“Our first stop is in Bogotá…” Actually, our first stop isn’t Bogotá at all, and we won’t be “checking” any Colombian fields either (as suggested by Neil Peart’s drug fueled lyrics from the classic Rush song that I blatantly stole for this blogs title). We are not exactly “drug free” however, as our bodies are…
Just in time for the holidays, the stone I purchased in Italy this September is beginning to trickle in. Our staff waits in curious anticipation, as the first bundles of slabs emerge from the shipping container. Most of the time we play it safe, importing only proven, marketable colors. This container however, is what I…
If I ignore it long enough, maybe it’ll go away… I’m referring to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which has been afflicting my right hand for decades, a condition I can only attest to my previous life as a professional drummer. A few too many paradiddles started the damage that, at first, was only a mere nuisance,…
All good things must come to an end… Four days at a trade show is quite enough. The fact that you must always be “on” takes its toll both mentally and physically. (Again I know, poor baby, right?) All joking aside, Italy can be difficult when you’re on business. Your hosts insist on feeding you “mass quantities” at every…
In the company of giants… The distant sound of church bells provides a soothing soundtrack with my morning cappuccino, until the waitress fires up the restaurant muzak, and then it’s typical “anything goes” Italian radio, an eclectic mix of disco-esque Italian and tacky American music, with the occasional off genre heavy metal song thrown in for no…
We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. -Willy Wonka In the worldwide stone industry, there’s one company that’s the undisputed leader in the production, innovation, design and promotion of stone. One company to rule them all… Antolini. Antolini’s headquarters are in Verona, or more accurately Sega di Cavaion, though they also have a massive…
Gelato addiction… Today we leave Carrara and the Alpi Apuane and continue northeast, taking a leisurely drive through Emilia-Romagna into the Veneto. Verona’s two thousand year old amphitheater dominates the charming old section of town, as the hordes of tourists dwindle with the hint of the imminent autumn chill. Verona may be known as “The City of…
That’s not snow on those mountains! Playtime’s over (kind of) as we drive north to the marble capital of the world, the quarries of Carrara. Admiring the view of the Apuan “marble mountain” from our hotel, (appropriately named Hotel Michelangelo), I’m still amazed at how they were able to quarry those ridiculously heavy blocks of stone centuries ago…
All work and no play… Just as I recovered from my last Sicilian adventure, I find myself on what will be my tenth visit, aboard another grueling twelve hour flight to Italy. (I know, poor baby, right?) Normally, I hit the ground running, straight to business. This time though, I’m changing things up a bit and scheduling…
Our competitors love to throw stones. (No pun intended.) “Those Mario & Son guys have to use machines because they aren’t craftsmen.” Small shops often use that statement to hide their non-investment within their own companies. (While charging the same rates, of course.) There is absolutely nothing wrong with working stone with hand tools. That…