Tag Archive: Italy


Taking It Slow and Easy 🐌🐢

Filed under: Musings & Ramblings, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
December 17, 2019

It’s been 9 weeks. And before then, around 4 weeks of clinic visits and lab procedures. I haven’t had 13 slow and easy weeks in the last few years. A quick check of my busy travel calendar the last few years confirm this. And you know what? If you’ve been under “house arrest” for a considerable time, the first day out heightens all your senses to appreciate the air you breathe, the noise you hear or perhaps the lack of it, the temps that make you sweat or the breeze that cools your skin. The Harbour Square within the CCP Complex is a favorite spot within the metropolis. Antipolo too but it’s too far out and the traffic going there is near-unbearable. So between the waters and the mountains, I longed to instead count the yachts bobbing up and down in the bay.

There are still a few days before the year is over but Bali was def the last trip in 2019. Thoroughly enjoyed with the family despite the intermittent chest pains, which I assumed must have been acid reflux. My guardian angels must have worked overtime to bring me home safely and guided a family doctor to remind me to see my cardiologist instead of a gastro-enterologist. I did, and then had medical attention in the nick of time. After more tests pre- and post-stenting, my cardiologist declared I’m good to travel again. Yey! Two trips lined up for next year, and now working on a possible 3rd and 4th. I am so happy. And thankful for the trips made in the year 2019 without mishap. I still cringe at the thought that any one of these trips could have turned really nasty. I am thankful as I remember.

Same group on 2 separate trips to Brunei and Malaysia

Ticked off a few squad goals including this Hokkaido in Winter!

A third of the fambam in London.

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2019/05/21/touchdown-london/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2019/05/23/one-in-a-million-stonehenge/

Cardiff Castle in Wales

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2019/06/24/from-london-to-london-2019/

Amsterdam, Volendam, Marken, Giethorn , Zaans Schans, Delfth and The Hague

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2019/05/25/its-been-awhile-amsterdam/

Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2019/06/01/touchdown-brussels/

The Cotswolds

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2019/06/16/the-cotswolds/

Off to Graz, Ljubljana, Trieste and Istrian Peninsula (Croatia

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2019/08/18/road-trip-through-austria-slovenia-italy-croatia/

A family trip to Bali, Indonesia

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2019/09/05/bali-highs-💕🏖😍🎶🧜🏻

So what’s in the drawing boards this coming 2020? Well, there’s a booked Nile cruise in Egypt, and the South American adventure should soon be firmed up, plus there’s that wedding later in the year in Barcelona. Same travel buddies…. unless of course we start growing tired of each other 🙄. We have yet to plan for that trip to Europe with my soon-to-graduate #aponimamu. And another adventure with my soon-to-retire dear friends. We’ll see. Meanwhile, let’s have a truly Merry Christmas in our hearts and a Prosperous, Harmonious New Year ahead.

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Road Trip Through Austria, Slovenia, Italy & Croatia

Filed under: Europe, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
August 18, 2019

We’ve long wanted to visit Slovenia so we drove from Vienna to Ljubljana with a Graz pit stop. Clean and green, plus it’s such a small country offering so much. Lake Bled comes to mind, but Piran stole our hearts. On a Food Trip, we included Trieste, Italy in our itinerary. Yes, that small strip of land off the Adriatic and the Italian border to Slovenia. As home to Illy Coffee, plus the prospect of seafood harvested off the Adriatic and cooked the Italian way, we couldn’t go wrong. Next, the van took us on a road trip visiting the small towns of the Istrian Peninsula. All of these destinations couldn’t have been better. By the time we left Istria and reached Zagreb, we were almost unfamiliar with big city vibes. And Plitvice? That was the highlight of my trip.

Just click on the following titles to the blog links .

From Vienna to Graz, Austria

Clean and Green Ljubljana

A Rainy Day in Lake Bled

Going Italian in Trieste

Driving Back to Slovenia’s Piran

Groznjan’s Art and Culture

More Truffles in Motovun

How Do You Say Rovinj?

Rijeka Off the Adriatic

Opatija’s Classy Vibe

Summery Day in Pula

Finally, Zagreb!

A Near-Miss in Plitvice

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Trip Length: 12 Days

Hotels:

Hotel Galeria

Hotel Coppe

Hotel Jadran

Hotel Dubrovnik

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Dawn to Dusk in Trieste

Filed under: Europe, Travel, travels — 2 Comments
August 5, 2019

Trieste. Coming here was nearly an afterthought. Unashamedly, we worried over Croatian cuisine and someone thought an Italian prelude is most appropriate. Well, that was a brilliant idea. And Trieste is just on the northeastern tip of Italy and juts out near enough our destination. From here, it was also only a couple of hours by train or ferry towards Venezia. But we’ve covered Venice in the past and opted to enjoy Trieste as much as we could. We ended up staying 2 nights here. Another brilliant idea.

Our hotel is just 2 short blocks from the Gran Canale and maybe a few meters more towards the main piazza. Gran Canale looks out to the wharf and on its other end sits the all-white Church Of Sant’Antonio Taumaturgo where we heard Sunday mass. The first photo you see here is that of Gran Canale early in the morning before the outdoor cafes got busy. A statue of the Irish novelist and poet James Joyce Of Ulysses fame and many more stands in one of the bridges spanning the canal. Yes, that same James Joyce once quoted saying:

“A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.“

Joyce once lived in Trieste with his wife and wrote many of his novels, plays and poetry here in this coastal city which Illy Coffee likewise calls home.

The Piazza Unita d’ Italia looks out to the wharf too and is the starting point for the hop on, hop off bus. Across it is Molo Audace or Audace Pier. At night, the square is very vibrant and festive with buskers playing beautiful music. The lighting adds charm to the iconic buildings around the Piazza and the outdoor cafes look inviting. One whiff of the seafood cooking in the kitchen was enough to get us inside one of those trattorias. My best fish meal was here. Turbot. The Piazza looks pretty during the day but more so when the sun sets and around twilight time. Sky is so blue and the buildings are all lit up. If you need to spend an entire evening in Trieste, go to UNITA Square.

The hop on, hop off bus is good value for €11. Brings you to all the city attractions including the Miramare Castle and beach area which is further out. Eataly is one of the destinations too and so are the Piazza Sant’Antonio, Ponterosso, Cattedrale Di San Giusto, Scala Dei Giganti (Giant Stairway), Propylaeum, Roman Basilica, Museum of History and Art, among others. It’s all you need to cover all the city sites. We hopped off in Miramare, a seafront castle that allegedly was “downsized” owing to budget issues. It’s small by European standards but looks just as regal.

If you’re on your way to Croatia from Slovenia or even from Italy’s more popular destinations Trieste is a good break. Less touristy, very relaxing and surely a happy place for gourmands. We had our best meals here. Buon Giorno!

📸 Rick C

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Food Coma in Bologna

Filed under: Europe, Italy, Travel, travels — 2 Comments
December 7, 2018

We came for the food here in Emilia Romagnia. Its capital is Bologna, home to the oldest university in Europe. Rich in art, culture, history and gastronomy! We weren’t disappointed. Most dinners in Bologna while lunch is wherever the train took us. We enjoyed our Mortadella, Pizzas, Lambrusco, Tortellini, Tagliatelle, Strette, Bistecca, Osso Buco, Frito Misto, Beef Cheeks, Balsamico, Parmigiano Reggiano, mercato lunches and snacks, and a variety of desserts!

Ristorante Pizzeria Victoria

Where: Ristorante Pizzeria Victoria

Via Augustine Ringhi 9

Bologna

What: Tortellini al Panna

Tagliatelle alla Ragu

Mussels (tomato & white sauce)

Pizzas (3 kinds)

Aperetivo: Bruschetta

Our first meal in Bologna was in Ristorante Pizzeria Victoria. And the last in Ristorante Donatello. Both recommended by the hotel concierge. Both good.

Ristorante Donatello

Ristorante Donatello is just right across the street from Ristorante Pizzeria Victoria. Highlight of our dinner here is the Strette, a kind of pasta that’s between fettuccine and tagliatelle. They cook it either with ham and cheese in white sauce or with balsamic vinegar. We regret we only ordered (3 orders!) of the first kind. Also, I could have more of that insalata.

On our first day trip out of Bologna, one batch went to Florence while another went to Modena and Parma. In Modena, we had our very strong espresso and cappuccino in an outside cafe off Mercato Albinelli. Waited out here while Trattoria Aldina has yet to open at 12 noon. This trattoria is so non-descript that you’d likely miss it. There’s only a door and a buzzer to let you in, way up to the 2nd floor. We observed many locals patronize the place. Had our tortellini en brodo (broth/soup) here, along with rigatoni al ragu, egg with tartufo, lasagna, roast beef and meatballs with peas.

Where: Trattoria Aldina

Via Albinelli 40, Modena

What: Tortellini en brodo (soup/broth)

Lasagna

Meatballs with Peas

Rigatoni al ragu

Roast Beef

Egg with Tartufo

Zuppa Inglese

Tortino Di Zucca

Another Dolce I can’t recall

Modena was also the place for Balsamico shopping. And Parma? Well, Prosciutto Di Parma really translates to ham from Parma. But back in Bologna, we visited 2 mercatos: Mercato delle Erbe in Via Ugo Bassi and Mercato Di Mezzo in Via Clavature. Both centrally located, and I must say, a haven for pickpockets. So do be careful, especially while buying your mortadella, prosciuttos and cheese. We had antipasto in the first and a hefty lunch in the 2nd. We simply pointed to dishes we liked in the mercato and claimed our tables and stools. Three kinds of pasta (1 creamy, another in tomato sauce, another sweetish), a huge platter of cold cuts, frito misto, and some veggie sidings that looked like seaweeds. It was fun, and delish.

Trattoria Di Pietro

But our best dinner was in Trattoria Di Pietro in Via de Falegnami, 18A. What did we order from this traditional Bolognese restaurant? We had:

Pumpkin Pie with Cheese Fondue and Chicory (The bomb!)

Tagliata Di Angus

Beef Tartare With Mustard and Mayo

Beef Cheeks braised in onions

Gelato with Balsamico 👌👌👌

Won’t forget this dinner for a long time. (I already forgot the name of one of the dishes we ordered. Sssshhhhh) The bonus was we were given complimentary Limoncellos which we drank liberally! The waitress eyed us with pseudo-disgust. 😂

We trooped back to this same Via Falegnami the following night. This time to check out Ristorante Il Muro just right across Trattoria Di Pietro. Bigger, more crowded. The Osso Buco here was really, really good. We were happy to be complete again for dinner as day trippers all came back, hungry. We overordered but that’s fine, just too happy to eat and drink together. (We should have ordered more Osso Buco rather than more seafood pasta and grilled meats)

Food coma in Bologna. But never enough, so food shopping was the order of the day. Surely, it ain’t called La Grassa for nothin’. Ciao!

Food Stash

Ristorante Donatello

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La Dolce Vita With Barkada

Filed under: Europe, Food Trip, Italy, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
December 5, 2018

Italy. What better way to go on a food trip than visiting Italy’s gastronomic capital? Turned out Bologna also happens to be a good homebase for day trips to neighbouring cities and towns, each of which boasts of its own delicacy, art, history and culture. There were only 5 nights to spend in Italy but it was enough to do the day trips and meet up with the rest for scrumptious dinners. Here’s how we enjoyed our Bologna getaway – just click on the highlighted links.

Homebased in Bologna

Balsamico Di Modena

Prosciutto Di Parma

Ravenna of My Dreams

San Marino, World’s Oldest Republic

Ferrara, Not Ferrari

It was a wonderful time with these foodies and travel buddies. Some others headed for Florence and Rome, then back for the night in Bologna where dinners were planned out. So much laughter across the table too. And we sure had some very memorable meals.

And for food trips in and around Bologna, check this out:

Food Coma in Bologna

Ciao!

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No Ferraris in Ferrara

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No, you go to Maranello or Modena if you’re into those fast cars. But Ferrara? It’s only a half hour train ride from Bologna and makes a fun day trip. More fun too that train fares here are sooo darn cheap if you take care to ride off peak hours. Like just a fourth or a fifth of the peak hours fare! Aren’t we smart! 🙄

From the train station, we walked towards the City Center. We’ve grown pretty good doing this — even without a map. We only needed a general direction and in Ferrara, it was quite simply a direct, straight line till one hits the Romanesque Cathedral. The streets leading up to the Center were quiet until one hits the many pop-up booths around the castle and along the sides of the Cathedral. We only managed to visit the Castelo and the Cathedral, which unfortunately is under restoration work so that its otherwise lovely facade is obstructed with scaffolding. Inside though, we found a huge Belen or Nativity Scene and many original paintings by Italian masters. It’s like visiting a Museum.

Home of the Este Familia, its Renaissance rulers erected a castle, palace and duomo among other historical sites in this city in Emilia-Romagna region. The Castelo Estense is a moated medieval castle complete with a drawbridge with 4 corners dominated by sentry towers. Built in the 13th-14th century, it is a castle built by the Este famiglia to guard and defend against the revolting people of Ferrara. Rather sad, isn’t it? One builds a castle to defend against its own people. It is reported that when the riots died down, this magnificent piece of architecture became the official royal residence of the Court.

After days of pasta, pizza, melanzane, lasagna and bistecca, we were craving for Asian food. I know, it’s not even a week yet. But I need to mention we found a good Indian restaurant here, called — brace yourself — Taj Majal. Along the same street, we found a bakery where I bought that famous Ferrarese Coppia Bread. Lemme tell you, that pan is absolutely overhyped. I’d have a croissant anytime instead.

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Size Doesn’t Matter in the Republic of San Marino

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If you think San Marino is part of Italy, you’re very wrong. This tiny republic within Italy called San Marino is the world’s oldest sovereign state, founded as early as the 4th century. Quite surprising, it standing tall and being completely surrounded by Italy. As we drove into this state, we hardly noticed any difference except for the drop in temperature. It’s the end of November and winter has set in. The wind upped the chill as we walked up on the single street leading towards the Piazza Della Liberta. The walkway is like the backbone running along the entire ridge of the mountain. I wrapped up good for this cold weather — dipping at 0 Celsius — and threw all fashion sense out the window. Throwing my thick wrap over myself — with my back pack strapped on my back — I felt like the hunchback of Notre Dame. This republic is small but hilly, so count on those calf muscles being put to the test. Phew!

Pallazzo Pubblico

Chiesa Dei Capuccini

The problem is the sun sets before 5pm so we couldn’t linger around to enjoy the vista from the top. The cold seeps through your bones and the wind renders your face stone cold. To take photos, I needed to peel off the hand gloves every so often till I gave up. It wasn’t the best time to visit San Marino. Not even if you just intended to do tax-free shopping as most shops were closed. It would have been interesting to watch the Changing of the Guards but we missed it. We passed but didn’t enter the very lovely Chiesa Di San Quirino with its equally lovely tower on our way up. (The Church and the Convent, also called Church of Capuccini looked even lovelier on our way down, captured as the light faded with the sunset) Nonetheless, the views from the fortress walls especially as the sun sets take your breath away.

There was a fork in the road and we took the uphill climb along the same Contrada della Pleve towards the Basilica del Santo. The streets were adorned with Christmas trees and a giant wreath with red candles. So pretty viewed against the fading blue sky. At the other end of this Contrada is one of the fortress towers called Guaita. The views offer unlimited boundary. A 360 degree panorama awaits you as you climb up, passing shops and some cannons. It must be a pretty sight at night when you see the towns below all illuminated with the moon shining above the turrets. The sentry posts now comprise part of the Museum which we skipped, opting instead to simply walk around. We spotted the other turrets marking the mountain outline in the limited time we had before dark set in following a 5pm sunset. While we didn’t have much time enjoying San Marino in daylight, the visit was enough to appreciate its regal beauty. The closed duty free shops were a disappointment but that didn’t dampen our moods. The dark and the cold compel us to rush back to our hired coach for the trip back to our homebase in Bologna. Arrivederci, San Marino!

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Oh, Ravenna Of My Dreams!

Filed under: Europe, Italy, Travel, travels — 3 Comments
December 2, 2018

If …. No, WHEN I head back to Ravenna, I’d stay at least 2 nights to explore ALL its museos,chiesa, piazzales and basilicas. It ain’t designated a World Heritage Site for nothin’. This City of Mosaics is one for the books and I’ve got to say the admission price to hit many historical sites is a steal! For far less than the admission price to ONE museo elsewhere, we were able to stand in awe inside the Basilica Di San Vitale till our craned necks grew stiff. The photos don’t do justice. The light streaming from the windows lends a certain mystique and the trees outside add charm in all its autumn foliage. I delighted in walking from the Basilica towards the nearby Mausoleo Di Galla Placidia, stepping on and feeling the fallen leaves crunch under my boots. Sat in one of the stone benches to admire the simple, tiny courtyard between the two structures. Perfect activity that morning we visited.

Basilica Di San Vitale isn’t easy to wipe off your memory. So lovely. It’s the perfect example of early Christian Byzantine architecture. Inscribed among 8 Ravenna structures in the UNESCO World Heritage List, its beautiful and richly ornamented cross-ribbed vaults and mosaics speak for itself. I wish I can retell the Biblical stories manifested in this mosaic series but I can only figure out some of the “sacrifices” and tragedies from the Old Testament like Abraham sacrificing Isaac and the story of Abel and Cain. There were many many more that one is tempted to lie down on the lovely floor to view the vaults, the ceilings and arches without craning one’s neck.

Most shops were closed though as we passed them on way to Battistero Neoniano, a lovely octagonal building near the Piazza Duomo. Temps hardly rose from 0 to 5 C during our visit. We took refuge in the Museo Arcivescovile e Capella Di San Andrea. Sorry, but no photography allowed inside. Not too far from here but still a good walk is Basilica Di Sant Apollinaire Nuovo. Midway between these 2 iconic landmarks is the Tomb of Dante Alighieri of INFERNO fame. A day tour of Ravenna is simply NOT enough to cover all the sites in this city so rich in culture, history and art. The best deal of course is that it isn’t as touristy as Rome, Verona, Florence, Siena, Venice or even Bologna!

Oh. Ravenna! I wish to walk your streets again with more deliberate steps, inching my way slowly from one heritage site to the next.

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Prosciutto Di Parma

Filed under: Europe, Italy, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
December 1, 2018

Bologna may have its Tortellini and Mortadella, and Modena may have its Balsamico, but THAT jamon known the world over for its salty goodness hails from Parma. Think Prosciutto with Melon, or with fig which I prefer. But there’s more to Parma than Parma ham. Seriously.

From Modena, we hopped back into a regional train for another half hour journey to Parma. Again we welcomed the traffic-less lanes and quiet alleys. We just walked from the Stazione to the centro, passing the Palazzo della Pillota which was unfortunately closed off to pedestrian traffic. Walking further down, we didn’t waste time checking out the Cattedrale Di Parma in a tiny square where the Baptistery is also located. Now, if you’re headed for Parma to visit this Italian Romanesque Cathedral alone, it would have been a good trip by itself. That, plus some Parma ham shopping 👌. Some trivia: The cathedral’s dome was painted by Renaissance painter Antonio da Correggio. Correggio is the same artist behind “Noli Me Tangere” which hangs in Madrid’s Prado Museum. Now, we all know that this painting somehow inspired our national hero who wrote the book of the same title. I know, the connection maybe quite a stretch, but I do enjoy this trivia.

This Roman Catholic Cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is sooooo intricately, artistically done that we can’t seem to find any vacant space without artistic expression. For sure, the builders were kept very busy for a long time to pull this off. While the ornateness can be quite overwhelming, certainly it gives a very good impression that leaves one in awe.

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Loving The Vibe In Modena

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November 30, 2018

Left our Bologna hotel before 8am to catch our train to Modena. The half-hour journey was uneventful and we got off the Modena Station and walked towards the Centro Istorico. We did not join any tours as we’ve decided to wing it on our own. We couldn’t get over the cheap train fare of €3.85 as we journeyed to the city of Luciano Pavarotti and balsamico. We walked leisurely and deliberately, stopping at every interesting shop and historic building. And those were many stops … and tastings of Modena’s balsamico!

Palazzo Ducale was our first “tourist” stop. This former residence of the Este dukes of Modena from 1452 to 1849 now houses a portion of the Italian Military Academy. Next we went on our way to the Duomo e Torre Ghirlandina. The church was dedicated to the Assumption of Virgin Mary and its former bishop Saint Geminianus. Declared a World Heritage Site, there were a lot of restoration/construction work inside the Duomo but the interiors won’t fail to impress you.

Nearby is the Mercato Albinelli. We lingered where we found all sorts of cheeses including the local “squacquerone”, a soft, creamy, spreadable cottage cheese from the area of Emilia Romagnia. Outside the mercato, we claimed a table to have our cafe espresso and cappuccino. It was cold but we “managed”, all the while checking the goings-on in the nearby flea market and the parked choo-choo train bearing small children.

Lunch was in Trattoria Aldina which is just a stone’s throw from the Mercato Albinelli. The place was packed with many locals eager to partake of the trattoria’s home-cooked favorites. We ordered the lasagne, tortellini in brodo, roast beef and meatballs with peas. Likewise, we ordered the house specialty egg dish served with truffle. (Yey!) Leaving room for dessert, we had no regrets. A word of unsolicited advice: go ahead and have your dolce. The zuppa inglese, in our book, was quite outstanding!

Trattoria Aldina’s Dolce

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