find sweet stuff for the closet back home. Being there before the Holidays, I found the Prices even more convenient than the last couple of times.

Besides the Shopping, I also had the opportunity to take some time for a Little culture. I took my friend Sandra to the Neon Museum, an open air Showroom for all the oldschool Las Vegas signs. It was pretty interesting to know the stories behind them, what amazed me the most was the one told about the sign of the first gas Station before entering and leaving the City. They used to Keep some extra Dollars for everybody back, in case a Gambler would have left the Casinos without any Money, for the drive home. Plus: a free Aspirine was included, so no headache on the drive home. (It's crazy! They used to give away 30000 aspirines a month!)
Another cool Thing was the reception of the Museum: it used to be the original front desk of the not anymore existing La Concha Hotel.

If you find yourself in Vegas, don't Forget that it isn't all about the Strip. For the nostalgics of you, I would spend an evening at Freemont Street, you'll find a couple of old fashioned Hotels like Golden Nugget and California, to mention two. Another interesting spot located back there is the Mob Museum, which tells us a bit about the crime history in the City. There are Combo passes avalaible with the Neon Museum together here (day or night tours avalaible).

What should I say... It was a very good beginning, even if sometimes a bit exhausting. Lots of Walking during the day, seeing the different Hotels, having a gamble and a drink at night (it's a hard life). Another must is to see a Show in Las Vegas. There is a huge choice for every taste and every wallet. We went to Mandalay Bay to see Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson - The One", and we we had a blast!

Useful Tips:

- Where to stay: if you're not on a Budget, The Venetian is perfectly located on the Strip and offers a good variety of Restaurants and night Entertainment. For those who are Budget travellers like I was a couple of years ago, I would highly reccomend the Stratosphere on top of the Strip (you'll pay approx. 300$ for a whole week, if you book in advance)

The Venetian & Palazzo

- Clubbing and Nightlife: living at the Venetian has some pluses - you'll have two well done Clubs in the building. Nights out at TAO or Lavo are always a good choice. If you want to get out at the Hotel then you should opt for the Pure Nightclub at Cesar's Palace. Otherwise during warm season, there are some good pool parties out there. The Stratosphere offers has a lush Restaurant with a 360° view over the Strip that actually turs on itself. And the Food is delicious too!
PS: Try to hit some Promoters on the streets. You'll easily get a good bunch of free entrances (sorry, mostly for ladies) by paying around 20$.

- Shopping: As already told, the two outlet complexes are very convenient for filling your suitcase. Otherwise, the Fashion Show Mall right next to Wynn and Encore are another good address.

- How to get around: Of course you'll have loads of cabs at every Hotel entrance. They aren't very expensive especially if travelling in Groups. Otherwise you'll have good buses that connect the whole Strip with Freemont Street and Downtown.

Said that, enjoy Las Vegas! Have a blast, enjoy your Drinks and gamble with responsability :)

Davos: Follow the Mountain Sound

The last time I've visited Davos was about 20 years ago, as far as I remember. My grandpa used to be there a lot so we went up in the mountains to visit him. Even if I actually have great memories of that period, I didn't take the chance to go back. True, living in south Italy during my teenage years didn't really enforce my love for ice skating, skiing or snowboarding, since a temperature of 10 degrees celsius is already freezing for us.

I always wondered though, how things have changed up there, and if it's really only about winter sports. Wrong thought. Davos can be a great place to retreat, spending a weekend between great landscapes and enjoying a bunch of good events. In my case, what brought me up in town in December, was the opening of the Songbird Festival, as you might know from my two previous posts, which hosts big names of the Swiss music scene, and still runs until December 20th, 2014. As the musicfreak as I am, I had to pack my suitcase and go.

I didn't  have a big clue anymore, of what this gorgeous town looked like, despite of where to stay. Finally, I opted for the Panorama Hotel, a cozy three star complex located in Davos Platz, a couple of minutes of walk from the Train Station.
The Hotel offers three types of suites, depending on the number of guests and, of course, your own needs. Me and my friend Paulo got one of the Grand Suites, that comprends two master bedrooms, a wide livingroom with kitchenette and two balconies overlooking the gorgeous mountains surrounding Davos. I don't have any  necessity to live in a five star Boudoir when I'm on vacation, it feels too much sometimes, I don't require a porcelain doll treatment. Plus: you know, I'm more the one in for a joke than playing princess, I have to feel comfy. So, that's why these apartment-styled suites felt totally like home to me, I had everything I needed. The owner, Ralph-Marc Diebhold and his staff are very welcoming, competent about the whole area and always there for questions.  Little yorkshire Balù says "Hi" everytime you enter the door, I loved it, I seriously wanted to take this sweetheart home. The Hotel has ist own bus stop just at the entrance, a bus pass for the complete stay is provided, which made it pretty easy for us to move around the different concert locations between Davos Platz and Davos Dorf.

Photo: Panorama Hotel Davos

Entrance area

Our Suite

One of the master bedrooms

Terrace with a view

That's actually not all. Once you're away from home for a weekend, you should treat yourself well, right? Let's start with one of the most important things (at least for me): Food! Places like Davos are amazing to taste the old good Swiss cuisine, and the Panorama Hotel provides you already with two Restaurants for the good start.

The Panorama Restaurant offers an à la carte menu that includes different fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. Taking a drink in the piano bar nearby is also always a good idea to start a long evening. During the day you can enjoy a spectacular view on the surrounding mountains and by good weather it's quite advisable to have your coffee on the terrace. An online reservation is possible and you can find the whole menu here.

During my stay at the Panorama I chose to try some traditional Swiss Fondue in the other restaurant of the hotel: the legendary Stüvetta! This inviting place was built back in 1892 in the town of Arosa, also a well known mountain destination. In 2002 the restaurant was shut and rebuilt in original state in the hotel itself. The location is small and cozy, so a reservation is more than required. We went obviously for the classic homemade cheese fondue and a glass of white wine, always the best choice if you're not used to this type of kitchen. If you have any struggles into what kind of fondue to choose (cheese or chinoise, a fondue type including different kinds of meat), just ask the attentive waiters: they're more than glad to help. Have a menu overlook here.

Eating Cheese Fondue at Stüvetta

If you'll find yourself outside the hotel wanting to have lunch or dinner, there are loads of restaurants to choose in and around Davos. We opted to go to Pulsa once for dinner, located inside Hotel Grischa, which has five different restaurant, so you won't be disappointed. For lunch we headed twice to one of the most famous cafés in town: KaffeeKlatsch. Especially during the weekend they have a prolongued brunch, also on a Swiss cuisine base. I had a plate of "Rösti" with bacon and scrambled eggs. You'll get generous portions so you won't definetly leave this place hungry. You'll might have to wait for a table here, the two floors get packed pretty fast.

Pulsa Restaurant

KaffeKlatsch

You'll might take long walks in Davos, maybe by taking the Jakobsbahn and going up on a height over 2500 meters on the peak of the Jakobshorn, for example. Or just by spending the nights out in the different bars and going home late. So I can imagine that the best recovery would be a couple of hours of wellness; that's also a thing we did, in between our concert visits. The Panorama Hotel has its own little wellness complex, which comprends pool, whirlpool and sauna. It's a little oasis to chill out and enjoy some silence for a couple of hours, finding energy for new trips around Davos. If you feel to go on a longer swim, need different types of saunas or maybe need something more kids friendly, there's the waterworld Eau-la-la located a few steps from the hotel.

Wellness area at Panorama Hotel

For those interested in sports, staying at the Panorama gives you the confort to live just very close to the Vaillant Arena, that hosts all the Ice Hockey games or famous shows like the Art On Ice coming up in February 2015. Otherwise, if you're passionate about museum visits and arts, the Kirchner Museum is also easy reachable by walk. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner used to live 20 years in Davos and inspired his colorful paintings on the town he used to stay until his death.

Balù is obviously the king of the entire hotel :)

These are surely just a little few tips I can give according to my own short visit to Davos. However, you won't get bored in a place like this, it doesen't really matter if you're a winter sport lover or not. I experienced on my own self and can't actually wait to go back... I had the time of my life. You'll have a lot of storys to tell.

A Special Thank You to Ralph-Marc Diebhold, his lovely staff and the sweet little Balù for having me as a guest at the Panorama Hotel.

Book your room here

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Songbird Festival Opening #2: Reza Dinally / Leslie Clio - melancholia vs. catchy pop

The second evening of the Songbird Festival had again on stage two artists that couldn't have been more different from each other musically speaking: Reza Dinally and Leslie Clio. At the legendary Montana Hotel, that celebrates itself as "Aprés Snow Culture" venue, I was happy to find an intimate concert hall, way smaller than the previous one, including some vintage stucco on the Roof: how charming is that?

Montanasaal

The venue was perfect to host indie-rocker Reza Dinally & Band, that released his first album one month ago, additionally by getting some help via crowdfunding. Because, sad reality, "Music Lovers aren't enough anymore to put a whole work together".  Six years after releasing his first EP, "Depths of Montmartre" was born. The record could Sound brand new to some Reza Dinally fans: they may were some people expecting an acoustic album, but this one gets actually a bit heavier and louder than his previous EP. It's some genuine rock that brings us on a journey... and it gets sweeter when you listen to it once again. And again and again. So the wait was totally worth it.

The live performance was the confirmation that this timeless work has potential to be defined one of the best Swiss records of 2014. And there is no surprise that their album release at Bogen F in Zurich was a complete sold out. Reza Dinally took myself in a complete new dimension, the audience around me disappeared and there was just an inevitable floating along the band's sound. Reza's warm voice, combined with the gloomy melodies, are a true delight. It became one of these records that I use to play in the evenings; it fits to the winter's darkness and it lightens the cold season up. Surely one of my personal discoveries of this musical year.

Have a listen to Reza Dinally's work here:

The second and main act of this cold Saturday night in Davos was the German Pop Sensation Leslie Clio. I was still in an in between state when her Show began, and well, it felt a bit like a bad awakening. Leslie Clio was acclaimed as THE act of this year's festival: I might chose the wrong night, or I might wasn't ready for this, but I was more convinced about the last three artists than the actual one I had in front of me. Maybe it was my own shock's fault as well, after switching so fast from the warmth of indie-rock to modern soul-pop. Leslie's song are catchy and well played live, especially if you think that her whole band was rearranged and was on stage for the very second time.

Her self irony was a big plus in the beginning, it broke the ice fast, but it started to get eventually out of the place when time passed and when it came to perform some serious songs. Her dancing through the crowd was well accepted, but after the fifth time the surprise effect was gone. However, the audience seemed to enjoy her hits "Told you So" and "I couldn't care less" live, also played up and down in our Radios. These were also the moments where her goofing around and smashing heels on the drums made me laugh with everybody else. She is for sure a particular personality, unpredictable like Lily Allen, with a smooth, sweet voice, that only needs to dose her acting on stage, depending on what she's about to perform. Besides the nervous live show, "Gladys", her actual Album, released in 2013, is very enjoyable and its melodies will remain stuck in your mind instantly.

The proof here: listen to the successful single "I couldn't care less"

Even if there's a wee bit of disappointment about the last act (tastes are different, fortunately, right?), the show was a success and the athmosphere during the festival is awesome. The opening weekend couldn't have a better start. The Songbird Festival Davos, with ist diversity, suggestive venues and carefully Chosen line up, is definetly a place to be every year in December. It shows clearly, that Switzerland has loads of healthy and insanely talented musicians... And I can't obviously wait to hit the mountains again in 2015.

The Songbird Festival Davos runs until December 20th, 2014 with the following acts:

Tobias Carshey / Ella Ronen & Mark Kelly / Me, Valentin and you (solo)

Kirchner Museum, December 10th, 2014

Reto Burrell / Famous October (Sarah Bowmann & Coal)

Escher Raumdesign, December 11th, 2014

Kutti MC / Luca Little

Hotel Schatzalp, December 12th, 2014

Jaël Malli / The Smile Effect

Hotel Schatzalp, December 13th, 2014

Gustav / Liselottes

Hotel Seehof, December 17th, 2014

November and Me / Bob Spring

KaffeeKlatsch, December 18th 2014

Lea Lu / Tobey Lucas

Waldhotel, December 18th, 2014

Ritschi / Skor

Montanasaal, December 19th, 2014

Caraway / James Gruntz (SOLD OUT)

KaffeKlatsch, December 19th, 2014

Pegasus / Baba Shrimps

Zimmerei Künzli, December 20th, 2014

Grab your ticket here

A big Thank You to Michel Pernet & his Blofeld Team for having me

Songbird Festival Opening #1: The Drops / Willam White - young freshness vs. positive vibes

The 7th Edition of the Songbird Festival taking place in the Swiss mountains of Davos couldn't have a better start by having on stage two acts totally different from each other: the young pop/rock quartet of Basel based band The Drops and our national Reggae Sweetheart William White.

The Festival starts punctual every year in the beginning of December, with the winter sport season, when all the snow lovers find their up to our mountains. I have to admit, I've never learned any sort of Skiing or Snowboarding (this might be the result of living in south Italy most of my teenage years), but it isn't something that would stop myself to hit the mountains during winter. There is a lot going on during the season here, especially when the festival is running, so don't be afraid of the cold! Besides the big names of the Swiss music scene, you'll find uprising gems, most acoustic acts, playing unplugged sets in several bars in town.

Songbird Festival Official

The opening night was held in one of the most exclusive Hotels of Davos, the Intercontinental, well known for its golden egg-shaped design, and a huge, modern cottage interior. The official announced concerts take place mostly in Hotels, legendary cafés or even in museums sometimes. The Drops' and Willam White gig was a successful sold out at the Intercontinental Ballroom, and,  I was quite surprised to find a seated location, especially for a rock and reggae concert. I made the experience in the past already, that people tend to be stuck into their chairs the whole time, even if they feel to dance along the songs during the show. Seats may are a good idea for a chilled out acoustic or classic concert, but a little less if there are some guitar riffs involved. Fortunately, the whole shy athmosphere of the beginning turned into a big party later on; it was great to see people putting all the chairs aside and transform the ballroom into a big dancefloor.

The Drops opened the first official festival night:  they're fresh wind for our national music scene: young,  passionate and powerful. Their songs are catchy, sometimes they remind of a fresher Coldplay version, on the other hand when the guitar riffs get louder they really take me back to Mando Diao's golden era ("Happy Clapper" has exactly that light touch). One of the prooves might be their Youtube Hit "Eleanor", official Music Video for the first Single of the Album "Flying Dutchmen", released two years ago.  This track was also winner of the SRF3 Talent Award back then, and very well deserved. I already had the pleasure to see these guys live as the opening act for the band My Heart Belongs to Cecilia Winter four years ago in Zurich, and somehow I knew that they're gonna take it very far. They have some genuine fun on stage, and a big plus is also their interaction with the audience after the show: always there for a chat or some photos, The Drops are very open minded and down to earth. The Drops threw a good warm up for the main act, an amazing job actually, I wished they could play a little longer... Their new record is planned for next autumn, and I'm quite sure that there are some amazing stuff coming up with their new project. So stay tuned!

Have a listen to "Eleanor" here:

The headliner of last night's festival opening was Swiss Reggae superstar William White, and I was overwhelmed of this man's passion and power! I am pretty ashamed to admit that this has been an absolute premiere for me: I never attended a reggae concert before. But there's always a first time for everything, right? And it couldn't be better! William White started his musical career 15 years ago, is already a big Name in the music Scene here in Switzerland, and is starting to get recongnition for his work also internationally. The Independent Artist was the man who transformed the room into a well thrown party. Switching from reggae, to blues and also to some salsa tunes, making us laugh between the tracks with his jokes, it was pretty clear that sitting there wasn't an option for Long. Wrapped from the very first note, I had the feeling of being part of a private jam session, when in some moments the Barbados born artist turned around to his band while playing and spreading positivity through the room. The whole seven piece band was involved and part of it, which is a thing I love the most during a live gig. The extended show included some famous tracks like "For Your Love" or "Open Country", also the title of his actual work, but there weren't covers missing as well, like Bob Marley's "Caution". At some point, the crowd showed some initiative by throwing the chairs where they're surely not needed, so that every space in front of the stage was free for dancing.

I rarely left a Show wrapped in positivity like it happened last night. I might should listen more Reggae... William White is already saved in my playlist for sure, so I would say it's a pretty good start. I couldn't walk out of Intercontinental happier and thrilled to attend opening night #2 at the Hotel Montana on Saturday.

"Open Country" was recorded in Portland, Jamaica, and includes collaborations with Ziggy Marley's guitarist Ian Coleman or bassist of Burning Spear Devon Bradshaw. The Album was also recently released in the UK in digital form.
William White will be on tour again next year solo and with band. Find your Dates here.

With The Drops :)

A Special Thank You to Michel Pernet & his Blofeld Team for having me