19/08/2012

Summer 2012: Helsingborg by Lisa Olsson Hjerpe

Summer 2012: Helsingborg by Lisa Olsson Hjerpe

Helsingborg, a little town in the south of Sweden and on the border to Denmark, is a true summer city, making the most out of its cobble stoned streets and magnificent sea view.

Nothing beats an early morning power walk along the harbor, continuing all the way to the beach where the waves are slowly rolling in.

It’s from the medieval tower Kärnan, situated in the middle of the city park, that you get the best view (making it worth the 35 meters or stair climbing) of the harbour, Øresund (the sea between Sweden and Denmark) and all the way over the Helsingør. If you are a little bit lazy, as I am, you can just enjoy the view from the ground, a little bit closer to the rooftops.

My balcony - this is where I spend the most part of my summer days! Breakfast in the morning, ice coffee and work in the afternoon, to end the day with a cup of tea and candlelight.

For a calm evening out among friends, I’ll head down to the harbor or beach again; there are plenty of small coffee shops, wine bars and restaurants, making those summer moments a little bit more special.

The city centre’s open-air cafés, bars and clubs add to the weekend pulse! Old buildings and cobble stoned streets create an intimate ambience, beautifully colliding with the beat from the club music.

Lisa Olsson Hjerpe

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18/08/2012

Summer 2012: Finland for Nora Stenman

Summer 2012: Finland for Nora Stenman

I think that my home country Finland is one of the most beautiful places during the summer time. There’s no summer like the Finnish summer. Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to go there this year, but to show you the wonders of the country, I trusted my really good friend Petra – whose photography I have been following online with a longing in my heart all summer – to take you for a tour in the top 5 places in Finland. Here she goes:

FIELD OF DAISIES – I found this amazing field full of daisies close to our summer house. The view was amazing, thousands and thousands of these delicate flowers around you.

ON MY PLATE – Summer soup that we simply call “milk potatoes” is a tradition. I remember eating summer soup since I was a toddler. Usually we add some veggies to the soup but this recipe is from my mother-in-law and my husband naturally loves it. This super simple soup is made of fresh potatoes, milk, green onions and butter.

GONE FISHING – Finnish summer cottages are often near water so they are great places for wild fishing. Depending on the place, you may get plenty of fish to prepare a dinner of, or get nothing.

GOLDEN TREAT – Chantarelles seem to be worth their weight in gold. They are golden looking, golden tasting, and golden priced. Besides blueberries and raspberries, chantarelles are the best ingredient you can find in the forest. Chanterelles will reappear in the same places year after year. Luckily I have some good spots to look for them every summer.

CITY BEACH – Mustikkamaa (Blueberry Land) is a small island just few kilometers away from Helsinki city centre and it’s my favorite place to sunbathe in Helsinki. Besides the quiet beach there are also outdoor tracks, basketball courts and a green area with a restaurant. Great place for just chilling and enjoying the summer.

Descriptions and images by Petra Yli-Hemminki

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17/08/2012

Summer 2012: Parks in Milan, by Piotr Niepsuj

Summer 2012: Parks in Milan, by Piotr Niepsuj

Let’s be sincere from the beginning: there is nothing to do in Milan in August. But hey, if you’re stuck here, and there is nothing to do about it, grab your bike, something to read, mosquito-protection, sun-block, some water… (wow, it’s a lot of stuff!) and search for your secret spot in one of Milan’s green areas. You might be surprised in the end. This is what I found:

1. Parco Lambro

2. Parco Sempione

3. Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli

4. Parco Forlanini

5. Monte Stella

Piotr Niepsuj

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16/08/2012

Summer 2012: Devon, England by Tamsin Cook

Summer 2012: Devon by Tamsin Cook

North Devon and Exmoor in the South West of England feature dramatic coastlines, rugged uplands and long stretches of sandy beaches for endless walks and areas to explore.

Woolacombe beach is thought of as one of the top ten beaches in the world. Boasting 3 miles of golden sand and great surfing conditions, it’s certainly one of North Devon’s most popular spots.

Lynton & Lynmouth are known as the “little Switzerland of England”, set in the deep wooded river valleys of Exmoor. The Victorians opened a cliff railway in 1890 to connect Lynmouth to Lynton, which is still running now. These two coastal villages are still very much tourist areas with stunning views and small coastal shops selling local candy rock, fudge and ice-cream and the famous Devon cream teas.



Instow beach overlooks the estuary to the little quaint fishing village of Appledore, a small port and thriving since it was settled by Cistercian monks in the 14th Century.

Tamsin Cook

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15/08/2012

Summer 2012: Away for Work, by Paul Barbera

Summer 2012: Away for Work, by Paul Barbera

Viva Las Vegas. My trip included a lot of work but I also got to escape and see my favorite stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and visit the shoot of the film “Pawn Stars”.

Besides the hectic days of shooting in Amsterdam, I took a moment off to enjoy a boat ride with mates on the boat of Marcel Wanders.

My trip was featured with a LOT of rainy days, but luckily there was one sunny day to enjoy.

The day free in Geneva, after working with Eric Kuster on his new interior book.

Job at Ibiza included also few days of free enjoying of the sun.

Paul Barbera

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14/08/2012

Summer 2012: Croatia by Bruna Kazinoti

Summer 2012: Croatia by Bruna Kazinoti

Here are my top places to be, top things to do: Lie in the sun near the sea.

Sitting under that tree of grapes.

An afternoon walk with my dog in the woods.

A view from an afternoon walk.

A rocky beach with no people.

Bruna Kazinoti

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13/08/2012

Summer 2012: Nashville, Tennessee by Kristina Gill

Summer 2012: Nashville, Tennessee by Kristina Gill

The Parthenon is a 1:1 scale replica of the Greek monument. Located in Centennial Park, when it’s not too hot outside, a picnic on the lawn is in order. A bit further down in the park, you can find crafts fairs, food fairs, and Food Truck Thursdays.

Barista Parlor: A hipster coffee bar fitted out in an old garage. It has good (and very expensive) coffee and edibles.

City House is a restaurant with a wood-burning stove and an Italian-inspired menu, located in historic Germantown neighborhood of Nashville. The cocktails at the bar are good. Reservations a must.

Bobbies Dairy Dip sells gigantic soft serve ice cream, but also burgers, hotdogs, french fries. It’s a summer thing. When the weather’s cold, Bobbie’s is closed!

House of Hickory is a BBQ stand where you buy BBQ to take away. The owners have been on the competitive barbecue circuit for decades, and have won some prestigious titles. They teach classes. Like most BBQ places in Nashville, they’re closed on Sundays!

Kristina Gill

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13/08/2012

Summer 2012: The Check-Out

Summer 2012: The Check-Out

Depending where in the world you are, you have maybe already had your summer holidays, perhaps you are enjoying your break at this very moment, or like us, you are going to start the long awaited period now in August. The Blogazine is stepping out of office for two weeks starting from today, and reopening with a bang and some special new features again the 27th August.

However, we are not going to stop entertaining you even during this period, but introducing you the “Summer 2012” series realized especially for you for this extraordinary few-week break, by the members of our big 2DM family. From the backstage of 2DM group, our team members and friends will be presenting photos from the top-5 must-see places of their holiday.

So whether you are stuck in the office or opening your laptop in the hotel or on the beach, sit back and relax with the lovely lazy summer tales by our big family.

We wish you pleasant summer time!

The Blogazine, 2DM Management, Wonder Room and friends – Images Jolijn Snijders & Skye Parrott

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07/08/2012

The Future of the Olympics

The Future of the Olympics

While we are still being bewildered by the fantastic success different athletes are achieving in beautiful sites built for the London Olympics, some are already looking up to the future of the Games. Only in the last 12 years we have witnessed four incredible Olympic shows, held respectively in Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004, Beijing 2008 and the currently in London. 
Only one of these was held in a ‘non-western’ country, both from the political as well as cultural point of views.


If Beijing inevitably pops in your mind, when you try to judge which one of the four has been the most spectacular, it should actually make you wonder. A new study by the Dutch architecture and urbanism studio XML shows that it didn’t happen by pure chance. XML has completed a comparative study titled “Olympic Cities” that analyses how and why various cities approach their candidature for hosting the Olympics. Trying to unveil what should be the perfect model for The Netherland’s candidature in 2028, this study has come to discover a whole lot more about the current economic, cultural and geographical model guiding the Olympics.


Even though we think it’s all about sports, unfortunately, it may actually be all about money. The current model underlining the Games since the 1972 Montreal’s near-bankruptcy situation, the economic model has been described through a paradigm of the mega-event. This mega-event model, as the authors state, will inevitably lead to the Games being held in “upcoming, non-democratic countries who simply have the centralised power and money to organise them”, since the public in democratic countries may feel uncomfortable with the privileges the organizers receive, and the amount of capital needed for the production.

In order to bring the Games back to the people, to a more down-to-earth model, where everything is more about sports and less about sponsors, XML has proposed three spatial models which should respond actively to the future economical and socio-political trends every Olympic Games are closely linked to.


Rujana Rebernjak – Images courtesy of XML

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02/08/2012

Convitto – Combining Fashion, Food, Art and Design

Convitto – Combining Fashion, Food, Art and Design

In Massa, Tuscany, midway between the Tyrrhenian sea and the amazing Apuane Alps Park, the fashion director Andrea Tenerani – going back to his place of birth – founded a unique and unusual restaurant/shop named Convitto (from latin convictus, literally a place where people stay together). Inspired by the successful experiences of American Rag and Fred Segal, seen during his travels in Los Angeles, and thanks to the know-how of his niece, the talented sommelier Sabrina Mettadelli, Tenerani created an alternative venue where high quality food and fashion go arm in arm.


The restaurant, made from a restored 19th century building, mixes ancient and contemporary style with a very personal eye for details. The shots on the wall recall Tenerani’s first love – of course for fashion –, a gallery of images and emotions, which enriches a space full of personality, thought for sharing and meeting. Original vaulted ceiling and selected design furniture, chosen with a refined taste for retro and vintage from 30s and 50s, turn the location in an exclusive club where people can go shopping while tasting typical regional cuisine cooked by Maurizio Mosti, such as the delicious pastries and, above all, the inimitable pickled anchovies.

Can you figure out the pleasure of sitting close to your friends in a charming and intimate restaurant, which offers an original selection of garments wholly planned by Andrea Tenerani? Yes, because as he said: “I just sell what I wear and everything reflects my personal taste”, so in the resto-shop you can find Chambray shirts, Church Shangai, Aspesi jackets, Roy Roger’s jeans and even original aprons in denim made by the first Italian manufacturing company of blue jeans exclusively for Convitto. Fashion, food, art and design all together. From the lamps to the chairs to the diverse pieces of clothing, everything is on sale here, which means that everything is ever changeable and unpredictably different.

Watchwords: plainness, refinement, extreme quality!


Monica Lombardi – Illustration Karin Kellner

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