Travel – Page 51

Parma – Castello di Torrechiara, Rocca Sanvitale di Fontanellato, and Lunch at Ristorante Io Parmigianino (Fontanellato)

June 6, 2018 mmm-yoso Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

Our first morning in Parma was going to be about castles. Upon arriving at the Agritourismo, Adriano gave us a pamphlet with photos of various castles in them. After doing a bit of research that evening, it was determined that we should visit two of them.

The first being Castello di Torrechiara, located about 11 miles South of Parma, it stands on a hill overlooking the Parma Valley.

We parked our car at the foot of the hill and walked up the road. There was a slight drizzle, but that didn't diminish the wonderful view as we walked up to the castle.

The walk up to the gates seem a bit intimidating and forboding…..especially with no one else around on this morning. We had arrived just after 8am when the castle opened.

It does indeed look like a fortress on a hill.

And yet, once you walk upon the wall and porch, you start noticing things….like the magnificent views.

It is quite enchanting.

You start understanding that building this castle was a labor of love. In fact Pier Maria de Rossi built this castle, for the love of his life Bianca Pellegrini, a Noblewoman of Milan. Both were married…..

Once you enter the rooms and see the frescoes you really start understanding.

This is the "Golden Room", the bedroom of Pier Maria Rossi. Gold leaf once adorned the tiles on the wall.

The Room of the Jugglers.

Several other rooms have impressive frescoes……it's quite breathtaking.

It was quite impressive and quite a bit to take in.

It was still drizzling off and on as we walked back down the hill to the car.

We decided to head to the town of Fontanellato about 12 miles west of Parma.

We noticed that all the streets into the center of town were blocked off.

So we went ahead and found a parking lot right outside the town center.

We had actually stopped in Fontanellato to check out the castle; this one was built in the 13th century and featured a moat. But upon arriving in town we were immediately distracted by…..pirates?!?

And Food Trucks?

And Pop Music….American of course……coming from the castle? A quick look at the sign explained all.

"Castelo Street Food" it said….it was some kind of street fair.

We cracked up…….

We decided to just walk around a bit, then grab some lunch.

We weren't in Emilia-Romagna to eat burgers or fish and chips….food trucks were out. We passed by a few nice looking places, but just didn't "feel it".

Then down on of the side street from Rocca Sanvitale we saw a deli….which seemed to have some tables in the front….it also had a nice small menu. The woman behind the counter waved at us; so we walked in.

The shop had a nice little dining area in the back of the shop.

The menu was totally in Italian, but it had started getting pretty easy ordering. Since this looked to be selling a lot of salume, formaggi, and trays of pasta to locals….ordering was easy.

Salume Misto con Torta Fritta (12€).

All the salumi were good; but the Culatello di Zibelo was the star. I swear, there's a porky start, with a cheesy, mushroomy finish to it.

The torta fritta was a bit thicker and not as light as what we had the previous evening. It was however, super hot, and seemed to bring out the best in the prosciutto, culatello, and especially the fatty pancetta canusina.

The Missus had never bought into the combination of balsamic vinegar on Parmigiano Reggiano; but I couldn't help but order the Gustazione Parmigianno Reggiano (10€), which had 24/30/36 month old cheese.

While we both enjoyed the 30 month old the best; a balanced nutty-milky, the Missus isn't a big fan of the crunchy tyrosine (it's NOT SALT) crystals in aged Parmesan, She did enjoy the 36 month old cheese with the balsamic drizzle. Oh, and none of these cheese were salty…..that's what we found with Parmigiano Reggiano, it's not especially salty. This was a lot ofcheese and we ended up taking half of it with us to go.

The pasta en brodo (9,5€) here was Cappelletti….."little caps".

The broth here was a bit darker than what we had previously and not quite as rich. Nice chicken flavor though and the cheese filled pasta was lovely; milky, not overly milky. There's something about capon broth and these pastas that are so good.

The Missus got the Tortelli de Patate con Funghi Porcini (9€).

Porcini was really the way to go as mushroom and sauce was earthy and almost sweet. The potato filling was pretty much that…..filling; the texture of the pasta was a nice al dente, the grated parmesan added a nice milkiness to thing. This was quite filling.

The Missus enjoyed the Lambrusco….I was driving so I just had H2O. The two young ladies, one which seemed to be the woman behind the deli counter's daughter were very ncie.

A nice meal overall.

Io, Parmigianino
Via Guglielmo Marconi 21
Vicino Alla Rocca Sanvitale, Fontanellato, Italy

It's amazing…..a random spot…..another nice meal.

Paris – Montmartre and Gontran Cherrier

June 3, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Sandwiches, Travel

On our second full day back in Paris; the Missus decided on getting a few things done. First, She wanted to see the view from Montmartre, the highest hill in the city, and then get some shopping done. So we headed off.

The morning was grey and drizzly, which didn't make viewing potential from Montmartre very high, but if there is one thing we've learned from travelling, it is you can't control the weather.

Even on a gloomy day like this one; Pont Alexandre III is quite picturesque.

It is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the world and there are quite a few stories about it as well.

We headed past those familiar places.

Up to Rue Lazare and past Église de la Sainte-Trinité.

Up past place Pigalle. We somehow came upon a brick church.

This is Eglise Saint Jean de Montmartre. It looked a bit different than other churches we've come across in Paris and it started to drizzle. We took that as sign to stop and visit the church.

Created in the Art Nouveau style, there's a lot packed into this little church.

I really enjoyed the vivid stained glass…..

When we turned the corner we could see Sacre Coeur in the background along with the funicular tracks and stairs. This being the Missus….well, we took the stairs….all 300 of them.

I'm not sure why the Missus loves climbing those stairs so much.

Perhaps She is concerned about my cardiovascular well being?

Anyway, we did make it to the top…..

The view is still worth the climb even on a gloomy day as this.

And looking back at Sacre Coeur, it looked like there was the possibility of sun…..

The Missus decided not to go into the church, so instead we headed down the winding streets…passing tons of tourists and shop that seem to cater to them.

We did pass through a couple of squares that had little fairs going on.

And the Missus enjoyed doing some window shopping while we strolled down the hill.

And while we did enter a couple shops, the Missus refrained from buying anything….I believe She as saving Herself and my credit card for later on in the day.

One thing that did catch my eye was this windmill.

Apparently there were once a dozen or so of these windmills in Montmartre. Today there are two left. They are known as Le Moulin de la Galette and were built in the early 17th century. This one is viewable from Rue Lepic and stands above a restaurant that also bears the name Le Moulin de la Galette.

In the mid to late 1800's the area where the restaurant resides was turned into a Guinguette, basically a type of bar. The windmill and guinguette became the muse of many of the artists who spent their time here. Some familiar names like Renoir, Van Gogh (who had an apartment nearby), Toulouse-Lautrec, and Picasso among them. And, did you know that it was used on the cover of one of my favorite Rod Stewart albums?

I love stories like this.

We headed a bit further down the street and the Missus decided that we should get something light to eat. There was a Boulangerie on my list named Gontran Cherrier. There are multiple locations of this shop in Paris (including Japan, Singapore, and South Korea). This however, is Gontran Cherrier's original shop.

It was easy to pick out what we wanted….the Missus had decided to try at least half a dozen croissants in Paris, so this would be the first. We also got a sandwich; a veggie version. The miso bread would have to wait for another day.

The line moved fast; the service was efficient, and the folks quite nice.

The croissant could have used a bit more salt, but it was decently buttery, flakey, with a nice, very mild chew. This would end up being one of our favorites in Paris.

The sandwich was just what we needed….the baguette crusty, the cucumbers and tomatoes full of the flavor….the slight bitterness of the arugula helping to balance out the sweetness and mild briny flavor of the cucumber.

Gontran Cherrier
22 Rue Caulaincourt
Paris, France
(There are several other locations in Paris)

The Missus was now energized and ready to do Her "serious" shopping. We headed down the hill…….passing the (in)famous Moulin Rouge (lots on the windmills and the one on Moulin Rouge here)

We headed down Rue Blanche, taking note of the businesses along the way.

Of course the Missus wanted to stop by Galeries Lafayette to check out the Christmas Displays yet again.

A short while later we were back at Chanel Cambon. You pretty much get your own personal shopper here….while the Missus and the very nice young lady did their thing, I had a chance to watch the "interesting" customers.

Mission accomplished, the Missus could get back to the apartment fast enough……

She got what She wanted…….

And it was time for a nap.

Thanks for stopping by!

Parma – I Tre Siochett

June 1, 2018 mmm-yoso Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

After lunch at Osteria dei Sani in Sasso Marconi we headed to Parma. It was a rather uneventful drive. Figuring out the toll process was pretty easy. Since we had a car and central Parma is a restricted traffic (ZTL) zone; that is only vehicles with permits are allowed in the central area, I decided to book an Agritourismo….which turned out to be a mixed experience. Even at only a few miles outside Parma, it was a pain driving to the city, though we did manage to find parking….not in one of the pay lots, but alongside the Parma River (Torrente Parma). And then take a nice walk into town.

And while we didn't spend too much time in the city itself; except to eat and wander the streets. That's the Governor's Palace above.

We did take in some of the sights. That's the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata below.

The Monumento ai Caduti…..the war memorial.

And the large open space in front of Parma Cathedral which we'd visit again a bit later.

On this afternoon and evening, we were just trying to get our bearings and stretch our legs a bit after spending most of the day driving.

We headed back to what we considered the main street in the city; Strada Giuseppe Mazzini and just headed up the street where it suddenly became Strada della Republica.

We decided to stop for a coffee right before Chiesa di San Sepolcro.

You could tell that Parma wasn't a heavily American/English/Asian tourist destination. Some folks were quite surprised to see the Missus and I. My linguistic ability is basically nil, except for food, but folks in Parma were really warm, kind, and easy to smile. The woman working at this cafe; I believe it's called Provinciali was so nice. When we returned again the following day later for coffee she waved and smiled to us.

Our host at the Agritourismo, Adriano was super friendly, and even gave us a list of restaurants……..places he ate at. I Tre Siochett was outside of Central Parma, it looked fairly close to where we were staying….though we were warned, "it's not so easy to find in the dark". We did find it though…..

Just along a roadside….the place was hopping! The guys working here were very friendly. We were handed menus and I immediately ordered something from the menu…..the Italian menu mind you…..the guy looked shocked….we were immediately brought an English version of the menu and I still ordered the dish….more on that later.

Of course we had to have the Salume Misto, which was a bargain at 8 Euros!

The culatello and the prosciutto were very good; but it was the item on the left side of the plate we both loved…..our first experience with Ciccioli, all the wonderful fatty and scrap pieces of pork, so porky and delicious. Also, this was truly served the Emilio-Romagna way. With lovely, yeasty, light pockets of dough called "torta fritta".

Each version we had was a bit different. This one was light and crisp, not overly "lardy", with some decent salt. You open up the one end of the torta fritta and place your salumi in it and eat….at least this is how we were taught. I also saw folks eating two pieces of torta fritta with salumi between them like a sandwich. Regardless….this was heaven with salumi.

Every area within Emilia-Romagna seems to have their own type of stuffed pasta……and the best way to eat it is "en brodo" in a clear chicken based broth. In western Emilia-Romagna it's Anolini.

Usually the most expensive primi on the menu (it's all relative – this was 12 Euros); because of the amount of work needed to make the pasta, the payoff, like this version, was usually quite good. A bit of meat, cheese, or sometimes "Zucca" (pumpkin). Loved the texture of the pasta.

And then, there was the "Pesto di cavallo con pestata di capperi" (10 Euros). I ordered it from the Italian menu, then was immediately brought the English menu……just for clarification purposes and we still ordered it. Just so you know, cavallo is horse, and this is basically horse tartare. The really nice Server just wanted to make sure. Because as he said in English, "even Italiano…it is yes-no, yes-no, yes-no…." Which made the Missus and I crack up.

This was definitely a "yes"….served with a caper relish on the side….a squeeze of lemon…the finish is so clean, the flavor almost refreshing, with a slight sweetness. The acid and brininess adding character to the dish.

The Missus ordered the "cake" for dessert and holy-moly…..this is one serving of "cake"…..

The place was even more packed as we left. We loved the gracious, friendly service. This was a fun meal and folks here just put us a ease.

I Tri Siochett
Strada Comunale Farnese 74/A
Parma PR, Italy

Adriano was right when he said finding our way back via the side streets outside Parma in the dark was going to be interesting….even with a GPS. I think we took a couple of circles….the good thing about roundabouts is that if you miss your exit, you just take another loop. After what seemed like 45 minutes for a 15 minute drive, we ended up back at our room.

There was something about the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna that really seemed to suit us.

Arriving in Alaska, Girdwood, and Dinner at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant

May 28, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, Caffeine Fix, Fine Dining, Travel

It was nearing the end of May; the usual time the Missus and I head off on a trip. This year, we had only a week or so and nothing else until the end of the year. The Missus wanted to scratch something off Her bucket list, so we headed off to Alaska to see if we could get it done.

Landing in Anchorage and picking up a cup of coffee on the way out of town….well, it seemed like just another city in the states.

I was shocked to see that I could get an Ethiopian pour over for $3.50!

Not a great cup, but with the typical acidic-sweet-floral tones of African beans, pretty good. The place seemed pretty popular with hipsters and folks on their laptops and such.

Black Cup
341 E Benson Blvd
Anchorage, AK 99503

A few minutes down the road and we realized that we were definitely not down in the "Lower 48" as the locals call it, anymore.

Even though the weather was quite gloomy and there was a slight chill in the air, we couldn't help but keep stopping at places like Beluga Point along the way.

We'd often stop and other folks would start talking to us. Asking us where we were from, where we were headed, all quite friendly. It's definitely something we aren't used to here in SoCal. We also ran into a transplanted Californian, one of many we'd meet along the way. He was a very cheerful person, I ended up volunteering to take a photo of him and visiting family…..I guess I was getting into that mode as well.

At milepost 90….those green milepost signs are how you find many of the directions in the 49th state, I took a left and headed toward, then past, the town of Girdwood and up the road, finally taking a left on Arlberg Avenue and arriving at the Alyeska Resort. The Missus had recently had a birthday and I wanted to make our first night in Alaska a nice one. So I chose the Alyeska Resort because of the well regarded location, accommodations, and restaurant. Indeed, check-in was friendly, professional, and smooth. We had a Junior Suite, which was comfortable and huge, and the Missus's favorite room of the entire trip. Oh, and the really nice young man who worked the front desk was from….you guessed it, California! The view from our room wasn't too shabby either.

Of course, once we checked in, the Missus was just rarin' to go. So off we went, making the two plus change mile walk to the town of Girdwood. Even though it drizzled off and on during our walk the scenery was lovely.

The view while crossing over the river was amazing.

While Girdwood is described as a resort town……it bore no resemblance to the mental picture I had of a resort village. It looked like a charming little town with a single street with a general store on the corner.

There are a couple of restaurants/bars, a post office, what looked like a yoga place, and other services along the single street.

We stopped for a caffeine fix at a coffee shop cum curio store called The Grind.

The collection was indeed "eclectic"……I was sorely tempted to get that "Freeloader Fork"…but settled for an Americano instead.

We sat on the porch of the coffee shop and watch time slowly flow by the quiet street. On occasion someone on a bike would pass….you'd see a couple of dogs frolicking in the park; folks dropping the Post Office to pick up their mail.

The Grind
236 Hightower Rd
Girdwood, AK 99587

We headed on back to the resort and took the trail alongside Arlberg Avenue back.

And noticed a few things we had missed on the walk down.

We also took some time to walk around the grounds of the resort as well.

I'd made dinner reservations at the resorts Seven Glaciers Restaurant. We got ready and decided to head up to the restaurant. And I do mean "head up". You see, the restaurant is located at the top of Mount Alyeska.

And the only way to get there is by tram.

You can pick up your complimentary tram tickets an hour before your reservations. We went up about a half hour before. We had the entire tram to ourselves and our tram operator was from….you guessed it; California….the Bay Area to be precise. He was a friendly, chatty fellow and described the surrounding area like a tour guide. The restaurant is named for the Seven Glaciers you can view from the place. The crazy steep slopes are Black Diamond rated and the view, well, that's priceless.

Funny coincidence, the young man lived in Girdwood and had actually seen us having our coffee on the porch of The Grind earlier in the day. He was one of the fellows who rode past us on a bike.

At the top there's a shop, a bar, the restaurant, and ski runs. Even though it was mid-May, it was still snowing in Denali and had just snowed here a few days earlier.

After having a bit of fun in the snow and ice we headed into the restaurant which was quite well done. What struck us the most; other than the million dollar view was how well the tables were spaced and placed to maximize the view while dining.

While waiting for our table we both had cocktails….which were really low on the booze and way too sweet.

Just as we took the first sips of our drinks, our table was ready and we were seated. The view was fantastic.

One of the reasons I chose Seven Glaciers is that the menu; while priced on the high end, is locally focused. Our Server was great; genial, yet a total pro, and did a good job of describing each dish.

The butter, so creamy and milky was fantastic, the bread not so much, as the marbled rye was dry and crumbly and the lavash just passable.

The amuse was a "ceviche", very nice seafood, a delicious cilantro cream (I need to make this), and a very "corny" flavored "tortilla".

I'd read some good things about the Scallop Bisque ($12) so we started with that; our Server totally got the idea that we'd be dining "family style" and was awesome at setting up the dishes and setting for us.

The wonderfully mildly sweet-oceany flavor of the bisque was good, though it was on the thin side for my tastes and lacking that nice tongue coating texture I enjoy. The chive oil, while on the mild side in flavor was a nice accompaniment. But that scallop, the most amazingly sweet scallop, seared perfectly, the interior rare, just melted away on your tongue……it was fantastic.

The "Tartare of the Day" ($18) was Yak. And let me tell you, it was also delicious.

Very tender, clean tasting, not overly seasoned or gamey, this was nicely put together. The pickled onions were perfect; just sour enough, with distinct clove-herbal tones.

The Missus has never enjoyed King Crab, saying that it "lacked the deep crab flavor" and isn't a big fan of drawn butter either. I did mention that Bering Sea Red King Crab was supposedly the best so why not try it here (1/2 pound $35). I was shocked at how much crab this was.

Well, while meaty, and without an overly brined flavor, this still wasn't the Missus's cup of tea. Not sweet enough, too dry, on the bland side is how She described it. No regrets in trying it here though.

Our entrée, the special of the day is without doubt the best thing we had on the entire trip. It was something both that Missus and I are familiar with; black chicken, but served in a totally different manner; roasted. Traditionally served in a medicinal soup in Asia; I've found it to be terribly tough and while the Missus loves it, I'm not a fan…though it's mostly because of the medicinal flavor of the broth. Seeing Black Silkie Chicken on the menu ($42), we just had to try it.

Along with some very tasty fried artichokes, local asparagus, and tender fiddlehead ferns, on top of a nicely prepared barley risotto, perhaps the best version I've had, the chicken was so good. While toothsome and bony…hey this is free-range black chicken here, nothing out of the ordinary there; the deep poultry flavor was amazing. This is what chicken tasted like when I was a kid! It reminded me of the chicken that my grandparents raised. Sadly, I think folks aren't used to the flavor as the folks on the table next to us sent theirs back saying it was too "tough and gamey" for their liking. We on the other hand just loved this dish.

We also enjoyed the seasonal roasted vegetables ($8). The Missus loves broccolini and asparagus anyway.

The gig surprise was the roasted kale stems which had a nice acidic touch to it. It was surprisingly tender, something you don't associate with kale stems.

While we were rather stuffed, the Missus decided to order the restaurant's signature dessert; the Baked Alyeska, the classic browned meringue topped ice cream and cake.

I went with an Alaskan Brewery White Ale.

Man, that dessert was so rich and dense….I had one bite and went "no mas"……..the Missus did finish it off.

Boy, this was some meal.

The service was excellent and the food quite good.

It wasn't cheap by any means, but a wonderful special occasion meal.

It was a nice way to celebrate both the Missus's Birthday and our first night in Alaska.

Seven Glaciers Restaurant
(In the Alyeska Resort – sort of. It's on top of a mountain)
1000 Arlberg Ave
Girdwood, AK 99587

We enjoyed the ride down in the tram.

On the good side; this was a great first meal and the best meal we had on our trip.

On the bad side, this was the best meal of our trip and we had 7 more nights to go…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Osteria dei Sani – Sasso Marconi (Emilia-Romagna)

May 17, 2018 mmm-yoso Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

Though we had enjoyed our time in Florence, I was really looking forward to spending the rest of the trip in Emilia-Romagna.

But first we had to get there. We'd be spending the next three nights in an Agritourismo outside Parma. So I rented a car. Somehow, we found our way onto Autostrada A1 in the direction of Bologna. Driving in Italy was interesting, in a good way, I loved that slow traffic went to the right, the middle lane was for most folks, and the left lane was for passing or driving like a bat out of hell. I gotta say, there's nothing like going 160 km/hr (99.5 mph) and seeing some properly dressed "Nonna" driving a Maserati pass you like you're standing still!

I knew we'd have to stop for lunch on the way to Parma, so I did some research on restaurants between Florence and Bologna and one place kept popping up; Osteria dei Sani. So that's where we headed. We got to sleepy little Sasso Marconi (population approx 15,000), found parking next to the park at the edge of town (like three blocks from the center) and easily found the restaurant.

The folks here are super friendly and warm. Something we'd find throughout Emilia-Romagna. I'm sure they found us to be a bit "different" from their regular clientele.

There was just one other table of customers when we arrived.

But the place filled up fast and it seemed that all the customers knew each other…….

This being Emilia-Romagna, I just couldn't wait to dig into some salumi, so I ordered the Sfiziosita de Salumi a combination of salumi, which was only 8 Euros!

That mortadella was delicious as was the salami; but the pancetta canusina, pork belly was so mild and almost silken. And my favorite by far, the culatello, which was firm at first, but then gave way while chewing. The flavor was amazing, slightly sweet, a bit funky, with a finish like cheese. It was love at first bite. I'd end up ordering culatello everywhere the Missus would let me. And each was different……

One of the classic dishes of the region; the Tortellini in brodo (10€). It seems that every area has it's own stuffed pasta that would end up in broth. While this dish seems so simple, it was often times the most expensive primi on the menu. It's because these tiny stuffed pasta is hand made and also so tasty.

The texture is tender, pillowy, yet with a slight pull. Simply stuffed with cheese and a tiny piece of salumi….well, that's all you need. The chicken broth had just enough fat and though we'd have much better brodo later on during our time in the area, I instantly knew I'd love the food here.

The Missus got the Tagliolini con Tartufo (10€). Yes, the Missus was still in "truffle mode".

The fragrance was amazing, but the flavor rather mild. Let on during the trip, the Missus would start switching up to porcini. The pasta was a tad over-cooked for our taste, but this was still very good.

The Missus wanted to try he Scallopina all Aceto Balsamico (10€).

The balsamic vinegar based sauce was quite tangy and sour….it was actually quite good with the bread….at least I thought so. The veal was a bit too lean and tough for us.

Overall, a very nice meal and a great start to our time in Emilia-Romagna.

The Gentleman who seemed to be the owner was very friendly and came by to greet us and shake our hands. Service was warm and friendly. The Missus enjoyed Her glass of wine and the price was very reasonable.

Osteria dei Sani
Via Porrettana 324
Sasso Marconi, Italy

If every place in Emilia-Romagna was going to be like Osteria dei Sani, we were going to have a great time!

Florence – Santa Maria Novella Church, Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, and Dinner at Il Tartufo and Il Lampredotto (In Mercato Centrale)

May 14, 2018 mmm-yoso Florence and Tuscany, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Sandwiches, Travel

After recovering from a busy morning, we decided to head on out to do some exploring and last minute shopping.

First stop, Santa Maria Novella Church.

This church stands just a short walk away from the busiest parts of the city; but it seemed quite relaxed, except for all the hawkers. Construction of the began in 1279 and was completed around 1357. The upper part of the façade was completed around 1470 by Alberti. We were actually going to another destination (more on that later), but decided to stop in here. After all, it was covered by the Firenze Card.

The interior, much like Basilica de Santa Croce is large and open. The Cruxifix here is by Giotto and dates back to the 13th Century.

Another rather famous work in the church is the Holy Trinity by Masaccio whose work was lauded, but died at the young age of 26. (Some say he was poisoned by a jealous rival)

During the 16th century, under orders from Cosimo de' Medici, Vasari painted over the frescoes in the church while creating his own work.

Brunelleschi, who designed the dome of the Duomo is also mentioned as designing the layout of the church as well as creating this wooden crucifix in the Gondi Chapel.

We also went to check out the Cloisters.

And then the Spanish Chapel, which had wonderful frescoes by Andrea di Bonaiuto depicting the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ.

After leaving the church, we went around the corner and down the street to a shop that was once run by the Domincan Monks of Santa Maria Novella, the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy (Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella). It is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world having been established sometime in the 13th century.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but is quite huge….and busy. The Missus, who loves shopping was overwhelmed with what to get from the huge lists of products.

Walking around I noticed what looked like to be the old entrance from the Cloisters.

As much as the Missus likes to shop, She is easily overwhelmed. Indeed, when in places like cosmetic shops in Japan, the Missus will often send me photos of the make-up items She needs and I'll go find them by matching the photos and designs on the boxes and containers. After about twenty minutes in here, the Missus was fried.

I had noticed a little Tea Room off to the side of all the crowds.

I suggested getting a nice cup of tea before heading off. Which sounded like a good idea to the Missus.

I had a nice cup of Earl Grey. The Missus, fascinated by the offerings ordered a medicinal liquor, whoa, really sweet…..yikes!

But it was a nice break in the action.

Walking back through the store, I found something that I thought the Missus should purchase. "Acqua di Santa Maria Novella" is said to be the remedy for hysteria and the accompanying indigestion. The Missus wasn't amused.

There was one more place I wanted to visit in Florence. So we decided to head off before dinner, to find a pig. A pig? I always have some oddball items I want to see when travelling and Atlas Obscura has only fed into that desire. Earlier in the day I got to check out Galileo's middle finger, now I was after a bronze pig named Il Porcellino. It took some effort to find Mr Piggy since it's in the area of a large outdoor market. Some nice folks in a nearby restaurant helped us out when I pointed to their little brass pig in the window and asked directions.

So, the drill goes that you place a coin in the mouth of the boar and let it drop. Should it go to though the grates you are destined to have good luck. You then rub the snout, which has been polished smooth from all the folks rubbing it. This ensures you'll return to Florence someday. The coin thing is not as easy as you think. The poor Japanese fellow in front of me tried three times and it never went in. I got it on the first try!

Take that, Mr Piggy!

We decided to do something fun for dinner on this evening and headed off in the direction of Basilica de San Lorenzo.

These duo, playing in front of Monumento a Giovanni delle Bande Nere were really good so we stopped and listened to a couple of songs.

I'd read that the second floor of the Mercato Centrale housed a food court food stands that were pretty good an a lot of fun. It was fairly busy when we arrived, but I had a plan in mind.

The first stand we headed to was……

In case you don't know; tartufo means "truffle".

We ordered the Tagliolino al Tartufo Nero. I was told that these Tartufo Nero were the last of the season (it was the end of March)……it sounded like fun, so why not.

So while the Missus waited for our pasta, I went to the wine shop in the corner of the food stands. Man, the folks here were so nice….I believe the name of the shop is Enoteca Chianti Classico and it was the best glass we had in Florence, the temp was perfect, nice acid….unfortunately it was from Alsace!

Man, that was a pile of truffle on the pasta. The fragrance of the truffle was amazing, though the flavor was quite mild. There was a bit too much sauce for our taste, but the pasta was cooked perfectly. Not bad for 20 Euros. Yes, fresh pasta with truffle in a food court from a food stand.

While we were eating, we saw this huge young man….swear to god he looked like a sumo wrestler. Turns out he was Korean. He cracked us up when he looked at what folks were eating a loudly exclaimed "Paaaa-AAAstaaAAA"! He said this with such sincere joy that you couldn't help but laugh. Oh, and he did get his two plates of pasta!

Next up? After returning our wine glasses we headed to this stand near the other end of the collection of food stands.

Where I saw this sign…….

Really. Florence's ultimate street food made from the abomasum, the "fourth stomach" of the cow with truffle?

Don't mind if I do.

The fragrance of the truffle cut through some of the funky smell of the lampredotto, but didn't interfere with the gamy-offal flavor. I thought the bread was pretty good; light and yeasty. The guy also put some of the mildly spicy salsa verde on this was well. The texture was a bit tougher than versions I had in other dishes during our visit, but this wasn't bad.

The Missus also wanted the Trippa alla Fiorentina as well.

Which arrived just as the Missus got back with our next glass of wine. A nice, light Chianti. She told me the guy working the wine counter was so nice as She asked about the various wine. When She picked one out he told Her, "good, very good, you on vacation, there's no time for bad wine!" You gotta love it.

This tripe was a bit tougher than other versions, but had no off flavors, and was quite tasty overall and for 5 Euros…..

While the Missus went for dessert, I dropped off our wine glass, something I guess others don't do? I got a very nice smile and a thank you from all three folks behind the counter of the wine bar.

I then headed straight for the central bar and got the Missus an espresso and me……well, I thought a Negroni would be a nice way to end the evening.

By now, the place was getting quite busy.

So it was time to stop taking up seats and head on back to the apartment. We really had a fun time at Mercato Centrale.

Mercato Centrale Firenze
Piazza del Mercato Centrale 4
Florence, Italy
Upstairs Hours Vary from 10am – Midnight

We got back to the apartment, had the last glass of wine and went off into dreamland.

Our wonderful host, Matteo was nice enough to arrange for a taxi to the rental car stand for us. He told us, it was the best way to get there. We had gotten up fairly early and packed, our cab wasn't due until 955. Since the Baptistrey opened at 830 and was essentially right down the street we decided to head on over.

Plus, the Missus wanted to see what was behind those bronze doors.

The most striking site was the mosaic on the ceiling.

Which of the Last Judgement.

As we waited for our taxi, we watched daily life in Florence go by……

Lots of tourists yes; but daily life goes on for all the residents.

You know, we ran out of time and didn't even make it into the Duomo. So maybe Il Porcellini is right. I'm going to have to return.

Well, we were off to get our rental car…..

Next up. It's off to Parma. But first, a stop for lunch!

Thanks for stopping by!

Florence – Climbing Campanile (Giotto’s Tower), the Duomo Museum, Dante “Stuff”, Galileo Gives Me the “Finger”, and Paninis From SandwiChic

May 12, 2018 mmm-yoso Florence and Tuscany, Italy, Italy, Sandwiches, Travel

Oh boy….another morning in Florence and just like the previous morning the Missus was ready to go. Since tickets for climbing to the Dome of the Duomo were sold out, the Missus decided we should do the Bell Tower of the Duomo; the Campanile. We got there right when they opened at 830am.

I'd read that this climb was easier than climbing to the Dome, by something like 49 steps…..so I was relieved a bit. Until I actually had to do it. The Missus told me it was going to be a "piece of cake"….only 414 steps!

Boy am I getting old….. up the winding steps…..you arrive at a platform thinking, "this isn't too bad". Until you find out there are even more steps to the next platform. Rinse….repeat…..

There are actually three platforms….I hadn't read about that, so everytime we stopped, I thought we'd made it.

If I was going up to the thirty-first floor….I'd take the elevator. But not here…..

Though I have to say, the views were amazing.

Having the dome in view makes for a more dramatic shot in my opinion.

I even pointed out the street we were staying on, Via Dei Servi, to the Missus.

Of course….we now had to go back down. Getting there early was actually a good move. The higher you go; the more cramped the stairwell is.

I felt great as we exited Giotto's Tower….it was great to be alive. I did want to take a short break though.

The Missus loved the doors of the Baptistery that faced the Duomo, called the "Gates of Paradise". That door of the Baptistry was the work of Lorenzo Ghiberti, who initially won a contest, defeating Brunelleschi (more on him later), for the right to build first the North Door, then the East Door. In all, Ghiberti spent 48 years of his life on those two doors. The original panels are on display in the Duomo Museum, which is why the Missus wanted to visit.

In fact, most of the original sculptures from the Duomo, Baptistery, and Bell Tower are on display in this museum.

One of the more enjoyable areas in the museum is the Gallery of Brunelleschi's Dome. Remember him? In the end, he got a pretty good gig himself…..designing and building the Dome of the Duomo. We really enjoyed the short video presentation, it was so informative.

Other interesting sculptures. Mary Magdalene by Donatello.

This haunting and realistic work was completed by Donatello when he was over sixty years old.

This version of Pieta by Michelangelo, also known as "The Deposition".

It is said that Michelangelo, now in his seventies, originally created this work for his own tomb. There are many different theories about why Michelangelo tried to destroy this work. Much of it was later repaired, but notice that Jesus is still missing a leg.

Once done we headed down toward Piazza della Signoria. We were doing a bit of shopping for gifts. On one of the side streets we came across a small church.

On one of the walls we noticed a painting of Dante Alighieri. This is Santa Margherita de' Cerchi also known as the Church of Dante and Beatrice. The church dates back to 1032. Supposedly, it is in this church where Dante first saw and fell in love with Beatrice who would become his muse. They were both nine at the time. This church is also said to have been the location of Dante's marriage (nope not to Beatrice) to Gemma Donati. Beatrice would marry a banker named Simone di Bardi and die in 1290 at the age of 24.

Literally steps away is Casa di Dante (the Dante House Museum). Since we had the Firenze Card we thought we'd just go ahead and visit.

It was not Dante's "home" per se; as many of the buildings of this time have been torn down. If you're a Dante fan, you'll love this tiny three floor museum of all things Dante.

Florence is full of places to see; large and small. We literally walked a few steps from Casa di Dante and saw folks going in and out of this doorway. We walked in a saw a little chapel with some very nice frescoes. This is the home of the Congregation of the Buonomini di San Martino, formed in 1441 to help those who have fallen into hard times.

How could I not give a couple of Euros?

There seem to be fascinating places like this around every corner……

Down every street……..

A story to be told…..

We finally got to Piazza della Signoria.

Where the Missus spent some time trying things on at the location of Ireri Boutique on Via de Gondi. By now, I had decided on one last stop before lunch.

The Galileo Science Museum (Museo Galileo – Institute and Museum of the History of Science). Not for all the amazing collection of telescopes, scientific instruments…..history….

I wanted to see Galileo's middle finger.

Galileo and the church often clashed, on April 12th, 1633 he was convicted of heresy and was placed on house arrest until his death in 1642. Finally, in 1992, Pope John Paul II declared that Galileo was right. In some odd way, I find the placement of Galileo's middle finger somewhat…..ironic?

Or perhaps it was just because I was getting hungry?

The Missus had been wanting to try a panini in Florence and I had a place in mind. We walked back to where our apartment was and headed four blocks to Sandwichic. The place was packed, though things moved fast. I ordered our paninis on the classic Tuscan schiacciata. We headed back to the apartment and enjoyed ourselves.

The Missus got prosciutto with pecrino, porcini, and truffle cream.

I got the prosciutto cotto, a really nice ham, with pecorino and crema de peperoni (no, not pepperoni), a red pepper sauce.

The sauce was a bit too sweet, but the Missus loved the prosciutto cotto.

The schiacciata was wonderful, fairly light, yeasty, great texture, nicely toasted around the edges, but still soft inside. With a couple of glasses of wine….it was quite nice.

SandwiChic
Via San Gallo 3/r
Florence, Italy

And then it was nap time!

Montreal – Patati Patata

May 11, 2018 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Montreal, Travel

It was our last morning in Montreal, our flight was at 3pm, though we had to check-out at 11am. We did need something to hold us over….so why not poutine? There were a few stops to make in the morning and Patati Patata Friterie de Lux….well, with a name like that and being a few blocks from where we were staying, it just made sense.

This tiny corner shop was quite charming as it really looked like an old school diner.

The Missus enjoyed the fresh squeezed orange juice and we both enjoyed our coffee.

We also ordered the Poutine Avec des Ouefs…..which seemed like something right down our alley, with easy over eggs (sorry to FOY Jessica).

So, the frites were crisp, but on the dry side, the cheese curds too mushy, the gravy quite salty….the eggs wonderful. This reminded us of the poutine we had in Vancouver. Not a bad thing, just not to our taste.

The service was great, we loved the vibe, but not the poutine. glad we got to try it though.

Patati Patata Friterie de Luxe
4177 St Laurent
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

We had use of one of the Sky Team lounges at Trudeau International Airport which was pretty quiet.

The food choices were fine for a snack to hold us over.

And we had bought some "goodies" to have at home…..

Though it was nothing like having it there….in Montreal.

I guess we'll just have to return.

Paris – Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Sadaharu Aoki, and Dinner at Café Constant

May 9, 2018 mmm-yoso Chocolate, Desserts, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

We awoke on our first full day back in Paris ready to go. We had the remnants of our previous evening's shopping and then headed off. The Missus wanted to visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery, mainly because She had read about it in various guidebooks. I knew of the cemetery because of one specific gravesite. I thought this would be kind of neat, so I was all for it. We caught the metro and got off at the Pere Lachaise stop.

Walking the winding paths, we were taken in and overwhelmed. It was at the same time haunting and yet beautiful. Each grave and tomb told a different story.

And while I had a mental list of all the famous laid to rest here; Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, Edith Piaf, we were so taken in by "la cite des morts" (the city of the dead), that in the end, I really only tried to find the final resting place of one American.

I sent a text to one of the folks whom I knew would understand, CC.

And still there were a few interesting resting….and perhaps "non-resting" (for now) that caught our attention.

I noticed this grave had metro tickets lying on it.

So I felt compelled to add mine to the pile.

The Missus looked at me and said; "why are you doing this, you have no idea who this person is." To which I replied "this is Gilbert Morard former head of SNCF, the official train company of France!". Google to the rescue again!

We found this tomb to be kind of freaky.

A camera stares back at you…….. When we got back to the states I found that the person this is meant for, André Chabot is still alive. This space is reserved for André Chabot a photographer who specializes in "funeral art". Go figure….

That's not to say there aren't any tombs that aren't plain creepy and scary.

In the end, while we really enjoyed Pere Lachaise, I don't think we saw everything we wanted to. We'll definitely be back to this fascinating "la cite des morts" again.

We decided to walk back to the 7th (of course), taking the long way.

We soon passed the flagship store of Galeries Lafayette and the Missus was totally entranced by the Christmas displays. From the huge Christmas Tree several stories high, with balloons slowly rising up and down as the tree slowly spins. We linked to several videos we took in our Christmas post.

If that doesn't stir the inner child in you; the window displays along Boulevard Haussman will.

It's mesmerizing and so wonderful. And less you think there's no rhyme or reason to it….well, every year, the display tells a story. On this Christmas season, it was a love story, of a pigeon named Pierre and a dove named Coco. They run into each other in Fairground and the window displays tell that story…..

Who doesn't love a Christmas romance? We ended up stopping by Galeries Lafayette several times. And without fail, the Missus just had to go in and view the trees and spend about 20-30 minutes staring at the window scenes.

As we got close to our apartment, we stopped at the Rue Saint-Dominique location of Sadaharu Aoki.

Sadaharu Aoki is well known for blending Japanese flavors into traditional French desserts.

So, of the Missus had to add to Her growing dessert collection. She bought a dozen bonbons and really enjoyed them.

Sadaharu Aoki
103 Rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

**** Cafe Constant has closed

We wanted a place that was casual and low stress for dinner. The Missus had enjoyed our dinner at Christian Constant's Les Cocottes on our previous visit to Paris. So why not complete the set and visit his no reservation, open all day, Café Constant.

Man, this place was packed…….a combination of Parisians and tourists.

The service was quite genial and while it didn't look like there was room for us….they made some….under the stairwell. Which we got a kick out of…..

To tell you how laid back this place is….well, the couple next to us had their Lab under their table. He'd poke his head out once in a while hoping for a hand-out!

We decided to just go for the 36 Euro 3 course meal….something easy, not much thinking involved.

The Missus started with the Tartare de saumon, huîtres et bar au gingembre – Tartare of oysters, seabass and salmon seasoned with ginger and lemon, which was surprisingly good and refreshing.

Not too heavy handed on the ginger; very tender salmon and seabass, this was much better than I expected.

I had really enjoyed the rustic Country-style Pate at Les Cocottes and they had the same one here on the menu.

Nice earthy flavors, not overly rich, just as I remembered.

As Her main the Missus had the Parmentier de cuisse de canard croisé au vin rouge, pommes gaufrettes - Potato Parmentier with duck in red wine sauce and potato gaufrettes.

Again, done by the book and done well. Nice potatoes; the sauce wasn't overly salty or winey, the duck toothsome, but not tough, with a nice earthy-gamy flavor.

I had the Stewed Beef Cheeks – Joues de boeuf.

The beef cheeks were very beefy, tender, and the potatoes and carrots were nicely stewed; not mushy, not hard. The stew itself needed a bit of help with some salt and pepper though. The texture of the stew was good as it nicely coated one's tongue.

The Missus got Her first Rum Baba, which She immediately took to.

Too sweet for me….but She loved it.

I had a forgettable cheese plate……

In the end, the service was good, the food, while not amazing was comforting, the price not bad….for Paris. Like Les Cocottes…no muss, no fuss, no complaints.

Sometimes you want a by-the-book dependable meal and this did the trick……

Café Constant
139 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

It was time to get some rest……tomorrow was going to be a shopping day for the Missus!

Montreal – The Mont-Royal Street Festival and La Banquise

May 4, 2018 mmm-yoso Beer, Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Festivals & Events, Montreal, Travel

During our last evening in Montreal, I wanted something in particular….poutine! The Missus decided to humor me. And to make things even better, She decided we could catch the metro instead of walking all the way to our destination.

So, we got out at the Mont-Royal metro stop and wouldn't you know, there was a street festival taking place.

We couldn't help but really enjoy the chill and relaxing vibe of the street festival.

One of my favorite scenes on this trip was when the gentleman below heard the DJ put "his song" on and just dropped his bags and started……well, calling it dancing might be a stretch. But we just loved it.

We had such a good time that we actually went past the street we needed to turn on and walked all the way until the end of the street fair.

Not sure when it'll be this year….but this was a lot of fun.

Anyway, we turned on Avenue Papineau and backtracked until we came to a place I was looking forward to eating at. La Banquise.

During discussions about poutine in Montreal, this 24 hour-a-day "poutinerie" would always somehow be mentioned. La Banquise is one of those beloved institutions having been around for 50 years. They also have 30 plus variations of poutine on the menu….though there was only one I was after.

Even at this rather early hour for dinner, the place was humming. Though we had no wait, almost all the tables were taken. We were seated in the covered back area……topped by a bright red-orange tarp, it made all my photos come out rather reddish. So my apologies.

I started with another thing I wanted to try, a Bec Cola. Produced in Montreal with maple syrup being the primary sweetener….well, it was a "must try". This wasn't highly carbonated, with a typical, perhaps slightly bitterish at first taste….but with a definite maple syrup flavored finish. It was refreshing on quite a warm day.

As for my poutine? Well, I'd already had a rabbit poutine in Quebec City and on the previous night, it was an over-the-top foie gras poutine. Here, I just wanted a "classic".

This was by far, my favorite poutine of the trip. It wasn't salty, the cheese curds weren't tough, with a slight "squeak", the gravy had a decent tongue coating beefiness and there wasn't too much of it. The potatoes weren't particularly crunchy, but there was a definite sweetness and deep potato flavor to them. I mentioned this to Cathy who said that she believes the potatoes are grown in excellent soil and left in the ground longer to develop the sugars better.

The Missus, still swooning from the Smoked Meat sandwich at Schwartz's ordered the version with smoked meat.