That title will make sense soon. Please, read on. Unless you’re a member of PETA. Then, please stop and choose another post!
“I’m getting out of here – I don’t want to hear about bunnies for lunch!”
You may have read HERE about when our Uncle S. and Aunt Deborah came to see us last week and we enjoyed a very nice visit with three days full of wonderful food. Well, the meal we shared on day three was truly blog-worthy!
I don’t think S. or Deb knew what to expect when they came; and so they came open for anything. But since one of their good friends had been to Lake Como some time ago, he mentioned a few top sights and restaurants to consider. One particular restaurant, Al Veluu appeared to be unbelieveably perfect for us. Al Veluu sits atop a hillside in the wonderful lake town of Tremezzo, thus extending picturesque views of Lake Como (a town we wanted to show them anyway). Their well designed and informative website features images of the lake that somehow seem to take second place to the images of their food. And since I happen to know their referring friend has impeccable taste, it was evidence enough for me!
Hilltop view of Tremezzo
Jen and I discovered the town of Tremezzo whilst exploring the lake at the beginning of our trip, this past January. We were just out for a drive and promised that we would return to explore further as soon as we could. One of the main sights of Tremezzo is Villa Carlotta, a stunning villa with impeccable gardens. Unfortunately, we were three days ahead of the seasonal opening of the villa and thus unable to see. Expect a blog post about it in the near future.
Villa Carlotta
We allotted plenty of time for a relatively short drive. We needed to wind our way to the base of the lake and up with western side of the west leg. In this case, it was as much about the journey as the destination. While winding through the narrow streets of lake town after lake town, we took in the sites of the water and incredible villas (including that of the local celebrity, George Clooney – no, he wasn’t out).
Al Veluu – our intended destination
Timing it perfectly, we arrived at Al Veluu just as they should have been opening for pranzo (lunch). However, as you know – the best laid plans are always the first to go awry. The place seemed to have a few too many construction workers and too few diners. I went up to talk to the proprietors and see what was going on. Turns out, the only thing on the menu was renovations. Fortunately, the owner, Luca was very nice and suggested another place, La Fagurida. He even invited us to stop by on the way back for a limoncello (lemon drink). He also shared that if we were fans of rabbit (I am), we could do no better than La Fagurida.
Easy-to-miss sign to La Fagurida
Tight squeeze down the driveway – took it sloooow
La Fagurida – the owners live above
We drove up the hill another 300 meters and found the restaurant (he cautioned us not to drive too quickly, lest we miss the small sign). We were charmed by the restaurant’s exterior and even more amazed to see the menu’s pièce de résistance in an open-air cage out front. There was a large cage of bunnies out front. They looked so cute and playful, it even made me think twice about ordering one! While the title jests that I got to pick my own – I assure you, that wasn’t the case. I don’t know if I could have handled that (strangely though, when it comes to lobster I have no problems).
Coniglio Gabbia (Rabbit Cage)
As delicious as they are adorable!
S. and Jules playing with the bunnies
We ordered several wonderful primi (first courses) from the menu and settled in for what looked to be a promising meal. Our table was quickly covered with delectable treats, including the most amazing polenta that any of us had ever had. In fact, we ordered so much that we couldn’t even finish (wanting to save room for our main courses). We should have known that not finishing your food is not an option in an Italian woman’s kitchen and she literally made me and S. finish every plate.
Antipasti della casa
Prosciutto, salami and bresaola
Insalata fagioli borlotti
Insalata gelatina
Cipolle, carciofi e peperoni arrostiti
(Onions, artichokes and roasted peppers)
Polenta uncia e classica
Our secondo (main course) was brought to the table and we each eagerly dove in.
Coniglio arrosto (roasted rabbit) for two
Verdure alla griglia (grilled vegetables)
Spiedino de carne mista (skewer of mixed meats)
Vino della casa in a wonderful bottle
We finished with dessert for Julia and soaked up the view one last time. We wound our way back into town for some coffee and pastries.
Did I feel a bit guilty about staring my lunch in it’s adorable little face? Perhaps a bit – but my guilt was eased by the memory of the delectable meal. As it turns out, they serve about 1,000 rabbits a year – so I was just one of many guilty parties.
When we first moved here, we noticed that while many things are very much the same as the States… there are also many, many subtle (and not so subtle) differences. Early on, I did a quick post about things being different HERE but I didn’t go into many of the specifics.
Now that we’ve been here a while, it makes sense to go a bit deeper. You know, the kind of “hard-hitting journalism” you’ve come to expect here at Sipping Espresso. For this post we’ve focused on some of the differences that we find particularly charming, beneficial or just plain better. So here we go…
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RESTAURANTS
Let’s start with the food. If you’ve been a follower of this blog for a while (or read more than one post), you’ll notice that many things here are cuisine related. This in itself is something amazing, but not an entry. Regarding food/eating, I’m referring to:
Get it while it’s hot! In the States, it is polite to eat only when all the food has arrived at the table. This means most of your dishes have been baking under a heat lamp anywhere from 5 – 10 minutes while your buddy-with-no-taste-bud’s extra well-done steak continues to char. Here, the food arrives at the table just after it’s been cooked – and it’s meant to be enjoyed that way. You can eat when the food arrives – in fact, people might think your pazzo (crazy) if you sit and let your food get cold. Admittedly, this takes some getting used to – but it makes all the sense in the world.
Gnocci Castelmagno and Papparadelle Cinghiale
This dish would lose texture/flavor quickly if allowed to get cold
Help decide for me! Most restaurants (from the ordinary to the high-end) feature a pre-fix lunch menu, or Menu del Giorno (Menu of the Day). They are usually between $10 – $12 and often feature a first course, a second course, a half-liter of wine, sparkling water and a coffee. Not a bad deal!
Menu of the Day at Il Solito Posto
Waiter – where’s the bill?! Since waiters are paid fair wages here, tipping is not necessary and usually only for service above and beyond. This should probably stand alone as an entry – but there’s an extra benefit. There is no pressure to “turn over” a table. If you want to sit and enjoy your espresso, your gelato or just your conversation – feel free to stay put. In fact, most places don’t even “drop the bill”. Rather, you get up when you are ready and pay on your way out.
Where’s the Burger King? You can ask in English or Italian – you’ll get the same confused look. Fast food joints are not prevalent, in fact – they’re almost nonexistent. McDonalds has made some headway in the past decade (to the pleasure of the younger generation and chagrin of the old-school), but they are few and far between. In fact, we find it humorous that if you see a sign for a McDonald’s – it is not just off the next exit. It’s probably the closest one and still 15 miles away. This has obvious health benefits on the country as a whole. Furthermore, it cultivates a healthy relationship with food. Food is meant to be healthy, fresh and enjoyed slowly.
Wine, wine and more wine! Unless you live in wine country, USA – you can’t imagine how nice it is to be surrounded by such love of wine. This means it is readily available, delicious and affordable. Our grocery stores have huge aisles dedicated only to wine, often on sale at deep discounts. Just the other day, when I was spending time with Franco and we stopped to talk to a group of his friends. I thought I understood someone to say that they were “waiting for it to rain wine” which didn’t make sense to me. I was sure I misunderstood until a truck pulled up. Franco explained that this truck came from Venito, loaded with wine for sale. These guys were literally buying 100 liter quantities to store in their homes. I’m presently trying to convince Franco to split 50 liters with me on the next truck that rolls into town!
Some wonderful Italian wines
Our favorite day – WINE MEGA SALE day!
Can you say, “kid in candy store”
FINANCE
This next section is finance related. While I’m getting crushed on the exchange from dollars to euro’s, and the Italians pay an incredibly high amount of taxes (you think you had it bad?!) – there are a few things that I love here as it relates to their finances.
The price is, what the price is! OK, the tax is in there somewhere – but restaurants, merchants, stores and everyone else marks a price and lo and beyond… it’s final! There are no extras, taxes or tips (see above) required. You don’t have to calculate the tax or wait for someone to do for you. You just pull out your fourteen euro’s and pay… fourteen euro’s (as opposed to $14.84). Now that’s a relief.
You can’t fool me! At home, we love the .99 cent trick. Or the $990 dollar trick. As in, “I only paid $8 bucks for this thing” when in reality it was $8.99 plus tax. I admit, it has a purpose – but it is a bit deceitful to consumers and can sometimes be annoying when figuring out what you are really paying. Instead of $9.99 – it will be marked as an honest $10. I find this very refreshing.
No €9.99 here!
How do you say Fort Knox in Italian?! Their security for banking is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. After I opened my account, I was given an online security key fob. This device generates one of my three pin codes I need to login online. You press the button and it generates a random code that you have limited time to enter, thus guaranteeing the utmost in online security. Furthermore, if you wish to make a purchase online – you can enter the amount you wish to authorize and even the merchant you plan to do business with. You will be given an randomly generated 16-digit number that can be entered one time (for the amount specified) as opposed to entering your actual card number. So internet thieves, go right ahead and steal my credit card number – it won’t be good ever again.
Can’t hack into my online account!
Stay away Western Union – I go where I want! Because the Euro is adopted as the central currency for the European Union, we can cross the border into France, Spain, Germany and many more without having to worry about changing bills and getting killed on commissions.* Incidentally, please use Western Union… for some stupid reason, I’m a stockholder.
I have more change than an 80 year old woman!
*I promised this would be a positive post – but I do have to add one additional note here. I’m not crazy about the actual currency itself (blame the E.U… not Italy). Their monopoly money consists of bills of different sizes and tons of coins (€1 coin, €2 coin, etc). This results in many bills falling on the floor as I rush through the checkout line and a pocket that sounds like a Mexican mariachi band as I chink-chink down the street.
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I’ve got many more to go, but this already turned out to be longer than I realized. I feel it is a good time to break in the series and continue with a “All Things Are a Little Different… Parte Tre” (Part Three) soon. Ciao for now!
Last week, we received a visit from our Uncle S. and Aunt Deborah who were traveling through Europe on business. They had planned a stop over visit us before traveling by train to their next destination. We had also coordinated with Jen’s mom, who was departing on the same day they arrived, which saved us a trip to the airport and allowed us to spend the day in Milano (never a bad thing). Whoever said planning is overrated never had traffic and a two year old to contend with.
Julia with her great-uncle S.
Julia was sad to see her Nonna leave, but excited to have new visitors to play with. She instantly recognized S. and Deb as they arrived through customs. Since it was early evening when they landed, we took them back to our condo and had a “light” dinner of bread, salami, salami piccante (spicy salami) prosciutto, cheese, a cannelloni bean salad, acciughe in salsa verde (anchovies in green sauce), insalata finocchio (fennel salad) and insalata caprese with some wonderful buffalo mozzarella. Franco and Claudia came downstairs to join the party and brought some additional goodies of their own. Of course, we had more than a bottle or two of some good vino along with grappa and limoncello to wash it all down.
Julia found a left-handed drinking buddy
We had a long list of activities we wanted to accomplish while they were here, but the three days we had wasn’t enough time to do it all. The only thing to do… plan our lunches and work backwards from there! Since most restaurants are closed one day a week (either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday depending on the restaurant) and the weather predicted to change dramatically over those three days – I spent a good 30 minutes figuring out the rubik’s-cube that was their trip.
We spent the first day in Lecco (the other “leg” of the lake), the second day eating sopra (above) with Franco and Claudia (who live above us) and the final day in Tremezzo (another lake town). Since both S. and Deb had read the blog post HERE about a wonderful restaurant we discovered who’s cuisine is matched only by the adventure you must undertake to arrive – that was pre-penciled in.
Julia was excited to return to Osteria Montalbano
A quick summary of the restaurant, Osteria Belvedere Montalbano in Lecco (or click the link above); Lake Como has two “legs” with Como at the “foot” of the west leg and Lecco at the foot of the east leg. Lecco has stunning mountains that surround the lake. In order to find the restaurant, you must drive through the town, into a residential area on one of the mountains, enter a private road and continue to wind your way up the mountain. As you approach the end of the road, you’ll find a dirt path that is covered with stones and trees. Turn on your all wheel drive and wind your way up the path for 20 minutes before finding this jewel.
Everyone in front of one of our favorite restaurants
On our first trip, we were lucky enough to make it up this tiny/dangerous road unscathed. This time everything appeared to be going well, when suddenly we came across an obstacle. The road was closed half-way up because a local farmer was chopping trees and one laid clear across the “road”, blocking our path. There is NO turning around or backing down – our only option was to push forward. I hopped out of the car and asked him when he would be done. He said that it would be about 20-30 minutes. I volunteered to help and S and I became his gofers while he continued to skillfully wield his chainsaw. He jokingly said, avete fame (you must be hungry)! We were on our way in less than 10 minutes!
Nothing is going to keep us from getting there!
The food was as spectacular as the first visit and the quantity could have fed a small army, let alone four travelers. Since the menu is seasonal, many of the dishes were repeats for Jen and myself – but we had a couple new dishes, pictured below.
Filet with radicchio and a gorgonzola cream sauce
Roasted rabbit with a white wine reduction
Pan fried polenta
Half pear / half blubbery torte with custard
As we were leaving, we noticed a bocce-ball court that looked like it will be a lot of fun when the weather warms. S. made an astute and funny observation that there wasn’t a flat patch of earth anywhere to be seen for miles, yet they had a perfectly manicured surface to play bocce-ball on the top of a mountain!
Anyone up for a game?
This is my bench… don’t even think about it!
Deb and Julia sharing a laugh
We’re looking forward to visiting Osteria Belvedere Montalbano again when our next adventurous visitors come to see us!
Here is something my Mom, Greg and I all have in common…we love Pizza. And pizza in Italy is the best! Pizza originated in Italy and they have continued to perfect the art ever since. When my Mom was in town we decided to make our own versions of our favorite pizza’s at home. We had so much fun and Julia even got in on the action.
Rolling out her dough
When I told my uncle our plan to try to duplicate our favorite pizza’s at home he gave us a brief history lesson on the pizza. As it turns out, pizza started as a flatbread consumed by many people in Europe. In 16th century this was a common meal sold on the streets to the poor throughout Naples. It was an inexpensive dish that offered many different types of toppings. Credit for the first Margherita pizza is given to pizza maker Raffaele Esposito of Naples. The story is that in June of 1889 to honor the Queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, he created a “Pizza Margherita” for the Queen (I had to get that from Wiki – History of Pizza) . This pizza consisted of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil to represent the colors of the Italian flag. Thank you Raffaele! Today people around the world enjoy this simple but delicious pizza.
Our own Pizza Margherita
After our history lesson we were ready to prepare dinner. On the menu were our three favorite dishes. Diane’s favorite, Pizza Margarita; Greg’s, a Napoli Pizza; and my go to, Quattro Formaggi (four cheese).
Pizza Napoli
Quattro formaggio
We wanted dinner to be “easy” so we opted for store bought pizza dough. We will try making the dough another day. We also don’t have any fancy pizza stones or brick ovens here but we managed to create a crispy crust and pretty darn good pizza. Here is what we did:
All of the pizza’s started off with the same crust. Coat the baking pan with a little bit of olive oil so that the dough doesn’t stick. Instead of rolling out the dough we used our hands to stretch it and work it into a circle for the baking sheet. Once on the baking sheet we used a fork to poke a few holes in the dough (to prevent bubbles). Next we drizzled some olive oil and added some sea salt. Below is how to make the different types of pizza.
Drizzle olive oil on the dough
Pizza Margarita
For the sauce use a can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes. Simple is always best! Next you need to add slices of mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. Or, you can also choose to add the basil to the pizza after it comes out of the oven. It’s totally up to you! Either way you end up with a beautiful red, white and green pizza.
Crushed tomatoes as the sauce
Next, add your toppings
Pizza Napoli
Again, for the sauce simply use a can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes. Next, add slices of mozzarella, provolone and grated parmigiano reggiano cheese. What makes this a Napoli Pizza is adding acciughe(anchovies) as the final step. Feel comfortable to arrange them in any pattern you like.
The acciughe (anchovies) – Greg’s favorite
Pizza Quattro Formaggi
There is no need for sauce when making this pizza. Since the pizza is a four cheese, it does not need any sauce as a base. Instead, use some olive oil and crushed garlic on the dough. Our four cheese pizza consisted of mozzarella, provolone, grated parmigiano reggiano and gorgonzola cheese. Feel free to substitute any or all of the cheeses for your favorite (and if you’re feeling really crazy, make it a five or even six cheese pizza!).
Give spacing for your gorgonzola – it will melt over a large surface
All three pizza’s will cook in under 10 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The trick is to watch the pizza and look for the crust to brown and the cheese to start to bubble. Once the crust is crispy enough to transfer, remove the pizza from the baking sheet and finish cooking it directly on the oven rack. This will give it a crispy crust without the brick oven. When you remove the pizza’s allow the cheese to cool for a few minutes before you cut and serve.
Julia and her Nonna
Jen and her Mom
Julia “rolling” on her own!
I hope you enjoy making pizza at your home. You can try these or invent one of your own with your favorite toppings.
Jen picked a wonderful restaurant in the heart of Verona, romantically hidden from site, lending the feeling of authenticity (as opposed to “touristy”). We were visiting the amazing city for the day (read all about our visit HERE) and had pre-selected, Ristorante Greppia as our place for pranzo (lunch).
The small street leading to Ristorante Greppia
We were instantly taken in by the charm and warmth of the restaurant. The wait staff elevated our excitement for the meal to come by extending great courteousness and hospitality (indulging me as I took photos with this blog in mind).
Jen and Julia out front
Dining al fresco
We eagerly reviewed the menu and decisions came easily for the women (pasta for both). I had a bit of a harder time deciding between the Ossobucco di Vitella con Polenta (braised veil shanks with polenta), Fegato di Vitella con Polenta (veil liver with polenta) or Cervello Dorate di Vitello (“golden” veil brain). I’m not afraid to gamble and I’m certainly adventurous with my food – so I left the meal to chance and asked the server for his recomendation of the three (rather hoping he’d land on the liver or brain). Of course he chose the brain (why oh why couldn’t he have just suggested the rather normal and delicious ossobucco?!) and so I willingly obliged.
Some of Ristorante Greppia’s Wine Selection
Jen and her mother Diane started with an Insalata Caprese (tomato and mozzarella salad) and I added a side of Patate al Forno (roasted potatoes) with my brains. “Yes, I’d like a side of potatoes with my brains please”… I didn’t quite realize how silly this all sounds until just now as I was typing!
The salads were brought out after we’d had a nice chance to enjoy some wine.
Insalata Caprese
Jen’s mom, Diane chose a delicious Rigatoni al Ragu (a rigatoni noodle in a meat sauce), while Jen chose the Tris della Casa (three of the house) pastas which included a gnocchi, a spaghetti and a pappardelle.
Rigatoni al Ragu
Tris della Casa
When my cervello (brains) were served, they looked perfectly breaded (just ever-so lightly) and wonderfully pan fried. I took my first bite and… the consistency was a bit – well, perhaps brainy?! I took a second bite. I think I’ll go with… “rich”. I took another and another. My descriptors to the ladies moved from “good” to “unique” to “interesting” to “a one time experience” to “I’m done” rather quickly!
Five LARGE sections of the cervello (brain)
Potate al Forno (roasted potatoes) on the side
Had there been one section for me to nibble on as just an appetizer, I likely would have left feeling elated I was brave enough to eat brain and content with my meal. But since there were five little buggers staring me in the face and it was my entree, I was filled with dread after my second section. I decided two and a half sections (out of five) was enough. This was the first time since I’ve lived in Italy that I can remember leaving a meal hungry!
It may look like fried mozzarella – I assure you, it’s not!
The girls thoroughly enjoyed their pasta and Diane (who is very consistent with her ordering) joked with me after the meal; “you guys (myself, Jen and her husband Dominic) love to order these strange things – but you never know if you’re going to like your meal. I can always tell you that I’m going to love mine!” And she’s absolutely right – but I’ll continue to double down when possible and try the unusual menu items – because those have often been the best meals I’ve ever had. This experience will not rate in that category, but it will certainly land in the more memorable section!
I kept imagining the zombies from my favorite iPhone game saying “BRAINS!”
Next time you’re in Verona – check out Ristorante Greppia and enjoy your food. Just use your brain and steer clear of theirs. Buon appetito!
I know its really, “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” but it’s not his home in the middle of Verona that draws thousands of visitors each day; so I took a little creative liberty with the title. More on our visit to this popular tourist destination in a moment. Let’s back up and set the stage…
Soaking up the view
Verona is a beautiful city in the Veneto region of Italy, in the Northeast Italy. The capital of Veneto is Venezia (Venice) – the world famous city built on canals. While Venice is usually one of the most well-known destinations in this part of the country, it should not overshadow Verona – a charming and breathtaking city unto itself. Since Jen’s parents bought their home in Como a few years ago, Verona has been on our “bucket list” of desired destinations.
Jen’s mom came for a visit in late February and during a break in the cold weather, we decided touring a new city was a great idea. Since Verona is only two hours away by car and we had been wanting to go, it was an easy selection. The night before we prepared for a full day’s voyage – plenty of diapers and cheerios… and even a few things for the baby.
We set out early and drove straight toward the center of town. As we approached the city, we neared a roundabout that was created around one of the original stone gates from the old city – dating back over a thousand years. Crossing through the roundabout and straight toward the city, a much more modern street lined with homes and street level shops guided us right into the “newer” main gate of the city, under which we drove the car.
The main city gate
We drove through this gate to enter and exit
This particular gate (pictured above) was built in the 16th century to protect the city from invaders. Verona’s central location lent to wonderful trading routes and heightened the importance of the city throughout Europe (even before Roman times). It was this critical location that also put it right in the path of invaders and so the walls were built to fortify the city.
We arrived in the city at my favorite time of day – just in time for pranzo (lunch). We had gone to our trusty advisor, Trip Advisor before departing and already picked a place to eat. You can read about our wonderful/delicious/frightening/not-delicious-for-me dining experience at Ristorante Greppia HERE.
Ristorante Greppia
Julia was full and happy after lunch
On our way to the restaurant we walked directly into the Arena – an amazing Roman ampitheatre, third in size behind Rome’s Colosseum and the arena at Capua (not sure what that is… I’ll have to check it out). The ampithere was used for gladiator games, among other things – and is surprisingly still intact. In fact, it’s still used today in the summer for fairs, theatre and operas.
Verona’s Arena
After lunch we took a stroll through town, toward one of the main piazza (town square), Piazza delle Erbe. Here are some of the shots of the market, surrounded by the Roman architecture as well as Julia having fun near fountain.
Markets in Piazza delle Erbe
“Dad, give me some cash to go shopping”
Spices, pasta and cured meats
Julia was happy as could be
Torre (tower) dei Lamberti – 1463
We found ourself on, Via Mazzini – one of the main shopping streets and filled with high end goods.
Gucci, Prada and Dolce Gabbana – Oh My!
As we wound our way through the streets of Verona, we crossed over Ponte Pietro – one of the main bridges exiting the city, spanning the river that borders the northern end of the city . We found ourselves at the Duomo (the city’s main church), where a funeral was presiding. It was obviously someone of great wealth and importance – there were hundreds of people in attendance and a beautiful hearse (is that an oxymoron) by none other than the Italian race car, Maserati at the ready.
Ponte (bridge) Pietro
The Duomo
This is the way I want to go out!
We stopped for a coffee (it was now the “coffee hour” of 4:00 and our internal coffee clock alarms were sounding). Diane enjoyed a tea – a luxury she doesn’t usually get around less forgiving coffee drinkers in the family (tea takes a lot longer to sip than an espresso). After fueling up, we had one last mission to accomplish – a visit to Casa di Giulietta (Juliet’s house) from the world famous Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. Of course, in actuality – it’s spelled Giulietta.* Turns out that three of Shakespeare’s plays were set in Verona – the beauty of the city must have intrigued him. Or else he got a really good deal on hotel rooms. Probably used Priceline.
Giulietta’s Balcony – “Romeo o’ Romeo”
Giulietta’s house (which is of course not really her house since she is a fictional character) is contained in a small courtyard, accessed through a dark tunnel. A few funny traditions have developed at home. Firstly, it is a must that you sign the wall of the tunnel as you enter the courtyard. Next, young lovers can memorialize their love by engraving their names on a padlock and attaching it to the gate in the back of the courtyard. The romantics can write love letters and stick them in the crevices of the adjacent wall or attach them with chewing gum. And for some reason (I’m assuming love or lust related) you can get in line and touch the bosoms of the female statue in the courtyard.
Tunnel leading to the courtyard
Young lovers inscribe their names on the wall
Julia memorializing her love for her parents
Of course our favorite part of the visit was that our very own Giulietta (which literally means, Little Julia) was a celebrity in her own right. The courtyard was packed with tourists from Taiwan and China that absolutely loved her and crowded around her to take her picture or pose with her. Several of them wanted to kiss her on the check for a photo. And since our little comedian/actress loves an audience – she was happy to oblige her adoring fans!
Paparazzi – smile!
“Nice to meet you, ladies”
The girls in Piazza Bra
Giulietta found her real Romeo
We walked a bit more, stopped for a wonderful gelato (ice cream) and another coffee and headed home. I would say that Romeo wasn’t the only one to have a great time in Verona. In fact, given how his love affair ended – I’d say we had a much better time in Verona than good ‘ol Romeo!
*Ironic side note – Jen debated spelling our daughters name the Italian way – G-I-U-L-I-A and I protested that I don’t want her to grow up with people constantly misspelling her name and we agreed on the more common J-U-L-I-A. Of course, now everyone spells it wrong (assuming it’s Giulia). We both find it funny and think it’s cute the alternate way while we’re living in Italy.
Our little bumblebee has been busy buzzing all over town – and we were right behind her with cameras and video rolling! Here are a couple of her recent adventures. Coincidentally, both stories fit in with the Easter theme perfectly; a fortunate blog occurrence given the upcoming Easter holiday.
Julia’s Egg
Julia’s Egg
Our little family likes it’s morning rituals. Jen and I enjoy drinking our American coffee (probably the one habit from home we don’t want to give up). Julia likes to chose her own breakfast and then eat it herself (even though half ends up on the floor).
However, Julia’s favorite morning ritual is going to see the galline (chickens) next door. Each day, as I back the car out of the garage – Jen and Julia walk next door to “go see the chickens”. There is a home next to our condo building that has a large chicken coop out back containing about a dozen chickens. Julia talks to them and calls them over by making clucking sounds. Sometimes they humor her and peck near her feet and other times they just go right on clucking by.
Julia and her galline (chickens)
On this particular day, Jen and Julia spent a bit more time visiting the chickens since I was out. All of a sudden, the chicken farmer appeared from around the corner to the delight of Julia and surprise of Jen. He walked right up to the girls and while Jen was ready to apologize for disturbing the chickens, he greeted Julia with a friendly smile and declared, “aspetta” (“just a moment”). He disappeared into the chicken coop and started rummaging around, to return a moment later with… a fresh egg! Julia squealed with delight as he handed her the egg through the fence. In fact, she could hardly contain her excitement so much so that Jen had to confiscate the golden brown treasure for fear of it being crushed in her hands. Jen was amazed that the egg was so fresh it was actually still warm.
“What a treasure!”
Julia was beaming with pride as she showed her new treasure to Franco and Claudia (our Aunt and Uncle) upstairs. However, just mere moments later that she had moved onto something new, as little kids will do (this time it was reading Italian celebrity gossip magazines). It was this window that gave Jen and Claudia the perfect opening to take the egg and cook it in a pan of creamy butter and velvety extra virgin olive oil.
Un poco olio, burro e sale (a little olive oil, butter and salt)
Ready to eat
Jen declared this particular egg to be the best she had ever tasted – I think Julia certainly agreed!
Sheep, Lamb, Dogs and a Few Donkeys for Good Measure
Jen’s mom arrived in Italy last week for a visit and we have spent a few days just relaxing and enjoying her company. But we have also spent several days going through the checklist of her favorite Italy/Lake Como activities.
Landing in Milano’s Malpensa airport (MXP)
Todays event was shopping at the luxury outlets in Lugano, Switzerland. I was preparing myself for a long day of bench-sitting, bag holding and “whichever you prefer, dear” ‘s. I even made sure my phone was fully charged so that I could play several rounds of “Plants vs. Zombies” on it to mask my boredom. But there was a miraculous turn of events – the shopping mall had a Casino attached to it!! So, while le donne (the ladies) spent three-four hours picking out outfits (mainly for Julia) – I was splitting 8’s and doubling down on 10’s. I have to say… I’ll be happy to take Jen shopping any day of the week!
Even though I had a good run of cards and left happy, Julia came out the big winner with some wonderful outfits from her nonna (grandma). And even though she’s now ready to walk down the high fashioned streets of Milano this spring – the real gem of the day occurred on our way home from the outlets.
A snow-flecked field full of sheep
We were nearly home when our eyes simultaneously gazed left toward a field full of sheep. There were sheep herders and sheep dogs keeping the gentle animals from wandering onto the unfenced road. There were also cute baby lambs and even some donkey’s to keep them all company. We were perplexed, as we have driven by this field nearly every day and never seen a sheep – let alone hundreds of them. We decided to pull over and let Julia have some fun.
“Will you look at this?!”
“Come here guys… I don’t bite”
After some friendly banter with a wonderful sheep herder, we learned that each year at this time farmers bring their sheep down from the mountains into town. They come by train, truck and foot. They arrive early for the Easter holiday, because it is traditional for nearly every family in Italy to serve agnello (lamb) on Easter. They come down early to give the sheep exercise and strike their deals with the local butchers.
Julia had a wonderful time playing with the sheep – she was able to get right up next to them.
We’ll just call this the “prequel” or maybe “part one of two“. As the title suggests, our day in Brunateshould have given us spectacular views of downtown Como since it virtually sits atop the city on a mountain. But since the fog wasn’t cooperating and decided to stick around – we didn’t get to see or photograph some of the most amazing views our lake town has to offer. So, perhaps a better title might have been…
“Brunate – we’ll focus on the town this time and show you the views next time… the Prequel”.
Welcome to Brunate
Brunate is a small town of about 1,700 residents in the provence of Como and sits [based on my speculation, vertigo and body tempeture] at the highest altitude in the immediate area. It is for this reason that you get the most speculator views as well as an intimate and charming old-world feel.
There are three ways to get to Brunate. First (and my personal favorite) is by helicopter. This is reserved exclusively for George Clooney (a “local”) and the Italian Prime Minister. I’m hoping to get on this short list. Incidentally, there is no helicopter pad in Brunate – I just imagine if they wanted to travel to this way… they could.
Town of Brunate from the road half-way up
For the tourists, The Funicolare takes you in a small train car directly up the mountain. This is a wonderful, albeit nerve-racking way to travel to the top of the mountain. Think ski-mountain gondola in the fashion of an old train car, although it is attached to the ground as opposed to being suspended in the air. It has been operating since 1894 – and it looks as though it still has the original… everything! Jen and I have not taken the funicolare in all the time we’ve been coming here, so we’re hoping to have some willing victims…errr, guests to do it with while we’re living here.
The Funicolare drops off in the middle of town
The final option – although perhaps even more harrowing – is by car. This is a dangerous proposition for everyone except the most experienced locals (who whizz up and down the mountain at breakneck speeds). Even though we are far from experienced locals, we opted for this route. Of course, we had more than our fare-share of close calls and angry tailgaters as I slowly wound my way up and back down the hill.
Two-lane road with one of many hairpin turns
Here is a video as we reached the town and the terror of driving shifted from falling off the mountain to adding new racing stripes painted with 500 year old bricks down each side of my father-in law’s car.
When we finally got to the top and confirmed that we couldn’t see too much – we spent some time walking around and stopped to get a coffee. We learned that parking is also very difficult in this small town, so we didn’t want to stay double-parked too long.
Jen – the white behind her is the fog hiding the view
Street view and a charming restaurant
Sant’Andrea – the church in the center of town
Snow-kissed streets
This guy was at the coffee shop – fun guy – loved Americans
This video doesn’t quite have the production value of the first one – no high-priced soundtrack and million-dollar effects… but it’s actually even better at showing the winding road going up and down the mountain. I apologize in advance for the narration!
Look at for Part II in this saga – where we don’t rush it and I get you some better pictures, particularly of the view. Coming sometime this spring…
OK… not quite your Grateful Dead listening, moccasin wearing, pot smoking, “make love-not war” type of hippies. More of the modern-day “green” kind. Which is a good thing. But let me tell you something…
IT SURE IS INCONVENIENT!
When we first moved here and were getting our run-down of the new rules of life, one of the first things we discovered was that everything gets recycled. You’re likely saying, “what’s the big deal? I recycle!” Sure, we did too. I was quite proud to carry my bottles, plastic and paper to the big blue bin next to the trash chute. Our building actually changed from having to separate paper from plastic into one big bin to make it more convenient. Now that’s the type of recycling I was used to.
But this… this is next-level recycling. Thinking about throwing that banana peel away? You’d better stop in your tracks! Planning on throwing away that package your kids toy came in? Stop right there! You were planning on seperating the paper label from the plastic cover and removing it from the cardboard backing, right?!
You see, everything needs to be separated. EVERYTHING. And there is no such thing as “Tuesday trash night” to put your refuse on the street. There is “glass night”. And “paper night”. And “compost night”, etc. So, you’d better budget some time to take a trip to the curb nearly every night and nearly every morning.
Think you’ll circumvent the system by going to the dump? Think again! We only have to separate into five piles at home – at the dump, it’s over double that figure.
Being OCD by nature, I went and got fresh new trash bins to color-cordinate my refuse. Little problem – the garbage men don’t like some of the bins I’ve selected and have twice taken my neighbors garbage while leaving mine. I’ll be sure to get it right soon enough!
Bins shown below (from left to right) umido (compost), rifiuti solidi (garbage), plastica (plastic), carta (paper) and bottiglie (bottles).
My clean new bins
Oh yeah, you’ll notice different color bags. Each type of trash also requires it’s own special bag. Below is what happens when you make a mistake on bag or type of bin – they leave your trash curbside and you take your trash back upstairs to wait until the next time it goes out.
Some of the trash came back upstairs with me
This is what happens after a snowstorm and no garbage is picked up
So, I don’t mean to “one-up you” here – but if you think you’re doing your part for Mother Nature, think again! We’re going GREEN over here in Italy. Of course, I imagine that we’re giving it all back and more touring around in that big diesel SUV I’m borrowing from my in-laws!
It still tickles me that when I wake up and ask Jen, “what do you want to do today” – the answer might be something like, “let’s go to Switzerland”. What a great idea!
Our home in Lake Como, Italy is very near the Swiss-Italian border. We have always been fond of a neighboring lake town, Lugano, Switzerland. Since the trip is only about 30 minutes, the idea to hop over the border for lunch appealed to us quite a bit.
Lugano, Switzerland
Switzerland is a beautiful country with some of the most breathtaking landscapes you’ll see. The most interesting thing [to us] about Switzerland is that it’s a country that in many respects, assumes the identity of its neighboring countries. It is a landlocked country bordered by Germany, France, Italy and Austria. The Swiss do not have their own language; each Swiss “region” instead adopts the tongue of the closest neighboring country (either German, French or Italian). Additionally, the food served in each region follows the same trend of marrying the food of it’s neighbor-country. However, we have found that the architecture seems to be uniquely Swiss throughout most of the country. Despite not having a shared language or cuisine, the Swiss have found a strong sense of pride in their country and it’s ideals.
Border crossing from Italy into Switzerland
The two economic epicenters of the country are Zurich and Geneva. If you’ve ever see a gangster or action movie – you’ll know that banking is a large industry, originally praised for it’s client privacy, security and discretion. If you’re a legitimate business magnate or Vito Corleone, you most likely have a Swiss bank account. Banking is just one of many reasons that Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world.
Homes atop a perfume shop
Switzerland also produces some of the worlds finest timepieces. Some of the more infamous Swiss made timepieces include Audemars Piguet, Breitling, Cartier, Chopard, IWC, Patek Phillipe and of course, Rolex – to name a few. Much to my disappointment – they are no cheaper if you buy them in Switzerland (in fact, quite a bit more thanks to a weak dollar). An interest tidbit that I just learned… over half of the world’s watches sold are made in Switzerland (in terms of value).
A shop that sells wonderful panini, meats and cheeses
As we departed to cross the border, we researched a good place to eat and found, Grotto Mulino Pregassona. It was a bit of a trek because the restaurant was a ways away from the center of the town. We put our faith in the reviews of others and were pleased with the results when we saw the charming restaurant as we pulled up.
Grotto Mulino Pregassona
We eagerly exited the vehicle and sauntered up to the restaurant, expectations high. Odd, the windows looked dark. And door seemed to be tightly pulled shut. Because it was closed – oh, that explains things. Upon further inspection we discovered (thanks to a rough job translating) the restaurant was closed for the season and would re-open in April. APRIL! Oh yeah, I forgot – we’re on the Italian side. Should have read those reviews a bit closer.
We drove back into the main part of town, the Centro (Center) of town. We walked around a bit and settled on a place to eat (it was OK, but not blog-worthy… sorry, no photos). As we walked around we enjoyed the sites and sounds of the people, and loved taking in the beautiful shop displays. There are custom pasticcerie (pastry shops) sandwiched between Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Armani and the countless Swiss watch shops (hence, our nickname of the Rodeo Drive of Switzerland).
Jen and Julia window shopping
Time for a giggle
Looking at the ducks on the lake
Sometimes sightseeing is better to do alone
Jen and Julia on a pier
Time to stop for a drink
It was a short trip around the bend, but well worth it. We can’t wait to visit Switzerland again soon!
