Saturday, October 17, 2009
Am ordering a very expensive 2002 Pinot Noir...
I believe that I had the quintessential American in Paris experience tonight...
French accent. I was coming out of my building, and she grabbed the
door before it closed, to go in. I told her I needed to see her key -
she looked at me incredulously. I apolgized, but said if she didn't
have a key, I wasn't able to let her in. She dug around her purse and
finally presented one, exasperated. I thanked her and turned to
leave, and before the door closed I heard her say "stoo-peed".
Wee-eeelll....I wasn't going to let that be the end of it. I of
course considered saying something rude, but instead I swung the door
open and shouted after her "hey! Do you want there to be a security
issue in the building or what!". Yes, I'm sure that put her in her
place. All I can say is - I don't want to be the temporary lodger who
lets in the serial killer. I'm thinking they charge extra if that
happens.
As for dinner - I'm back here at Willi's, and a little disappointed.
When I arrived - early, at 7:15 - the bar was almost full of people
drinking wine. Fortunately there was one stool available, but at the
"body" of the bar, not at the end where I like to be. I know, it's a
little obsessive of me. But I don't like being all exposed out in the
middle. I know there are a few of you out there who understand. But
I'm guessing it won't affect the food and the wine :)
Not sure if I'll post again after this...Will enjoy the lights of the
city as I walk home, the sounds, the people...And then it's up at 4:30
tomorrow morning to get ready for my 5am pickup. First flight leaves
at 8am, and I arrive in Seattle at 11:50am - kind of wild, due to the
big time change.
Can't wait to be home! And then Boston! Such a mix of sadness, but
also excitement...woohoo!
Love you all so much - it's meant a lot that so many of you have
followed along with me on my expedition. In some ways, it seems that
6 weeks has gone by very quickly!!
xoxo L
Sent from my iPhone
Huh. Go figure.
in Paris. But instead, it's freezing, windy, hailing, and raining.
Maybe the cloud is just over my apartment? Boy, it's a good thing I
went to a salon this morning to get my hair washed and blown out
straight. One minute outside and I'm going to be Medusa. Ah well :)
Sent from my iPhone
Friday, October 16, 2009
Sometimes bad luck turns out to be good!
that was supposed to be the best in Paris. When I arrived at 9:30 it
was packed and standing room only, and without a reservation I was
told it would be hopeless to get a seat (even just solo little ol'
me). Deflated, and not wanting Frenchy food, I decided to start
walking to a Cuban place I had passed a few days before - about a mile
and a third, or another 15 - 20 minute stroll. And thus the bad luck
became good.
It was so dark in there I almost set my menu on fire trying to read it
over the candle, but Cuban music was playing in the background and the
vibe was great. And my meal was fantastic - a juicy leg-on chicken
breast falling off the bone with a chorizo stuffing, red pepper
polenta/corn mixture, and fried plantains. Those are all my
approximations of ingredients as the only part I recognized on the
menu was "pollo" (chicken) and "maiz" (corn). It was awesome - a
perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors that always hit my palate
just right.
One more day here in Paris. No big plans for tomorrow, except to go
to a solon and get my hair washed and then blown out straight. A
total girlie treat thing to do, but my hair deserves it. It hasn't
exactly been treated nicely by me on this trip, so it will be a fun
luxury. Other than that - some packing, a final croissant, a final
walk around the city, and then dinner again at Willi's where they're
holding a spot for me at the bar. It feels like Jak's :). (a West
Seattle haunt of mine)
Paris at night truly is magical...I think I'll walk home slowly....
Au revoir,
L
It figures.
neighborhood cafe, finishing my wine from lunch, and "Frank" sat next
to me to have an espresso. We started chatting - he was in town from
England (though is originally from Paris) because his Mom had just
passed away. He was sad, and regretful about not being there, and
just down in general. We talked about his wife and 3 year old little
girl, my trip, my move, his work, etc.
He accompanied me on my sight-seeing for the next hour and a half or
so. Which I'm sure was fairly boring for him, but he seemed sad and
lonely and I think it helped him take his mind off things for a bit.
We went first to La Conciergerie, which was where people were
imprisoned and guillotined back in pre-revolution French days (and
post as well). This included King Louis XVI and shortly after, his
wife Marie-Antoinette. Strangely enough, today is the anniversary of
her beheading (which I actually wouldn't have noticed if Frank hadn't
pointed it out, as I seem to have no concept of the date right now).
Then we headed to the Memorial de la Deportation - a site honoring the
French who were rounded up by the Nazis and hauled off to
concentration camps. You descend down a staircase into a white walled
chamber containing several rooms, including one long area that has
200,000 small lighted crystals on the wall to commemorate the French
citizens who died. Above the door as you leave, it reads in French
"Forgive, but never forget".
Then we walked towards the Place Des Voges, a large lovely park, but
first stopped for a short beer at a Scottish pub. More talk about
life, family, etc. Standing out in the brisk air, we said goodbyes.
Frank had to go take care of some things. He wanted my phone number
and hoped we could go out for dinner or wine later, as I was so
comfortable and easy to talk to, and he said he thought that would
feel better than trying to get through a family dinner without his
Mom. I politely declined - while I think he was sincere, it just
didn't seem appropriate, regardless of the circumstances. During the
day sightseeing, etc seems like one thing, but dinner or drinks at
night another. I feel a little bad, as he apologized a couple of
times for asking and I think he just wanted a friendly ear, but you
never can tell.
Ok, I'm freezing my butt off in the wind on this park bench writing,
so I'm going to sign off for now!
Love,
L
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Willi's, L'Orangerie, Musee D'Orsay
I slept in late today - getting to be a bit of a habit for me really.
But who could blame me - it was toasty under the down comforter and
about 40 degrees in the apartment (I know, I know, I said I wouldn't
complain!). I think there might be heat available, but I would have to
pay extra for it so I'm toughing it out. I need to get used to the
cold, right?
I went to lunch at Willi's Wine Bar in the Palais Royal district (1st
Arrondissement I believe). Paris is divided into districts, or
"arrondissements", starting with the 1st which is in the center of
Paris and then spirals out in increasing numbers from there. My
apartment is in the Marais, or 4th, District.
The name Willi's does not belie the amazingly delicious French food
that emanates from here. I read about it in my Paris food book
(another thanks Tina!) and it was wonderful. I've never had someone
pour me a glass of wine and then ask - would you like more? A full
glass? They're normal smallish wine glasses (unlike the ones I have
at home - ha!), and so my answer was of course "sure!" :). I then had
3 perfectly cooked scallops with butter and leeks and presented in a
scallop shell, then guinea hen roasted with cipollini, small potatoes,
carrots, chantrelles, herbs and a yummy sauce - fantastic, then a thin
slice of rich chocolate moussey cake with a creme anglaise (English
cream) sauce - OMG. Match those with first a glass of hermitage (a
blend of white), then a glass of cotes du rhone (red), then a glass of
portuguese sherry - and you have a meal that makes you want to hang
out there until it's time for dinner! As a matter of fact, I may look
at making a reservation here for Saturday - my last night. I couldn't
get in at Joel Robuchon's restaurant 'A'telier', and maybe that's a
good thing, maybe the last night shouldn't be fancy pants but instead
just really good bistro French food like here...We'll see.
Then it was off to the Musee D'Orsay for a little "cul-chah" as we
would say in New England. Wonder how long it will take me to get my
accent back? :). But as I was walking there through lovely gardens
near the Seine, I ran smack into the Musee L'Orangerie - a gallery
that has 10 - 12 foot long curved Monet masterpeices from his
"lilypad" collection (at least that's what I call it). They were
lovely and serene. Downstairs, this museum also had an impressive
impressionist and post-impressionist collection - Renoir, Cezanne,
Guillaume, Picasso, Matisse...I also enjoyed how small and manageable
it was. Then, I walked a few blocks over to the Musee D'Orsay. But
apparently I was already museumed out. I found myself zipping around
to just the artists I wanted to see - like Degas (my favorite little
ballerina girl) and Rodin. I had a hard time with the crowds, even
though there are much fewer than during the peak season. And so I was
done. I got a joint museum pass for the two for only 13 euro, and so
still feel as though it was a good deal and certainly worth the time.
After the walk back to the apartment in the blustery wind, leaves
crunching under my feet, I was able to lay down and read for a little
bit, and then it was time for dinner. Shocking how fast the day goes
when you lounge in bed until 11am :). I have returned to Cafe Moderne,
where Diane and I had a lovely lunch her first day and I was hungry
(figuratively) for more. I have a glass of champagne, and have
ordered a vegetable tartlette with baby snails, and the fabulous lamb
I had the first time here. It was that good.
Am going to post a few photos from today, but am signing off early. I
hope everyone is happy and healthy - love to all!
L
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
No more complaining about the cold here....
and it shows a raindrops icon every day from now through Monday. I'll
take cold and sunny!!
Tech difficulties post has finally been corrected! Plus the rest of my day...
I finally fixed the blog post I had trouble with, although it's a
little incomplete. But I'm guessing none of you are desperate to know
how my evening was last night, so let's just move on :)
After grabbing a croissant and a nice big mocha from Starbucks this
morning (yes, I finally caved - I couldn't help it! They're one of the
only places you can get a nice big to-go cup and lowfat milk!) I
started walking. I only intended to do a neighborhood stroll - I was
afterall still in my nightgown - but instead I walked to the Opera
House which is about 3 miles roundtrip. Still in my nightgown you
ask? Well, it's cold here. Damn cold. (34 degrees tonight!). And so
I decided to just put my black tanktop mid-thigh nightgown on over my
black capris and black tanktop shirt, and then my tan jacket over
that. Wearing a super long shirt or sweater (or a regular length
dress) over pants is pretty popular here. But again, don't judge. You
didn't see it. It was kind of cute, I swear.
I toured the opera house, which was GORGEOUS. My photo post about
getting a killer ticket to tonight's performance is an example.
Beautiful artwork, ornate mouldings, gilding everywhere, just really
stunning.
After the tour and buying my ticket for the show tonight, I realized
of course that I needed new shoes. None of what I had would work with
the dress I needed to wear (it was afterall the opera - I didn't think
either capri pants or jeans would be appropriate). And the red heels
wouldn't work as there were many stairs to climb and hallways to walk,
and I didn't want to have to stop every 5 minutes to cry. So, I went
shopping! Luckily, right behind the opera house was a huge department
store and one entire level was women's shoes. They had absolutely
every designer - from the tippy top end in fashion to the (somewhat)
more moderately priced designers. I knew I wanted something a little
different but comfortable, and I knew they were the right ones as soon
as I laid eyes on them. Take a look at the photo below.
After the purchase, I walked back to my place and had a very late
lunch at a neighborhood restaurant - a small appetizer of gorgonzola
and walnut ravioli in a pumpkin sauce and then duck breast in a cherry
wine sauce with potatoes au gratin. It was perfect.
The Opera tonight was lovely - fun people watching, a beautiful
setting, gorgeous music. The set design for the show was amazing.
All the performances were great, although I confess - I skipped out
before the last act. I had read the story of "Mireille" (since it's
all in French, I wanted to know more detail on what I'd be viewing)
and so I knew the heroine died at the end. I figured instead, I'd
leave on a high note - after the bad guy got what was coming to him :)
A cab ride home, then some apple, ham, cheese, and bread at home for a
late night dinner/snack...That was my day! Oh yeah - and police here
are on rollerblades! (at least some of them). I think it was one of
the oddest sights I've seen so far on this trip. That, and an entire
Italian family all wearing red pants (mom, dad, and the 2 kids). The
French seem to like their red pants as well, but not quite as much. :)
Until tomorrow....au revoir...
Love,
L
I am experencing technical difficulties!
started smoking crack here in Paris. I accidentally hit 'send' last
night before I meant to, then fell asleep, but haven't been able to
get back into the blog today to correct it. There's something funky
going on either with my phone or the site.
If I can't update it later today, then I'll include a few final
tidbits from yesterday in the post I make today. But right now, I'm
off to an open air market. And I may need to buy some boots or shoes
- it's cold as heck here! I only have open air weave shoes and black
strappy sandals to wear - well, and the 3 and a half inch heeled red
patent leather pumps. But you all know how many broken bones there'd
be if I wore those on a regular basis!
xoxo L
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
A stroll, a lunch, a pastry/chocolate tour, the owee feet, and au revoir!
After finally going to bed at 2am in the morning, we awoke at a
leisurely 9am after each taking half of a "sleepy pill" as Diane calls
them :). We planned out our day (although plans are meant to be
changed...hint) and finally were in the streets at 10:15.
After a quick stop to grab a croissant and coffee (yeah, yeah, so what
if we were doing a pastry and chocolate tour later?) Although in
truth, we each only ate the mini beignet we also bought and ended up
not eating the croissants (that's probably a crime in France, huh?)
We strolled to the St. Germaine district with the intention of
visiting the Musee D'Orsay. But, we felt that we hadn't really had
the chance to just wander, pop into boutiques as we wished, and just
"be" in Paris. And so we scratched the stiff plan of the museum,
threw caution to the wind, and wandered. Well, that's not entirely
true. Once I am the navigator with mep in hand (which of course has
been this whole trip since I've mostly been on my own), I seem to
struggle with allowing myself to "get lost". I enjoy stepping "into
the map" (a 'Friends' show reference) and find enjoyment knowing
exactly where I am, what direction to go, etc. I can't help myself!
So then it was time to eat.
I had found the restaurant - L'epi Dupin - on the blog of a world
traveler food industry expert. Can't remember what he does, but he
gets to dine and interact with the best restaurants (i therefore hate
him). And they're not all fancy-pants restaurants. For example, this
one was a bistro, focusing on local seasonal ingredients done in both
traditional and non-traditional French preparations. Take a peek at
the photos below to see what we had! After, I made a reservation for
Friday lunch - figured there was more to explore in this area!
We then made a visit to "Le Bon Marche" and "Au Bon Marche" - one a
top designer names-only department store (we're talking Valentino,
and, um, well you know the stuff - stuff niether Diane nor I could
afford to breathe on), and the other a very nice gourmet food, wine,
and liquor store (where of course we felt right at home). But then it
was time to meet our pastry and chocolate guide - yay!
CORRECTION OF TECH DIFFICULTIES POST:
Okay! I'm finally able to fix and finish this post! And to do so, I am totally going to poach from an email recap that Diane sent to her friends and family about this day. 'Cause I agree with everything she wrote - so why mess with perfection? Thanks Diane! :) Here goes:
"Of course I like chocolate, but our guide, Jennifer, was what made it so interesting. We met Jennifer in front of our first chocolate shop. Deb Maurer, I will talk to you about this experience in detail when I get back!
Jennifer would tell us why she picked each particular chocolatier or bakery, we would go in and we would pick a couple pieces of chocolate from each shop. I have handful of nice chocolate in my bag, but I'll most likely have it gone before I come home Friday!
Then as we walked around Paris and into shops and through parks, she would explain the history, famous people who lived there, whatever we wanted to know. I started asking her questions about her life which was so interesting. She was very open with us. She is 40, legal union with her high school sweetheart who she met at the age of 16, no kids. She spoke of her work, his work, the economy, Parisians attitudes, Americans, etc...FASCINATING. Her take on things is that Parisians are jealous of Americans. Parisians have great food, history and architecture, but the cost of living is so high, traffic is aweful, they live in tiny small spaces and they feel somewhat hopeless most of the time. Life is kind of hard for them. She said you don't see them smiling much on the streets. Jennifer has traveled to America quite a bit, as her dad is American, lives in South Carolina, but she has always lived in France with her mother. Not sure, but maybe her parents were never married. She said her view of the contrast between Parisians and Americans is stunning. Even when she visits USA she thinks that we are so service oriented. At a store, the clerk not only says "hi", but "how are you?". They don't do that is Paris. They do always say "bon jour" though, but that's it. When she first came to the US as a girl to visit her dad, she thought her dad was friends with every restaurant and store employee because they asked how he was, talked about the weather, etc.....She also talked about the French being opportunists. Her example was that in the US, we have newspaper machines where you put in a quarter, lift the lid and get one paper. You could take the whole stack, but you don't. She said in France that would NEVER work out. The french would always put in the quarter and then take the whole stack. Interesting!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Diane and I in Paris - in style :)
Wow. Diane and I have had a great day and night in Paris -so much to
share! I'll try to keep to the highlights :)
French pastries in hand, I walked to the train station to meet Diane
at 11:47am this morning, arriving just a moment before she got off.
Unbelievably, all pastries were still intact when she arrived, except
for the one mini beignet I felt was earned for the 40 minute walk :).
We cabbed it back to the apartment, to help save my feet for the
sightseeing ahead - taxis are actually very reasonable here in terms
of cost.
As we enjoyed the buttery, flaky, ethereal delights, we spread open
the map (thanks Tina!) and planned our attack. I of course already
had all meals planned out and notated on the map, but figured we would
need to sprinkle in some sights. Mission accomplished, we set off.
First, was lunch - after walking by the Les Halles gardens and the St.
Eustach church (had to squeeze in some culture before food). We ate
at Cafe Moderne - I had torn out an article about them from Food &
Wine magazine in 2005 and was finally getting to go! It's a bistro,
doing delicious French food with a modern twist. Except we got there
late, in The Frenchie world for lunch - 2pm. But with a little minor
begging, hands clasped in front of us, and the bargain that we
wouldn't eat a starter, we were let in - hooray! Cod with white
beans, eggplant, bacon, and oven- roasted tomatoes with a buerre blanc
sauce; lamb with chanterelle mushrooms, chestnuts, and a reduced red
wine sauce; two glasses of wine - perfect. As we took photos of our
food, a French diner behind us hammed it up as though we were taking
his photo, too funny! The chef came out to speak to us, and I made a
reservation for Thursday night dinner. On the way out, the "French
ham" was smoking a cigar outside with other gentleman friends and
asked us to join - but we had places to go and things to see!
Next was a taxi ride to the Arc de Triomphe, then a stroll to the
Eiffel Tower - so beautiful! Crisp fall air, warm sun, leaves on the
ground...After surveying the line to go up the tower in the elevator
(too long), and the line to walk up the stairs (short, but too crazy),
we decided that the view from the ground was juuuust right :)
We then hopped on a "Batobus" ride on the Seine - a cruising barge
that stops along many of the major sights along the river. It was a
wonderful way to see beautiful architecture while giving our (my!)
feet a break. We hopped off in the St. Germaine district, wandered
around a bit amongst the art galleries and cafes, and then sat and had
a refreshment as we people-watched and enjoyed the atmosphere.
We then continued on, walking along the Seine, and got to stroll
around Notre Dame and the Hotel de Ville at dusk (my favorite time of
day). There was a pink glow in the clouds, the streetlamps were on,
and all was casting a gorgeous glow off of the arches and swoops of
the buildings...ahhh!
Next, was preparation for dinner at Georges, the restaurant located at
the top of the George Pompidou Center, a movie and art exhibition
center built with extremely modern lines and features (all utility
mechanisms are on the exterior of the building - elevator, heating and
electrical pipes, etc). But, the draw for us was the 240 degree view
of the city of Paris.
This called for the dress and three and a half inch red patent leather
heels that I had worn to Dal Pascatore. Hmm. Except that even though
it was only a block and a half walk to the resturant, it was over
uneven cobblestone streets. With VERY sore feet. What to do? Enter -
Diane's brilliance (I have lots of brilliant friends, huh?). She
suggested I wear my flipflops and then put my heels on right before we
went in. GENIUS! So, I brought my large purse, and tossed the
flipflops in there, thinking I would probably be okay walking there
and would just need them coming back. Yeaaaah, about 20 feet into it,
I realized my foolishness - wobbling, catching the spike heel in a
crevice -they were quickly replaced. And not a moment too soon! The
walkway to the restaurant quickly sloped down (no steps - just a
parking lot sized cobblestoned slope to the entrance). Carnage was
narrowly avoided - there likely would have been tumbling, crying, and
taking everything down in my wake. But instead, voilà! The heels
were popped on right before entering the restaurant.
We had a great table - one away from the window - but still a view of
the twinkling Eiffel Tower and other lovely buildings. Two glasses of
champagne to toast our friendship and good fortune to be there. There
was crispy shrimp, haricot verts salad, and escargot - and I'm so
proud of Diane, as she ate her first half of a snail. Bravo!! We then
moved on to filet with bernaise sauce, and spicy lobster linguine. A
bottle of delicious white pouilly fume. Then dessert (I'm surprised I
hadn't already taken off my belt and slipped on my flipflops, I mean
seriously!!). Warm chocolate lava cake and graham cracker crusted
cheesecake with marscapone ice cream. The quote of the night, as
Diane tasted the chocolate and her eyes rolled back in her head: "I
don't even have to chew. Wooooow." And, two of the biggest glasses of
Sauternes I've ever seen - like, regular wine glasses instead of
dessert wine glasses. Mmmmmm......
We left the restaurant, happy and silly, slightly uncoordinated, my
ear getting scratched but fortunately not scarred by a run-in with
Diane's "bump-it" :). Don't blame the wine! The top of her head is
about lower ear level to me, and we were getting on an escalator! Some
of you will have seen the "bump-it" commercial and will get the
reference, but everyone else will have to google it as it's nearly 2am
here :)
Au revoir to all, and good night!
L & D
Sunday, October 11, 2009
So I believe that I previously said that a lot of people in Italy smoked, right?
cigarette.
Where's a cat when you need them? Or better yet, a dog.
I'm in Paris now, all settled in to my lovely apartment in the Marais
district. I wandered around for a bit, and then decided to have a -
late lunch? Early dinner? I was seated at 3:30, and they offer a
prixe fixe brunch until 5. Parisiens know how to structure the timing
of their meals - I like it :).
The menu was espresso or chocolat, fresh juice, pastries/bread, egg
Benedict, beef or salmon, and fromage blanc with salted caramel for
dessert. They were out of salmon, so I got the beef. Didn't read
carefully that it was tartare. Now, I've had beef tartare many times
before, but in small quantities for an appetizer - not as a giant cup-
sized mound of ground beef. Uh-huh. That's a whole lotta hamburger
my friends. But I'll say - I did eat half of it - it was tasty, nice
spices, etc. Part of the adventure, right?
I'm finding the language transition pretty difficult, and am HATING
that I can't speak French with the exception of the stripped down
basics (hello, thank you, I don't speak French, etc). I never took
for granted being able to speak an ok amount of Italian while I was in
Italy, but I realize now just what a huge difference it makes. I feel
embarrassed and a little ashamed when I'm spoken to in French and have
to apologize for not being able to understand or speak back - almost
as though I really shouldn't be here without having made the effort.
I know many travelers who go on vacation, especially when they're
brief jaunts, and don't have knowledge of the language, but I don't
know - it doesn't feel good to me. Ah well, I'll get over it.
I like the temperature shift here - nice and cool! Although my ankles
may suffer a bit as I only have one pair of long pants :). I think
there were only two days in Italy that I didn't sweat my butt off at
some point during the day, so this will be a welcome change!
I think I'm going to save my feet today, as my guess is that my friend
Diane and I will be doing a lot of walking tomorrow (combined with
some sight seeing via a boat on the Seine). She arrives by train from
London before noon. Yay! I also have a 3 hour pastry/chocolate shop
walking tour lined up for us on Tuesday. Screw the Louvre - I'm here
for the important stuff!
Love,
L
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Venice....beautiful decay
Wonderful thunder, lighting, and pounding rain this morning kept me
snuggled in bed with my book for a while. Ahhh, I really miss storms
like that! Another benefit to the East Coast I guess :)
The rain let up a bit, and so I ventured out for lunch and a visit to
the Peggy Guggenheim museum. I originally tried to make it to a
restaurant that Jen and my "chef friend" from the enoteca in Bologna
recommeded (one of only two Michelin-starred restaurants in Venice),
but alas I didn't make it in time. Instead, I took my chances with a
little cafe near the museum. Incredibly overpriced, but my meal of
tagliatelle with crab was quite delicious.
Last night was FUN! One low point in the evening, but the rest were
all highs. I met up with the "pub crawl" tour on the Rialto Bridge at
6pm. I hung back a bit at first, wanting to survey the group as I
knew it was going to be larger than normal - about 13 - and so wasn't
sure if it might be too tough to be a singleton amidst that number.
But, everyone seemed to be jovial, and in small groups of only 2-3, so
I jumped in.
The first bar we went to, there was much house Cabernet consumed. And
fried cheese. Yup, for a bar snack, the Venetians believe in "fried
mozzarella sticks" - except it's actually delicious squares of fresh
mozarella that's fried up. YUM! Everyone did introductions, and come
to find out, there was a couple from Bellevue and a guy from Seattle
in the group (his wife doesn't like to travel to foreign countries so
he goes it alone). Everyone was super friendly, and really great to
talk with.
We hit two more bars after that, including the oldest one in Venice
still in operation (from the 1800s). After we paid our tour guide, we
decided we still all wanted to hang out, so we went to a nearby bar
for more drinks. Up until this point, I had been carrying around a
small bag with two white tshirts in it, which I had purchased before
the tour. Why? Well, the white shirt I brought with me (and keep in
mind I only brought 5 total to begin with) had wandered off at some
point in the trip. So, I wanted another one. Well, I accidentally
left them in the bathroom of the bar, realized my mistake and went
back, and they were gone. Note to self: do not carry around
unnecessary packages during a night of drinking, as keeping track of
one's purse is challenge enough. So, that was the low point I
mentioned. It was about a $45 loss - so not catastrophic, but hey -
that's dinner out!
The group started to thin out a bit, and it was at this point that I
finally started chatting with Wendy (photo below). I had thought she
was with a group of Florida ladies who had been on the tour, but
actually she was traveling alone too. She's a Psychologist from Napa,
and a total kick in the pants. She also quickly became my hero with
her explanation behind one of the "perks" she finds in traveling.
I'll leave it at that :). But let's just say I could take a few
lessons from her on being bold, not being afraid to make eye contact
with men, etc.
Pretty soon, it was just the Bellevue couple, Wendy, and me. We all
got along famously, and shared a final bottle of wine together on the
square. It was great fun! About 11:30 we all said our goodbyes and
gave hugs; unfortunately Wendy was moving on to the Cinque Terre in
the morning, but we exchanged info in case either of us are in the
other's neighborhood in the future.
The Peggy Guggenheim museum/collection today was fabulous. Mostly
Impressionistic and Surrealistic art, which is a great change of pace
from the last month's ancient sights. I also listened to a brief
presentation about Peggy the individual - what a fascinating lady. A
book about her will be the next I pick up!
Tonight will be dinner and packing....goodnight until tomorrow - and
Paris!!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
I ate dinner at McDonald's tonight. Don't judge.
good. It of course wasn't, but it at least scratched the itch.
Besides, this was after 90 minutes of wandering the streets of Venice
and getting lost trying to find a particular pizzeria that come to
find out had shut down. So I was tired and hungry. Okay?? :)
Jen and I had an amazing 'Last Supper' together in Bologna last night
before she headed out at the ungodly hour of 4am this morning. It was
at a little enoteca...we started with just a glass of wine at the bar,
but the service was so warm and genuine, and the menu looked good, so
we decided to settle in there for the evening. We had fennel and
orange salad, tortellini with duck, argentinian beef with vegetables,
and more great wine. I believe there was then dessert, dessert wine,
and a digestivo, but the details for me at that point get a little
fuzzy :). The chef came out and chatted with us for a while too,
which made it extra special.
The rest of the day was fairly smooth. I walked the wrong way from
the Bologna hotel this morning for about 25 minutes before it hit me
that I was going in the opposite direction of the train station. But
I'm getting used to things like that. My internal compass seems to not
work very well in the morning. Perhaps I should have gone back on the
caffeine for this trip! But, it gave me a little more exercise before
getting on the train to Venice, so that's good. Unfortunately, I'm a
bad Auntie and keep forgetting to take a photo of the trains here (my
sister's little boy Matthew loves trains!) - but lucky for me my
Venice hotel is right near the station, so that's on my list for
tomorrow.
The B&B I'm staying at is gorgeous. Absolute heaven for my last few
nights in Italy. View of the Grand Canal, soundproof windows, jacuzzi
tub, side-jets in the shower, walk-in closet, beautiful fabric on the
walls, exposed beam ceilings - a really wonderful mix of modern and
classic Venetian.
Tomorrow I'll take the slow boat ride on the canal, wander a bit, and
then meet up with a local named Alessandro with a group of other folks
for a "Classic Venice Bars" tour. What, you expected something else
from me? :). It's a mini "pub crawl" to three historic Venice bars -
you taste local wines and "cichetti" (bar snacks), hear stories, ask
questions about the city's history, etc. A visit to the Peggy
Guggenheim museum will also be on my list for tomorrow or Saturday.
Then it's off to Paris on Sunday! Yippee!
Hope everyone is healthy and happy. I miss you all!
Love,
L
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Some catching up on our last couple of days in Bologna!
half hours of bliss. Now, for the rest of the last few days!
After Jen and I arrived in Bologna on Monday and got settled, we
walked around the city a bit, had lunch, and then met up with an
Italian friend of one of Jen's friends in Seattle. His name is
Valerio, he lives here in Bologna, and he speaks wonderful English
(yay!). He provided us with a great insider's tour of the city -
government buildings with beautiful free art to view, fantastic market
areas with butchers/fruit/veggie/pastry purveyors, history on churches
and other ancient buildings....We then hopped on a bus and went to his
neighborhood and picked up his Dad and then drove to a local trattoria
popular with Bolognesi called Da Gigina. We had a wonderful meal with
wine, and truly enjoyed our visit with both of them.
On Tuesday, we got up in the morning and met Carlo downstairs - our
cooking instructor for the day! The three of us walked to the market
together to buy ingredients - prosciutto, pancetta, pork loin, ground
flank steak, olives, vegetables...Once at his home, we met Luciana,
his friend and fellow cooking instructor, and his sister Gabriela.
After donning aprons (which we got to keep!), we were quickly put to
work.
The wonderful menu was as follows:
- Antipasti platter with cheeses, prosciutto, mortadella, olives,
omelet with onion and herbs
- Homemade (by us!) tagliatelle and ragu sauce
- Homemade (again, by us!) tortellini filled with ground
prosciutto, mortadella, and parmiagana-reggiano in brodo (broth)
- Fresh sliced peaches in prosecco
Yum!! So much fun to make pasta by hand (and easy, too!), and such a
treat to have it just be Jen and I. After the long walk home, we
rested at the hotel a bit, showered, and then went out for a late
dinner. We sought out a new restaurant owned by a modern, hip chef
doing twists on traditional Bolognese dishes. We shared foie gras
with toasted brioche, then Jen had fresh shrimp and mushrooms in a
light broth and boiled beef wrapped in bread then fried, with a
dipping sauce of honey and wasabi with a chaser of broth. I had
Roquefort risotto, then roasted guinea fowl with mushrooms. There
were some hits and misses, but overall it was a fun experience in a
beautiful restaurant.
Today we slept in late, and then took a long walk to the covered
walkway leading 4 steep kilometers uphill to the sanctuary of San
Luca. There are lovely grounds with fantastic views of the city. It
was worth the sweating, huffing, and puffing it took to get there :).
And, it was a great roundtrip walk for exercise - about 14 kilometers
total.
After lunch, we strolled back to the hotel where, sadly, Jen is
packing :(. One more fun night together before she makes her way back
to Seattle and here adorable baby girl and generous husband, and I
make my way to Venice.
Ciao for now!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Dal Pescatore experience. One word - Amazing.
Okay, I'm finally sitting down long enough to catch you all up on the
last couple of days here in Italy. It's been a whirlwind!
First, my dear friend Jen arrived in Mantova on Sunday. We stayed in
a beautiful old palazzo with adjoining rooms. Had a lovely lunch in a
beautiful cobblestone piazza, strolled a bit, napped, and then got
ready for our spectacular dinner that evening at Dal Pescatore.
At 7pm Fabio, our driver, arrived to scoop us up in his fabulous shiny
black Mercedes. Jen is a genius. It was her thought to do this, and
it was brilliant. Dal Pescatore is a 45 minute drive outside of the
city, in the middle of nowhere. We wouldn't have been able to just
sit back and fully enjoy the evening without this element.
Upon arrival at the restaurant, we were warmly greeted by several of
the staff, and led into a comfy study. The restaurant is set up like
a home - several rooms where the dinner tables are (very spread out
with lots of personal space), a couple of study/lounge rooms, the
ample kitchen, and beautiful bathrooms (automatic everything - sliding
doors, toilets, faucets, soap).
As we relaxed in the study, we sipped on glasses of champagne, and
nibbled on warm parmiagana crisps. And giggled. And expounded on how
fortunate we felt to be there.
We were then retrieved for dinner, and as we were walking towards the
dining area, I heard the gentleman (Antonio Santini, the owner) say
something about the 'cucina' (kitchen), but it didn't register in my
mind. So Jen and I turned towards the dining tables, Antonio turned
the opposite way towards the kitchen, and then everyone chuckled at
us. We quickly realized our mistake and caught up with him - he was
leading us into the kitchen! We were introduced to Giovanni Santini
the "junior" chef (Nadia, the head chef wasn't there) - but, Nonna
Santini (Grandma) was, so we knew the food would be perfect :).
Everyone in the kitchen was lined up for us, shook our hands, and were
just so warm and genuinely friendly. I can only think that the email
I sent them several months ago to make the reservation, in which I was
effusive at how much we were looking forward to our meal there, had
made an impression, as no other diners received this wonderful
welcome. Or maybe they saw this blog and wanted a good review. Ha!
Once seated, we enjoyed the following:
- An amuse-bouche with tomato, eggplant, and basil oil
- Butter and rosemary sauteed veal liver with sliced porcini
- Tortelli filled with pumpkin, amaretti cookie, and parmiagana
reggiano
- Risotto with white truffles
- Ravioli stuffed with catfish, with fried eel and lemon sauce
- Sea bass with a sauce of olive oil, parsley, and capers
- Lamb chops with parsley, lemon, and olive oil
- A selection of cheeses with fruited bread
- A lovely bottle of local white wine
- And a lovely half bottle of red wine (Amarone)
And then desserts. First, they set down a gorgeous silver tray of 16
dainty little bite-sized desserts (8 types, 2 of each kind). Now, I
have to take Jen's word on this number since several of them
disappeared at her hands before I had a chance to see what was
there :). Ha! And then the actual desserts arrived. One for Jen -
delicate chocolate shells filled with orange mousse; and then sort of
a half and half of two desserts for me (I couldn't decide) - almond
tiramisu and a dark chocolate mousse layered with macaroon cookie. I
had one bite. And Jen finished the rest.
Yes, I'm serious. But it was the night before her birthday, and I was
so full, that she was actually taking one for the team by doing
this :). They also paired the desserts with Muscato wine for us.
And thennnn, out came the grappa. They insisted we have little
glasses of this very traditional, shockingly caustic alcoholic
liquid. It's an Italian spirit, made from the distillation of the
liquid pressed from the leftovers of winemaking (grape skins, stems,
etc). And it is STRONG! So we tossed it back, were given handshakes,
thank yous, a book each (best restaurants of the world), and signed
menus as we left. It was a wonderfully warm goodbye to an amazing
night. I didn't even mention the service at the restaurant, but it
was impeccable - every want anticipated, glasses always full, chair
pulled out, napkin replaced when you left the table, an escort to the
restroom area...and yet it never once felt unobtrusive. Just
amazing. :)
More to come on our Monday and Tuesday activities!
Love,
Lisa (and Jen!)
Monday, October 5, 2009
I know, I'm terrible.
I'm headed to bed without blogging about today. But it's been so
busy! Really!
Plus, today was Jen's birthday, so it was all about her :)
I promise I'll write tomorow, okay?
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
It's surprising, really, that you don't see bicyclists sprawled all over the road...
their cell, talking on their cell, putting on their jacket, listening
to their iPod. And this is on streets shared with lots of cars.
These are a very talented people!
After breakfast this morning, I went shopping! Okay, it was only one
store, but for someone who usually hates to shop, it was still a big
deal. It was a small, but multi-level department store called
'Coin'. Lots of accessories, purses, clothing - some really
interesting designs. I bought a couple of beautiful scarves, a
necklace, and a wrap/shawl type of thing. I wanted to have something
to wear besides tshirts and workout pants, with my super-stylish
friend Jen arriving tomorrow :)
Then I went to the Teatro Farnese - an ancient theater that was
rebuilt after much of it was destroyed in the Allied bombings of
WWII. And then the Galleria Nazionale - the important art museum
here. Lots of beautiful paintings by Cannaregio and Parmiagana (did
you know there was a painter of that name? I didn't!). There was also
a small, lovely simple line painting by DaVinci. It's interesting how
his work is so specific - you know right away it's his, without
needing to see the identification.
After that, lunch, and a little more wandering around. Then some
lounging at the hotel, some reading.
I went out for a cocktail around 6:30pm - the streets were PACKED!
Families, couples, groups, older, and young - everyone strolling the
streets or having a cocktail or glass of wine. At this time of day,
the bars all put out little snacks - pizza, cheese, ham, olives, etc
for those having a drink, and many people make a meal out if it. Such
a neat custom! I grabbed some food and wine, and actually brought it
back to the hotel. I was tired (no nap!) and really just wanted some
peace and quiet, relaxation time.
Sad to say, but that was my exciting day! Tomorrow late morning, I'll
drive to Mantova and check in to the hotel there. Jen should arrive
around 12:30 or 1pm. And then our once-in-a-lifetime dinner event at
Dal Pescatore is at 8pm (a car picks us up at 7pm). What if dinner
sucks? Haha! Always a thought when it's as hyped as this, huh? :).
I'll be sure to let you all know -although you may not hear about it
until Monday morning!
Love to all,
L
Friday, October 2, 2009
I have decided to forgive Parma...
Stone program paid for itself today :).
That's right - several restaurants (good ones) feature the above.
Blech. But I have managed to have some deliecious food today. More
about that in a minute.
The hotel I'm in now (2 nights) is in the historical center, and so
within walking distance of everything. After checking in late
morning, I mapped out the sites I wanted to hit, then went to lunch
(hey - I have my priorities). Trattoria del Tribunale - excellent
meal. Tortelli d'erbetta - a local specialty; fresh pasta filled with
ricotta and swiss chard withal little butter and parmigiana. So
simple and perfect! Then I had melanzana parmigiana - eggplant
parmigiana. Charred edges, tomato sauce, fresh eggplant, gooey cheese
- again, perfect. And then to wash it all down, a local wine -
Lambrusco, which is a very slightly sweet, fizzy red. YUM!! Who
knew?? But here's where I need help. I know a bottle of wine is
750ml. So is a 1/2 liter a bottle of wine? Or is it 500ml and so 2/3
of a bottle? And what about a quartino (I think quart) - how much is
that? The restuarants tend to speak so fast that I often go with
whatever they recommend, but sometimes it's more than I really want.
Damn metrics.
Saw lots of churches and palazzos in the afternoon, but I was most
impressed by the Citadella. In the past, it was a huge, walled
fortress surrounded by a moat, where the townspeople would gather in
times of danger. Now, the moat is all grass, and it's been turned
into a lovely park area - but the fortress itself still stands.
Pretty impressive.
After buying a new iPhone charger and doing laundry, I headed out to
dinner at about 9. Went to a restaurant in the main piazza that's
supposed to have some of the best pizza in the city. Had mine with
Parma ham, mozzarella, porcini, carciofi (artichoke), and cipolla
(onion). It was awesome. Sat outside under their tent on the square,
with music from Verdi jauntily playing next door from an exhibit about
that hot show that's in town. Truly lovely! One thing though - I
think the waiter a dinner thought I was French. After me fumbling
through my order in Italian, he said "merci". Perhaps I now speak
Italian with a French accent? Huh. Interesting.
Time for bed...cappuccino on the square in the morning, and then a few
museums and art exhibits. Then Sunday it's on to Mantova where I will
meet up with my very good friend Jen -YAY!!!
Love,
L
Thursday, October 1, 2009
You know you're in the middle of nowhere your GPS identifies the street you're on as simply "Road"
I had myself several little adventures today, of various types :).
It's funny, being a traveler in a foreign country for so long makes
some things finally become routine, but at other times it seems that
there are new experiences at every turn.
This morning, leaving the Cinque Terre was the first challenge. Why,
you ask? Too beautiful? Didn't want to go? Nope, not that. A
verbose older Italian man; and limited parking. Andrea - the owner of
the hotel I was at - became extremely talkative as I was trying to
check out. But, because he is a wealth of gastronomic information
across this country, I gave him the floor. Hey - we can all be bought
for a price. And mine was several recommendations in Parma and Venezia.
Then, I needed my car. It was blocked in by three other vehicles in a
tiny little concrete-walled parking area under a little bridge.
Yeeeaah, in Italy there are no valets. You get handed a big box of
keys and get to move all the cars yourself. Uh-huh. You bet. I had
worked up a full sweat by 9am, so worried that I was going to scratch
the Audi, VW, or Ford of my fellow travellers as I was backing them
out, rearranging them on the street, and then moving them back in.
But finally, mission accomplished.
My next adventure - I decided to take a side trip on my way to Parma
and have lunch at Ristorante Manubiola, in a tiny hamlet called
Berceto. All I can say is - thank goodness for GPS. Now, the GPS
boyfriend of mine might like to take me on little hair-raising
shortcuts through the wilderness (apparently he does NOT like to back-
track) - but, I often get to see some lovely countryside. Today was a
nice example - I drove the hillside on tiny little backwoods roads,
going through teeny little villages (seriously - like 7 houses for
some, but the town is announced with a big proud sign). I love it!
As for the lunch. Well, you would be proud of me. I drank bug-parts
and just muscled through it. Fortunately, the actual food was very,
very good :). You see, I ordered a small carafe of wine. Some was
poured into my glass, and as I took a sip I noticed 2 or 3 fruit flies
floating in it. So I fished 'em out as best I could, then went to
take another sip and noticed a few other body parts floating. I have
come a long way. The bottom line is - you pick your battles in a
foreign country, and you go with the flow. Besides, don't we all
supposedly consume quite a few bugs every year, unknowingly?
As for the lunch: little toasts with creamy cheese and porcini
mushrooms, raw porcinis sliced thin with parmigiana and olive oil,
rich porcini soup with bread cubes and parmigiana melted on top, fresh
tagliatelle pasta with porcinis and butter, and cinghiale (wild boar)
with polenta and porcinis. I KNOW!! Talk about a feast! I was the
only non-Italiano there, and at the restaurant they do not speak any
English (and there were no menus - they just rattle off the choices
they have that day). So it was a fun adventure :). And the cost? 32
euro. Amazing food, amazing experience.
Then I was on to Parma. Arrived at my WONDERFUL hotel (1 night here,
2 nights somewhere else). Almost half of the cost as the one in
Monterosso, but modern, spotlessly clean, big bathroom, easy parking,
super quiet, and a shower I have room to shave my legs in (I may need
to rent a weedwhacker - most showers since I've been here have been
too small to do anything but stand under). I love the mixes of places
i've stayed in, but i will definitely enjoy this 85 euro including
breakfast stay :)
When i arrived, I decided to just go for it and jump on a bus into the
city center - pretty easy to figure out, and a quick trip in. So far,
I have this to say: Parma is my favorite city in Italy so far! There
is a wonderful mix of gorgeous, historic buildings but yet modern
amenities; tons of bicyclists and much fewer motorbikes; lots of
students adding a youthful feel; an immediate presence of art and
culture; many green spaces; and wonderful food. What more can I say?
I wandered around the city for 2 hours, made my way back, and had
dinner at the hotel. Will use the workout facility in the morning,
then move on to my next hotel here so I can really explore (it's right
in the city center - no bus required).
I guess that's it! I realize this was a pretty long post. Thanks to
all of you who are reading this - to me, it's very much like a
converstaion (albeit one-sided) :), but it helps me feel connected to
all of you. Especially meeting so few people who speak English here!
Lots of love to all,
L
Sent from my iPhone
