Not in Kansas anymore....(Feb 11, 2010)

I headed out from Franciacorta in the snow. The roads were clear though so nothing major fortunately. Now here I am in what can only be described as the perfect picture of an Alpine village. This is a town called Cogne in Val D'Aosta in the northwest corner of Italy. Gone are the rows of naked vines, the earth tones on the stucco-faced housed. All this is replaced with chalets, wooden buildings, soaring peaks, lots of snow and signage in French as well as Italian - magnificent. I have driven the roads of the Amalfi Coast, the Italian Riviera and the lakes but I must say that today was the most intense driving I have done in Italy. Perhaps it was the snow, the lack of familiarity with the roads, the avalanche warnings that I passed every few kilometers or so, or maybe it was the ravine that awaited me to my right should I make one false move. Mamma Mia... I drove through national park called Gran Paradiso - grand paradise - aptly named. The views are spectacular! Now I am nestled safely in a lovely little inn called Notre Maison. Dinner, breakfast and a bed all for 68 euro - can't beat it. As I sat at dinner the fire was roaring, the wine was flowing and I was green with envy as every one around me was talking about a fabulous day of skiing. But alas, no rest for the weary - I am off to Piedmont in the morning. See you soon!

On the Road Again!

Note: This has been posted a couple of days late - trouble getting to a computer. Such is life in Italy.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Greetings from Venice! Finally here after a day of travel that has become par for the course for any international traveller. Plane arrived in London on time but was still late as we waited on the tarmac for 45 minutes before a gate was available for us. Did what felt like a last chance workout through the halls of Heathrow. This included a pat down deluxe by a security guard. It seems that the Brits don’t wear underwire bras – that is the only explanation I have for the overzealous attention paid to my chest area. Despite my efforts and an all out sprint to the departure gate, I missed my flight to Venice. Took another to Rome and THEN on to Venice. The bad news: no luggage, - the good news: they know the bag is in Rome and should be here tomorrow. But as they say here “The only thing you can count on in Italy is a miracle. Praying to Saint Anthony tonight - we will see what happens. Stay tuned…..

Went to dinner in the Dorsoduro district. Did not want to go far from the hotel so I consulted a guide book , something I rarely do, preferring always to ask the locals for recommendations. From the moment I walked into the restaurant, I wanted to hate the place. It was big, ugly and lacked character. However, it was filled with people – some tourists but mostly locals and that is always a good sign but I was still wary. Then I ate the crostini with fontina cheese and porcini mushrooms - this was accompanied by “fried vegetables” - sounds nasty I know but it was one of the most delicious things I have eaten in a long time. Peppers, zucchini, eggplant and carrots(!) in a very light batter that was hardly there at all. Quickly fried and salted. Unbelieveable! Washed it down with a fabulous glass of prosecco (the drink of choice here in Venice) and returned to my hotel full and happy. A great start to a busy trip. More tomorrow.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Oh my ! Getting lost in Venice – this is truly the only way to go. I read a recommendation once that I will always remember. It said that if you are ever in Venice and you see something you love in a store, buy it. – you will never find your way back again! When you are here in Venice you follow signs to the major sites, monuments or squares – Piazza San Marco, Accademia Gallery, The Rialto Bridge. Sometimes there are proper signs that have been there for ages, other times there is a piece of paper taped to the wall of a building (I’m serious). Finally you arrive at a point where there are no directions and more than one way to go. What does one do? Choose one way – perhaps you choose the road less traveled or perhaps you decide to follow the crowd like a lemming. Either way, to be honest, you can’t go wrong. This evening I found the most fantastic wine bar. As usual I was lost (what’s new). The owner was a lovely blond woman who answered every question I had (Do you have Prosecco? Is the marmalade good?) with “Madonna!” which basically means “Are you kidding me?? Of course!” This place was obviously a local joint and far off the tourist track. I had a cheese plate with homemade marmalades – one was onion and the other was carrot and tomato. Sounds nasty I know but as the owner said, “The marmalade is like a drug” – and it was. Unfortunately (or fortunately) you can only get it there in that little wine bar in Venice - sounds like a good excuse to return (like I need one!) I just hope I can find it again!