Zurich

Peter Nitz creates unique leather goods that represent his own personal vision of what a sophisticated luxury aesthetic embodies. A former Assistant Director of Acquisitions at an auction house, Peter has a unique eye for quiet luxury and handcrafts each piece himself. He refined his abilities for two and a half years at the knee of a former Hermes craftsman, who he encountered on a weekend trip to Paris. During this time he mastered centuries-old techniques that, while demanding precision and patience, result in products that are truly refined.

Originally from South Carolina, Peter moved to Europe and traveled the globe in a quest to find the best producers of exotic skins, linen thread, hardware and other materials necessary to open his own atelier. Each bag is designed from an initial plan, but influenced by the specific exotic skin used, to produce a perfect union between design and material. Some of the bags feature vintage fine jewelry Peter acquires by scouring auction houses and private collectors, and each piece is one of a kind.

There are two main collections:
The Atelier collection, which include classic Peter Nitz designs, but can be special ordered in whichever skin and color a customer desires. This results in a truly bespoke bag that suits a clients specific needs.
The Masterpiece collection, which combines exquisite vintage fine jewelry with exotic skins resulting in a piece that is closer to art than a handbag.

Each piece comes in its own handmade leather-covered drawered box with a customized handle made from the same leather as the individual bag. Prices for the bags without jewels begin at $2,500 and can reach as high as $9,000 to $20,000 dollars depending on both the type of skin used and the value of the jewels that adorn the bag.

Europe – the same corner of Europe, actually – claims the first three spots in Mercer Consulting's annual Quality of Living Survey. Vienna, Austria and Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland lead the list, followed by Vancouver, Canada and Auckland, New Zealand in a tie for fourth.

Little has changed for the top half of the top 10. Last year, Zurich nabbed the top spot, and Vienna and Geneva shared the #2 spot. Vancouver is unchanged year-over-year, and Auckland's #5 finish last year is roughly the same as its tie for fourth in 2009.

Not only are the top places to live ostensibly enjoyable, you're more likely to be there for a while. Life expectancies in these cities start at 79 years. It's better than living a nice long life in a dump, I guess.

The United States doesn't appear until the bottom of the top 30, with Honolulu and San Francisco. From Asia, only Singapore picks up a spot in the world's 30 best places to live. South America and Africa are not represented at all. It's strange, I half-expected to see Mogadishu on this list.

Of the 215 places listed, Baghdad has the distinction of finishing last. Sometimes, common sense prevails.

The Dolder Grand in Zurich, Switzerland is re-opening after a four-year $400 million renovation. The hotel has been transformed into a five-star resort with 173 new guest rooms, a new spa, dining options and a geothermal energy concept. The new Dolder Grand was designed by London architects Foster and Partners.

The Dolder Grand has a long history. It was a health spa when it opened in 1899 and was a grand hotel for many years. The new design included restoring the hotel's main building and added two new wings, a spa and golf wing. There are also four unique suites inspired by cultural icons of the 20th century who were former Dolder Hotel: the Rolling Stones, Giulietta Masina (wife of Italian director Federico Fellini), "Maestro" Herbert von Karajan (conductor) and Alberto Giacometti (Swiss sculptor).

The spa is 43,000 square feet and has separate areas for ladies and gentlemen, an Aqua Zone with a Bisazza mosaic pool, a Snow Paradise room, workout, movement and mind-body studios, and 19 treatment rooms as well as two exclusive, over-the-top spa suites. The hotel has two new restaurants and terraces throughout The Dolder Grand offer fantastic views.

Before the construction began geothermal probes were buried under the foundation of the hotel and they draw around one million kilowatt hours of energy per year from the natural heat-storage system in the earth, reducing the energy and heating costs and consumption of the hotel. Rates start at 850 CHF per night/ double occupancy.