SIZE MATTERS

Bigger is better in this month’s travel highlights.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Bigger is better in this month’s travel highlights.

My Reading Room
BUT, ARE THERE ANGELS ON THE CEILING?

Bill Gates shelled out a cool US$30 million (S$42 million) for a 500-yearold manuscript written by Leonardo da Vinci. Now, here’s another property of a Renaissance master up for grabs – an eight-bedroom villa in Tuscany that once belonged to Michelangelo. The stone-walled villa sits surrounded by Chianti vineyards and olive groves, and still retains original features like the heavy wooden beams and brick ceilings. The artist might not have lived there himself, having moved from Florence to Rome – but the current owner still holds the original property deed that bears the artist’s signature. www.handsomeproperties international.com

My Reading Room
BIGGER, BETTER, ON WATER

Luxury cruise line Seabourn has gained a reputation for its suitesonly vessels. Now, meet the ultrasuite: a bigger, better version that will be introduced later this year, together with the launch of its newest ship, Seabourn Encore. The idea here seems to be double the pleasure – with two bedrooms, two verandahs and two (and a half) bathrooms. But what really has our attention is the promise of a private glass-walled solarium with a soaking tub and a lounging bed – the best spot to enjoy that bottle of champagne, gratis. www.seabourn.com

My Reading Room
450 A SEAT CONCERT HALL

and still retains original features like the heavy wooden beams and brick ceilings. The artist might not have lived there himself, having moved from Florence to Rome – but the current owner still holds the original property deed that bears the artist’s signature. www.handsomeproperties international.com THE SOFT TOUCH Premium luggage brand Rimowa has collaborated with plush toy company Steiff to create a suitcase with a luscious grey innerlining made from fine mohair. What you will find attached to Elma Arts Complex Luxury Hotel in Zichron Ya'akov, Israel. The sprawling space overlooking the Mediterranean is as much a hotel with all the fixings – opulent guest rooms, a spa and two pools – as it is a cultural hub. Check out performances at the outdoor amphitheatres, or spend some time in the two art galleries that house the works of Israeli and international artists. www. designhotels.com/elma-hotel