Hobart, Tasmania

We did a bit more in Tasmania than just wine-tasting and kangaroo-petting. We walked. A lot.

We walked the city streets of Hobart and all along the the docks. We stopped for fresh seafood at the little restaurant/boats that are docked alongside the city. We drank some yummy beers (including a delicious non-alcoholic ginger beer) at the Cascade Brewery.


We drove out to Seven Mile Beach, parked the car, and walked and walked. We saw a dog that looked like Cooper, played with him a while, and tried not to be too homesick in such a gorgeous place. We wore jackets because it was pretty darn cold out there and we were SERIOUSLY far south. It was tempting to buy sheepskin boots (the original Uggs) from one of the MANY stores selling them. I refrained.


One of us (ok, me) also accidentally OD'd on Tylenol. Did you know that was possible? I did not and it took me a really long time to figure out why I felt so whacked out.

Day 4: My Ride, His Ride, Milan

Our apartment is near some pretty posh hotels and we often see some pretty fancy cars in the 'hood. Well, so I'm told. While a Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, or Porsche makes my husband's head spin like the Exorcist, I typically don't notice unless they're making lots of obnoxious noise.

That said, I definitely noticed this car on my walk home from work one nice April evening. This guy's commute:

My commute:

Day 21: Piazza San Babila, Milano

Last night, we joined some friends for an evening walk around town and a late-night gelato at Grom. The weather was gorgeous (finally!) and it was so nice to be outside. Cooper particularly enjoyed the part where my dear husband let him off-leash to jump into the big fountain at San Babila. This is a major piazza in the shopping district but not too crowded since all the stores were closed down. Coop even gathered a few admirers who paused in their evening walks to laugh at our ridiculous dog.

We will definitely miss how good-natured and welcoming Italians are about dogs.

The Milan Garden Show

I had a friend in town from Rome for the weekend (with her two-year-old daughter) so it was a good excuse to do the kinds of things that my husband won't do with me. We ate Indian food, watched 'Mary Poppins', and went to a garden show in the nearby Giardini Pubblici.


The Giardini Pubblici are always lovely but were made even more so by the gigantic trade show taking place over the weekend. Obviously, plants were for sale and we saw a huge variety of flowers (I lost track of the different types of roses), herbs, and green things. I often felt tempted to add to my balcony collection but stayed calm, remembering that we are already halfway through our time in Milan and will leave before next summer even starts.


As I am now learning, it seems to be a requirement that any show or fair have multiple booths selling food that is produced locally or typical to the region. The garden show was no exception and this olive oil vendor came well prepared with huge vats in his little truck. Still well-stocked with the olive oil I bought last fall from a colleague's family production near Salerno, I walked past - only to be waylaid by the most amazing raspberry jam. Second only to my granddad Blum's homemade jams, this was world-class.

Amazingly, the two-year-old made it several hours without complaint, perhaps distracted by all the fake animals (made of stone, metal, and topiary). Glad for an afternoon with a friend, we headed back for bedtime and movies.

City of Bridges

Venice knows many names. The City of Lights, City of Water, Queen of the Adriatic, and, on this trip, the City of Bridges. I was in town for a couple days for business but managed to squeeze in a few pictures and an evening stroll on my own.


Where else to start besides the Piazza San Marco and the Basilica named for the same saint? The crisp blue sky was tough competition for the splendor of this legendary church.

As I wandered back from the piazza, the streets led from tourist shops selling Murano glass and garish Carnivale masks to the high-end designer boutiques selling expensive purses and shoes.


On the lace-making island of Burano, the buildings are painted a variety of bright colors. In Venice proper, the exterior walls are peeling and cracked thanks to historical preservation laws that prevent any updates to the outside (and often inside) of buildings in the centro storico. Nevertheless, the brightly colored gondolas complement the older charm of the homes and businesses.

I made it to the famed Rialto bridge in time for sunset. The water, buildings, and boats were all bathed in golden light. I noticed plenty of other visitors lounging in cafes along the Grand Canal, enjoying the same view.

Of course, the best view might've been the one cruising around on a gondola, holding the hand of a loved one!

Foodies in Paris-dise

Our itinerary in Paris was a little like this: walk food walk walk wine shop walk walk pretty church walk food chocolate nap walk. Get it?

Nearly all of our sight-seeing was done en route to one restaurant or cafe and most of our reservations were made with careful advance planning. Friday night, we were fortunate enough to get a table at Les Racines, a hot wine bar in the Passage des Panoramas. Chef and owner Pierre Jancou sources his meat from star Parisian butcher Hugo Desnoyers and vegetables from chef Alain Passard's farm. The menu is limited - serving only classic French fare with the freshest ingredients. There is no wine list at the bar a vins, instead, the waiter decided for us based on our tastes and the food we ordered. With dinner, we drank a delicious Medoc, an organic wine (look out for the sediment) that paired perfectly with my lamb and my dinner guest's chicken.


Walking around town, we stumbled into a chocolate shop with all kinds of treats. Instead of chocolate covered pears, I treated myself to chocolate covered orange peel. Yum. Lunch on Saturday was at an old favorite, Chez Papa. This local chain specializes in Southwestern french fare, duck confit and cassoulet are popular dishes but my personal favorite is the salade Boyarde. Made with fried potatoes, Cantal and Bleu de Brebis cheeses, ham, and lettuce (or two fried eggs, if you'd like) this salad was a popular item, ordered and enjoyed by our entire group!

Sight-seeing and walking throughout the Left Bank, our band of foodies finally came across Le Bon Marche, the Parisian food hall where we could stock up on goodies for home. Their French section was, bien sur, plentiful but the international section was well-stocked and allowed me to pick up German rosti, Indian spices, and even some American chili powder. After our extended happy hour at a nearby cafe, we didn't have to go far to reach our dinner destination - Le Bamboche.


At dinner, our group split three different appetizers. Chaud-froid of foie gras on a bed of gingerbread and truffle was fois gras prepared two ways: the traditional way on gingerbread but also as an ice cream, with truffle on the side. The millefeuille layering of crab, courgette tagliatelle, tiny artichokes, mango vanilla-flavoured sauce seasoned with vinegar was also delicious and topped with a lattice work of beet. My personal favorite was the pan-sautéed Dublin Bay prawns with hibiscus, Jerusalem artichoke terrine, chervil, thin slices of kernel of scallops with avocado oil and ocean pearls (pictured above). The terrine was topped with a slice of truffle and the prawns were cooked to perfection.


For the main course, I chose the multi-coloured kernel of scallops, shredded chicory, watercress cream sauce, white and purple carrots hydromel. While it was delicious, I had to google later to find out exactly what hydromel was. Apparently, it's a honey and water based mixture that was used to caramelize the carrots. A light dusting of fleur de sel set off the natural flavors of the scallops and made it a thoroughly enjoyable meal.

And, of course, no trip to Paris is complete without a sweet. In France, you can pick your poison and while some of my friends were clamouring for crepes, I kept my eyes out for the prettiest macaroons in Paris. While a trip to the famous bakery and tearoom, Laduree, would usually scratch that itch, we were disappointed to be greeted by a long line both there and at Angelina's. Undaunted, we were lucky to stumble across a patisserie in the Marais where these brightly colored macaroons beckoned from the window. My favorite was the chocolate and caramel, filled with a lightly salted and incredibly smooth caramel inside. And yes, the other girls got their crepes - complete with some American cartoon references by an underemployed French philosopher - a fitting end to a bon weekend.

For our last day in Belgium, we stuck around Brussels for the tour de E.U. It was a little drizzly all day so I was happy to have the brand-new umbrella that I bought in Ypres (so I guess that counts as an extra souvenir). The umbrella is black with a large red poppy on the outside - it does a lot to brighten up a grey day!


Our first stop was the European Council building to check out the Czech installation that pokes fun at E.U. member states. It's a bit difficult to tell why from the above picture but you can get the general gist. France is represented by a giant 'Greve' sign (meaning 'strike'), Italy by obscene soccer players, Austria by nuclear power plants (due to their firmly anti-nuc stance), Sweden by a giant Ikea box, and the U.K. is represented by an empty space in the top left corner. The Czech Republic commissioned this installation, called Entropa, and believed that it was being created by 27 artists from the different member states. Instead, it was all part of an elaborate scam by Czech artist David Cerny - a fact not revealed until the start of the Czech Republic's six-month term in the E.U. presidency. Bulgaria is particularly upset by the national stereotypes portrayed as their nation is represented by the base of a Turkish toilet. Our timing was fortunate - several days following our departure, the Czechs bowed to Bulgarian pressure to cover their portion of the installation.


After a stroll through the Park Van Brussel, we came out the other side to two sights. The famous one was the Palais Royal de Bruxelles. While it was once the home of Belgian kings, it is now only used for the king and royal family when conducting business. While not in any guidebooks (at least, none I know of), my preferred site is pictured below. I think this lion had the funniest expression on it's face - like if the Wizard of Oz's Cowardly Lion was frozen in cement.


After coffee, lunch, and more walking, we made it to Mary's Chocolatier. I mentioned the yummy chocolates we bought and the marzipan but I did NOT mention the chocolate sculpture of the famous Mannequin Pis.


Before heading to the Petit Sablon to get more expressos and hot cocoas, we took in the scene overlooking Brussels. A new way to see a very familiar city.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

On Saturday night, Mark and I headed downtown to check out the Christmas decorations at night and to see a free concert that was being held at the Piazza Duomo. A mere 25 minute walk from our apartment, we decided to take Cooper. Coop picked up a stick along the way and we found ourselves waylaid by many passers-by who wanted to coo at our adorable dog and ask us where he's from (answer: America but he's an English Lab, breedwise).


Along the way, we noticed an unusual sight at the Piazza Cavour - a tram decked out in holiday lights! Blindingly bright, I managed to whip out my camera quickly enough to grab a photo. While we see trams all the time, this is the first decorated one we've seen and it definitely set the tone for an evening filled with the Christmas spirit, thanks ATM (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi)!


I recently had a meeting for work near the Piazza Duomo so it was no surprise to see the Christmas decor set-up. However, seeing the tree lit up in front of the Duomo was stunning at night. There was a decent crowd gathered around the stage to hear Natalie Cole sing a mixture of her own songs and Christmas traditionals. While I'm not wild about Cole, I know enough to enjoy her music in the background and though a little slow, it was an enjoyable show. Apparently, the commune of Milan books an artist for a holiday show each year. Our friends informed us that, last year, Michael Bolton had done the honors. Hearing this, I was particularly glad to be seeing Natalie Cole!


We arrived after the show had already started and claimed a comfortably uncrowded standing spot in the back (with a good view of the broadcast screen). I wasn't familiar with the first couple of song we heard but when she busted out "Unforgettable", the crowd was clearly pleased! She sang the song as a duet with her late father, Nat King Cole, and the screen showed footage of him singing the male portion. It was a nice and memorable song and the audiance ate it up. She followed with Jingle Bells and, later, the Christmas Song (you know, "chestnuts roasting" and all that).


On our way back home, we passed through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Instead of peering into the windows of Louis Vuitton and Prada, our eyes were focused above on the magical Christmas decorations. The great glass dome is currently covered in thousands (maybe millions?) of blue lights. In the center of the dome is the crest of the city of Milan. Though close to midnight, plenty of tourists and locals still crowded through the shopping galleria, either to take in the lights or head to another destination...or possibly both.

Torino

About a month ago, I headed on a brief work trip to Torino. Also known as Turin, or the site of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, this city is OLD with roots that date back to it's origins as a Roman camp in the first century, BC. Just under two hours away from Milan (less by car), it's even easily do-able as a day trip.

Despite only have one night in Torino, I was determined to cram in as many sights as possible. With a hotel downtown, I found out that this would be very easy. Torino is a compact city with wide sidewalks made for strolling along the boulevards. In my short time, I fell in love with Turin. It took my favorite aspects of Milan (the "Italian" feeling and the lack of English signage) with my favorite parts of Rome (charm, and lack of crazy hustle & bustle) to create a Francophile's Italian city. Why is this a perfect city for Francophiles, parce que the Savoys of France had a heavy hand in development and architecture from the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries. You can feel it in the big piazzas with their active cafes (feels like St. Germaine) or the wide arcade walk-ways that evoke Paris and its Grandes Boulevardes. Is it any wonder that I, a confirmed fan of Paris, fell in love?

While my hotel room was plenty plush, my co-worker definitely had the better view. The red roofs of Turin and the domed roof of the Mole Antonelliana were protected back in the Roman, Lombard, and Savoy days but the Alps (on the north and west) and the hills of Monferrato.


After work, I started out my sightseeing with a visit to the famous chocolate shop, Peyrano.


Turin is actually the birthplace of solid (versus drinkable) chocolate and Peyrano is one of Turin's most respected producers. With their origins going back to a regular candy shop back in 1914, it is still their version of Gianduiotto that keeps winning acclaims in a town with lots of competition.


Each spring, Turin plays host to an annual chocolate festival called Cioccolato with tastings, chocolate-based literature readings, and theater inspired by chocolate. Even though I have no earthly idea what "chocolate-based literature and theater" could actually be, I'm intrigued enough to want to find out this spring!

After grabbing some chocolates to take home, I strolled back downtown. Via Roma is the main shopping street that cuts through the center of town to some of the major sights. With distractions along the way ranging from Cartier to Zara Home, that was my chosen route. I mentioned the arcades before and want to reiterate, they are stunning. Also, with the slightly drizzly weather that popped up in the early evening, they were very handy to stay dry! Supposedly, the 18km of arcades were constructed back in the days of royalty so that the king could stay covered wherever he went around the city.

Via Rome feeds into the Piazza San Carlo, where a statue of Emanuele Filibertois flanked by the twin churches - Chiesa di San Carlo and Chiesa di Santa Cristina.


Piazza San Carlo is known as one of Turin's main drawing rooms and is home to cafes with spacious outdoor set-ups.


However, during my visit, the Piazza San Carlo was also home to a special photography exhibit titled Siddhartha, il Budda. The photographers explain the exhibit as an attempt to tell the story of Siddhartha through photographs of modern Indian and Buddist lives.


Finally, my walk ended at the Piazza Castello, Turin's grandest square and home to many museums, theaters, and cafes within the arcade walkways. This square was the base for the House of Savoy during their reign of the region and dominated by the Palazzo Madama (center in the below photograph). Built in the 13th century over an old Roman gate, this part-Baroque/part-Medievel castle was named after Madama Reale Maria Cristina, who lived there in the 17th century.


Even without the 2009 chocolate festival, Torino holds many promises of interesting sites to see and paths to walk. We will definitely be headed back.

Milan, with guests

A few weeks ago, my friend and her boyfriend swung through Milan on their way back from Alba's trufflefest. While it was just a short trip for them, we were lucky to catch up with them as they hosted us in London a week afterwards. During their brief few hours in Milan, we actually managed to cram in quite a few activities.



For the first time, Mark and I headed to the roof of the Duomo. Yes, you can actually get to the top of Milan's massive cathedral - about 150 feet! We got a little twisted around and missed one of the coolest views but what we did see was pretty neat.


In the photo above, you can make out a small gold statue high atop all of the other spires. This is the Madoninna, the Madonna, and it serves as a point of pride for many Milanese.

After the Duomo, we took advantage of the beautiful warm weather and headed to our favorite gelateria, Bianco Latte, so that our London-living friends could taste what they were missing up north! In honor of fall, the marrons glace flavor made it's appearance on my cone. Nothing says 'fall in Europe' like chestnuts - warm or cold.


And yes, there were warm chestnuts as our group moseyed over to the Castello Sforzesco. Had it been a bit colder (and had we not just indulged in gelato), I might've been tempted to grab a handful to nibble on/warm my hands. I'm sure that by Christmas, I'll have my chance!

The sun started to set as we hung out around Milan's castle. This building, originally dating from the 14th century, now houses several of the city's museums and art galleries. Walking through the courtyard will deposit you in the Parco Sempione, another of Milan's largest parks.

We had fun with our friends but can't really claim to have shown them around. We're trying to save some of Milan's tourism activities to do with our guests...so we hope to have more soon!

I Giardini Pubblici

We've been trying to get out-and-about as much as possible lately. We don't need too much encouragement - the weather has been beautiful and pleasantly cool. Fall has fallen in Milan. We've spent some recent weekends and evening in the Giardini Pubblici (the Public Gardens) that are a short walk from our apartment. We're so lucky to have this close-by as it provides over 170,000 square meters of green space in a city that can often feel industrial and sometimes cold. Mixed in with the park are a couple of off-leash dog facilities, a gazebo (we've caught an impromptu concert there), and lots of children's activities like bumper cars, balloon sellers, and a trenino (little train). The train is my favorite. It always makes me giggle to see the adults (especially the "conductor") riding along.


See? Funny.


The dog run:


Cooper attempting to chase pigeons by the lake:


A little boy and his bicycle of wood:

the Navigli

A couple weeks ago, Mark and I met up with my summer intern and her boyfriend for dinner. Our stated purpose was to treat my intern as a 'thank-you' for all the wonderful work she did over the summer (she was great). Our secret hope was that she would suggest a restaurant that was delicious and cheap (I mean, I knew a lot of that when I was an un/underpaid kid in Paris) - something we could adopt as our own.


We ended up meeting them at a pizzaria in the Navigli district of Milan. The Navigli is pretty much on the opposite side of town from where we live, however, it's a direct tram ride over so it's still pretty convenient. Like Venice, Amsterdam, and Brugges, Milan is a city of canals and waterways. Built between 1100 and through the 16th century, these canals were intended to connect Milan - by water - to Ticino and Adda. In 1209, the canal construction that had begun outside the city finally reached Milan. Within a span of 35 years in the 1400s, 90 kilometres of canals were built within Milan's territory.


However, it was the innovations of Leonardo da Vinci that really saw the canal system at its highest level of utility. At the end of the 14th century, Da Vinci joined the project and ensured that marble brought from Ticino to Milan made it all the way down the canals to what is now the Piazza del Duomo. Why was this marble so important? Because it was being used for the construction of the Duomo itself!


Competition by trams and railways set the canals into a period of disuse. In the early twentieth century, the city of Milan actually undertook a project to cover canals the are in the city. However, the Navigli district remains a living reminder of the age and development of Milan. Now filled with trendy bars and restaurants, this area worked on by da Vinci is considered a "young" and "revitalized" part of the city.

Though we met my intern in August, the streets were still crowded with Italians enjoying apertivo or dinner. Our pizzas were delicious and, by Milan standards, not obscenely expensive. Now that the weather has turned (it's definitely fall in Milan) we'll be out there again for sure, sipping wine along the canals and bridges.