Dear Footy Fans,
We know it's 6am grand final day your time and 10 pm the night before our time. We are here and you are there. We tried to hook up a tv coverage but it's full of bloody European football ! Go Figure ! These people do not understand what they are missing. Meatloaf, to say the least ! So we are going to stream on the iPad and scream in our room.game starts 7am our time.
Have a great day everyone provided you barrack for the blue and white horizontal stripes. Otherwise, go to hell in a hand basket with the rest of that black and white filth!
Go Cats!!!!!!
Siobhan and Kelly xxxxxx
Friday, 30 September 2011
A Bunch of Long Haired Dudes at Dinner, A Milano Coiffure, and Uber Cool Brera
Hello Traitors and Stylists,
Today we headed to The Last Supper to see what all the press is about. We had our reservations because when all said and done, it's a painting of a bunch of blokes, all in need of a good haircut, wearing Jesus sandals and looking a bit "carnie". How good could it be? Well dear readers, I have to say it was an awe inspiring and humbling experience.
Before Leonardo, this particular bible story was always depicted the same way. JC says "one of you will betray me". One of the apostles asks who and JC replies by saying whomever I pass this sop of bread to, is the one who will betray me and that is, as we know Judas Iscariot. So these last supper paintings always, pre Leo, showed JC passing the sop to Judas.
At the time Leonardo painted this picture, he was studying physical movement, the movement of sound and the effect of light and sound on movement. He was also rather keen on anatomy, taking his obsession a tad too far and used to cut up corpses so he could better understand tendons, sinew and the interplay with muscles. Proving that the line between a sociopath and a genius is a very fine interpretative line indeed!
His Last Supper starts and finishes only with the premise, that one of the dinner guests shall betray him. No pointing to Judas with a sop of bread. Why the Last Supper is unique and is alleged to have changed modern day painting from that point on, is because he shows the impact of that statement on each of the 12 apostles in both their expressions, their body language, their movement and the light being used to highlight and emphasis the acoustics of what is occurring. I can only say that knowing nothing about technique or any of that art stuff, when seeing this painting, you just get it. Brilliant.
So enough of being culture vultures, we head north away from the city hub and run across a huge castle which houses all these different museums. The castle is this amazing walled fortress that used to have a moat until Napoleon, the spoilt sport, drained it. So nonsense about plagues and the like. Anyway, you can just imagine a small population living inside the walls trying to withstand a siege from neighboring warlords.
We headed north east to Brera - a neighborhood of the City that is very Paris like with fabulous three and four story glorious old terrace housing. Here artisans and stylists ply there trade in furniture design, and beautiful people swan around looking very glamourous. We wandered around and Siobhan, now seven weeks since last haircut was starting to spend more than a desirable time in front of the mirror containing her bouffant-like hair with more and more product, was keen to see if there was a hairdresser here that she could take the risk with.
After much angst, she determined that Milan was probably the best place likely to achieve an edgy haircut, and...... If it was terrible, enough time would have lapsed by the time we get home that Courtney, would be able to fix it. So we come across a cool looking place called 6 Inches ( I didn't bother to tell Siobhan that I thought the name was a bad omen for someone after a trim......) but she booked and we headed for lunch until her appointment.
We stopped at a nearby ristorante and we totally lucked it. We were waited on by a lovely Indian guy who had lived in Italy since he was 5 years of age and was now 23. He then started to rattle off every Australian cricketer in the last 20 years and wanted to know if we had been to the Melbourne Cricket Ground! He was just delightful. He knew way more than we did about our national team.
Our lunch was an absolute dream. Home made spaghetti with roasted cherry tomatoes and parsley with half a lobster that had been grilled under a salamander with a butter sauce. I cannot tell you how exquisite this meal was. Served with a beautiful Pinot Grigio from Friuli. Molto molto bene!
I waited at the restaurant finishing the last of the wine whilst Siobhan had her hair cut. She returned very pleased (and relieved) with a very smart "do". We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Milan shopping district and enjoying the feel of the place. We finished our stay in Milan with a celebratory vino and headed to our Hotel Bruniscelli to pack and leave for Lake Como. Both of us, finding Milan a wonderful unanticipated place to visit and somewhere we would be happy to come back to.
Shop Wisely Bargain Hunters
Kelly & Siobhan xxxx
Today we headed to The Last Supper to see what all the press is about. We had our reservations because when all said and done, it's a painting of a bunch of blokes, all in need of a good haircut, wearing Jesus sandals and looking a bit "carnie". How good could it be? Well dear readers, I have to say it was an awe inspiring and humbling experience.
Before Leonardo, this particular bible story was always depicted the same way. JC says "one of you will betray me". One of the apostles asks who and JC replies by saying whomever I pass this sop of bread to, is the one who will betray me and that is, as we know Judas Iscariot. So these last supper paintings always, pre Leo, showed JC passing the sop to Judas.
At the time Leonardo painted this picture, he was studying physical movement, the movement of sound and the effect of light and sound on movement. He was also rather keen on anatomy, taking his obsession a tad too far and used to cut up corpses so he could better understand tendons, sinew and the interplay with muscles. Proving that the line between a sociopath and a genius is a very fine interpretative line indeed!
His Last Supper starts and finishes only with the premise, that one of the dinner guests shall betray him. No pointing to Judas with a sop of bread. Why the Last Supper is unique and is alleged to have changed modern day painting from that point on, is because he shows the impact of that statement on each of the 12 apostles in both their expressions, their body language, their movement and the light being used to highlight and emphasis the acoustics of what is occurring. I can only say that knowing nothing about technique or any of that art stuff, when seeing this painting, you just get it. Brilliant.
So enough of being culture vultures, we head north away from the city hub and run across a huge castle which houses all these different museums. The castle is this amazing walled fortress that used to have a moat until Napoleon, the spoilt sport, drained it. So nonsense about plagues and the like. Anyway, you can just imagine a small population living inside the walls trying to withstand a siege from neighboring warlords.
We headed north east to Brera - a neighborhood of the City that is very Paris like with fabulous three and four story glorious old terrace housing. Here artisans and stylists ply there trade in furniture design, and beautiful people swan around looking very glamourous. We wandered around and Siobhan, now seven weeks since last haircut was starting to spend more than a desirable time in front of the mirror containing her bouffant-like hair with more and more product, was keen to see if there was a hairdresser here that she could take the risk with.
After much angst, she determined that Milan was probably the best place likely to achieve an edgy haircut, and...... If it was terrible, enough time would have lapsed by the time we get home that Courtney, would be able to fix it. So we come across a cool looking place called 6 Inches ( I didn't bother to tell Siobhan that I thought the name was a bad omen for someone after a trim......) but she booked and we headed for lunch until her appointment.
We stopped at a nearby ristorante and we totally lucked it. We were waited on by a lovely Indian guy who had lived in Italy since he was 5 years of age and was now 23. He then started to rattle off every Australian cricketer in the last 20 years and wanted to know if we had been to the Melbourne Cricket Ground! He was just delightful. He knew way more than we did about our national team.
Our lunch was an absolute dream. Home made spaghetti with roasted cherry tomatoes and parsley with half a lobster that had been grilled under a salamander with a butter sauce. I cannot tell you how exquisite this meal was. Served with a beautiful Pinot Grigio from Friuli. Molto molto bene!
I waited at the restaurant finishing the last of the wine whilst Siobhan had her hair cut. She returned very pleased (and relieved) with a very smart "do". We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Milan shopping district and enjoying the feel of the place. We finished our stay in Milan with a celebratory vino and headed to our Hotel Bruniscelli to pack and leave for Lake Como. Both of us, finding Milan a wonderful unanticipated place to visit and somewhere we would be happy to come back to.
Shop Wisely Bargain Hunters
Kelly & Siobhan xxxx
Thursday, 29 September 2011
From Nature to Style City - arriving in Milano
Dear Fashionistas,
We enjoy a leisurely breakfast and catch the train to Milano. Train travel in Italy really is the go. It's inexpensive and despite all evidence to the contrary as to how Italians go about their business, everything runs on time. It just doesn't feel like it at the time of queueing and purchasing tickets.
We arrive in Milan around 3 hours because sadly, a very fast train is not an option. Still, no changing, so that makes life easier. It says something about Milan don't you think, that we have sighted five designer shops, and that is even before we have left the train station!!!!!! We then head to the local metro network, similar to London's and Paris's respective underground system. Works like a total dream and we arrive at hotel in central Milan. We ditch bags and head to the Duomo.
We went into the Cathedral, the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world and the third largest of any kind in Europe. It holds a lazy 40,000 congregation- the population of Milan at the time it was built in the 13 century albeit that it took over 400 years to finish in 1812 and with some bibs and bobs still being put on it in the 1960's. There are some 135 spires and 3200 statutes in and on it. Each spire has a statue atop. We walked aound this most beautiful building and were amazed at the creativity of men.
The beauty was overwhelming so we needed a birre. So we headed to the very Glamourous Piazza Duomo where the most beautiful arcade awaits you. The architecture puts the beautiful gear sold there to shame. It's just incredible. So after a birre, we then decided to get up close and personal with God. You can climb the 165 steps to the roof (or catch a lift) and walk on the actual roof. Guess which one we opted for? Mind blowing. On a clear day you can see Switzerland. To access this amazing building where even the roof tiles are marble is just beyond the pale.
And guess what dear readers, across from La Duomo is the famous Obika Mozarella Bar - this ubercool joint where you try different types of buffalo mozarella that Veronica had recommended we try. So, needless to say, that was our next stop. The Mozarella Bar is on the third floor of the department store La Rinascenta where, Giorgione Armani started out as a window dresser folks ! We headed to the top floor, overlooking the Duomo and then had one of life's great experiences. We had the degastastion menu of three different types of mozzarella with a salad of apples, raddicches, cantaloupe and rocket, as well as a plate of cured meats and lovely rose on the recommendation of our gorgeous waiter. Tres bliss folks !
We walked off the Mozarella by wandering through Milan. Milan is like a very sophisticated Melbourne with its trams but better preserved and older buildings. But its like us, black clothing , diversity, a laid back vibe and just a really accessible space. We loved it!
Bed and looking tomorrow
Siobhan and Kelly xxxx
We enjoy a leisurely breakfast and catch the train to Milano. Train travel in Italy really is the go. It's inexpensive and despite all evidence to the contrary as to how Italians go about their business, everything runs on time. It just doesn't feel like it at the time of queueing and purchasing tickets.
We arrive in Milan around 3 hours because sadly, a very fast train is not an option. Still, no changing, so that makes life easier. It says something about Milan don't you think, that we have sighted five designer shops, and that is even before we have left the train station!!!!!! We then head to the local metro network, similar to London's and Paris's respective underground system. Works like a total dream and we arrive at hotel in central Milan. We ditch bags and head to the Duomo.
We went into the Cathedral, the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world and the third largest of any kind in Europe. It holds a lazy 40,000 congregation- the population of Milan at the time it was built in the 13 century albeit that it took over 400 years to finish in 1812 and with some bibs and bobs still being put on it in the 1960's. There are some 135 spires and 3200 statutes in and on it. Each spire has a statue atop. We walked aound this most beautiful building and were amazed at the creativity of men.
The beauty was overwhelming so we needed a birre. So we headed to the very Glamourous Piazza Duomo where the most beautiful arcade awaits you. The architecture puts the beautiful gear sold there to shame. It's just incredible. So after a birre, we then decided to get up close and personal with God. You can climb the 165 steps to the roof (or catch a lift) and walk on the actual roof. Guess which one we opted for? Mind blowing. On a clear day you can see Switzerland. To access this amazing building where even the roof tiles are marble is just beyond the pale.
And guess what dear readers, across from La Duomo is the famous Obika Mozarella Bar - this ubercool joint where you try different types of buffalo mozarella that Veronica had recommended we try. So, needless to say, that was our next stop. The Mozarella Bar is on the third floor of the department store La Rinascenta where, Giorgione Armani started out as a window dresser folks ! We headed to the top floor, overlooking the Duomo and then had one of life's great experiences. We had the degastastion menu of three different types of mozzarella with a salad of apples, raddicches, cantaloupe and rocket, as well as a plate of cured meats and lovely rose on the recommendation of our gorgeous waiter. Tres bliss folks !
We walked off the Mozarella by wandering through Milan. Milan is like a very sophisticated Melbourne with its trams but better preserved and older buildings. But its like us, black clothing , diversity, a laid back vibe and just a really accessible space. We loved it!
Bed and looking tomorrow
Siobhan and Kelly xxxx
Via Dell'Amore & Padlocks, Montorosso Sunbunnies & a Mozarella Eating Pomoranian called Ossiita
Dear Lovers of Hardware,
Our last full day was to make the most of our remaining time in a place that time nearly forgot. The villages of Cinque Terre were all established around the 12 and 13 centuries. However it wasn't until the many wars fought in this country substantially subsided in and around the 16 and 17 centuries, that farmers were able to terrace this wild place and agriculture became the mainstay for the villages to develop. The railway line was not introduced until the late 1870's.
So we had breakfast in our lovely piazza again and headed to the what is the first walk between Riomaggiore and Manarola as this was the place that has the most famous history. The Cinque Terre towns were extremely isolated until the last century. Villagers rarely married anyone from outside their town. After the blasting of the second train line in the 1920s, a trail was made between the first two towns: Riomaggiore and Manarola. A gunpowder warehouse was built along the way, safely away from the townspeople. (That building is today’s Bar dell’Amore.)
Happy with the trail, the villagers asked that it be improved as a permanent connection between neighbors. But persistent landslides kept the trail closed more often than it was open. After World War II, the trail was reopened, and became established as a lovers’ meeting point for boys and girls from the two towns. (After one extended closure in 1949, the trail was reopened for a Christmas marriage.) A journalist, who noticed all the amorous graffiti along the path, coined the trail’s now-established name, Via dell’Amore: “Pathway of Love.”
This new lane changed the social dynamics between the two villages, and made life much more fun and interesting for courting couples. Today, many tourists are put off by the cluttered graffiti that lines the trail. But it’s all part of the history of the Cinque Terre’s little lovers’ lane.
You’ll see a cluster of padlocks under the tunnel, on the Manarola side. Closing a padlock with your lover onto a cable or railing at a lovey-dovey spot—often a bridge—is the current craze in Italy, having been re-popularized by a teen novel. In case you’re so inclined, the hardware store next to Bar Centrale in Riomaggiore sells these locks. And guess how much for people €9.00 each - so here's a tip. Buy one at Bunnings before you leave home!!
After seeing all this overpriced hardware rusting in the salt air, we headed to the ferry to take in the beauty of the place from the sea view. It was glorious. We docked at Montorosso and decided a few hours on the banana lounge was in order. The beauty of the place, and the coolness of the water was only bespoilt by the eviscerating tone of these Americans nearby. I have come to the conclusion that as a general principle, this race of people must be genetically compromised in so far as their hearing is concerned. How else do you explain their consistent propensity to speak at the top of their voices and invade everyone else's calm and solitude. I am surprised dear listeners, that none of you shared in the conversation about their daughter named "Presley" and how difficult it was dealing with some Italians because they .........don't speak English!!!!! They were sooooooooooooo loud......and ignorant, it has to be said.
After we killed the Americans in a very satisfying mercy killing ceremony, we headed back to our home base of Vernazza. We decided to lay on the stonewall and walk across the rocks for a dip in the crystal clear mini harbor, where small people with nets tried to catch the tiny silverfish, the lovely local ladies, basked on the flat hot rocks, and the village started to be reclaimed by the locals as the last of the day visitors headed out of town.......
We changed for dinner and headed to our "local" run by the very gorgeous Valerio, who had taken quite a shine to Miss Siobhan. There we enjoyed a Prosecco and Aperol before heading to Ristorante Belforte - a restaurant set inside one of the medieval watch towers built to protect the villagers from the Saracens in the 13 to 15 centuries. If you find yourself here in Vernazza, this is a must do dinner. It is that simple.
As the sun set on the Mediterranean, we enjoyed a beautiful entree of homemade taglietelle with crab meat with a tomato sauce with hint of curry - it was nothing short of spectacular. This was followed by a seafood platter of the local catch which included, sea bass, prawns, scampi, mussels all grilled. Perfecto!
We returned to our local bar for our nightly digestivo of limoncello before retiring, However, I forgot to add something pretty special that occurred the night before at this bar. There is a little Pomereranian here who belongs to one of the guys who works in one of the restaurants. While his owner is working, "Ossita" wanders and struts through the town of Vernazza like he owns the joint. He pays absolutely no attention to stupid tourists like us and just patrols his route throughout the day. He stops at the restaurant next door to our bar at around 6ish and starts to bark. He continues to bark until one of the chefs come out and feeds him an entire Mozarella ball piece by piece. He barks his thanks and then moves on.........
So here we were for our drink in Veranzza and Valerio has no limoncello. He darts across the square, borrows a bottle, chills our glasses and all is well with the world. We take some lovely pictures of him and Siobhan and we head home. A lovely last day in a beautiful place.
Safekeeping and Mozarella Balls for your health
Kelly & Siobahn xxxx
Sent from my iPad
Our last full day was to make the most of our remaining time in a place that time nearly forgot. The villages of Cinque Terre were all established around the 12 and 13 centuries. However it wasn't until the many wars fought in this country substantially subsided in and around the 16 and 17 centuries, that farmers were able to terrace this wild place and agriculture became the mainstay for the villages to develop. The railway line was not introduced until the late 1870's.
So we had breakfast in our lovely piazza again and headed to the what is the first walk between Riomaggiore and Manarola as this was the place that has the most famous history. The Cinque Terre towns were extremely isolated until the last century. Villagers rarely married anyone from outside their town. After the blasting of the second train line in the 1920s, a trail was made between the first two towns: Riomaggiore and Manarola. A gunpowder warehouse was built along the way, safely away from the townspeople. (That building is today’s Bar dell’Amore.)
Happy with the trail, the villagers asked that it be improved as a permanent connection between neighbors. But persistent landslides kept the trail closed more often than it was open. After World War II, the trail was reopened, and became established as a lovers’ meeting point for boys and girls from the two towns. (After one extended closure in 1949, the trail was reopened for a Christmas marriage.) A journalist, who noticed all the amorous graffiti along the path, coined the trail’s now-established name, Via dell’Amore: “Pathway of Love.”
This new lane changed the social dynamics between the two villages, and made life much more fun and interesting for courting couples. Today, many tourists are put off by the cluttered graffiti that lines the trail. But it’s all part of the history of the Cinque Terre’s little lovers’ lane.
You’ll see a cluster of padlocks under the tunnel, on the Manarola side. Closing a padlock with your lover onto a cable or railing at a lovey-dovey spot—often a bridge—is the current craze in Italy, having been re-popularized by a teen novel. In case you’re so inclined, the hardware store next to Bar Centrale in Riomaggiore sells these locks. And guess how much for people €9.00 each - so here's a tip. Buy one at Bunnings before you leave home!!
After seeing all this overpriced hardware rusting in the salt air, we headed to the ferry to take in the beauty of the place from the sea view. It was glorious. We docked at Montorosso and decided a few hours on the banana lounge was in order. The beauty of the place, and the coolness of the water was only bespoilt by the eviscerating tone of these Americans nearby. I have come to the conclusion that as a general principle, this race of people must be genetically compromised in so far as their hearing is concerned. How else do you explain their consistent propensity to speak at the top of their voices and invade everyone else's calm and solitude. I am surprised dear listeners, that none of you shared in the conversation about their daughter named "Presley" and how difficult it was dealing with some Italians because they .........don't speak English!!!!! They were sooooooooooooo loud......and ignorant, it has to be said.
After we killed the Americans in a very satisfying mercy killing ceremony, we headed back to our home base of Vernazza. We decided to lay on the stonewall and walk across the rocks for a dip in the crystal clear mini harbor, where small people with nets tried to catch the tiny silverfish, the lovely local ladies, basked on the flat hot rocks, and the village started to be reclaimed by the locals as the last of the day visitors headed out of town.......
We changed for dinner and headed to our "local" run by the very gorgeous Valerio, who had taken quite a shine to Miss Siobhan. There we enjoyed a Prosecco and Aperol before heading to Ristorante Belforte - a restaurant set inside one of the medieval watch towers built to protect the villagers from the Saracens in the 13 to 15 centuries. If you find yourself here in Vernazza, this is a must do dinner. It is that simple.
As the sun set on the Mediterranean, we enjoyed a beautiful entree of homemade taglietelle with crab meat with a tomato sauce with hint of curry - it was nothing short of spectacular. This was followed by a seafood platter of the local catch which included, sea bass, prawns, scampi, mussels all grilled. Perfecto!
We returned to our local bar for our nightly digestivo of limoncello before retiring, However, I forgot to add something pretty special that occurred the night before at this bar. There is a little Pomereranian here who belongs to one of the guys who works in one of the restaurants. While his owner is working, "Ossita" wanders and struts through the town of Vernazza like he owns the joint. He pays absolutely no attention to stupid tourists like us and just patrols his route throughout the day. He stops at the restaurant next door to our bar at around 6ish and starts to bark. He continues to bark until one of the chefs come out and feeds him an entire Mozarella ball piece by piece. He barks his thanks and then moves on.........
So here we were for our drink in Veranzza and Valerio has no limoncello. He darts across the square, borrows a bottle, chills our glasses and all is well with the world. We take some lovely pictures of him and Siobhan and we head home. A lovely last day in a beautiful place.
Safekeeping and Mozarella Balls for your health
Kelly & Siobahn xxxx
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Climb Every Mountain.........Til You find your dream......pannacotta!
Dear Nature Lovers,
Day two was our day to tackle one of the pathways between two of the townships. By deduction we had decided to go west east rather than the more common east west. The first path the Via d'almore ( walk of Love) was an easy boardwalk of only 25 minutes, the walk between Manarola and Corneglia - also a relative easy walk was closed due to two recent landslides. The last walk Venrnazza to Montorosso was considered the hardest albeit only 3 kms, so we decided to walk from Vernazza to Corneglia (west/east) a walk of four kms. Now had we done this Corneglia to Vernazza(east/west) and followed the natural fall of the mountain track it may have been a little easier, but you live and learn (and get a great workout in the process).
We started the day with a breakfast in the small piazza area that overlooks the tiny harbor of Vernazza. A crunchy hot foccachia with mozeralla and beautiful Parma ham and a seriously good coffee. The tiny township slowly awakes as small delivery vans arrive at all the vendors shops to restock for the next day's tourist onslaught.
We head to the back of the town and start our stair climb up. It's steep and quite a number of flights of stairs veer left then right winding fairly horizontally up the mountain. About 15 minutes later we are high above Venazza and start on the path to Corneglia. Breathing relatively heavily and already perspiring significantly we are pretty pleased with ourselves, thinking perhaps the worst of the incline is now behind us. We were mistaken - seriously mistaken!
It's fairly humid and we had thought that the cloud cover would burn off as the day progessed similar to preceding days. However dark clouds gathered as we walked and rain threatened. We were still climbing, albeit not so much with stairs as with rough hewn pathways etched into the mountainside. We soldiered on sometimes being passed by others, sometimes overtaking others.
Rain started to fall making the rock steps slippery and a bit dicey. But uphill is easier in the wet, than downhill. The views from up high were spectacular and although Siobhan's pictures we compromised by the grey skies, the sight of the townships and the coastal views were incredible. We reached the point where we descended towards Corneglia and heading downwards proved tricky. My sensible shoes that Siobhan was wearing, were proving not quite enough traction, whereas my trusty $25 Rivers runners brought to schlepp around and then chuck away, proved more than up to the task!
We arrived in Corneglia an hour and 40 minutes later, soaked in equal parts of rain and perspiration but we felt terrific. We stopped for a restorative cup of tea and then headed back to Vernazza to shower and change and do what we love most to do - eat and drink! After such strenuous exercise, we had some serious carb loading to do!!!!
We headed to a wonderful ristorante called Bar Barego where Siobhan had the local specialty of Trofie Pasta (the pesto, garlic, pine nuts and pecorino) and I had a simply perfect spaghetti with a roasted garlicky base. We inhaled our lunch! We then had what is probably one of the best desserts either of us have ever had. The local pannacotta is made using half cream and half full cream milk. These are mixed together, boiled and stirred, sugar is added and a small amount of very fine white flour. No gelatine. Once boiled it is placed into a mould and refrigerated. It is served with a burnt toffee sauce and icing sugar. I intend to replicate this recipe or die trying, so prospective summer dinner guests at Chez Gooch, be warned!!!
We retired for a Nonna Nap. Siobhan needed even more carbs at dinner, so had a linguine with crab. I ate another pannacotta!
Oh, what we would give for a massage.
Ciao ciao
Kelly & Siobhan xx
Day two was our day to tackle one of the pathways between two of the townships. By deduction we had decided to go west east rather than the more common east west. The first path the Via d'almore ( walk of Love) was an easy boardwalk of only 25 minutes, the walk between Manarola and Corneglia - also a relative easy walk was closed due to two recent landslides. The last walk Venrnazza to Montorosso was considered the hardest albeit only 3 kms, so we decided to walk from Vernazza to Corneglia (west/east) a walk of four kms. Now had we done this Corneglia to Vernazza(east/west) and followed the natural fall of the mountain track it may have been a little easier, but you live and learn (and get a great workout in the process).
We started the day with a breakfast in the small piazza area that overlooks the tiny harbor of Vernazza. A crunchy hot foccachia with mozeralla and beautiful Parma ham and a seriously good coffee. The tiny township slowly awakes as small delivery vans arrive at all the vendors shops to restock for the next day's tourist onslaught.
We head to the back of the town and start our stair climb up. It's steep and quite a number of flights of stairs veer left then right winding fairly horizontally up the mountain. About 15 minutes later we are high above Venazza and start on the path to Corneglia. Breathing relatively heavily and already perspiring significantly we are pretty pleased with ourselves, thinking perhaps the worst of the incline is now behind us. We were mistaken - seriously mistaken!
It's fairly humid and we had thought that the cloud cover would burn off as the day progessed similar to preceding days. However dark clouds gathered as we walked and rain threatened. We were still climbing, albeit not so much with stairs as with rough hewn pathways etched into the mountainside. We soldiered on sometimes being passed by others, sometimes overtaking others.
Rain started to fall making the rock steps slippery and a bit dicey. But uphill is easier in the wet, than downhill. The views from up high were spectacular and although Siobhan's pictures we compromised by the grey skies, the sight of the townships and the coastal views were incredible. We reached the point where we descended towards Corneglia and heading downwards proved tricky. My sensible shoes that Siobhan was wearing, were proving not quite enough traction, whereas my trusty $25 Rivers runners brought to schlepp around and then chuck away, proved more than up to the task!
We arrived in Corneglia an hour and 40 minutes later, soaked in equal parts of rain and perspiration but we felt terrific. We stopped for a restorative cup of tea and then headed back to Vernazza to shower and change and do what we love most to do - eat and drink! After such strenuous exercise, we had some serious carb loading to do!!!!
We headed to a wonderful ristorante called Bar Barego where Siobhan had the local specialty of Trofie Pasta (the pesto, garlic, pine nuts and pecorino) and I had a simply perfect spaghetti with a roasted garlicky base. We inhaled our lunch! We then had what is probably one of the best desserts either of us have ever had. The local pannacotta is made using half cream and half full cream milk. These are mixed together, boiled and stirred, sugar is added and a small amount of very fine white flour. No gelatine. Once boiled it is placed into a mould and refrigerated. It is served with a burnt toffee sauce and icing sugar. I intend to replicate this recipe or die trying, so prospective summer dinner guests at Chez Gooch, be warned!!!
We retired for a Nonna Nap. Siobhan needed even more carbs at dinner, so had a linguine with crab. I ate another pannacotta!
Oh, what we would give for a massage.
Ciao ciao
Kelly & Siobhan xx
Sunday, 25 September 2011
5 Terre - 4 days and 1,000,000 bloody stairs
Dear Hikers,
The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Over centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside.
Before hiking anywhere on the old pathways that link the five townships, we thought on day one we would train it between each town and see what they are each like. Each town is pretty and charming, Corneglia is high up the mountain with no coastal access, Montorosso has a significant sized beach that attracts many, Manorola is very quaint and Riomaggiore is the the unofficial" head quarters. Of all, I think Venazza offers the most, when it comes to lodging yourself here- with a broad selection of accom, restaurants and beach and water based activities.
The local specialty is seafood with anchovies (bleuch!!!!) a local speciality. Siobhan intends to try them - better her than me! They produce a cinque Terre vino Bianco here (DOC) that is quite lovely and an amazing dessert wine called schiaccatra - that is made through being left for long periods on the vine exposed to very hot sun so the flavor intensifies. Like a fortified in many ways but with a crisp dry finish. Molto yum!
As you make your way through each village you see the tourists who have elected to walk some of the old pathways behind the towns that have been used for many years before the train line was put in. For many Germans and austrians it's an opportunity to go hiking and so the ubiquitous Nordic walking poles are de riguer. Can I just say that many many people look on the verge of heart attacks or heat stroke as they make their way into the villages not realizing perhaps what they were getting into. The first walk between Riomaggiore and Manarola is a lovely cruisey coastal walk along a terrifically constructed board walk but from there onwards as you head to the other towns, it's a rugged, steep incline and decline and one that you need to know your fitness level to undertake.
We left the hiking until the next day and so after a very pedestrian visit to all the towns headed back to Venazza for dinner and bed. oh, and if anyone is so inclined, there is a killing to be had here in the form of quality sovenirs. Tourists are screaming out for them, and the best on offer are rubbish tshirts and teatowels.
The hills are alive with the sound of groaning..........
Kelly and Siobhan Xxxxxx
The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Over centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside.
Before hiking anywhere on the old pathways that link the five townships, we thought on day one we would train it between each town and see what they are each like. Each town is pretty and charming, Corneglia is high up the mountain with no coastal access, Montorosso has a significant sized beach that attracts many, Manorola is very quaint and Riomaggiore is the the unofficial" head quarters. Of all, I think Venazza offers the most, when it comes to lodging yourself here- with a broad selection of accom, restaurants and beach and water based activities.
The local specialty is seafood with anchovies (bleuch!!!!) a local speciality. Siobhan intends to try them - better her than me! They produce a cinque Terre vino Bianco here (DOC) that is quite lovely and an amazing dessert wine called schiaccatra - that is made through being left for long periods on the vine exposed to very hot sun so the flavor intensifies. Like a fortified in many ways but with a crisp dry finish. Molto yum!
As you make your way through each village you see the tourists who have elected to walk some of the old pathways behind the towns that have been used for many years before the train line was put in. For many Germans and austrians it's an opportunity to go hiking and so the ubiquitous Nordic walking poles are de riguer. Can I just say that many many people look on the verge of heart attacks or heat stroke as they make their way into the villages not realizing perhaps what they were getting into. The first walk between Riomaggiore and Manarola is a lovely cruisey coastal walk along a terrifically constructed board walk but from there onwards as you head to the other towns, it's a rugged, steep incline and decline and one that you need to know your fitness level to undertake.
We left the hiking until the next day and so after a very pedestrian visit to all the towns headed back to Venazza for dinner and bed. oh, and if anyone is so inclined, there is a killing to be had here in the form of quality sovenirs. Tourists are screaming out for them, and the best on offer are rubbish tshirts and teatowels.
The hills are alive with the sound of groaning..........
Kelly and Siobhan Xxxxxx
Travel Gods smile down on us as we arrive in Cinque Terre
Ciao Travellers,
Our last day on Elba saw us up early and driving our toy car one hour to the ferry. In the dark and dawning light we motored around cliff tops heading to Porto Ferrairo. Catching the hour long ferry we made it to the train station of Piombino Marittima with no seconds to spare. With only €25 on us and cash only ticket sales, meant we were left with only €1.30 change- thank God we had not brought a coffee on the ferry as the was no ATM at either Port or station!!!!!!
The train to Le Spezia with a change at Pisa Central, took a total of 3 hours and then another 30 minutes and we arrived at Venazza. A long morning of travel but a sensational end destination. We arrived in the village of Venazza, one of the five mountain etched villages that make up Cinque (5) Terre.
We could not believe the swarm of tourists milling around as we walked our suitcases to our hotel - fortunately a short distance from the train station and right on the charming little harbor - or so we thought.
Turns out that although you check into Gianni Franzi's cool little bar and ristorante, your actual room is located in one of the many vertical buidlings that have been built into the steep cliff face of the mountain and the only way to get is via stairs - lots and lots of stairs- hand etched, steep, uneven and endless!!!
By the time we hauled our cases up, we were drenched in perspiration. Our room is fantasic and
has two shuttered windows overlooking the town. As we changed into cooler gear and freshened up, the church bells from two or three of the very nearby churches pealed loudly the hour's arrival, all slightly after each other! It sounded beautiful. Not so impressed the next day though when they shocked us out of bed at 7am - could have peeled me from the ceiling!!!!
We headed back down the stairs sans suitcases, in need of food and beverage. First up a cold beer in the small piazza, followed by vino Bianco and two local dishes. Me - a trofie pasta - a sauce made from pesto, crushed pine nuts, and garlic with small homemade spiral pasta with flakes of pecorino and green beans. For Siobhan, a black linguine pasta with prawns. Both were delicious. We took the afternoon very easy wandering around our quaint township looking at the shops, water, walkways and the diversity of tourist.
An early night beckoned as we looked forward to seeing the other four towns the next day.
Buona sera
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
Our last day on Elba saw us up early and driving our toy car one hour to the ferry. In the dark and dawning light we motored around cliff tops heading to Porto Ferrairo. Catching the hour long ferry we made it to the train station of Piombino Marittima with no seconds to spare. With only €25 on us and cash only ticket sales, meant we were left with only €1.30 change- thank God we had not brought a coffee on the ferry as the was no ATM at either Port or station!!!!!!
The train to Le Spezia with a change at Pisa Central, took a total of 3 hours and then another 30 minutes and we arrived at Venazza. A long morning of travel but a sensational end destination. We arrived in the village of Venazza, one of the five mountain etched villages that make up Cinque (5) Terre.
We could not believe the swarm of tourists milling around as we walked our suitcases to our hotel - fortunately a short distance from the train station and right on the charming little harbor - or so we thought.
Turns out that although you check into Gianni Franzi's cool little bar and ristorante, your actual room is located in one of the many vertical buidlings that have been built into the steep cliff face of the mountain and the only way to get is via stairs - lots and lots of stairs- hand etched, steep, uneven and endless!!!
By the time we hauled our cases up, we were drenched in perspiration. Our room is fantasic and
has two shuttered windows overlooking the town. As we changed into cooler gear and freshened up, the church bells from two or three of the very nearby churches pealed loudly the hour's arrival, all slightly after each other! It sounded beautiful. Not so impressed the next day though when they shocked us out of bed at 7am - could have peeled me from the ceiling!!!!
We headed back down the stairs sans suitcases, in need of food and beverage. First up a cold beer in the small piazza, followed by vino Bianco and two local dishes. Me - a trofie pasta - a sauce made from pesto, crushed pine nuts, and garlic with small homemade spiral pasta with flakes of pecorino and green beans. For Siobhan, a black linguine pasta with prawns. Both were delicious. We took the afternoon very easy wandering around our quaint township looking at the shops, water, walkways and the diversity of tourist.
An early night beckoned as we looked forward to seeing the other four towns the next day.
Buona sera
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Elba - beautiful holiday island
Hello Beachcombers,
It's day three on Elba and it's just beautiful.yesterday we spent close to our hotel at the local SANDY, yes sandy beach. We had a lie in and the a terrific lunch at thebeachside restaurant followed by an afternoon lazing in the sun.
Dinner at the hotel was again spectacular and we hit the hay. Next morning up and in the car to take in the island. Its rather large as it is Italy's third larger island, very lush and green unlike the aeolian islands and the houses and hotels are seriously nice real estate. Everywhere you look are the aquamarine waters of the Mediterranean - just lovely. But you definitely need a car here as the beaches and towns areas are situated across the island at significant distances as to avoid over development and make the most of a particular feature of that part of the island.
As I write this Siobhan is flat-out sun baking - 22 September and its around 27 degrees with a wonderful coastal breeze. It's a tough job people's, but somebody's got to do it!!
Off to Cinque Terre tomorrow!!!!
Arriverderci
Kelly & Siobhan
It's day three on Elba and it's just beautiful.yesterday we spent close to our hotel at the local SANDY, yes sandy beach. We had a lie in and the a terrific lunch at thebeachside restaurant followed by an afternoon lazing in the sun.
Dinner at the hotel was again spectacular and we hit the hay. Next morning up and in the car to take in the island. Its rather large as it is Italy's third larger island, very lush and green unlike the aeolian islands and the houses and hotels are seriously nice real estate. Everywhere you look are the aquamarine waters of the Mediterranean - just lovely. But you definitely need a car here as the beaches and towns areas are situated across the island at significant distances as to avoid over development and make the most of a particular feature of that part of the island.
As I write this Siobhan is flat-out sun baking - 22 September and its around 27 degrees with a wonderful coastal breeze. It's a tough job people's, but somebody's got to do it!!
Off to Cinque Terre tomorrow!!!!
Arriverderci
Kelly & Siobhan
Postal Traumatic Stress Disorder & Nana Driving in Italy
Buongiorno Fellow Commuters,
Our last moments in Florence had us undertaking what we stupidly thought was a simple task - that of posting a medium size box back to Australia before heading to the island of Elba. A reasonably simple undertaking you would think. Hah! Never under estimate the inefficiency and bureaucracy of a country that has something like a hundred changes of government in the last 120 years!!!!
Having had major difficulty locating a suitable box for posting as the large central post office supplies, we were told, had simply stopped - gone, no more, we were directed to another post office somewhere across the Ponte Vecchio without specific location, we tried to locate an alternate stationary store only to find it had moved, and we finally lucked across one and we brought the size we were after.
So armed with our packed but not sealed box, we head at 9am to complete the task. Two hours later- yes that was two hours later, we completed the task having had the guy go off mid instruction for his coffee break with a colleague, telling us to list all items and cost on two forms in triplicate. We did this honestly and patiently awaited his return. He checked our efforts after a 30 minute break and we proceeded to the counter. Th woman serving us began adding totals and then started shaking her head and saying "impossible impossible.......
As she didn't speak any English she called back our first guy who then proceeded to tell us that the is a maximum $ amount that you can send otherwise the receiving person will be charged by customs. So we needed to redo all the forms. This somewhat vital tidbit of information may have come in handy before we wrote out the forms. So we started to amend the records to adjust the amounts and it was not until we had finished this that the lovely lady indicated that that wouldn't be acceptable and we would need to complete new forms!
Two hours later the job was done, we had missed our train which would make us later to Elba than we had hoped. But all I can say is I will never ever bag Australia Post again as long as I live!!!
We caught a train to Pisa Centrale and changed to go to Piombino Maritimma station to catch the ferry there to Elba. We had a slight panic on two occasions where the train pulled into two different stations than started to head back the way they had arrived. Fortunately as regional trains they shunt into a station and then the line switches and they head back out in another off shoot direction, but after our experience with the postal system our nerves were a bit raw and we were concerned we would end up in some far away town with no way of knowing how to get where we needed to be.
So we catch the ferry, arrive at Elba and go in search of our rental car. They had advised us the day before that the one automatic vehicle they had was"in the shop" and they only had a smart car available. Folks, I could wear one of these cars on a charm bracelet on my wrist, so teeny are they!!!
Our problem was getting the 2x medium suitcases in but with some creativity we managed and I start to drive. It's on the other side of the road, the roads are marginally wider than what Melbourne lane ways are like - oh, and did I mention that this was a mountainous island with rock face on one side and a total drop to the ocean on the other!!! I wasn't terrified but I totally drove like a nanna for the first time in my life. Siobhan provided excellent navigational support and we arrived safe and sound.
The Hotel Ilio where we are staying is very Glamourous and has beautiful views of the ocean.we enjoyed a lovely dinner and then fell into bed but not before I said a little prayer to the universe that our parcel makes it's way safely to Melbourne.
Sleep tight
Kelly & Siobhan
Our last moments in Florence had us undertaking what we stupidly thought was a simple task - that of posting a medium size box back to Australia before heading to the island of Elba. A reasonably simple undertaking you would think. Hah! Never under estimate the inefficiency and bureaucracy of a country that has something like a hundred changes of government in the last 120 years!!!!
Having had major difficulty locating a suitable box for posting as the large central post office supplies, we were told, had simply stopped - gone, no more, we were directed to another post office somewhere across the Ponte Vecchio without specific location, we tried to locate an alternate stationary store only to find it had moved, and we finally lucked across one and we brought the size we were after.
So armed with our packed but not sealed box, we head at 9am to complete the task. Two hours later- yes that was two hours later, we completed the task having had the guy go off mid instruction for his coffee break with a colleague, telling us to list all items and cost on two forms in triplicate. We did this honestly and patiently awaited his return. He checked our efforts after a 30 minute break and we proceeded to the counter. Th woman serving us began adding totals and then started shaking her head and saying "impossible impossible.......
As she didn't speak any English she called back our first guy who then proceeded to tell us that the is a maximum $ amount that you can send otherwise the receiving person will be charged by customs. So we needed to redo all the forms. This somewhat vital tidbit of information may have come in handy before we wrote out the forms. So we started to amend the records to adjust the amounts and it was not until we had finished this that the lovely lady indicated that that wouldn't be acceptable and we would need to complete new forms!
Two hours later the job was done, we had missed our train which would make us later to Elba than we had hoped. But all I can say is I will never ever bag Australia Post again as long as I live!!!
We caught a train to Pisa Centrale and changed to go to Piombino Maritimma station to catch the ferry there to Elba. We had a slight panic on two occasions where the train pulled into two different stations than started to head back the way they had arrived. Fortunately as regional trains they shunt into a station and then the line switches and they head back out in another off shoot direction, but after our experience with the postal system our nerves were a bit raw and we were concerned we would end up in some far away town with no way of knowing how to get where we needed to be.
So we catch the ferry, arrive at Elba and go in search of our rental car. They had advised us the day before that the one automatic vehicle they had was"in the shop" and they only had a smart car available. Folks, I could wear one of these cars on a charm bracelet on my wrist, so teeny are they!!!
Our problem was getting the 2x medium suitcases in but with some creativity we managed and I start to drive. It's on the other side of the road, the roads are marginally wider than what Melbourne lane ways are like - oh, and did I mention that this was a mountainous island with rock face on one side and a total drop to the ocean on the other!!! I wasn't terrified but I totally drove like a nanna for the first time in my life. Siobhan provided excellent navigational support and we arrived safe and sound.
The Hotel Ilio where we are staying is very Glamourous and has beautiful views of the ocean.we enjoyed a lovely dinner and then fell into bed but not before I said a little prayer to the universe that our parcel makes it's way safely to Melbourne.
Sleep tight
Kelly & Siobhan
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Austra-American Relations Established over Vino Rosso!!!!!!
Salute Fellow Wine Drinkers,
Monday was our last day in Florence. Siobhan felt the obvious need to add to her ever increasing european wardrobe and then we headed to the wonderful Enoteca to go through some samplings of sparkling wines and reds by Zeno the part owner and sommelier.
Before partaking of the red wines, some food in the tummy was required. A clever cold stack of deep fried thin pasta circles, with wafer thin eggplant, tomato and cheese, compiled into a small tower and drizzles with passato and oil - delicious
We tried three sparkling made of 100 % Chardonnay in the Loire method champagnoire - molto bene !!!!!
Then onto the reds. The area of Toscana (Tuscany) of which Florence is part, is particularly famous for their chianti - and not the chianti we often get at home. This is 100% Sangiovese grapes and it is Delish !! Like we export our crap wine like Jacobs Creek to the world market, the bulk chianti makers export there many millions of cheap chianti also onto the same market. In those situations, chianti can be made up of some Sangiovese grapes but also what will be added will be merlot, and cabernet sauvignon grapes, whatever is available to bulk out the wine.
We tried a number of examples of seriously good gear made by small local producers often making no more than 2000 to 7000 bottles per year. All produced manually , handpicked and possibly foot stomped, but let's not go there shall we, as I would hate to have to describe a wine as being one of strong tannins, long on the palate with an after taste of tinnea !!!!
We spent a wonderful couple of hours with Zeno and early on in the piece a couple of WA gents blew in and raucously introduced themselves to everyone. "G'day Love- are youse from Orstraylya?" in the flattest vowels sounds you would hear this side of Nullabor! These guys made Paul Hogan sound like Prince Charles ! They had just been to "Chinka Terror" and thought it was ace! A cultural cringe moment to say the least.
In addition to ourselves inside this lovely establishment were two Bostonians with whom we started to chat over ggod wine, the reason for our respective holidays and how lovely Florence was. Mike and Lynne were celebrating their wedding anniversary in style and had just hit Florence after having been to Venice and Bologna. I suspect that Mike and Lynne were rather taken with this chianti gear as a couple of orders were placed and this was even before they were to set off for a day in the actual Chianti region!! Siobhan and I showed our usual restraint when it comes to holiday and wine and brought only two cases! Viv, Denise, Craig and Rob we would love to share a precious bottle of this stuff with you when we get home.
We were having such a great time that we decided to meet for dinner at a restaurant that Zeno recommended. Mike and Lynne are not your sterero typical Americans- for a start they totally understood our reservations about the attitudes of Americans from the "flyover states" and showed an interest in what happens beyond their country's own borders which is not something you find often with most Americans. I realize I could be accused of stereotyping here but that has always been my experience.
We headed to a restaurant called Olyervera's and folks it was simply stunning. Set in a tiny side street called via Dell Terme, it is a low ground floor restaurant with the most beautiful vaulted ceilings. Done out in white washed walls and the beautiful refind use of polished dark timber framing the archway doors and picture railings, the floor was beautiful parquetry. The seats were a soft buff leather and dark wood trim, the tablecloths crisp and white. The food was simple but exquisite ( a lightly breadcrumbed & deep fried whole poached egg - soft and goohey inside served with crisp asparagus and a deconstructed hollandaise sauce with a slight aniseed tinge- bellisimo) That was entree and then a homemade spaghettini with garlic, roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh basil for main. Superb. The wine were two bottles recommended to Mike by our collective new best friend , Zeno which were sublime. To finish ( though two at the table also had dessert and it wasn't Mike or me) We had Limoncello though Lynne valiantly drank a free grappa from our persuasive maitre de who insisted that perhaps her previous forays into grappa were not successful because she had not had a good one- we don't think she was convinced.
Then in an act of overwhelming generosity, Mike insisted on paying for our meal . We were both flabbergasted as it was an act of such kindness and so unexpected. We hope that they make the trip to Australia some time so that we may repay the kindness. Mike is an avid sports nut and goes to all the football games ( college and professional) and guess what, footy crew, he pays $90 for his car park at the footy!!!!!! They call it tailgating and they set up and have bbq's in the car park before the game. $90 and that's even before you pay for the tickets to see the damn game!! Anyhow, I am going to put him onto AFL and get him to watch the coming grand final as he will be back in Boston by then so he will be able to watch it on cable. He hasn't seen the game so he may find it interesting.
We finished what was a lovely day and evening in what is a most beautiful city. Venice and Rome will have to pick up their game if they want to win the title of most favored City!!!
A call out to Margaret, stay well and think positive thoughts!!
Go Team and All Pray for a Colingwood defeat. I intend to light a candle at the Milan Duomo to call on some help for a strategic injury to Daisy or Swan.........
Kelly & Siobhan xx
Monday was our last day in Florence. Siobhan felt the obvious need to add to her ever increasing european wardrobe and then we headed to the wonderful Enoteca to go through some samplings of sparkling wines and reds by Zeno the part owner and sommelier.
Before partaking of the red wines, some food in the tummy was required. A clever cold stack of deep fried thin pasta circles, with wafer thin eggplant, tomato and cheese, compiled into a small tower and drizzles with passato and oil - delicious
We tried three sparkling made of 100 % Chardonnay in the Loire method champagnoire - molto bene !!!!!
Then onto the reds. The area of Toscana (Tuscany) of which Florence is part, is particularly famous for their chianti - and not the chianti we often get at home. This is 100% Sangiovese grapes and it is Delish !! Like we export our crap wine like Jacobs Creek to the world market, the bulk chianti makers export there many millions of cheap chianti also onto the same market. In those situations, chianti can be made up of some Sangiovese grapes but also what will be added will be merlot, and cabernet sauvignon grapes, whatever is available to bulk out the wine.
We tried a number of examples of seriously good gear made by small local producers often making no more than 2000 to 7000 bottles per year. All produced manually , handpicked and possibly foot stomped, but let's not go there shall we, as I would hate to have to describe a wine as being one of strong tannins, long on the palate with an after taste of tinnea !!!!
We spent a wonderful couple of hours with Zeno and early on in the piece a couple of WA gents blew in and raucously introduced themselves to everyone. "G'day Love- are youse from Orstraylya?" in the flattest vowels sounds you would hear this side of Nullabor! These guys made Paul Hogan sound like Prince Charles ! They had just been to "Chinka Terror" and thought it was ace! A cultural cringe moment to say the least.
In addition to ourselves inside this lovely establishment were two Bostonians with whom we started to chat over ggod wine, the reason for our respective holidays and how lovely Florence was. Mike and Lynne were celebrating their wedding anniversary in style and had just hit Florence after having been to Venice and Bologna. I suspect that Mike and Lynne were rather taken with this chianti gear as a couple of orders were placed and this was even before they were to set off for a day in the actual Chianti region!! Siobhan and I showed our usual restraint when it comes to holiday and wine and brought only two cases! Viv, Denise, Craig and Rob we would love to share a precious bottle of this stuff with you when we get home.
We were having such a great time that we decided to meet for dinner at a restaurant that Zeno recommended. Mike and Lynne are not your sterero typical Americans- for a start they totally understood our reservations about the attitudes of Americans from the "flyover states" and showed an interest in what happens beyond their country's own borders which is not something you find often with most Americans. I realize I could be accused of stereotyping here but that has always been my experience.
We headed to a restaurant called Olyervera's and folks it was simply stunning. Set in a tiny side street called via Dell Terme, it is a low ground floor restaurant with the most beautiful vaulted ceilings. Done out in white washed walls and the beautiful refind use of polished dark timber framing the archway doors and picture railings, the floor was beautiful parquetry. The seats were a soft buff leather and dark wood trim, the tablecloths crisp and white. The food was simple but exquisite ( a lightly breadcrumbed & deep fried whole poached egg - soft and goohey inside served with crisp asparagus and a deconstructed hollandaise sauce with a slight aniseed tinge- bellisimo) That was entree and then a homemade spaghettini with garlic, roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh basil for main. Superb. The wine were two bottles recommended to Mike by our collective new best friend , Zeno which were sublime. To finish ( though two at the table also had dessert and it wasn't Mike or me) We had Limoncello though Lynne valiantly drank a free grappa from our persuasive maitre de who insisted that perhaps her previous forays into grappa were not successful because she had not had a good one- we don't think she was convinced.
Then in an act of overwhelming generosity, Mike insisted on paying for our meal . We were both flabbergasted as it was an act of such kindness and so unexpected. We hope that they make the trip to Australia some time so that we may repay the kindness. Mike is an avid sports nut and goes to all the football games ( college and professional) and guess what, footy crew, he pays $90 for his car park at the footy!!!!!! They call it tailgating and they set up and have bbq's in the car park before the game. $90 and that's even before you pay for the tickets to see the damn game!! Anyhow, I am going to put him onto AFL and get him to watch the coming grand final as he will be back in Boston by then so he will be able to watch it on cable. He hasn't seen the game so he may find it interesting.
We finished what was a lovely day and evening in what is a most beautiful city. Venice and Rome will have to pick up their game if they want to win the title of most favored City!!!
A call out to Margaret, stay well and think positive thoughts!!
Go Team and All Pray for a Colingwood defeat. I intend to light a candle at the Milan Duomo to call on some help for a strategic injury to Daisy or Swan.........
Kelly & Siobhan xx
Monday, 19 September 2011
Brass Bands, the Excesses of the Medicis and an Enoteca goldmine
A trumpeting good morning To you all,
Italians like to make the most of their Sunday. No sleep in for us as some kind of brass band convention congregated in Florence and took over the narrow streets to show off their nifty uniforms and co-ordination capabilities of playing while marching. Many bands across the many directions converged onto Piazza del Signoria (where the copy statue of David stands outside the Palazzo Vecchio). There were baton twirlers and brass bands of all descriptions and the cacophony they created was extraordinary. So much fun watching this organized mayhem.
We headed to Palazzo Pitti for our last tourist day of Florence sight seeing. Palzzo Pitti which is across the Ponto Vecchio was the last Palazzo brought by the Medici and was the residential palace for the remaining rule by the family. Although not quite on the scale of Versailles in size, it comes close in terms of the beauty of the building, the state rooms and the collection of artworks contained therein. It has a pretty wow Tuscan garden out back that is terraced upwards with the slant of the hills behind the palace. Elanora, Cossimo I's wife brought it for her growing family as she thought they needed a garden to play in. To give you some comparison, it would be like Steve Vizard buying the MCG and surrounding car park for his kids to play in!
The Palazzo has a number of interesting sights, the Boboli Gardens, the Bardino Gardens, a porcelain museum, a silver museum and a costume museum - all within the grounds of the palazzo. The costume gallery was of particular interest to us as it showcases the burial clothes of Cossimo and Elanora. They both died around 1560's. But one of their descendants opened up their tombs around 1764 allegedly to see that they were appropriately arranged- whatever that may mean. And the tombs we opened again in 1947 when they took the burial clothes out and started a restoration project. Today you can see his doublet and cloak and her Bodice and stockings - pretty macabre but interesting.
After that we headed across the road to a great Enoteca. InFlorence you have gelaterias - selling ice cream - natch, bars selling coffee, cakes and light lunches, ristorantes doing the whole meal thing and finally Enotecas specializing in boutique wines.
There we spent a great couple of hours tasting local wines produced by boutique wineries from surrounding regions or outstanding small Italian wineries. And they ship to Australia. We are heading back there today for Zeno, one of the lovely sommeliers, to take us through some reds........ Whilst we were there tasting, sirens started, an ambulance roared by, motorcycle cop after motor cycle cop also roared past, then a couple of police cars as well. We turned out onto the street, expecting to see some disaster, and then everyone started clapping. It was a bike race. The cops clear the roads of tourists and then along comes the riders !
Headed home for a shower and then dinner at a place called Concerdarus which was just wonderful. We had these barbecued eggplant pieces that had provolone cheese and sundried tomatoes wrapped up into rolls, delicious given I don't even like eggplant! Siobhan had Orrichiette with a minted pesto sauce, almonds and salted ricotta. I had ravioletti which are like the little Thai money bags but these were filled with honeyed pear and a bitey cheese. This dish had no sauce just fresh Parmesan over the top.the pears and cheese were so succulent, a sauce wasn't required. This restaurant is famous for this dish. Great place to go.
Off to bed and some shopping and packing tomorrow and then heading to the island of Elba- an island off the coast of Tuscany. We are still experiencing temperatures around mid to late
Twenties so may get some swimming and sun baking in!!!!!
Ciao ciao
Kelly &Siobhan xxx
Italians like to make the most of their Sunday. No sleep in for us as some kind of brass band convention congregated in Florence and took over the narrow streets to show off their nifty uniforms and co-ordination capabilities of playing while marching. Many bands across the many directions converged onto Piazza del Signoria (where the copy statue of David stands outside the Palazzo Vecchio). There were baton twirlers and brass bands of all descriptions and the cacophony they created was extraordinary. So much fun watching this organized mayhem.
We headed to Palazzo Pitti for our last tourist day of Florence sight seeing. Palzzo Pitti which is across the Ponto Vecchio was the last Palazzo brought by the Medici and was the residential palace for the remaining rule by the family. Although not quite on the scale of Versailles in size, it comes close in terms of the beauty of the building, the state rooms and the collection of artworks contained therein. It has a pretty wow Tuscan garden out back that is terraced upwards with the slant of the hills behind the palace. Elanora, Cossimo I's wife brought it for her growing family as she thought they needed a garden to play in. To give you some comparison, it would be like Steve Vizard buying the MCG and surrounding car park for his kids to play in!
The Palazzo has a number of interesting sights, the Boboli Gardens, the Bardino Gardens, a porcelain museum, a silver museum and a costume museum - all within the grounds of the palazzo. The costume gallery was of particular interest to us as it showcases the burial clothes of Cossimo and Elanora. They both died around 1560's. But one of their descendants opened up their tombs around 1764 allegedly to see that they were appropriately arranged- whatever that may mean. And the tombs we opened again in 1947 when they took the burial clothes out and started a restoration project. Today you can see his doublet and cloak and her Bodice and stockings - pretty macabre but interesting.
After that we headed across the road to a great Enoteca. InFlorence you have gelaterias - selling ice cream - natch, bars selling coffee, cakes and light lunches, ristorantes doing the whole meal thing and finally Enotecas specializing in boutique wines.
There we spent a great couple of hours tasting local wines produced by boutique wineries from surrounding regions or outstanding small Italian wineries. And they ship to Australia. We are heading back there today for Zeno, one of the lovely sommeliers, to take us through some reds........ Whilst we were there tasting, sirens started, an ambulance roared by, motorcycle cop after motor cycle cop also roared past, then a couple of police cars as well. We turned out onto the street, expecting to see some disaster, and then everyone started clapping. It was a bike race. The cops clear the roads of tourists and then along comes the riders !
Headed home for a shower and then dinner at a place called Concerdarus which was just wonderful. We had these barbecued eggplant pieces that had provolone cheese and sundried tomatoes wrapped up into rolls, delicious given I don't even like eggplant! Siobhan had Orrichiette with a minted pesto sauce, almonds and salted ricotta. I had ravioletti which are like the little Thai money bags but these were filled with honeyed pear and a bitey cheese. This dish had no sauce just fresh Parmesan over the top.the pears and cheese were so succulent, a sauce wasn't required. This restaurant is famous for this dish. Great place to go.
Off to bed and some shopping and packing tomorrow and then heading to the island of Elba- an island off the coast of Tuscany. We are still experiencing temperatures around mid to late
Twenties so may get some swimming and sun baking in!!!!!
Ciao ciao
Kelly &Siobhan xxx
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Food Glorious Food
Dear Gourmands,
Apropos of nothing I just wanted to write a little bout the food thus far.
Take tonight for example, a lusciously ripe pear quartered and served with the creamiest pecorino cheese and pomegranate goohey bits and walnuts. Followed by a homemade pasta of ravioli with black truffle inside and a porcini sauce ( not me, Siobhan).
At lunch today, a fresh cured meat platter of salamis, cured ham and pecorino cheese with pistachio nuts in the cheese, a tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad.
Another dinner of gorgonzola gnocchi with pieces of pear in a blue cheese fondue, a huge Florentine steak all charcoal smoky and as tender as a marshmallow.
Cakes and pastries so light and more-ish That they cannot possibly add weight.
With every drink ordered comes a snack of olives, pretzels and other yummies.
Both here in Italy and in France the food is just sumptuous. Not better than on offer in Oz I might add, just more thoughtfully put together..........
And the wine........ Bellisimo or Tres Manifique
Kelly xxx
Apropos of nothing I just wanted to write a little bout the food thus far.
Take tonight for example, a lusciously ripe pear quartered and served with the creamiest pecorino cheese and pomegranate goohey bits and walnuts. Followed by a homemade pasta of ravioli with black truffle inside and a porcini sauce ( not me, Siobhan).
At lunch today, a fresh cured meat platter of salamis, cured ham and pecorino cheese with pistachio nuts in the cheese, a tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad.
Another dinner of gorgonzola gnocchi with pieces of pear in a blue cheese fondue, a huge Florentine steak all charcoal smoky and as tender as a marshmallow.
Cakes and pastries so light and more-ish That they cannot possibly add weight.
With every drink ordered comes a snack of olives, pretzels and other yummies.
Both here in Italy and in France the food is just sumptuous. Not better than on offer in Oz I might add, just more thoughtfully put together..........
And the wine........ Bellisimo or Tres Manifique
Kelly xxx
And She's Climbing the Stairway to Heaven.....or the Duomo at least
Ciao Stair Masters,
After a lovely night sleep, up early and enthused, we stretch and limber up for our ascent. Have I told you how much I hate stairs? I am only eternally grateful that I gave up smoking some years ago because I would have been dead a third of the way up undoubtedly. The target is a tight circular climb and in parts near vertical 484 stair climb up inside the Duomo, to see the dome from half way up inside, up more steps to walk the external terraces of the Duomo and then up more internal steps to get to the top and see Florence from the most unique and beautiful spot.
But before we tell you about the climb, a bit about the Cathedral. It is Florence's principal church and is in the centre of Florence. It was built in the 13 century but was given it's current marble facade in the 1800's. Its rather spacious! We had a tour of the church and interestingly it houses stuff not only celebrating the usual religious suspects of Mares, JC and the like but also prominent important citizens who have helped or promoted the interests of Florence- people like Dante and so forth.
As I have said previously - am a philistine so art per se doesn't do it for me. But inside this great pile are two frescos . One painted at the end of the gothic era and one painted at the start of the renanaisance period. They sit side by side and depict two great soldiers on horseback, so the subject matter is identical. The gothic one in the style of painting of the
day, was a painting of a man on a statue- no movement, no flexing of the anatomy of the soldier or horse, no natural expression on either face. In short the painting of a statue. The renaissance one however shows movement, muscles tension, hair flying etc. This is essentially the shift from one era to another in art. So you see Kate, we are learning about art stuff without even realizing we are doing it.........
We head skywards in the internal stairwell to half way up the dome where you can circumference the dome and look down at the central alter and nave. And then we head again into the internal staircase to head to the terraces. Imagine a very small internal tunnel not much taller than me, and approximately a metre and a half wide. Comprised of heavy blustone like blocks, it starts off cooler but as you get higher the air gets thinner and the bodies get hotter. Others are coming down as you are heading up. It's close confines folks and not something I would recommend Sally undertake anytime soon. But I have my trusty knee supports on so all good.
An amazing view of the terraces that enable you to walk around the entire building and see Florence at mid level. We then head back inside for our second onslaught. Know I know how Sir Edmund Hillary felt - ok, a slight exaggeration but still cool.
This part is pretty steep, very tight enclosure and very warm and its only 11.30. We make it victoriously to the top, one guy humming the Rocky Theme as he emerges in the sunlight. One dipstick woman wore kitten heels.... I cannot find the words for that level of stupidity.
Before us lies Florence with her terra cotta tiled roofs, distant green gentle Tuscan Hills and best of all, the ringing of the many Churches' bells across the City as it hits 12 midday - just picture postcard stuff people. A beautiful memory and no CPR intervention required. It would seem the steep mountain sides of Positano provided us with the necessary match fitness for a successful climb. If you find yourself here, this is a must do thing.
We descend-easily and head to the Crypt- disappointing as no dead bodes, the Baptistry with it's beautiful gold paneled dome, yes another one right next door and then off to the Museum to see where they keep all the original gear for safe keeping - including Michaelangelo's Pietre - a v famous sculpture. This scuplture he made when he was a youthful 80years of age.
We had had enough culture for the day so it's wine'clock to drown my sorrows at the Bluies loss by 3 points to Weagles. Happy for young Edward, Michelle's nephew so that he doesn't have his little heart broken and sorry that Joyce's barracking for Carlton was not enough to get us over the line - thanks anyway Joyce. Sorry for Dad that the swannies lost. Special call out to Ranj from Siobhan "Go Hawks!!!!!!" she reckons if you had Roughie in, you would have a real chance to go all the way. I won't share with you Siobhan's latent joy at Carlton's loss, nor that she was hoping Josh Kennedy would kick the winning goal. I will just wait till we are back home and Invite the Carlton crew over for a long dinner- they can extract justice and payback on my behalf. Sorry guys but as they say, there is always next year.
I will leave you with an amusing historical fact. One of Lorenzo Di Magnifico (di Medici) sons called Giovanni, was elected Pope and became Leo X. He was 37 years of age, overweight troubled by a stomach ulcer and an agonizing anal fistula. Hence his formal entry on horseback into the Vatican was thus not quite the unalloyed pleasure it might have been. He suffered terribly from the heat and the pain of riding in his condition. Those who stood near him suffered almost as much from the overpowering and noxious smell emanating from his ulcerous stomach and the infected fistual on his enormous backside.
Don't you just love history !!!!!!!!
Ride on Cowboys and Cowgals
Kelly & Siobahn xxxxx
After a lovely night sleep, up early and enthused, we stretch and limber up for our ascent. Have I told you how much I hate stairs? I am only eternally grateful that I gave up smoking some years ago because I would have been dead a third of the way up undoubtedly. The target is a tight circular climb and in parts near vertical 484 stair climb up inside the Duomo, to see the dome from half way up inside, up more steps to walk the external terraces of the Duomo and then up more internal steps to get to the top and see Florence from the most unique and beautiful spot.
But before we tell you about the climb, a bit about the Cathedral. It is Florence's principal church and is in the centre of Florence. It was built in the 13 century but was given it's current marble facade in the 1800's. Its rather spacious! We had a tour of the church and interestingly it houses stuff not only celebrating the usual religious suspects of Mares, JC and the like but also prominent important citizens who have helped or promoted the interests of Florence- people like Dante and so forth.
As I have said previously - am a philistine so art per se doesn't do it for me. But inside this great pile are two frescos . One painted at the end of the gothic era and one painted at the start of the renanaisance period. They sit side by side and depict two great soldiers on horseback, so the subject matter is identical. The gothic one in the style of painting of the
day, was a painting of a man on a statue- no movement, no flexing of the anatomy of the soldier or horse, no natural expression on either face. In short the painting of a statue. The renaissance one however shows movement, muscles tension, hair flying etc. This is essentially the shift from one era to another in art. So you see Kate, we are learning about art stuff without even realizing we are doing it.........
We head skywards in the internal stairwell to half way up the dome where you can circumference the dome and look down at the central alter and nave. And then we head again into the internal staircase to head to the terraces. Imagine a very small internal tunnel not much taller than me, and approximately a metre and a half wide. Comprised of heavy blustone like blocks, it starts off cooler but as you get higher the air gets thinner and the bodies get hotter. Others are coming down as you are heading up. It's close confines folks and not something I would recommend Sally undertake anytime soon. But I have my trusty knee supports on so all good.
An amazing view of the terraces that enable you to walk around the entire building and see Florence at mid level. We then head back inside for our second onslaught. Know I know how Sir Edmund Hillary felt - ok, a slight exaggeration but still cool.
This part is pretty steep, very tight enclosure and very warm and its only 11.30. We make it victoriously to the top, one guy humming the Rocky Theme as he emerges in the sunlight. One dipstick woman wore kitten heels.... I cannot find the words for that level of stupidity.
Before us lies Florence with her terra cotta tiled roofs, distant green gentle Tuscan Hills and best of all, the ringing of the many Churches' bells across the City as it hits 12 midday - just picture postcard stuff people. A beautiful memory and no CPR intervention required. It would seem the steep mountain sides of Positano provided us with the necessary match fitness for a successful climb. If you find yourself here, this is a must do thing.
We descend-easily and head to the Crypt- disappointing as no dead bodes, the Baptistry with it's beautiful gold paneled dome, yes another one right next door and then off to the Museum to see where they keep all the original gear for safe keeping - including Michaelangelo's Pietre - a v famous sculpture. This scuplture he made when he was a youthful 80years of age.
We had had enough culture for the day so it's wine'clock to drown my sorrows at the Bluies loss by 3 points to Weagles. Happy for young Edward, Michelle's nephew so that he doesn't have his little heart broken and sorry that Joyce's barracking for Carlton was not enough to get us over the line - thanks anyway Joyce. Sorry for Dad that the swannies lost. Special call out to Ranj from Siobhan "Go Hawks!!!!!!" she reckons if you had Roughie in, you would have a real chance to go all the way. I won't share with you Siobhan's latent joy at Carlton's loss, nor that she was hoping Josh Kennedy would kick the winning goal. I will just wait till we are back home and Invite the Carlton crew over for a long dinner- they can extract justice and payback on my behalf. Sorry guys but as they say, there is always next year.
I will leave you with an amusing historical fact. One of Lorenzo Di Magnifico (di Medici) sons called Giovanni, was elected Pope and became Leo X. He was 37 years of age, overweight troubled by a stomach ulcer and an agonizing anal fistula. Hence his formal entry on horseback into the Vatican was thus not quite the unalloyed pleasure it might have been. He suffered terribly from the heat and the pain of riding in his condition. Those who stood near him suffered almost as much from the overpowering and noxious smell emanating from his ulcerous stomach and the infected fistual on his enormous backside.
Don't you just love history !!!!!!!!
Ride on Cowboys and Cowgals
Kelly & Siobahn xxxxx
Friday, 16 September 2011
A visit to the Nude Dude !!!
Buonjourno and Coffees at the Counter,
We have hit our stride by day three with coffees ordered and drunk at the counter like locals and at a third of the price! The cafes and the quality of coffee and cakes is just brilliant. These efficient traders are lovely bunch of people to start your day with a smile and caffeine hit!
Today we are heading to see what is thought to be the most beautiful statue in the world- Michaelangelo's David. We were in awe of this amazing work and stood spellbound for ages just looking at what Michaelangelo had created from a block of marble that two artists before him had previously rejected as too stripey and too fragile. David was originally posted outside the Palazzo del Vecchio, but his left arm was broken off in a riot in the late 15 hundreds which has since been reattached. In the mid 1800's the city's leaders decided to move him indoors for better long term protection and purposely built the dome glass ceilinged room onto the academy where he is now housed. In the late 1990's a nutter with a concealed hammer starter attacking David's left foot and damaged the toes before he was stopped and you can still this damage today. He needs a pedicure but Michaelangelo isn't around to do it.
Now we did discuss the questionable size of David's appendage vis a vis his height and frame but there is a perfectly logical reason. The proportions of the David are atypical of Michelangelo's work; the figure has an unusually large head and hands (particularly apparent in the right hand). These enlargements may be due to the fact that the statue was originally intended to be placed on the cathedral roofline, where the important parts of the sculpture would necessarily be accentuated in order to be visible from below. Hence the size of a teeny todger wasn't regarded as important! So there!
After the beauty of David we stopped for lunch. At a lovely little streetside cafe, you sit cheek by jowl with other patrons. On one side of us we had a table of Texan ladies, Misty, Dotty, Joan and Roberta who had finished lunch, discussing the divorce settlement of one of the ladies- a total 50% each way split that they thought was ghastly unfair to their friend and were settling up the bill. As I said, our tables are about 5cm's apart .
They then began to work out the attributable split to their bill of $53.80. Why do I know this? Because they spent the next 25 minutes loudly counting out who had what and adding it up (incorrectly three times on a note pad. So loud and frustrating were these women that we nearly offered to pay their bill just so that we could be rid of them. I head to the loo only to return to another lot of American ladies having sat down on the other side off us asking each other "so do we know what rocket is ?" and whipped out a notebook to tally up who owed what for which glass of wine that was had at dinner last night by whom. We had to leave the restaurant before I caused a major international incident of mass genocide!! Siobhan was nearly exploding with laughter!!!
Next we headed to Palazzo Medici-Riccardi which was the first pre-rule home of the Medici. It was the prototype for all palazzos in Florence and contains the most exquisite Chapel of the Magi where only 12 people are allowed at any one time. The most amazing thing about Florence is that even thought the place is teeming with tourists, they actually only go into the Uffizi and the Acedemia where David is- the other palazzos and museums are so quiet and comfortably accessible. We are enjoying seeing these amazing places with no queues or crowds.
An early dinner for us as we head to the Duomo tomorrow for a guided tour and then the climb up 483 steps to the dome to look out over Florence.
Pray for my calves and knees please good people
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
We have hit our stride by day three with coffees ordered and drunk at the counter like locals and at a third of the price! The cafes and the quality of coffee and cakes is just brilliant. These efficient traders are lovely bunch of people to start your day with a smile and caffeine hit!
Today we are heading to see what is thought to be the most beautiful statue in the world- Michaelangelo's David. We were in awe of this amazing work and stood spellbound for ages just looking at what Michaelangelo had created from a block of marble that two artists before him had previously rejected as too stripey and too fragile. David was originally posted outside the Palazzo del Vecchio, but his left arm was broken off in a riot in the late 15 hundreds which has since been reattached. In the mid 1800's the city's leaders decided to move him indoors for better long term protection and purposely built the dome glass ceilinged room onto the academy where he is now housed. In the late 1990's a nutter with a concealed hammer starter attacking David's left foot and damaged the toes before he was stopped and you can still this damage today. He needs a pedicure but Michaelangelo isn't around to do it.
Now we did discuss the questionable size of David's appendage vis a vis his height and frame but there is a perfectly logical reason. The proportions of the David are atypical of Michelangelo's work; the figure has an unusually large head and hands (particularly apparent in the right hand). These enlargements may be due to the fact that the statue was originally intended to be placed on the cathedral roofline, where the important parts of the sculpture would necessarily be accentuated in order to be visible from below. Hence the size of a teeny todger wasn't regarded as important! So there!
After the beauty of David we stopped for lunch. At a lovely little streetside cafe, you sit cheek by jowl with other patrons. On one side of us we had a table of Texan ladies, Misty, Dotty, Joan and Roberta who had finished lunch, discussing the divorce settlement of one of the ladies- a total 50% each way split that they thought was ghastly unfair to their friend and were settling up the bill. As I said, our tables are about 5cm's apart .
They then began to work out the attributable split to their bill of $53.80. Why do I know this? Because they spent the next 25 minutes loudly counting out who had what and adding it up (incorrectly three times on a note pad. So loud and frustrating were these women that we nearly offered to pay their bill just so that we could be rid of them. I head to the loo only to return to another lot of American ladies having sat down on the other side off us asking each other "so do we know what rocket is ?" and whipped out a notebook to tally up who owed what for which glass of wine that was had at dinner last night by whom. We had to leave the restaurant before I caused a major international incident of mass genocide!! Siobhan was nearly exploding with laughter!!!
Next we headed to Palazzo Medici-Riccardi which was the first pre-rule home of the Medici. It was the prototype for all palazzos in Florence and contains the most exquisite Chapel of the Magi where only 12 people are allowed at any one time. The most amazing thing about Florence is that even thought the place is teeming with tourists, they actually only go into the Uffizi and the Acedemia where David is- the other palazzos and museums are so quiet and comfortably accessible. We are enjoying seeing these amazing places with no queues or crowds.
An early dinner for us as we head to the Duomo tomorrow for a guided tour and then the climb up 483 steps to the dome to look out over Florence.
Pray for my calves and knees please good people
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
Secret Passages, an Overdose of Religious Iconography and the Italian Love of Cheesy Music........
Good morning Fellow Conspirators,
Back to Palazzo Vecchio this morning to have a guided tour of the secret passages of the Palazzo del Veccio. Not content with occupying the biggest pile in town, Comissimo and his heir Francesco, also ensure that their lifelong commitment to the collection of priceless artifacts is safe from the great unwashed, by the creation of secret chambers called Rooms of Curiosities and Rooms of Treasure wherein these precious works of art could be stored and viewed by a privileged few. These secret chambers and passageways are littered throughout the palazzo and they enable secret trysts, spying and eavesdropping to occur with ease and made dispatching of your enemies, or your no-longer desired paramour, easy to ditch!
One room is the map room which contained framed hand painted maps of all known countries of the world at this time. - needless to say, no Australia. These walls of maps conceal hidden storage and secret passage ways to make quick getaways if a you don't wish to chat to boring old political and business rival Guiseppe Strozzi!! Could be a design enhancement that could come in hand at the office......
Then a rest up and it's off to the Uffizi. Now I happily confess to being a philistine. Much prefer footy to Bottecelli, tennis to the opera, but we spent around 4 hours here and it was amazing. Mind you, there are only so many Mary's With The Child, or Crucified Jesus(es) or is that Jesis, that one can take and the Uffizi has them in spades, but nonetheless it was an amazing experience.
I had said to Siobhan that perhaps we should visit the Orsanmichelle Church and she thought I said the "Awesome Michelle" Church and that is was it has become.....Michelle, we hope to get a picture of your church when we pop in. We head again to our beautiful Piazza for dinner and it's a big night. Mariella, for a brief time the South American guys from the Vic Market are there playing pan pipes and are soon replaced by a local trio playing and singing some of the worst music you have ever heard. - a very angst ridden "Woman in Love", a positively dreadful rendition of Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" and the best/worst of all, an unintentionally camp version of "Betty Davis Eyes" Truly ghastly and hilarious- we needed two limoncellos - the local digestivo, to keep our meal down!!!!!
Good intestinal health to you all
Siobhan and Kelly xxx
Back to Palazzo Vecchio this morning to have a guided tour of the secret passages of the Palazzo del Veccio. Not content with occupying the biggest pile in town, Comissimo and his heir Francesco, also ensure that their lifelong commitment to the collection of priceless artifacts is safe from the great unwashed, by the creation of secret chambers called Rooms of Curiosities and Rooms of Treasure wherein these precious works of art could be stored and viewed by a privileged few. These secret chambers and passageways are littered throughout the palazzo and they enable secret trysts, spying and eavesdropping to occur with ease and made dispatching of your enemies, or your no-longer desired paramour, easy to ditch!
One room is the map room which contained framed hand painted maps of all known countries of the world at this time. - needless to say, no Australia. These walls of maps conceal hidden storage and secret passage ways to make quick getaways if a you don't wish to chat to boring old political and business rival Guiseppe Strozzi!! Could be a design enhancement that could come in hand at the office......
Then a rest up and it's off to the Uffizi. Now I happily confess to being a philistine. Much prefer footy to Bottecelli, tennis to the opera, but we spent around 4 hours here and it was amazing. Mind you, there are only so many Mary's With The Child, or Crucified Jesus(es) or is that Jesis, that one can take and the Uffizi has them in spades, but nonetheless it was an amazing experience.
I had said to Siobhan that perhaps we should visit the Orsanmichelle Church and she thought I said the "Awesome Michelle" Church and that is was it has become.....Michelle, we hope to get a picture of your church when we pop in. We head again to our beautiful Piazza for dinner and it's a big night. Mariella, for a brief time the South American guys from the Vic Market are there playing pan pipes and are soon replaced by a local trio playing and singing some of the worst music you have ever heard. - a very angst ridden "Woman in Love", a positively dreadful rendition of Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" and the best/worst of all, an unintentionally camp version of "Betty Davis Eyes" Truly ghastly and hilarious- we needed two limoncellos - the local digestivo, to keep our meal down!!!!!
Good intestinal health to you all
Siobhan and Kelly xxx
Di Medicis- not a family with self esteem issues!!!!
Buona Sera Lovers of Power, Poisonings and Politics,
It's day 3 of our stay here in Florence and it is the most mesmorising town. As a lover of all things politic, if the art that is everywhere in this City is it's oxygen, then the politics and power created by the familglia di Medici is it's blood supply!!!
In the early days, around 14 and early 15 century Florence was a republic with an established system whereby nine "Priors" or leaders, were randomly selected from the populace from a hat and for a period of two months only, were locked away - safe from the corruptive influence of the powerful families of the time, to lead the city, collect and record taxes etc and make plans for the city's development. The Medicis were one such family. This place that the "Priors"- hence the word priority, managed the City from, was called the Palazzo Vecchio and these nine men - and it was men only of course, had their offices there to oversee, parks, streets, monuments, inter state and international relations and sewerage, and other such affairs.
Then a wee bit of rebellion broke out and the City was under siege. The Pope at the time - a Medici supported Pope, decided "better in the tent than out" so he appointed his son, and yes, you read that correctly, to run Florence as the leader as a duke. This guy was Alessandro. Well he ran Florence and then up and died without an heir, so along comes Cossimo I, a 19 year old nephew who everyone pretty much thought they could handle because of his youth and his inexperience.
Well comrades, let's just say that Cossimo took to power like the proverbial duck to water. This was a guy, who immediately commandeered the Palazzo Vecchio as the Palazzo for his family to live in and set about enlarging and re-decorating it immediately. He had statutes built in honor of Gods and saints but funnily enough, all the finished products bear an uncanny resemblance to old Cos himself!! He banned his closest rivals from the City indefinitely and embraced his mantle of power with considerable vigor!! He was a benevolent dictator at best and a despot at worst, not adverse to the odd bit of poisoning or murder to ensure he maintained power.
On the upside, he demonstrated enormous curiosity and a strong desire for urban renewal and saw art, architecture, and science as the means to achieve this in Florence. He is the medieval equivalent of a cross between Eddie Maguire, in that he is everywhere; Richard Branson, insofar as he has a finger in every pie or business development opportunity, and also part Donald Trump, in that he ran around naming stuff after himself and the family!!!
Our first day we headed to the family mausoleum wherein all the heavyweights of the Medicis are buried. Cossimos I,II and III, a couple of Ferdinands and a Francesco, oh and my personal favourite, the very humbly named, Lorenzo di Magnifico. This mob were not at all opposed to Self aggrandizement and promotion. You simply would not believe the grandeur of the place. The Medicis make Betty and the Windsors, the Tudors and even all the Louis' of France seem positively Amish in their sense of decor. To understand the conceit of the Medicis, it is said that you need to see this joint.
Having seen where they spent their afterlife, we just had to see where they spent this mortal lifetime. One of three places was the Palazzo Vecchio right near the Uffizi so we headed there. This was the family's main residence once they commenced running Florence. It was not shabby. But much has been decanted into Museums to ensure it's longevity as these old palaces, as well all know for our own experience of living in them, aren't good for the long term well being of masterpieces many hundreds of years old. We have had the same problem with Palazzo Thornbury del Gooch.
We have only seen a microcosm of this family's influence on Florence so far and already I am amazed Cossimo didn't try for a rename of the City to Medici, so omnipresent is the Medicis influence. We headed to our beautiful Piazza di Republica for dinner and listen to opera being sung in the alcoves as we eat a beautiful pasta of gorgonzola and pear gnocchi.
Bon appetito and buon nuit
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
It's day 3 of our stay here in Florence and it is the most mesmorising town. As a lover of all things politic, if the art that is everywhere in this City is it's oxygen, then the politics and power created by the familglia di Medici is it's blood supply!!!
In the early days, around 14 and early 15 century Florence was a republic with an established system whereby nine "Priors" or leaders, were randomly selected from the populace from a hat and for a period of two months only, were locked away - safe from the corruptive influence of the powerful families of the time, to lead the city, collect and record taxes etc and make plans for the city's development. The Medicis were one such family. This place that the "Priors"- hence the word priority, managed the City from, was called the Palazzo Vecchio and these nine men - and it was men only of course, had their offices there to oversee, parks, streets, monuments, inter state and international relations and sewerage, and other such affairs.
Then a wee bit of rebellion broke out and the City was under siege. The Pope at the time - a Medici supported Pope, decided "better in the tent than out" so he appointed his son, and yes, you read that correctly, to run Florence as the leader as a duke. This guy was Alessandro. Well he ran Florence and then up and died without an heir, so along comes Cossimo I, a 19 year old nephew who everyone pretty much thought they could handle because of his youth and his inexperience.
Well comrades, let's just say that Cossimo took to power like the proverbial duck to water. This was a guy, who immediately commandeered the Palazzo Vecchio as the Palazzo for his family to live in and set about enlarging and re-decorating it immediately. He had statutes built in honor of Gods and saints but funnily enough, all the finished products bear an uncanny resemblance to old Cos himself!! He banned his closest rivals from the City indefinitely and embraced his mantle of power with considerable vigor!! He was a benevolent dictator at best and a despot at worst, not adverse to the odd bit of poisoning or murder to ensure he maintained power.
On the upside, he demonstrated enormous curiosity and a strong desire for urban renewal and saw art, architecture, and science as the means to achieve this in Florence. He is the medieval equivalent of a cross between Eddie Maguire, in that he is everywhere; Richard Branson, insofar as he has a finger in every pie or business development opportunity, and also part Donald Trump, in that he ran around naming stuff after himself and the family!!!
Our first day we headed to the family mausoleum wherein all the heavyweights of the Medicis are buried. Cossimos I,II and III, a couple of Ferdinands and a Francesco, oh and my personal favourite, the very humbly named, Lorenzo di Magnifico. This mob were not at all opposed to Self aggrandizement and promotion. You simply would not believe the grandeur of the place. The Medicis make Betty and the Windsors, the Tudors and even all the Louis' of France seem positively Amish in their sense of decor. To understand the conceit of the Medicis, it is said that you need to see this joint.
Having seen where they spent their afterlife, we just had to see where they spent this mortal lifetime. One of three places was the Palazzo Vecchio right near the Uffizi so we headed there. This was the family's main residence once they commenced running Florence. It was not shabby. But much has been decanted into Museums to ensure it's longevity as these old palaces, as well all know for our own experience of living in them, aren't good for the long term well being of masterpieces many hundreds of years old. We have had the same problem with Palazzo Thornbury del Gooch.
We have only seen a microcosm of this family's influence on Florence so far and already I am amazed Cossimo didn't try for a rename of the City to Medici, so omnipresent is the Medicis influence. We headed to our beautiful Piazza di Republica for dinner and listen to opera being sung in the alcoves as we eat a beautiful pasta of gorgonzola and pear gnocchi.
Bon appetito and buon nuit
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Ruins, a Rubbish Tip and a Very Fast Train
Ciao Archeologists and Old Relics,
As the bellisimo Positano receded into the distance of our driver's rear vision mirror, we headed towards Pompeii some 45 minutes down the road - a very windy road. We had debated over the relative merits of using a day of our Positano stay to see Pompeii but weren't thrilled with the idea of arriving there in middle of the day either by train or bus when it's as hot as Hades and every other tour bus is sharing the ruins with you. Equally in needing to get to Florence heading via ferry and then taxi into Naples wasn't a thrilling prospect. Fortunately for us, our evening ritual of drinking Prosecco or vino Bianco on our terrace delivered in spades as our neighbors put us onto the benefits of a private driver who collects you and your luggage, waits for you at Pompeii and then drives you directly to the Centrale Stazione to catch the very fast train to your destination. Molto convenient! And all in air conditioned comfort! And even better people's, not all that more expensive when you add ferries x taxis (rip offs) x trains to get to Naples. Would highly recommend our lovely informative driver Antonio, a lovely gent with some 35years of experience. We have his card!!!!!!
We arrived at Pompeii and were astounded at the size of the place - it was extremely large and was an example of such brilliant town planning that even the modern day municipal planning officers of City of Yarra and City of Hobson's Bay could learn a thing or two. Seriously impressed were we by the Forum(the major city square/meeting place), the meat and fish market,the shopping precinct, the stunning public baths,the grand amphitheater and the Pompeii equivalent of the "G" and of course the famous Lupanare - the brothel.
The Lupanare was one of 50 brothels in Pompeii. It is indeed the oldest profession. Lupare was the roman word for prostitute. These ladies we're not entitled to use the word "matron" - the common form address, unless married, they were not entitled to inherit. The clientele were the servants and working class of the city. Rich Pompeians, had the girls come to their homes so as not to call attention to their lascivious habits and if they didn't call on the lupares, they simply extended the job descriptions of their servants to include sex as well as hovering the villa!!
The price of sex was the equivalent cost of two glasses of house wine,or 2 Assisi and was paid directly to the pimp, the Lupare did not get a cent. One can only guess that for the girls on the Game, being buried by layers of ash and pumice stone in 79 AD would have seemed like a reasonable option!!
After a few hours in Pompeii we headed to Naples. Can I say most diplomatically, what little we saw, the place was a rubbish tip, literally. Apparently the waste collection service as with most municipal contracts is tied up with the mafia and hence stringent performance targets are NOT part of the contractual arrangements. We wound our way into Naples and in seeking the advice of our venerable driver Antonio, he indicated that one should not hitherto stay in Naples but simply go in for a day or half a day into Centro Historic, see the Museum and the local old area but that is all, as the rest is more than a tad dodgy!
So Antonio delivered us safe and sound and we got tickets on the ES train to Florence. Very excited folks, love train travel. We did the first class thing, even though second looks just as fine, and settled in for our three hour trip. Can I say reclining comfort, complimentary bevies and snacks and air conditioned comfort AND speeds of 300 k's per hour were the order of the day. It was just the most economic and enjoyable use of time.
We arrived in Florence, with no idea about where the bloody hell we were staying other than the Lonely Planet Map. Folks, Florence is a dream. We headed in the correct direction and folks, we stumbled onto the Duomo. This is the major church in Florence and is serious gear. All green, white and red marble. To see it for the first time takes you breathe away. Then 15 mins we were at our accommodation and John Ferraro, I owe you and Bianca the biggest drink of all times!!!!! On Piazza de Le Republica and with a lift, we could NOT be in a better location. The room is brilliant with a kitchen/dining area and a separate bathroom, beautifully proportioned and decorated. And just 739€ for the week- is was a bargain to end all bargains.
We dumped our gear and headed out into the square and beyond for a wander. We headed back to the Duomo and walked around the base. It's not a religious thing at all, but when you see the beauty, the engineering, the vision, the labour that has gone into the creation of such a building, you are truly humbled by it and by what man can create!!!! No cranes, no hydrollics, the craft,the skill and the men that built them were just incredible!
Our first night in Florence we came across, ristorantes with windows of pieces of beef ready to be sliced into T-bone steaks the size that Fred Flinstone would be happy with. After a few weeks of pasta and seafood, and loads of Parma ham and mozzarella, a steak was a welcome protein fix!!!!!!!
We had a gorgeous earnest young waiter who had to seek the advice and assistance of his manager in helping us with a wine selection because he was probably even too young to drink. The sommelier comes out and recommends a killer wine and you won't believe this, but the next day enjoying breakfast, on the other side of the town, waves in recognition to Siobhan and stops for a chat because we ate at his restaurant last evening- nice bloke!
We headed for bed looking forward to learning about Florence and in particular "de Medicis" - the family that in so many ways, created Florence.
Buono Sera Florentines
Kelly & Siobhan xxxx
As the bellisimo Positano receded into the distance of our driver's rear vision mirror, we headed towards Pompeii some 45 minutes down the road - a very windy road. We had debated over the relative merits of using a day of our Positano stay to see Pompeii but weren't thrilled with the idea of arriving there in middle of the day either by train or bus when it's as hot as Hades and every other tour bus is sharing the ruins with you. Equally in needing to get to Florence heading via ferry and then taxi into Naples wasn't a thrilling prospect. Fortunately for us, our evening ritual of drinking Prosecco or vino Bianco on our terrace delivered in spades as our neighbors put us onto the benefits of a private driver who collects you and your luggage, waits for you at Pompeii and then drives you directly to the Centrale Stazione to catch the very fast train to your destination. Molto convenient! And all in air conditioned comfort! And even better people's, not all that more expensive when you add ferries x taxis (rip offs) x trains to get to Naples. Would highly recommend our lovely informative driver Antonio, a lovely gent with some 35years of experience. We have his card!!!!!!
We arrived at Pompeii and were astounded at the size of the place - it was extremely large and was an example of such brilliant town planning that even the modern day municipal planning officers of City of Yarra and City of Hobson's Bay could learn a thing or two. Seriously impressed were we by the Forum(the major city square/meeting place), the meat and fish market,the shopping precinct, the stunning public baths,the grand amphitheater and the Pompeii equivalent of the "G" and of course the famous Lupanare - the brothel.
The Lupanare was one of 50 brothels in Pompeii. It is indeed the oldest profession. Lupare was the roman word for prostitute. These ladies we're not entitled to use the word "matron" - the common form address, unless married, they were not entitled to inherit. The clientele were the servants and working class of the city. Rich Pompeians, had the girls come to their homes so as not to call attention to their lascivious habits and if they didn't call on the lupares, they simply extended the job descriptions of their servants to include sex as well as hovering the villa!!
The price of sex was the equivalent cost of two glasses of house wine,or 2 Assisi and was paid directly to the pimp, the Lupare did not get a cent. One can only guess that for the girls on the Game, being buried by layers of ash and pumice stone in 79 AD would have seemed like a reasonable option!!
After a few hours in Pompeii we headed to Naples. Can I say most diplomatically, what little we saw, the place was a rubbish tip, literally. Apparently the waste collection service as with most municipal contracts is tied up with the mafia and hence stringent performance targets are NOT part of the contractual arrangements. We wound our way into Naples and in seeking the advice of our venerable driver Antonio, he indicated that one should not hitherto stay in Naples but simply go in for a day or half a day into Centro Historic, see the Museum and the local old area but that is all, as the rest is more than a tad dodgy!
So Antonio delivered us safe and sound and we got tickets on the ES train to Florence. Very excited folks, love train travel. We did the first class thing, even though second looks just as fine, and settled in for our three hour trip. Can I say reclining comfort, complimentary bevies and snacks and air conditioned comfort AND speeds of 300 k's per hour were the order of the day. It was just the most economic and enjoyable use of time.
We arrived in Florence, with no idea about where the bloody hell we were staying other than the Lonely Planet Map. Folks, Florence is a dream. We headed in the correct direction and folks, we stumbled onto the Duomo. This is the major church in Florence and is serious gear. All green, white and red marble. To see it for the first time takes you breathe away. Then 15 mins we were at our accommodation and John Ferraro, I owe you and Bianca the biggest drink of all times!!!!! On Piazza de Le Republica and with a lift, we could NOT be in a better location. The room is brilliant with a kitchen/dining area and a separate bathroom, beautifully proportioned and decorated. And just 739€ for the week- is was a bargain to end all bargains.
We dumped our gear and headed out into the square and beyond for a wander. We headed back to the Duomo and walked around the base. It's not a religious thing at all, but when you see the beauty, the engineering, the vision, the labour that has gone into the creation of such a building, you are truly humbled by it and by what man can create!!!! No cranes, no hydrollics, the craft,the skill and the men that built them were just incredible!
Our first night in Florence we came across, ristorantes with windows of pieces of beef ready to be sliced into T-bone steaks the size that Fred Flinstone would be happy with. After a few weeks of pasta and seafood, and loads of Parma ham and mozzarella, a steak was a welcome protein fix!!!!!!!
We had a gorgeous earnest young waiter who had to seek the advice and assistance of his manager in helping us with a wine selection because he was probably even too young to drink. The sommelier comes out and recommends a killer wine and you won't believe this, but the next day enjoying breakfast, on the other side of the town, waves in recognition to Siobhan and stops for a chat because we ate at his restaurant last evening- nice bloke!
We headed for bed looking forward to learning about Florence and in particular "de Medicis" - the family that in so many ways, created Florence.
Buono Sera Florentines
Kelly & Siobhan xxxx
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Thornbury Chicks Rule the Waves - Our Last Day in Paradiso
Ahoy Sailors,
Sadly it is our last day in this coastal paradiso. We are molto sad to be leaving. But in order to ensure a lasting memory we decide what better way than to remember Positano (and in all likelyhood have Positano remember us), we hired a boat. Just us and a 4 stroke 40 horsepower thingiey, whatever that means.
After a thorough and comprehensive 3 minute lesson in how to drive this boat, we confidently set sail out towards these islands that legend has it are the famous Sirens who turned themselves into islands after Ulysees had heard their powerful alluring singing when deliberately chained to his mast, his crew blind folded and ears full of wax and as a consequence did not die. So pissed at old Ulysees where the mermaids that they up and turned themselves into a seriously nice bit of off shore real estate. Rudolf Nureyev used to own this little haven and when he died in the late 1980's, his estate sold it to a private company. So fellow Travellers, if you have the odd $125,000 for a week, you and 19 of your nearest and dearest can hire the place out and watch the proletariat under class, like Siobhan and I hoon around your island paradise in a rented boat as you drink the local drink of choice - Gin and Campari Shakallata- a very dry martini of just G and C. Go on try it, I dare you!
We headed south following the Mediterranean towards Amalfi And all we can say folks, is that if you get the chance to do this, make sure you avail yourself of this opportunity. In the words of Generation Y Should I, it was totally awesome! You see the coastline up close and personal, you stop and anchor for a swim and, as we did, another bellisimo panini from our favorite Delikatessan/Alimentari . Here we were bobbing on the Mediterranean, swimming and sun baking and in our spare time, possibly causing some minor boating incidents.......but all good.
After 4 hours we reluctantly returned to shore- happy to report no damage to us or any other boating hardware and headed to the beach for more aquatic themed pleasure and pastimes. It was, all in all, a glorious end to a glorious stay. Both of us are proud of having driven a boat when we didn't have the faintest idea about what we were doing and we have a most treasured memory. Off shopping now for some Positano sandals, some Moda Positano clothing, dinner, then it's off to Florence. We are. Very fortunate gals.
For dinner on our last day we returned to Saraceno D'Oro our favorite restaurant here thus far. We enjoyed a wonderful ricotta, spinach and tomato number that was just exquisite and a crema caramel with a toffee sauce. We were honored by a final farewell acknowledgment by this lovely dog called Willie who is a cream and gold corgi, who lives at the top of Positano and everyday makes his way down to the beach, saunters around receiving tummy pats and tidbits and then heads back up the mountain stopping at each of the now opened evening restaurants for more tummy rubs and more tidbits. This lovely dog had ignored us during our time in Positano despite all our attempts to attract his attention. However with some sixth sense he seemed to know of our impending departue and deigned to grace us with his presence and allowed us to pat and tickle him. A gracious honor we accepted most humbly.
Positano is just the most wonderful place. Viv, you would adore the gear and the bling here. They put bling on everything, particularly the Positano Sandals. Our host Claudio was every tourist's dream. Helpful and accommodating and a man extremely proud of his town. Villa Nettuno is a great place to stay and once you get used to living and walking on a ninety degree angle, the benefits are enormous (and it's better than any gym workout). Finally as it is now three and a half weeks into our holiday, we are missing our babies, so you can imagine our surprise and delight to find that the prevailing dog breed here in Positano is the Westie. Litters from Carmen the maitre de and her offspring Bruschetta has resulted in a number of the locals (only 3,900 of them anyway) are the proud owners of beautifully groomed and bling-ed Westies. A call out to Punter, we hope Koutta is getting better.
Off to Firenze tomorrow
Ciao ciao for niao !!!!!!
Kelly & Siobhan
Smooth sailing to you all
Kelly & Siobhan xxxx
Sent from my iPad
Sadly it is our last day in this coastal paradiso. We are molto sad to be leaving. But in order to ensure a lasting memory we decide what better way than to remember Positano (and in all likelyhood have Positano remember us), we hired a boat. Just us and a 4 stroke 40 horsepower thingiey, whatever that means.
After a thorough and comprehensive 3 minute lesson in how to drive this boat, we confidently set sail out towards these islands that legend has it are the famous Sirens who turned themselves into islands after Ulysees had heard their powerful alluring singing when deliberately chained to his mast, his crew blind folded and ears full of wax and as a consequence did not die. So pissed at old Ulysees where the mermaids that they up and turned themselves into a seriously nice bit of off shore real estate. Rudolf Nureyev used to own this little haven and when he died in the late 1980's, his estate sold it to a private company. So fellow Travellers, if you have the odd $125,000 for a week, you and 19 of your nearest and dearest can hire the place out and watch the proletariat under class, like Siobhan and I hoon around your island paradise in a rented boat as you drink the local drink of choice - Gin and Campari Shakallata- a very dry martini of just G and C. Go on try it, I dare you!
We headed south following the Mediterranean towards Amalfi And all we can say folks, is that if you get the chance to do this, make sure you avail yourself of this opportunity. In the words of Generation Y Should I, it was totally awesome! You see the coastline up close and personal, you stop and anchor for a swim and, as we did, another bellisimo panini from our favorite Delikatessan/Alimentari . Here we were bobbing on the Mediterranean, swimming and sun baking and in our spare time, possibly causing some minor boating incidents.......but all good.
After 4 hours we reluctantly returned to shore- happy to report no damage to us or any other boating hardware and headed to the beach for more aquatic themed pleasure and pastimes. It was, all in all, a glorious end to a glorious stay. Both of us are proud of having driven a boat when we didn't have the faintest idea about what we were doing and we have a most treasured memory. Off shopping now for some Positano sandals, some Moda Positano clothing, dinner, then it's off to Florence. We are. Very fortunate gals.
For dinner on our last day we returned to Saraceno D'Oro our favorite restaurant here thus far. We enjoyed a wonderful ricotta, spinach and tomato number that was just exquisite and a crema caramel with a toffee sauce. We were honored by a final farewell acknowledgment by this lovely dog called Willie who is a cream and gold corgi, who lives at the top of Positano and everyday makes his way down to the beach, saunters around receiving tummy pats and tidbits and then heads back up the mountain stopping at each of the now opened evening restaurants for more tummy rubs and more tidbits. This lovely dog had ignored us during our time in Positano despite all our attempts to attract his attention. However with some sixth sense he seemed to know of our impending departue and deigned to grace us with his presence and allowed us to pat and tickle him. A gracious honor we accepted most humbly.
Positano is just the most wonderful place. Viv, you would adore the gear and the bling here. They put bling on everything, particularly the Positano Sandals. Our host Claudio was every tourist's dream. Helpful and accommodating and a man extremely proud of his town. Villa Nettuno is a great place to stay and once you get used to living and walking on a ninety degree angle, the benefits are enormous (and it's better than any gym workout). Finally as it is now three and a half weeks into our holiday, we are missing our babies, so you can imagine our surprise and delight to find that the prevailing dog breed here in Positano is the Westie. Litters from Carmen the maitre de and her offspring Bruschetta has resulted in a number of the locals (only 3,900 of them anyway) are the proud owners of beautifully groomed and bling-ed Westies. A call out to Punter, we hope Koutta is getting better.
Off to Firenze tomorrow
Ciao ciao for niao !!!!!!
Kelly & Siobhan
Smooth sailing to you all
Kelly & Siobhan xxxx
Sent from my iPad
Beach side bliss and Bellisimo food
Dear Gourmands,
Following our day of serious learnings and cultural foray into the local music scene, we decided that a return to more leisurely pursuits was in order. Mind you, if we were any more laid back here, we would be dead. So we jumped the first boat at 10am and putted across to a little beach just down from the main cove of Positano.
This little beach is a tiny alcove etched into the cliff face of the mountain and has two restaurants on it from where you can hire your banana lounge and brolley for the day and eat at their restaurant at lunchtime. We had read about Da Aldolphi Restaurant in Amanda Tabberer 's book , "my Amalfi Coast". It's a local restaurant serving the freshest seafood in the most casual surrounds. Her former husband's family own the restaurant . So casual that the structure is just a temporary construction of beams and thatched roofing and the flooring is the volcanic rock and pebbles that is also the beach surface. To that are added wooden tables and chairs looking out towards the water. The waiters create a great sense of theatre as they move barefoot swiftly across the volcanic pebbles, up and down the external staircase to the kitchen delivering beautiful meals to the mainly local patrons and talking loudly with much theatrics and bonhomie!!! Our favorite was this lovely waiter called Claudio who like our Villa host, also named Claudio was so helpful with the menu and was as cheeky to boot.
After a few hours lying out in the sun flat out working up an appetite, swimming, lazing, swimming, we headed into the restaurant for a delicious meal of fresh mozzarella barbecued on lemon leaves, accompanied by proscuttio and figs and then a grilled local fish very similar to swordfish served with a fresh cold salad. All served with a half litre pitcher of local wine! Truly delicious!
The effort required to digest that lunch demanded another nana nap on the banana lounge and yet another cooling swim in the wonderful Mediteranean. Have I mentioned how tuff it is being on holidays peoples ? We boatted back to Positano around 5 ish for a strawberry daiquiri on the waterfront. By the time we meandered back to our room having interspersed the journey with some retail research, it was around 8.30ish. So no dinner for us, simply toooooo tired. We have hired a boat to spend our last day in Positano on the water scooting around so we decided to reserve our strength and stay in for the night. If the Italian drivers think that they are the worst in the world, then they haven't seen me drive a boat ! Mind you neither have I so it could be interesting!
Sleep tight
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
Sent from my iPad
Following our day of serious learnings and cultural foray into the local music scene, we decided that a return to more leisurely pursuits was in order. Mind you, if we were any more laid back here, we would be dead. So we jumped the first boat at 10am and putted across to a little beach just down from the main cove of Positano.
This little beach is a tiny alcove etched into the cliff face of the mountain and has two restaurants on it from where you can hire your banana lounge and brolley for the day and eat at their restaurant at lunchtime. We had read about Da Aldolphi Restaurant in Amanda Tabberer 's book , "my Amalfi Coast". It's a local restaurant serving the freshest seafood in the most casual surrounds. Her former husband's family own the restaurant . So casual that the structure is just a temporary construction of beams and thatched roofing and the flooring is the volcanic rock and pebbles that is also the beach surface. To that are added wooden tables and chairs looking out towards the water. The waiters create a great sense of theatre as they move barefoot swiftly across the volcanic pebbles, up and down the external staircase to the kitchen delivering beautiful meals to the mainly local patrons and talking loudly with much theatrics and bonhomie!!! Our favorite was this lovely waiter called Claudio who like our Villa host, also named Claudio was so helpful with the menu and was as cheeky to boot.
After a few hours lying out in the sun flat out working up an appetite, swimming, lazing, swimming, we headed into the restaurant for a delicious meal of fresh mozzarella barbecued on lemon leaves, accompanied by proscuttio and figs and then a grilled local fish very similar to swordfish served with a fresh cold salad. All served with a half litre pitcher of local wine! Truly delicious!
The effort required to digest that lunch demanded another nana nap on the banana lounge and yet another cooling swim in the wonderful Mediteranean. Have I mentioned how tuff it is being on holidays peoples ? We boatted back to Positano around 5 ish for a strawberry daiquiri on the waterfront. By the time we meandered back to our room having interspersed the journey with some retail research, it was around 8.30ish. So no dinner for us, simply toooooo tired. We have hired a boat to spend our last day in Positano on the water scooting around so we decided to reserve our strength and stay in for the night. If the Italian drivers think that they are the worst in the world, then they haven't seen me drive a boat ! Mind you neither have I so it could be interesting!
Sleep tight
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
Sent from my iPad
TINTERELLA DE LUNA rocks Positano as The Ambassador of New Orleans Takes the Stage
Ciao Groovers,
After our day of learning the history of Positano and before enjoying her beaches, we headed to a beachside ristorante where we enjoyed our first pizza in Italy. Fortunately for us the pizza was to be made by Antonio from Naples, which served two purposes. Naples as you are probably aware is the original home of the Marguerite pizza, so we had a napolIan making the pizza and ensured we didn't have to visit Naples - see later log for reasons why.......it was magnifico. Thin crusted with just a hint of tomato, all goohey cheese and basil..... Molto yum! After a day on our little side beach of Fornillo, we meet up with the lovely ladies from Mama Agata's Cooking School - Jane, Kristen and Trish at this Garden Bar by Day and Piano Bar by Night..... Expecting it to be chees-o-rama which as you know I am quite partial to, we get there early to get a good seat - thanks Jane. The ladies arrived fashionably late, some nonsense about missing a bus allegedly!!
The ladies arrived looking resplendent in their new purchases of Moda Positano ( whereby the fabric is made specifically for the local store, is designed, made and sold in Positano) for without these elements it is NOT Moda Positano. Sidebar; this little black duck intends to get some Moda Positano gear as well before departure so that Siobhan is not the only one swanning around Thornbury in new gear!!
We settle in for a pre- entertainment bevvie of caprioska's and caprihini's....... And await the night's entertainment. Let me say it starts well- a two piece ensemble of keyboards/singer accompanied by saxophonist/ flautist. They start with gear like "Feelings" so I am looking forward to extra cheese. After some more dodgy numbers they then move into "Si Americano" which I love. On the strength of this I said that I wanted them to play my favorite Italian song of all time "Tinterella de Luna". Kristen kindly took up this mantle and requested it of the band.
For those of you who have seen the film "Looking for Alibrandi" it's the song that the grandma plays at the beginning of the movie that the young girl loathes, then dances at the end of the movie with her grandmother having embraced her heritage. But for those who knew me during the days our double decker bus trips to Waverley for the footy or the countless cocktail parties held during the eighties, it was my favorite song that had been recorded by The Globos - featuring a certain band member Bob Down- YouTube it- it's brilliant. Uncle Tone, you would be very proud as I remembered every word of it!!! And it brought back great memories of Domenic.
Well, music lovers, let me just say, the band readily jumped on the chance, started playing it and before you knew it, the place was rocking!!!!!! Everyone, self included, hit the dance floor pronto and the place went off! It was magical! After slaying the place with some serious sixties inspired moves, Kristen, Trish and I returned to our table- Siobhan and Jane having piked it! We ordered, as one does, a pitcher of wine (in a Positano ceramic jug natch) and settled in for some serious crowd watching and commentary.
The band found their groove.........and then, if you believe our table at least, they lost their groove. ('cept for Jane who believed it was a set up) And all because of a wee tiny black woman with a powerhouse for a voice! Her name is Lily Botte and she hails from New Orleans. She was in town celebrating her sister's birthday with friends and family - all who were in a party mood.
She jumps on stage, has a quiet word with the boys and before you know it, is introducing herself and starts singing. She blew the room away! Out of this tiny wee woman came a voice that was hooooooooooge. She sang Georgia, Summertime and when she really took over the stage with her own friend on keyboard and her sister doing accompanying vocals she sang Carole King's "You gotta friend"
To say that the boys in the band were a tad pissed orf - particularly the sax player, is probably understating it somewhat. But try as they might to recapture the crowd with their own endeavors , just wasn't working for them. She literally stole the limelight from them.
After she and her crew finally left the building the only offering the boys had in their corner was to play bloody dreadful salsa music so the Arthur Murray graduates in the crowd could swaaaaaaaaay across the dance floor. There is something very "Dancing with the Stars" for me about couples doing the salsa. It's very contrived and rehearsed and doesn't look, for mine, like the two people are enjoying the moment of dancing with each other, but are poncing around like Britt Edelstein and some buff Latin dude with too much fake tan and bling going on trying to show the watching crowd how sharp their moves are! Bleuck!!!!!
It was a blast of an evening that offered so many surprises and enjoyment on a raft of different levels. We wandered on home with the memories of how a great voice can make you feel and how a brilliantly camp song can bring a house down.
Dance on, good people
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
After our day of learning the history of Positano and before enjoying her beaches, we headed to a beachside ristorante where we enjoyed our first pizza in Italy. Fortunately for us the pizza was to be made by Antonio from Naples, which served two purposes. Naples as you are probably aware is the original home of the Marguerite pizza, so we had a napolIan making the pizza and ensured we didn't have to visit Naples - see later log for reasons why.......it was magnifico. Thin crusted with just a hint of tomato, all goohey cheese and basil..... Molto yum! After a day on our little side beach of Fornillo, we meet up with the lovely ladies from Mama Agata's Cooking School - Jane, Kristen and Trish at this Garden Bar by Day and Piano Bar by Night..... Expecting it to be chees-o-rama which as you know I am quite partial to, we get there early to get a good seat - thanks Jane. The ladies arrived fashionably late, some nonsense about missing a bus allegedly!!
The ladies arrived looking resplendent in their new purchases of Moda Positano ( whereby the fabric is made specifically for the local store, is designed, made and sold in Positano) for without these elements it is NOT Moda Positano. Sidebar; this little black duck intends to get some Moda Positano gear as well before departure so that Siobhan is not the only one swanning around Thornbury in new gear!!
We settle in for a pre- entertainment bevvie of caprioska's and caprihini's....... And await the night's entertainment. Let me say it starts well- a two piece ensemble of keyboards/singer accompanied by saxophonist/ flautist. They start with gear like "Feelings" so I am looking forward to extra cheese. After some more dodgy numbers they then move into "Si Americano" which I love. On the strength of this I said that I wanted them to play my favorite Italian song of all time "Tinterella de Luna". Kristen kindly took up this mantle and requested it of the band.
For those of you who have seen the film "Looking for Alibrandi" it's the song that the grandma plays at the beginning of the movie that the young girl loathes, then dances at the end of the movie with her grandmother having embraced her heritage. But for those who knew me during the days our double decker bus trips to Waverley for the footy or the countless cocktail parties held during the eighties, it was my favorite song that had been recorded by The Globos - featuring a certain band member Bob Down- YouTube it- it's brilliant. Uncle Tone, you would be very proud as I remembered every word of it!!! And it brought back great memories of Domenic.
Well, music lovers, let me just say, the band readily jumped on the chance, started playing it and before you knew it, the place was rocking!!!!!! Everyone, self included, hit the dance floor pronto and the place went off! It was magical! After slaying the place with some serious sixties inspired moves, Kristen, Trish and I returned to our table- Siobhan and Jane having piked it! We ordered, as one does, a pitcher of wine (in a Positano ceramic jug natch) and settled in for some serious crowd watching and commentary.
The band found their groove.........and then, if you believe our table at least, they lost their groove. ('cept for Jane who believed it was a set up) And all because of a wee tiny black woman with a powerhouse for a voice! Her name is Lily Botte and she hails from New Orleans. She was in town celebrating her sister's birthday with friends and family - all who were in a party mood.
She jumps on stage, has a quiet word with the boys and before you know it, is introducing herself and starts singing. She blew the room away! Out of this tiny wee woman came a voice that was hooooooooooge. She sang Georgia, Summertime and when she really took over the stage with her own friend on keyboard and her sister doing accompanying vocals she sang Carole King's "You gotta friend"
To say that the boys in the band were a tad pissed orf - particularly the sax player, is probably understating it somewhat. But try as they might to recapture the crowd with their own endeavors , just wasn't working for them. She literally stole the limelight from them.
After she and her crew finally left the building the only offering the boys had in their corner was to play bloody dreadful salsa music so the Arthur Murray graduates in the crowd could swaaaaaaaaay across the dance floor. There is something very "Dancing with the Stars" for me about couples doing the salsa. It's very contrived and rehearsed and doesn't look, for mine, like the two people are enjoying the moment of dancing with each other, but are poncing around like Britt Edelstein and some buff Latin dude with too much fake tan and bling going on trying to show the watching crowd how sharp their moves are! Bleuck!!!!!
It was a blast of an evening that offered so many surprises and enjoyment on a raft of different levels. We wandered on home with the memories of how a great voice can make you feel and how a brilliantly camp song can bring a house down.
Dance on, good people
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
Saturday, 10 September 2011
La dolce vita and Sandi's Alimentari
Hello Positano Espadrillians,
We are sitting on our balcony, the mistresses of all we can see as we enjoy an apparetivo before we head out for dinner, watching the moonlight creep over the Mediterranean and cast a glistening path across the water.
Today listeners we finally sent our catch up blogs to you all. We hope you enjoy. We decided after our day of hard slogging in the kitchen that we deserved a day off from the grind of vaguely assisting in the preparation of an 8 course meal with unlimited supportive quantities of alcohol and needed some R &R. So we headed to the Alimentari recommended by Sandi for our provisions of panini and water before we hit the beach. The alimentari is the local milk bar come deli come bottle shop, and this one had the best gear you can imagine. Fresh mozzarella, Parma ham and bread to die for! was molto bene let me tell you.
At the main beach you catch what is similar to a couta boat ( a small wooden very pretty boat of great lines). It ferries you in a 5 minutes trip just around to the neighboring cove where a little beach called Fornillo lies. There you pay 7 euro for a banana lounge and umbrella all lined up in military precision in happy blue and white stripes.
Positano is just enchanting. Just imagine the prettiest quaintest village of small houses in colours of cream, butter and apricot stucco then turn this picture on a 90 degree angle and you have Positano!!
Everywhere there are steps up and down the mountain side running beside and behind all the shops and houses as the more direct alternative to the narrow winding road that bears the vehicle traffic. After our first day of stairs, we opt for the road as the less painful option. The shopping here is geared around two things food and clothing. The Positano look is of flat espadrilles where all manner of bling can be added to the leather thonging to bedeck your footsies in. These flat leather sandals as simply de riguer here. To that look add lots of linen in whites and light earthy colours of off-white, taupes and mocchas. This floaty layered linen look is very big here.
The people are very Glamourous and well turned out even when heading for the beach for the day. For all the Glamourous clothing and jewelry on display though its a very laid back place where people are very happy, helpful and keen to share their sense of fun with you. We met another Australian couple from Noosa yesterday ( have to say, the place is teeming with Australians), must be our dollar, and he made that same comment to Siobhan. He said the upside was that there were not many septic tanks! She didn't know what he meant - so she learnt a new rhyming slang word!
We spent a leisurely day watching the small boats move across the little harbor and then headed back for a vino on our balcony- a ritual we do every night before dinner. Dinner was at a local restaurant called Bruno's where you dine roadside overlooking the harbor. Veal scallopini with lemon and a stellar white wine from the north of Italy . Bellisimo!
We meandered back to our villa and fell asleep to the sound of the Mediterranean lapping at the shore! Go blues!
PS. Kath and Kim are filming their new picture, it's production name being Kath and Kim's Fillum. When we left home the filming schedule hadn't been published in the industry's Online Journal so will check to see if it aligns with our travel plans !!! Who knows, we could find ourselves being extras in their cultural assault on Italy!!
Ciao Ciao and Buona Sera
Kelly and Siobhan xxx
We are sitting on our balcony, the mistresses of all we can see as we enjoy an apparetivo before we head out for dinner, watching the moonlight creep over the Mediterranean and cast a glistening path across the water.
Today listeners we finally sent our catch up blogs to you all. We hope you enjoy. We decided after our day of hard slogging in the kitchen that we deserved a day off from the grind of vaguely assisting in the preparation of an 8 course meal with unlimited supportive quantities of alcohol and needed some R &R. So we headed to the Alimentari recommended by Sandi for our provisions of panini and water before we hit the beach. The alimentari is the local milk bar come deli come bottle shop, and this one had the best gear you can imagine. Fresh mozzarella, Parma ham and bread to die for! was molto bene let me tell you.
At the main beach you catch what is similar to a couta boat ( a small wooden very pretty boat of great lines). It ferries you in a 5 minutes trip just around to the neighboring cove where a little beach called Fornillo lies. There you pay 7 euro for a banana lounge and umbrella all lined up in military precision in happy blue and white stripes.
Positano is just enchanting. Just imagine the prettiest quaintest village of small houses in colours of cream, butter and apricot stucco then turn this picture on a 90 degree angle and you have Positano!!
Everywhere there are steps up and down the mountain side running beside and behind all the shops and houses as the more direct alternative to the narrow winding road that bears the vehicle traffic. After our first day of stairs, we opt for the road as the less painful option. The shopping here is geared around two things food and clothing. The Positano look is of flat espadrilles where all manner of bling can be added to the leather thonging to bedeck your footsies in. These flat leather sandals as simply de riguer here. To that look add lots of linen in whites and light earthy colours of off-white, taupes and mocchas. This floaty layered linen look is very big here.
The people are very Glamourous and well turned out even when heading for the beach for the day. For all the Glamourous clothing and jewelry on display though its a very laid back place where people are very happy, helpful and keen to share their sense of fun with you. We met another Australian couple from Noosa yesterday ( have to say, the place is teeming with Australians), must be our dollar, and he made that same comment to Siobhan. He said the upside was that there were not many septic tanks! She didn't know what he meant - so she learnt a new rhyming slang word!
We spent a leisurely day watching the small boats move across the little harbor and then headed back for a vino on our balcony- a ritual we do every night before dinner. Dinner was at a local restaurant called Bruno's where you dine roadside overlooking the harbor. Veal scallopini with lemon and a stellar white wine from the north of Italy . Bellisimo!
We meandered back to our villa and fell asleep to the sound of the Mediterranean lapping at the shore! Go blues!
PS. Kath and Kim are filming their new picture, it's production name being Kath and Kim's Fillum. When we left home the filming schedule hadn't been published in the industry's Online Journal so will check to see if it aligns with our travel plans !!! Who knows, we could find ourselves being extras in their cultural assault on Italy!!
Ciao Ciao and Buona Sera
Kelly and Siobhan xxx
Friday, 9 September 2011
A Westie Maitre De and Cooking School with Frannie
Buono sera Foodies,
After swanning around Capri in my less than chi chi Katmando gear we headed for a local dinner @ Cafe Positano. A rip off with schmick waiters and all but close to home and no bloody stairs. But their speciality was not their pesce nor their insalade but the fact that they had a resident West Highland White Terrier who was their unofficial maitre d'e.
"Carmen" - mother of Whisky, was the talisman of this eating establishment. She was the most chi chi Westie with the best coiffure and attitude this side of Milano. The mad undisciplined traffic of the narrow streets of Positano was of no consequence to this queen of cool. She meandered tables and traffic with aplomb even though Siobhan and I were sick too our stomachs watching her. It made us miss our babies marginally less.... Grazie Carmen.
It's Thursday and we head to Ravello for the cooking class that we had booked. And Travellers, can I just say one thing, If you find yourself in this region the please in the most heartfelt bespoke words of Molly Meldrum, do yourself a favor and do this course.
When we arrive at Amalfi, not sure how to get where we need to be , a sleaze bucket taxi driver tries to get us to spend 40€ for a 10min taxi ride. We say Managgia la miseria - damn this misery and head to the local bus stop. We arrive in Ravello. We have a bit of a walk - we ask a local copper and as is the way of Italians....... Everything is just tin minutes. Fortunately for us in this case it was. We arrive at a place that we begin to start what is one of my most memorable experiences.........
"Ah Killy and Shivon" I was starting to get most worried about you..............
This was our welcome to one of the most wonderful days thus far and spoken by the most wonderful woman you will ever have the pleasure to meet. Her name is Chiara and with her mother "Mama Agatta", runs the best day that 200€ ever spent.
In the hilltop of Ravello, over looking the Mediterranean sea, her family's farm which is some 250 years old, she runs a cooking school. Her mother started cooking for a rich American ôwomen back in the late 50's early 60's. This woman, Mama Agatta, cooked for Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Jacqueline Kennedy, Fred Astaire amongst others, when visiting the Mediterranean was all the go. Her family life was tough about 20 years ago and Chiara , the daughter, thought that her mum had something to offer. So she harnessed this experience and the cooking school came into being.
The day began with an avalanche of Australians. Fiona and Sam from Sydney, Jane and Kristen from Melbourne, and us and then Peggy and Dino from Chicago, and finally Brendan and "call me Suzanne not Susan, from London".
It was a veritable feast of the senses as we learnt from Mama , a formidable 70 year old and her effervescent daughter Chiara, the intricacies of teasing garlic, olive oil, searing and marrying ingredients into a true marriage to produce some eight dishes that we then got to enjoy. But interspersed with that was some of the best laughs, sensory pleasures and flat out enjoyment you will ever get the opportunity to experience.
For those of you that know me, you may have also had the pleasure of meeting one of the wickedest, funniest ladies that ever graced this earth. Her name was Sue Saunders, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, she went under the name of Frannie. Frannie died of cancer probably more than two years ago now. In her prime, there was none more scintillatingly scathing in her observations nor one more ready to say what others wouldn't or couldn't have the chutzpah to say.
Well imagine my surprise, when Frannie reincarnate walked into our cooking school this mild day in Ravello! She was the mate of sisters Jane and Kristen from Melbourne, her name is Trish but people call her Poss, and she doesnt do cooking, only eating, hence her late arrival.
She proceeded to totally dumbfound the Americans, who thought she was hilarious but didn't quite actually know why! She horrified and mortified the Londoners though GoD knows they were way too polite to admit it. And Siobhan and I were just entranced by the wit of this woman in much the same was I had always been by Frannie. She is quite simply a cack and you are never going believe this readers, but she lives around the corner from us in Thornbury!!!!!!!! Aaaaaggggghhhhhh! How spooky is that.
Beyond a doubt,one of the best people focused traveling days you experience.we are stuffed full to the brim and it will stay with us forever. We cannot recommend it enough if you find yourself in area. Chiara,her mother and the team make it a mind blowing experience. If you can find a ballsy, articulate, irreverent and caustic Australian to add to the mix,all the better.
Bon appetitto
Kelly & Siobhan
Sent from my iPad
After swanning around Capri in my less than chi chi Katmando gear we headed for a local dinner @ Cafe Positano. A rip off with schmick waiters and all but close to home and no bloody stairs. But their speciality was not their pesce nor their insalade but the fact that they had a resident West Highland White Terrier who was their unofficial maitre d'e.
"Carmen" - mother of Whisky, was the talisman of this eating establishment. She was the most chi chi Westie with the best coiffure and attitude this side of Milano. The mad undisciplined traffic of the narrow streets of Positano was of no consequence to this queen of cool. She meandered tables and traffic with aplomb even though Siobhan and I were sick too our stomachs watching her. It made us miss our babies marginally less.... Grazie Carmen.
It's Thursday and we head to Ravello for the cooking class that we had booked. And Travellers, can I just say one thing, If you find yourself in this region the please in the most heartfelt bespoke words of Molly Meldrum, do yourself a favor and do this course.
When we arrive at Amalfi, not sure how to get where we need to be , a sleaze bucket taxi driver tries to get us to spend 40€ for a 10min taxi ride. We say Managgia la miseria - damn this misery and head to the local bus stop. We arrive in Ravello. We have a bit of a walk - we ask a local copper and as is the way of Italians....... Everything is just tin minutes. Fortunately for us in this case it was. We arrive at a place that we begin to start what is one of my most memorable experiences.........
"Ah Killy and Shivon" I was starting to get most worried about you..............
This was our welcome to one of the most wonderful days thus far and spoken by the most wonderful woman you will ever have the pleasure to meet. Her name is Chiara and with her mother "Mama Agatta", runs the best day that 200€ ever spent.
In the hilltop of Ravello, over looking the Mediterranean sea, her family's farm which is some 250 years old, she runs a cooking school. Her mother started cooking for a rich American ôwomen back in the late 50's early 60's. This woman, Mama Agatta, cooked for Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Jacqueline Kennedy, Fred Astaire amongst others, when visiting the Mediterranean was all the go. Her family life was tough about 20 years ago and Chiara , the daughter, thought that her mum had something to offer. So she harnessed this experience and the cooking school came into being.
The day began with an avalanche of Australians. Fiona and Sam from Sydney, Jane and Kristen from Melbourne, and us and then Peggy and Dino from Chicago, and finally Brendan and "call me Suzanne not Susan, from London".
It was a veritable feast of the senses as we learnt from Mama , a formidable 70 year old and her effervescent daughter Chiara, the intricacies of teasing garlic, olive oil, searing and marrying ingredients into a true marriage to produce some eight dishes that we then got to enjoy. But interspersed with that was some of the best laughs, sensory pleasures and flat out enjoyment you will ever get the opportunity to experience.
For those of you that know me, you may have also had the pleasure of meeting one of the wickedest, funniest ladies that ever graced this earth. Her name was Sue Saunders, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, she went under the name of Frannie. Frannie died of cancer probably more than two years ago now. In her prime, there was none more scintillatingly scathing in her observations nor one more ready to say what others wouldn't or couldn't have the chutzpah to say.
Well imagine my surprise, when Frannie reincarnate walked into our cooking school this mild day in Ravello! She was the mate of sisters Jane and Kristen from Melbourne, her name is Trish but people call her Poss, and she doesnt do cooking, only eating, hence her late arrival.
She proceeded to totally dumbfound the Americans, who thought she was hilarious but didn't quite actually know why! She horrified and mortified the Londoners though GoD knows they were way too polite to admit it. And Siobhan and I were just entranced by the wit of this woman in much the same was I had always been by Frannie. She is quite simply a cack and you are never going believe this readers, but she lives around the corner from us in Thornbury!!!!!!!! Aaaaaggggghhhhhh! How spooky is that.
Beyond a doubt,one of the best people focused traveling days you experience.we are stuffed full to the brim and it will stay with us forever. We cannot recommend it enough if you find yourself in area. Chiara,her mother and the team make it a mind blowing experience. If you can find a ballsy, articulate, irreverent and caustic Australian to add to the mix,all the better.
Bon appetitto
Kelly & Siobhan
Sent from my iPad
Capri Island and not a Capri pant in sight !
Hello Fashionistas,
After our wonderfully evocative dinner in Positano, we decided to head off to Capri the next day - as one does, for a spot of sight seeing. The island is about 40 mins by ferry off the mainland and is the holiday spot for the Italian rich and famous......the Victorian equivalent if you will, is Portsea whilst Positano is the Lorne or Sorrento equivalent.
The main port is just that. You catch a cable car up the island to where the bold and the beautiful hang out. And the place just oooooozes money. There is designer shop after designer shop and bling like you have never seen. It's vile! The bling that is..... The setting is glorious. All these gorgeous quaint little shops stuffed with merchandise that I would have to hock my body seven lifetimes over - assuming any takers, before I could afford a stray earring!
The villas are very chi chi and unusually for the Italians, all have lovely gardens as part of their design. What we loved most though was how dressed up everyone was. Here we were surrounded by D&G, Mui Mui, Massimo, Roberto Cavelli, Salvatore Ferrigamo et al and here we were in our Katamandu gear and Merrils. Sorry, point of correction. I had that gear on and Madam, who had been perplexed about what one wears to Capri, had settled on a navy blue linen number with matching shoes so she at least was passable. Me not so much!
An interesting place and very very beautiful but not somewhere you would dig in for any time. We headed "home" and laid on again, what they laughingly call a beach here. Back home, showered and ready to dine so will say ........
Bona Sera and chat soon
Air kiss left , Air kiss right
Kelly &Siobhan
Sent from my iPad
After our wonderfully evocative dinner in Positano, we decided to head off to Capri the next day - as one does, for a spot of sight seeing. The island is about 40 mins by ferry off the mainland and is the holiday spot for the Italian rich and famous......the Victorian equivalent if you will, is Portsea whilst Positano is the Lorne or Sorrento equivalent.
The main port is just that. You catch a cable car up the island to where the bold and the beautiful hang out. And the place just oooooozes money. There is designer shop after designer shop and bling like you have never seen. It's vile! The bling that is..... The setting is glorious. All these gorgeous quaint little shops stuffed with merchandise that I would have to hock my body seven lifetimes over - assuming any takers, before I could afford a stray earring!
The villas are very chi chi and unusually for the Italians, all have lovely gardens as part of their design. What we loved most though was how dressed up everyone was. Here we were surrounded by D&G, Mui Mui, Massimo, Roberto Cavelli, Salvatore Ferrigamo et al and here we were in our Katamandu gear and Merrils. Sorry, point of correction. I had that gear on and Madam, who had been perplexed about what one wears to Capri, had settled on a navy blue linen number with matching shoes so she at least was passable. Me not so much!
An interesting place and very very beautiful but not somewhere you would dig in for any time. We headed "home" and laid on again, what they laughingly call a beach here. Back home, showered and ready to dine so will say ........
Bona Sera and chat soon
Air kiss left , Air kiss right
Kelly &Siobhan
Sent from my iPad
Volare ........woah woah, oh cantare woah oh oh
Dear Dean Martinis,
I nearly cried tonight. At the beauty, fun and sense of wonder that we lucked in on.
After our Frederico Fellini day in the sun on Positano Beach we headed skyward to partake in a Prosecco as we rested and recreated before dinner in our room. Our wonderful host Claudio had insisted that we head away from the main drag more heaven-ward and try out this local place whose speciality is gnocchi and pasta per se. Well we did. And dear readers, all I can say is this. If youse ever find yourself in Positano, do yourself a favor and just get there. It's called Saraceno d'Oro which I think means gold Saracen.
Imagine if you will a narrow hilltop country road, one side bordered by a stucco wall, behind which lies a sheer cliff face drop, snug up against are two rows of narrow two seated tables, then a road surface barely wide enough for one car the size of my Rav thingie. On the other side is a three storey stucco building some three stories high lit up with fairy lights, a verandah large archways opening into the ground floor and lots of happy diners.
As we order, fireworks commence and lit the night sky above ancient buildings and moonlit skies, we then commence our first course and two wandering minstrels, one on accordion, one on classical guitar, come along and occupy the narrow road space and start to play Volare...........followed by O Solo Mio, and followed by every other cheesy predictable Italian song on the play list and it is just perfect. That they were both talented and good was a bonus. But I have never loved the sense of stereotype so much.
We finished our meal with what we thought was a limoncello but I thought it wasn't quite the same thing as I was used to. Turns out Siobhan's suspicion was correct and what we thought we was drinking was in fact lemon grappa from Praiano just up the road. Her weekends with Mark Campagnolo and his dad's garage special grappa in Brunswick East is a taste and effect you don't forget easily! So our delightful host upon our return to our rooms tells us of the best place to locate the most genuine limoncella and it's not from Sorrento. We will commence the expedition on the morrow.
Lotsa lemons
Kelly & Siobhan xxxx
Sent from my iPad
I nearly cried tonight. At the beauty, fun and sense of wonder that we lucked in on.
After our Frederico Fellini day in the sun on Positano Beach we headed skyward to partake in a Prosecco as we rested and recreated before dinner in our room. Our wonderful host Claudio had insisted that we head away from the main drag more heaven-ward and try out this local place whose speciality is gnocchi and pasta per se. Well we did. And dear readers, all I can say is this. If youse ever find yourself in Positano, do yourself a favor and just get there. It's called Saraceno d'Oro which I think means gold Saracen.
Imagine if you will a narrow hilltop country road, one side bordered by a stucco wall, behind which lies a sheer cliff face drop, snug up against are two rows of narrow two seated tables, then a road surface barely wide enough for one car the size of my Rav thingie. On the other side is a three storey stucco building some three stories high lit up with fairy lights, a verandah large archways opening into the ground floor and lots of happy diners.
As we order, fireworks commence and lit the night sky above ancient buildings and moonlit skies, we then commence our first course and two wandering minstrels, one on accordion, one on classical guitar, come along and occupy the narrow road space and start to play Volare...........followed by O Solo Mio, and followed by every other cheesy predictable Italian song on the play list and it is just perfect. That they were both talented and good was a bonus. But I have never loved the sense of stereotype so much.
We finished our meal with what we thought was a limoncello but I thought it wasn't quite the same thing as I was used to. Turns out Siobhan's suspicion was correct and what we thought we was drinking was in fact lemon grappa from Praiano just up the road. Her weekends with Mark Campagnolo and his dad's garage special grappa in Brunswick East is a taste and effect you don't forget easily! So our delightful host upon our return to our rooms tells us of the best place to locate the most genuine limoncella and it's not from Sorrento. We will commence the expedition on the morrow.
Lotsa lemons
Kelly & Siobhan xxxx
Sent from my iPad
So Glamourous, So Beautiful, So Positano
Hello Bathing Beauties,
As I write this we are now in real time at last. Siobhan and I are lounging on what they laughingly call sand here at Positano's main beach. Not on the grey stuff I might add but on a molto bene banana lounge with it's own head shade screener and complete with sun brolley. We feel like something outof a Frederico Fellini film! The water of the majestic Mediterranean is wonderfully blue and cool and sparkling in the mid day sun. It's a wam 30 degrees and we have fallen in love with this place in just 24 hours.
Arriving by ferry from Salerno, Positano loomed before us as we came closer to the shore, looking likely it could barely hold onto the mountain side. This place is charm personified with it's quaint shops in snug alleyways snaking up and down and sideways across the mountain face. Oh and did I mention it has a few stairs! We walked all 580 steps to our hotel. How do I know this ? Well when we finally got to our rooms, received CPR and were able to breathe unassisted, we stepped out onto our balcony to look at a view that encapsulates the entire Penninsula, a Perth couple are on the next balcony and they decide to impart this piece of totally unnecessary information. They are not sure if this total also includes the approximate 60 stairs to our actual room! Don't you love how droll the Australian can be.
Fortunately they have these whizz bang porter services so no lugging suitcases up said stairs - they meet you up there! I cannot tell you how grateful I was for that service. I will also be partioning the Pope to make the guy who introduced that service, a saint as well. Perhaps the. Saint of Those Cardiovascularly Compromised !!!!!! Saint TCC for short.
Our host is the most gentlemanly gentleman named Claudio and he cannot be more helpful or charming. He has given us the end suite which is large with two bedrooms and a bathroom. We have an arch angel over the doors out to the balcony looking over us as we sleep and a view to die for. All for 75€ a night. You just have to climb to heaven to get there but that's the same for everywhere here. We had a beautiful seafood dinner overlooking the sea and then crashed.
Today is a day of beaching, browsing and watching beautiful people walk by.
La dolce vita
Love
Siobhan and Kelly
Sent from my iPad
As I write this we are now in real time at last. Siobhan and I are lounging on what they laughingly call sand here at Positano's main beach. Not on the grey stuff I might add but on a molto bene banana lounge with it's own head shade screener and complete with sun brolley. We feel like something outof a Frederico Fellini film! The water of the majestic Mediterranean is wonderfully blue and cool and sparkling in the mid day sun. It's a wam 30 degrees and we have fallen in love with this place in just 24 hours.
Arriving by ferry from Salerno, Positano loomed before us as we came closer to the shore, looking likely it could barely hold onto the mountain side. This place is charm personified with it's quaint shops in snug alleyways snaking up and down and sideways across the mountain face. Oh and did I mention it has a few stairs! We walked all 580 steps to our hotel. How do I know this ? Well when we finally got to our rooms, received CPR and were able to breathe unassisted, we stepped out onto our balcony to look at a view that encapsulates the entire Penninsula, a Perth couple are on the next balcony and they decide to impart this piece of totally unnecessary information. They are not sure if this total also includes the approximate 60 stairs to our actual room! Don't you love how droll the Australian can be.
Fortunately they have these whizz bang porter services so no lugging suitcases up said stairs - they meet you up there! I cannot tell you how grateful I was for that service. I will also be partioning the Pope to make the guy who introduced that service, a saint as well. Perhaps the. Saint of Those Cardiovascularly Compromised !!!!!! Saint TCC for short.
Our host is the most gentlemanly gentleman named Claudio and he cannot be more helpful or charming. He has given us the end suite which is large with two bedrooms and a bathroom. We have an arch angel over the doors out to the balcony looking over us as we sleep and a view to die for. All for 75€ a night. You just have to climb to heaven to get there but that's the same for everywhere here. We had a beautiful seafood dinner overlooking the sea and then crashed.
Today is a day of beaching, browsing and watching beautiful people walk by.
La dolce vita
Love
Siobhan and Kelly
Sent from my iPad
The Professor and Maryann........Herron the Aiolien Isles
Buongiorno Signores, Signoras and Signorinas,
We have made it after a plane ride, an eight seater bus journey, a ferry trip and a taxi ride to our hotel. All up around 8 hours actual travel but with connections etc just under 12 hours.
Having arrived at Catania from Paris I found my spiritual home here in Italy. No folks, it's not the art, it's not the vino, it's not even the beautiful food, it's the manner in which these people drive!!! These people drive like lunatics and blame everyone else on the road. Love it.
We arrived on the island of Salina. It has the arid landscape with its dry soil and foliage expected but where hibiscus blooms are enormous and intensity of the colours of them, and the mandevillas are incredible. Outside our hotel room is a lemon grove chock a block full of plump fruit in various stages of ripening.
The hotel is nothing short of delightful with it's white washed room and wrought iron beds, cooling tiled floors and crisp white linen. To my surprise a card was waiting for me there on our dresser. While i didnt open it until my birthday, it was sent by my Dad and his partner Margaret. I confess to being somewhat amazed and impressed at your level of pre-organization Joe but I was very touched to receive it!!!!! It also shows that you are reading at least some of the stuff I left for you.
The terrace of our hotel where you sit fashionably dressed to have an appertivo before dinner is part of the overhang of a cliff face cut away and you look out onto the Strait and see the island of Stromboli before you. The main eating area adjourned the terrace and although covered it is still open aired to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
The pool area is a horizon pool where again you watch Stromboli letting forth with some late night fireworks if you are lucky. Sadly the volcano chose not to show off whilst we were there but one can hardly complain.
The tiny townships of Salina do not leave one with much to do except eat, drink, swim and sleep and this we did in abundance. We didn't want to island hop to Lipari or others which means queues, ferries and more people so we stayed put and occasionally ventured by local bus into the main port Santa Marina, for tickets for travel. One day we headed to Lingua. A small village famous for it's cunatzos and their world famous granites- the half way point reached between gelato and ice-cream. A big mistake. This is a remote part of Sicily. Check. Genuinely catering for international travelers not high on the agenda. Check. Deciding not to run the connecting bus when either a siesta or a swim beckons. Check. We got stuck waiting at some bloody church in the middle of nowhere until this local decided to recommence work. Bastardo!
But we did get to enjoy their local specialities and for all you Optus readers, Siobhan wants me to tell you that tuna tastes and bloody smells like tuna where-ever in the world you are. We decided on a cunatzo for our late lunch. This is a thick pizza base cooked and the split in half, cooked side down, uncooked side up. Onto which is piled the most glorious fresh ingredients you can imagine, the sweetest cherry tomatoes, the sharpest red onions, the deliciously sweet as sweet red peppers, the plumpest olives, creamy buffalo mozzarella, anchovies (serious yuk) and parma ham, salami, prawns, clams - you name it. Siobhan ordered a Misto version and guess what? It came with all the above but with the added bonus of tuna which as her colleagues will know- she isn't a fan! Fast forward five minutes -all offending tuna is removed to side of plate and Siobhan is as happy as the clams she was eating, saying most profoundly, tuna stinks wherever you may be! So our trip to Lingua ended well and we made it home with no more transfer problems.
I can't say that the local services people go out of their way to help you. Unless you ask specific questions and keep asking, they only respond to the immediate question and not the possibilities behind a question. So if you ask "are there any cabins available on the overnight ferry " the answer is simply no. They do not assist you in anyway by saying "but there is a multitude of alternatives that will get you where you need to be". This we found to be a little stressful so we would recommend that anyone visiting know all available avenues and don't rely on receiving too much assistance.
The waiting staff at our Hotel were another matter all together. They were divine. Friendly, funny, chatty and boy did they know their way around an amazing wine list and an equally impressive menu. The sommelier Marcello was just wonderful and loved his job, Raphaell one of our waiters turned 30 on the same day I turned 50 , so we bonded and I was greeted each time with a kiss to both cheeks. The Cocktail barman made the world's best monitor with fresh mint pulled from the garden and hand crushed with mortar and pestle. The food was spectacular with local seafood and homemade pastas a specialty of the house. The breakfasts consisted of selections of salamis, parma hams, cheeses, cereals and fresh fruit salads as well as a selection of some of the best teacakes I have ever had tasted. They we're the same teacake base, very very moist with a hint of cinnamon and flan shape in depth and diameter. But they were different flavors of peach, apple and the very best Lemon. The lemons are so sweet and the intensity of the lemon in the cake was like nothing I have ever had. Would almost kill for the recipe.
We happened across a trio of lovely Melbournians staying at the Hotel so it was nice to hear flattened vowel sounds again other than our own. The main port of Santa Marina was very quaint and one street behind the main drag were the most beautiful villas and some serious shops with the most inflated and overpriced clothing available. Was almost tempted by a sensational handbag but at 340€ thought that was ridiculous and besides if I wanted overpriced stuff I can get plenty of that in Positano!
We used the four days for much needed relaxation and resting our very sore legs from the many miles walked thus far. We have calves of steel after all this walking! My official birthday dinner was beautiful in the candlelight on the terrace with Siobhan. I couldn't have asked for a more lovely way to spend my birthday. We are off tomorrow to head to Positano and use the train system for the first time.
Love and No Tuna
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
Sent from my iPad
We have made it after a plane ride, an eight seater bus journey, a ferry trip and a taxi ride to our hotel. All up around 8 hours actual travel but with connections etc just under 12 hours.
Having arrived at Catania from Paris I found my spiritual home here in Italy. No folks, it's not the art, it's not the vino, it's not even the beautiful food, it's the manner in which these people drive!!! These people drive like lunatics and blame everyone else on the road. Love it.
We arrived on the island of Salina. It has the arid landscape with its dry soil and foliage expected but where hibiscus blooms are enormous and intensity of the colours of them, and the mandevillas are incredible. Outside our hotel room is a lemon grove chock a block full of plump fruit in various stages of ripening.
The hotel is nothing short of delightful with it's white washed room and wrought iron beds, cooling tiled floors and crisp white linen. To my surprise a card was waiting for me there on our dresser. While i didnt open it until my birthday, it was sent by my Dad and his partner Margaret. I confess to being somewhat amazed and impressed at your level of pre-organization Joe but I was very touched to receive it!!!!! It also shows that you are reading at least some of the stuff I left for you.
The terrace of our hotel where you sit fashionably dressed to have an appertivo before dinner is part of the overhang of a cliff face cut away and you look out onto the Strait and see the island of Stromboli before you. The main eating area adjourned the terrace and although covered it is still open aired to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
The pool area is a horizon pool where again you watch Stromboli letting forth with some late night fireworks if you are lucky. Sadly the volcano chose not to show off whilst we were there but one can hardly complain.
The tiny townships of Salina do not leave one with much to do except eat, drink, swim and sleep and this we did in abundance. We didn't want to island hop to Lipari or others which means queues, ferries and more people so we stayed put and occasionally ventured by local bus into the main port Santa Marina, for tickets for travel. One day we headed to Lingua. A small village famous for it's cunatzos and their world famous granites- the half way point reached between gelato and ice-cream. A big mistake. This is a remote part of Sicily. Check. Genuinely catering for international travelers not high on the agenda. Check. Deciding not to run the connecting bus when either a siesta or a swim beckons. Check. We got stuck waiting at some bloody church in the middle of nowhere until this local decided to recommence work. Bastardo!
But we did get to enjoy their local specialities and for all you Optus readers, Siobhan wants me to tell you that tuna tastes and bloody smells like tuna where-ever in the world you are. We decided on a cunatzo for our late lunch. This is a thick pizza base cooked and the split in half, cooked side down, uncooked side up. Onto which is piled the most glorious fresh ingredients you can imagine, the sweetest cherry tomatoes, the sharpest red onions, the deliciously sweet as sweet red peppers, the plumpest olives, creamy buffalo mozzarella, anchovies (serious yuk) and parma ham, salami, prawns, clams - you name it. Siobhan ordered a Misto version and guess what? It came with all the above but with the added bonus of tuna which as her colleagues will know- she isn't a fan! Fast forward five minutes -all offending tuna is removed to side of plate and Siobhan is as happy as the clams she was eating, saying most profoundly, tuna stinks wherever you may be! So our trip to Lingua ended well and we made it home with no more transfer problems.
I can't say that the local services people go out of their way to help you. Unless you ask specific questions and keep asking, they only respond to the immediate question and not the possibilities behind a question. So if you ask "are there any cabins available on the overnight ferry " the answer is simply no. They do not assist you in anyway by saying "but there is a multitude of alternatives that will get you where you need to be". This we found to be a little stressful so we would recommend that anyone visiting know all available avenues and don't rely on receiving too much assistance.
The waiting staff at our Hotel were another matter all together. They were divine. Friendly, funny, chatty and boy did they know their way around an amazing wine list and an equally impressive menu. The sommelier Marcello was just wonderful and loved his job, Raphaell one of our waiters turned 30 on the same day I turned 50 , so we bonded and I was greeted each time with a kiss to both cheeks. The Cocktail barman made the world's best monitor with fresh mint pulled from the garden and hand crushed with mortar and pestle. The food was spectacular with local seafood and homemade pastas a specialty of the house. The breakfasts consisted of selections of salamis, parma hams, cheeses, cereals and fresh fruit salads as well as a selection of some of the best teacakes I have ever had tasted. They we're the same teacake base, very very moist with a hint of cinnamon and flan shape in depth and diameter. But they were different flavors of peach, apple and the very best Lemon. The lemons are so sweet and the intensity of the lemon in the cake was like nothing I have ever had. Would almost kill for the recipe.
We happened across a trio of lovely Melbournians staying at the Hotel so it was nice to hear flattened vowel sounds again other than our own. The main port of Santa Marina was very quaint and one street behind the main drag were the most beautiful villas and some serious shops with the most inflated and overpriced clothing available. Was almost tempted by a sensational handbag but at 340€ thought that was ridiculous and besides if I wanted overpriced stuff I can get plenty of that in Positano!
We used the four days for much needed relaxation and resting our very sore legs from the many miles walked thus far. We have calves of steel after all this walking! My official birthday dinner was beautiful in the candlelight on the terrace with Siobhan. I couldn't have asked for a more lovely way to spend my birthday. We are off tomorrow to head to Positano and use the train system for the first time.
Love and No Tuna
Kelly & Siobhan xxx
Sent from my iPad
Last Tango in Paris
Dear Viewfinders.........
Having set the alarm for an early start to ensure that we were ahead of the crowds we jumped on the metro at Saint Paul, changed trains at Invalides and then got off at tour Eiffel station. We continued to be amazed at both the friendliness and helpfulness of the Parisians and at the efficiency and cost effectiveness of their train networks. Tres brilliant!
We were among the first group to ascend via lift when the tour opened. No endless and wasted time queueing. And if anyone thought after Montematre that this little bunny was going to hike up billions of stairs then Tuff Merde to you! We went to the summit and quite frankly it was spectacular. Paris is an enormously large city beyond the immediate first circle of inner Paris and from up the tower looks more like any sprawling major metropolitan city anywhere. But confining your aerial viewing to the inner ring or even the second ring and you see the preservation of low rise beautiful buildings and roads with amazing precision and boulevards and gardens of symmetric lines and great expanse. There is one truly ugly high building that for some reason was allowed to be built in the inner area and I think it's called or is near monteparnesse. It dominates the skyline from many directions and is like a grotesque 70's vertical brown brick boil on the marble and cream stone skin of Paris. Is tres yuk! The only good thing to be said about it is that when you go to the bar and viewing platform of this building, it is the only place from where you can see the beautiful Paris skyline not blighted by this building!
After the Tour Eiffel we headed to Musee D'orsay which is the museum that has a permanent large collection of all the impressionists and neo impressionists works. Brush wielding dudes like Renoir, Monet and Manet, Dega, Vincent Van Gough, Toulloise LaTrec and a whole lot more than this philistine can recall. Suffice it to say seeing these famous works of art just casually hang in salles or rooms off the central glass domed walk way of this former railway station was terrific.
Lunch time we headed to their cafeteria. Trust me , not talking Coles caf here folks. Full a la carte service in the most spectacular room with floor to ceiling glass windows, guilded trims on all the walls, cornices and architraves and an amazing painted ceiling depicting some heavenly mythology no doubt. - natch! To accompany this lovely lunch of canard (duck) for me and prawn and scallops for Siobhan, we enjoyed a half bottle of Pommery champagne at Spumante prices!!!!!!! Have I said before how much we LOVE this place.
Back to our apartment in the Marais for a quick change as the day had heated up and off we went to enjoy the specialty artisan shops that the Marais is just chock-a-block stuffed with. First stop was this amazing leather belt place. This gorgeous lady who spoke almost no English was a true delight. What occurred over the next 15 minutes was the best form of free entertainment you could ever hope for. It was part pantomime, part charades with lots of gesticulating and miming on all out parts as Siobhan selected two belts to accompany her ever expanding collection of european jeans! The brilliance of her "ledhur" selection was only exceeded by her selection of "boo-cleys" including the coolest white and silver vesper you have ever seen.
The remainder of the day was spent wandering from shop to shop including the incredible fishmongers, charcuteries and cheese places. Occasional outsells for a fortifying glass of bubbles intermittently and it was off again.
To end our time in Paris we headed to Bofingers It was one of the first if not the first brasseries opened. It was all glass and brass and black and white ceramic floor tiling, beautiful wooden chairs, tuxedo'ed waiters balancing full and heavy trays on the five fingertips of one hand as they weaved smoothly and efficiently through the wonderfully crowded yet intimate space.
These waiters, snooty maitre de aside, were great to watch and a delight to interact with. With flair and aplomb they would fillet your fish perfectly, flambé your creme caramel and theatrically refill your glass of poison of choice. The only downside , but perhaps not really, was getting stuck beside an American couple who could best be described as Blake and Alexis Carrington - not Krystal. All loud and showy and.........American. Honestly, their accent can peel paint!
On the other side of us was this very quite French couple but as I may have made the previous observation, these people do not do sun smart at all. And whilst I can hear Clare, Craig and anyone else who knows me, saying hypocrite- she who has been known to climb onto tin roofs with Pauline Crameri and rotisserie herself in days of yore, these people make me look like the palest skinned English red haired by comparison. This woman was soooooo tanned and tiny and she had dyed blond shoulder length hair. She looked like ET with a bad wig on.
We packed up and were ready for our four-thirty start to get to Charles DeGaulle Airportto fly EasyJet to Catania in Sicily to catchtheferryto the Aoilien Islands and The island of Salina in particular to stay at Hotel Signum (google the hotel to see how beautiful it is as I am still working on the pictures). A particular slow food book had brought it to our attention and we thought it was the best place to stop and recharge after our sights and shopping sprees in London and Paris......and of course a nice remote place for me to officially turn into an old bag!
Sent from my iPad
Having set the alarm for an early start to ensure that we were ahead of the crowds we jumped on the metro at Saint Paul, changed trains at Invalides and then got off at tour Eiffel station. We continued to be amazed at both the friendliness and helpfulness of the Parisians and at the efficiency and cost effectiveness of their train networks. Tres brilliant!
We were among the first group to ascend via lift when the tour opened. No endless and wasted time queueing. And if anyone thought after Montematre that this little bunny was going to hike up billions of stairs then Tuff Merde to you! We went to the summit and quite frankly it was spectacular. Paris is an enormously large city beyond the immediate first circle of inner Paris and from up the tower looks more like any sprawling major metropolitan city anywhere. But confining your aerial viewing to the inner ring or even the second ring and you see the preservation of low rise beautiful buildings and roads with amazing precision and boulevards and gardens of symmetric lines and great expanse. There is one truly ugly high building that for some reason was allowed to be built in the inner area and I think it's called or is near monteparnesse. It dominates the skyline from many directions and is like a grotesque 70's vertical brown brick boil on the marble and cream stone skin of Paris. Is tres yuk! The only good thing to be said about it is that when you go to the bar and viewing platform of this building, it is the only place from where you can see the beautiful Paris skyline not blighted by this building!
After the Tour Eiffel we headed to Musee D'orsay which is the museum that has a permanent large collection of all the impressionists and neo impressionists works. Brush wielding dudes like Renoir, Monet and Manet, Dega, Vincent Van Gough, Toulloise LaTrec and a whole lot more than this philistine can recall. Suffice it to say seeing these famous works of art just casually hang in salles or rooms off the central glass domed walk way of this former railway station was terrific.
Lunch time we headed to their cafeteria. Trust me , not talking Coles caf here folks. Full a la carte service in the most spectacular room with floor to ceiling glass windows, guilded trims on all the walls, cornices and architraves and an amazing painted ceiling depicting some heavenly mythology no doubt. - natch! To accompany this lovely lunch of canard (duck) for me and prawn and scallops for Siobhan, we enjoyed a half bottle of Pommery champagne at Spumante prices!!!!!!! Have I said before how much we LOVE this place.
Back to our apartment in the Marais for a quick change as the day had heated up and off we went to enjoy the specialty artisan shops that the Marais is just chock-a-block stuffed with. First stop was this amazing leather belt place. This gorgeous lady who spoke almost no English was a true delight. What occurred over the next 15 minutes was the best form of free entertainment you could ever hope for. It was part pantomime, part charades with lots of gesticulating and miming on all out parts as Siobhan selected two belts to accompany her ever expanding collection of european jeans! The brilliance of her "ledhur" selection was only exceeded by her selection of "boo-cleys" including the coolest white and silver vesper you have ever seen.
The remainder of the day was spent wandering from shop to shop including the incredible fishmongers, charcuteries and cheese places. Occasional outsells for a fortifying glass of bubbles intermittently and it was off again.
To end our time in Paris we headed to Bofingers It was one of the first if not the first brasseries opened. It was all glass and brass and black and white ceramic floor tiling, beautiful wooden chairs, tuxedo'ed waiters balancing full and heavy trays on the five fingertips of one hand as they weaved smoothly and efficiently through the wonderfully crowded yet intimate space.
These waiters, snooty maitre de aside, were great to watch and a delight to interact with. With flair and aplomb they would fillet your fish perfectly, flambé your creme caramel and theatrically refill your glass of poison of choice. The only downside , but perhaps not really, was getting stuck beside an American couple who could best be described as Blake and Alexis Carrington - not Krystal. All loud and showy and.........American. Honestly, their accent can peel paint!
On the other side of us was this very quite French couple but as I may have made the previous observation, these people do not do sun smart at all. And whilst I can hear Clare, Craig and anyone else who knows me, saying hypocrite- she who has been known to climb onto tin roofs with Pauline Crameri and rotisserie herself in days of yore, these people make me look like the palest skinned English red haired by comparison. This woman was soooooo tanned and tiny and she had dyed blond shoulder length hair. She looked like ET with a bad wig on.
We packed up and were ready for our four-thirty start to get to Charles DeGaulle Airportto fly EasyJet to Catania in Sicily to catchtheferryto the Aoilien Islands and The island of Salina in particular to stay at Hotel Signum (google the hotel to see how beautiful it is as I am still working on the pictures). A particular slow food book had brought it to our attention and we thought it was the best place to stop and recharge after our sights and shopping sprees in London and Paris......and of course a nice remote place for me to officially turn into an old bag!
Sent from my iPad
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