Tag: italy
Last Day in Milan- Day Three! Como, Bellagio and Varenna!
Sigh… Day 3 was already upon us as we woke up early to catch our 9 something, hour and change, train to Como. I enjoyed a cheese, mushroom and bacon omelette for breakfast and washed it down with cappuccino and an espresso. Shortly after breakfast we found ourselves on the train and in Como. We got off and immediately saw the beautiful lake. Our concierge recommended we take a train to Como and then a ferry to Bellagio and another one to Varenna and then take a train back to Milan.
We walked around the town of Como that is filled with little boutiques and restaurants. It was beautiful and quaint. We spent an hour just enjoying the amazing town. We already had our ferry tickets to Bellagio so we walked over to the dock and go on. About half an hour later, we were docked in the beautiful town of Bellagio. The stores and restaurants were perched up and so we climbed and found a little restaurant for lunch- Ristoro Forma & Gusto, we were hungry and ordered a mushroom pizza and a pasta. It was decent, not amazing- but decent in Italy is pretty good and wine was yummy! We walked around Bellagio some more- it is gorgeous and overrun with tourists- I can’t imagine how it is in the summer. In fact I will be there next summer and wanted to decide where to stay… either in Como or Bellagio. I am currently leaning towards Como or Varenna. 
Speaking of Varenna, it was absolutely gorgeous… small, quaint and filled with brightly colored buildings, which looked amazing against the water… We sat down at a cafe overlooking the water and enjoyed a snack and a glass of Prosecco! It was very relaxing and we felt very grateful, sitting there, being able to appreciate this beautiful, amazing view. I think, maybe we will stay in Varenna next year….
We sat there for a while and eventually made our way to the train station to catch the train to Milan. An hour later we were in a cab headed to some more shops… as the stores close quite early there- 7:30. We rushed over to look at some shoes and clothes and then made our way back to the main piazza … as we got closer, we could hear some singing and cheering. As we got closer, we realized there was a concert going on- a MTV concert- and Ellie Goulding was performing! We stood there for a while, enjoying all her popular songs. We then decided to drop our stuff off in the room and come back to enjoy the rest of the concert. While in the room, we looked up the concert and read Duran Duran was supposed to perform. We got excited, as we loved Duran Duran in the late 80’s but were not sure if we had already missed them! We walked back to the piazza and decided to sit at a very touristy cafe as it had a direct view of the concert. We looked at the menu and gasped at the high prices- but thought it was worth it as we had good seats. We ordered food, not expecting much but actually the food was pretty good! I enjoyed a tortellini cooked in butter and sage! 
As we enjoyed our meal, Duran Duran came on- what?? We couldn’t believe our luck as they sang quite a few of our favorite songs! It was a lovely evening and a great way to end the fabulous trip!
We headed back and hung out in the lobby discussing how we had to wake up early the next day to catch an early flight. I woke up at 5:30 the next morning, got dressed and found out our flight was delayed 6 hours… OMG, what??? So, we decided to go back to sleep! In a nutshell, we got 6 more hours in Milan- we were thrilled! We ate breakfast, went shopping, got on the train and made our way to the airport!
The entire trip was a whirlwind- we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Italy is my favorite destination for many reasons- I love the people, the food, the wine and especially the ability to appreciate, La Dolce Vita, the sweet life. Every time I am there, it reminds me to slow down and enjoy today! I love it and I love going there… best of all, I love going home! Until next time…
More Milan- Day Two!
Woke up refreshed the next morning at 8 AM and got dressed to go down for breakfast. Over some eggs, rolls, cheese and coffee, we discussed the agenda of the day. We had heard of 10 Corso Como– which is the most fashionable store in Milan. We took a cab there and walked around this beautiful store filled with high fashion and amazing designs…
After drooling over very expensive clothes and shoes, we decided to find an outlet so we could really shop! We bought a few things and decide to walk towards the Brera design district. It was a very quaint, cobblestoned area with loads of boutiques and cafes. We window shopped and finally sat down for a snack and wine break. We were quite tired of walking all day, so we decided to just sit in the outdoor cafe and people watch- People in Italy in general are very well dressed, but specifically in Milan, they are extremely fashionable!
After our rest we started walking again, this time towards our hotel. We stopped at the Scala, which is the famous Milan theater right next to the Duomo. We then returned to our hotel and made a reservations at Ristorante Al Mercante, a restaurant we had read about serving typical Milanese cuisine. The area is known for rich dishes like ossobuco and risotto cooked with saffron.
We reached the place and were seated immediately. Our waitress was extremely friendly and accommodating. I was confused between ordering the ossobuco with the risotto or the spaghetti with clams. She was willing to give me a half a portion of each to make me happy but then after thinking about it, I decided to go with the specialty of the area- and it was the right decision as it was delicious! The wine was yummy and so were the zucchini flowers we started with. They had panna cotta and tiramisu, so we had both… housemate and delicious! 
As we walked home after an amazing meal, we decided to go to the Lake Como area for the day as it was just an hour away! So, stay tuned!
Fabulous Day 1 in Milano!
Day one began with us landing on time, at around 8:30 in the morning in Milan. I was traveling with my own blanket, neck pillow, socks and foot rest- yup, I need all of those things to be comfortable on the plane- I don’t like being in a confined place with lots of people and lots of weird smells… I also have my noise canceling head phones to take away all the loud noise in the plane. With all of the stuff- I still can’t sleep on the plane… that is just how it is and I have decided to just accept it and move on- so I read, watch and listen but usually don’t sleep…
We got off the plane and went straight for a cup of coffee! We made our way through the small airport and found the Malpensa express and quickly bought tickets. In a few minutes we were seated comfortably in the train eager to get to city center which was about half an hour away. We decided to take the metro from the train station to our hotel and it was not very hard to find.. 3 stops later we were in the middle of the Piazza del duomo! My data on my phone was not working, so all we had was a map my husband had drawn for us of the area. What I now know is if I had saved the map of Milan on my phone for it to work offline, I would have been able to use my phone for directions even without data… the gps works regardless. We figured that out on the second day- so, the first day was quite challenging, using a regular map in a city that is filled with small, windy roads- needless to say, we walked a lot… loads…
Anyway, we found our way to the hotel in no time. We walked in and they told us our room was almost ready, they gave us coffee and we sat and relaxed for a few minutes before going up to our room. We unpacked and showered and left the room by noon. It was a beautiful day and we started to soak the very fashion forward city in. We window shopped in the Galleria Vittorio– the famous Prada and many other high end stores later, we were hungry, so we stopped for a salami panini and a glass of wine! We rested for a while and continued to walk and eventually made our way to the Last Supper in the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent. A friend had told me we had to get tickets in advance, so I had reserved a short tour for us at 6 PM that evening. The tour was fascinating!
We made our way back to the hotel and asked the concierge for a restaurant recommendation. They gave us directions to a place- we made our way, after getting lost many times.. and found out the place was fully booked! What??? So, we asked the waiter to give us a recommendation- he told us about Hysteria Borromei– well, it was wonderful! We started with stuffed zucchini flowers with mozzarella – I love zucchini flowers and this dish was yummy! We then ordered beet gnocchi and a risotto with smoked duck and zucchini flowers! 
All in all it was a great meal with some yummy wine! I didn’t want to have dessert there as my heart was set on a yummy gelato- so we walked back to our hotel and found a specialty food place right next door called Peck– they had a yummy hazelnut and crema!
At this point it was 10 PM and we were exhausted but thrilled to be surrounded with great food, wine and very friendly people and of course each other! Stay tuned…
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!!
Lugano Day Two- Monte Bre
Day three of our trip to Switzerland was spent in Lugano. We woke up to a delicious buffet breakfast including delicious coffee served with hot milk. I am a happy person when my hot beverages are served super hot- and somehow in Europe that is the case every time. The buffet breakfast was filled with bread, cheese, meats, eggs, hot chocolate, lots of pastries… needless to say, we were extremely full and filled with energy.
We walked around near out hotel, close to the lake and found some beautiful sites of freshly cooked food as well as fresh fruit. 
After a bit of shopping and gelato eating, we made our way to Monte Bre via a bus and then two funiculars. It was way up into the mountains and it took us a while but it was definitely worth the long trip. The view was breathtaking! We walked around a bit and finally sat down for a very late lunch. We ordered a bottle of Rose, a tomato and mozzarella salad, spaghetti bolognese and tagliatelle with mushrooms. The meal was nice but the view was what we enjoyed the most.
Being in the south of Switzerland, it feels we are in Italy.. since everyone speaks Italian, there is mostly Italian food- although not as yummy as in Italy, very friendly people. The main difference is that everything is triple the price! It is unbelievably expensive. It is hard to wrap our minds around the prices.. especially since we spent yesterday in Italy and spent a fraction on the same food and wine!
We are off to Zurich via a scenic train and ferry ride. It should be gorgeous views and I am looking forward to it.. but sad to be going away from Italy..