Food, Fun & Friends on the Amalfi Coast

With two vacation days on the books for Josh, and without any last minute flights that caught our eyes, we were excited to head to the Amalfi Coast with Simonne and Fabio for a relaxing time in Praiano. Fabio's folks have a house in Praiano, a small town between Amalfi and Positano, overlooking the Mediterranean, and the serenity and beauty surrounding this place is unbelievable. Fabio took care of booking us a hotel a few steps away from his folk's place, and we headed down Thursday morning, for a couple nights of relaxation.

The drive, since we got ahead of traffic, only took about 1.5 hours. The ride is full of mountain switchbacks as we traversed over the mountain and along the cliffs of the coast. This drive does tend to make me a bit car-sick, but the views make it worth it. Josh and I laughed about my father's joke when we took my folks there for a visit. As driving along the cliffs, my father said, "My friends don't call me Cliffy for nothing!"..budumpbum!ha

Once we arrived, we met up with Simonne and Fabio for some espressos and chocolate cornettos, and then made our way to their boat for a day spent cruising the coastline, swimming and relaxing in the sun. The water was so warm and clear, the sun was hot, and the views incredible. We anchored in a couple of different spots to jump off the boat to swim, and then just puttered along the coast, checking out the amazing villas, hotels, vineyards, and caves that dot the coastline. It was a great day.

After boating, we relaxed for a bit, then decided to grill out on the terrace at Fabio's place and watch the sunset. We all sipped gin and tonics on the terrace, watched the sky turn to pink and gold as the sun set over Positano, and then indulged in some veggies (peppers, eggplant, pumpkin, zucchini) that Fabio grilled on the BBQ and then tossed in a simple dressing of olive oil, basil and garlic (so delicious)and then dug into some meats--hamburger, steak and italian sausages that were cooked just right over the grill. It was a fantastic night, and we had a great time telling stories, laughing, eating and enjoying the view.

On Friday Josh, Evan and I had breakfast on the hotel terrace and then met up with Simonne and Fabio to head about 35 minutes up the cliffside to a town called Ravello. Ravello is a gorgeous little village with manicured gardens, a pretty piazza, quaint little shops and cobblestone walk ways, and 5 star hotels offering exceptional views of the Amalfi Coast below. We stopped in a Salumeria to get a bunch of fresh sandwiches--Salame and Pecorino, Tuna and tomato, Parmigiana etc, and found a great picnic spot in one of the gorgeous little parks. We relaxed and ate on the picnic blanket, while Evan played, and it was perfect. We had a spot in the shade with just enough of a breeze so that we couldn't have been more comfortable and relaxed. After lunch we strolled the streets, stopped for espresso, found some other vista points to take in the view, stopped again for a milk shake, and then headed back to Praiano. That night we hung out for a quick cocktail with Fabio's parents on their terrace, than went for an awesome dinner at a restaurant next door to our hotel. Every course throughout the meal deserved an "mmmm..mmmmm.." as the food just melted in your mouth. Some of the things we had were tuna carpacio, spaghetti con vongole (with clams), homemade ravioli w/ cheese and eggplant, fish cooked in "crazy water"...a tomato/garlic type mixture that is a typical, neopolitan way to prepare fish, meatballs, pasta w/ pesto and provolone, rolled veal, and of course some desserts of lemon sorbet and strawberry tirimasu. Despite all of this food, the Italian food is just so fresh and cooked w/ simplicity that believe it or not, we didn't have to be rolled out of there. We were all satisfied but not uncomfortably stuffed, and I have to say, it was one of the best meals I've had so far in Italy--excellent!

On Saturday we got an early start after breakfast on the hotel terrace, and are now home, enjoying a full weekend in Posillipo. Josh cooked us pancakes for breakfast...the first batch of pancakes we've had in almost a year, and we are thinking of picnicking in the park by our house later on today. What a great way to spend the weekend.

Hey, where'd everybody go?

Naples feels like a different city in August. With the heat and humidity at it's peak, the majority of Neapolitan families go on vacation and head south to the beaches in Puglia & Calabria, or head to the islands of Ischia, Capri or Procida that are just a quick ferry ride away. With most folks out of town, the normal traffic intensity of Naples is eased, the availability of parking is incredible, and the ability to find an open store, pizzeria, gelato stand etc is a bit more challenging. All that being said, we are enjoying the calm that August brings to Naples, and enjoying day trips on the weekends to take advantage of the lack of typical traffic.

Last Saturday we drove 45 minutes to Mt. Vesuvius and beared the heat and lack of shade as we hiked to the crater of the volcano. The view was well worth the effort, and we were rewarded at the top with a glass of Mt. Vesuvius white wine...not very tasty, but it seemed like fun to toast with a glass of wine on the edge of a volcano...especially an active one which Vesuvius still is:)

On Sunday, we accepted an invitation from our Italian friends Rosa and Paolo to join them at an Agriturismo (basically a park w/ bbq pits, bathroom facilities, playgrounds etc..and many with restaurants) for a picnic. We arrived after 2.5 hours in the car...an extra hour owed to some mixed communications about directions and meeting places...and found ourselves at a huge park where $10/car allows you entrance and use of all the facilities. We quickly claimed a spot, Paolo got the fire going, the girls laid out all the food on the picnic table, and we spent the day relaxing, talking, and of course, eating. On the grill there was corn on the cob, sausages, turkey & pork and even huge chunks of cheese grilled over the fire, and then we had a rice, tuna and olive salad and the cous cous salad which I had contributed. Conversations were primarily all in Italian which can be challenging due to the sheer speed of the way Italians talk when they all get together, but we managed to keep up with 'most' of the conversation, and had a great time. I've vowed not to drive 2.5 hours again for a picnic, but I'll gladly have them to my neck of the woods for a casual picnic in our neighboring park before the summer is done.

We head to the Amalfi Coast again this week to meet up with Simonne and Fabio for more fun times on their boat, BBQ on their terrace, and just fun times with them. They have become great friends, and they will be moving to Switzerland in a few weeks, so we are really trying to spend as much time with them as possible before they move. I miss Simonne already since she usually comes over almost every day when she isn't at the coast, but once they are settled up in Switzerland I'll be sure to visit:)

I continue to go to the park in my neighborhood almost every day and always seem to make new friends. This week I was invited to run with a group of runners that I have seen there often, so it was great to have the company as I do my laps around the park. This week I became friends with a Grammar School teacher who lives in my neighborhood, and today I met an OB/GYN, Simonna, who after joining me with her babies on my picnic blanket, said she would love to hang out more and asked to exchange phone #s. So..despite what a lot of people think about Neopolitans being closed in and hard to meet, I find just the opposite to be true. The folks I have met all seem open, friendly, and interested in developing new friendships. It's great!

Pictures include:
View from atop the crater of Mt. Vesuvius
Picnic at the Agriturismo
Sunrise from our balcony (w/Evan an early riser, we've decided to start out each day w/ some family time-drinking coffee & watching the sunrise together from our balcony before Josh leaves for work
And Evan showing off some new shoes...Evan DOES have big feet, but not that big-the camera perspective is funny!

Over the mountain and to the coast, to our friends' boat we go!

We had a spectacular day on the Amalfi coast yesterday, spending the day on our friends' Simonne and Fabio's boat.

We left Naples first thing in the morning, actually getting out the door before 7am, and arriving, in Praiano ( a coastal town between Positano and Amalfi) by 8ish. Fabio's folks have a house in Praiano, so we picked up Simonne and Fabio, went straight to a Bar for some cappucinos and cornettos con chocolat, and then headed to the marina to board the boat. The Amalfi coast this time of year is usually a zoo, and traffic can be a bear, but thankfully, we had clear roads most of the way, and were on the boat just after 9.

Aboard the boat, we all quickly got comfortable on the cushion-covered bow, which offered us a 'front-row seat' to the beautiful Amalfi coast. Fabio was a great captain, touring us around past both Positano and Amalfi, with a couple pit stops where we anchored, jumped off the boat for some swimming, and tendered in to a restaurant on the beach for a great lunch of mozzarella caprese, fresh pasta, eggplant parmigiana, stuffed peppers, grilled tuna, and some white wine with fresh peaches added to it--quite a refreshing beverage for the beach!

It was a fun day in every way--great friends, amazing views, warm dips in the Meditteranean, and 'smooth sailing' the full day. Evan was very relaxed on the boat, was NOT interested in swimming, and slept most of the way back to Naples. What a great way to spend a Saturday--loved it!

Under the Tuscan Sun--that's where we were this weekend:)

At the recommendation of our good friends, Simonne and Fabio, Josh, Evan and I headed to the Tuscan countryside to enjoy some R&R at Il Fonte Machievelli, Simonne and Fabio's favorite B&B, just outside of Florence. I had to go to the immigration office in the morning for fingerprinting, and Josh had to work, but Friday evening, we made our way to Tuscany, enjoying the scenic drive for the full 4 hour ride.

The township we stayed in, San Casciano, was only about 10 minutes outside of Florence, so from Naples, we simply took the Autostrada the whole way, past Rome, to Florence, and enjoyed not only the vineyards and hillsides, but also amazing, midievel walled cities that you can see perched up on cliffs as you drive through Umbria and enter into Toscana--so pretty! As you view these walled cities, dotted with various look-out towers, you can imagine life back in those mideivel times when a city's position along a cliff or bordering a river allowed for more protection from invaders. Really cool!

Anyways, we were pleasantly surprised by the light traffic---most Italians head South for their August vacations, so we were going against traffic, and we arrived in time to unpack, settle in a bit, and head to dinner at a spot 5 minutes away from the B&B. Hungry, from a day on the road, we ordered lots of food--the Crostini recommended by Simonne, came topped with a variety of things including liver--not my favorite, tomatoes, beans, and wild boar sauce, followed by homemade pasta with the special wild boar sauce of the day, then osso bucco and roasted/seasoned chicken, topped finally off with dessert of gelato for me and a great pastry/cookie type thing with the freshest cream and berries that were to die for for Josh. Evan had his cheerios and was quite content with those:)

The B&B was spectacular. We woke to a stunning view of the countryside from our window, then took in an expansive view of the countryside from the terrace where breakfast was served. It was a buffet of bacon & eggs...which we never see in Naples, ham, various whole fruits, juices, cheeses, rolls and croissants. It was buffet style but the rolls and espressos were delivered to our table. The first day at the buffet, I saw some yummy looking croissants in baskets in the buffet room. Not exactly right next to the buffet, but I thought that maybe we could have them. I grabbed one from a basket, and when I got back out to our table where Josh and Evan were, I saw that the waiter had delivered our own basket of 2 croissants...meaning I had 'stolen' someone elses. Geez..you just can't take this girl anywhere! So..it was kind of embarrassing..not too much..I mean..we did enjoy that extra croissant smothered in Nutella, but I did feel a bit bad. Well..sure enough at breakfast the next day, we had not 2 but 3 croissants in our basket. Josh and I just laughed...my little faux pas paid off for the 2nd day:) ha!

After a leisurely breakfast the first day, we spent a few hours by the pool, swimming with Evan in his new blow up float toy, and then just relaxed poolside while Evan slept in the shade of some olive trees---all sounds very Tuscan doesn't it:) After enough time by the pool and in the sun, we went to lunch in San Casciano where we found one of maybe 3 open restaurants to eat at. You see, in Italy, everyone goes on vacation in August, so it is not unusual to find whole streets of stores, shops, restaurants closed for the month, with little hand-written signs in the windows that say the date they will be back from holiday. So, we didn't have a ton of options, but we found a little place where we sat outside and enjoyed bread salad, bruscetta, pesto gnocchi, spaghetti con pomodoro and some wine. After lunch, we had enough time to head into Florence to check out Piazza Michelangelo, a piazza that offers a panaromic view of the city. We enjoyed some super cold iced-teas while we took in the view, and then headed back to San Casciano for our 5:30pm private wine-tasting appointement at Mangia Cane ("Eat Dog"...a restaurant/resort that was recommended to us). The wines were great and we learned a lot about the grapes, the wines, their process from the Sommelier who served us. After the winetasting we were able to enjoy the view from one of the terraces at Mangia Cane and the food offered as part of a hotel type 'happy hour'. So, even though we weren't staying at the hotel (where prices ranged from $350-$3000/night), we got to spend a lot of time there, and indulge in the spread of food and wines they put out, including cheeses, meats, fried mozzarella balls, wontons, prusciutto etc. A great spread, a great view, and a perfect night in Tuscany.

On our last day, we woke up to the spectacular breakfast on the terrace and then headed out towards San Gimignano and Siena for the day. Both of these towns are walled cities, so you have to park outside the walls and then walk in. In San Gimignano we stopped into an Enoteca for a winetasting. We had told the girl working there that I am learning Italian and like to practice, so she described each of the wines to us in Italian, and conversed solely in Italian for the 1/2 hour we spent with her. Josh and I were proud of ourselves for understanding so much of what she was saying, since technical wine making terms haven't necessarily been part of the Italian vocabulary that we've been learning. In any case, the wines were great, our hostess was nice and knowledgeable, and we walked out of there with a nice bottle of Chianti Classico.

After winetasting, we walked up to Piazza di Cisterna...the site of a 12th century Cistern, but also, lucky for me, the site of the "Gelato World Champion's" gelato shop. Well, the Cistern was something to see, but didn't nearly hold my attention as much as my triple cone of eggnog, chocolate and coconut gelato--now that was GOOD! With icecreams in hand, we strolled the narrow, pedestrian only streets, window shopped, people watched, and then headed on to Siena. We had been to Siena on vacation about 5 years ago, never thinking then that we would be returning a second time from our 'home' in Italy. Weird how life goes. Anyways, on our previous vacation, Siena had been one of our favorite spots, so we kind of recreated what we had done during our previous visit, which was stop in a local deli (which our first time we were totally intimidated since everyone was speaking Italian and the guy behind the counter was like the 'soup nazi from Seinfeld, but this time, with our Italian skills improved, there was little intimidation:), order parmmesan, salami, bread and drinks, and have a picnic in the main piazza. It was a little different this time, since now we had a picnic blanket filled with toys to keep Evan occupied, but otherwise, the day in Siena was reminiscent of our past visit--nice weather, huge sandwiches, great people watching, and totally relaxing.

Amazing how just a few hours drive away and we get totally different landscapes, different food choices/menu varieties, different driving abilities from the locals, and different attitudes of the people. We just love the experience we are having living in Italy and are constantly trying to take it all in, and not take it for granted. Now...where to next....???

Pictures:
-The B&B with a great pool--our room 2nd floor of the bldg behind pool
-Evan just so happy to be in his stroller touring Tuscany
-My Crostini at dinner the first night
-View from our room
-Evan happy to be on the breakfast terrace overlooking Tuscan countryside
-Evan and Josh getting refreshed in the pool
-The 3 of us at Piazza Michelangelo, overlooking Florence
-Winetasting at "Mangia Cane"

That Queen is a hoot! Such a bloody riot!

Josh, Evan and I had a great time visiting my old San Francisco roomie, Liz, in London for the weekend. Liz moved there for an adventure as she always wanted to live in Europe, and well, we decided to experience the adventure with her for a weekend in her new city.

London is fabulous, and her neighborhood, West Hempstead, was a great place to call 'home' for the weekend.

A snapshot of our itinerary:
-Arrived Friday afternoon and experienced the 'fast train' from Stanstead airport to Liverpool Station, and then had our first "Tube" ride to Liz's neighborhood. We got settled into Liz's apartment--a great, garden apartment with lots of space inside, and outside--she has a patio area/garden and access to a huge open meadow out back--unusual for London living. After getting settled, we headed to Covent Garden, the core of the "West End", watched some street performers, browsed the market stalls with vendors selling all sorts of items from foods to crafts, and then dined on some fish & chips and English Ale at a typical British Pub. The food was good..even the 'mushy peas' that when we looked at them, thought that our fish was accompanied by guacamole, but they were in fact the English veggie staple of mushy peas which were quite delicious. Following dinner we walked to Piccadily Circus--a super crowded area..especially on a Friday night, lined w/ theatres, crowded with theatre go-ers, tourists and 20-30 somethings, and some swank restaurants. We sat outside at an Argentinian steak house for dirty martinis, and then we called it a night.
-Day 2 in London started w/ a great walk to the Primrose Hill area for breakfast of pastries in the park, stroll through the neighborhoods, gorgeous walk along one of teh canals that they refer to as 'little Venice', and then headed to The Thames for a lunch-time picnic in the park..right in the shadow of The London Eye. We bought all the fixings for a perfect picnic--cheeses, olives, breads, hummus, wine, salami etc, and truly loved the people watching and the view of The Eye, Parliament, Big Ben and The Thames. After lunch, we walked across the river to Westminster Chapel which was very impressive from the outside, and probably more-so from the inside, however, we couldn't go in. That night Josh was dying for some Indian food--diverse restaurants extremely hard to find in Naples, so we finished our Day 2 adventure with some curries, tikka masalas and nann bread before heading back to Liz's cozy apartment, just a short walk from the restaurant--and lots of other shops, cafes etc.
-Day 3 Josh and I got up early...well, Evan got up early, so we decided to as well, and we headed out for a morning stroll to Starbucks..another U.S comfort that we sometimes miss in Naples. We enjoyed the walk through Liz's neighborhood, had coffee and some amazing scones, then went back to Liz's so that we could all head out for a longer walk, exploring another neighborhood close to hers. After a great walk, we headed via taxi...the taxis that you can fit the entire stroller in w/o having to collapse it--very convenient-- and headed to Notting Hill's Portobello Market for some people watching and shopping. Both sides of Portobello St are lined with antique shops, some souvenir shops, vintage clothing/jewelry stores etc. It reminded me a bit of Haight Ashbury in San Francisco in a strange way. We explored some of the shops, and then settled into an English Pub for another round of Fish & Chips. It was a perfect afternoon, capped off by a fun BBQ at Liz's house later that evening..complete with Pimms..a popular British cocktail.

The weekend flew by and we vowed to definitely visit Liz again soon, since she's really only a short plane ride away.

Side note: The red phone booths and double decker busses are everywhere and really make you feel like you are in London:)