Articles by Susan diRende

Val Priftis Photography Exhibit at Broad Humor Film Festival - Review

The photographic series, “LA Ladies” by French artist Val Priftis is on exhibition as part of the Broad Humor Film Festival

Starhotel Du Parc Hotel in Parma, Italy - review - Stately Grace

The Starhotel Du Parc in Parma has the stately and genteel elegance of old nobility in one of the most comfortable and gracious cities in Italy

La Torre Restaurant in Tuscany Review

The La Torre Restaurant, in the middle of the Chianti countryside, offers a savory escape to the dolce vita for the passing traveler

ESPA Luxury Destination Spa in Tuscany - Review

ESPA at the Castello del Nero is a luxury destination spa in an enchanted Tuscan setting. For a step out of time and a step into the Italian version of heaven on Earth, the ESPA gives you an unsurpassed spa experience

Doney Restaurant - Review - Elegant Dining on the Via Veneto in Rome

While in Rome, you should treat yourself to at least one elegant supper along the storied Via Veneto and you can do no better than Ristorante Doney

Castello del Nero Review - A New Five-Star Luxury Resort in Tuscany

To describe the Castello del Nero in the Chianti region of Tuscany as a five-star luxury hotel and spa does not do it justice. The Castello del Nero is above and beyond classes

The Crowne Plaza Milan - Malpensa Airport Hotel - Review

The new Crowne Plaza Milan-Malpensa Airport Hotel is a design hotel that serves as a destination in itself for business travelers and a jumping-off point for vacation travelers to Italy

"Luisa Fernanda" starring Placido Domingo at the LA Opera- review

Luisa Fernanda at the LA Opera, an operetta in Spanish starring Placido Domingo in a highly-anticipated musical treat

Distinctive Messengers Exhibit at the House of Campari

Distinctive Messengers, an ongoing exhibition of contemporary art at the House of Campari, presents a group of emerging artists who have had or will have a first solo show in a Los Angeles art gallery

The Locanda San Ginese in Tuscany - review

The Locanda San Ginese in the Tuscan countryside feels like you are staying in an Italian home all the while providing the comforts an American traveler requires at a truly modest price

The Merry Widow at the LA Opera - Review

The Los Angeles Operas production of The Merry Widow at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion sweeps you away with waltz-time romance and foolish charm

Hilton Garden Inn Florence Novoli - Hotel Review - Italy with the Comforts of Home

The Hilton Garden Inn Florence Novoli is the perfect hotel for those who would like to enjoy the citys magic and still be able to escape the maddening tourist crowds at the end of the day

Benvenute in Toscana - Tuscany Welcomes Women Travelers

With the summer travel season approaching, the tourism offices of Tuscany invite female travelers to enjoy special stays and services around the region geared specifically to their needs and interests

United Airlines Business Class to Paris - The Only Way to Fly

Until recently, I had always flown Economy Class to Europe. I thought the difference in price for what I considered the same trip to be unreasonable. Then I flew United Airlines Business Class to Paris and learned how wrong I had been.

300 Review - A Graphic Novel Come to Life

The epic 300 is a dazzling spectacle, a heroic tale of men prepared to die rather than submit to tyranny. Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller

Wines of Italy at the St. Regis Grand Hotel and Vivendo Restaurant

Travel in Italy is not only about sights but about the tastes of the countrys food and wine. Here is a rundown of the 32 labes in the "Wines of Italy" program by region and label

Diamond Oscar Spa Retreat - Anastasia Soare and Natura Bisse Pamper the Oscar Elite

Anastasia Beverly Hills has teamed up with Natura Bisse of Barcelona to offer celebs a haven where they can get a lift to their chakras, bodies, faces and style

Le Masse di San Sisto Hot Spring Heaven

Picture a natural hot spring out in the countryside, completely undeveloped, enjoyed by the local folks for recreation and the health benefits of the sulfur water, the same sulfur water that the well-heeled pay a small fortune for in nearby resorts

Broad Humor Abroad - The Broad Humor Film Festival in Rome

The "Broad Humor Film Festival" landed in Rome the weekend of Jan. 26-28 and what a weekend it was with twenty-one funny films written and directed by women

Vivendo Restaurant Review - Rome Italy - This Is Living

No place gives you a better blend of refinement and regional gusto than Vivendo, a wonderful intimate restaurant near the Piazza della Repubblica inside the St. Regis Grand Hotel in Rome

Cavalia at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine - Review

Cavalia, a show with horses and humans perfoming an equestrian arts equivalent to the Cirque du Soleil, is performing on the grounds of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine. Beautiful lighting effects and tastefully artistic stage decorations allow spectators to appreciate the star performers - the horses