Munich to Amsterdam Our longest train ride yet, from Munich to Amsterdam, was a lot less painful than we suspected. Nine hours went quickly in a comfortable seat with the rhythm of the train lulling us off to sleep every so often. Amsterdam Central Station We woke up swiftly though, getting off the train at […]
Pigged Out! – CHOUCROUTE GARNIE
Alsatian Valley Continuing down the Alsatian Valley we rolled into Colmar. A good way to describe this fairyland is Germany meets France in Disneyland. Colmar A day of walking covered everything we needed to see in Colmar. We stopped at a few shops to check out rows of spiced cake & fresh kugelhopf and did […]
Schnapped In Strasbourg – ROESTI
The crappiest hotel After the worst sleep in the crappiest hotel so far on our tour, we awoke in the Alsatian town of Strasbourg. Cramped quarters Escaping the confines of our cramped quarters, we headed out for coffee and to see what Strasbourg had to offer. Dominating the skyline is Notre Dame Cathedral with its […]
Bern Baby Bern – FLAMMEKUECHE
Bern Switzerland As our train rolled into Bern Switzerland I was trying to get a good look at the Aar River which protects the old town on three sides. Today, the river attracts many townspeople for a leisurely float/swim downstream on a hot summer day. Hairy or leisurely The day we arrived, we had a […]
Chianti, It’s Not Just About The Wine – ARISTA DI CINTA SENESE and TAGLIATELLE WITH GUANCIALE AND TREVISANO (radicchio)
A familiar face It was 10:30 am when we rolled up to the front gates of Casamonti Estates in the heart of the Chianti Classico region. After ringing the buzzer and waiting impatiently for the gates to open we heard a beep as a car approached, looking in the mirror I saw the familiar face of […]
Hey Lardo! – LARDO WRAPPED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROASTED POTATOES AND SWISS CHARD and CURLY ENDIVE WITH WARM PANCETTA AND BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
Apuan Alps Looking back from the coast at the Apuan Alps you would swear that you were looking at snow covered peaks. In fact what you are seeing is marble, widespread in the Alps, reflecting in the sun. Carrara Carrara, the centre of the marble mining industry, is a medieval village nestled into the base […]
A Piece Of Pisa – PIZZA DOUGH
A quick drive It’s a quick drive through the country side to Pisa. A lucky parking find put us within two blocks of the gates to the “piazza dei miracoli” (the miracle square). As we neared the entrance, it was obvious that we were not the only ones eager to see the famous leaning tower […]
Market Day In Massarosa – RIBOLLITA
Massarosa Massarosa is a small town about an hour West of Florence in the province of Lucca. It counts just over 20 000 inhabitants, only one of which we know, speaks some English. This is our home for the month of July. Needless to say, we’ve been learning Italian, at least the essentials. Novelty for […]