All posts by romicortier@yahoo.com

Fun, Travel

Fly atop the Ocean with Sea Fiji Reefs

June 27, 2016 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Sea Fiji Reefs, Fiji, Photo Romi Cortier

Sea Fiji Reefs, Fiji, Recio Young & Romi Cortier, Photo Romi Cortier

Recio Young, Natalie Marletta & Romi Cortier, Sea Fiji Reefs, Fiji

Sea Fiji Reefs owns this remarkable vessel called the Sea Venture, a revolutionary and innovative 35 ft glass bottom boat. Designed and manufactured in Europe, it has one of the biggest optical spheroid viewing ports available anywhere. The unique hydrofoil piercing system allows the vessel to literally fly on the surface of the water at speeds up to 40 knots. This is extremely important for people like myself who are prone to seasickness. I’m happy to report that I experienced absolutely no nausea on this excursion.

Our hostess Natalie Marletta chattered this stunning vessel to take us from the Pearl Resort to the ever chic and private Beqa Island for a day of snorkeling, beach combing, and lunch. There were easily a dozen of us onboard, and all of us had one of the most remarkable days on the ocean we’d ever had. On our return voyage back to the Pearl Resort, as the rain started to fall, we were all so happy to enjoy the balmy breeze blowing through our hair as we savored the moody afternoon skies. I felt like a 12 year old having the time of my life, forever changed by the exquisite beauty of this experience.

One of the things about a a vessel like this is that the glass bottom must be protected, therefore, we were ferried to the shores edge by a much smaller boat. It required two trips for all of our passengers, and was so completely fantastic as far as the overall experience.

If you’re visiting Fiji in the near feature, you must consider chartering the Sea Venture. It just might be one of the finest ocean experiences of your life. Thank you again Natalie for making this a magical day for all of us.

SeaFijiReefs.com

Architecture, Travel

The Pearl Resort in Fiji, a place to call home

June 21, 2016 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

The Pearl Resort, Fiji, Photo Romi Cortier

The Pearl Resort in Fiji, what a wonderful place to call home. Several of my friends recently stayed at this stunning waterfront resort for over a month while filming a new FOX reality TV show called Kicking and Screaming. Ok, lets get real, the crew and executives stayed at the resort while the contestants had to survive in the jungle… after all, that’s what makes it reality TV.

I joined everyone on June 5th, the day after they’d wrapped, and had an amazing five full days. From LA it’s an eleven hour direct flight to Nadi, and then a two hour drive to the resort. There’s nothing more welcoming than to reach your destination and walk into a three story atrium, as the balmy south pacific breeze surrounds you. Being a modernist, I instantly fell in love with the super chic white design of the recently built resort. Our room was top notch and beautifully appointed. It included a flat screen TV, a spacious shower for two with one of those huge square shower heads, privacy doors made of frosted glass for both the shower and toilet, ambient lighting under the cabinets, and a bevy of other design details that I’d love to have in my own home. Our third floor balcony, seen above, had a fantastic view of the harbor.

The resort offers a huge complimentary buffet breakfast that included everything from omellets, to scrambled eggs to various meats & cheeses, as well as an assortment of pastries and juices. After that, you can set sail on the harbor, grab a canoe, sit by the pool, or just walk along the sandy beach.

The staff at the resort greets everyone with an amazing warm hearted smile, and they’re always more than happy to help you with any request. The big surprise about the Fijian staff is their amazing singing voices. The GM Natalie Marletta surprised me with an amazing bon voyage gift as I was preparing to depart the resort… listen below to hear the sound of angels.

Until we meet again Fiji….

The Pearl Resort

Culture, Fun, Travel

Fiji’s Queens Road – from Nadi to Pacific Harbor

June 13, 2016 romicortier@yahoo.com 5 Comments

Fiji, Public Park, Queens Road, Photo Romi Cortier

Fiji, Queens Road, Public Park, Photo Romi Cortier

Fiji, Queens Road, Seashore, Photo Romi Cortier

Queens Road starts at Nadi where the airport is located, and circles the entire island. Rumor has it that it’s a 12 hour drive to completely circle the island, however, our destination was the Pearl Resort in Pacific Harbor, which only took about 2 – 2 1/2 hours. The drive is a bit daunting after an 11 hour flight from Los Angeles, but the views are certainly worthy of your time.

It’s slow going at times as you carefully crawl through the many villages along the way. Homes are frequently painted bright colors, reminding me of the Fijian currency. Some have doors, some don’t. There are rarely sidewalks, and dogs, horses, cows pigs and even roosters shuffle along the roads edge despite the traffic. On several occasions my various drivers happened to be from one of the local villages, and they were very proud to point out where they lived. It’s hard to comprehend a living environment where families have lived for generations, never having left the island. Life doesn’t appear to be easy for many of the villagers, but they take tremendous pride in what they have. They often smiled and waved at our car as we passed through their towns. This gave me a renewed perspective on my life in L.A. where any drive down La Cienega or 3rd street makes you feel Mario Andretti navigating the pitfalls of drivers asleep at the wheel.

The thing that really strikes me when I look back at the photos from my journey to Fiji, is how wide open the sky is. I guess that’s the beauty of being on such a small island. The night stars were often overwhelming in their beauty and I wish I’d taken more time to study them. Over the coming weeks I’ll write several more design diary entries from my 5 days in paradise. And with a bit of luck, I’ll be returning to Fiji to ring in the New Year. We’ll see what the travels gods have in store. That said, I feel fortunate to have made this journey, it was life changing in so many ways.

Interior Design

Neoclassical Paneled Room @ The Getty Center

June 8, 2016 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Neoclassical Paneled Room, Getty Center, Los Angeles, Photo Romi Cortier

Neoclassical Paneled Room Detail, Getty Center, Los Angeles, Photo Romi Cortier

I love this French Neoclassical Paneled Room at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. It’s so rich in neoclassical details from the Louis XVI (16th) period. Chairs with thin fluted legs, decorative items with garlands, swags, palmettes, and flowers, and a return to simplicity in shapes, such as the rectangular and circular motifs in the doors. Yes, there’s a lot going on here compared to todays much simpler rooms, but the attention to detail and the subtle gilded ornamentation helps the viewer experience the refined joy of this period.

The end of the Louis Louis’s, as my art history teacher used to say, was the lightest and leanest of the three periods. You can see by these delicate and symmetrical details how pleasant this room must have been to live in during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. The heavy Baroque and Rococo period gave way to these refined details thanks in part to Louis XV’s (15th) mistress Madame de Pompadour. Additionally, the discovery of Roman ruins at Herculaneum and Pompeii (1738-50) helped to turn the tide on the previously decadent and ostentatious period, with a return to the classicism of Greece and Rome. Note the grecian inspired women on the doorknob mechanism and the stunning wall mounted candelabra.

Visiting this room makes me feel as if I’m back in Paris visiting any number of my favorite places… I love to linger here and soak it up whenever I visit the Getty. It’ll have to hold me over until I can plan my next visit back to the mothership.

This salon, or main reception room, is from a residence in Paris called the Maison Hosten. It was built for Jean-Baptiste Hosten, a plantation owner from Santo Domingo. He Commissioned the architect Claude-Nicolar Ledoux to design his residence as the focus of a larger house complex that was to include fourteen other surrounding town houses. The Maison Hosten and six of the others were completed by 1795, when building stopped after Hosten fled the country during the French Revolution. The whole project was dismantled at the end of the 1800s. The complex is considered to have been among the most significant works of French domestic architecture by one of the leading architects of the 1700s. (per the Getty Center placard)

Getty Center

Art, Interior Design

Up Up and away, @ The London West Hollywood

June 1, 2016 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

The London West Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier

Friends of mine recently stayed at The London West Hollywood, and I was invited to spend an afternoon in one of the rooftop cabanas. What a blast!

I nabbed my guest card at the front desk to access the elevators, and went straight to the top. I had no idea the hotel had such extraordinary views… it was nearly a 360 degree view. From the Hollywood Hills, to downtown LA, to Century City, the city sparkled in the afternoon sun. The overall vibe was hip, yet relaxing. To be honest, we were probably the rowdiest of the guests with 8 of us sharing two cabanas. That said, the staff was kind and helpful, and kept the beverages and food rolling in for over 5 hours.

Even though I’ve lived in LA for over 20 years, this was a completely new way to experience the city. It’s rare to find a pool with this kind of view. The designer in me has so many engineering questions, such as how much does all of this weigh? A simple gallon of water weighs 8 lbs, multiply that by a full pool, the concrete that supports it, and all of the potted palm trees and you’ve got a whole lot going on. I can’t begin to imagine what it takes to support all of that. Questions aside, I loved swimming laps in the pool. It made me feel like I was back in my massive mid-century pool in the back yard of my Palm Springs home.

I took a stroll around the hotel and found myself completely fascinated by the artwork adorning the elevator doors. My favorite was the woman in the red dress, submerged in water on the rooftop elevator door. I can’t seem to find any information about the artist who created the images, but I think the overall effect is quite fantastic.

If you’re a local Angelino, you should consider making your next vacation a ‘stay-cation’ at the London West Hollywood.

For more hotel info click HERE.

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