The Perfect E-book For People Who Love ltalian Coffee

My friend Sara Rosso has just published an e-book on Amazon.com.

It's a great guide for anyone who loves Italian coffee and/or plans to travel to Italy.

Sara is an American who has lived in Italy for over eight years. She's also a very talented photographer and cook/baker. Sara was one of the first expats I met in Italy. It's partly her fault I moved to Bella Italia in the first place.

Here's a link to her BLOG that has all the information you need to purchase her book. It's only .99 cents. A bargain!

Italian Driving School Diaries - A Cinquecento, La Spezia, tears, and the Autostrada

View of Lerici from La Spezia. It's a very beautiful place. However, the drive to get there was not!

Seriously, what was I smoking when I decided to drive to Piemonte?

I stopped in La Spezia to meet my friend Megan for lunch. When I stepped out of the car, my hands were literally shaking.

One friend back in America had suggested I rent an automatic. She said driving on the Autostrada was super stressful and she has been driving stick/manual all her life.

As I struggled to get from Termini Station to the Autostrada, I was close to hyperventilating. If leaving the Center was such a nightmare, what the heck was going to happen to me on the Autostrada?

I kept stalling out. I got lost. It was a big mess. I finally made to the Autostrada and it was fine. In Italy people use the left lane correctly... to pass. I stayed on the right and nobody tailgated me.

Once I got off the Autostrada to get to Megan's, all hell broke loose. Roundabouts, hairpin turns, steep hills, I was in tears.

After a relaxing lunch and gelato (thanks Megan!), I told myself to get it together. I put on Amy Winehouse's FRANK and continued on my journey.

Got lost again. I was driving toward Milano. Once I turned around and got back on the Autostrada, I thought everything would be okay.

Nope. I was wrong. I finally arrived in Acqui Terme with its zillion roundabouts in the Historic Center and ended up in a parking lot. My friend's B&B was nowhere in sight.

I called. They were probably wondering how the heck I missed their road. Hello, I've been there before. I turned around and later saw my friend's husband on the road leading to the B&B.

I know people have had trouble getting up their driveway. It's very steep. I was told to put the car in 1st gear and don't stop. If I was too nervous to try, they would do it.

After driving for hours, I decided to go for it and made it up the bloody hill. When I pulled up, everyone started clapping. I basically rolled out of the car. I was so happy to get out of it.

After a long shower and a couple glasses of chilled wine, I was fine.

The next day I did tell my friends I didn't think I could deal with driving back.

However my return trip was a breeze, until I got to Rome. Sigh.

I missed the turn for Vatican City and ended up God knows where.

When I finally arrived in my neighborhood, I double parked and gave the man who "helps" people park a few euros. I ran to my place to dropped off my things.

I returned to my car and then zipped around the Center and even Piazza Venezia like butter. Dropping the car off was a lot easier than picking it up. Could be because I had just driven more hours in one weekend trip than in the previous two years.

A few days later I bumped into my driving instructor, Bruno. He asked me how it went. He said he was proud of me. That warmed my heart.

I'm glad I did it. I do feel more comfortable now with a stick.

I get the Autogrill hype. It's not the Italian 7/11. It's on a whole different level.

Next time I rent a car to go out of town, I might get the car from the airport or Villa Borghese to avoid the Center and EUR. Even for experienced drivers getting in and out of Rome is confusing.

The drive, except when I was freaking out, was beautiful. I loved seeing how the terrain changed from Lazio, to Tuscany, to Liguria, and then Piemonte.

The Fiat 500 is a great little car. Excellent mileage. I don't know what type of engine I had. Mine did not have a lot pick up. Merging onto the Autostrada from a gas station was a little stressful.

Nice ride.


I would like to test the Mini Cooper at some point.

Piemonte 2: Electric Boogaloo - wine, ravioli, stars

The first time I went to Piemonte was two years ago on my birthday.

This year I stayed in the Terrace Room. The room is amazing. They just finished it earlier this year. I could live in the shower. For real.

My birthday started out with:
A lovely way to start the day.

Then, like my last trip, I went to a wine tasting.

My friend's husband is an excellent guide. He really knows a lot about Piemontese wines, but speaks about them in a way that is accessible.

Another guest joined us and off we went. We drove to the area of Piemonte called Langhe. This is some serious wine country. Home of the Nebbiolo grape.



We stopped by Ca' del Baio. Micha went to pick up a some cases, but it turned into a impromptu wine tasting. Valentina was wonderful. She is the great granddaughter of the founder. 1000 CORKS has a listing of where you can buy their wines in America. Their wines are very, very, good. Loved their Barbaresco and their Moscato.

The next was vineyard CANTINA DEL GLICINE located in the tiny charming town of Neive. There is a nice video on their website. It takes a bit to load.

The cantina has been in existence since the 1600s. I had a great time and tasted some excellent Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Barbaresco and Moscato wine. There was one white wine Roero Arneis, that I wasn't familiar with. I'm kicking myself for not buying a bottle.



For my birthday dinner I had these:

Mere words cannot describe how delicious these ravioli were. The sauce was made from the pan drippings of the roasted meat used for the fillings. Super light, and full of flavor.

That night, after dinner, I sat on "my" terrace with a glass of wine. I looked up. The sky was packed with stars. I even saw a shooting star. It was so relaxing and peaceful.

Thanks to my friends, I had so much fun on my birthday I forgot to be in a bad mood.

I adore the area. It's interesting to me that one of the best (if not the best according my wine expert friends) wine regions in Italy is so undiscovered by the busloads of American tourists who go to wine tastings in Tuscany. We saw one American couple. That's it. We did see quite a few cars with French, German and Swiss plates.

Maybe it's because most of the Piemontese producers are small?

Sitting on the terrace hearing nothing but the wind through the trees, I wish I had a house in the country. A place to sit and write. I would love to own a place in Piemonte. After the drive, I realized it's too far from Rome. Way too far.

Yes, it's true I have no money now, but things are going to get better. And I will buy a house one day. It might not be until I'm sixty and it might be super tiny, but it will happen.

In the meantime, it's nice to know there are places where you do feel at home.

Sigh.



At Cantina del Glicine.


One of the best known producers in Italy.


I have to ask Diana for the name of this restaurant. UPDATE: See Diana's response below.


More Piemonte photos are on my FLICKRpage.

A bellissimo buttery yellow from Piemonte (via America and Germany)

I returned to Piemonte for my birthday. As a gift to myself, I bought this lovely bud vase and a bowl made by the very talented Diana Strinati Baur. Diana is an American who moved to Germany, then to Italy.



In this POST Diana talks about her long creative journey.

It's quite inspiring.

The photo below includes some of Diana's other pieces. I DIE for the yellow dessert plates with the pretty edges.

Someday I will place an order for those plates because I believe one day I will live in apartment and/or have a house big enough to entertain in.

For further information about her work/purchasing check out her BLOG.



I wanted to buy white Gerbera daises, but the flower stand only had yellow.

True, it is more expensive to buy something handmade. To me it's worth it.

There is no other vase on the planet that looks like this one. Diana could make fifty more vases using the same colors and the same method, yet each one would be unique.

I appreciate the time, creativity and love that went into every single piece.

This color cheers me up.

Operation "Live More, Worry Less" is in effect.

I hope everyone had a great summer. The locals are starting to return to Rome.

I'm looking forward to fall. It's time for a fresh start and I must make some changes in my life.

I don't know if it's the business I work in, being the first born of Caribbean parents with high expectations, being a Virgo, a New Yorker/Jerseyite, an anal retentive American or what, but I have a bad habit of winding myself into a super tight ball of stress.

This year, I really went over the edge. And for what? It's not like anything changed. I have to let go of my control freak ways and get a grip.

This will be hard for me to do. It's so against my nature. I always have a plan. Only recently did I stop with the whole five, ten, fifteen year plans.

Last week I celebrated another birthday. I realized I have a big one coming up in a few years. Do I want to look back on this decade as the one where all I did was worry and stress the hell out?

I'm at the age where friends are starting to lose their parents, or are battling cancer. Instead of wallowing in self-pity about what is not in my life (a house, a man, a savings account, financial security, my next job, a Birkin, etc.) I am going to do my best to appreciate what is in it.

I had a long talk with my parents about my work/money situation. They are very understanding and supportive. Without them I would have to forget about Hollywood and call it a day. Many people assume that because JUMPING THE BROOM was a hit, I must be rolling in dough or have a billion jobs lined up. That is not the case. Not even close. Post JTB I had a big wake up call. I will get into that in few weeks. I need to let the rage subside a bit.

At first I wasn't going to go away for my birthday weekend. Instead I planned to hold on to the birthday gift from my parents for living expenses.

Then I thought about it. What is a living expense, only rent, food, bills? Of course I can't/won't go crazy spending money I don't have. I'm not irresponsible.

The other extreme I was following, budgeting every single euro wasn't healthy either. I have to find a middle ground. The only things that are certain in this world are death and taxes. What I feared and stressed out about the most happened and yet I'm still here.

As I sat on a TERRACE on a hill in Piemonte I made a vow to myself to live more, worry less.

I'm not sure how things will go. I feel I did take a major step in the right direction last weekend.

I will write about Piemonte next week. I have a bunch a photos to go through. Grazie mille to Diana & Micha for making my birthday weekend so special.

If you have some good advice or links about how to become less of a control freak, I'm all ears.


UPDATE: Several friends have sent me the link below.

http://zenhabits.net/

Day Trip: Amazing Spaghetti con Vongole in Santa Marinella

A few weeks ago I took a much needed break and went to Santa Marinella. I work up at 5:00 a.m. to make sure I wrote 2000 words before getting on the train.

The beach is north of Rome. The water is not as nice as Sperlonga's (which is a Blue Flag Beach), but it's much nicer than Ostia's.

It's closer than Sperlonga, just 40 minutes or so on the train. A round trip ticket from Trastevere station is only 7 euros.

My friend Erica had recommended eating lunch at La Piazzette, Piazza Trieste, 13a, (39) 392-891-5356.

Mamma Mia! Their Spaghetti con Vongole was some of the best I've had in my life. The pasta was perfectly al dente.

The town itself is pretty small. There is a cute boardwalk with shops and a few cafes. I went during a weekday. It was very quiet. I'm sure during a summer weekend, the place is packed.

It was good to get out and the smell fresh sea air. I hope someday I will be able to have a house not too far from the sea/ocean. In the meantime, I will try to go to the beach at least once a month. It's so close.


I was sitting under a red umbrella. That's why the pasta looks pinkish. The restaurant has outdoor seating on small piazza. They gave me too much wine.


Fried calamari. Mi piacciono!


Perhaps the owner of this boat is a STAR WARS fan.


There was a friendly older local gentleman standing next to me as I took pictures of this fruit stand. He was probably wonder why the heck I was taking photos of something so ordinary. I thought the fruit was beautiful.


The sea.


Maybe later next month I will return and rent a chair and an umbrella for the day.

Flashback Friday - St. Peter's cell - Mamertine Prison

We're talking very old school today...over 2000 years.

I wrote a guest post for Nile Guide about Rome's Mamertine Prison.

It is believed to be the first maximum security prison in Rome and the place where St. Peter was held before his crucifixion.

It's an incredible place to visit. Post is HERE.

Have a great weekend.

Day Trip to Gaeta

Last week in an attempt to escape the heat, I hopped on a train and went to Gaeta.

I had a refund from Trenitalia and I really needed a break from my non-AC apartment. It was a perfect little trip.

I walked around the Historic Center and took a lot of pictures. For lunch I sat on La Cantinella Gaetana's outdoor patio and enjoyed the cool breeze. The restaurant a friend had suggested, Masaniello, was closed for lunch.

I had a conference call, so I headed back to Rome after lunch. I would love to return to Gaeta and explore the area a little more. There are national parks near by, beautiful beaches, historic churches, etc.

The locals were very nice and also very tan. A group of outrageously gorgeous people got on the bus on their way to the beach. It was too much. To paraphrase Zoolander, they were really, really, ridiculously good looking.

There is also a NATO base in the area, where many Americans are stationed.

It's about an hour train ride from Termini to Formia station...30 euros round trip. You catch the local Cotral bus to Gaeta. Buy your ticket (one euro) at the newsstand in the station before getting on the bus. It's approximately 15 minutes to the Historic Center.

Walking around the hills reminded me of St. Martin. I was happy to see the ocean.

It was so quiet. There were hardly any tourists. I saw a few Italian families taking photos.

Gaeta is closer to Naples than it is to Rome. The history (see link above) of this small ancient city is incredible. During WWII the German troops who occupied the city made the locals leave. Those who couldn't, were sent to concentration camps.

Day Trip from Rome: Castel Gandolfo

This little town 40 minutes (by train) outside of Rome is the Pope’s summer residence.

A couple weeks ago I decided to take quick trip out of the city. Unfortunately, it was a Saturday. I had no desire to deal with all the crowds going to Sperlonga, or any other beach, so I headed for the lake instead.

Castel Gandolfo is definitely worth a day trip if you have time. It’s easy to get to and cheap. Only 1.90 euros each way.

The center of town is tiny! On the main square, Piazza della Libertà, there’s a very pretty church, San Tommaso di Villanova. It was designed by one of my favorites, Bernini.

The day I went just happened to be the same weekend as their Sagra. They were setting up dining tables, a stage and music was playing.

There were also tables selling local wines, cheeses, hand made crafts, African jewelry, etc. I saw one table filled with Scientology paraphernalia. It tripped me out to see Hubbard’s Dianetics in Italian. I wanted to take a photo but didn’t want to risk the Scientologists asking me to take a “test”. For a minute I felt like I was back in L.A. on Franklin Blvd. across from the CoS’s Celebrity Center.

For lunch I went to the restaurant, Hosteria La Fraschetta. All the outdoor tables were packed. I ordered the Rigatoni alla Carbonara. My glass of wine was a very full pour.

There were so many photos inside of Pope John Paul II. I can see why the Pope liked La Fraschetta. My pasta was delicious.

I got completely lost walking down to the lake. I should have turned left, not right leaving the train station. On the upside I saw a lot of pretty villas. I talked to a tourist from Toronto as we took photos of two donkeys. I assume they were wild. I wondered where they came from.

It was cooler by the lake. When I arrived it looked like it was going to pour but then it cleared up. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

Hosteria La Fraschetta
Corsa della Repubblica, 58
Castel Gandolfo (centro storico)
+(39) 06-936-1312
Closed on Mondays

Random donkey sighting.


View from a restaurant on a side street in the Historic Center.


Get your Sagra on!


Perfectly cooked pasta. I could eat it every single day.


I'm an ocean person but this small lake is very pretty. Lots of green.

Moscerina's very funny (and informative) post on our trip to Bologna

It's clear Erica writes about travel. Her POST actually has addresses, photos, links, etc.

I agree with her that Mister Gal is not a great name for a boutique.

Day Trip to Bologna: Part 2.. .Chocolate, Kettle Chips, Balenciaga and Porticos

Last week I wrote about the lunch we had in Bologna.

The first thing I noticed when we arrived in Bologna, was the lack of tourists. Like Naples, Bologna is not packed with international tourists compared to cities like Venice, Rome and Florence. I would highly recommend taking a trip to Bologna if you have time. For such a small city there is a lot to see and do.

You can tell this city doesn't cater to tourists because most places shut down at lunch time. Even the MAC make up store was closed from 1 - 3:30 p.m.

There are several stunning piazzas in Bologna. Basilica di San Peitronia near Piazza del Nettuno is a must see. The facade is incomplete. The locals wanted to make it bigger than St. Peters but the Church put the kaboosh on that idea. No pictures are allowed inside. I didn't know this until I heard, "Scusa, no foto."

Being a broke ragazza is no fun. We went to EATALY, a book/food store. This Torino based store has a branch in Milano, Bologna, Tokyo and New York City but not in Rome? This is an outrage!

E and I walked in and saw KETTLE CHIPS. Americans, you know of what I speak. I haven't seen those chips since I moved overseas two years ago. I bought the Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar. Delicious. I also found the Limone Gazzosa soda I've been looking for all over Rome. They sell four-packs of them. There were rows of pasta from all over Italy and other food items. I had to get out of there.

We also stepped into a very funky clothing store. I looked to my right and there was a wall display with several Balenciaga bags. TEARS.

The Professor did not understand why E and I were going on and on about this store. The clothes were very fashion forward but I also saw some nice classic styles. Too bad everything was out of my price range. My range these days is 7 euros...enough for some chips and soda. The 1,400 euros Balenciaga bags will have to wait.

In the afternoon, we went to the Roccati chocolate store when it re-opened. Founded in 1909, it's a little pricey but good handmade chocolate always is.

This store was on Via Clavature, the same street as the MAC store and the hip clothing boutique.

Neptune standing over his piazza.


What the heck is she doing?


Some of the porticos are very elaborate. This one is more minimalist.


Chocolate.


More chocolate.

Guest Post - A Day In The Life Of An Expat In Perugia

Here's a lovely post from Tina, one of the first expats I "met" way back when I was thinking of moving to Italy. It's a slice of life look at a beautiful place. Grazie Tina.

A Day in the Life of an Expat in Perugia

I live outside the historic city center of Perugia, in a very tranquil place. I have a view of a castle, the Umbrian hills and some cypress trees. Since I work from home, it's very easy for me to spend the whole day inside at my computer. Now that I don’t live "downtown” anymore, trips into the city (just a few minutes away by bus) are excursions I look forward to.

Yesterday I decided to get out of the house, enjoy the cold, sunny weather and go grocery shopping. I rode the bus to central neighborhood of Monteluce. Where my bus stops, you can see bars, bakeries, a pharmacy and a butcher shop, among other things. It’s bustling. The main thing that stands out for me is the imposing medieval church of Santa Maria di Monteluce, next to the Misericordia hospital. I've been known to forget to get off the bus, too busy admiring its rose-colored gothic facade. I always forget my camera when I go into the city and yesterday was no different. Someday I’ll capture an image of it.

As I made my way through the grocery store, stopping for my usual items (wine, cheese, chocolate, oranges, vegetables, pasta), I had a feeling I should pay extra attention to the aisle I was in. I looked up and saw tortillas, tortillas chips, salsa, peanut butter, mustard, mayonnaise, curry sauce and Tabasco sauce. Nearby, basmati rice. My jaw dropped in wonder. I'm usually in my little Italian bubble when I do leave the house, and I forgot that Perugia is actually pretty international. In fact, now I remember a store on the other side of the city that sells Thai ingredients and even yerba mate, the national drink of Argentina. I have got to get out more.

I walked to my bus stop in the crisp air, checked the bus schedule and while I was studying the bus times, a familiar sound rose to my ears. There was a couple, also studying the bus schedule, but they were speaking Spanish, with Argentine accents. I smiled, half wanting to talk to them.

Meanwhile an old man started to sing. And sing and sing. To me. I distracted myself from him and walked over to the window display of the tobacco shop. This shop sells not only cigarettes but also costume jewelry and perfume. Every time I walk by I have an impulse to buy all three of those items and go home and listen to Edith Piaf.

I noticed the singing old man boarding a bus so I returned to the stop and admired the women around me in their fur coats, one with sunglasses even though the sun had set by now. The bells of Santa Maria di Monteluce began to ring and continued to do so for about 5 minutes. I looked from the fur-clad ladies to the tobacco shop window to the church, all the while listening. It was one of those moments in which everything I loved about Italy was present at the same time.

A couple arrived at the bus stop and began arguing. Her Italian was very Russian-accented. Their arguing would intensify with each bus that pulled up. Finally, my bus arrived. I settled into a seat, grateful that I was no longer in the cold. Two people boarded the bus and began happily chatting in Polish. I smiled to myself, realizing that for being a small city in the middle of Italy, Perugia has a lot going on and is very receptive to immigrants. Earlier in the day I had been craving a larger city with a more international population (and am thus planning a trip to Florence soon), but on this little outing I realized that I am surrounded by people from just about everywhere. This could be a sign of the times – and a very positive one indeed.

Tina Ferrari is a translator, writer and tango dancer based in Umbria. She can be found at her own blog, Tina Tangos as well as AffordableCallingCards.net. **If you're an expat blogger in Italy, stop by and enter the Blogging from the Boot contest!**

Tina Tangos

AffordableCallingCards.net

Blogging from the Boot contest

Guest Post - Merging Cultures: Three Ways to Share Your New Culture With Your Old Family

Today's Guest blogger (my first!) is one of my favorite people, the lovely Cherrye.

Like me, Cherrye is an American living in Italy. She lives in Calabria with her husband, where they own a B&B.

Cherrye's a very talented writer (it runs in her family) and I loved meeting her and Peppe earlier this year. I felt kinda bad for him because Cherrye and I like to talk. Uhmm, a lot. ha

Her advice below is on point. Here's a link to her blog, My Bella Vita.


Merging Cultures: Three Ways to Share Your New Culture With Your Old Family
"I remember feeling like a kid on a candy-crazed high during my first trip to Europe. I loved each new place more than the last and I couldn’t wait to get home and share these experiences with my family.

I wanted to take them to the top of the Eiffel Tower with me, share some homemade pistachio gelato with them and splash them with a bit of Nessie’s water from her near-frozen loch.

When I got home I was surprised to learn they didn’t care to climb to the top of Notre Dame and watching The Sound of Music was as close to Salzburg as they cared to get.

I didn’t get it.

I continued to travel and would report home with mom’s magnet, they’d look at pictures and that was that.
But when I moved to Italy it all changed.

No, it wasn’t them-it was me. I changed my approach to sharing and discussing my new culture and whatdoyouknow, they were hooked on Italy, too.

Here are three ways you can share your new culture with your old friends and family back home.

1. The Way to a Man (and your mom’s) Heart
… is still through food.

When I go to Texas I make a point of taking fun Calabrian ingredients they don’t normally eat back home. Sometimes it is limoncello, other times it is traditional Italian Christmas candy and often it is a new pasta recipe or homemade dessert idea they wouldn’t have tried on their own.

2. Education as a Weapon
Nelson Mandela said education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. So why not start with your family?

When I started reporting on what I’d learned about Italy, the history of the buildings they were seeing in photos and how Italians do things differently than we do back home-my family started listening.

It wasn’t enough for them to just look at pictures. Once they understood the history and could appreciate the background, they understood why I love this country.

3. Lasting Impressions

If you are intent on sharing your new culture with your family, then take them gifts they can’t get in the states. For example, my mother now proudly displays La Befana
every year with her Christmas decorations and she uses her Italian porcelain salad tongs every time she serves dinner.

Credit: Clarita82 at Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarita_it/

What other ideas do you have for sharing your new culture with your family and friends back home?"

Cherrye Moore is a freelance writer and B&B owner living in Calabria, Italy. She writes for aAffordable Calling Cards where they sell prepaid calling cards to Italy, and about living and traveling in Calabria on her site, My Bella Vita.

Some pictures from Acqui Terme

Acqui Terme is in the Piemonte region of Italy.

That this tiny town has so many butchers, bakers and wine shops in addition to the excellent selection found in the grocery stores, tells you they are not playing when it comes to food.

The area is known for it's hot springs. In the center of town you can feel the heat pouring out of one.

I saw very few tourists. Everyone was super friendly. The garbage man saying buon giorno caught me off guard.

I went to the Cathedral, which was beautiful. I spent a lot of time inside looking at all the art.

The archeological museum is small. I was the only person in there. Most of the exhibits were of pottery and jewelry so I was pretty happy.

The trip reinforced my desire to buy a weekend place in the country. For a minute I was thinking I should focus on buying an apartment in Rome first. However, I really want to garden and the chances of me being able to afford a place in Rome with a terrace is rather slim.

I’m going to keep thinking positive thoughts about buying property. So what if I’m broke? I have to believe this state is temporary or I would have a complete, “I’m going to end up a bag lady” meltdown.

This water was boiling hot. You could see the steam a block away.


Inside the cathedral.


I like this blue light. So striking.


The front of the cathedral.

A wine tasting at Borgo Maragliano, Piemonte, Italy

The Piemonte area of Italy is known for its outstanding wines.

The ride up to the Borgo Maragliano vineyard was very pretty but scared me. Seriously, the hair pin turns going up the mountain were no joke. As we continued up the mountain, I wondered how do people manage when it snows?

It was Diana and Micha's first visit to this vineyard. It had been recommended by another Piemontese.

The vineyard has been in the family for five generations. Silvia, the daughter-in-law, did the tasting. She was fantastic. Silvia really knows her wine and has a great personality. She has a degree in literature and speaks several lanauges. Her husband studied oenology. She travels all over the world and Italy for the vineyard.

I’ve been to wine tastings before in Napa. This was more personal. We met Silvia's husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law who was with her great grandchildren.

The wine was excellent and very reasonably price.

I like being able to buy directly from the grower. I think it’s important to support local growers. When I went to pay for my wine, Silvia refused to take my money and wished me a happy birthday.

I picked the Crevoglio Chardonnay. I loved their prosecco but since I live by myself I thought sparkling wine was not the way to go. Once you open a bottle, you have to drink it pretty qyickly. Their Moscato d’Asti was also incredible. It’s one of their biggest sellers, especially in Asia.

When I lived on the States I avoided Chardonnay (when did Chardonnay get such a bad rep?). The Crevoglio, however, is delicious.

Here is their website. I believe you need to call ahead and make reservations for a tasting.

The vineyard.


This was in the old wine cellar. The family used to fill this section with snow (there was a hole in the ceiling) and it would be the refrigerator for the farm. It was so nice and cool in the cellar.


Silvia in the tavernetta which dates from 1750.


The Madonna keeping an eye on things.

Day Trip to Naples, Part Two: Electric Boogaloo

My friend E has posted photos on her blog including one of this fab woman on her motorino wearing plaid shorts and plaid shoes. Never mind that they weren't the same plaid pattern, girlfriend was rocking her outfit.

Everything seems bigger/exaggerated in Naples, including the fashion.

I forgot to mention the one brutta figura incident. E.'s response to the woman was, "I have a lot to say." haha

E. has a newborn so we don't get to see each other too often. The train ride was the perfect time to catch up.

A quick day trip to Naples: Art and some of the best pizza in the world.

Yes I realize saying the pizza is some of the best in the world is a bold statement but I stand by it. More on that later.

On Friday my friend E. and I went down the Naples. Of course forgot my camera. If E. posts photos to her blog, I'll link to them.

Now that I think about it, we were a little crazy. We took the slow train down (had to save money) and spent more time on the round trip than in Naples itself. ha

First we went to MADRE (Museo D'Arte Contemporanea Donna Regina). There was a Pop Art exhibit (ends later this month). I'm not the biggest Jeff Koons fan or of Pop Art but loved the Museum.

There's a great permanent collection and the space itself is worth a visit. This contemporary art museum is a former 13th Century palazzo. On the third floor there is a huge terrace with incredible views of the city and Mount Vesuvius.

There is a fantastic Francesco Clemente mural and tiled floor.

After the museum we went to Santa Maria Donna Regina Vecchia. This church was started in 780. There was massive earthquake in 1293 and the church was rebuilt.

It's beautiful and one of the few Gothic style churches in Italy.

I was starving by lunch time. I had no idea the pizza place E. was looking for was the infamous Da Michele. There are only two types of pizza to choose from; Margherita or Marinara.

This place is worth the hype. I'm used to the thinner, crispier Roman crust (and like it) but I would return to Naples just for the pizza. After all it's the place where this amazing dish was invented.

Da Michele opened in the 1870 and it's nothing fancy. It feels like a neighborhood joint. There was a wait to be seated but the pizza arrives quickly after you order. We sat in the first room where we could see the chefs put the pizza in the old wood burning ovens.

I assume the key to the great taste are the fresh simple ingredients. Growing up with excellent pizza I'm picking about my pie and my slices. I have eaten Dominos and Pizza Hut in the past (college, office parties, etc. ) and I'm glad I never have to again.

This was my second time in Naples. It's Rome squared...so hectic, chaotic and mixed with astounding beauty. I felt so disoriented. There appears to be no urban planning at all. You walk down a block and look into what you think is a store window but it's someone's living room. The elaborate religious shrines are incredible. In Rome everyone wears helmets when driving/riding scooters, Naples? No.

Another thing that stood out in Naples was the lack of tourists. We saw a few in da Michele but that's it.

Random note: Did Trenitalia have someone completely redo their website? I bought my train tickets online and printed out my paper tickets no problem.

The site was easy to navigate and for certain routes you receive a discount when you book online. Two years ago I tried to use the site and got so frustrated I gave up and just bought my tickets at the station.

Under The (chilly) Tuscan Sun

Once again it seems every chid in Italy is in my neighborhood. It's the Epiphany today. School is out. No mail delivery and quite a few of my friends are not returning to work until next week.

The day after Christmas my friend who made the amazing Christmas lunch invited me to join her and her friends in Tuscany. You know I like to plan my spontaneous actions but decided to just go. The next day we took the train to a very small town three hours from Rome.

My friend lived there for a while before moving back to Rome. There were no other expats when she lived and there still aren't any. No wonder her Italian is perfect.

Oh I get the whole Tuscan love now. Darn Tuscany filling my head with silly dreams of a farm house on a hill surrounded by a beautiful garden, views, veggies and maybe even a couple chickens. Darn you!

The center of town was maybe a block and a half long. Everyone was super friendly. We went to the little bar/cafe/tabacchi both days. How can you not love a place where an excellent glass of prosecco is two euros!! When we ordered three glasses and the owner said that will be six euros I assumed he meant each. Non tutto.

The bar was nothing fancy. We were chilling while the TV aired Cocoon dubbed, some older gentlemen were reading the paper while at another table, a group of teenagers flirted.

The next day we went to the bakery to buy something for our host. The owner gave us free slices of this amazing bread (still warm) while we waited for her to wrap our purchases.

The family we stayed with were warm and feed us extremely well. The whole family lives together in a big house (separate wings). I was thinking about my siblings and how great it would to be able just to walk downstairs or next door and see them. Not sure how my in-laws would feel about that though, it might get on their nerves. Ha.

It must be nice to have your parents near you and not thousands of miles a way. Living with your children is the norm for older people in the Caribbean but it's very unusual in America.

I'm still thinking about the lunch we had with the entire family, the fresh bread from the town bakery with just the right amount of salt and olive oil ( the name escapes me but it starts with an "S"), the prosciutto and sausage from local pigs, the wine (I'm detoxing. In three days I drank more wine than I do in maybe two weeks), the views, did I mention the wine? etc.

My friend said I have to come back in the spring when everything is in bloom.

It was freezing. It snowed the next day after our visit but didn't stick.

At night it was very dark and quiet. When we walked back to the house from "the town" there was one part that was completely dark. No house lights, no street lights, nothing. Were I walking by myself I would have been freaked the heck out as there are wild boars in the area. Even walking with two other people I was nervous.

A room with a view.


Wine!


View from the center.

A day trip to Orvieto

On my birthday I took a day trip to Orvieto.

The town is an hour or so train ride from Rome’s Termini Station. The trip costs 14-22 euros round trip depending on which train you take (the slower train has a few additional stops). Once you arrive in Orvieto, the funicular will take you up the hill.

Some tourists took the little bus from the funicular to the Duomo but it’s easy walking distance (you can walk the entire villiage in a an hour or two) and quite scenic.

This is a beautiful hill town in Umbria built on tufa rock. It has been settled for thousand of years and was an important Etruscan city.

The major attraction is the Duomo, started in 1290. It has a very ornate exterior. I don’t think I’ve seen a Duomo with such bright colors before.

Orvieto is also know for it’s local white wine, the Classcio, pottery and lace making. Get there early as the place is packed with tourists.

Once inside the Duomo, look for the San Brizio Chapel. It’s five euros to enter and the ticket also covers the fee for the Museum. It is worth the price as one of the Renaissance’s greatest frescos is located inside the chapel. Luca Signorelli's nudes because famous for the subject matter and the form. They inspired Michelangelo’s own Last Judgment for the Sistine Chapel.

The views from the hill town are spectucular. If you get a chance, take time to explore the town, getting away from the touristy part by the Duomo. It’s beautiful. There is a tour that takes you through the underground caves.

I look forward to exploring more of Umbria and Tuscany once I learn how to drive stick and get my Italian drivers license.

On my Flickr page I have more detailed photos of the exterior and the interior of Duomo and other shots of this bellissima town.


Here is a photo of the Signorelli fresco, The Preaching of the Antichrist. See the woman in the foreground with the red top? She is described as a “whore” who is accepting money for “services rendered”. She also has the face of Signorelli’s ex-girlfriend who had recently broken up with him. Damn, I guess he put her on blast.


A view of the countryside.


How much do I love the new Fiat 500/Cinquecento? The Italy strips on this one cracked me up.


A picture of the Duomo