Category Archives: Travel
Very Crowded Capri, For The Day!
Okay, so I am not sure if people are going to be too happy reading this post about our day in Capri… Don’t get me wrong, we had a lovely day… it started early as we took a ferry from Sorrento around 9:45 to Capri. The line was long and the ferry was packed… half an hour later we were in the hyped up island. As we got off, it kind of looked like Santorini.. wait, I thought.. have I been here before?? Santorini was completely barren.. no vegetation at all.. Capri was quite green but other than that it looked similar with shops and restaurants all around. There were about a hundred groups being managed by different companies, including about 200 kids visiting from Rome. We all walked towards the funicular to get to the center of the island which was perched up on one of the hills. With the huge crowd we made our way up and got to the center. By this time, I was quite unhappy with the amount of people everywhere.. I guess I should have known, Capri is a super touristy and obviously there will be loads of people. The center was filled with designer stores and high priced restaurants.. we walked around finally got to the beautiful gardens that have the stunning views that everyone is familiar with (the two rocks coming out of the ocean)… it was definitely beautiful but I am not sure if it was worth it.. am I glad I visited Capri… well, yes, I think so… would I recommend it to anyone… hmm, I am not sure. It is just a tourist trap…I am afraid I sound a bit jaded- I don’t mean to… but I can’t help myself.
We took a bus from the area to go to the other side of the island called Anacapri… it was less crowded and we found a yummy trattoria off the beaten path, called, Le Arcate. We ordered a bottle of house rose, a mushroom pizza and a pasta with seafood… I was hesitant to eat pizza as I am saving my pizza appetite for Naples… Well, the food was delicious! We sat, relaxed and finished the bottle and walked around some more and then back we went to the crowded part on the bus and then got on the line for the ferry to get back to Sorrento.
I was thrilled to be back in Sorrento, even though I thought it was touristy but… nothing in comparison to Capri… If you are planning on going to Capri in the summer, good luck to you… I can’t imagine how crowded it gets…
Back in Sorrento, we walked the narrow streets and tried to decide where to go for dinner in a few hours. We started looking on TripAdvisor.com, which is a source we use all the time while traveling. The app is great as one can look for restaurants close to where you are. While taking a rest in our hotel room, we found a hole in the wall place outside of the main, touristy area- bingo! That was the one we wanted to try- it was called La Cantinaccia Del Popolo. In the reviews, it said that it was a deli with house cured meats… it had a few tables and was family run and very little Italian was spoken. We decided to take a chance and headed that way. We got there and no one was sitting down for dinner except one woman. A friendly guy came over and asked if we spoke Italian, we told him we spoke very little… he sat us down and her daughter set the table for us and served us some house wine. With some broken Italian and hand gestures, we ordered a plate of antipasti which included some hams and the most delicious cheeses. As we ate, the woman sitting there started eating a huge steak served on a wooden board- I knew I wanted that for dinner! As we enjoyed the homely atmosphere, another couple came and sat down who didn’t speak Italian and had read about this place on trip advisor. We started chatting and suggested they get the antipasti…
Our steak came and it was delicious… delicately flavored with rosemary… as we were finishing the young girl asked us if we would like to try a melon and apple liquor her grandma made- of course, we did, and they were yum!!! We then asked about the tortes we saw in the glass case- we decided on the apple one as well as a ricotta and pear one- wow, they were delicious!!
It was an amazing experience sitting in the friendly place with very generous people- these are the experiences I wait for when we travel- it really gives an amazing glimpse to a foreign culture…
Towns of Positano and Amalfi!
So, the second day in Sorrento started a bit on the later side for me.. I slept until the alarm went off at 8AM… what?? I quickly woke up, exercised and started to get ready. We went down to the lovely dining room with a gorgeous view of the water to have a yummy breakfast of some fried eggs, rolls, cheese, fruit, etc.. did I mention the coffee?? The coffee is yummy.. and best of all, they serve it super hot with super hot milk- I love it! In fact I had so much coffee and water, I suffered later on the bus to Positano.. as we started our journey, I needed to use the facilities and it was more than an hour before we got to our destination and I found a bathroom- not a good idea at all. Lesson learnt- don’t drink a lot of water and coffee in the morning.
Anyway, our destination for now was the lovely town of Positano.. did I mention how beautiful the drive was?? Well, it was gorgeous, very windy…in fact we all took dramamine…to off set any kind of motion sickness. We got off and looked around this beautiful town and walked up to the center… we decided to sit at a cafe, La Brezza Net Art Cafe, and enjoy a sandwich and a glass of rose processco! After a bit of a break we walked around some more and found some yummy gelato- the area is known for it’s citrus- so lots of Limoncello and lemon flavored products.
We later got onto the same bus to made our way up to the town of Amalfi.. which was also a very picturesque and beautiful town with a plaza in the center and a beautiful cathedral. We walked around the town and sat down for another gelato- somehow we were not in the mood for a proper meal- so we decided it was going to be a snack day. After about an hour or so, we decided head back to Sorrento.
Once we got back, we weren’t super hungry and it was already 7PM. We find a lot of our restaurants from the Trip Advisor app.. and as we were looking through the app to check for the top rated place, a kebab place kept popping up- it was rated #4! We had to try it- we decided today was the day and headed to Kebab Ciampa, a small joint run by two brothers. We ordered a sandwich and had some delicious local wine with it. The kebabs were delicious! The bread and sauces and meats are made fresh right there and we could taste the quality… we were quite happy but not quite full. While walking back to the hotel where a bottle of Lambrusco was waiting for us, we decided to stop at a bakery to pick up some dessert!
All in all it was a very tiring day but filled with beautiful sights.. I better rest up as tomorrow we are off to Pompeii…
My take so far is that places like Bologna, one can visit a number of times and not get enough- like exploring Rome or Paris…but places like Sorrento, etc are good for seeing at least once. They are gorgeous but I am not sure if I need to come back….I am looking forward to the rest of the trip, especially the part where we stay in Naples!!!
Bologna to Sorrento…
The day started early for me, yet again.. I was up by 7 AM, which is 1 AM back home! Not sure how, but I don’t seem to have a problem waking up while on vacation- I am too excited to get the day started…I exercised and woke everyone up…We went down for breakfast and got ready to leave Bologna as we had a train at 11:50 leaving for Naples. We would then take a local train from Naples to Sorrento where we will stay for 4 nights.
It was a high speed train that took only about 4 hours to get to Naples. We were served delicious Prosecco on the way with rosemary crackers. We essentially skipped lunch as we had a late breakfast. Once we got into Naples, we took a local train to Sorrento that took a good hour … while stopping at many, many stations. By the time we got to Sorrento, I was ready to get off the train and walk around. The quaint little hillside town reminded me of Monaco and Santorini… very beautiful indeed. I could immediately smell the oranges and lemons- btw, on the way to Sorrento, all I could see were loads of lemon groves everywhere! This trip so far has been filled with delicious sparkling wines…
We walked over to our beautiful hotel, The Grand Hotel Royal… overlooking the water and absolutely gorgeous! We quickly unpacked and ran outside to get a snack as we were starving! We stopped at Davide Il Gelato to get a gelato fix… yum! We walked around for another hour soaking in the new town and atmosphere and found a tiny restaurant off the beaten path called, Taverna Allegra Ristorante. We walked in as a friendly host was beckoning us in- the place was completely empty.. we sat down and were give a glass of local rose prosecco and a plate of bruschetta… the owner came over and chatted with us and was extremely friendly. We decided on spaghetti with clams, a whole sea bass and pasta with bolognese sauce. Everything was delicious and most of all, the people were super friendly which made the experience even better. We ordered the same bottle of rose and enjoyed the evening immensely while we planned our next few days in the area. The owner was singing somewhere in the restaurant as he chatted with other customers… what a great place this is… Of course, I finished with a caramel panna cotta- absolutely yum!!!
It was a lovely day and I can’t wait to see what is on the agenda tomorrow.. stay tuned…
Bologna- 2 Days!
I’ve been waiting for this trip for a very long time.. well, I was in Italy in 2013 so I guess it hasn’t been that long but I feel I need to visit this fascinating country at least once a year! This year, I am lucky enough to be here twice.. as I will be back in October! Since we come here often, I was specifically interested in areas we have yet to get to know. I have been wanting to visit the Amalfi Coast and so we decided to do Sorrento. Since we were in the area- I had to do Naples… I wanted to experience the city and the food. I always had Bologna in the back of my mind- I checked some flights and decided to fly into Bologna, take a train down to Naples and Sorrento- so that is our plan.
We took the flight from Newark and flew direct to Munich. We were in Munich last year and I was looking forward to the delicious pretzels- of course there is a lot more food Munich has to offer but since we were only there for an hour, I wanted a quick, delicious pretzel.. very different than the ones we get in NYC. We got off our plane, I had already brushed my teeth in preparation.. we went through immigration and I quickly made our way to the gate. On the way, we found a yummy looking bakery where I purchased a pretzel sliced in half and with butter and chives in the middle! Yum! I sipped my cappuccino as we made our way to the next flight. Within the hour we landed in a small airport… we were in Bologna. A short cab ride later, we were walking to our small hotel (Metropolitan).. on the weekends the main square is sectioned off to cars, etc- even better! We were right in the middle of the action! Our room was not ready as yet so we dropped our luggage off and walked around to find a lunch place. We found a place called Prima Della Pioggia, a lovely little place with outdoor seating. We enjoyed duck Bolognese, spaghetti with octopus and a lovely spring pea and pancetta. We ordered a half carafe of local red wine and sat there for a couple of hours, enjoying the passers by and soaking in the Italian experience.
After walking a bit more, we returned to our room, showered and rested a bit. Unfortunately, it started raining a bit.. we waited a while and ventured out to get a yummy gelato at Gelateria Gianni, a very highly rated on in the area- and of course it was delicious, especially the salty pistachio one!
After more strolling we stopped for dinner at Cinque 50, a bar/restaurant. A very friendly gentleman and a young lady greeted us and asked if we had reservations- we didn’t but they welcomed us in.. we ordered a bottle of local sparkling wine as well as a fried bread- which was yummy. We also enjoyed a fish ravioli.. filled with sea bass.. it was delicious and some local roasted pork. The plate looked very simple with slices of pork and a fresh salad on the side. The pork was tender and filled with flavor.. absolutely delicious!! We were very happy indeed. We walked out and chatted with the owners, the lady gave my daughter a big hug and a kiss… one of the reasons I love this country. 
I like to wake up early on vacation and not waste any time- my family on the other hand, does not like to do that. So, I woke up, exercised, showered and then woke them up to go down for breakfast that consisted of, eggs, cheese, cured meats, fruits, yogurt, etc. Of course there was excellent coffee and cappuccino. We headed out soon after to walk around and try yummy foods. We saw a few cathedrals and walked to the main square- Piazza Maggiore. Bologna is a beautiful, historic city with amazing architecture. We stopped at Eataly and drank delicious glasses of Lambrusco and ate some yummy crostini and delicious lasagna! 
We walked around some more and stopped for gelato at La Sorbetteria Castiglione– delicious hazelnut, pistachio and cream gelato!!!
So far so good…. we walked around some more and returned to our hotel for a much needed break… After a few hours of resting and walking around, we made found a restaurant called Ristorante Vicolo Colombina, it was recommended by our hotel concierge. We walked over and it was still closed… I knocked on the door to find out if they had any space for us. He said all table were taken but they had a table with a couple of couches right in the front- it looked really comfortable and we took it. We came back half an hour later and sat down – we were the only ones in the restaurant. We started with a Rose lambrusco and continued with some red lambrusco- so yummy… We had the mortadella and potato shuffle, a plate of cured meats, pasta with bolognese sauce and a couple of lasagnas- all was very very delicious… we ended with a plate of caramel panna cotta- more like a flan. It was a great evening.. we weren’t done yet… stopped at a gelato place and indulged in some yummy frozen treats.
It has been a great couple of days in Bologna- we take a train down to Sorrento and Naples tomorrow- stay tuned!
Bologna, Sorrento, Naples, Here I Come!
As most of you may know, I love to travel… it’s my favorite way to explore other cultures and enjoy their foods. It’s really the best way to get to know new a new place.. and I get to have delicious food and wine!
So, we are off to Italy… my all time favorite destination. I love, love visiting Italia and have been lucky enough to go numerous times in the past. The goal now is to explore different regions of the fabulous country. So, this visit will be going to Bologna which is in the Emilia Romagna region which is in the northeast area of the country. This area is not frequented by tourists as much but it is very well known for of course the famous bolognese sauce which my daughter is super excited about… it is also known for it’s cured meats, like mortadella as well as wine grape varieties like Lambrusco and Sangiovese!
Next stop will be to Sorrento, home to the famous Amalfi Coast. The area is abundant in citrus fruits, olives and loads of seafood. I am looking forward to the beautiful vistas, the limoncello (a lemon digestive) and the yummy food! We will of course visit Pompeii and other sights but my focus as usual will be food!
Our last stop will be Naples! I am very excited about this bustling city.. although not as modern as the other larger cities in Italy, I am looking forward to the grit and charm. Of course the focus will be to eat as much pizza, gelato and delicious Neapolitan pastries!!!
All in all, I am looking forward to relaxing, people watching (as the Italian are very well dressed and are super friendly), eating delicious food and drinking inexpensive good wine!!! I will of course be blogging from there so stay tuned for my Italian adventure!!
Last Couple of Days in Beautiful Northern Ireland!
The next morning started with a bit of rain and a bit of sun- I guess it is typical of Irish weather.. my daughter is longing to get back to the hot and humid weather back home.. I think I can wait for another few days.. As we got ready for the day, I was looking online to find a good breakfast place close to our hotel… well, I found a really funky, bohemian cafe called Harlem. We walked in there and the vibe immediately made me happy. I could smell the delicious espresso smell… we sat down onto unmatched chairs and ate the most delicious breakfast consisting of a cinnamon scone and a bacon sandwich! I can’t speak enough of the yummy butter I have been consuming!
We lingered there for a while and walked back to the hotel to catch our hop on hop off bus to get the Crumlin prison tour- my daughter was very keen on it. Luckily it poured like crazy as we were indoors… after a few hours we came outside and it was beginning to clear up. We caught the bus back to city center and made our way to city hall where they were setting up for a movie in the park! We bought an apple and cinnamon crepe and sat down for some lovely black and white, silent short films. As I was watching, I started to look at dinner options close by and came up with a restaurant called Home which was very highly rated, apparently they serve farm to table with sustainable ingredients. We had walked past many times but didn’t really pay attention… but there menu seemed very simple but really good! I got very excited as we walked over. As we approached, we saw a sign saying they were closed for a private party but will reopen at 7:30, that was in half an hour. We decided to walk around because that burger on their menu was really calling me plus I loved their ambiance… After walking around, we came in and asked for a table .. but were told they were fully booked! What?? How about tomorrow evening, I asked.. thinking we had a whole day tour of the countryside but would be back around 7 or so… I was told they were fully booked but that I should try to just walk in tomorrow. Hmm, I didn’t like the sound of that.. In the meantime, he recommended a few other places in the area for dinner. We ended up at a place called Allotment. The guy was really nice and welcomed us in.. by that time the restaurant was getting crowded so we sat down and decided to order. I asked for a glass of wine and found out they were BYO.. what?? I have never ever been to a place in Europe that is a BYO.. anyway, he suggested we order and he can give me directions to a liquor store around the corner. I ordered a rib eye steak for myself with chilie fries.. I know what you are thinking- she is really indulging! Well, yes I am .. and why not, I work hard enough when I am home..
Anyway, I bought a yummy cabernet to go with my steak and settled down to eat my steak which was delicious!
The wine was yummy as well.. but I felt we needed to have dessert to complete the meal, so I ordered the sticky toffee pudding and my daughter indulged in a mess, which is a mixture of whipped cream, meringues and fresh strawberries.. yum!
It was a great meal but I was still thinking of the other place we couldn’t get into…so I went back to our hotel and asked the concierge to try. Once I got back to our room, I went online to the restaurant’s website and tried to reserve online. The next morning I got a message from the restaurant saying they had a reservations for us at 8 PM.. yay, persistence paid off!
The next morning was super early with a quick cappuccino and scone. We got onto a coach bus and made our way to the Northern Ireland countryside including the Giant’s Causeway. The weather really cooperated and we had an amazing sunny day for our excursion and the countryside was absolutely gorgeous- a great reason to come to Ireland!!!
We got back around 7:45, just in time for our reservations. We quickly ran to our room to freshen up and walked over to the restaurant.. a good reason to find a hotel with a great location that is walking distance to a lot of good eateries. Trip Advisor is what I use to find fabulous restaurants! We got there exactly at 8 and were seated right away. All I wanted was the burger- so we ordered right away as we were starving. I washed it down with a yummy Rose and it was a lovely meal. The burger was enveloped with a delicious Irish cheddar, there were sautéed onions at the bottom and a corn and jalapeño relish on the side. The burger was juicy and delicious! 
After a perfect burger, I thought some dessert was in order.. so we ordered the buttermilk panna cotta, which was topped with strawberries and delicious as well! Overall a great day… we are off to Dublin tomorrow. It was been lovely visiting Belfast, great attractions, yummy food and super friendly people! What more could you ask for??? Will report back from Dublin!
All About Titanic In Belfast!
I didn’t realize how prevalent the Titanic was here in Belfast.. the reference is everywhere. It was a big ship and a big deal and my daughter is obsessed with it… one of the big reasons we are here. We woke up and went down for breakfast. I usually like to stay at a place where breakfast is included. This hotel was not including the meal so we paid for it and showed up at their restaurant downstairs. They were serving a full Irish breakfast which is what I wanted to have. That part was yummy- the sausage, bacon.. I didn’t indulge in the blood pudding- wasn’t in the mood.
I ordered a cappuccino which was super hot and very delicious. What I didn’t like was the lack of fresh fruit- there wasn’t any.. there was some form of fruit salad but it looked very sorry.. so I didn’t have any. A far cry from the lavish breakfast we had in Athens.. that was scrumptious. We decided we will venture out tomorrow and try some other place.
A while later we got on to a hop on hop off bus and made our way to the titanic quarter on the other side of River Lagan. We got off by the museum and walked over the titanic dock as well as the pump house. It was all very fascinating knowing what all happened in that area. Most fascinating was the museum. We got on a cable car tour that took us through the bottom of the shipyard where the ship came together and we saw under what horrible conditions the workers worked everyday. After a few hours we took a break and went to the titanic cafe and ate a delicious piece of cake and a glass of Rose. After hanging out for a while we made our way back to tour bus and sat and saw the rest of the city while resting our feet.
After a couple of hours we made our way back to the hotel. While in the bus I started to look for a dinner place for us to go. My criteria was close proximity to our hotel so we don’t have to venture out too far at night. We end up using Trip Advisor to find good restaurants according to our location. I came up with a place called Ginger Bistro. It turned out it was about two minutes from our hotel and it was rated number 5 on Trip Advisor… so we made reservations and made our way there. I started with a glass of prosecco and shared a plate of fried squid with homemade chili sauce and garlic mayonnaise- it was delicious!!!!
My daughter ordered fish and chips and I ordered escalope of chicken with merqueuz sausage cherry tomato and butter bean casserole with rocket and garlic butter. I usually don’t order chicken when I am out but the waiter highly recommended it and he was right! It was yummy- the chicken was perfectly cooked on top of a mixture of the butter beans and the rocket or arugula was a great addition. It all came together with the merguez sausage. I washed it all down with a delicious glass of Rose.
My daughter ordered the lava chocolate cake and I was debating what to get when I remembered reading about one of their desserts- it was champagne jelly, poached pears with rich vanilla custard and baby meringues- wow, it was delicious! The pears with the custard were unbelievable and the jelly made it unbelievable. The baby meringues brought a yummy sweetness and texture. Needless to say I was a happy camper and started thinking, how are we going to top this one tomorrow!!!