On to Verona...

Ok I am a day off of updating...we drove from Piemont to Pedemont:)...near Verona...we passed Cremona (Lotsa laughs in Cremona) and Parma...just made me laugh since we just did Kiss me Kate. Lots of driving bu made it to Villa de Quar...fancy shamncy but the pool isnt heated!!

So we had the evening and went into Verona for the evening...Nick's friend from CO ex lives near Verona...met him there for drinks and dinner...so great pasta. Verona is a shopping town...whole streets and of course piazzas full people. Looked at some sunglasses but really didnt have a lot of time to "look" hard to do when you are headed to meet someone etc. We parked the beast on the other side to the river and walk into town...It took 45 mintes to just find a space...Howard was very patient in the end...more than I would be if driving that thing.

Home late lots of wine...

Wednesday and a lite lunch

So we had one appt today with four wineries arranged by the distributors. So we winded out way to the Bovio Restaurant in Amore. Just on the side of hte hill before th town which sits atop the hill...Vana...the GPS got us there the hard way but got us there! Here is a view FROM THE RESTAURANT! The wine owners...three men...very nice..Carlo??? and two others...both sons who had taken over the family business and Sylvia...who was hoping iwth age that her father would let her take over the vinyard and not just work in the office. Sylvia spoke almost perfect English but was feeling a bit under the weaher due to what she thought were some bad mushrooms...she pointed out her famly's vinyard from the antage point in the picture above. They were all charming and poured their own wines for us during our 6 course lunch...a rabbit turrin, then a quiche iwth cheese fondue...a tagglionni with ragu...oh anf this veal dish they serve here...thinly sliced veal (cooked), think lunch meat....with what they calla tuna sauce...yummo!Above is the quiche. Then a potroast type dish made with the barello...local grape...aspargus...fresh...and the dolci was panette...which looks like flan but taste much better and we were told invented in this town.

Ok so clearly I dont have the picture thing down! 15 wines...3 hours...yummy food what more could a person ask for. Ellen gets their wine so I didnt buy any in town to carry home...hoping I will have no problem getting them.

Ciao

M

Tuesday

Started with a workout this morning...and two cappucinos. Then our first appt was with Gaja....the biggest,oldest and considered best winery in the area. Great tour...huge place with a electric solid gate to park inside....after tour we find out that Gaia Gaj is tasting with us...the daughter of the owner. I have no photos because my battery expired:(

She was about late 20s spoke great english and has traveled to US often including a year in SF workign in the wine industry....with all the windy road I again felt horrible most of the day....but the day did clear and I even got a bit of the sun eating a fabulous risotto at a restaurant reccomended by Gaia. Her great great great great grandfather found this land and planted on it. Her grandfather practically invented branding!

Headed back to drop off mom who had to go get a crown put back on in Alba then we head to Seghesio. Very dry red...still Nebillio etc. He spoke no english...ok not much...but between 5 of us we were able to make conversation...Nicole's spanish especially. There is the owner with Ellen...notice the weather about an hour later from the picture on the right.

Then home to find my stomach...yike these curvy roads are not for me.

Tomorrow is a lunch with 3 vintners coming to us...yipeee not too many curvy roads!

Ciao

Martedi- Vino

Finally sun! and a blue sky!

Here is the view from the hotel room...those white things in the background are the Alps! THis is a quick entry since we are headed out to drink...again...well we do more emptying and spitting than drinking. I am hoping the roads are less winding today....

This is the villa'Amilie...we are on the top floor!

More on the wine when I get back this afternoon.

Ciao

Monday's Winding Road

Ok I just typed forever and I tried to move a phot and everything failed. So now only a quick update and a few pictures...Page, went to the Marchesi di Greasy...the vinyard Alberto told us about at Wine cellars...On the far front left is Howard...a wine distributor that is on our tour and is teaching us a lot about wine...he is also Mr. Toad of Mr. Toads Wild ride!!! Oi....those corners! He thinks he's driving a Porche...but is not!

Here in the middle was our host at our second vinyard....on the left our translater...a local tile shop owner and Ellen frm wine cellars.

More tommorrow.

Ciao

M

Sunday

Left Varenna today
Have to try and upload some bluer ski pictures later. Arrived at lovely Villa D Amelia...a bit of a queasy ride here but I survived! We were all so hungrey at around 3 and nothing to be found so Ellen walked into to this side road Bar which looked closed. They woman did not speak English but said she would feed us...we were able to distinguish the choice of ravioli and gnochi...We order both but she only made the one...rovioli Bolegnese. She brought two bottles of wine which we all agreed was poured into the bottle...but it hit the spot and can chalk it up to esperience.
Ciao

Took a leisurely afternoon listening o a little Verdi…walking through the wisteria and seeing sun for the first time in two days! Had dinner at a little place on the water…literally 7 tables…and they start serving at 7:30 and end at 10:30 so how many times can they turn over tables twice? The wine was fabulous the risotto very good but the main was yucky…I guess I was crazy ordering turkey but I was trying to stay light! Oh well, the risotto was plenty and delish with perch from the lake, I think.
Did I say the wine was good?
Stopped at the bar in the hotel on the way back and had a lemoncello…not as good as mine but I am bias. Then a little Preseco with Nick and Jerry. That was better than the lemoncello!
So its 1030 oops 2230 and I am typing and watching Gilmore girls on my computer. We get up tomorrow around 830 and get a little breakfast and check out…being picked up at 1030 to go to Milan to meet Ellen from Wine Cellars to start the wine tour. Head out to Asti I think, or Alba. Hopefully I will get a good sleep tonight….pray that I do.
Must remember that 0700 bell chime….

Weather clearing

Bellagio Saturday

Saturday
Late night last night…and probably too much wine calorie wise at least! Dropped back to a little bar called 27M(squared)…because the place is only 27 meters sq in size! Standing bar only (Sharon you would love it). The owners name is Daniel and has fabulous English because he worked at Epcot Center for a year in Orlando! Lots of people came and went during the course of an hour and a half…ran into Walter from Austria and a few of his friends who came to mountain bike…unfortunately when they got here it was of course raining and hence they had been at the bar since 2:15 in the afternoon, it was now 10pm! Chatted with them, especially Walter who liked to talk and talk about America…they like Arnold (of course) and don’t like Hillary but they don’t like Bush either. They like speaking English and Walter was actually quite good at it even thought he thought he was not. He loved taking pictures too…so I have his email to get them when I have a minute.

Got in late but again had trouble sleeping…argh….woke up early to get the ferry to Bellagio. Still, cold, rainy and no sun! But can see more than the day before…the huge mountains across the lake can now be seen…even their snow covered tips! The little towns too are now visible and are spattered on the lake, perched on the side of the mountains. Only a 15 minute boat ride to Bellagio. Shops open at 9, we got there around 9:45. Not a big shopper but the streets are quaint and pebbled…a lot of stair climbing…still raining! Most of the streets are walking but a few are walking and cars…when cars come by the pedestrians slam themselves against a wall or into an alley…even more humorous to watch with umbrellas as part of the equation. Pretty expensive but not to out of range if you get a little off the beaten path. I imagine in the summer it is quite packed with tourist and more hotels and Terrizmos (terraces?) are open. Wisteria and tulips are just blooming now and again; I can imagine it is even quainter in about another 3 weeks. All shop owners are very nice and help with Italian. Gelato shops spot the small town, although too cold for me to partake this day.
Stop and have a light lunch and then catch the ferry back to Varenna since all the shops close up til 3:30. The rain has let up a bit but now it is a bit chillier.
End 3:20pm

Varenna Friday

Friday
Oi…soo tired and could not get to sleep! Finally did around 1am! Awoke at 9ish…in time to take a shower and grab a piece of toast before heading out to our cooking class with Moreno at his restaurant. He picked us up at the Piazza which is a short walk (still in the rain) from the Hotel Caprezzia. Glad I chose sleep over food…oh my…we learned how to make pasta…and of course eat what we made. So first a lovely cappuccino which I had missed sleeping in, but was a great greeting from our chef…how nice was he!

His last trip to American included Vegas so he was pretty funny to say the least…We moved our way to in front of the kitchen to make the pasta on a large wooden table as his daughter Francesca hurried her way off somewhere. She was taller than her father and blonde, probably about 20s I would guess. His wife a petite Italian woman who looked more Irish running here and there throughout our 6 hour stay. Joining us was a couple from Dallas. Dick and Julia Williams. They were staying in an apt. and this was part of a three month journey! Each place they were meeting up with kids (I think they had three, two with kids). Venice was next, he was a retired lawyer with a petroleum company…now retired and traveling Europe, I am in the wrong business.

We learned how to make two different kinds of pasta. One used to just make all kinds of pasta from fettuccini to tortellini. Then Moreno proceeded to cut stuff up for a pate! He brought out the largest piece of veal liver I have ever seen. I don’t even think you could get that in the U.S. without ordering it early. So while I like liver (cooked) it is still an odd almost live piece of meat to watch get cut up. So as a break, he brings over some bread and lunch meat (the name will come back to me) and some sort of wine…a little sweet but good. Then he made a pasta out of buckwheat…evidently a pasta made in this region. Next was the tortellini filling…fresh ricotta cheese (first we tasted it and I have never tasted ricotta cheese that tasted so good!). Really, it was like whip cream. OMG!
So mix the OMG ricotta with some parmesan and balsamic (18 drops)…oh tasted the balsamic straight…already thick and so tasty! So of course you then roll and cut the pasta, dab with the filling then fold over and pinch and turn. On to the kitchen…pasta is done!
Moreno started by cutting potatoes and cabbage (or their local “lettuce”)…boil…in the meantime melt what ends up being about12 sticks of butter….add sliced onions, cook till caramelized…then flambé a little brandy and add that liver…that cooks for like 30 minutes. Then cut up the local cheese (which tastes like a strong pecorino) and set aside garlic, and sprig and a sprig of sage. Cook the buckwheat pasta…mix pasta, cabbage and potatoes, cheese etc. Yum first course…it is now about 2pm! In the kitchen a British couple has arrived that knows Moreno. Kate and Dennis! Lovely older couple…they own a little house over-looking Lake Como (yes you are right…a pretty penny at least). They join us for our afternoon meal. Our table, in the back of their restaurante is set and waiting with red and white wine, still and sparkling water and breads. So this potato, cabbage, linguini mush is fabulous…rich, cheesy! Oh and with the wine…spectacular! Back to the kitchen…he finishes the pate by grinding it then food processing it and in to the fridge. Then, in butter (they use more butter than EVOO here due to proximity to France) leeks, tomatoes, pancetta into the skillet with some wine mix with rest of pasta and BAM…yumminess! More wine of course! Now if I was not full enough I had forgotten about the fact we made tortellini! Moreno was in the kitchen while we were eating and out comes the tortellini with a lovely balsamic on the side for dipping! Ah now the wine is done we are all chatting and then we are offered…espresso, lemoncello, grappa. Jerry and Dick go check out the good grappa with the chef…I follow behind to gander at the bar. When I get there we help bring back Lemoncello, cream lemoncello and whiskey cream. Needless to say I tried them all! The lemoncello here seemed sweeter than mine but still fabulous!

All in all a lovely experience, especially for a rainy yucko day.
They chime the bells here at odd hours…and for a long period of time. Just looked out the window (pouring now) but you can see a bit further.
All for now…I think I’ll go find a bar in the rain and have a stand up glass!
Ciao

Varenna Arrival

Arrived in Varenna…not Verona…must distinguish between pronunciation due to the fact Americans seem to say Varenna the way you say Verona…I think the Italians just listen wrong. With some investigation I discovered it was only about 40 Euro more to have a driver drive all four of there and save an hour and a half! Whoppeee as Page would say!

Of course arrived during “dead” hour when nothing in open. Took a shower and was around the small town in a sprinkle…so much fog you can’t even see the other side of the lake let alone 100 yards in front. Nothing open, finally found a Bar and drank some lovely red for all my friends in Maryland!!! Then ended up at a small pasta pizza joint…quick early dinner and now back ready to hit the rack after being awake for what? 36 or more hours…I don’t even want to know. Still have not made internet access so it may be a few days before I get this loaded!

MUST hit the rack.

Milan Airport

Thursday
Arrived Milan 0800! Great flight…had two seats to myself! Small but efficient airport. I plopped down at one quiet end to get on line…Boingo link found but then for the life of me I have the wrong password. Don’t know where I wrote it down, if I did. So there is another hook up via T-mobile but I honestly don’t know the U.S. country code, which they ask for, for hooking up on that link. So my first venture into blogging ended up me writing in word to download at another place and time…unless I miraculously remember a password or the country code. Only 0900, have at least 3 more hours to wait to meet with Denver contingency. The hustle and bustle of the Italian language is everywhere. I swear they are asking for a bus and it sounds like they lost a soccer match or something.
It is an overcast and foggy day, although we did get a great look at the Alps on the way in…and a ski resort…well that is what the captain said. The flight was half full and I had two seats to myself…almost felt first class;) ( above is Sam...Lish's luggage at the Milan airport wanting a water)

Had some weird meat/potato dish…the flight attendant sweetly said “better eat meat now you won’t be able to afford it in Italy with the exchange rate”. The answer in my head to that was…1. I am not so sure this is meat and 2. I wanted seafood anyway.
In the distance I see the flashing green cross of the pharmacy taking me back to both Nice and Multipucciano trips.
There is some fashion here..although a pretty hum drum airport for a fu fu city like Milan.
A lot of black boots, leather and “studs”…not the guy kind but like silver studs on black leather kind.
I already found that we will catch the bus to the Milan Central out of exit 6, bus three. We will just need to get tickets when the Denver clan gets here. That seems to take you to Milan Central at which point we will catch the train to Varenna. Although I read in an Italy book that it’s better to buy the train ticket here. Will end this now and go get cappuccino!

no wirelss

Finally got through on this site, it was not accepting my password for the past two days. Italy is all about rain. Will post blog of the last two days and photos when I arrive in Piedmont.

First Blog-Results of a Young Roommate

This, the weekend before the trip to Italy (Piedmont Region) Page has convinced me to create a blog. So kicking and screaming into the 21st century I go. Taking a laptop on vacation for the first time, maybe the last time, but is it really that different than taking a leather bound journal to Paris? We will see.
More when I hit Milan.