AUGUST 2008

VOGUE.FR – AUGUST 2008

YOUR HOLIDAY 

MICHELE AND I WENT TO ISOLA D'ELBA AND STAYED AT HOTEL VILLA OTTONE RIGHT ON THE BEACH OF A LITTLE BAY. VERY “DEATH IN VENICE.” GORGEOUS. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE SMALL OLD HOTELS WITH HUGE ROOMS AND HIGH CEILINGS, WHERE YOU SEE EVERYONE STAYING THERE AT THE SAME TABLES AT DINNER AND START CREATING INTRIGUES ABOUT THEM. 

WE EXPLORED NAPOLEON'S VILLAS, (ISOLA D'ELBA WAS WHERE HE WAS EXILED), BOATED AROUND, AND JUST LAY ON THE BEACH EVERY DAY. I READ JEAN LORRAIN'S “MONSIEUR DE PHOCAS” AND LISTENED TO WAGNER'S “PARSIFAL” AND ATOMIZER, WHILE MICHELE STUDIED ARABIC. AT NIGHT WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT WATCH THE OLYMPICS. ONE OF THE GREATEST DISPLAYS OF REFINED CIVILIZATION. SO JOYOUS. 

WE BOTH TAKE ONE CARRY-ON AND AN EXTRA BAG FOR MICHELE'S BRACELETS. I JUST TAKE SANTA MARIA NOVELLA INCENSE, MARVIS TOOTHPASTE AND NATURAL BONE TOOTHBRUSHES FROM TAYLOR'S OF OLD BOND STREET IN LONDON, ONE PAIR OF BLACK SHORTS, ONE PAIR OF BLACK NYLON JOGGING PANTS AND ONE BLACK SILK T-SHIRT AND ONE BIG BLACK CASHMERE CAPE (ALL FROM MY OWN COLLECTION, BECAUSE I HATE TO SHOP), LAPTOP, CECIL B. DEMILLE AND D. W. GRIFFITH MOVIES, AND IPHONE. MICHELE HAD 10 T-SHIRTS AND 2 FURS. 

AS AN AMERICAN, NEW TO THE EUROPEAN HOLIDAY BREAK, I'M USUALLY CHAIN SMOKING ALL AUGUST WAITING BY THE FRONT DOOR FOR EVERYONE TO COME BACK TO WORK, BUT THIS TIME I FELT KIND OF ON SCHEDULE AND COULD REALLY JUST ERASE WORK AND FLOAT IN THE WATER FOR 2 WEEKS. I THINK I LIKE LIVING IN EUROPE.