Friday, November 29th....
Sooooo, we looked everywhere for a Thanksgiving dinner but nothing materialized.... boohoo. I thought because we're staying at a Courtyard Hotel there might be some inkling to fix something for we, gringos, staying here. After all, it is an American chain. Well, we resorted to a very very fine dinner: appetizer was a melange of all kinds of clams and mussels, big and small, cooked to perfection, yummy, yummy, yummy, lots of crusty bread to go along. Entree: Paco had a seafood stew with spinach and red potatoes that had everything that swims in water, including MORE clams (no complaint there) and I had the most buttery filet mignon (hadn't had beef since I got here on October 16th, no chicken either....) slathered with creamy chestnut sauce (divine!) sitting on incredible mashed potatoes (and with that cream.... ayayay!) and roasted asparagus. We had my favorite dessert, you know it by now: pannacotta with fresh fruit, mostly berries, and a sort of fruity glaze strewn about the plate. I can tell you one thing: these Italians know how to live and that shows in everything they do... even when they argue. Every presentation was absolutely awesome, the way things are on the plate, the forms of all the different plates, and so on and so forth. No Thanksgiving dinner, but a memorable dinner indeed. And, it was going-away dinner for my friend Paco.
A little while ago, I came back from taking him to the airport to return to San Diego, and WORK! Yippee for retirement when EVERYDAY IS SATURDAY, verdad Ramon? It was a tough morning because we had to be at the airport at 4:00 am! I made a good decision to book us at this hotel 5-6 minutes away. So, I stayed with him till he went through security and I came back. I felt very vulnerable because I am now, really, on my own. However, knowing that I am in a safe place for the next two days is comforting to me, and I don't plan on going anywhere, except to walk around to keep up the good work.
On Monday, I will go to Florence to settle in and, hopefully, live like a local. The same gentleman that owns the Hotel David where I have stayed before (where they have that unbelievable breakfast buffet every morning, and Happy Hour every afternoon) is the owner of the apartment. So, he is letting me have hotel amenities, like the breakfast, the HH, and a 10-minute phone call every day to wherever in the world you want to call just about. So, even though it's a 1.5 kilometer walk each way.... hey, that's 6 km I will be walking every day! Pretty good for this spunky ol'chick! Plus, it's a wonderful to socialize and meet people from all over the world. It's a very friendly, casual, family-type atmosphere, but I am kind of glad they are mostly adults, except for a teenager with parents, etc.... I rather like it like that.
I'm going to be looking for a language school or an Italian-for-English friend, hopefully both. And, there is a newspaper published for Americans who live/study in Florence with several activities that interest me, like a yoga or a Jazzercise class.
So, and end to one phase of this adventure, and a beginning for the next phase.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Leaving Napoli
Thursday, November 28, 2013....
We check out of our hotel and we're waiting for the taxi cab. It comes and we load up and go to the central station, which is really nearby but there's a lot of construction and the streets are very cluttered and uneven. The rolling suitcases don't like that. So we get there, and unload. I pay the taxi and we're off! I decided I wanted to buy the International New York Times because it's the only one they sell in English and I want to know what's happening in the US, plus I even got to read that the UofA had beaten UO, go Cats!
(Since my brother who lives in Oregon is a big Duck fan, (the traitor), if UO wins, he always send me a sarcastic e-mail of sorts and it really makes me mad. Well, guess what? Now I get to do it..... yippee!
When I went to get the newspaper, Paco stayed with all the luggage except for my purse. I was ready to pay and I couldn't find my coin purse where I have EVERYTHING that's important for this trip, except for my passport. I took EVERYTHING out of my purse and the zippered compartment where I kept it (because it cannot be picked)...... NADA, NOTHING, RIEN, NIENTE...... :( My blood pressure and my heartbeat were going to the roof and I went back to tell Paco that we were in REAL trouble. I knew the cab driver had to be nearby because they have to get in line to get the passengers, and I found him! I explained with body language, more than anything that I thought I had left my "piccola borsa" in the cab with money and "documenti". He looked everywhere and nothing! By this time, I'm in tears, and he says, maybe we should go back to the hotel, which, at that point, I agreed. So, I went back into the station to tell Paco and he had found it. I inadvertently stuck it into a bag that had our sandwiches and our drinks for the trip and I didn't realize it. And, I even looked in that bag, but didn't see it. He took everything out and there it was!!!! Boy, I must have done something right in my life. Our/my trip would have been completely ruined. Three hours later,we're in Rome, and have no idea where this hotel is. It happens to be a Marriott-Courtyard, but nobody could tell me where it was. Finally, I used this "help phone" and the lady tells me the Courtyard has a shuttle to take you. Okay we missed the one, and have to wait 40 minutes in blistering, and I mean blistering cold, the kind that makes you be able to see your breath. It finally comes, we get to the hotel, it's very nice, typical American hotel, and we decide we don't even want to go outside. We go get a couple of glasses of wine and we eat our sandwiches,which we didn't eat for lunch because my stomach was still in knots, and they tasted like heaven. The hotel we were staying in Napoli had one of those full-breakfast buffets with all the cheeses and cold cuts the Europeans like to have for breakfast. So, we made us a couple of sandwiches and took a couple of yogurts and we had some juices. Didn't even think about lunch! How's that for being so shook up?
Today, we were going to take the train into Rome to take a Rome by Night tour and see if there was a "Thanksgiving meeting spot for Americans" for some turkey dinner. Well, the train schedules and the shuttle schedules did not allow for a smooth ride so we decided today was our "slacker" day. We were going to take a walk, but it is still blistering cold. Everybody says it's very unusual, and the forecasts are looking better. Rome was 2 degrees C yesterday, which translates to 36 degrees F. Ayayay!
So, we slacked off all day. I read my newspapers, my Time magazines, did some e-mails and this. We decided to have dinner here, and even though it's an American chain hotel, nothing even resembling turkey is on the menu and the staff didn't know the holiday. We're definitely going to do Thanksgiving à la Italiana.
(No problem with me).
Paco leaves tomorrow morning, and we have to be at the aiport at 4:00 am! Brrrrrrrr. After I see him off, I will take the shuttle back to the hotel and just hang out until Sunday. My suitcase needs some MAJOR adjustments and I'm trying to condense my carry-on bag into the other suitcase so I only have one piece. I think I can do it. Then on Sunday, I leisurely get up, have breakfast, make myself another sandwich, and take the train back to the Termini station to catch a train for Florence. They leave about every half hour so it will not be too hard, and it takes exactly 1.5 hours to get there. My friend, Gabrielle, will meet me at the Hotel David, which he owns as well as the apartment, and we will go to settle in, get keys, how everything works, etc..... Guess what? If this isn't the ultimate: I get housekeeping to come in twice a week, it's part of the rental, and I can go to the Hotel David for the full breakfast and the happy hour. Guests also get a 10-minute phonecall anywhere in the world, well, with very few exceptions, so Ican keep in touch with family in Mexico, or US or wherever..... all in all, I felt that it was a pretty good deal.
For now, arrivederci amici (correct term).... I'll be in touch from Florence when I'm all settled in. I pray for a milder winter so I can do all the things I want to do, like take Italian classes and find a Jazzercise class, and maybe even a "partner" to teach English to and vice versa.
But, tonight it's "goodbye" dinner with Paco and off to sleep a few hours......
I'll be happy to have some time for myself. We have not stopped for a second since he got here on November 3.... it's time for a little R&R.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by all your lovely families.
Cecilia
We check out of our hotel and we're waiting for the taxi cab. It comes and we load up and go to the central station, which is really nearby but there's a lot of construction and the streets are very cluttered and uneven. The rolling suitcases don't like that. So we get there, and unload. I pay the taxi and we're off! I decided I wanted to buy the International New York Times because it's the only one they sell in English and I want to know what's happening in the US, plus I even got to read that the UofA had beaten UO, go Cats!
(Since my brother who lives in Oregon is a big Duck fan, (the traitor), if UO wins, he always send me a sarcastic e-mail of sorts and it really makes me mad. Well, guess what? Now I get to do it..... yippee!
When I went to get the newspaper, Paco stayed with all the luggage except for my purse. I was ready to pay and I couldn't find my coin purse where I have EVERYTHING that's important for this trip, except for my passport. I took EVERYTHING out of my purse and the zippered compartment where I kept it (because it cannot be picked)...... NADA, NOTHING, RIEN, NIENTE...... :( My blood pressure and my heartbeat were going to the roof and I went back to tell Paco that we were in REAL trouble. I knew the cab driver had to be nearby because they have to get in line to get the passengers, and I found him! I explained with body language, more than anything that I thought I had left my "piccola borsa" in the cab with money and "documenti". He looked everywhere and nothing! By this time, I'm in tears, and he says, maybe we should go back to the hotel, which, at that point, I agreed. So, I went back into the station to tell Paco and he had found it. I inadvertently stuck it into a bag that had our sandwiches and our drinks for the trip and I didn't realize it. And, I even looked in that bag, but didn't see it. He took everything out and there it was!!!! Boy, I must have done something right in my life. Our/my trip would have been completely ruined. Three hours later,we're in Rome, and have no idea where this hotel is. It happens to be a Marriott-Courtyard, but nobody could tell me where it was. Finally, I used this "help phone" and the lady tells me the Courtyard has a shuttle to take you. Okay we missed the one, and have to wait 40 minutes in blistering, and I mean blistering cold, the kind that makes you be able to see your breath. It finally comes, we get to the hotel, it's very nice, typical American hotel, and we decide we don't even want to go outside. We go get a couple of glasses of wine and we eat our sandwiches,which we didn't eat for lunch because my stomach was still in knots, and they tasted like heaven. The hotel we were staying in Napoli had one of those full-breakfast buffets with all the cheeses and cold cuts the Europeans like to have for breakfast. So, we made us a couple of sandwiches and took a couple of yogurts and we had some juices. Didn't even think about lunch! How's that for being so shook up?
Today, we were going to take the train into Rome to take a Rome by Night tour and see if there was a "Thanksgiving meeting spot for Americans" for some turkey dinner. Well, the train schedules and the shuttle schedules did not allow for a smooth ride so we decided today was our "slacker" day. We were going to take a walk, but it is still blistering cold. Everybody says it's very unusual, and the forecasts are looking better. Rome was 2 degrees C yesterday, which translates to 36 degrees F. Ayayay!
So, we slacked off all day. I read my newspapers, my Time magazines, did some e-mails and this. We decided to have dinner here, and even though it's an American chain hotel, nothing even resembling turkey is on the menu and the staff didn't know the holiday. We're definitely going to do Thanksgiving à la Italiana.
(No problem with me).
Paco leaves tomorrow morning, and we have to be at the aiport at 4:00 am! Brrrrrrrr. After I see him off, I will take the shuttle back to the hotel and just hang out until Sunday. My suitcase needs some MAJOR adjustments and I'm trying to condense my carry-on bag into the other suitcase so I only have one piece. I think I can do it. Then on Sunday, I leisurely get up, have breakfast, make myself another sandwich, and take the train back to the Termini station to catch a train for Florence. They leave about every half hour so it will not be too hard, and it takes exactly 1.5 hours to get there. My friend, Gabrielle, will meet me at the Hotel David, which he owns as well as the apartment, and we will go to settle in, get keys, how everything works, etc..... Guess what? If this isn't the ultimate: I get housekeeping to come in twice a week, it's part of the rental, and I can go to the Hotel David for the full breakfast and the happy hour. Guests also get a 10-minute phonecall anywhere in the world, well, with very few exceptions, so Ican keep in touch with family in Mexico, or US or wherever..... all in all, I felt that it was a pretty good deal.
For now, arrivederci amici (correct term).... I'll be in touch from Florence when I'm all settled in. I pray for a milder winter so I can do all the things I want to do, like take Italian classes and find a Jazzercise class, and maybe even a "partner" to teach English to and vice versa.
But, tonight it's "goodbye" dinner with Paco and off to sleep a few hours......
I'll be happy to have some time for myself. We have not stopped for a second since he got here on November 3.... it's time for a little R&R.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by all your lovely families.
Cecilia
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Napoli, part 2
Thursday, November 26, 2013
Okay, so I left you after we returned from the spectacular Amalfi Coast. That afternoon, we were on our way to have the third pizza recommendation, but the place was closed. Our taxi driver suggested a restaurant called "Borgo", which is inside the Castle of the Egg.... it's a legend that there is a very special egg inside that can tell the future...... don't ask. That was one of the BESTEST dinners ever.... (and very $$$$$$). We started with an appetizer that was all kinds of steamed clams in white wine and garlic sauce, with lots of pieces of chunky bread all around. There were miniature clams, small ones, medium ones, and a few large ones with some called "blade" clams because they are rectangular, white shells, and when they open, there is a strip of white clam, sort of like a thin worm. Believe you me, we were sucking our fingers. They were sweet, tasty, salty, and what flavor, especially those strange ones. Then we shared a small pizza margherita, which seems to be the preferred one here... of course, out of this world. And then, came the segundo piato (second plate, usually the meat, fish, etc....). It was a whole grilled fish, head, eyes, tail and all. It was like butter, we left nothing but the head and the eyes. Even though they are considered white the delicacy, I couln't scrape it out to eat it. Dessert was yummy and a glass of cold limoncello to top it all off. Couln't possibly eat like that everyday, but these meals are going to definitely "groove" my brain. It was still cold, windy, and rainy when we got back to our hotel.
Yesterday, Wednesday, November 25, was supposed to be a sunny, dry day, so we took advantage of it and went on a beautiful outing to Anacapri and Capri, same island, about 20 miles west of Naples. We took a hydroplane and were met over there by our guide, Pepe.Anacapri is a city that is way on top of the volcanic island and it means "on top of" Capri, o course. So, the island has sort of two tiers. Anacapri is small and very scenic. I took a chairlift ride way to the top, the overview of the whole island. Pretty spectacular views, I might say. Took lots of pictures and the ride up and down was so peaceful and quiet, and the vegetation lush and gorgeous with the fall colors coming into view. It took 13 minutes each way.
Paco passed on the chairlift. We had lunch at a typical restaurant and we were joined by a couple who live in London, but he is Brazilian and she, Philipino. They were young and happy, and fun! Then, after lunch, we continued to the center of Capri with the famous "piazetta" We admired the Augustus Gardens with the magnificent view of the "Faraglioni", a castle built by a Swedish doctor, now given to a foundation of sort of Italo-Swedish cooperative. We had time to spare and visited the picturesque streets with lots of coffee bars and exclusive boutiques. I even bought some perfume at a place called Cartusian, where Giada de Laurentis, the Food Network STAR gets her own perfume made. Sorry, but I have to go to Capri because I'm almost out of my personal perfume...... :) The ride back on the hydroplane was tough, because by this time, it's raining and windy again. I thought people were going to get sick. A lady next to me looked GREEN from motion sickness. The driver, Pasquale, again, was waiting for us to bring us back to our hotel. No more outings tonight. Stayed in, made a couple of sandwiches and cookies, had some wine and went to bed!
Today, Thursday, we had a late morning, well, 8:00 am, and breakfast. I'm taking some time to write and Paco is resting... I have to do it, or otherwise, I forget.... We are going to walk around the center of town, the beautiful piazza and the cathedral and then we're going to get our tickets to return to Rome tomorrow. Paco leaves for San Diego on Friday, really early in the morning, so I booked us into a hotel near the airport. He leaves and I stay until Sunday, when I return to Florence to settle into my beautiful apartment. I have a girlfriend in Vista, California, who has relatives who live in Spoleto, about 2 hours from Rome. So, hopefully, we can get together and meet. It it's not this time, we will have other opportunities.
We will do a "street lunch" today. There are many, many stands with these fabulous-looking sandwiches... cheese, red and yellow peppers, other veggies, and cheese wrapped up in like a sort of thinner hot dog bun. What looks incredible is the veggies and the cheese actually ooze out from the bread. They cost 1 euro, or about $1.30. Time to go the other way.... Tonight, we go for a nice dinner, here at the plaza where our hotel is. I read really good reviews about this restaurant. Then, we will come back to the hotel for a pannacotta (my favorite dessert) and a glass of prosecco to say goodbye to Naples. There is a terrace that has a panoramic view of Naples at night so you bet it will be beautiful. And, tomorrow, off to Bella Roma. We will be doing a Roma by Night tour because all the beautiful landmarks are lit beautifully and visit Piazza Navona, which we missed before. That's all. I plan to sleep, I hope, for about 24 hours, even if I have to take "something"..... On to Florence! It's pretty cold, in the low 50's most everyday, but when the sun shines, everything is glorious. And when it doesn't shine, it certainly still beautiful.
Arrivederci for now....
Cecilia
Okay, so I left you after we returned from the spectacular Amalfi Coast. That afternoon, we were on our way to have the third pizza recommendation, but the place was closed. Our taxi driver suggested a restaurant called "Borgo", which is inside the Castle of the Egg.... it's a legend that there is a very special egg inside that can tell the future...... don't ask. That was one of the BESTEST dinners ever.... (and very $$$$$$). We started with an appetizer that was all kinds of steamed clams in white wine and garlic sauce, with lots of pieces of chunky bread all around. There were miniature clams, small ones, medium ones, and a few large ones with some called "blade" clams because they are rectangular, white shells, and when they open, there is a strip of white clam, sort of like a thin worm. Believe you me, we were sucking our fingers. They were sweet, tasty, salty, and what flavor, especially those strange ones. Then we shared a small pizza margherita, which seems to be the preferred one here... of course, out of this world. And then, came the segundo piato (second plate, usually the meat, fish, etc....). It was a whole grilled fish, head, eyes, tail and all. It was like butter, we left nothing but the head and the eyes. Even though they are considered white the delicacy, I couln't scrape it out to eat it. Dessert was yummy and a glass of cold limoncello to top it all off. Couln't possibly eat like that everyday, but these meals are going to definitely "groove" my brain. It was still cold, windy, and rainy when we got back to our hotel.
Yesterday, Wednesday, November 25, was supposed to be a sunny, dry day, so we took advantage of it and went on a beautiful outing to Anacapri and Capri, same island, about 20 miles west of Naples. We took a hydroplane and were met over there by our guide, Pepe.Anacapri is a city that is way on top of the volcanic island and it means "on top of" Capri, o course. So, the island has sort of two tiers. Anacapri is small and very scenic. I took a chairlift ride way to the top, the overview of the whole island. Pretty spectacular views, I might say. Took lots of pictures and the ride up and down was so peaceful and quiet, and the vegetation lush and gorgeous with the fall colors coming into view. It took 13 minutes each way.
Paco passed on the chairlift. We had lunch at a typical restaurant and we were joined by a couple who live in London, but he is Brazilian and she, Philipino. They were young and happy, and fun! Then, after lunch, we continued to the center of Capri with the famous "piazetta" We admired the Augustus Gardens with the magnificent view of the "Faraglioni", a castle built by a Swedish doctor, now given to a foundation of sort of Italo-Swedish cooperative. We had time to spare and visited the picturesque streets with lots of coffee bars and exclusive boutiques. I even bought some perfume at a place called Cartusian, where Giada de Laurentis, the Food Network STAR gets her own perfume made. Sorry, but I have to go to Capri because I'm almost out of my personal perfume...... :) The ride back on the hydroplane was tough, because by this time, it's raining and windy again. I thought people were going to get sick. A lady next to me looked GREEN from motion sickness. The driver, Pasquale, again, was waiting for us to bring us back to our hotel. No more outings tonight. Stayed in, made a couple of sandwiches and cookies, had some wine and went to bed!
Today, Thursday, we had a late morning, well, 8:00 am, and breakfast. I'm taking some time to write and Paco is resting... I have to do it, or otherwise, I forget.... We are going to walk around the center of town, the beautiful piazza and the cathedral and then we're going to get our tickets to return to Rome tomorrow. Paco leaves for San Diego on Friday, really early in the morning, so I booked us into a hotel near the airport. He leaves and I stay until Sunday, when I return to Florence to settle into my beautiful apartment. I have a girlfriend in Vista, California, who has relatives who live in Spoleto, about 2 hours from Rome. So, hopefully, we can get together and meet. It it's not this time, we will have other opportunities.
We will do a "street lunch" today. There are many, many stands with these fabulous-looking sandwiches... cheese, red and yellow peppers, other veggies, and cheese wrapped up in like a sort of thinner hot dog bun. What looks incredible is the veggies and the cheese actually ooze out from the bread. They cost 1 euro, or about $1.30. Time to go the other way.... Tonight, we go for a nice dinner, here at the plaza where our hotel is. I read really good reviews about this restaurant. Then, we will come back to the hotel for a pannacotta (my favorite dessert) and a glass of prosecco to say goodbye to Naples. There is a terrace that has a panoramic view of Naples at night so you bet it will be beautiful. And, tomorrow, off to Bella Roma. We will be doing a Roma by Night tour because all the beautiful landmarks are lit beautifully and visit Piazza Navona, which we missed before. That's all. I plan to sleep, I hope, for about 24 hours, even if I have to take "something"..... On to Florence! It's pretty cold, in the low 50's most everyday, but when the sun shines, everything is glorious. And when it doesn't shine, it certainly still beautiful.
Arrivederci for now....
Cecilia
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Napoli
Friday, November 22, 2013
We know today is our last in Florence, so I take Paco to a little restaurante near the Santa Croce church where I ate before with Caroline, the lady from Colorado. I suggest he has the Osso Bucco which is to die for and I have this pork and brie en croute with a cream sauce that was out of this world and one of the best things I have ever eaten. We start with liver pate bruschetta..... Wanna know how good it was? Absolutely fabulous. At the end of the meal, we have the pannacotta, my favorite dessert in Italy. It was a fitting end to Florence. Yum, yum all the way.
Okay, so today is my birthday and I want to celebrate it eating the BEST pizza in the world. So, Paco and I head for Naples in the early afternoon. We arrived at terminal, one of the most beautiful I have seen, in the early afternoon, and it is raining. Our hotel is right across the terminal but we have to take a taxi anyway because of the rain. Our hotel is beautiful, very modern, very sleek, very comfortable. You should see the marble bathroom, in a brown and beige totally awesome. The Italian designers are absolutely out of this world. Everything has a touch of uniqueness that is totally Italian, a kind of "je ne sais quois"... really beautiful. After we settled in, it was time for PIZZA, so the front desk sent us to a little restaurant close to the hotel where we had one of the best pizzas in the world along with some "autum vegetable" side dish that was composed of eggplant, wonderful bell peppers of all colors, and mushrooms (of course). It was to die for. If vegetables tasted like this in the US, I wouldn't have a problem being a vegetarian. It was a lovely way to celebrate my birthday. Back to the hotel to much needed rest. I took a sleeping pill to make sure I slept well, and I did.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
I had booked a tour of Naples for the afternoon, so in the morning Paco and I walked the whole plaza where we are staying: Garibaldi Piazza. It is full of shops, people selling things on the street, little food stalls with the most wonderful sort of wrapped sandwiches with stuff melting out of them that makes your mouth water just to look at them..... all for 1 euro. So, you CAN eat cheaply and deliciously in Italy. I went to a pharmacy and bought some quinine pills because I have been having heavy cramping on my hands, and it has been very painful and uncomfortable. Luckily, they sell quinine pills here (which they do not in the States) and they do the job. I just take a pill everyday for prevention. So, we got back to the hotel to be picked up for our tour of Naples. The driver was here, Pasquale. We were the only two people on the tour, after all, it is low season. It was so much fun! Pasquale was fun and really eager to please us in every way, shape, or form. We got to see beautiful parts of Naples. Everybody had warned us that Naples is dangerous, that you have to watch out for your money, belongings, etc..... but I have not felt it yet. It is chaotic and gritty, but I do not feel danger. We went to the church of San Gennaro, where there is a legend that his blood is kept in a container and that every year, on September 9, it either liquifies or not. If it liquifies, (do not ask me how people prove this), something very good is going to happen in Naples. If it does not liquify, a calamity will strike. Well, it must not have liquified because the local team lost to Parma in the match last night. Everybody is heartbroken..... does it remind you of anything Wildcat? So, in any case, we saw the most outstanding parts of Naples, and it is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Pasquale dropped us off at the best, and most beautiful coffee house so we could have a snack. We had a couple of glasses of wine and sfogliatella, which is a puff pastry filled with sweet ricotta and pistachios.... it's in such an interesting shape that I don't know how the can possible make it. It is truly sinful. Thank God for all the walking. Now we need to try the Baba, which is something that has rum.... the pastries here are legendary.
After,wewent to the MOST famous pizza place in Naples, and we heard this from several people, so we know it to be true: MICHELES..... There were more than 20 people waiting outside in the RAIN to go inside. Once inside, and sitting at very simple tables, the magic begins. There's only two kinds of pizza and only beer and sodas to drink. I don't like beer.... but I thought I would oblige this time. We ordered the margherita with basil and double mozzarela, all for 4 euros, about $5. The pizza was unbelievalbe. It was a 12" round circle of MAGIC! Simple, simple, simple..... the BEST crust, thin like a tortilla, a little brick-oven burnt on the edges and the best pomodoro (tomato sauce) and just mounds (double mozarella) of fresh mozarella and some basil leaves strewn about. OMG.... I can't say the word but it was _______________ (fill in the blank with something that happens to women when they get very excited). Even the beer was good.... everything for less than $10. Julia Roberts was filmed there when she made the movie: Eat, Pray, Love, so you know it's got to be good. Tonight, we try another recommendation: Bellini's. Everybody says it's pretty good, so we will try it. Tomorrow, it will be typical, traditional neapolitan food at a restaurant nearby which has gotten rave reviews.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Today was spectacular..... After breakfast we headed to Pompeii.... it had been raining but it had stopped. everything was wet and soggy, but Pompeii, who cared? After checking out all of the grounds, the via maxima, the store fronts the houses, the palaces, the baths, for women and for men separately, our guide showed us the brothel..... ayayay, they had picutres of the girls and the men would just pick the one they liked.... apparently, it was perfectly fine to have a wife and a prostitute on the side, since they were considered slaves and not people, so you could not possibly offend your wife..... ain't that convenient? I would say something here but I don't want to offend my male relatives or good friends..... AND, if it weren't enough, if a stranger came into town and the man did not know where the brothel was, a PENIS is painted on the main street with the direction of where the brothel is located!!!! It's a real trip and I took pictures. Sorry I don't know how to load them yet. After Pompeii we went to lunch and it was really yummy. For the "primo piato" we had spaghetti with pomodoro sauce, very delicious and for the "segunto piato", we had calamari and shrimp and salad. The dessert was a coffee and vanilla gelato which was fabulous! This is the EAT part of the novel, and I certainly PRAY for our safely, but the LOVE part does not interest me, and I'm sure it won't be a problem. In other words, it ain't going to happen..... :) After lunch, we headed for a 4-hour drive on the Amalfi coast with short visits to the towns. OMG, I have never seen such beauty in my life!!!! Every little town, perched on hills by the ocean, waves striking near the homes/hotels/etc.... was so beautiful.... it's hard to put it into words, you just have to come and see it for yourself. Our driver, Ricardo, was so sweet, he took us to Ravello, which is a town where I had considered living for a while, and I'm so glad I didn't because it's way at the top of a hill and I don't know how the hell you would get out of there if you had to....... but beautiful still. Lots of stairs and hills to climb, so what? I just felt I needed to be closer to getting to an airport, just n case. We went to Sorrento,
Castelldelmare, and Amalfi. All equally breathtaking. I took lots of pictures. When I am on my own, which will be this Saturday, Paco leaves for SDiego on Friday, I will DEFINITELY learn how to load the pictures. We'll be heading for pizza at Bellini's as soon as I finish posting this. It will be out of this world, I'm sure. If it's sunny and dry tomorrow, as the weather report says, we will go to Capri and another island for the day. I hope it is because it would be a shame to be here and not to go. We leave Wednesday late morning for Rome, and we will stay for a couple of days before he leaves. Then I stay a couple more days to meet some friends who live in Spoleto (a beautiful town east of Rome) and, on December 2, I head for Florence to the apartment I have rented. It will be so nice not to have to carry around any "£$%&/( suitacases anymore. So, I will park myself in Florence, find a language school and live like a normal Florentine citizen.
Okay, now for the FASHION POLICE: What's being worn here..... lots and lots of bling bling, especially in boots, really cute, in short boots, mediun boots, and even longer boots. I am definitely bringing a pair home. LOTS of textured hose.... in all colors, and all kinds of designs, really pretty. That short skirt with a lace underskirt I mentioned before is worn by (even) older ladies, like myself. The knee socks over the knee are BIG, with high heels, and then you must bring one of the knee socks crunching around one of your ankles. LOTS and lots of hats, berets, not just to keep you warm, but stylish. Everybody seems to have a designer bag: Vuitton, Coach, etc... but there are also lots of outlets with beautiful Italian designer clothes at HUGE discounts..... Carmen, are you reading this? So, they are probably more affordable than buying them directly from the stores. The men are VERY stylish and really GORGEOUS and the women are trying to keep up with them, but, in my opinion, falling a little bit short...... long way to go, ladies, I hate to say.
Well, we'll see what happens tomorrow. If it's sunny, we'll go to Capri, if it's not, I don't know, but we can certainly walk around and just chill...... On Tuesday, I'm trying to get us to Sorrento by train or by hydroplane, water speedboat). Let's see if the weather cooperates.
Well, so long for now. Keep on reading, if you're interested. This is becoming my journal, so I will definitely keep writing, even if there's not much to talk about. Ciao a tutti mios amiccos e amiccas in the US. Go to madametina.it if you're interested in the apartment I rented in Florence. It's two bedrooms so it's begging for company...... well???????
We know today is our last in Florence, so I take Paco to a little restaurante near the Santa Croce church where I ate before with Caroline, the lady from Colorado. I suggest he has the Osso Bucco which is to die for and I have this pork and brie en croute with a cream sauce that was out of this world and one of the best things I have ever eaten. We start with liver pate bruschetta..... Wanna know how good it was? Absolutely fabulous. At the end of the meal, we have the pannacotta, my favorite dessert in Italy. It was a fitting end to Florence. Yum, yum all the way.
Okay, so today is my birthday and I want to celebrate it eating the BEST pizza in the world. So, Paco and I head for Naples in the early afternoon. We arrived at terminal, one of the most beautiful I have seen, in the early afternoon, and it is raining. Our hotel is right across the terminal but we have to take a taxi anyway because of the rain. Our hotel is beautiful, very modern, very sleek, very comfortable. You should see the marble bathroom, in a brown and beige totally awesome. The Italian designers are absolutely out of this world. Everything has a touch of uniqueness that is totally Italian, a kind of "je ne sais quois"... really beautiful. After we settled in, it was time for PIZZA, so the front desk sent us to a little restaurant close to the hotel where we had one of the best pizzas in the world along with some "autum vegetable" side dish that was composed of eggplant, wonderful bell peppers of all colors, and mushrooms (of course). It was to die for. If vegetables tasted like this in the US, I wouldn't have a problem being a vegetarian. It was a lovely way to celebrate my birthday. Back to the hotel to much needed rest. I took a sleeping pill to make sure I slept well, and I did.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
I had booked a tour of Naples for the afternoon, so in the morning Paco and I walked the whole plaza where we are staying: Garibaldi Piazza. It is full of shops, people selling things on the street, little food stalls with the most wonderful sort of wrapped sandwiches with stuff melting out of them that makes your mouth water just to look at them..... all for 1 euro. So, you CAN eat cheaply and deliciously in Italy. I went to a pharmacy and bought some quinine pills because I have been having heavy cramping on my hands, and it has been very painful and uncomfortable. Luckily, they sell quinine pills here (which they do not in the States) and they do the job. I just take a pill everyday for prevention. So, we got back to the hotel to be picked up for our tour of Naples. The driver was here, Pasquale. We were the only two people on the tour, after all, it is low season. It was so much fun! Pasquale was fun and really eager to please us in every way, shape, or form. We got to see beautiful parts of Naples. Everybody had warned us that Naples is dangerous, that you have to watch out for your money, belongings, etc..... but I have not felt it yet. It is chaotic and gritty, but I do not feel danger. We went to the church of San Gennaro, where there is a legend that his blood is kept in a container and that every year, on September 9, it either liquifies or not. If it liquifies, (do not ask me how people prove this), something very good is going to happen in Naples. If it does not liquify, a calamity will strike. Well, it must not have liquified because the local team lost to Parma in the match last night. Everybody is heartbroken..... does it remind you of anything Wildcat? So, in any case, we saw the most outstanding parts of Naples, and it is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Pasquale dropped us off at the best, and most beautiful coffee house so we could have a snack. We had a couple of glasses of wine and sfogliatella, which is a puff pastry filled with sweet ricotta and pistachios.... it's in such an interesting shape that I don't know how the can possible make it. It is truly sinful. Thank God for all the walking. Now we need to try the Baba, which is something that has rum.... the pastries here are legendary.
After,wewent to the MOST famous pizza place in Naples, and we heard this from several people, so we know it to be true: MICHELES..... There were more than 20 people waiting outside in the RAIN to go inside. Once inside, and sitting at very simple tables, the magic begins. There's only two kinds of pizza and only beer and sodas to drink. I don't like beer.... but I thought I would oblige this time. We ordered the margherita with basil and double mozzarela, all for 4 euros, about $5. The pizza was unbelievalbe. It was a 12" round circle of MAGIC! Simple, simple, simple..... the BEST crust, thin like a tortilla, a little brick-oven burnt on the edges and the best pomodoro (tomato sauce) and just mounds (double mozarella) of fresh mozarella and some basil leaves strewn about. OMG.... I can't say the word but it was _______________ (fill in the blank with something that happens to women when they get very excited). Even the beer was good.... everything for less than $10. Julia Roberts was filmed there when she made the movie: Eat, Pray, Love, so you know it's got to be good. Tonight, we try another recommendation: Bellini's. Everybody says it's pretty good, so we will try it. Tomorrow, it will be typical, traditional neapolitan food at a restaurant nearby which has gotten rave reviews.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Today was spectacular..... After breakfast we headed to Pompeii.... it had been raining but it had stopped. everything was wet and soggy, but Pompeii, who cared? After checking out all of the grounds, the via maxima, the store fronts the houses, the palaces, the baths, for women and for men separately, our guide showed us the brothel..... ayayay, they had picutres of the girls and the men would just pick the one they liked.... apparently, it was perfectly fine to have a wife and a prostitute on the side, since they were considered slaves and not people, so you could not possibly offend your wife..... ain't that convenient? I would say something here but I don't want to offend my male relatives or good friends..... AND, if it weren't enough, if a stranger came into town and the man did not know where the brothel was, a PENIS is painted on the main street with the direction of where the brothel is located!!!! It's a real trip and I took pictures. Sorry I don't know how to load them yet. After Pompeii we went to lunch and it was really yummy. For the "primo piato" we had spaghetti with pomodoro sauce, very delicious and for the "segunto piato", we had calamari and shrimp and salad. The dessert was a coffee and vanilla gelato which was fabulous! This is the EAT part of the novel, and I certainly PRAY for our safely, but the LOVE part does not interest me, and I'm sure it won't be a problem. In other words, it ain't going to happen..... :) After lunch, we headed for a 4-hour drive on the Amalfi coast with short visits to the towns. OMG, I have never seen such beauty in my life!!!! Every little town, perched on hills by the ocean, waves striking near the homes/hotels/etc.... was so beautiful.... it's hard to put it into words, you just have to come and see it for yourself. Our driver, Ricardo, was so sweet, he took us to Ravello, which is a town where I had considered living for a while, and I'm so glad I didn't because it's way at the top of a hill and I don't know how the hell you would get out of there if you had to....... but beautiful still. Lots of stairs and hills to climb, so what? I just felt I needed to be closer to getting to an airport, just n case. We went to Sorrento,
Castelldelmare, and Amalfi. All equally breathtaking. I took lots of pictures. When I am on my own, which will be this Saturday, Paco leaves for SDiego on Friday, I will DEFINITELY learn how to load the pictures. We'll be heading for pizza at Bellini's as soon as I finish posting this. It will be out of this world, I'm sure. If it's sunny and dry tomorrow, as the weather report says, we will go to Capri and another island for the day. I hope it is because it would be a shame to be here and not to go. We leave Wednesday late morning for Rome, and we will stay for a couple of days before he leaves. Then I stay a couple more days to meet some friends who live in Spoleto (a beautiful town east of Rome) and, on December 2, I head for Florence to the apartment I have rented. It will be so nice not to have to carry around any "£$%&/( suitacases anymore. So, I will park myself in Florence, find a language school and live like a normal Florentine citizen.
Okay, now for the FASHION POLICE: What's being worn here..... lots and lots of bling bling, especially in boots, really cute, in short boots, mediun boots, and even longer boots. I am definitely bringing a pair home. LOTS of textured hose.... in all colors, and all kinds of designs, really pretty. That short skirt with a lace underskirt I mentioned before is worn by (even) older ladies, like myself. The knee socks over the knee are BIG, with high heels, and then you must bring one of the knee socks crunching around one of your ankles. LOTS and lots of hats, berets, not just to keep you warm, but stylish. Everybody seems to have a designer bag: Vuitton, Coach, etc... but there are also lots of outlets with beautiful Italian designer clothes at HUGE discounts..... Carmen, are you reading this? So, they are probably more affordable than buying them directly from the stores. The men are VERY stylish and really GORGEOUS and the women are trying to keep up with them, but, in my opinion, falling a little bit short...... long way to go, ladies, I hate to say.
Well, we'll see what happens tomorrow. If it's sunny, we'll go to Capri, if it's not, I don't know, but we can certainly walk around and just chill...... On Tuesday, I'm trying to get us to Sorrento by train or by hydroplane, water speedboat). Let's see if the weather cooperates.
Well, so long for now. Keep on reading, if you're interested. This is becoming my journal, so I will definitely keep writing, even if there's not much to talk about. Ciao a tutti mios amiccos e amiccas in the US. Go to madametina.it if you're interested in the apartment I rented in Florence. It's two bedrooms so it's begging for company...... well???????
Friday, November 22, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
We went to Bologna to have that meal. I swear, these places are destination places, culinary-wise. And even though many Italians would dispute it, Bologna is the culinary capital of Italy. Therefore, when in close proximity to Bologna, one must do what the Bolognese do: EAT! We got to the train station around 12:00 and walked (about 15 minutes) to the restaurant. Paco says: "I think it's closed", I almost had a "verklempt" moment, or a conuption, or a heart attack.... you choose. Thankfully, it wasn't and we had a meal for the ages. I ordered Paco the while truffle (tartufo bianco a la parmesan), and I had the veal with mushrooms and velvety mashed potatoes. I thought my friend was going to start convulsing (or doing something that men do when they get very excited: _______________
you can fill-in the blank). I was moaning myself.... :) Then, the dessert: pannacota, which is the Italian-style flan, but totally white and absolutely delectable with fresh fruit and a fruity syrup. The meal was super $$$, but the gustatory experience was worth every euro! Of course, a couple of glasses of prosecco to salute the meal. Paco bought a beautiful set of suitcases and we rode back. I went to get a manicure and he headed back to the hotel to repack his belongings. It was raining so hard and the wind was so cold, we decided to skip dinner and stay at the hotel and drink wine for happy hour and eat finger foods, instead. Listen to this: we were going to have the Tuscan steak for dinner. It's a 48 ounce piece of porterhouse or t-bone cooked to perfection and it's the specialty of Florence, except for the wild boar and truffles when in season (which is now). I didn't want him to leave Florence without tasting it, but it will have to wait until the next time. Today, for our last lunch here, we're going to a little restaurant, 10 tables, only opens for 2 hours at noon, and 3 hours at dinner. I ate the BEST osso bucco there, big old veal bone and a sauce that almost made me lick the plate. The pannacota there was one of the best I have ever had! Then, after I pay my bill here, we will head to the train station to catch a train to Naples/Sorrento/Salerno/Amalfi Coast/Pompeii, etc.etc.etc..... somebody has to do it, guys! NOBODY disputes it's the best pizza in Italy and since today is my birthday, that's what I want to have for dinner tonight. We leave around 4:00 and get there at 7:00. Just in case, we made ourselves little "samiches" with the cold cuts from breakfast in case I have to wait for the pizza until tomorrow. It will still be my birthday in the States since we're 9 hours later than you.
So, for now, arrivederci, and I will report from the south!
Cecilia
We went to Bologna to have that meal. I swear, these places are destination places, culinary-wise. And even though many Italians would dispute it, Bologna is the culinary capital of Italy. Therefore, when in close proximity to Bologna, one must do what the Bolognese do: EAT! We got to the train station around 12:00 and walked (about 15 minutes) to the restaurant. Paco says: "I think it's closed", I almost had a "verklempt" moment, or a conuption, or a heart attack.... you choose. Thankfully, it wasn't and we had a meal for the ages. I ordered Paco the while truffle (tartufo bianco a la parmesan), and I had the veal with mushrooms and velvety mashed potatoes. I thought my friend was going to start convulsing (or doing something that men do when they get very excited: _______________
you can fill-in the blank). I was moaning myself.... :) Then, the dessert: pannacota, which is the Italian-style flan, but totally white and absolutely delectable with fresh fruit and a fruity syrup. The meal was super $$$, but the gustatory experience was worth every euro! Of course, a couple of glasses of prosecco to salute the meal. Paco bought a beautiful set of suitcases and we rode back. I went to get a manicure and he headed back to the hotel to repack his belongings. It was raining so hard and the wind was so cold, we decided to skip dinner and stay at the hotel and drink wine for happy hour and eat finger foods, instead. Listen to this: we were going to have the Tuscan steak for dinner. It's a 48 ounce piece of porterhouse or t-bone cooked to perfection and it's the specialty of Florence, except for the wild boar and truffles when in season (which is now). I didn't want him to leave Florence without tasting it, but it will have to wait until the next time. Today, for our last lunch here, we're going to a little restaurant, 10 tables, only opens for 2 hours at noon, and 3 hours at dinner. I ate the BEST osso bucco there, big old veal bone and a sauce that almost made me lick the plate. The pannacota there was one of the best I have ever had! Then, after I pay my bill here, we will head to the train station to catch a train to Naples/Sorrento/Salerno/Amalfi Coast/Pompeii, etc.etc.etc..... somebody has to do it, guys! NOBODY disputes it's the best pizza in Italy and since today is my birthday, that's what I want to have for dinner tonight. We leave around 4:00 and get there at 7:00. Just in case, we made ourselves little "samiches" with the cold cuts from breakfast in case I have to wait for the pizza until tomorrow. It will still be my birthday in the States since we're 9 hours later than you.
So, for now, arrivederci, and I will report from the south!
Cecilia
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Today, we went to Bologna to have a meal at the same restaurant my friend Carol (new friend...) and I had had one of the BEST meals ever. IT WAS CLOSED ON MONDAYS!!!!! @#$%^&*(@# I said..... Oh well, we walked around the town square, which was hard to appreciate with all the restoration work going on. Okay, you heard all about this.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Today was going to be BIG decision day, but first, we went to the open market to do some last minute shopping for incredible, incredible, balsamic vinegar, aged for 15 years. You would not believe what it tastes like. So we finished shopping and now it's lunchtime!!!! We went to the market to the fish section and made a mad rush for two seats in a 4-seat counter and ordered a seafood special plate. It had octopus, calamari, huge shrimp with their heads still on, clams, and some white fish. It was very, very lightly floured and then quickly fried in a deep frier. You want to know something? It is probably the BEST tasting fish and seafood I have ever had, and they only give you a big piece of lemon for it. No catsup, no Tabasco, no vinegar, no nothing..... plain, unadulterated taste of the freshest seafood. If I may say it, the shrimp tasted "sweet", unbelievable. The calamari was soooooo tender, it was hard to believe, but we ate it all and couldn't stop talking about it. In the afternoon, at 5:30, I had an appointment with the owner of this hotel where we're staying to see the apartment he rents for extended periods. We met close to there, right off the Ponte Vecchio. If you know Florence, you know that this is the oldest bridge in Florence and it's the only bridge that was not bombed by the Nazis because it's narrow and the tanks couldn't pass through it. It was actually built as a walkway for the Medicis to go from their old palace to the new palace so they could come and go unnoticed by the plebeian (sp?) people. On the bottom floor were all the butchers and fishermen selling their products. But, the Medicis didn't like the smell of meat (probably a little past its prime), and, imagine fish. So, they were thrown out and the goldsmiths brought in. Now, it's a corridor of nothing but jewelry stores with some of the most exquisite jewelry I have ever seen. So, we went to see the apartment and when I saw the view, I asked: "Where do I sign?" So, I rented it for December with options for January. Go to www.madametina.it to see how cool it is. It has two bedrooms so I'm going to need lots of company!!!! We came back to the hotel in time to toast for my aparatment.... many of the other guests joined in because, by this time, we all know each other. It was lots of fun!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
We can call today A SPECIAL DAY IN FLORENCE. Let me tell you how it went. We were picked up in a cute Mercedes Benz van by the loveliest driver... Niccola. Then we went to the station and picked up two more passengers. The four of us spent the whole day together. First thing is we went to this lookout to see the city from above and be "introduced" to Florence, as our guide put it. No kidding!!!! That was the piazzale Michelangelo and Fiesole (a little town) with Etruscan and Roman ruins. It boasts an amphitheatre that seats 3,000 people! Then we went to learn about the fascinating works at the Uffizi Gallery, with unbelievable beautifjul paintings by Botticelli, Giotto, Michaelangelo, etc.etc.etc....and to the Accademia Gallery (where the David is), Piazza de la Signoria, where the government seat is, Basilica de Santa Croce where Galileo, Michaelangelo, Machiavelli and many other VIPs of the era are buried. We went to the DUOMO (cathedral) which is unbelievable beautiful and the baptistry as well. We enjoyed a "typical Tuscan lunch"... I had spaghetti a l'arrabiatta which I loved because it's spicy HOT! I happen to have a bottle of liquid chiltepines with me that Bethy (Mauro's wife) gave me before I left, but I have a long way to go, so I made my own child oil, like in Chinese restaurants, with olive oil and lots of crushed red peppers!!!!! Aren't I clever? Need my chilito. We were going to go have dinner, but we had walked over 6 hours, or at least stood and walked, so we were tired. Back to the hotel, happy hour, and BED.....
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Today, we're off to Bologna again to try the lunch again. It's 30 minutes away in the fast train and it's worth it, at least to me. I will report tomorrow on how it went. Only two more meals here in Florence. We've got to make them count: tonight's dinner and tomorrow's lunch. Then we're off to Naples, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Hopefully, it won't be so cold. It is raining on and off right now and the wind just rips right through you. Today, I have three layers on, and my coat, Will report later.......
Arrivederci, for now.
Today, we went to Bologna to have a meal at the same restaurant my friend Carol (new friend...) and I had had one of the BEST meals ever. IT WAS CLOSED ON MONDAYS!!!!! @#$%^&*(@# I said..... Oh well, we walked around the town square, which was hard to appreciate with all the restoration work going on. Okay, you heard all about this.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Today was going to be BIG decision day, but first, we went to the open market to do some last minute shopping for incredible, incredible, balsamic vinegar, aged for 15 years. You would not believe what it tastes like. So we finished shopping and now it's lunchtime!!!! We went to the market to the fish section and made a mad rush for two seats in a 4-seat counter and ordered a seafood special plate. It had octopus, calamari, huge shrimp with their heads still on, clams, and some white fish. It was very, very lightly floured and then quickly fried in a deep frier. You want to know something? It is probably the BEST tasting fish and seafood I have ever had, and they only give you a big piece of lemon for it. No catsup, no Tabasco, no vinegar, no nothing..... plain, unadulterated taste of the freshest seafood. If I may say it, the shrimp tasted "sweet", unbelievable. The calamari was soooooo tender, it was hard to believe, but we ate it all and couldn't stop talking about it. In the afternoon, at 5:30, I had an appointment with the owner of this hotel where we're staying to see the apartment he rents for extended periods. We met close to there, right off the Ponte Vecchio. If you know Florence, you know that this is the oldest bridge in Florence and it's the only bridge that was not bombed by the Nazis because it's narrow and the tanks couldn't pass through it. It was actually built as a walkway for the Medicis to go from their old palace to the new palace so they could come and go unnoticed by the plebeian (sp?) people. On the bottom floor were all the butchers and fishermen selling their products. But, the Medicis didn't like the smell of meat (probably a little past its prime), and, imagine fish. So, they were thrown out and the goldsmiths brought in. Now, it's a corridor of nothing but jewelry stores with some of the most exquisite jewelry I have ever seen. So, we went to see the apartment and when I saw the view, I asked: "Where do I sign?" So, I rented it for December with options for January. Go to www.madametina.it to see how cool it is. It has two bedrooms so I'm going to need lots of company!!!! We came back to the hotel in time to toast for my aparatment.... many of the other guests joined in because, by this time, we all know each other. It was lots of fun!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
We can call today A SPECIAL DAY IN FLORENCE. Let me tell you how it went. We were picked up in a cute Mercedes Benz van by the loveliest driver... Niccola. Then we went to the station and picked up two more passengers. The four of us spent the whole day together. First thing is we went to this lookout to see the city from above and be "introduced" to Florence, as our guide put it. No kidding!!!! That was the piazzale Michelangelo and Fiesole (a little town) with Etruscan and Roman ruins. It boasts an amphitheatre that seats 3,000 people! Then we went to learn about the fascinating works at the Uffizi Gallery, with unbelievable beautifjul paintings by Botticelli, Giotto, Michaelangelo, etc.etc.etc....and to the Accademia Gallery (where the David is), Piazza de la Signoria, where the government seat is, Basilica de Santa Croce where Galileo, Michaelangelo, Machiavelli and many other VIPs of the era are buried. We went to the DUOMO (cathedral) which is unbelievable beautiful and the baptistry as well. We enjoyed a "typical Tuscan lunch"... I had spaghetti a l'arrabiatta which I loved because it's spicy HOT! I happen to have a bottle of liquid chiltepines with me that Bethy (Mauro's wife) gave me before I left, but I have a long way to go, so I made my own child oil, like in Chinese restaurants, with olive oil and lots of crushed red peppers!!!!! Aren't I clever? Need my chilito. We were going to go have dinner, but we had walked over 6 hours, or at least stood and walked, so we were tired. Back to the hotel, happy hour, and BED.....
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Today, we're off to Bologna again to try the lunch again. It's 30 minutes away in the fast train and it's worth it, at least to me. I will report tomorrow on how it went. Only two more meals here in Florence. We've got to make them count: tonight's dinner and tomorrow's lunch. Then we're off to Naples, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Hopefully, it won't be so cold. It is raining on and off right now and the wind just rips right through you. Today, I have three layers on, and my coat, Will report later.......
Arrivederci, for now.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Oops, forgot
I forgot, yesterday, in Bologna, during our bolognese lunch, we ordered a sea bass tartare with pieces of orange and slivered, toasted almonds. The fish tasted SWEET! Did you ever taste sweet fish? And then, it was garnished with sort of microorganic bean sprouts which looked lovely, dark red/purple, and made the dish really attractive. I took a picture.... one of these days, when I have time to learn to post the pictures, I will..... in any case, Buon appetitto per tutti mios amiccos de America!
Buuon giorno, folks back home and other places.....
It's been a while, so bear with me. I have lots of notes to consult.
Last time I wrote, it was after that horrific Sunday when Paco and I got caught in that horrible storm in Arezzo, and we got soaking wet and were cold to the bone marrow! Luckily, after a couple of cognacs, we warmed up enough to have a lovely finger-food-type dinner in our room. We had stopped at a little supermarket to buy some tomatoes, because they're soooooo darn good here, we eat them cut into pieces with balsamic and a few pieces of cheese. We bought some fruit and, of course wine.
Monday, November 11.....
We came down for breakfast and I noticed two, obviously American, ladies sitting on the next table. I said good morning and immediately started a conversation. They are both from the Seattle area, Sue and Danielle (although Danielle is from California), and turns out one of Danielle's short films got accepted to the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Florence, of all places, and they had come to be present at the viewing, but they found Florence to be too crowded and decided to go to the Arezzo area to be a little bit more quiet and without too many tourists. They had rented a car for the week and invited us to go with them to every little town in the surrounding area. We started by walking the whole Arezzo walled city. It is a GEM! (Are you listening, Rick Steves?).... We went to Giorgio Vasari's real home where and his wife lived and did his artwork. He's a DaVinci-type over achiever: painter, sculptor, writer, musician..... you name it. Of course, all the churches have impressive frescos, art work, paintings, sculpture, as well as the grandeur of just the size of them. We walked and walked and walked and walked, up up up up all the time. This is the town where Life is Beautiful was filmed, and if you want to see an incredible movie, get it Netflix, or however. It won the Oscar for that year, except I don't know the year.
Tuesday, November 12
We kept looking around Arezzo, the churches, the incredible Basilica, and when lunchtime came, we spotted a good-looking restaurant, but it was already closed. However, since the man saw 4 hungry people, and tourist season is pretty much over, he decided to let us in. I had the typical Tuscan soup which is made with lots of veggies, but also lots of bread, so it's a very thick soup and very filling. We had a nice lunch and drove around the rest of the modern city... about 100,000 inhabitants here. It would be wonderful place to spend a couple of months, in the SUMMER.... it's got plenty of amenities, but it's not as expensive as Florence, Rome, or Bologna. And the walled city is pretty amazing.
Wednesday, November 13
Today was an all out day.... we started driving to Montepulciano, but saw this amazing town perched up on top of a hill, and it said: Orvieto. It's on every one of those books that tell you the 100 most beautiful small towns in Italy. So, with a right-turn signal, we started driving up the hill. All of these are walled cities used for, of course, protection. You cannot park INSIDE the walled cities, so you leave your car, at the bottom, and upupupupupupup you walk! OMG, I am becoming a veritable marathoner, and have dropped a couple of kilos, even though my friend and I seem to be eating and drinking our way through Italy.... I guess that basic equation works: you burn what you eat, you don't gain weight.... :) We decided on pizzas for lunch and they were amazing. The mushroom crop was a banner one this year and Porcini mushrooms, especially, are in EVERYTHING! And, I happen to love mushrooms, of all kinds. You should see them in the marketplace. Hundreds of kinds, some dried, some in their natural state, but all of them are absolutely amazing. The while truffles are in season and believe you me, this has to be the most expensive condiment ever! Five small pieces, the size of peanut M&Ms are 250 euros... about $330 dollars. Mostly, you buy a tiny little bottle of the oil, or the butter, and you lick your lips the 3-4 times you use it. Wild boar, javelina, is in season as well. We have had a couple of very delicious dishes with it. Then, off to Montepulciano, probably the best wine in the COUNTRY, although some other wineries might dispute it. Every region has its own wine and it's hard to tell which is better than the last one you tasted, but it's great fun trying! This is another one of those towns that is magical, and of course you have to climb up, up, up.... This is where Rachel Ray got married. On the way to Montepulciano, the sunset was sooooo spectacular. I never thought there would be sunsets equal or more beautiful than Arizona, but this was definitely one of them. My camera ran out of juice, so I think I only took one picture, but Sue promised to send me some when they get home.
Thursday, November 14
Today, we decided to go to Perugia and check it out. This is where they make some pretty good cioccolato, as they say here. (You would be surprised at how much Italian I have learned!). Another amazing medieval city! Lots of hills, again. We parked right outside the city walls and proceeded with our visit. Lovely, lovely town square with a HUGE fountain filled with images that I am sure mean something, but don't know what. The duomo, or main cathedral, was spectacular as they all seem to be. I think there must have been some wild competition in those days to see who would build the bigger, better, and more beautiful cathedral. But, there is one caveat for all cathedrals: they cannot be bigger than St. Peter's in Rome. But, as it turns out, St. Peter's is VERYVERY big, so you have lots of space to work with. We had a lovely dinner at the Arezzo AC Marriott to say goodbye to Arezzo. I had the pig's cheek dinner, the cheek being the most tender part of the pig... it has a sort of a spicy applesauce accompaniment and it was delish! Paco had a veal plate that was to kill for, the veal cooked to fork-tender perfection. We had a dessert of a type of lava cake that had a port-wine reduction. Calories? None, of course. We packed the rest of the evening to come to Florence. We are riding with Sue and Danielle into an AC Marriott in Florence, since the Hotel David was not available until Sunday.... no problem. Before we left, though, we stopped at a little coffee shop for some capuccinos and I had a tapioca cupcake that is one of the best things I have ever eating in my life! What incredible texture, and if you like tapioca, well, you would have been in heaven, too. And, guess what, much to my surprise: THERE IS DECAF IN ITALY!!!!!!! So the morning decaf capuccino is addictive and will have to do something about it when I get back to the States. It's hard to give up.
Friday, November 15
Today was double decker bus tour. They are a fun way to see lots of places and you can hop on and hop off as you wish. We did all three lines, covering three different areas to see where we wanted to go next. I already knew where to take it and everything so we walked to the central train station and took off from there. We had lunch at a sort of self-yourself diner, near the station. Our cannelloni were a little dry, but the vegetable sides, eggplant and zucchini were like nothing I have tasted before. Everything here tastes like it's supposed to..... sigh! Dinner in the room with our goodies, plus we had made some little paninis with some of the cold cuts from breakfast, so we were fine.
Saturday, November 16
We wanted to spend all day in the market.... Sue and Danielle were going to see some of their film-making friends from Florece, but made a date for dinner to say Buon Viaggio to all of us! The market place is INDESCRIBABLE.... (sp?) You want to buy bull's testicles? There they are. You want to buy chickens with their head still on them, as well as their feet? There they are. You want to buy any kind of 100 cheeses, there they are. You want to buy a speedy lunch/dinner..... every pasta concoction is ready for you to take home and just boil and serve with a myriad of sauces already made. One of the culinary specialties of Florence is cow tripe (think menudo without the hominy). It is fixed in several forms: boiled till is falling apart and put into yummy sandwiches with a spicy sauce, or in a tomato sauce, much like you would make a sort of carne con chile..... it's absolutely exquisite... I had it in both forms. The restaurant that is most famous for its tripe is right inside the market, which closes at 2:00 (no business after lunch.....). We got there at 1:30 and there was a line of about 50 people. You approach a cash register and order and pay and you scramble to find two empty chairs in these 6-7 little picnic tables right there. People sit wherever they can. Paco had the Ribolleta, which is a bread soup made with stale bread and you throw everything that's left over in your fridge so as not to waste anything. It's, again, a very thick soup, enhanced by a hefty dollop (I know you don't say dollop, but don't know what else to say) of olive oil, and bread. We bought a few goodies and then walked the outdoor market, which is full of gorgeous clothing, accessories, and lots and lots and lots of magnificent leather..... I will have to take one of those fabulous purses and a pair of shoes back home. But, good thing I cannot buy anything now since carrying around those @#$%^&*( suitcases is a nuisance and I can barely lift the big one onto a train. I have to look for somebody YOUNG and STRONG and say in my nicest voice: ayuidatto me, per favore..... :) And, guess what, there is always someone to help, thank God.
That evening, we had dinner with Danielle and Sue to celebrate our new friendship and we promised we would visit each other in the future. I have a feeling it will happen. We shared some really good times and we got to see a LOT of countryside and neat places that would have cost an arm and a leg otherwise, if we could have even gotten there. So, I'm especially happy I said "good morning" that Monday morning. I think they needed a little more interaction with other people, but not crowds, and we were just the right two people to do it with. They are smart, accomplished, interesting, and well-traveled people, so we made a good match. Everybody got ready to move the next day. They were going to the USA, and we were moving to the David Hotel where I stayed before with my newly-made friend, Carol(ina) as I called her.
Sunday, November 17
It's a lovely boutique hotel and everybody is so friendly. The breakfast is magnificent and there is HAPPY HOUR! Not that I like happy hour, mind you.......
We're staying here until Friday, and then we're taking the train down to Naples, Capri, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast. It should be beautiful and less cold. It's pretty chilly around here. Guess what? The floors of the hotel are HEATED!!!! You can step into the bathroom tile floor and not jump off because it is so cold. They also have that most civilized item: the towel warmer/drier.... and, of course, the other civilized item: the bidet, which I use mostly to wash my underwear.....
Paco and I decided the rest of the afternoon was needed for laundry. There is a laundromat three blocks from the hotel so we got our stuff and walked down there and did our laundry. It took about 2 hours. The driers only go so hot, so jeans were difficult to dry, but with ALL clean clothes in hand, we stopped and had a nice lunch across the street. He had carbonara, and I had minestrone.... yummy.
We came back to the hotel and I had some computer work to do. I'm still teaching an on-line class with Pima and needed to get to assignments and grading, and communication with my class. Waited for happy hour to begin and met some LOVELY people from Australia. They are traveling with their 14-year old son and it's so nice to see families enjoying themselves as families: and WITHOUT an i-phone or tablet.
Monday, November 18
Got up and enjoyed our breakfast very much. Maria, who coordinates the breakfast, takes care of you like you're her family. She's very adorable and she also does the happy hour. Our room is right next to the breakfast soon, so around 6:30, I start to smell the bread being baked..... it's hard to stay asleep after that. We decided to go to Bologna, the gastronomical capital of Italy, or so do the bolognese say. We walked from the train station (by the way, on the fast train, it takes 30 minutes from Florence to get there). The town square is magnificent, except there's a lot of restoration work going on, so it's hard to appreciate the beauty of the buildings, and, there had been a cioccolatto exhibition (75 exhibits featuring chocolate, imagine!!!!, are you reading this Jody?). Thank GOD, we were not there for that. We would be dead from chocolate overdose..... We were given a recommendation for lunch because the restaurant that I wanted to go to, had gone before and it was orgasmic! (Sorry if I offend anybody, I just can't say it any other way) but it was closed on Mondays!!!! We were told BattiBecco would be very typical and very good.... we walked all over the @#$%^& city center to find it and just as we were about to give up, there it WAS!!!!!! Paco had the tagliatelle a la bolognese (yum, yum) and I had a hand-made pasta, pastellini, in a clear beef broth that tasted like I had died and gone to heaven. It was definitely NOT Swanson or Butterball broth. We ate lightly at the happy hour, there's always goodies to eat. Had a raucuous (sp?) time with our Australian friends and a German book promoter who is quite loud, but fun. We share food stories and laugh a lot. That's the very neat part of this hotel, it seems everybody knows each other.
Tuesday, November 19
After breakfast, we decided to do an all-day tour of the most important and artistic places in Florence. It's a good decision because you have a guide and everything's explained to you. Otherwise, you stand there and know it's beautiful but you don't get the full meaning of the artwork. I'm doing this and Paco is in the room sleeping.... probably. He had some health issues right before the trip and almost wasn't able to come. I think his body is recovering and regenerating very well through sleep. I, on the other hand, do not sleep a whole lot, but it's my MO. We're headed to the market again. Paco wants to buy a couple of items, and we want to eat fresh seafood at this indoor restaurant where they literally quick fry an assortment of fresh shrimp, squid, octopus, fresh anchovies, and probably a couple of other interesting things. Another mad dash for a seat at the counter!!!!! Then, at 5:30 pm I meet the person who has the apartment for rent here in Florence. I am going to go see it and if it suits me, I'm renting it for all of December and will spend Christmas here in Florence. The city is already getting ready for the season, and it might just turn out pretty special. Tomorrow it's the whole day tour, and Thursday is open just in case we want to go back to any of those spots. Friday, we leave for Naples.... the BEST pizza in the world, and NOBODY disputes that, interestingly.
Okay, arrivederci, for now. See you in a couple of days. I'm learning Italian!!!!!! :)
It's been a while, so bear with me. I have lots of notes to consult.
Last time I wrote, it was after that horrific Sunday when Paco and I got caught in that horrible storm in Arezzo, and we got soaking wet and were cold to the bone marrow! Luckily, after a couple of cognacs, we warmed up enough to have a lovely finger-food-type dinner in our room. We had stopped at a little supermarket to buy some tomatoes, because they're soooooo darn good here, we eat them cut into pieces with balsamic and a few pieces of cheese. We bought some fruit and, of course wine.
Monday, November 11.....
We came down for breakfast and I noticed two, obviously American, ladies sitting on the next table. I said good morning and immediately started a conversation. They are both from the Seattle area, Sue and Danielle (although Danielle is from California), and turns out one of Danielle's short films got accepted to the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Florence, of all places, and they had come to be present at the viewing, but they found Florence to be too crowded and decided to go to the Arezzo area to be a little bit more quiet and without too many tourists. They had rented a car for the week and invited us to go with them to every little town in the surrounding area. We started by walking the whole Arezzo walled city. It is a GEM! (Are you listening, Rick Steves?).... We went to Giorgio Vasari's real home where and his wife lived and did his artwork. He's a DaVinci-type over achiever: painter, sculptor, writer, musician..... you name it. Of course, all the churches have impressive frescos, art work, paintings, sculpture, as well as the grandeur of just the size of them. We walked and walked and walked and walked, up up up up all the time. This is the town where Life is Beautiful was filmed, and if you want to see an incredible movie, get it Netflix, or however. It won the Oscar for that year, except I don't know the year.
Tuesday, November 12
We kept looking around Arezzo, the churches, the incredible Basilica, and when lunchtime came, we spotted a good-looking restaurant, but it was already closed. However, since the man saw 4 hungry people, and tourist season is pretty much over, he decided to let us in. I had the typical Tuscan soup which is made with lots of veggies, but also lots of bread, so it's a very thick soup and very filling. We had a nice lunch and drove around the rest of the modern city... about 100,000 inhabitants here. It would be wonderful place to spend a couple of months, in the SUMMER.... it's got plenty of amenities, but it's not as expensive as Florence, Rome, or Bologna. And the walled city is pretty amazing.
Wednesday, November 13
Today was an all out day.... we started driving to Montepulciano, but saw this amazing town perched up on top of a hill, and it said: Orvieto. It's on every one of those books that tell you the 100 most beautiful small towns in Italy. So, with a right-turn signal, we started driving up the hill. All of these are walled cities used for, of course, protection. You cannot park INSIDE the walled cities, so you leave your car, at the bottom, and upupupupupupup you walk! OMG, I am becoming a veritable marathoner, and have dropped a couple of kilos, even though my friend and I seem to be eating and drinking our way through Italy.... I guess that basic equation works: you burn what you eat, you don't gain weight.... :) We decided on pizzas for lunch and they were amazing. The mushroom crop was a banner one this year and Porcini mushrooms, especially, are in EVERYTHING! And, I happen to love mushrooms, of all kinds. You should see them in the marketplace. Hundreds of kinds, some dried, some in their natural state, but all of them are absolutely amazing. The while truffles are in season and believe you me, this has to be the most expensive condiment ever! Five small pieces, the size of peanut M&Ms are 250 euros... about $330 dollars. Mostly, you buy a tiny little bottle of the oil, or the butter, and you lick your lips the 3-4 times you use it. Wild boar, javelina, is in season as well. We have had a couple of very delicious dishes with it. Then, off to Montepulciano, probably the best wine in the COUNTRY, although some other wineries might dispute it. Every region has its own wine and it's hard to tell which is better than the last one you tasted, but it's great fun trying! This is another one of those towns that is magical, and of course you have to climb up, up, up.... This is where Rachel Ray got married. On the way to Montepulciano, the sunset was sooooo spectacular. I never thought there would be sunsets equal or more beautiful than Arizona, but this was definitely one of them. My camera ran out of juice, so I think I only took one picture, but Sue promised to send me some when they get home.
Thursday, November 14
Today, we decided to go to Perugia and check it out. This is where they make some pretty good cioccolato, as they say here. (You would be surprised at how much Italian I have learned!). Another amazing medieval city! Lots of hills, again. We parked right outside the city walls and proceeded with our visit. Lovely, lovely town square with a HUGE fountain filled with images that I am sure mean something, but don't know what. The duomo, or main cathedral, was spectacular as they all seem to be. I think there must have been some wild competition in those days to see who would build the bigger, better, and more beautiful cathedral. But, there is one caveat for all cathedrals: they cannot be bigger than St. Peter's in Rome. But, as it turns out, St. Peter's is VERYVERY big, so you have lots of space to work with. We had a lovely dinner at the Arezzo AC Marriott to say goodbye to Arezzo. I had the pig's cheek dinner, the cheek being the most tender part of the pig... it has a sort of a spicy applesauce accompaniment and it was delish! Paco had a veal plate that was to kill for, the veal cooked to fork-tender perfection. We had a dessert of a type of lava cake that had a port-wine reduction. Calories? None, of course. We packed the rest of the evening to come to Florence. We are riding with Sue and Danielle into an AC Marriott in Florence, since the Hotel David was not available until Sunday.... no problem. Before we left, though, we stopped at a little coffee shop for some capuccinos and I had a tapioca cupcake that is one of the best things I have ever eating in my life! What incredible texture, and if you like tapioca, well, you would have been in heaven, too. And, guess what, much to my surprise: THERE IS DECAF IN ITALY!!!!!!! So the morning decaf capuccino is addictive and will have to do something about it when I get back to the States. It's hard to give up.
Friday, November 15
Today was double decker bus tour. They are a fun way to see lots of places and you can hop on and hop off as you wish. We did all three lines, covering three different areas to see where we wanted to go next. I already knew where to take it and everything so we walked to the central train station and took off from there. We had lunch at a sort of self-yourself diner, near the station. Our cannelloni were a little dry, but the vegetable sides, eggplant and zucchini were like nothing I have tasted before. Everything here tastes like it's supposed to..... sigh! Dinner in the room with our goodies, plus we had made some little paninis with some of the cold cuts from breakfast, so we were fine.
Saturday, November 16
We wanted to spend all day in the market.... Sue and Danielle were going to see some of their film-making friends from Florece, but made a date for dinner to say Buon Viaggio to all of us! The market place is INDESCRIBABLE.... (sp?) You want to buy bull's testicles? There they are. You want to buy chickens with their head still on them, as well as their feet? There they are. You want to buy any kind of 100 cheeses, there they are. You want to buy a speedy lunch/dinner..... every pasta concoction is ready for you to take home and just boil and serve with a myriad of sauces already made. One of the culinary specialties of Florence is cow tripe (think menudo without the hominy). It is fixed in several forms: boiled till is falling apart and put into yummy sandwiches with a spicy sauce, or in a tomato sauce, much like you would make a sort of carne con chile..... it's absolutely exquisite... I had it in both forms. The restaurant that is most famous for its tripe is right inside the market, which closes at 2:00 (no business after lunch.....). We got there at 1:30 and there was a line of about 50 people. You approach a cash register and order and pay and you scramble to find two empty chairs in these 6-7 little picnic tables right there. People sit wherever they can. Paco had the Ribolleta, which is a bread soup made with stale bread and you throw everything that's left over in your fridge so as not to waste anything. It's, again, a very thick soup, enhanced by a hefty dollop (I know you don't say dollop, but don't know what else to say) of olive oil, and bread. We bought a few goodies and then walked the outdoor market, which is full of gorgeous clothing, accessories, and lots and lots and lots of magnificent leather..... I will have to take one of those fabulous purses and a pair of shoes back home. But, good thing I cannot buy anything now since carrying around those @#$%^&*( suitcases is a nuisance and I can barely lift the big one onto a train. I have to look for somebody YOUNG and STRONG and say in my nicest voice: ayuidatto me, per favore..... :) And, guess what, there is always someone to help, thank God.
That evening, we had dinner with Danielle and Sue to celebrate our new friendship and we promised we would visit each other in the future. I have a feeling it will happen. We shared some really good times and we got to see a LOT of countryside and neat places that would have cost an arm and a leg otherwise, if we could have even gotten there. So, I'm especially happy I said "good morning" that Monday morning. I think they needed a little more interaction with other people, but not crowds, and we were just the right two people to do it with. They are smart, accomplished, interesting, and well-traveled people, so we made a good match. Everybody got ready to move the next day. They were going to the USA, and we were moving to the David Hotel where I stayed before with my newly-made friend, Carol(ina) as I called her.
Sunday, November 17
It's a lovely boutique hotel and everybody is so friendly. The breakfast is magnificent and there is HAPPY HOUR! Not that I like happy hour, mind you.......
We're staying here until Friday, and then we're taking the train down to Naples, Capri, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast. It should be beautiful and less cold. It's pretty chilly around here. Guess what? The floors of the hotel are HEATED!!!! You can step into the bathroom tile floor and not jump off because it is so cold. They also have that most civilized item: the towel warmer/drier.... and, of course, the other civilized item: the bidet, which I use mostly to wash my underwear.....
Paco and I decided the rest of the afternoon was needed for laundry. There is a laundromat three blocks from the hotel so we got our stuff and walked down there and did our laundry. It took about 2 hours. The driers only go so hot, so jeans were difficult to dry, but with ALL clean clothes in hand, we stopped and had a nice lunch across the street. He had carbonara, and I had minestrone.... yummy.
We came back to the hotel and I had some computer work to do. I'm still teaching an on-line class with Pima and needed to get to assignments and grading, and communication with my class. Waited for happy hour to begin and met some LOVELY people from Australia. They are traveling with their 14-year old son and it's so nice to see families enjoying themselves as families: and WITHOUT an i-phone or tablet.
Monday, November 18
Got up and enjoyed our breakfast very much. Maria, who coordinates the breakfast, takes care of you like you're her family. She's very adorable and she also does the happy hour. Our room is right next to the breakfast soon, so around 6:30, I start to smell the bread being baked..... it's hard to stay asleep after that. We decided to go to Bologna, the gastronomical capital of Italy, or so do the bolognese say. We walked from the train station (by the way, on the fast train, it takes 30 minutes from Florence to get there). The town square is magnificent, except there's a lot of restoration work going on, so it's hard to appreciate the beauty of the buildings, and, there had been a cioccolatto exhibition (75 exhibits featuring chocolate, imagine!!!!, are you reading this Jody?). Thank GOD, we were not there for that. We would be dead from chocolate overdose..... We were given a recommendation for lunch because the restaurant that I wanted to go to, had gone before and it was orgasmic! (Sorry if I offend anybody, I just can't say it any other way) but it was closed on Mondays!!!! We were told BattiBecco would be very typical and very good.... we walked all over the @#$%^& city center to find it and just as we were about to give up, there it WAS!!!!!! Paco had the tagliatelle a la bolognese (yum, yum) and I had a hand-made pasta, pastellini, in a clear beef broth that tasted like I had died and gone to heaven. It was definitely NOT Swanson or Butterball broth. We ate lightly at the happy hour, there's always goodies to eat. Had a raucuous (sp?) time with our Australian friends and a German book promoter who is quite loud, but fun. We share food stories and laugh a lot. That's the very neat part of this hotel, it seems everybody knows each other.
Tuesday, November 19
After breakfast, we decided to do an all-day tour of the most important and artistic places in Florence. It's a good decision because you have a guide and everything's explained to you. Otherwise, you stand there and know it's beautiful but you don't get the full meaning of the artwork. I'm doing this and Paco is in the room sleeping.... probably. He had some health issues right before the trip and almost wasn't able to come. I think his body is recovering and regenerating very well through sleep. I, on the other hand, do not sleep a whole lot, but it's my MO. We're headed to the market again. Paco wants to buy a couple of items, and we want to eat fresh seafood at this indoor restaurant where they literally quick fry an assortment of fresh shrimp, squid, octopus, fresh anchovies, and probably a couple of other interesting things. Another mad dash for a seat at the counter!!!!! Then, at 5:30 pm I meet the person who has the apartment for rent here in Florence. I am going to go see it and if it suits me, I'm renting it for all of December and will spend Christmas here in Florence. The city is already getting ready for the season, and it might just turn out pretty special. Tomorrow it's the whole day tour, and Thursday is open just in case we want to go back to any of those spots. Friday, we leave for Naples.... the BEST pizza in the world, and NOBODY disputes that, interestingly.
Okay, arrivederci, for now. See you in a couple of days. I'm learning Italian!!!!!! :)
Monday, November 11, 2013
Hello, tutti mios amiccos... Va bene?
Yesterday we left Frascati with a little bit of a sad heart. I know I'll be back, but my friend, Paco, probably not. I neglected to confirm the train schedule, so the train that we were supposed to take wasn't available on Saturday. This meant we would not make the train to Arezzo. We spent two hours at the train station. The good part of all this was that the couple who ended up with us was from Germany, in their twenties and were so adorable, we had the best time with them. They even helped put our luggage into the train. In any case, we shared a lovely few hours. We hope they made it to their plane on time to make their flight.
Okay, so we make it to the train station in Rome. I get our tickets changed to the next train. We have a lot of luggage and a man offers to help us. I said yes, and he took the bags.All is well. He put the bags in the compartment and I tipped him and he left. The problem was that I had told Paco to get some change for the tip. I tried to intercept him, but was too late. In any case, these two women got on and I didn't notice that they had followed me to the compartment. To make a long story short, they came into the compartment and created such a raucous that I lost it! They kept say that I was in the wrong seat, and that her husband and her baby were coming and they wanted to seat all together. I moved to the seat they wanted me to be. Needles to say, they were gypsies at work. The authorities really tell you that you can get ripped off....to be careful. Soon afterwards, one of them comes in with one of my wallets, and asks if it's mine. Of course, it's mine. I don't know how on earth she got it right under my nose. Except for the fact that the wallet had no money or anything of real importance, except for paperwork. I feel like she didn't think it was worth it, so she returned it. Well, her husband and her baby never showed up, so Paco and I were totally apalled. But, we made it to Arezzzo just fine, three hours later. We took a cab to the hotel and that's when another adventure began.
The hotel is beautiful, very sleek and very modern. Our bathroom is all green marble with that sort of opaque glass all over that lets in the light but you can't see through it. Glass sink, glass door, glass everywhere. Our beds are very comfortable and bigger than a crib-size twin bed.... great pillows. Good sized flat tv and more than you could ever need... so no complaints. The only problem is that it's a little bit out of the center of town. Still, the comfort is worth it. The first night we were here, I slept 7 hours straight. That's a miracle for me. Last night was a different story.... I need to go to sleep before Paco because his snoring will keep me from sleeping.... you get it, right married ladies? Or boyfriend-having ladies? The first night, Sunday, we had dinner here.... it was superb. I always hear that hotel food is not worth it but this is certainly the exception. Paco had linguine with seafood, and I had a duck breast with pate de fois gras. It was absolutely to die for.....
Sunday, November 10. We went out hoping to find the Historic Center of Azarro. First we found, wind, and then rain, and then an absolute downpour. Nobody caqn say that I am a WUSS, because I held up the whole way. The umbrellas would turn inside out from the wind. It was really something. We both got soaking wet and it was really, really cold. I guess winter has finally arrived in Tuscany. We sought refuge in a small supermarket and decided to call a cab to make it the rest of the way. Great idea! Back at the hotel, with a glass of wine in hand, we watched the Federer/Nadal match and a couple of doubles matches, including Bruant and Bryant (I think that's how you write it).... and settled in for the night. It was a full day, by all means, lots more than we bargained for: Walking time for the day: 3 hours.
We have a full buffet breakfast to start off the day and we make sandwiches for the evening, like really good Mexicans, we walk out with food for later.....Today, at breakfast we met two women from Seattle/Tacoma, Washington and they invited us for the day's outing since they have a rented car. One of then, Danielle, is a filmmaker and one of her films was accepted for a Film Festival in Florence last week. Of course, they came to the showing. They are here right now and will leave in a few days. In the meantime, I think we're going to be hanging out together for a bit. They are incredibly pleasant and fun, fun, fun.... Anybody who dares to drive here has got to have a lot going for them....... We went to Old Town and walked around for hours and hours looking at all the shops and then went to the museum for Georgio Verasi's House. It is awesome and very meaningful. All of the paintings are symbolism and allegory-type depictions, so you really have to pay attention to the guide. This was the house he actually lived in, married in, and did a lot of his work. He was a true master. We got lost going home. Before that we stopped for lunch and we had a lovely lunch of mostly soup (it was definitely soup-time). In the meantime, the day is dreary, windy, wet, and cold again. Still, we plowed through and never gave up. Tomorrow we're going to a monastery and museum and a ride in the countryside to see if we find a winery or a farmhouse where we can have a little wine and do some interesting, local lunch with local ingredients. The farmhouse idea is very new and it's very popular. You sign up and you actually interact and work alongside the owners in whatever they're doing: cheese, wine, beef, olive oil, whatever.... Maybe next time...... Okay, so much for now. Gotta do some other stuff for Pima college and then off to bed I go..... Lots of hellos for all of you from here.
Keep on logging in.... I'll be writing in the next couple of days!!!!
Cecilia
Yesterday we left Frascati with a little bit of a sad heart. I know I'll be back, but my friend, Paco, probably not. I neglected to confirm the train schedule, so the train that we were supposed to take wasn't available on Saturday. This meant we would not make the train to Arezzo. We spent two hours at the train station. The good part of all this was that the couple who ended up with us was from Germany, in their twenties and were so adorable, we had the best time with them. They even helped put our luggage into the train. In any case, we shared a lovely few hours. We hope they made it to their plane on time to make their flight.
Okay, so we make it to the train station in Rome. I get our tickets changed to the next train. We have a lot of luggage and a man offers to help us. I said yes, and he took the bags.All is well. He put the bags in the compartment and I tipped him and he left. The problem was that I had told Paco to get some change for the tip. I tried to intercept him, but was too late. In any case, these two women got on and I didn't notice that they had followed me to the compartment. To make a long story short, they came into the compartment and created such a raucous that I lost it! They kept say that I was in the wrong seat, and that her husband and her baby were coming and they wanted to seat all together. I moved to the seat they wanted me to be. Needles to say, they were gypsies at work. The authorities really tell you that you can get ripped off....to be careful. Soon afterwards, one of them comes in with one of my wallets, and asks if it's mine. Of course, it's mine. I don't know how on earth she got it right under my nose. Except for the fact that the wallet had no money or anything of real importance, except for paperwork. I feel like she didn't think it was worth it, so she returned it. Well, her husband and her baby never showed up, so Paco and I were totally apalled. But, we made it to Arezzzo just fine, three hours later. We took a cab to the hotel and that's when another adventure began.
The hotel is beautiful, very sleek and very modern. Our bathroom is all green marble with that sort of opaque glass all over that lets in the light but you can't see through it. Glass sink, glass door, glass everywhere. Our beds are very comfortable and bigger than a crib-size twin bed.... great pillows. Good sized flat tv and more than you could ever need... so no complaints. The only problem is that it's a little bit out of the center of town. Still, the comfort is worth it. The first night we were here, I slept 7 hours straight. That's a miracle for me. Last night was a different story.... I need to go to sleep before Paco because his snoring will keep me from sleeping.... you get it, right married ladies? Or boyfriend-having ladies? The first night, Sunday, we had dinner here.... it was superb. I always hear that hotel food is not worth it but this is certainly the exception. Paco had linguine with seafood, and I had a duck breast with pate de fois gras. It was absolutely to die for.....
Sunday, November 10. We went out hoping to find the Historic Center of Azarro. First we found, wind, and then rain, and then an absolute downpour. Nobody caqn say that I am a WUSS, because I held up the whole way. The umbrellas would turn inside out from the wind. It was really something. We both got soaking wet and it was really, really cold. I guess winter has finally arrived in Tuscany. We sought refuge in a small supermarket and decided to call a cab to make it the rest of the way. Great idea! Back at the hotel, with a glass of wine in hand, we watched the Federer/Nadal match and a couple of doubles matches, including Bruant and Bryant (I think that's how you write it).... and settled in for the night. It was a full day, by all means, lots more than we bargained for: Walking time for the day: 3 hours.
We have a full buffet breakfast to start off the day and we make sandwiches for the evening, like really good Mexicans, we walk out with food for later.....Today, at breakfast we met two women from Seattle/Tacoma, Washington and they invited us for the day's outing since they have a rented car. One of then, Danielle, is a filmmaker and one of her films was accepted for a Film Festival in Florence last week. Of course, they came to the showing. They are here right now and will leave in a few days. In the meantime, I think we're going to be hanging out together for a bit. They are incredibly pleasant and fun, fun, fun.... Anybody who dares to drive here has got to have a lot going for them....... We went to Old Town and walked around for hours and hours looking at all the shops and then went to the museum for Georgio Verasi's House. It is awesome and very meaningful. All of the paintings are symbolism and allegory-type depictions, so you really have to pay attention to the guide. This was the house he actually lived in, married in, and did a lot of his work. He was a true master. We got lost going home. Before that we stopped for lunch and we had a lovely lunch of mostly soup (it was definitely soup-time). In the meantime, the day is dreary, windy, wet, and cold again. Still, we plowed through and never gave up. Tomorrow we're going to a monastery and museum and a ride in the countryside to see if we find a winery or a farmhouse where we can have a little wine and do some interesting, local lunch with local ingredients. The farmhouse idea is very new and it's very popular. You sign up and you actually interact and work alongside the owners in whatever they're doing: cheese, wine, beef, olive oil, whatever.... Maybe next time...... Okay, so much for now. Gotta do some other stuff for Pima college and then off to bed I go..... Lots of hellos for all of you from here.
Keep on logging in.... I'll be writing in the next couple of days!!!!
Cecilia
Friday, November 8, 2013
Friday, November 8th, 2013.... at 4:00 pm Italy time.
Okay, so you read the toilet paper (almost) crisis. The last two days, the room has had 4 rolls of toilet paper each day.... plus the 4-pack Paco bought to avert the emergency..... do you think that is plenty? I asked Paco what would he have done if the man hadn't sold him the toilet paper. He says, matter of fact, I would have gone to the cafe and ordered a coffee and stolen all the napkins!!!!! Now, we take a few napkins from every cafe.... just gotta be sure, sure, sure.....
Yesterday, we spent all day at the Vatican. It was a beautiful, sunny, crisp day. We walked our "£$%&/() off, more than 3 hours, plus the walk to and from the train station, in Frascati, which is, I tell you in quite an incline. We had a pizza for dinner.... not worth mentioning, but worth mentioning was the pistachio gelato... yummy, yummy, yummy..... We saw the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Gardens, and, of course, St. Peter's Basilica (including The Pieta) and St. Peter's Square. All of this is hard to digest....in time.Today is our last day in Frascati, although I am already negotiating spending the month of January here. It is so absolutely charming, and believe it or not, I have already made some acquaintances... hopefully, they will become friends. Tomorrow, we leave for Arezzo by train, which is about 30 kilometeres outside of Florence. We will do the Florence thing, and swing by to Bologna to have white truffles, and some more wild boar. Bologna is considered the gastronomical capital of Italy. There are a few more plates I want to try. Veal is especially popular there. I will write when we get acquainted with Arezzo. Right now, the clothes are almost dry at the laundromat. Even in Italy there has to be a wash day!
It finally happened: I went "down" to kiss the Roman sidewalk, in other words, I FELL! We were walking towards the train station, and a lady bumped into me from behind.... the sidewalk was extremely uneven, and, as I stepped, my balance was off, and I sort of "slomo" went down. Two gentlemen, so gracious and so sweet, helped me get up. The lady was soooo mortified. Aside from being sore, and a huge bruise on my right knee... the broad held up pretty well. Took a bunch of Tylenol last night so I could sleep. Slept 7 hours straight.... miracle or miracles!
Okay, so you MUST be wandering what the fashion is like here. This is what the young girls are wearing: a sort of short skirt, one color, with about 3 inches or lace starting from the end of the hem. In other words, it's like their slip is showing, but it's part of the outfit, and it actually looks very nice and feminine, because the lacy part is very beautiful and see-through. For winter, all the stores show lots of layers, and knee-highs (wool) but they go up over the knee. Put on those high, high heels on and then push one of the knee-highs all the way down to the ankle and you're good to go! The men's fashions, of course, are so classic and manly, lots of houndstooth, and gently patterned blazers with classic wool pants. The scarves are EVERYWHERE, even summer ones. They are beautiful and most people look very smart with them. Soooo, get your scarves and do that funny fold in the front, or wrap it around several times.
I would love to have you post comments on the blog. That way, I know who's reading it. AND, it is a way to connect. Okay, so much for now. More from Arezzo..... Viva Italia!
Cecilia
Okay, so you read the toilet paper (almost) crisis. The last two days, the room has had 4 rolls of toilet paper each day.... plus the 4-pack Paco bought to avert the emergency..... do you think that is plenty? I asked Paco what would he have done if the man hadn't sold him the toilet paper. He says, matter of fact, I would have gone to the cafe and ordered a coffee and stolen all the napkins!!!!! Now, we take a few napkins from every cafe.... just gotta be sure, sure, sure.....
Yesterday, we spent all day at the Vatican. It was a beautiful, sunny, crisp day. We walked our "£$%&/() off, more than 3 hours, plus the walk to and from the train station, in Frascati, which is, I tell you in quite an incline. We had a pizza for dinner.... not worth mentioning, but worth mentioning was the pistachio gelato... yummy, yummy, yummy..... We saw the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Gardens, and, of course, St. Peter's Basilica (including The Pieta) and St. Peter's Square. All of this is hard to digest....in time.Today is our last day in Frascati, although I am already negotiating spending the month of January here. It is so absolutely charming, and believe it or not, I have already made some acquaintances... hopefully, they will become friends. Tomorrow, we leave for Arezzo by train, which is about 30 kilometeres outside of Florence. We will do the Florence thing, and swing by to Bologna to have white truffles, and some more wild boar. Bologna is considered the gastronomical capital of Italy. There are a few more plates I want to try. Veal is especially popular there. I will write when we get acquainted with Arezzo. Right now, the clothes are almost dry at the laundromat. Even in Italy there has to be a wash day!
It finally happened: I went "down" to kiss the Roman sidewalk, in other words, I FELL! We were walking towards the train station, and a lady bumped into me from behind.... the sidewalk was extremely uneven, and, as I stepped, my balance was off, and I sort of "slomo" went down. Two gentlemen, so gracious and so sweet, helped me get up. The lady was soooo mortified. Aside from being sore, and a huge bruise on my right knee... the broad held up pretty well. Took a bunch of Tylenol last night so I could sleep. Slept 7 hours straight.... miracle or miracles!
Okay, so you MUST be wandering what the fashion is like here. This is what the young girls are wearing: a sort of short skirt, one color, with about 3 inches or lace starting from the end of the hem. In other words, it's like their slip is showing, but it's part of the outfit, and it actually looks very nice and feminine, because the lacy part is very beautiful and see-through. For winter, all the stores show lots of layers, and knee-highs (wool) but they go up over the knee. Put on those high, high heels on and then push one of the knee-highs all the way down to the ankle and you're good to go! The men's fashions, of course, are so classic and manly, lots of houndstooth, and gently patterned blazers with classic wool pants. The scarves are EVERYWHERE, even summer ones. They are beautiful and most people look very smart with them. Soooo, get your scarves and do that funny fold in the front, or wrap it around several times.
I would love to have you post comments on the blog. That way, I know who's reading it. AND, it is a way to connect. Okay, so much for now. More from Arezzo..... Viva Italia!
Cecilia
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Okay, folks, it's been a while and lots have happened. I will start on the day I left Florence to come to Frascati, which is 19 km outside of Rome. I arrived at the train station, everything closed: All Saints' Day... national holiday in Italy. I asked a gentleman nearby if he wouldn't mind calling the B&B for me and Paolo came quickly to pick me up and my "£$%&/ luggage. We made it to the B&B in two seconds, and got settled in. It's just perfect, you walk out of it and there's the main piazza, with the cathedral (whose bells wake us up every morning at 7:00 am. It's really a lovely sound. My friend, Paco, now from San Diego, arrived on Saturday. I took the train into Rome and picked him up. Quickly, we made our way back to the train station to leave for Frascati (25 minutes by train) but I blinked and got on the wrong train. I couldn't recognize where we were going so, of course, in PERFECT (yeah, sure), I asked a guy where we were going and he quickly told me we were going God knows where. We quickly got off, bought new tickets, had to do the metro into Rome's Termini. Of course we got to Frascati allright, and Paolo was waiting for us. If Paolo hadn't been there either times, the way to the B&B involves 120 steps or a walk of about 15 minutes up a pretty decent incline. We have done the incline 4 times now and we will keep doing it until Saturday when we leave for Arezzo (near Florence). We have been enjoying the local foods and Frascati is famous for its wines..... One food in particular stands out. All around the town piazza are these little stands, sort of like taco stands, but inside the glass case is a whole suckling pig ready to be carved and made into a yummy sandwich. The pig has been deboned and stuffed with herbs and spices and roasted on the pit until the skin is soooo crispy, you would not believe it. Of course, it's pull apart soft and moist and incredible. Paco and I bought some cherry tomatoes, balsamic, and these gigantic green grapes that look like limes, and the red ones are that big too. They are heavenly. We took everything to our room and had one of the best mealas I have ever had. Everything tastes sooooo good here. I am eating more vegetables sand fruits than ever, and the walking, walking, walking, has helped. I have lost a couple more pounds. We found a wonderful restaurant called Belvedere and it's run by a couple who hails from Venezuela, but originally, emigrated to America from Italy. His mom happens to be the cook. We ate some incredible pasta with muchrooms and hazelnuts, my friend, Paco and I share plates, and he ordered the wild boar, which I understand is the sme as a javalina, but can't be positive. Anyone can set me straight on this one. We took it easy Sunday, went to Mass and there was a quaint open-air market all day, with music and goodies, and veggies and fruits. It was so much fun to walk around. On Monday, we went to Rome pretty early (trains every hour), and hopped on those double decker buses that take you to many places of interest. We rode it around for a couple of hours, and then we chose the places to visit. We took it right off the terminal so, it was very convenient. It went to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore which is spectacular, or course, then to the Colosseo, which we skipped because there were soooooo many people. Rome is actually really crowded right now. Then off to the Circo Massimo where many interesting activities by the military took place. Next, Piazza Venezia with all the beautiful fountains, and then the Vatican. we're spending the whold day tomorrow in the Vatican, so we did not stop. We got off on the Fontana di Trevi to make a wish, and it was packed.... but so monumental. My friend just keeps closing his mouth. I don't think he had any idea of the magniture and grandeur of things here. Then we walked to the Piazza de Spagna where the famous Michaelangelo's steps are. We couldn't see the steps there were so many people sitting on them. Lots of people from the Orient. Last stop before the treminal was Piazza Barberini, which we did not stop. Later we went to the church and Trevi to see it lit at night. I found the hotel where I had stayed with my godson when we came. It's just a few steps from the Fontana di Trevi. On our climb up the cobblestoned street we need to climb, we stopped at the restaurant where the owners are Nelson and Yelitza from Venezuela. They are a young, lovely, couple, and his mother is the cook, but he cooks too. Since my friend, Paco, is in the food industry, they get along really well. We ate lunch in Rome, I had a seafood plate: shrimp that tasted just like lobster, and calamari that melted in your mouth. Prosecco seems to be the beverage of choice. Tomorrow, Thursday, is Vatican Day. Friday is a sort of free day to do laundry and catch up and get ready to leave on Saturday. Today, we are returning around 1 and having another one of those yummy pork sandwiches. In the afternoon, we have planned a visit to a local winery which is 5-6 minutes from the B&B. It should be lots of fun.
On Saturday, we take the train to Arezzo, which is 29 miles out of Florence. We will stay in a rel hotel this time, run by one of the subsidiaries of Marriott (I exchanged some points for the room), and it will be a little bit cold, so we're ready with light coats and scarves and good walking shoes. I know my friend, who also happens to be an architect, will absolutely love Florence, who doesn't? I feel very comfortable in Florence now, know the bus system, know where everything is.... I am starting to feel that I will rent an apartment in Florence and go to language school and maybe take some cooking classes. Everything is very expensive so we'll see how far I make my money go. Social Security is kicking so, maybe I'll be allright. I will keep you posted of our goings on in Florence.
Funny, funny..... We ran out of toilet paper two days ago, but thought the chambermaid would replace it, of course. When we got in, bursting, of course, there was NO toilet paper. Oh, my God!!! And, we didn't even have paper napkins.... So, Paco put on his pants again and ran out to the little town square. Everything is closed.... ayayay. Except, a tiny little store which didn't even sell toilet paper, but in whatever body language my friend could muster, he explained the "emergency" and the man gave him some tp from his own bathroom. He saved our "you know whats"..... The next day, I went to give him a kiss and thank him, and we took a picture together. He's just the typical, smiling, good-natured Italian. His wife kept giggling. I bet you he will be telling that story for a while.
It's been pretty perfect weather. It has rained but not on us. Rome is sunny and sparkling, cool.
Well, looks like that's pretty much it, for now. The days go quickly, the nights even quicker. I can't believe I have been here three weeks. My friend stays through November, and that's when I think I'll move to Florence for December and see how Italy does Christmas and New Years. I can get around there quite well, it's not too hilly and it feels safe to me. It's a thought at this time.
So, I will be back with you in a couple of days, maybe when we arrive at Arezzo. Lots of quaint little towns to see around there. And, always gelato in the afternoon...... what an incredible thing to eat!
I hope you are all okay, and enjoying these updates.
Abraci and baci per tutti mios amiccos....
Salute!
Cecilia
Okay, folks, it's been a while and lots have happened. I will start on the day I left Florence to come to Frascati, which is 19 km outside of Rome. I arrived at the train station, everything closed: All Saints' Day... national holiday in Italy. I asked a gentleman nearby if he wouldn't mind calling the B&B for me and Paolo came quickly to pick me up and my "£$%&/ luggage. We made it to the B&B in two seconds, and got settled in. It's just perfect, you walk out of it and there's the main piazza, with the cathedral (whose bells wake us up every morning at 7:00 am. It's really a lovely sound. My friend, Paco, now from San Diego, arrived on Saturday. I took the train into Rome and picked him up. Quickly, we made our way back to the train station to leave for Frascati (25 minutes by train) but I blinked and got on the wrong train. I couldn't recognize where we were going so, of course, in PERFECT (yeah, sure), I asked a guy where we were going and he quickly told me we were going God knows where. We quickly got off, bought new tickets, had to do the metro into Rome's Termini. Of course we got to Frascati allright, and Paolo was waiting for us. If Paolo hadn't been there either times, the way to the B&B involves 120 steps or a walk of about 15 minutes up a pretty decent incline. We have done the incline 4 times now and we will keep doing it until Saturday when we leave for Arezzo (near Florence). We have been enjoying the local foods and Frascati is famous for its wines..... One food in particular stands out. All around the town piazza are these little stands, sort of like taco stands, but inside the glass case is a whole suckling pig ready to be carved and made into a yummy sandwich. The pig has been deboned and stuffed with herbs and spices and roasted on the pit until the skin is soooo crispy, you would not believe it. Of course, it's pull apart soft and moist and incredible. Paco and I bought some cherry tomatoes, balsamic, and these gigantic green grapes that look like limes, and the red ones are that big too. They are heavenly. We took everything to our room and had one of the best mealas I have ever had. Everything tastes sooooo good here. I am eating more vegetables sand fruits than ever, and the walking, walking, walking, has helped. I have lost a couple more pounds. We found a wonderful restaurant called Belvedere and it's run by a couple who hails from Venezuela, but originally, emigrated to America from Italy. His mom happens to be the cook. We ate some incredible pasta with muchrooms and hazelnuts, my friend, Paco and I share plates, and he ordered the wild boar, which I understand is the sme as a javalina, but can't be positive. Anyone can set me straight on this one. We took it easy Sunday, went to Mass and there was a quaint open-air market all day, with music and goodies, and veggies and fruits. It was so much fun to walk around. On Monday, we went to Rome pretty early (trains every hour), and hopped on those double decker buses that take you to many places of interest. We rode it around for a couple of hours, and then we chose the places to visit. We took it right off the terminal so, it was very convenient. It went to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore which is spectacular, or course, then to the Colosseo, which we skipped because there were soooooo many people. Rome is actually really crowded right now. Then off to the Circo Massimo where many interesting activities by the military took place. Next, Piazza Venezia with all the beautiful fountains, and then the Vatican. we're spending the whold day tomorrow in the Vatican, so we did not stop. We got off on the Fontana di Trevi to make a wish, and it was packed.... but so monumental. My friend just keeps closing his mouth. I don't think he had any idea of the magniture and grandeur of things here. Then we walked to the Piazza de Spagna where the famous Michaelangelo's steps are. We couldn't see the steps there were so many people sitting on them. Lots of people from the Orient. Last stop before the treminal was Piazza Barberini, which we did not stop. Later we went to the church and Trevi to see it lit at night. I found the hotel where I had stayed with my godson when we came. It's just a few steps from the Fontana di Trevi. On our climb up the cobblestoned street we need to climb, we stopped at the restaurant where the owners are Nelson and Yelitza from Venezuela. They are a young, lovely, couple, and his mother is the cook, but he cooks too. Since my friend, Paco, is in the food industry, they get along really well. We ate lunch in Rome, I had a seafood plate: shrimp that tasted just like lobster, and calamari that melted in your mouth. Prosecco seems to be the beverage of choice. Tomorrow, Thursday, is Vatican Day. Friday is a sort of free day to do laundry and catch up and get ready to leave on Saturday. Today, we are returning around 1 and having another one of those yummy pork sandwiches. In the afternoon, we have planned a visit to a local winery which is 5-6 minutes from the B&B. It should be lots of fun.
On Saturday, we take the train to Arezzo, which is 29 miles out of Florence. We will stay in a rel hotel this time, run by one of the subsidiaries of Marriott (I exchanged some points for the room), and it will be a little bit cold, so we're ready with light coats and scarves and good walking shoes. I know my friend, who also happens to be an architect, will absolutely love Florence, who doesn't? I feel very comfortable in Florence now, know the bus system, know where everything is.... I am starting to feel that I will rent an apartment in Florence and go to language school and maybe take some cooking classes. Everything is very expensive so we'll see how far I make my money go. Social Security is kicking so, maybe I'll be allright. I will keep you posted of our goings on in Florence.
Funny, funny..... We ran out of toilet paper two days ago, but thought the chambermaid would replace it, of course. When we got in, bursting, of course, there was NO toilet paper. Oh, my God!!! And, we didn't even have paper napkins.... So, Paco put on his pants again and ran out to the little town square. Everything is closed.... ayayay. Except, a tiny little store which didn't even sell toilet paper, but in whatever body language my friend could muster, he explained the "emergency" and the man gave him some tp from his own bathroom. He saved our "you know whats"..... The next day, I went to give him a kiss and thank him, and we took a picture together. He's just the typical, smiling, good-natured Italian. His wife kept giggling. I bet you he will be telling that story for a while.
It's been pretty perfect weather. It has rained but not on us. Rome is sunny and sparkling, cool.
Well, looks like that's pretty much it, for now. The days go quickly, the nights even quicker. I can't believe I have been here three weeks. My friend stays through November, and that's when I think I'll move to Florence for December and see how Italy does Christmas and New Years. I can get around there quite well, it's not too hilly and it feels safe to me. It's a thought at this time.
So, I will be back with you in a couple of days, maybe when we arrive at Arezzo. Lots of quaint little towns to see around there. And, always gelato in the afternoon...... what an incredible thing to eat!
I hope you are all okay, and enjoying these updates.
Abraci and baci per tutti mios amiccos....
Salute!
Cecilia
Friday, November 1, 2013
Okay.... your tastebuds are going to get a workout!
Went to Bologna (not Oscar Mayer's Bologna)... and tasted the pinnacle of Bolognese cuisine, which is considered the gastronomical capital of Italy, but I'm sure many dispute that statement. My traveling mate, Carol, ordered the veal with a cream sauce made from WHITE TRUFFLE OIL. She got these dreamy, velvety mashed potatoes on the side, and a side of sauteed spinach which tasted like they had been sweetened with honey.... I ordered the lasagne bolognese with a little extra bolognese sauce and it was melt-in-your-mouth creamy yet unbelievably flavorful and tasty, even a tiny bit of crushed pepper to add much interest to this chile-loving Mexican. Needless to say, we had an incredible couple of plates. Then for dessert, we ordered a panacotta with fresh berries and berry glaze that had us making "those kinds" of noises that people will look to see who's doing them.... :) At the time, we voted it the best food we had eaten up to that point. I have to tell you, though, that during the tour, I went to a villa for a very fancy dinner where I think I had the most sublime tortellini and tortelloni. The tortellini are miniatures and if perfect, seven of them fit on a spoon. The tortellini (look more like ravioli) were stuffed with mushrooms and mascarpone. I don't know how they get those tiny tiny things made by hand. Then the tortelloni were stuffed with squash blossom mixed with ricotta. OMG! The second "piato" was steak drizzled with incredible balsamic and the sides were the sweetest zucchini and roasted potatoes that tasted like butter. Dessert was a creamy pudding-type bowl that defies description and how it tasted.
Up to last night..... Last night we decided to go out to dinner, instead of lunch because the place that was recommended did not open until 7:30. Since it was going to be our last night together, we decided it would be a good idea. I didn't know this type of food existed, you guys. Carol comes to Italy at this time of the year because it's white truffle season, as well as wild boar season. Como se dice wild boar en espanol? Carol asked for the wild boar with gravy sitting on a hazelnut "cake" and I asked for the osso bucco. The REAL osso bucco, made with a huge veal shank bone and a sauce that had me, literally, licking the plate. Another panacotta and fresh berries.... better than the other one!!!! So, the culinary experiences are wracking up, but not the weight thank God. The walking, walking, walking is amazingly enjoyable except for all the uneven surfaces. I've got my cane just in case. I tell you these are the things that I must take care of:
coin purse
credit cards/passport
computer (Galaxy)
camera
converter
So, I go over the 5Cs everyday and make sure I'm covered.
Today, Friday, All Souls Day, I make my move to Rome, actually Frascati, which is a little town 20 minutes from Rome. I hope I can get some help at the train station for my suitcases. They roll really well, but there's this little problem that I cannot lift them. "Ayuitome, per favore".... I have learned to say and there's usually a compassionate soul who does. My friend Paco, from San Diego, comes tomorrow to Rome, where I will meet him and then we will both make "house" in Frascati until the 9th. Then we go to Arrezzo, which is close to Florence and most of Tuscany, and then we're down south to check out Sorrento where I want to stay for the winter. I am glad to have the company because after that is when I will be alone for 2-3 months, although I'm hoping friends or family will want to jump on a place and come visit me. I am a great hostess and would love to show you around.
I have to start getting ready to go to the train station now. I'll be in touch regarding Frascati.
Baci e abrazi per tutti!
Cecilia
Went to Bologna (not Oscar Mayer's Bologna)... and tasted the pinnacle of Bolognese cuisine, which is considered the gastronomical capital of Italy, but I'm sure many dispute that statement. My traveling mate, Carol, ordered the veal with a cream sauce made from WHITE TRUFFLE OIL. She got these dreamy, velvety mashed potatoes on the side, and a side of sauteed spinach which tasted like they had been sweetened with honey.... I ordered the lasagne bolognese with a little extra bolognese sauce and it was melt-in-your-mouth creamy yet unbelievably flavorful and tasty, even a tiny bit of crushed pepper to add much interest to this chile-loving Mexican. Needless to say, we had an incredible couple of plates. Then for dessert, we ordered a panacotta with fresh berries and berry glaze that had us making "those kinds" of noises that people will look to see who's doing them.... :) At the time, we voted it the best food we had eaten up to that point. I have to tell you, though, that during the tour, I went to a villa for a very fancy dinner where I think I had the most sublime tortellini and tortelloni. The tortellini are miniatures and if perfect, seven of them fit on a spoon. The tortellini (look more like ravioli) were stuffed with mushrooms and mascarpone. I don't know how they get those tiny tiny things made by hand. Then the tortelloni were stuffed with squash blossom mixed with ricotta. OMG! The second "piato" was steak drizzled with incredible balsamic and the sides were the sweetest zucchini and roasted potatoes that tasted like butter. Dessert was a creamy pudding-type bowl that defies description and how it tasted.
Up to last night..... Last night we decided to go out to dinner, instead of lunch because the place that was recommended did not open until 7:30. Since it was going to be our last night together, we decided it would be a good idea. I didn't know this type of food existed, you guys. Carol comes to Italy at this time of the year because it's white truffle season, as well as wild boar season. Como se dice wild boar en espanol? Carol asked for the wild boar with gravy sitting on a hazelnut "cake" and I asked for the osso bucco. The REAL osso bucco, made with a huge veal shank bone and a sauce that had me, literally, licking the plate. Another panacotta and fresh berries.... better than the other one!!!! So, the culinary experiences are wracking up, but not the weight thank God. The walking, walking, walking is amazingly enjoyable except for all the uneven surfaces. I've got my cane just in case. I tell you these are the things that I must take care of:
coin purse
credit cards/passport
computer (Galaxy)
camera
converter
So, I go over the 5Cs everyday and make sure I'm covered.
Today, Friday, All Souls Day, I make my move to Rome, actually Frascati, which is a little town 20 minutes from Rome. I hope I can get some help at the train station for my suitcases. They roll really well, but there's this little problem that I cannot lift them. "Ayuitome, per favore".... I have learned to say and there's usually a compassionate soul who does. My friend Paco, from San Diego, comes tomorrow to Rome, where I will meet him and then we will both make "house" in Frascati until the 9th. Then we go to Arrezzo, which is close to Florence and most of Tuscany, and then we're down south to check out Sorrento where I want to stay for the winter. I am glad to have the company because after that is when I will be alone for 2-3 months, although I'm hoping friends or family will want to jump on a place and come visit me. I am a great hostess and would love to show you around.
I have to start getting ready to go to the train station now. I'll be in touch regarding Frascati.
Baci e abrazi per tutti!
Cecilia
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