italy Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Dave and Sara’s Excellent 2018 Adventure

Puglia Catchup and Abruzzo

By Dave and Sara on Monday, March 19, 2018

On the road again today headed for Abruzzo, a mountainous area on the eastern side of Italy. We may even see snow again.

We spent the weekend in Locorotondo at a country B&B surrounded by Olive trees and wineries. This is in Puglia.

Our room was in a Trullo which is an adorable little hobbit house that are native to Puglia, especially in the area around Bari.

The resort makes everything themselves and take a lot of pride in it including olive oil, wine, grain and all of the food served in the restaurant. When we arrived they gave us a welcome drink of their propriety white wine and checked us into the room. After that we drove the short drive into the historic center of Locorotondo for lunch at a place called Bina. The B&B arranged a wine tasting for us in the late afternoon about an hour away at a family run winery called Polveranera. Right before leaving for the winery is when we realized the Internet (and also the Sky TV) was out for the weekend. The owner of the B&B, Rosabla was very sweet and lent us her iPad for the weekend even though that didn’t really work either since the Trulli are made of 1 ft thick stone walls.

The wine tasting was interesting. At first the daughter called and tried to canceled because someone hadn’t shown up for work and she was all by herself manning the store and was worried she wouldn’t be able to show us around. Since we were already on the way and it was kind of a ways she agreed to just give us a tasting in the shop which was fine by us. We noticed this in Spain as well that the wineries prefer to show you around, tell the history of the winery and the how the process works and then do a formal sit down tasting at the end. The idea of just coming in to taste at the counter doesn’t seem to be as common here as in Napa. They had a really nice wine tasting dog.

When we got to the winery there was another couple there with their young children. The wife was pretty knowledgeable about wine and since the winery was pretty quiet we ended up getting the whole tour and story and trying a bunch of their wines. We were there for almost 3 hours but at the end didn’t really buy much because we didn’t love the wine that much. Still, it was nice to visit a family run spot that clearly gets a lot of love and support from the locals.

We showed up for dinner back in Locorotondo around 8:45 to a place again recommended by the hotel. This place was a little bit out in the country and when we got to the front door we had to be buzzed in. A first for both of us. The restaurant was dead empty when we got there but by the time we left at 10:45 it was in full swing with every table full and kids running around between the tables. They eat a lot of seafood in Puglia and when you order fish at a restaurant they let you go up to the display case and pick the one you want. Everything is super fresh like it just came out of the water. Dave chose the fish named Eric.

On Sunday morning we drove out to the ocean and a town called Polignano a Mare.

The weather was nice and the town was really lively with families out walking around and having drinks at the outdoor cafes. We grabbed a Spritz where we could enjoy the people watching. For lunch the first place we checked was completely booked so we decided to try the fancy looking seafood restaurant built into a hotel hanging over the water. The place was full of very well off Italian extended families (each table was set for at least 10 people.) Dave again was able to pick his seafood.

After spending the day in the sun, Dinner was somewhat quiet.

Today we we drove to Semivicoli. It was a long drive. The drive was through some rolling hills and ended in the foothills beneath a snow covered mountain. We had a wine tasting at the hotel. Tomorrow we hope to get out and about to try the local wines.

Italy Road Trip

Back to the Mountains

By Dave and Sara on Friday, March 16, 2018

We left the coast and Camapania this morning headed east for Matera. The drive took us almost immediately into the rugged Appennini mountains of Basilicata. Basilicata was well known for a long time for being really poor. (Carlo Levi’s book Christ Stopped at Eboli takes place here) We actually drove through Eboli on our way here however we did not stop.

By far this has been one of the most dramatic and stunning drives of the trip. There is little industry and it kind of looks like how the Alps must look in the Summer, very green and tons of flowers and steep rock outcroppings . There is still a little snow on the highest peaks.

We broke up the trip with a stop at Castelemezzano, a small town about 20 minutes off the main road up a ton of switchbacks and a few log tunnels. The town is stuck to the side of the mountain just below a couple of large outcroppings. We walked around a bit, it seemed much more lively than some of the other small hill towns we’ve stopped in.

The second half of the drive reminded us of Colarado with gentle, scrubby hills. It’s all very green right now but in the Summer it must look like scorched earth, no trees anywhere.

You can see Matera from a long way away, it’s good size and sits on top of a hill above a steep ravine. Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, dating back to the prehistoric times. The old part of the city called the Sassi where we are staying were once the embarrassment of Italy (even as late as the 50s people lived in the ancient caves with their animals and rampant malaria). Now it’s a UNESCO world heritage site and the 2019 European of culture. It is also breathtaking in a beautiful but sort of melancholy way, like a place that suffered a lot.

We got into town around 2 and had a late lunch of orecchiette which were delicious. We’ll be touring around tomorrow, exploring the labyrinth of streets in the Sassi area and also hopefully the Neolithic caves remains outside of town. Sara is very excited that there are Byzantine art examples in some of the churches here as that is one of her favorite periods of art.

Italy Road Trip

Old Stuff and Coastal Drives

By Dave and Sara on Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Last night after settling into the hotel we headed to Oasi for dinner. Being down south and close to the ocean, it is great to have non-pasta seafood meals. The entire area is pretty quiet. Most places appeared quite shuttered. Overall everything was good.

This morning we woke up and went on a run around the ancient town of Paestum. We actually got very lucky as it started raining very hard as soon as we got back to the hotel. We had some breakfast and it was time to enter the ancient town of Paestum just as the rain cleared and the sun came out.

The ruins reminded us of Pompeii; however, some were in much better shape including the temples. It was mind blowing to be standing in a temple that was built nearly 2,500 years ago. Throughout the town there are a ton of stray dogs. Some were quite cute. Of course, we kept our distance even though they appeared friendly.

After walking the ruins we headed in to the museum next door. It was quite impressive all of the frescos they were able to recover.

After we saw the sights, we hit the road to find a small costal town for lunch. Below Paestum there is a large national park that is also a UNESCO site called Cilento. It sort of looks like Amalfi with towns tucked into little coves but the hills are more gentle. We drove the coastal route which is really, really beautiful but also pretty windy so we were happy to not encounter too much traffic. Our first attempt to find lunch brought us to a beautiful seaside locale; however, everything was closed up tight. Luckily we were able to find a place in the nearby town right on the water called Cefalu. The family who ran the hotel and restaurant have a sister in San Diego who owns a restaurant in Cardiff called Trattoria Positano. They were nice and we chatted about their trips visiting California, they told us we had to come back sometime when it’s Summer. We would happily come back here.

Italy Road Trip

Cow a Bunga

By Dave and Sara on Tuesday, March 13, 2018

This morning was bittersweet. We were very sad to say goodbye to Matt and Anna. We had such a great time with them exploring Rome. Maybe even too good of a time at points. That being said, Italy isn’t going to see itself, so we must move on. We left the apartment and headed to the train station to pick up our next rental car, the Alfa Romeo.

Southward bound! We got on the autostrada towards Naples and even though the weather was a little unsettled the scenery got more and more Spring like with green hills and flowering fruit trees everywhere. For quite a bit of the drive we had Vesuvius directly in front of us and eventually the ocean. Towards the end of drive we took a detour looking for food then Waze went on the fritz so we got a little lost around Salerno. Instead of driving the highway for the last 20 minutes we took the coastal route through fields and a ton of greenhouses with the ocean peaking out between the Cyprus groves that separated us from the beach.

When we got into Paestum, our destination for the day we were ready for lunch so we went directly to the buffalo farm called Caseficio Berlotti. We thought they’d just have a little store where we could buy some cheese or a snack but they actually had a really nice restaurant serving dishes based around meat and cheese from their herd, which were also hanging out in the paddock right by the window. After lunch we got to meet the buffalo, including the little babies, some of whom were born last week and were really, really cute.

Paestum is an archeological site like Pompeii except it never got buried in ash and also it’s not as crowded. (And there are the buffalos across the street). Now we’re in the hotel hanging out and the plan is tomorrow to check it out and also maybe see the beach if it’s warm enough.

Italy Road Trip

We Came, We Saw…

By Dave and Sara on Monday, March 12, 2018

Last night we went to a great fish restaurant called La Gensola. We had many different creatures of the sea over pasta. Also apparently judging from this photo we had some wine. Sara asked for a band photo and this is what she got.

After dinner we had a night cap at a wine store that had a few tables out front directly next to our apartment. The elderly owner was out going and spent the time cracking himself up teaching everyone Italian phrases.

This morning started slowly as we watched a thunder storm roll through and hung out at the apartment. We left for lunch and with a little pizza and white wine everyone was feeling much more equipped to tackle the Vatican.The line for the basilica was kind of long but it’s so impressive inside it was worth it. We also jumped the line accidentally at the Vatican Museum and got to see the Sistine Chapel before closing, along with a few other cool rooms. The map room was a favorite.

After all that churching and arting, we headed back to our neighborhood to have an Aperitivo at Freni e Frazione. They had quite the spread of food. Upon completion of our first drink, we headed to our next Aperitivo at caffe del Moro. Dinner tonight is at Taverna Trilussa Trastevere.

We’ve had so much fun here in Rome with Matt and Anna we are sad to say goodbye so we’ll just say “Roma, alla prossima” instead.

Italy Road Trip

Roman Holidays

By Dave and Sara on Sunday, March 11, 2018

Last night Matt and Anna got in around 8pm and we had welcome drinks ready. The four of us enjoyed the night skyline from the top terrace of the Airbnb with a cocktail and then Matt and Anna freshened up from their flight before we went to dinner. Sara had made a reservation at a place around the corner recommended by our host called Il Duca in case they were up to going out after they arrived. The reservation was for 9:30/10 as the gentleman at the restaurant said but we ended up getting there around 10:30. The place was completely packed and it was probably better that we were late because they were able to seat us right away. The food was pretty good if not a little heavy and the portions were huge. We did get artichokes though (high five)

The Airbnb is in a very popular part of Rome that has tons of bars and restaurants, even after we finished dinner around midnight the streets were so full that it would have been hard to walk anywhere purposefully. Thankfully we were without purpose and so enjoyed meandering the streets filled with Romans and expats enjoying a relatively warm evening, spilling out of bars and restaurants, drinking wine and beer from plastic cups and bottles. We walked down to the river and watched the street musicians for a while and then headed back to the apartment for a nightcap on the terrace above the street.This morning was sort of overcast but warm, we had a coffee from the bar directly in front of the apartment before taking off for a day of sightseeing. Being Matt’s first trip to Europe we made sure to show him a bunch of cool old stuff on our way to the Coliseum. Unlike when we were here six years ago in January, today the major attractions were packed with people and the line was almost two hours long. We decided to buy the Roma Pass which gets you into a bunch of museums and archeological sights for discounted rates or free and allows you to jump the line. It also lets you ride the buses and metro for free so if you plan to see more than one or two places it’s a pretty good deal. Plus not waiting in line with street hawkers in your face for two hours has got to be worth something…

The sun was out and it was a great day to explore the Coliseum. After we heard a few of Dave’s art stories, it was time to go in search of lunch. We ate pizza at a place near the Pantheon, the restaurant was kind of weird but the pizza was ok (more flatbread than Neopolitan style). It started to sprinkle a little bit as we left lunch, but since we were right there we decided to go into the Pantheon (we confirmed the hole in the middle does not have glass in it when the sprinkle turned into a steady rain) and walked through Piazza Navona.

After that we turned back to the apartment, stopping on the way for a coffee and at the grocery store for wine. It’s now raining fairly heavily and we plan to sit on the terrace under the awning and watch it rain while enjoying said grocery store wine. A great way to spend a Sunday evening with friends!

Italy Road Trip

All Roads Lead To…

By Dave and Sara on Saturday, March 10, 2018

This morning we woke up early and said goodbye to Assisi which really is a magical place. Also last night we had a great dinner at a place called Osteria la Piazzetta delle Erba, the food was a little more progressive than most places we’ve seen so far and almost all organic.

On our way out we stopped at Santa Maria degli Angeli which is a giant cathedral down in the valley below the main town and the Basilica. This cathedral is very important to Franciscans because the cathedral houses the church of San Damiano which is the broken down church St Francis rebuilt with his own hands (symobolic of his role in repairing the corruption of the church at that time based in Rome.) You walk into this huge cathedral and right in the middle of it under the dome is this tiny little medieval church. It was, in Dave’s words, quite incredible to see how moved the pilgrims who come from all over the world are when they see and touch the little church. He also called it the inception church. Also inside the cathedral is the stall where St Francis died, originally it was next to his church but now they are all under the same roof. There is also a rose garden which grows thornless roses and doves.

We got on the highway and were making really good time to Rome so we decided to stop in one of the Umbrian hill towns to kill some time before we could check in to our Airbnb. We picked Narni because it’s the namesake of the books but there wasn’t really anything that special about it. We walked around and the photos turned out ok, then we left. The drive took us through some really beautiful country between Umbria and Lazio. It’s starting to look like Spring the farther south we go, the fields are so green they look neon and some of the flowering trees are starting to blossom.

Getting into Rome by car is HECTIC. You get off the main autostrada and follow a bunch of roads that go in concentric circles around the city through the grimy periphery until eventually you get into the historical center. The strangest part is that once you do get to central Rome it hits you with all the highlights (Foro Romano, Circo Masssimo, random lesser ruins) immediately. We had to go around around Roman ruins to get into the parking lot of the Radison next to the train station where we were dropping the car. Dave does an excellent job driving in Europe and today was no exception, he kept his cool even in the crazy streets of Rome when our car sat nav gave us wrong directions and we had to navigate a little bit more old school.

After dropping the car we hopped in a taxi that took us to our Airbnb in the Trastevere. It’s a walk up but so worth it- there is a rooftop terrace with views all over the city (amazing sunset too!) It’s a good size place which is great because Matt and Anna are arriving in a few hours, yay! The location is really central to everything and we are looking forward to a fun few days here with them. We spent the afternoon walking around and had a late lunch of salads and artichoke (finally!) The city is full of people out and about enjoying the beautiful weather so there is great energy.

Italy Road Trip

Francesco I think they mean Francisco

By Dave and Sara on Thursday, March 8, 2018

This morning we woke up with the plan to see the large church built to house the remains of Francesco.

After walking through the town, we made it to the church and queued up our Rick Steve’s guided tour audio and set about the church.

It is quite impressive how large and the number of Frescos here.

Francesco started the Franciscan movement and also appreciated nature including animals.

After the church, Sara wasn’t feeling too hot. The cold we both battled has turned out to be quite a doozy. Therefore, we took a scenic walk back to the apartment and stopped to get the fixings to make some vegetable soup. After lunch, we tried to take it is easy so Sara can rest up and feel better.

Tonight we have to dinner at Ristorante il Vicoletto.

Italy Road Trip

Assisi? Yea I see you.

By Dave and Sara on Wednesday, March 7, 2018

We said goodbye this morning to Montepulciano. Luca, our host, stopped by to see us off and we drove out with sunny skies, off to our next destination in Assisi. Dave was a little relieved to be leaving Montepulciano having convinced himself that it was haunted. Totally understandable given all the old Etruscan tombs directly below the city and the eerie, super heavy fog that rolled in each night we were there.

The drive took about an hour and half, first on Tuscan country roads and then on the highway. It was very beautiful until we got to Perugia which is pretty industrial on the outskirts. We got into Assisi a little before noon. You can see it from the road, stuck on the side of a hill with the Basilica out on the far end. All the buildings are made out of a very light color stone so the town kind of glows white from far away.

After we parked the car we walked around and had lunch in town while we waited for our rental to be ready. The apartment has an incredible view of the castle Rocco Maggiore and also the church of San Rufino. It also had a fireplace so it’s really cozy. Once everything opened again for the afternoon hours we went food shopping for dinner, stopping in to visit St Francis’ birthplace and also had an apertivo at a cute wine bar right next door. Now we are enjoying a fire in the fireplace, the sun setting out the window and making dinner. Tomorrow we are planning to go to the Basilica and maybe the castle.

Italy Road Trip

I Guess We Are Shipping Wine

By Dave and Sara on Tuesday, March 6, 2018

After struggling to find something to eat for lunch yesterday and enjoying our home aperitivo, we headed on the town to find something to eat for dinner. We ended up at Ristorante La Bricola next door to where we ate dinner the first night. To be honest, we were a bit underwhelmed by the food. Additionally, the bottle of wine we got was border line turned, but we waited too long before we both agreed it wasn’t good.

This morning we woke up and saw that a glimmer of hope that the rain would finally subside. Unfortunately, we were wrong.

Luckily for us, we had a fun day planned of wine tasting and eating Italian food so it didn’t matter what the weather was like. Our first stop was Montemecurio just outside of town. When we pulled up, a scruffy teenager with an eye patch wearing sweat pants answered the door and looked at us very confused. Concerned we had pulled up to somebody’s house and not a winery, we started to slowly backup. In broken English, the teenager told us to wait. After waiting outside the front door for two minutes, Irene came out and welcomed us into the house. While it looked like a house, it was indeed the correct place. The wine operation consists of 3 people. One for the field, one for the winery, and one for the office. Irene was an absolute pleasure to taste with. She was quite gregarious and loved talking with us about skiing. She stressed the importance of a bit of grappa before you hit the slopes. Here we tasted 6 bottles of wine include a white and rose which is very rare in this red dominated region. Everything was delicious and so affordable. We ended up walking away with a half case.

After our first tasting, we headed to our lunch reservation in Monticchiello at Osteria La Porta.

Apparently, most people come to this little hill top village just for this restaraunt. We were not disappointed. Between the bacalla appetizier or the Cacio Pepe Gnocchi, everything was so good. The atmosphere was also quite fun with a young temptress sitting behind us attempting to seduce the young waiter. This included passing notes and lots of giggling. Sara said she could have dressed cuter. The staff was also quite generous here, they even gave us our half liter of wine for free.

After lunch, we headed back to the apartment for a quick rest before our next tasting. Dave fell asleep during this time for a few minutes, because as you know, tasting wine is exhausting. Refreshed and ready to go, we headed up to Gattevechi which is located right in town.

We met Daniela who is the one of three siblings who run the winery. In addition to working in the family business, Daniela used to teach Italian to foreign students at a school in Montepulciano so she was very excited about speaking with Sara and complimented her quite a bit on her Italian. They also spoke about their shared interest in vintage Cinecitta films. Similar to other places in town, they had an extensive cellar that dates back to 300 BC.

After touring their small crypt, we tasted the wines. Again, everything was quite good. Daniella offered to help us ship all of our wine back including the bottles we purchased at other locations.

All in all, we ended up with two cases.

During our tasting, it finally stopped raining and the sun came out. We now sit in our apartment for one last night and are looking at a beautiful sunset. Tonight we are going to cook in.

Tomorrow we head to Assisi.

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