Millennium Travel plans for 2009

Earlier this year shuzsociety enthusiastically began a mission to plan an exclusive shoe shopping trip of a lifetime to Italy. Stay tuned for 2009 dates. Besides Italy’s finest dining and accommodations, we’ve also arranged visits with distinguished designers on the docket; Salvatore Ferragamo and Caligarius in Florence, Rossimoda (Celine, Christian Lacroix, Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan) in Venice and Casadei, Luciano Padovan, Claudio Merazzi and others in Milan.

Upon a recommendation, shuzsociety selected 30-year travel veteran Michael Mastrocola at Millennium Travel, who has lived in Italy, and now specializes in ultra-luxury vacations, adventures, groups and cruises, many of which feature world famous vintners and chefs in glamorous international destinations.
Millennium - Michael Mastrocola

Many of Michael’s clients prefer Silversea Cruises, voted “Worlds Best Small Ship Cruise Line”, with a 6-star rating and a partnership with Relais & Chateaux. Silversea intimate ships feature all suite oceanside rooms, all-inclusive nature (including onboard beverages, spirits and gratuities), luxurious amenities such as Frette linens and Bvlgari toiletries, quality service, the accessibility of smaller ports, and large-ship features such as open-seating dining, alternative restaurants, casino, fitness center and spas.

February 21 to March 1: Argentina – Uruguay – Brazil
Hosted by Chef Kurt Grasings, Grasings & the Carmel Chop House, Carmel-by-the-Sea
• Buenos Aires ~ Montevideo ~ San Paolo ~ Rio de Janeiro •
Find the pulse of Latin America with consummate host Kurt Grasings in an exploration of the vibrant cultures and foods of South America. Argentinean wines are gaining worldwide respect and it’s a great time to see the region. These lush tropical areas can have surprising old world charm and be quite cosmopolitan with diverse foods, cultures and landscapes. Pack your bags and prepare for this gastronomic delight.

May 21 to 28: France – Italy – Monaco – Spain
CANNES Film Festival & Grand Prix Auto Races
• Nice ~ Portofino ~ Monte Carlo ~ Porquerolles ~ Barcelona ~ St. Tropez •
Could there be anything more glamorous than being in Cannes for the film festival? How about being in Monte Carlo during the Grand Prix Auto Races? Enjoy the simple luxuries, immaculately prepared meals, wines and champagne while in the midst of some of the most anticipated cosmopolitan events anywhere in the world.

June 16 to 26: Italy – Croatia – Malta – Spain
Hosted by Eileen Crane, Winemaker & President, Domaine Carneros Wine Group
• Venice ~ Zadar ~ Dubrovnik ~ Valletta ~ Gozo ~ Mallorca ~ Valencia ~ Barcelona •
Spend 10 days in the Mediterranean. Plenty of stops interspersed with two days at sea, leave you all the time you could want to appreciate the amenities onboard and the natural beauty, history, local wines and oils, and of course, the shopping. Eileen Crane will make sure that your time onboard is well spent with wine pairings, receptions and plenty of bubbly.
Millennium Camel
July 20–Aug 1: RT San Francisco to Alaska
Co-hosted by Eric & Arel Wente, Wente Vineyards
Co-hosted by Gregory Short, Executive Chef, Masa’s Restaurant
• San Francisco ~ Ketchikan ~ Juneau ~ Skagway ~ Sawyer Glacier ~ Wrangell ~ Victoria •
To explore the wine regions closer to home, you’ll sail under the Golden Gate Bridge on this leisurely 12-day cruise which gives you three days to explore San Francisco and the wine regions just beyond. Onboard the Silver Shadow you can sit in on incredible cooking demonstrations by Chef Gregory Short. This cruise travels along Sawyer Glacier, spends a day in Victoria, BC and visits four ports in Alaska; Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Wrangell will a give you a deeper insight into Amerindian culture and the exuberant history of this vast, mostly wild, state.

Aug 25 - Sept 5: RT Vancouver to Alaska
Hosted by Joseph Spellman, Master Sommelier, Justin Winery
• Vancouver ~ Sitka ~ Juneau ~ Skagway ~ Sawyer Glacier ~ Wrangell ~ Victoria •
This 9-day Alaska cruise is just the ticket for people who want a slightly shorter vacation to somewhere close to home. Join Master Sommelier, Joseph Spellman of JUSTIN Vineyards as he cruises the northwest in late-summer refinement. Joe is one of 95 Master Sommeliers in the US and his keen palate skills and ability to relate wine to food will add incredible depth and texture on this cultural voyage. With three days in British Columbia, time in four Alaskan ports and two days at sea, you will have plenty of time to learn about wine, enjoy your luxury Silversea surroundings and celebrate the grandiose natural beauty that is Alaska.

Oct 9-19: Canada – United States
Fall Foliage Cruise
Hosted by Eileen Crane, Winemaker & President, Domaine Carneros Wine Group
• Montreal ~ Quebec City ~ St. Lawrence River ~ Gaspe ~ Sydney ~ Halifax ~ Bar Harbor ~ Boston ~ Cape Cod Canal ~ Newport ~ New York •
As the summer begins to linger, many of us long for crispness in the air, a hint that autumn approaches. Join us on this brand new Silversea itinerary to watch the verdant deciduous forests produce a breathtaking display of colors in a historic and romantic odyssey along North America’s North Eastern Coast with a glass of Le Reve in hand. Enjoy the views, culture, history and shopping as we sail south from Quebec to New York City in perfect Fall colors.

Nov 12-26: Amazon River – Brazil
A Tribute to August Escoffier “Chef of Kings, King of Chefs”
Hosted by Michael Escoffier
• Manuas ~ Santarem ~ Belem ~ Natal ~ Recife ~ Salvador ~ Rio De Janeiro •
Explore the vast history and tradition of French cuisine around the world, while adventuring through the amazing Amazon River, and the beauty of Brazil, with excursions to the “Meeting of the Waters” just 4 miles from Manaus, where the Rio Solimões meets the Rio Negro to become the Amazon River. Auguste Escffier changed the course of culinary tradition to create a new French cooking style and his masterpiece Le Guide Culinaire, first published in 1903, has successfully withstood the test of decades and remains a nonpareil among cookery books. While aboard meet Michel Escoffier, great-grandson of Auguste Escoffier.

If you are interested in participating in any of these cruises, or would like assistance planning a vacation, please give Michael a call at 831.659.0151, or toll free at 800.304.6838 x 00. Email escape@mmtravel.net. For more details please go to Millennium’s site.

If Hugh Jackman is the Sexiest Man Alive, his

November 20th, 2008

Coincidently (wink! wink!) recently named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive HUGH JACKMAN co-stars with silver screen siren Nicole Kidman in the epic period film Australia.
Nicole Kidman
Baz Luhrmann’s film Australia opened this week, and making shoes news is the collaboration between the films Oscar winning costume designer Catherine Martin and “Shoemaker to the Stars” Salvatore Ferragamo resulting in an exceptional collection of “beautiful, original shoes.”

In the film, Ms. Kidman plays “Lady Sarah Ashley,” a 1940s aristocrat who embarks upon an epic journey. More than 2,000 costumes were created for the film. And according to Philstar.com, “Martin approached Ferragamo to collaborate on the design of Lady Sarah’s shoes. As Martin says, “When you think of the 1930s one of the first names of shoes that comes to mind is Ferragamo. Ferragamo is synonymous with famous persons from the past and has a long association of making shoes for films and of revolutionizing certain styling and manufacturing techniques.”
Australia Ferragamo
“One of the quintessential Ferragamo traits is their confidence to mix often exotic materials with more luxurious fabrics; the showcasing of this trait and use of materials such as shagreen is a wonderful complement to the exoticism of Northern Australia during this period.”

The glamorous evening sandal, in ruched deep red velvet with stingray accents, is offered for sale as a limited-edition style at Ferragamo stores NOW. And once the style is sold out, the shoe will return to the company’s archives at the Salvatore Ferragamo museum at Palazzo Spini in Florence, Italy.

$20-100 off fall shoes at PinkMascara

August 28th, 2008

they say to make money, you have to spend it. it works the same way on savings, right? well, the folks at PinkMascara are offering you an opportunity to “pick your savings” plan. as it goes, the more you spend… the more you save!

and to entice you into BIG SAVINGS, they’ve added a few footwear designers this fall…classic leather boots from Frye, wickedly comfy wedge boots from Loeffler Randall, and the exaggerated vamp, side-zip pump by Twelfth Street. depending on which shoe you pick, you’ll save anywhere from $20 to $100 dollars! need we say more?

oh, don’t forget the coupon at checkout.

Shoe-per Woman. Hear. You. Roar.

October 10th, 2008

Activate. Sexy. Shoes.

Yes, strap them on. Your utilitarian-turned-über-useful elastic-strappy fall shoes and winged-inspired pumps on heels will help you leap tall buildings and fight the bad-guys while looking good to boot! Designers MARY-KYRI, Gigi Favela, Claudio Merazzi, Hollywould, Gil Carvalho, and others answered the call with some kick-@$$ shoe styles! We’ve also just posted our latest “shoe-per heroine” video to our YouTube/shuzsociety page!

30 THINGS WE LOVE — #1 — Casual Canine bunny slippers

November 4th, 2008

We’ve scoured the net surfing for the web’s best goodies for YOU and the shoe lovers in your life. This election day, and then for the next thirty, we’re giving you something every day!

OMG! A precious pooch in pink slippers. Walking the dog just got a while lot more fun. Choose the Pink Bunnies or the Yellow Duckies, just watch where you step! $13.63 at Amazon.

30 THINGS WE LOVE — #2 — Kenneth Jay Lane

November 5th, 2008

THIRTY THINGS WE LOVE
Kenneth Jay Lane “Octopus” dinner ring

What has an Octopus to do with shoes? Nothing really but we LOVE this cocktail ring by Kenneth Jay Lane. 18K with Swarovski crystals, it’s adjustible. Don your best heels and give this ring the finger. $184 at Zappos.

30 THINGS WE LOVE — #3 — Smartwool Leg Warmer

November 6th, 2008

Girlfriend, YOU are sassy! (And you not-so-secretly totally LOVE Pat Benetar) Smartwool leg warmers are 100% wool and will turn heads as your way as you walk on by. $44 at Zappos.

30 THINGS WE LOVE — #4 — Lucky Horseshoe with Diamonds

November 7th, 2008

Not all shoes are created equal. This lucky horseshoe shines in 14K gold with a diamond detailed charm and 17″ rope necklace. $189.99 at Amazon.com.

30 THINGS WE LOVE — #5 — Acorn

November 8th, 2008

5 of 30 THINGS WE LOVE
Lucky Horseshoe with Diamonds

Does a bear #*! in the woods? Yes, and if you’re in Acorn’s Boa Bootie — shaggy pull-on bootie, microfleece-lined, with memory foam midsole, he’ll recoil because he knows YOU means business! $47 at Zappos.

30 THINGS WE LOVE — #12 —

November 15th, 2008

12 of 30 THINGS WE LOVE
“Simple Pleasures” jewelry rack

Shoes and simple pleasures! This pewter jewelry holder will greet you each morning and set you on your way. $29 at FemailCreations.com.