Clink on the Arno River to see photographs from my journey to Italy, but be aware, there are 203 of them.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Home Again
Well, this will be the last post, since this is a travel blog and the travel has unfortunately ended. But, although I am home again, I wanted to bring this to a somewhat logical conclusion. First and most importantly, I arrived in Tampa on time last night after a long day of travel, AND my bag arrived on the same flight with wine and olive oil undamaged. I nearly missed my connection in Miami due to a delayed departure from Madrid (someone checked their bags, but didn't board the plane, so 1.5 hours later the bag was removed and we were finally on our way). Once in Miami, I waited a half hour for my bag to appear on the belt, and hustled through customs, rechecked my bag, got my boarding pass, cleared a very busy security, and made it to the gate just as the last group was called to board.
A lesson learned: Leave the liquids in Italy (or where ever) and carry the luggage on the plane. It would have saved me at least 30 minutes getting through customs.
As you can tell from the prior posts, I had a great time, so I will not restate the obvious, or did I just do that? Hmmmm
Until next time,...
I will send a link when pictures are available.
Pace (Peace)
and Ciao
A lesson learned: Leave the liquids in Italy (or where ever) and carry the luggage on the plane. It would have saved me at least 30 minutes getting through customs.
As you can tell from the prior posts, I had a great time, so I will not restate the obvious, or did I just do that? Hmmmm
Until next time,...
I will send a link when pictures are available.
Pace (Peace)
and Ciao
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Busy Bologna
It is 5:30 AM. The bag is checked and I have passed security. This is a very busy airport at this time of day with departures to locales throughout Europe, any of which would be good destinations.
The big questions: Will I see my bag in Miami? If so, will the wine and olive oil survive the trip or will my bag and contents be saturated. Film at 11.
The big questions: Will I see my bag in Miami? If so, will the wine and olive oil survive the trip or will my bag and contents be saturated. Film at 11.
A Hard Days Night
For me, the day before my return travel day is the hardest. Emotionally it is one of mixed feelings; I am not ready to leave, but since I must, I just want to get home. Tonight, after dinner, I finish the final packing and mentally prepare for a long travel day. After a wake up call at O'dark thirty, like way too early, and a 5 AM taxi to the airport, I get to look forward to three airports and three flights arriving in Tampa at 7:30 PM for a 20+ hour travel day. On a more positive note, I will have shorter layovers than on my outbound journey. And ... The trip was worth all the hassles the journey itself entails. (Stay tuned, I may have some further updates, or random comments during the day tomorrow.)
Another Train Station
Well, here I am, waiting on the train to Bologna. The rain continues and most places have closed for the afternoon rest - so civalized. Less civalized is the 5 euro umbrella that I purchased from a street vendor on day two of the journey. I hope it gets through the rest of today before totally falling apart. It will not be coming home with me, but it got me this far.
Sunday in Parma
The Parmigiani are heading to mass, or just wandering the streets, either on foot or bicycle. Since I had a break from the arts yesterday afternoon, and since I find it hard to pass up an opportunity, I stopped at Camera di San Paolo, with a wonderful ceiling painted by Correggio.
My picnic in the park plans were sidetracked by rain and the fact the my salumeria was closed today. So, I found a cute French Creperie for lunch, which is where I am sitting now with my second glass of Vino bianco frizzanti, and a lovely plate of Grana Padano, my dessert.
In a couple of hours I will head back to Bologna, for my final night of the trip, in a hotel near the airport since I have a 7AM departure.
To Paul - the steak in Praha is still # 1.
My picnic in the park plans were sidetracked by rain and the fact the my salumeria was closed today. So, I found a cute French Creperie for lunch, which is where I am sitting now with my second glass of Vino bianco frizzanti, and a lovely plate of Grana Padano, my dessert.
In a couple of hours I will head back to Bologna, for my final night of the trip, in a hotel near the airport since I have a 7AM departure.
To Paul - the steak in Praha is still # 1.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Garibaldi's Sword
I wasn't going to bore everyone with another food post, but I could not resist. I will bypass all but my entree, while everything was very good, the Prima Piatta was memorable. I had a steak that was perfectly prepared, grilled to a lovely medium rare with rosemary, thyme, and sage served simply with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The plate was accompanied with a steak knife the size of Garibaldi's sword, which was totally unnecessary since the steak could easily be cut with a fork. This is probably the best steak I have eaten since the best ever in Prague last November. Oh, and I exaggerated about the size of the knife, just trying to add a little Italian touch.
Painted Parma and Saturday In The Park.
After checking in to my very centrally located Hotel Torino, I hit the streets to find some lunch. And find it I did, (no surprise there.) At La Gatta Matta I had a delicious plate of culatello, a high quality prosciutto di Parma that is not available in the US. This was followed by tortelli, fresh ravioli stuffed with eggplant and ricotta. I won't mention the apple torte served with a calvados sauce.
Now, on to the painted part of Parma. I stopped in two churches and the Baptistry, the interiors were all covered with ornate frescos. It seemed like every square meter of space was covered. High Renaissance at its finest.
While I enjoy the art and architecture, after two weeks, I was becoming saturated and needed a break. Parma provided the perfect place to relax, Parco Ducale, a large public space across the Parma river from the Centro Storico. It was a lovely sunny Saturday afternoon and the Parmigiani were our in full force, with young boys playing football, (soccer), parents pushing strollers, older folks occupying park benches, and young kids ridings strange looking, ground hugging tricycles that are pumped instead of pedaled. It was a nice way to relax and unwind.
Now, on to the painted part of Parma. I stopped in two churches and the Baptistry, the interiors were all covered with ornate frescos. It seemed like every square meter of space was covered. High Renaissance at its finest.
While I enjoy the art and architecture, after two weeks, I was becoming saturated and needed a break. Parma provided the perfect place to relax, Parco Ducale, a large public space across the Parma river from the Centro Storico. It was a lovely sunny Saturday afternoon and the Parmigiani were our in full force, with young boys playing football, (soccer), parents pushing strollers, older folks occupying park benches, and young kids ridings strange looking, ground hugging tricycles that are pumped instead of pedaled. It was a nice way to relax and unwind.
Ciao Firenze
Sitting in the Eurostar on my way to Parma, I leave the Villa, the beautiful Tuscan hills and the Renaissance city of Firenze behind me; my travels quickly coming to a regrettable conclusion.
So, it is time for some final thoughts on Firenze.
It is a city of art, of Michelangelo, Giotto, Donnatello.
It is a city of fashion; Gucci, Zegna, Dolce & Gabbana.
It is a city of beauty; Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce.
It is a city of neighborhoods; especially the Oltrarno.
It is a city of tourists; Americans, German, British, oh, and more Americans, but then again, I am one of "them".
Most of all, it is a city not to be missed.
But after you see all the must-see museums, churches, and other sights, walk away from the crush of tourists, down some of the narrow neighborhood streets, stopping for a cafe, and enjoying the excitement of being a temporary Florentine.
That is my 2 cents !
So, it is time for some final thoughts on Firenze.
It is a city of art, of Michelangelo, Giotto, Donnatello.
It is a city of fashion; Gucci, Zegna, Dolce & Gabbana.
It is a city of beauty; Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce.
It is a city of neighborhoods; especially the Oltrarno.
It is a city of tourists; Americans, German, British, oh, and more Americans, but then again, I am one of "them".
Most of all, it is a city not to be missed.
But after you see all the must-see museums, churches, and other sights, walk away from the crush of tourists, down some of the narrow neighborhood streets, stopping for a cafe, and enjoying the excitement of being a temporary Florentine.
That is my 2 cents !
Friday, June 13, 2008
Ponte Vecchio
Thursday, June 12, 2008
A closing thought for today
Here we are, sitting in a villa overlooking the city that was the center of the Italian Renaissance, three Americans, two Swedish, and four Austrailians, eating Italian cheeses and meats, drinking Tuscan wine, and watching the Euro Cup broadcast in German. Pretty cool, I would say.
Bus to Brancacci and Bargello
I spent part of the morning traveling solo visiting the Brancacci Chapel in Santa Maria del Carmine, with beautiful frescos by Massacio and Masolino. Massacio was one of the first Renaissance painters to utilize perspective and more natural positioning of the body. The church was distroyed by fire in the 1700s but the frescos survived, damaged but survived none the less. They have been beautifully restored.
Next I joined John and Carol, Oral and Christina for a Hop-on Hop-off bus ride to Fiesole, high on the hills overlooking Florence, for lunch at Hotel Aurora. I enjoyed a nice raviloi of eggplant and mozzarella in a light broth, with views of Florence in the distance, through the rain drops.
On the return to Florence, I again went solo to my all time favorite museum in Florence, the Bargello. This museum is dedicated to statuary, with a large number of Donatello works including two of his Davids, one was the first male nude statue since classical times. There are a number of statues of Bacchus by various Renaissance artists and a large collection of della Robbia ceramics. In my opinion, this is one of the best, and frequently overlooked museums in Florence.
I also managed a quick visit to the Orsanmichele Church and the Baptistry, next to the Duomo, both well worth the time to see the interiors.
Two random comments:
1. The villa is only a 15-20 minute bus ride from the center of Florence. But, the return trip during the afternoon rush, is like being packed in a tin of Italian sardines.
2. My bedroom has a lovely small crystal chandeleer and a faux della Robbia over the headboard... all very Fiorentine.
Next I joined John and Carol, Oral and Christina for a Hop-on Hop-off bus ride to Fiesole, high on the hills overlooking Florence, for lunch at Hotel Aurora. I enjoyed a nice raviloi of eggplant and mozzarella in a light broth, with views of Florence in the distance, through the rain drops.
On the return to Florence, I again went solo to my all time favorite museum in Florence, the Bargello. This museum is dedicated to statuary, with a large number of Donatello works including two of his Davids, one was the first male nude statue since classical times. There are a number of statues of Bacchus by various Renaissance artists and a large collection of della Robbia ceramics. In my opinion, this is one of the best, and frequently overlooked museums in Florence.
I also managed a quick visit to the Orsanmichele Church and the Baptistry, next to the Duomo, both well worth the time to see the interiors.
Two random comments:
1. The villa is only a 15-20 minute bus ride from the center of Florence. But, the return trip during the afternoon rush, is like being packed in a tin of Italian sardines.
2. My bedroom has a lovely small crystal chandeleer and a faux della Robbia over the headboard... all very Fiorentine.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Via Chianti Classico
The Chianti Classico region of Tuscany stretches from just south of Firenze to Siena, and I think we covered a large portion of the region during our wine tour today aboard a Mercedes Benz 8-passenger mini-bus. Our guide and driver, Danielle, was excellent and if you are ever in need of a wine tour or a guide in Tuscany, I have his contact infomation. Our first stop was just a few minutes away from our villa, at the Florence American Cemetary and Memorial( http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/fl.php ) honoring the US Soldiers and Sailors who died during the Second World War invasion of Itay. To see the hillside covered with crosses was very moving. (More stories to tell about this visit, but that will have to wait for another day).
On to the vino and the drive down the Via Chianti through the beautiful heart of the region. I am afraid my pictures will not do justice to the landscape. Just visualize all the lovely pictures you have seen of Tuscany and that is what we saw today.
We stopped in Greve in Chianti for a brief tour of the town, a walk-thru of a wonderful meat market, and a quick café on the square. Next was a wine tasting, again in Greve. This large wine store had a tasting system identical to Tastings in St. Petersburg, where you purchase a set balance on a magnetic chip card, select your wine, and the amount is deducted from your card balance. We also enjoyed free olive oil tastings. It was great fun, but we had an appointment for a tasting and lunch at Casa Emma, one of the many members of the Consorzio del Vino Chianti Classico (http://www.chianticlassico.com/english/index.asp ). This consortium requires that the producers follow very rigid standards to have the right to lable their wine with the black rooster, Gallo Nero. Casa Emma is a small to medium producer of approximately 90,000 bottles annually. After a tour of the winery, we moved to the cantina to taste three of their wines, a Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Reserva, made with a minimum of 90% sangiovesse grape, and their Super Tuscan made with merlot grapes. Apparently they were the first to produce a Super Tuscan with merlot. All were great, but my favorite was the Reserva, which resulted in me spending many Euro on a bottle to bring home. (Which now means I will HAVE to check my bag, oh, well, we all must make some sacrifices.) Actually I really liked the Super Tuscan, but my QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) was highest for the Reserva. The tasting included a big selection of crostini and bruschetta topped with local meats, cheeses and vegetables. Have I mentioned "yummy"?
Next stop was in Radda in Chianti, another very quaint small Tuscan town, for café and dolce, before starting our drive back to the villa. Danielle took us on a very hilly and winding road across the highest point of the Chianti mountains for more breathtaking views. The road reminded me of the twisting, turning road going north out of Highlands NC. The days excursion covered many kilometers and almost 8 hours.
Back at the villa, after a brief rest, I am enjoying a pre-dinner glass of Prosecco. Good thing none of us like wine.
On to the vino and the drive down the Via Chianti through the beautiful heart of the region. I am afraid my pictures will not do justice to the landscape. Just visualize all the lovely pictures you have seen of Tuscany and that is what we saw today.
We stopped in Greve in Chianti for a brief tour of the town, a walk-thru of a wonderful meat market, and a quick café on the square. Next was a wine tasting, again in Greve. This large wine store had a tasting system identical to Tastings in St. Petersburg, where you purchase a set balance on a magnetic chip card, select your wine, and the amount is deducted from your card balance. We also enjoyed free olive oil tastings. It was great fun, but we had an appointment for a tasting and lunch at Casa Emma, one of the many members of the Consorzio del Vino Chianti Classico (http://www.chianticlassico.com/english/index.asp ). This consortium requires that the producers follow very rigid standards to have the right to lable their wine with the black rooster, Gallo Nero. Casa Emma is a small to medium producer of approximately 90,000 bottles annually. After a tour of the winery, we moved to the cantina to taste three of their wines, a Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Reserva, made with a minimum of 90% sangiovesse grape, and their Super Tuscan made with merlot grapes. Apparently they were the first to produce a Super Tuscan with merlot. All were great, but my favorite was the Reserva, which resulted in me spending many Euro on a bottle to bring home. (Which now means I will HAVE to check my bag, oh, well, we all must make some sacrifices.) Actually I really liked the Super Tuscan, but my QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) was highest for the Reserva. The tasting included a big selection of crostini and bruschetta topped with local meats, cheeses and vegetables. Have I mentioned "yummy"?
Next stop was in Radda in Chianti, another very quaint small Tuscan town, for café and dolce, before starting our drive back to the villa. Danielle took us on a very hilly and winding road across the highest point of the Chianti mountains for more breathtaking views. The road reminded me of the twisting, turning road going north out of Highlands NC. The days excursion covered many kilometers and almost 8 hours.
Back at the villa, after a brief rest, I am enjoying a pre-dinner glass of Prosecco. Good thing none of us like wine.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Random Villa Memories (so far)
1. Sitting in the garden, listening to the birds as the sun sets over the Tuscan hills.
2. The omnipresent light evening breeze filled with a hint of jasmine drifting in the open bedroom windows.
3. The three tortoises, in the garden, being overfed a daily breakfast and dinner of lettuce. Man, could those guys eat!
4. The daily load of laundry hanging from the windows and balconies, drying in the Tuscan sun, and the rush to get it inside when the rain arrived.
2. The omnipresent light evening breeze filled with a hint of jasmine drifting in the open bedroom windows.
3. The three tortoises, in the garden, being overfed a daily breakfast and dinner of lettuce. Man, could those guys eat!
4. The daily load of laundry hanging from the windows and balconies, drying in the Tuscan sun, and the rush to get it inside when the rain arrived.
Arezzo e ritorno
It is not easy to get 9 people to decide on a days activities, so today we split into two groups, with one group going into Florence, and the GPS enhanced group (Carol, John, Oral, Christina, and me) heading to Arezzo.
We had a most enjoyable day trip to Arezzo, southeast of Florence. While it is a tourist destination, it was much less crowded than San Gimignano. The highest point in town is the site of the Duomo (Cathedral). Although we took the GPS equiped BMW via the autostrada today, we parked near the train station and walked up hill to the Duomo, through narrow, medieval city streets with small shops and restaurants. To learn more about Arezzo check out http://www.apt.arezzo.it/comune.asp?var=1&varc=1&idcmn=2&area=5
(in English). San Gimignano is very cute, but Arezzo seemed less like a hot tourist spot and more like a small Italian town.
We had lunch at Lancia d'Oro on Piazza Grande just below the Duomo. I had a "delicioso" Pasta Carbonara - probably the best I have ever had. If you visit Arezzo, go here for lunch.
After lunch we found a wonderful cheese, bread and dolce shop, where I purchased some panforte, a typical dessert from Siene, for tonight. I actually wanted to buy out the store, the cheeses looked exception.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's report on a schedule wine tour to Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti with lunch prepared for us in a Tuscan farm house. Hmmm, maybe I will have a little Chianti, eh?
Ciao for now.
We had a most enjoyable day trip to Arezzo, southeast of Florence. While it is a tourist destination, it was much less crowded than San Gimignano. The highest point in town is the site of the Duomo (Cathedral). Although we took the GPS equiped BMW via the autostrada today, we parked near the train station and walked up hill to the Duomo, through narrow, medieval city streets with small shops and restaurants. To learn more about Arezzo check out http://www.apt.arezzo.it/comune.asp?var=1&varc=1&idcmn=2&area=5
(in English). San Gimignano is very cute, but Arezzo seemed less like a hot tourist spot and more like a small Italian town.
We had lunch at Lancia d'Oro on Piazza Grande just below the Duomo. I had a "delicioso" Pasta Carbonara - probably the best I have ever had. If you visit Arezzo, go here for lunch.
After lunch we found a wonderful cheese, bread and dolce shop, where I purchased some panforte, a typical dessert from Siene, for tonight. I actually wanted to buy out the store, the cheeses looked exception.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's report on a schedule wine tour to Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti with lunch prepared for us in a Tuscan farm house. Hmmm, maybe I will have a little Chianti, eh?
Ciao for now.
Monday, June 9, 2008
GPS to San Gimignano
Our transportation today was in Oral and Christina's US manufactured, Austrian purchased, BMW SUV, which is outfitted with a GPS. Christina set the destination for San Gimignano, and off we went, with detail mapping and verbal instructions in German. We went the "back roads" which proved to be a lovely idea as we passed through numerous small Italian villages and saw some great views of the Tuscan countryside.
San Gimignano is a wonderful Medieval Tuscan hilltown with 14 of the original 72 towers still standing. Check it out at http://www.sangimignano.com/ It is a very quaint town with a lot of great medieval architecture, and far too many torture museums. (Why oh why in San Gimignana?). There was also an overabundance of tourists. I think this would be a perfect town to spend the night in order to experience ithe town after the day-trippers had left.
I had lunch of pasta with wild boar sauce, and chicken liver crostini. While both were good, they were not exceptional.
Since our car possessed the "kitty" containing the group food finances, we were responsible for finding a super market and buying groceries. We made a couple of turns not approved by the GPS, but our route was quickly recalculated. We ended up getting directions from an old Italian gentleman in a parking lot, who actually led us to the to the street where the Coop (super market) was located. We spend a good hour or more shopping for groceries which was great fun for me. The dinner menu selection fell to me with Carol's assist. So, I was the chef de Giorno again tonight. I prepared fennal and orange salad, followed by veal and chicken picatta with garlic green beans. I must say I was very please with the results, (if I am allowed a little boasting), and the meal seemed to be very well received. Carolyn Booker (Australian) perpared crepes for dessert, which were wonderful.
I will relinguish the chef's toque tomorrow and let someone else have control of the kitchen, while I sit with the others enjoying a pre-dinner glass of wine.
San Gimignano is a wonderful Medieval Tuscan hilltown with 14 of the original 72 towers still standing. Check it out at http://www.sangimignano.com/ It is a very quaint town with a lot of great medieval architecture, and far too many torture museums. (Why oh why in San Gimignana?). There was also an overabundance of tourists. I think this would be a perfect town to spend the night in order to experience ithe town after the day-trippers had left.
I had lunch of pasta with wild boar sauce, and chicken liver crostini. While both were good, they were not exceptional.
Since our car possessed the "kitty" containing the group food finances, we were responsible for finding a super market and buying groceries. We made a couple of turns not approved by the GPS, but our route was quickly recalculated. We ended up getting directions from an old Italian gentleman in a parking lot, who actually led us to the to the street where the Coop (super market) was located. We spend a good hour or more shopping for groceries which was great fun for me. The dinner menu selection fell to me with Carol's assist. So, I was the chef de Giorno again tonight. I prepared fennal and orange salad, followed by veal and chicken picatta with garlic green beans. I must say I was very please with the results, (if I am allowed a little boasting), and the meal seemed to be very well received. Carolyn Booker (Australian) perpared crepes for dessert, which were wonderful.
I will relinguish the chef's toque tomorrow and let someone else have control of the kitchen, while I sit with the others enjoying a pre-dinner glass of wine.
The International Travelers
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Firenze
Day 1 in Florence. The entire international villa contingent bused into Florence this morning after a lovely breakfast in the garden of the villa. We had no real agenda, so just wandered the streets stopping at some of the key sites. But as expected the Uffici and Academia had exceptionally long lines, so we passed until we can book reservations. I will pass on both since I have visited both in the past. I will make a repeat visit to the Bargello as it is my favorite museum in Florence. We did visit the Duomo and after the "gang" made an early return to the villa, Heather (from Australia) and I visited San Croce, and our much anticipate gelati at Vivoli, my favorite gelateria.
I had the pleasure, and the pressure, of cooking for the entire crew tonight. Being Sunday we were limited in our shopping experience, but I managed to create a very passable fritatta of tomato, sausage, garlic, and onion. This was served with a mixed green salad and caprese salad. Oh, anbd not unexpectedly, we had just a little vino too.
Florence was very crowded today, far too many people for me, but Heather and I managed to get slightly lost on our way to San Croce, and found the Jewish Quarter, which I had not seen before. It was interesting to see Kosher restaurants in the middle of Florence. On our next trip into the city, I play on a visit to the Bargello museum, and then wander aimlessly through the Oltrarno, the "Left Bank" of Florence, across the Arno river from the heart of the action.
Ciao from Firenze.
I had the pleasure, and the pressure, of cooking for the entire crew tonight. Being Sunday we were limited in our shopping experience, but I managed to create a very passable fritatta of tomato, sausage, garlic, and onion. This was served with a mixed green salad and caprese salad. Oh, anbd not unexpectedly, we had just a little vino too.
Florence was very crowded today, far too many people for me, but Heather and I managed to get slightly lost on our way to San Croce, and found the Jewish Quarter, which I had not seen before. It was interesting to see Kosher restaurants in the middle of Florence. On our next trip into the city, I play on a visit to the Bargello museum, and then wander aimlessly through the Oltrarno, the "Left Bank" of Florence, across the Arno river from the heart of the action.
Ciao from Firenze.
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