Travel

The Palio di Siena is a historic bareback horse race held twice each summer in the central square of Siena, Italy. It features ten horses and riders representing the city's neighborhoods, competing in a frantic 90-second sprint. First, on July 2: Known as the Palio di Provenzano, honoring the Madonna of Provenzano. Second on August 16: Known as the Palio dell'Assunta, honoring the Assumption of Mary. Siena is split into 17 historic neighborhoods or contrade, but only 10 compete in each race (7 automatically and 3 chosen by lot) and the race goes through the city's main sloping medieval square.   It is transformed with a heavy layer of packed dirt and clay over the cobblestones. Jockeys ride bareback for three intense laps around the square, covering a total distance that takes roughly 90 seconds.  Virtually anything goes during the scramble once the starting rope drops; jockeys can use their whips and hinder competitors. For a quick look at the incredible pageantry, crowds, and fast-paced chaos of the event in the main square, try this video from Rick Steves.

The Michelin Keys are to hotels what Michelin Stars are to restaurants. The Michelin Guide isn’t done with Colorado. Late last month, the venerated reviewer announced its inaugural list of Michelin Key hotel winners. (The designation is similar to what Michelin Stars are for restaurants.) In the United States, 124 outstanding hotels across the country were honored—including eight in the Centennial State, spread across Denver, Aspen, and Vail. Colorado’s winners all received one Michelin Key, denoting a “very special stay.” (Two keys represent an “exceptional stay,” and three keys signify an “extraordinary stay.”) Clayton Hotel & Members Club (Denver) Four Seasons Hotel Denver The Crawford Hotel (Denver) Hotel Jerome (Aspen) The Little Nell (Aspen) Mollie Aspen Four Seasons Vail Sonnenalp Hotel (Vail)

Theree's nothing quite like hitting the open road during the beautiful summer months. Denverites looking to gain a new perspective can head out in any direction and be in a new state within a day.

NAVAJO JEWELRY MAKING TECHNIQUES - INGOT From Perry Null Trading Company JEWELRY MAKING TECHNIQUES - INGOT In-got /ˈiNGɡət/ (noun) – a block of steel, gold, silver, or other metal, typically oblong in shape. When the Navajo first learned how to make silver jewelry, they had to be very innovated. The luxury of modern tools or a supply store where they could purchase silver was still decades away. Instead they would collect silver coins until they had enough to make a piece of jewelry. How they turned that silver into a piece of jewelry involved a couple of different techniques. One of these techniques was using an ingot. Today’s silversmiths pride themselves on knowing how to use this technique because it is what the first smiths used. Plus, it is a labor-intensive process that requires a number of steps, almost like the artist becomes more invested in the work.   I try and imagine the setting in which those early smiths made their jewelry. Maybe they constructed an additional hogan next to their family hogan to work silver, or they just created a space inside the family hogan. The workspace would be a dirt floor with a limited number of tools. Then they would have to figure out a way to heat the silver to over 1700 degrees so it could melt. This heating the silver would happen several times during the course of making the piece. These early pieces would be thick and would have a simple design. Also, they wouldn’t have any turquoise. It was a new craft where the craftsman was proud to have acquired the skill and it would become the mission of Navajo silversmiths to perfect this craft. A number

While Ireland (my favorite tea from there is Barry's) and England (some of the best come from Harrod's) are known for their breakfast teas, I prefer the rich depth of choices in Chinese teas. There is an infamous list of the ten most famous Chinese teas, which varies a bit, depending on who you ask.  Having spent some time in the tea cafes of Hong Kong, it is something you will treasure once you have tried the best Chinese teas.   These teas we try to enjoy, along with some of the lessor known teas, on a daily basis.  For serving and more on Chinese tea pots click here. 1) Junshan Yinzhen Tea Of all the famous Chinese Teas, this tea has received a lot of attention lately due to its health benefits. The Silver Needle Tea is Junshan Yinzhen. It comes from Yueyang in Hunan Province. This white or yellow tea is among the rarest and it is my personal favorite. But I love all white teas and the pick of the leaves determines the type of white tea. There are two principal types of white tea: 'bud' and 'bud and leaf'. These are classified further into four main grades: Silver Needle, White Peony, Gong Mei and Shou Mei. Top grade: Silver Needle made solely from buds Second grade: White Peony made from buds, leaves and stems Third Grade: Gong Mei, being a 'looser' pick using buds, leaves and stems from non-premium cultivars.   It is aged for 7 years before it is sold.  Comes pressed or loose.   This is one of my favorites and it keeps forever, if stored in a dry place. Fourth grade: Shou Mei. Lower grade than Gong Mei. Both Gong Mei