If you want to learn about sleep the scientific way and get to know about the latest research about sleep, watch a Masterclass by Matthew Walker or buy one of his books – I have done it and I warmly recommend it. But if you are simply looking for tips to get a good night’s rest, here are some I use and that really make a difference.   1. Go to bed at the same time every night – this reinforces your circadian rhythm and helps your body run efficiently. 2. Go out in the first hour after waking up – use natural light to stimulate your body to produce melatonin. It works even if it rains ..read more

Castello del Sole is perhaps the most famous hotel in Switzerland because it tops every chart, every year. And yet, if you haven’t been there, you won’t see it. Magically hidden in Ascona, it is much bigger than I expected, and not that noticeable at the same time. What is big here is the nature. 140 hectares of trees, vineyards, fruit trees, grass paths dotted with immaculate gazebos, ending up in a private beach overlooking Lago Maggiore. And let me go straight to what I liked most: their Michelin starred restaurant, Locanda Barbarossa, by chef Mattias Roock. Flavours from our ga ..read more

Dramatic Beauty If Turandot were composed today, Giacomo Puccini would probably have her gazing o at the stars from her (warm) room at The Chedi Andermatt,  and Prince Calaf would be singing her Nessun Dorma! wrapped in the iconic, fluffy beige bathrobe or his spa guests. Yes, because not only is the spectacular design or this hotel worthy of a beautiful princess of China in fairy tale times, but it is also a highly original blendof traditonal Alpine elegance and surprisingly minimalist Oriental grace. An unexpected mix that can be found in the lines, colors, food, and extreme attention t ..read more

Are we in The Caribbeans ? Hundreds of electric wires above your head. Hand-built houses, many of sheet metal and chipboard, coloured like one would expect in a Caribic town. A very young population -Tierra del Fuego can’t build schools quickly enough, and a teachers’ salary here can easily be three times what it might be in Buenos Aires. Spanish speaking people. How can it be, that you are surrounded by snow capped mountains? These are the contrasts that I immediately noticed in Ushuaia. Argentina’s southern most region, Tierra del Fuego, is home to some of the most breathtaking and extreme l ..read more

Would you dare navigating in polar waters? And would you want to be a captain? How do you become one? These are some of the questions I was curios to ask Gianmaria Billeri, the young Italian captain – or, to be entirely correct, chief officer, I met during my Antarctica cruise to run Antarctica Marathon on the Ocean Victory cruise ship. He is 31 years old and not what I expected  – especially after hearing he comes from a small village in Tuscany, where the weather is mild all year round. So I decided to ask him some questions, starting from how it is working in polar waters. Photos: Gian ..read more

Carlette Charms You have more charm in your left pinky toe than most women experience in all their lives Must have been the best compliment I have ever received – and that was something a friend told me recently, while I was wearing (I don’t think is a coincidence) some rose gold and silver charms by Swiss jewellery maker Carlette. But I am going off topic. Being charming is an art, and it can be learnt. While observing the most charming people in my life and also reading about positive psychology, I found some tips that can be useful to increase your charms. Charming people… Photos: Funky For ..read more

The highest, the coldest, the driest desert in the world – Antarctica. I imagined it without life, and I found a place brimming with life, animals, different colors of ice, structures, shades, musks, movements, and an incredible submarine life. Here is a gallery with some of the best.     ..read more

A melting pot with a population of 15 million, eclectic architecture and global spirit, Buenos Aires is everything and the opposite of everything, and features very modern parts indeed. However, during my second visit there, when I stayed in the city before flying to Ushuaia to run Antarctica Marathon, I was particularly charmed by some facts that gave me a smile, and also felt strong emotions while hearing some episodes of Argentinian history. Here are the 9 facts that struck me. 1. Casinos are illegal in Buenos Aires. However, there is a big one right in the city centre, because it’s on a bo ..read more

Why Why would anyone run in the Antarctica, the White Desert, the coldest, driest, highest and windiest on earth? Because you’re crazy! You’re thinking (I know –  I have been told many times). Well, some people do it to add the 7th Continent to their collection of marathons. But personally I have another reason. I have been dreaming about this race for almost ten years. I started fantasising about running in extreme opposite environments a long time ago, and my wish was trying the toughest race on earth, Marathon des Sables – 250 km in the Sahara desert at an average temperature of 40 deg ..read more

Next blogpost will be after April 3rd, because of my Antarctica trip to run the Antarctica Marathon. It’s a dream I’ve had for almost 10 years, and that I finally attempt. Why did it take me so long? Well, the number of people who can participate is limited, because, for environmental reasons, only a maximum of 100 people at a time are limited. So the waiting list is long. Then, you need to have enough time, money and physical condition to do it. Finally, there needs to be no pandemic. Up to now I couldn’t manage to have all these things at the same time. On the boat I decided to to a digital ..read more