My New Love....Venice

We left Pergola with mixed feelings. On one hand we were excited to see Venice. On the other, we would miss the small town feel and lovely people of Pergola. The trip started out bad. Our bus driver was in no hurry and we ended up missing our train. Of course, there was another so we waited at the station for almost an hour. We finally caught a train to Falconara. I did not get the "fast" train (the things you learn AFTER a trip) so we stopped at just about every stop in between Falconara and Bologna. Once in Bologna, the trains stopped because of a driver strike....ugh!! I was so exhausted, I didn't care how much it cost, I just wanted a hotel room, a clean bed and a big plate of pasta. We walked across the street to a nice looking hotel. 150 euros a night...good enough. Once checked in and settled we ordered pasta, rigatoni with meat sauce. It was one of the most delicious plates of food I have ever had! I didn't realize I was that hungry! 

We got up early the next morning and caught the "fast" train to Venice. Geez.....if I had known about the fast train, I would have booked it for the entire trip. Oh well, we had finally made it to Venice!!

I loved Venice the very moment we stopped off the train. The air was crisp, clean and sweet. People were friendly and happy. The sun was spreading glitter on the canals....gorgeous!! The Chef went to get vaporetto tickets while I chased The Girl around and tried to keep her from falling into the canal.Which I kind of think she tried to do on purpose....The Chef came over and told me there was a vaporetto driver strike and they were only going as far as the Rialto. AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! We needed to get to the Castillo district, which I was NOT going to walk to! Not after Rome!! So we grabbed a water taxi at 60 euros and didn't even care the cost. We were just happy to finally be in Venice. The Grand Canal, the baroque buildings, all of it and everything....so incredible!

Our apartment was right off Via Girabaldi, an area where it was mostly locals with wonderful restaurants, shops and produce markets.

I was totally enamoured by the twisty alleyways, the colorful laundry hung to dry high overhead and the dogs with coats but no leashes. Since there are no cars in Venice, most dogs, and kids for that matter, are allowed to wander. It is almost festival like in the way Venetians greet and mingle with each other.

After leaving our apartment to explore our neighborhood, we stopped at a sidewalk cafe for a little refreshment. A nibble and some vino were just what we needed to recharge our batteries. We started walking towards the lagoon. The Girl was in front of us and she came around the corner and and stopped dead in her tracks and just stared. There, smack dab in front of us was a carnival set up along the lagoon. Our first night in Venice was spent riding a merry go round and a roller coaster that looked like a worm with some serious dental issues. It was totally unexpected and so much fun. How many kids get to say their first roller coaster ride was in Venice with San Giorgio Maggiore in the background?!? We rode those rides until the sun went down.

Afterward we found a seafood restaurant right by our apartment for dinner. I had the grilled shrimp. They were huge, delicious monsters that covered a platter the size of my ass!! The Girl was quite entertained watching mommy hork those bad boys down.

The next day was spent trying to cram as much as possible into our only full day in Venice. We went to San Marco Piazza but not into the buildings. We just didn't have the time.... We had gelato and mulled wine. Then we started wandering. What an absolutely incredible city!! Something fun and fantastic was around every single corner.

We did not want to leave....ever. For a people watcher like me, Venice was heaven! We went in January so there were not as many tourists as normal. Plus the location of our apartment allowed us to blend in with the amazing people who are lucky enough to call Venice home.

Something about this busy, crowded, over the top city spoke to my soul. I cannot wait to return and get lost in the dark, twisty alleys of this amazing city!!

Warm, Welcoming Pergola

Wood smoke. That is the first thing I noticed as we walked into the historical center of town. The smell of wood smoke always makes me think of winter holidays in the mountains.   It is a very inviting smell to me so I was happy.  We had finally made it to Pergola. Rome’s Termini Station was a nightmare. I couldn’t print our tickets at the self-service kiosk for some reason so that meant I got to stand in line. Once we got the tickets, they did not say what train, what platform or any distinguishing information what so ever. For those of you who are not familiar with Italy’s train system, your ticket says where you get on and where you are getting off. The train says WHERE IT IS GOING. If you are not familiar with the route or small, farm towns on the route, you are pretty much screwed.  This after the taxi drivers going on strike that morning so we had to lug all of our stuff almost a mile to the metro station and take the metro to Termini…all with a tired, cranky 2 year old who wanted to be carried, which by the way is impossible when you are wrestling with 2 44lb suitcases, 2 overstuffed carry-on bags, an umbrella stroller and a backpack filled with filthy stuffed animals and a “bankie”. We finally got our train and settled in. Thanks to our seat mate, we were able to be ready to get off on our stop with all of our stuff. Because let me tell you, you do not have much time to collect your things!  We then had about 30 minutes to wait for the BUS! Now, just a little side note, when I bought the train tickets on line, it seemed to me that they were TRAIN tickets all the way to Pergola. Once we got to Fabriano though we were told there is no train that goes to Pergola, just a bus. We were less than an hour from our destination and I was not happy. Turns out, the bus is really nice! It drops you in the middle of nowhere but hey, we are over fed, over pampered American’s, we could handle it!! Let me tell you, once we saw the first landmark that was on our map from the couple we were renting from, we were very happy.  Right after this is when I noticed the wood smoke and also the old, cobblestone streets. Yay!! We had finally made it! And it was what we were hoping for. An old, Italian town.

Our apartment was on the 2nd floor (3rd American) with great views of the side streets and flower shop. By this time it was almost 7 pm and we were tired and starving. We literally, dropped our bags and headed out the door to find a place to eat. We didn’t care what it was as long as it was food. Right up the road we found a pizza by the slice shop. The guy working the counter was very nice. We asked “English?” He laughed and said “NO”. So we learned how to say zucchini in Italian (zucchini J). They also had grande birra. They had good pizza and beer, we were happy. We scarfed down 6 pieces and a beer and headed home. As we left we could see the counter guy and the other customers watching us out the windows. I laughed and told Nathan that we were going to be the talk of the town. The town of Pergola knew we had arrived!

We woke to beautiful misty hills and lovely cobblestone streets. What a fabulous change from the dirty streets of Roma. The Girls favorite thing to do is stand on the balcony and listen to the church bells ring. There is a flower shop right on the corner from us and the old gentleman who helps run it waves to Naia and she yells “buon giorno” to him. Everyone loves The Girl! Every shop we go into she gets handed candy or bread or some kind of treat by the shop keeper. Our first lunch in Pergola was wonderful cured salami and a few different kinds of cheeses. We also had olives, fresh bread and pickled fish from the markets. We had Traminer too!! J That makes me very happy! I love Traminer but have always had to special order it through a wine shop or order it online. It is 10 euros a bottle here……..I believe I have paid no less than $25 a bottle in the states.

Our agenda was to wander the streets and get a feel for the town. The old part of town took us less than 1 hour to go through. There is a park for the girl to play in and plenty of old churches.  We went to another local restaurant for dinner. The pizza is OUT OF THIS WORLD!! What am I going to do when I leave and can’t have it again?!? Their house rosso vino is also very good. And it is 2.50 euros a half liter…..yeah, I know….CRAZY!!

Our second full day in Pergola started beautiful and sunny again. It was also Saturday and my 39^th birthday. There is a Saturday market here where they shut down the entire main street and vendors set up shop. There were a lot of clothes and shoes. The Chef found a nice hat and The Girl found a moto rider that she had to have. There were also salumi & fromaggi trucks as well as a fish monger and produce trucks. Since most shops close on Sundays we stocked up on cheese, meats and produce before going home. Later we stopped at the baker and butcher as well. Oh yeah, we also hit the enoteca JThe best gift I received was my sweet girl coming in and telling me “happy birthday, mama” and getting a very big hug and kiss. The Chef and The Girl also got me a very nice necklace and earrings. The Chef  took The Girl to the park and I got almost 2 hours of quiet to just sit and read as well!! It was so nice.

When they came home they had a huge bouquet from Teresa’s Fiore on the corner. The Girl had a very sweet little bouquet that the gentleman in the shop made for her J When they walked in there was a friend of Liz’s (who’s apartment we are renting) in there. She is the English teacher we believe. She knew who The Chef was as soon as they walked in and said it was a good reason for everyone to practice their English J I told you we would be the talk of the town!! Everyone is so sweet and accommodating. I have realized that my sad little knowledge of Italian is very insufficient! Even the parole I know I do not recognize when spoken to me L I need total immersion!

 

Sunday in Italy is quiet. Everyone is going to church or already at church. Most shops are closed and the main street is pretty desolate. We took our normal morning walk around town and then pretty much stayed in and watched movies and read. A nice quiet day.

Another beautiful day in Pergola! The sun is shining and it is warmer than it has been since we have been here. The Chef took The Girl to the park while I sat at the internet café and checked email and had a glass of blanco vino. After that we stopped at the bakery and got some cibatta.

The Chef made wonderful caprese sandwiches with fresh buffalo mozzarella and the fresh bread we had just picked up. So good!! And of course we had a very nice Friuli with lunch. Having wine with lunch makes it a necessity to have a short nap. We then took our evening walk around town. I could get used to the Italian way of life J

We finally made it to the museum today. It is small but nice. They have quite a few paintings. There is also a whole section on the town of Pergola. The Gilded Bronzes are pretty cool. We were the only people there.

On our way home we stopped at Café Centrale for an espresso. It is our favorite place to stop. Not only do they have coffee but they are an enoteca as well. They also have gummy candies Naia loves. The couple that run it are sweet too. We then did our nightly walk around town.

As we passed Teresa’s flower shop, she saw us and came out to say hi. People are starting to recognize us and say hello J of course we leave day after tomorrow….we are not ready.   Pergola has made us fall in love with Italy.

I have fallen hard for the misty hills in the mornings, the ringing of church bells and the wonderful charm of opening the shutters in the morning and closing them in the evening.

Our last day in Pergola….sigh. We are not ready to leave. The people here are so welcoming! We had dinner at Osteria della Borgo one last time. The flatbread is incredible!  We also bought a bottle of Lemoncello to bring home. We are looking forward to seeing Venice but are sad to leave the warm, welcoming town of Pergola.

Pergola is beautiful, warm and incredibly inviting. The people are lovely, unpretentious and so very welcoming. Go and see for yourself.  http://visitpergola.com/

Roma

Our trip to Roma began with us almost missing our shuttle to the airport. What a way to start the day! At Beauvais we were quite entertained while we waited for our flight. There was a guy dressed as Spiderman….the whole outfit. The Chef says he must have lost a bet J There was also a girl dropping condoms out of her pocket onto the floor. She must have enjoyed Paris J Our flight boarded on the tarmac. I felt like an old timey movie star! I wanted to turn at the top of the stairs and wave to my adoring fans, then I remembered I have no adoring fans….

When we got off the plane in Rome, I admit it, I cried just a little. It has been a dream of mine for over 25 years to go to Italy. I was finally there!!! We grabbed a cab to our apartment. The apartment itself was very nice. The area it was in? Questionable. Ok, if it wasn’t in the Roman ghetto, it was right on the edge. We also had over a half mile hike to the metro. With a 2 year old, that gets old quick! The owner of the apartment met us there and showed us the place and told us where the necessities were in the neighborhood were. There was a church next door so we heard church bells all the time. I fell in love with the sound.

Once we got settled in we all took a short nap. We were us so early and still fighting a touch of jet lag so instead of going out for dinner, The Chef went across the street and grabbed pizza for dinner. It was incredible!! So, so good. He also picked up a bottle of 2007 Riserva Vino Nobile Di Montelpulciano. YUM! So wonderful. There was also a small wrapped box. It looked like a birthday present the way it was wrapped. It was pastries. A nice finish to a long day of travel.

We got up early the next day and headed to the Coloseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum.  It was pretty cool to see The Girl frolicking in the ruins. She also had her first gelato. The Roman Forum is very impressive. I would love to spend a day just going through everything but with The Girl, it was a short visit. Guess that gives us an excuse to go back J

Our second full day was spent exploring the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Spanish Steps area. Beautiful!! This is where I found the Italy I had imagined in my head. Wonderful piazzas, great little shops and restaurants and beautiful buildings. The Trevi Fountain was more impressive than I thought it would be. The Girl threw her cento in and then wanted to climb in after it.

After seeing the sights we decided to sit down and have a nice lunch. We ordered a very nice bottle of Muller Thurgau. We started with a beautiful caprese appetizer and a salumi plate. One of the salami on the plate was filled with lardo……yum, yum, yum!!! I’m telling you, if I lived there I would be big as a house!

The Chef had a lovely gnocchi.

 I had ravioli stuffed with cheese and spinach. So fresh!

                                          After an espresso we took The Girl to get gelato.

She, of course, dropped hers about 5 seconds after getting it. It’s ok, mama really didn’t need hers after the lunch I just had J We had such a good day!

The next day it was time to see the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican and Sistine are so overwhelming!! There was just no way my mind could take it all in. Priceless works of art everywhere you turn. I had to stop and remind myself to find David at the Sistine Chapel. Incredible. The Girl slept through most of the Vatican and The Chef had to carry her, stroller and all up and down many, many, many steps. He is such a good daddy!

St Peter’s is AMAZING!!! The statues, gold, alter and everything else combined…..there are no words. Pictures do not even scratch the surface of its beauty.

Our last day in Roma was spent going to Piazza de Repubblica. There is a fountain there called Fountain of the Naiads.  Those of you who know your history know that a Naiad is a fresh water nymph. The Girl’s name is along the same lines so we HAD to take her there while we were in Roma. There is a beautiful, old church there as well. Afterward we walked back to the Trevi Fountain area to do a little shopping. It was The Chef’s birthday J As we were waiting to cross the street a girl on a scooter came up onto the sidewalk to park. In her haste to get up there she dumped the bike over almost onto The Girl’s stroller!! It bumped both the stroller and me over and almost into the street. Thank goodness nobody was hurt! We had a very nice lunch at a little café that was almost like a cave. It was good food and good wine, a perfect meal J The Chef found a bottle of 50 year old balsamic vinegar for his birthday present J He was quite happy.

We enjoyed our time in Roma but it was time to head to Pergola. We are spending a week in a 13^th century town in the countryside of Le Marche and are very excited! 

Amazing, Incredible Paris

We arrived in Paris around 1230 pm. The Girl was so exhausted she slept through getting off the plane and collecting our luggage. She also dozed most of the taxi ride to our apartment. Once we got to the apartment and got settled in we crashed! We slept for what we thought was 7 hours. According to our computer and our phone it was after 10 pm. We had not really eaten all day and were starving!! The Chef ran down to the grocery and it was still open and very busy. He got salami, cheese and stopped at the corner bakery for baguette. After we gorged ourselves we fell into bed. The Girl watched the tail end of a movie and we were out. She was up at 5am but we said no and put her back down. She went right back to sleep as did The Chef. I, on the other hand, was awake. I finally got up and closed myself in the kitchen to write. The Girl and The Chef got up around 7. At 8 The Chef headed out to get pastries. Nothing was open and there were no people on the streets. Come to find out our clocks on our electronics were wrong!! By 9 HOURS!! They were still on USA time. So, that means it was not 10pm when we woke up but 7pm. And The Chef was not out hunting down pastry at 8am but 5am…doh!! That means I was sitting in the kitchen writing at 2am….jet lag sucks.

We finally pulled it together enough to get out and walk down to Notre Dame. So beautiful and awe inspiring! Our apartment is less than a 10 minute walk to Ile de la Cite. After spending some quality time in Notre Dame we walked north a few blocks and got lunch at a take away joint. Our first lunch in Paris was on the Seine, brie pannini and café au lait for me and The Chef and hot dog and hot chocolate for The Girl.

Now, hot dogs in Paris are NOT just hot dogs…they are stuffed into a fresh baked baguette and covered in hot, bubbly cheese. It was a delicious lunch sitting on the side of the street with the river rushing by.

We then walked to Sainte Chappelle. There are absolutely no words to describe how incredible this place is!! All I can say is GO! Book your ticket to Paris NOW!!! It is worth every penny.

Our second full day in Paris was mostly a waste. Jet lag was really killing The Girl and me. We slept most of the day. And not just sleep but the kind of sleep where you remember things but think they are dreams because you are kind of still asleep. We finally got out around 630pm.

We walked back to Notre Dame to see it at night. It is so beautiful! Huge and imposing and gothic and inspiring all at the same time.

 After that we walked back to our apartment to decide what to do for dinner. We decided that close was all we required that night and hit the corner bistro. Literally, steps from our apartment. Let me tell you, some of the best food was found that night! Yay France!!

 I had the best foie gras I have ever had with a lovely glass of Sauternes for my first course. The Chef had escargot and it was yummy as well. For my main course I had risotto with prosciutto and house made sausages…..there is no describing the flavors…incredible!

The Chef had steak and it was good as well. The red house wine was better than most $20 bottles you can buy in the US. We also all had dessert. I know, we sound like a bunch of horking freaks!

All of this cost us UNDER $100 US and that was with the service charge…..Now, The Chef and I go out to nice dinners whenever we can. We could never get what we got at this restaurant here in the states for under $200. It was amazing.

We finally made it to La Tour Eiffel on the 4^th day in Paris. Meh…and I don’t mean that in a “waste of time” way. It’s just hard to get excited about a thing like the tower after seeing Sainte Chappelle and Notre Dame. It is lovely but it did not move me like the other monuments did. We took the metro for the first time in Paris to get there so The Girl got her very first metro ride. After the Tower we walked to Trocacero and the Arc de Triomphe. We stopped and let The Girl play on the playground at Champ de Mars as well. There is something about watching your child play with the Eiffel Tower in the background that made me very proud as a mama. We had planned on going back to the tower after dark but it didn’t happen. It’s hard to schlep a 2.5 year old with jet lag around an unknown city at night.

We went to the Louve on our last day in Paris. WOW! We did not even scratch the surface and cannot wait to go back. We saw the “big ones” and that was about it. The Girl was not having it.

We saw the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo and a couple of statue halls but not the Hall of Statues we wanted to see. The Chef and I are already planning a trip back without The Girl. It is so absolutely amazing.

                                                       The Girl's favorite statue because of the "reindeer".

After a short rest we walked around the Latin Quarter (our apartment was right on the edge). What a fabulous part of town!! We stopped to pick up dinner. Salami and duck pate from the charcuterie, wonderful baguette from the boulangerie (which The Girl ate half of on the way home) and some soft, stinky cheese from the fromagerie. Yes, that is how shopping should be. Everything is fantastically fresh and delicious.

Au revoir, Paris. The food, the wine, the architecture, the people. We have fallen desperately, passionately, crazy in love with Paris. Will anything measure up to you? We will see, for tomorrow we jet off to Roma.

Happy Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a lovely New Year. Our holidays were busy (as I'm sure everybody's is) and I am glad they are behind us! Not only was I trying to take care of Christmas while The Chef worked insane hours at work, we are also getting ready for a trip to France and Italy. WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?! Why, oh why, did I think it was a good idea to go to Europe immediately after the holidays? Oh well, I survived and so did everyone else that came into contact with me :) We have made some very yummy food lately. I took Turkish apricots stuffed with gorgonzola, almonds and thyme to a party.  I also took some endive stuffed with feta and pear. It wasn't the prettiest presentation but they were very tasty. There was also chiveche, tea sandwiches, and crustini with fromage blanc and caramelized onions. And lots and lots of wine....I can't wait for the party in February my Fabulous Photographer Friend is having where everyone gets to see her awesome pictures of Europe and everyone brings a dish from some other country!

The Girl got to make cookies with Grandma! Maybe it's just me but I think she did an incredible job and we have quite the little artist on our hands :)

We also made shortbreads. They happen to be my favorite cookie in the world! They turned out pretty good. It's a good think my recipe doesn't make that many because I always end up eating more than I give away. It's really very sad.

We decided to make biscuits but thought it would be fun to make them anything but round :) I have to say, star shaped biscuits taste better than round ones.

I made four cheese ravioli with creamy tomato sauce one night. So, so, so good!! I still have 2 bags in the freezer :)

Ok, peeps, I need to go and pack since we leave tomorrow morning. I will try and update in Italy but no promises. Until we talk again, eat and drink well!