Questa Dolce Vita

I decided to write a blog post because my fingers are the only part of my body that I can move without cringing in pain. We've just come back from a ski weekend in Italy's northern region of Trentino Alto-Adige and my poor muscles saw more action over the past two days than they see in a month. My physical exercise regime currently consists of walking from my office to the espresso machine at work. I predict that it will take me the next week to get back to my normal high-heel strutting self, presently, I am wobbling. It's hilarious. We went to the mountains for a birthday celebration and ended up skiing, drinking, eating, sledding, and après-skiing (glorified drinking in snow gear). We stayed at an AirBnB in the town of Gudon, about a half-hour drive from one of the main starting points for the Superski in Ortisei. ​I'm no expert on ski resorts, I can only reference the resorts that I've been to in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and a few other Italian ones, but those with more experience tell me that the Dolomites boast some of the best skiing in the world. The views were absolutely spectacular, that must be said. The mountain range has an extremely unique and recognizable look to them, quite different from the aesthetics of the Rockies. I particularly appreciate the grooming of the runs and the extensive network of gondolas, chairlifts, and other fancy contraptions that take you from one side of the mountain range to the other. There was even a horse lift where you could literally be pulled across a flat area on your skis (T-bar style), by horses! If you're not sure what madness this is, scroll down and look at the last photograph! What I love most about European resorts is that you not only ski well, but you eat and drink well. No hamburgers or hot dogs here. Well actually that's a lie, there was würstel on the menu, but doesn't that count because the name is much fancier than hot dog and for whatever reason, they are much tastier eaten with an authentic German beer and surrounded by a mix of Italian, German, and English. I love to kick back on the mountain at a little wooden baita (cottage) with a glass of prosecco (or two!) and a homemade slice of lasagna!

​Che bella vita! For more detailed information, please write me or check out the Dolomiti Superski official website.  

Here are some photos that captured our days on the slopes:

Well that's it for 2016 folks. It has been a hoot and a half, that's for sure. I highly doubt that the next year will be able to live up to the last, so many happy things defined my 2016: getting married, seeing my dearest friends and family altogether in Italy, getting married...! And as you probably know, we closed it off with a bang: the blog won the BEST NEW BLOG award from Italy Magazine! This is truly, madly, deeply, one of the greatest honors that an expat in Italy blogger like myself can be given and I'm really so happy, even more so with the fact that maybe we will have more exposure and I can get to connect with more of you living abroad, living in Italy, or dreaming of doing the former two. In the end, that was my greatest hope for the blog, to put our shared experiences into words and help prepare others for the journey! Speaking of journeys, I just came back from one yesterday. Massi and I spent "capodanno" (which technically is the first day of the year because it comes from "capo d'anno", but is typically used to refer to New Year's Eve celebrations) in Ferrara, Italy, a city in the region of Emilia-Romagna. Ferrara is actually reknowned for its New Year's Eve festivities, mainly for the iconic "incendio del castello" (castle-on-fire) where a wonderful fireworks display is coordinated around the Castello Estense in the center of the city. It involves not only traditional fireworks being shot-off from the four towers, but also a cascade of fireworks that pours over the castle walls- combined with smoke and flashing lights, it really seems like the castle is "on fire". ​

We spent the first part of the afternoon walking aimlessly around the city which usually results in us somehow hitting all the major sights and landmarks anyways, one of which is the building above, Palazzo dei Diamanti (referencing diamonds for obvious reasons). This building is particular stunning to see in person, the play of lights and angles is amazing considering it was conceived in 1493. It started to get rather chilly (for Italy) as the sun set, so we took that as indication to huddle in a streetfood kiosk (called Take Eat Easy) with some ice-cold IPA. We then started the arduous task of trying to find somewhere to eat. For New Year's Eve, Italians typically participate in what is called a "cenone" which is just a way to say "big, important dinner". This usually involves going out or staying in with your friends and eating an excessive amount which is like every other Friday night in Italy anyways, so what's the big deal you ask? Probably that if you go out, restaurants have a set menu and start taking reservations in advance. So armed with this knowledge, of course we waited until hours before to start asking around to make a reservation...with zero luck. Every restaurant in Ferrara was AL COMPLETO, FULLY BOOKED. It got to the point where restaurants were putting up makeshift signs so they wouldn't have to repeat it to the umpteenth clueless tourist. We were completely at a loss and contemplating having a kebab when a miracle happened. We were able to secure a table for two at a Chinese restaurant just steps from the castle. If you asked our fellow Italian diners, they would probably tell you it was a horrendous experience, but I, on the other hand, found it delightful. The restaurant had managed to jam in another forty people in its basement, with no emergency exit and no way of even walking between tables. The food was late and didn't follow a particular order, the waiters had no idea what was happening, and only one employee (the restaurant owner's son) spoke Italian. But, we ended up paying 20 Euros a person and the wine was unlimited. Let me repeat, the wine was UNLIMITED. So Massi and I had a grand ole' time, watched the fireworks happy as two clams, and danced until I couldn't take anymore Euro dance music (circa an hour is about my limit). I apologize, the photos are in reverse (so as you scroll down, you'll see the start of our trip). 

This post has been a long time coming which I apologize for, but in all the havoc the weeks leading up to the wedding, entertaining out-of-town guests, and then jetting off on our African honeymoon, I had absolutely zero free time to write about the latest and greatest food (well, beer) tour that I went on. This is the second of the official Milan Food Tours that I've taken, the first you can read about here: The Absolute Best Tour You Can Take in Milan: MILAN FOOD TOUR.

So I had the brilliant idea of doing the Beers and Bites Tour with all my Canadian friends who had arrived the weekend before the wedding in Milan, I thought it would be the perfect low-key pseudo-bachelorette/welcome to Italy shindig, and I did I ever hit the nail on the head! We ended having a private tour, in the sense that there was no one else except my girlfriends and I that had signed-up. This was ideal for us, but I can definitely say a shame for everyone else. The Beers and Bites option is new and hasn't quite got up to speed in popularity with the traditional food tour but it should not be overlooked. I think it's a fantastic way to spend a non-traditional evening in Milan if you're not overly familiar with the city. It's essentially a great way to get a buzz and have someone to hold your hand, guiding you through the maze of Italy's up-and-coming craft beer scene (while also supervising you so no one ends up in the canal from one too many!). 

The tour starts off as all tours do, with a meet and greet with the guide and as you'll see in the first photo above, the girls were all stoked about ours. I feel terrible, but I've completely drawn a blank on his name during the moment of writing this. I really want to say that it was Marcello or Luca, but then again, I think every Italian man is named Marcello thanks to the million times I've watched "Under the Tuscan Sun". Anyways, names aside, ours was STELLAR. He did the tour in English, naturally, and just had a wonderfully laid-back nature about him. He wasn't overly oppressive like some guides can be, nor annoyed or condescending when we asked for the umpteenth selfie or photo of the evening or when we asked a hundred non-beer-related questions. My friends visiting from Canada commented on this afterwards and particularly appreciated the fact that he was conscious of letting us girls catch-up with each other during the tour.  

The photos above are from the first stop where the brewing company was named "Minchia"- want to know the meaning of that? Take the tour to find out! I'm not going to describe in detail each beer or bite, also because being on the smaller side, I'm not sure I can even remember past beer #3 which is always an excellent indicator of how much fun I had. I should mention that what's great about doing a beer tour in any European city like Milan is that you can take your beer with you as you wander around, so it's not that you're required to throw back an entire beer in a manner of minutes each time. I think there's no beating a warm summer day and an ice cold beer in hand while you take in the sights and sounds of one of Italy's most underrated cities. I say this because every time I take a Milan Food Tour, I find myself enjoying Milan more and more. Your guide will weave you in and out of nooks and crannies that you'd never find on your own and that's the beauty of doing these tours. 

I'm not a beer expert by any means, but I'm definitely a food expert. I mean, eating expert. And the "bites" on this tour were beyond expectations. My favourite was the little cone of seafood (below) we each got to nibble on as we perused the crowds along Darsena. The fish came from Milan's seafood market, often said to be the best in Europe, it supplies some of the biggest names and Michelin-starred restaurants across the unofficial capital of finery. 

The tour lasted from 5pm until past sundown, to be honest, we all lost track of the time. Our guide was ever so kind and at the end of it, even called around to his favourite Milan restaurants to get us a table. I'm consistently impressed by the hospitality shown by the Milan Food Tour hosts and this was just a small gesture that really translates into much more for anyone visiting the city, whether it's your first or fiftieth time. Another plus of the Beer and Bites Tour is that it's a nice combination of walking and the occasional sit-down, it's not overly heavy in history-book facts, which I prefer. It's really, truly how a beer tour should be: laid-back, informal, and loads of fun. Even my girlfriends who don't like beer, loved this tour. I'll sign-off now and leave a smattering of photos. Go to the website by clicking on the hyperlink you have any specific questions about the Milan Food Tours or the Beers and Bites Tour. Cin cin! 

This post is a bit delayed, I had written it almost three weeks ago and I'm only getting around to posting it now. I will also be doing a wedding post, a Milan tour post, and a honeymoon post, so keep checking back in the next few weeks!

I know I said I’d be good about posting new content every Friday, but turns out when you’re two weeks out from your wedding, there’s very little time leftover after tastings, meetings, and table planning!
 
So I’m back at work, August vacation is over (mine was not overly extensive since I only took a week off) and most Italians are slowly coming out of their beach-induced comas to re-start the dreadful countdown to the next vacation. I suppose that would be Christmas which truthfully, is not that far away.
 
For Ferragosto this year, we had our traditional day out in the mountains of Abruzzo. You can even check out last year’s post here: Ferragosto in Abruzzo's Mountains 

We always stay in Pacentro, a town nestled into the mountains overlooking Sulmona and made famous by the fact that Madonna’s family is from here. The day of Ferragosto is always one that reminds more of something Canadian than Italian- we spent the entire day camped out in the open air with a fire, blankets to lay down on, and enough food to feed a small village.

We just got back from a day in Rome yesterday. I say “day” because we left Bergamo Sunday morning, arrived in Rome for noon and left promptly 24 hours later. To say it was a whirlwind trip doesn't do it justice. I would also love to say that the motive for the trip was food as is most things I do in this life, but unfortunately that wouldn't be true either. We went to check off yet another bureaucratic fun task- the attaining of a nulla osta (yes another one, they love these things) for our wedding. This entails going to the Embassy of Canada in Rome and presenting a book-size folder of documents procured from your prior Canadian home essentially saying you've never been married at any time between the ages of 16 and your current age, then you have to swear it, then you have to show proof of actually being Canadian and of actually having a real-life Italian that wants to marry you. But enough of that, very boring indeed, suffice to say that we are now in possession of this magical nulla osta that gets us one step closer to getting married here in Italy. 

I know what you really want to hear- what did I eat. Well ladies and gents, Massi and I had the opportunity to take one of the tours offered by The Roman Food Tour. We took what was probably one of the most popular, if not the most classic- concentrated around the historical center and featuring stops at The Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. As background information, I should disclose that this was my fourth international food tour, the previous being The Greenwich Village and NoLita tours in New York City, as well as the Milan Food Tour. Hence, I'm getting pretty well-versed in food tours. It's a hard job, but someone's gotta do it right? 

The Roman Food Tour is a 4-hour walking tour that promises you'll eat like the Gods and learn some cocktail party pleasers along the way. Our group had about 15 people in it, I thought the size was good because hey, the more the merrier. Food tours in general are always a good time because everyone is on vacation and typically chatty and wine-happy. This particular tour has five stops.  The meeting point is at Antica Salumeria, a stone's throw away from the mythical Pantheon. Our guide was Raluca, an expat herself to Rome which I always find to be an endearing touch to tours. They often know even more about Italy than the Italians because they've had to learn the ropes themselves and they bring a mix of local/expat insight to the table. Raluca is very kind and approachable and was filled with 'did you knows' about everything from the origin of the handshake (the Romans invented it) to the way to distinguish artisan gelato from 'artisan' gelato. 
​
Our first stop consisted of speciality coffee and introductions where I absent-mindedly ordered water, having already prepared my tastebuds for something less coffee-flavored and more alcohol-flavored. I ended up stealing most of Massi's delicious coffee granita:
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Next, we tackled aperitivo time back at Antica Salumeria. There was almost a slight guffaw here when the waiters gave us plastic glasses for our Frascati, a delicate DOC white wine produced in the province of Lazio where Rome is found. This perhaps wouldn’t bother anyone since most of us are just wanting to get the bottles popping and the good times rollin’, but I could see the rare wine enthusiast get a bit squirmy on this topic. The spread of affetati (cold cuts of different cured and cooked meats) and cheeses was extraordinary. You are first presented with pieces of mozzarella di bufala; the creaminess and slight sweetness of the buffalo’s milk is both an olfactory and gustatory experience. It goes down much too easily between sips of Frascati. You then have your choice (dangerous) of a variety of Italian cured meats and cheeses, all hand-picked of course by the tour and cut fresh. Don’t miss out on the coppa di testa. I won’t translate it for you, but it’s marvelous and not an intuitive choice that most tourists would make themselves. 
​

The next stop is Hotel Fontana, directly across from the Trevi Fountain and arguably the star of the whole show. You’ll climb up to the top of the hotel where a jaw-dropping view of the fountain awaits. It’s undoubtably a hidden gem that if not priceless, is more than worth the tour cost itself to get a reserved table there. If the view was the star of the show, the wine wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. While you pity all the cramped tourists below, you’ll sip on the finest wines Italy has to offer like a queen. Our samples included a 2010 Barolo and an Amarone della Valpolicella. The Barolo is to die for, as is the black truffle spread and 100 year old balsamic vinegar from Modena that you’ll taste to accompany the wines. 

“Dinner” is a tris of pasta just a short walk from Hotel Fontana, again partnered with a yummy wine that I absolutely forgot to note the name of. The atmosphere in the restaurant is rather unique- the walls are covered with drawings and the first floor filled to the brim with tourists. This stop is the weakest link on the tour in my opinion but Rome may be to blame for this one. Being so tourist-centric, you very typically have to be in the know and get out of the historical center to eat a decent dish of pasta. Every terrible plate of pasta I’ve had in my 8 years experience of Italy has been in Rome and unfortunately this one didn’t break the pattern. After Ranluca finished her speech about the joys of pasta and the importance of the al dente concept, we were given three different types of pasta that were probably cooked another 20 minutes past the point of al dente. To be honest, it was similar to something one might get from Olive Garden or any Italian food chain in North America. Was this a one-off? It’s possible. Did the other tourists on the tour (a mix of British and Americans) realize? Not sure. I think if you had travelled anywhere else prior to Rome, the chances are very high that you’d have already experienced a really good plate of pasta. If you hadn’t and Rome was your first stop, well ignorance is bliss in this case. 

Our final stop on the tour was at Pompi, said to be home to one of the city’s best tiramisu. There are now four of them in Rome but this one is conveniently located near the Spanish Steps. You get a choice of different spins on the classic, or you could just go for the original which is what I did…sorry I don’t have a photo of the tiramisu, it was literally in my belly within five minutes. It comes in an adorable little box like takeaway and is a cute idea which enables you to enjoy it wherever you please during your evening in Roma. The Spanish Steps would be ideal however they are currently being renovated so best to have a backup backdrop for devouring your dessert. 


Positives: 
The view of the Trevi Fountain and the wines served at this stop are the stuff dreams are made of. The guide is knowledgable and entertaining and you definitely get your money’s worth of food and friends at the end of it all. (The negatives section below looks way longer than the positives but it's just because I had a bit of explaining to do, list-wise, the positives would far outrun the negatives!). 


Negatives: 
Our tour was slightly rushed at some points and I'm not sure of where the culprit might be, whether we were slow eaters or we got off on the wrong foot while waiting for our colossal meat and cheese boards at Antica Salumeria (they took awhile to arrive). This was not a problem at all for the group, I think everyone was fairly oblivious to this however, as an Italian-speaker, it was quite blatant to me that there was some tension at our stop at the Hotel Fontana. The fellow there gave our poor tour guide a berating for being late, responded to her questions rather rudely and all in all was clearly in a hurry to get us to leave ASAP. I must emphasize, this was not the fault of the tour but it created a feeling of inhospitality for anyone who might happen to understand Italian (or body language really). 


Summary: 
This tour is perfect, in my opinion, for first-timers to Rome because you get a sampling of everything from food to culinary facts to sight-seeing. You will leave wiser and a few pounds heavier!

For more photos that were not included in this post, please check out the blog's official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/questadolcevitablog

Find and book  The Roman Food Tour here: http://foodtourrome.com/

This past weekend, Massi and I woke up at 4am to board a bus to Assisi in the region of Umbria. This was my first church trip as we went with the other couples from our marriage course and our priest, Don Stefano. After having spent so many hours with these couples, we've slowly been building a relationship with each other that hopefully will endure past the course and continue as we build marriages and families. The region of Umbria is probably my second favorite after Tuscany, it is very similar, perhaps even more lush and green. We spent the Saturday visiting the Church of St. Francis, stopping just for a quick gelato (beer in our case!) in the afternoon and dinner, before heading to see the musical Chiara di Dio which spoke of the life of St. Clare.  I have not been "officially" Catholic for long, I went through the RCIA process a few years ago but it's just such a soul-stirring experience to actually be following in the footsteps of the people I had learnt about and read about in books, to look out over the Umbrian hills and know that Francesco (St. Francis in English) once had the same view...To say a prayer in Clare's courtyard where she would have prayed in peace among flowers and under the bright blue sky.  All I can say about Assisi is go. Go especially if you're contemplating God, or feeling a void in your heart, I guarantee you will find the former and fill the latter. 

Milan has long been far from my favourite city, but I'm starting to bump her up on my list slowly but surely. Especially after Tuesday when I was introduced to her charm by a friend and local, Tiziana. It's actually quite a small world as Tiziana moved from Milan to Canada so we share not only the ability to annoyingly switch languages with each other, but also the awareness of cultural nuances in both countries. We took the train in from Bergamo, specifically to see Da Vinci's rendering of The Last Supper which is really like a dinner at a coveted Milanese restaurant because you absolutely need reservations and you must make them a great deal in advance. The Last Supper is haunting and also a bit sad in the state that it's in (despite having being recently restored)- sometimes seeing art like this, the fading colors, the cracks, reminds me of time and the slow decomposition of beauty. On the flip side, I guess we must think to use this knowledge and really luxuriate in the beauty of every moment, as it's fleeting, unless it's art done by fresco, in which case, it will last a very long time. Surprisingly the best part of the day (next to the two gelato stops we made), was La Vigna di Leonardo (Leonardo's Vineyard) which can be found right across from The Last Supper. A ten Euro ticket gets you into a wonderfully well-kept villa (belonging to a family of which the name escapes me) and in the backyard, in the middle of bustling Milan, you'll find a small vineyard growing the exact grape variety that was once gifted and curated by Leonardo when he lived in the city. Spring is upon us here in Italy, the pink blossoms on the magnolia trees and the sweetness of almond flowers are everywhere. Oh, and so are the lemons...on Dolce and Gabbana purses, dresses, and shoes that is. 

The other side is Italy in case you didn't get my awesome Adele reference. Anyways I'm baaaccckkkkkkk! It's 6am over here and this clearly means I have jet-lag because this is an un-godly hour. I officially arrived on Friday afternoon and made the absolute worst 'brutta figura' at the airport, it was really quite embarrassing. As I'm on a mission impossible of trying to migrate my entire Canadian book collection overseas, I was travelling with two large suitcases, my rolling carry-on, and a backpack. In the past, at Linate airport in Milan, the little luggage carts were free. Now they cost 2 Euros! So in an effort to not fork over money for a stupid cart just to go literally 10 meters, I resolved to a stacking method which basically saw me shuffling like a royal idiot in high heels (my usual airport footwear), pushing these bloody bags at at snail's pace. What's worse is customs tried to stop me but then seemed to realize I was just a hot mess and not actually smuggling anything into the country. As soon as I made it through the sliding doors, my stacked contraption toppled over, right in front of all the people waiting for loved ones with the loudest 'thud' at which point everyone gave me the pity stare. Nothing is really worse than the pity stare. Changing subject, the photographs I've posted are from Saturday when we went skiing (well, snowboarding) which was clearly the best activity choice for someone who just arrived the day before. Needless to say, I was absolutely dead to this world afterwards. I had wanted to watch the finale of San Remo that evening and never even got to the point of turning the television on. 

+ make sure to check out my newest project, The Jasmine & Jhumpa project where I challenge myself to a year of writing in Italian (inspired by Italian-as-a-third-language author Jhumpa Lahiri of "In Altre Parole"). Visit it here: ​http://thejasmineandjhumpaproject.weebly.com/

I haven't much to say about this book yet as I've barely turned the first few pages, however there was already an excerpt that I wanted to share from the prologue. These few lines transported me to my backpacking days when I was younger, no one I knew was married, and Europe was a wide-open play place filled with cheap wine and hostel breakfasts that tasted like heaven after staying up dancing the night away in bars with heinous, tacky names like Lux. Ok, I may still harbor pent-up anger towards that club in Lisbon that wouldn't let our 'backpackers-in-heels'-awesome-selves in unless we gave the doorman 200 Euros each. How could he ask such a thing? That was my food money (Portuguese custard tarts are in fact perfect for breakfast, lunch, and dinner thank you very much). Anyways, here is that excerpt I mentioned before going on a trip down memory lane: 

"A few days later, on the platform at Firenze Santa Maria Novella, I bought a flask of Chianti with two German boys, the kind of wine they sell in bellied bottles with straw aprons, and after no more than a couple of swigs passed out, to wake up in my vomit three hours later in the corridor of an evening Espresso to Rome. Those were the days..." - Tim Parks 

I love sharing photos of Bergamo, she is such a photogenic city but being rather unknown, I feel like she never gets the cover shot of any high-profile travel magazines- you will never find Bergamo on the cover of AFAR (in the voice of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman: BIG mistake, HUGE!). Recently I stumbled upon a genius of a photographer, Daniele Boffelli. Whatever you do, check out his Facebook page here.  He has snapped some stunning/gorgeous/those are the only adjectives I can recall at the moment because The Bachelor premiere was on last night and those are the only words he used to describe the women...anyways, here is a sampling: 

I know, I live in a fairytale. You can all be jealous now. I'd invite you to visit but we haven't furnished our spare room yet so all I can offer at the moment is our very "comfortable" couch or the red-checkered armchair in our taverna next to the fireplace (unless Puffo the cat is occupying it, in which case you'll have to sleep on the floor). 

Unbeknownst to us (and only discovered after Massi's friends in the US told him), our House Hunters International episode has already aired once and is scheduled to air again tomorrow! It is not the same schedule that is being followed by the network HGTV in Canada, so I think all of us north of the border are SOL. So if you happen to be reading this and can PVR our episode, please do and tell me all about it! Also if you happen to be reading this and are an internet mastermind and have somehow found our episode, please forward and you will have a lifetime supply of pasta and my eternal love. Or I suppose if you have a time machine to take me back to yesterday, I will obviously honor the aforementioned means of gratitude. Here's the upcoming airdate (tomorrow):

If you need to know about Milan, I'm the last person you want to talk to. I can count the times I've been on one hand. I was, however, contacted by Apollo TV from Berlin and they shared this wonderfully-done video on the city that is such a stranger to me. I want to be part of the Milan in this video. That's the thing about her- she's not beautiful at first sight (unless you stand in Piazza Duomo), she's rather like that artsy girl in the corner, covered in paint (or graffiti in Milan's case), big plastic glasses, baggy clothes, no make-up: her beauty is hidden. To uncover Milan's, I think you need to really delve into the internal beauty but in order to do so, you have to live there. So stay tuned for more on Milan because next week, I'll be doing just that by taking a tour with a local with the website Withlocals (www.withlocals.com). 

Picture this for a lifestyle change: You’re driving back from the beach in a red Alfa Romeo convertible, winding your way through aromatic Tuscan vineyards at dusk. You round the corner, marked by a hilltop castle, and pass a field of sunflowers. Turning onto a dirt road, you see your house come into view: a stone-walled villa with a large garden and a vista over the hills. 

(.© John Moretti, from Living Abroad in Italy. Also check out Transitions Abroad here. )

Photograph taken by me somewhere in the hills of Tuscany during a Trafalgar tour of Italy. 

Ferragosto takes place every year on August 15th and is probably best described as the high point of every Italian's summer. It's the day that marks the middle of the last summer month and most people spend the day (eating) with their families whether at the sea or in the mountains. We were in Pacentro and, following tradition, headed out into the mountains to spend the day with Massi's relatives who still live in Abruzzo. The men in the family set out early in the morning to lay claim to the best picnic spot and the photograph above is basically what our view looked like. The women followed suit by first cooking up a homemade lasagna in the oven and then heading up as well (with this freshly-baked lasagna in their laps, which I thought was hilarious!). However, this reminded me that the Chinese culture and the Italian culture are not so different because on every family vacation to Hawaii, my grandma would bring us steaming hot bowls of instant noodles directly to the beach for lunch! I'm not sure if that's evidence that our cultures are superior or that we're all just the same level of crazy. When I say that the whole day is spent eating, I mean the WHOLE day is spent eating. The campfire was already blazing by mid-morning and we grilled what was likely an entire lamb (or two) through the course of the day. Luckily, there was also the lasagna, a tomato salad, bruschette, a cake, cookies, and a watermelon to eat, otherwise who knows how we would have survived. You will never face a fate of starvation in the company of Italians. There are a few more photographs below of Ferragosto, as well as what a typical Italian family lunch might look like (we were at an agriturismo just outside of Scanno, a town nestled in the mountains in Abruzzo).

Oh hello again you! It's Thursday and that's exciting because that means the weekend is almost here and I'm in need of it after a bumpy start to my birthday week with the middle-of-nowhere breakdown of my car! It really made me wish I was still here, perusing the market in Gubbio the morning before we left for Abruzzo. I'm a bit of a lover of markets thanks to my mother who, from when I was really young, took us to the International Marketplace in Honolulu, Hawaii every single night of our two-week-long annual family vacations. I love the theatricality of markets- the chaos, smells of porchetta on a bun mixed with fake leather, the yelling, laughter, and inevitable screams of children wanting something they can't have. Love it all. But Spoleto was waiting for us and we had to make haste in hopes that the weather would hold up. 

So here we are in Spoleto, in the province of Perugia where we arrived in time to eat the panini we had bought at the market in Gubbio (because we're thrifty travellers when we need to be!). We had our makeshift picnic in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria dell'Assunta while eavesdropping on our fellow bench-goers who were reciting the history of Spoleto from a guidebook. Being completely un-researched and unprepared, it was a welcome lunchtime treat to hear about the church we were munching in front of! Spoleto, like Gubbio, is another one of those towns that you could spend a couple of days in and never see everything- I counted almost fifteen churches listed on trusty Wikipedia, as well as another fifteen notable historical buildings. Being good tourists, naturally Massi and I focused on the important stuff like taking photos with this female torso sculpture and thinking up comedic captions to go with it (you can imagine some other male tourists had some fun taking lewd photographs, though this is no Nicki Minaj wax figure...). 

We spent a great deal of our time in Spoleto at the Rocca Albornoziana fortress which was worth touring- not for the ancient artifacts housed inside, but for the photo-ops around her exterior (the two previous photographs above were taken there). We didn't have long in this town as we needed to make it to Pacentro (Abruzzo) in time for dinner with the rest of Massi's immediate and extended family. Since food trumps everything, we set out on route to Pacentro. Unfortunately, following our GPS and changing the settings to avoid the autostrada (freeway), we ended up doing an impromptu tour through the mountains and coming into Pacentro from above rather than below, if that makes sense. The usual 45 minute journey ended up taking over 2 hours...! However, it afforded us a fleeting sunset in the mountains as we zoomed through Passo San Leonardo 1282 meters above sea level. Between the horses roaming the roads and the "remnants" they left behind, we had to be extra cautious on the motorcycle. It was worth it however, in the end, to be greeted by a steaming hot plate of pasta with fresh tomato sauce when we finally reached Pacentro "slightly" after the dinner hour. 

The third day is when we crossed over from the region of Tuscany to the region of Umbria and the scenery became lush green hills and valleys as far as the eye can see. Our first stop of the day was Castiglione del Lago that has been given the distinction as one of the borghi più belli d'Italia. We surprisingly were not overly impressed by this one, having seen villages more deserving in Abruzzo (but Massi might be biased seeing as his mum is from Pacentro). The village is situated within stone walls overlooking Lake Trasimeno; the photograph above is of me sitting in an olive grove in front of the Fortress of the Lion, probably the most notable sight to pay a visit to in the town. We didn't stay too long, just enough to take a few pictures (like this one below where I was so tempted to stop for lunch, the restaurants in Italy are just too darn cute!). 

Our next stop would be Cortona, the town made famous by Frances Mayes and her novel (life story)-turned-Hollywood movie: Under the Tuscan Sun. Like all italophiles, I love that movie (and Marcello aka Raoul Bova in his younger, more good-looking days). The town of Cortona also just happens to be the stomping ground of current students in the Faculty of Art from my alma mater, the University of Alberta. My former university has a campus in Cortona and it was neat to wander around and reflect on how many students from my hometown have walked the same streets over the years, lived out the much-idealized summer abroad; how many of them fell in love with Italy right there? 

Unfortunately the afternoon started to get hazy and by lunchtime, we knew we were in for a full-blown storm. We did what any reasonable person would do in this situation- ducked into the nearest trattoria to bunker down for a Tuscan lunch and wait out the rain. The area is known for an 'abundance' of truffles, so I indulged in fettucine sprinkled with black truffles while Massi took on a modest 1.3kg of fiorentina steak. Needless to say, by the time he finished, the storm had subsided and we bid arrivederci to Cortona, leaving her beauty in the distance. 

We arrived in Gubbio before dinnertime, a distinctly medieval town located at the bottom of Mount Ingino. I feel like I keep repeating the term 'medieval' to describe everything but out of all the towns so far, Gubbio is the most deserving of the description- it has a certain darkness to it, likely due to the presence of dark, grey stone used in most of the buildings, casting shadows on the narrow alleyways and numerous sets of stairs climbing up and down through the town. The architecture is Gothic and we saw only a few of the main sights such as the Roman theater and the Palazzo dei Consoli, both pictured below. Having been chilled by the rain on the back of the motorcycle for most of our journey, I was feeling slightly under the weather for our evening in Gubbio, my insatiable appetite not even making her usual dinnertime appearance. I think you would need a couple of days here to really see all the town has to offer, it's organized very well for tourists, with maps and walking itineraries dotted throughout the historic center. Be prepared to work up a sweat as many of the more popular sights are higher up in the town, as well you can trek up to the church which overlooks Gubbio (seen in the photo below) for a wonderful panorama. 

After a prompt wake-up at our camp site due to hoards of children splashing in the pool at 8am, we readied the bike for yet another day touring Tuscany. Our morning stops included Monteriggioni and Montalcino, the latter which I had visited previously about two years ago. Monteriggioni was recommended to us by locals of the area during a bar stop, described enthusiastically as a hilltop medieval town not to be missed. And right they were. It is quite a sight to behold as you drive up being completely flanked on all sides by tall, intimidating, stone walls like something out of a fairy tale. You can pay a small entrance fee to climb up and walk the passageway along the walls which once guarded this city, money well spent as the view of the Tuscan countryside is priceless and you can even test your eyesight to find Siena on the horizon. 

Around mid-day we picked up two panini from a little shop in Siena, threw them in our backpack and headed out in search of the perfect picnic spot. We drove a dirt road until we found a clearing lined with cypress trees that just felt like Tuscany should. I could've stayed there all day, soaking up the sun and the sweet aroma of those trees if it were not for our impending next stop of Montalcino.

Personally, I was most excited to head over to Montalcino- knowing that it is the home of my favorite wine (Brunello di Montalcino) and the frequent rival of world renowned Bordeaux. I was just itching for the moment those drops of ruby red would reach my lips, having had quite the memorable introductory experience to this particular wine on a vineyard tour with my mother. By a stoke of luck, we happened to stop there the day the four contrade (quarters) were coming together to take part in an archery contest in the Fortezza which is done in full Medieval costume, opening with a parade through the city. This apparently occurs just twice a year in Montalcino, so traveller's luck really does exist! The first photo below is me with my first glass of a 2010 Brunello (the earliest year available since a true Brunello can only be sold 5 years after the year of harvest, 6 years for it to be called a Riserva). 

A glass of Brunello and several cheeses later, it was late afternoon and the air was starting to change. We could smell a storm brewing and the dark grey skies were telling us to get a move on. We decked out in rain gear and directed the bike to Montichiello, a town that literally IS a postcard of Tuscany. You know the postcards with the winding roads lined by cypress trees that immediately come to mind when one thinks of Italy? That photograph was probably taken in and around Montichiello. We had initially wanted to stay in the town but every B&B we knocked on was either full or the owners away on their own vacation. So, only feeling slightly dejected, we spent the night in Chianciano Terme. The best way I can describe this town is as Italy's version of Atlantic City, a once vibrant and booming resort town that has since gone out of fashion, hence the cheap hotel rates. We actually had a very enjoyable evening, having dinner in our hotel with all of the (now 'older') regulars that had started coming to the terme when it was all the rage and never stopped. Check out the photographs below of the roads leading up to and away from Montichiello. Even in the rain, it was simply gorgeous. 

I'm back "home" in Bergamo, Italy after a whirlwind of a summer vacation around central Italy by motorcycle and then Ireland. I haven't posted anything on the blog the entire trip due to time restrictions (and lack of wi-fi), so I am slowly going to be writing a post for each day or two. I'm not enthused about having to scourge through the 500 photographs we took over the past 14 days, oh how I loathe picking and choosing for the blog! So we left Bergamo in the late morning two Saturdays ago- the sun was scalding and I was not impressed with having to wear a leather jacket and motorcycle gloves, although I was more than pleased with my footwear choice (to the dismay of Massi). The first leg of the trip was not exactly ideal as we basically flew down the autostrada until we reached Florence. For those of you experienced on a motorcycle, highways are not fun- all your effort goes into keeping your head from whipping side-to-side in the wind, so much so that your neck starts killing you after the first fifteen minutes. You can barely look at your surroundings because the slightest deviation of your helmet from parallel to the acceleration of the bike results in bad news bears. Our first stop was for lunch on the Strada del Chianti. We devoured a panino made on the spot with fresh bread and freshly-cut mortadella with pistachios (my favourite), cruised a little more, and then took this shot that you see above, distinctly Tuscany wouldn't you say? 

By this time, it was already getting to be late afternoon so we decided to take the obligatory gelato stop at San Gimignano (called the Manhattan of the Medieval times due to the abundance of towers).  I had never been before, however had heard of it's famed gelateria located its main piazza after having read about it numerous times at Cows Ice Cream in Banff, Alberta. Most recently, the gelateria hasn't won back its coveted "best gelato in the world' title, but its claim to fame is the awards it won in 2006/2007 and 2008/2009. A highly recommended pit-stop for anyone doing a tour of Tuscany, I enjoyed walking through the town as much as I enjoyed the gelato. We left about after an hour or so meandering up and down and around San Gimignano. The ride through the Tuscan countryside as the sun started setting was magical, honestly, you haven't lived until you've experienced these winding backroads through vineyards at dusk. The light is golden and it casts a spell on the entire Tuscan landscape, the air is warm and sweet, as only it can be during an Italian summer. I've tried to capture it for you in third photograph above, however, I think I've tried in vain. We were making our way to Siena where we were to spend the night when we passed Colle Valle d'Elsa (pictured below) and were compelled to stop for dinner. It is a town much like Bergamo, albeit smaller, surrounded by medieval stone walls. It was here that we had a wonderful stroke of traveller's luck when we found ourselves walking through ancient underground passageways that eventually took us to dinner. Again, definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. There's also an insanely quaint restaurant atop the gates leading into the city, although we opted to venture inside the walls for our meal of pizza and beer. Another 30 minutes later, our heads were hitting the pillows in a camping site just outside of Siena, in total and utter exhaustion (being a bit virginal at this touring on a motorcycle thing!). And so concluded our first day on the road, on our way to Abruzzo. 

Ciao a tutti! First off, today is the last day before unofficial summer vacation for practically all of Italy. Not sure if you knew this, but in August, the majority of Italian companies shut down to allow for their employees to head out to the sea and basically live the dolce vita that Italy is so famous for. In the past, this used to be even a month long, nowadays, the standard is usually 2 to 3 weeks but hey, who can complain about that?! This whole concept has evolved around this time of year as August 15th is Ferragosto, an Italian and Sammarinese public holiday coinciding with the major Catholic feast of the Assumption of Mary (yup, that's straight from Wikipedia but let's pretend I knew it off the top of my head). We are so stoked to be headed off on the motorcycle starting tomorrow so make sure to follow the Instagram feed (@questadolcevita) for immediate updates on where we are. First stop>>>SIENA! 

BUONE FERIE A TUTTI!!! 

See you in Siena, then Montalcino, then Montepulciano, then Gubbio....and the rest is to be announced. (Notice how all these places have amazing wine? Strategy friends, strategy). 

My good friend Sunmi created this video three years ago based on three weeks spent studying abroad on the Italian island of Ischia, in the town of Forio. At my alma mater, the University of Alberta, the Faculty of Pharmacy offers a course taught in Italy to its third year pharmacy students. This little film was used as a promotional video for upcoming years after us but I thought I'd share it here on the blog since it gives a cute, "interactive" view of an island that is normally overlooked in favor of more well-known names such as Capri. The commentary is by Sunmi. 

International love stories are way more common than I would have ever imagined. I think this is because in Italy, I've been acutely more "in-touch" with the expat community and the inevitable reasons why they are here (the overwhelming response is per amore). Isn't that lovely? Just the thought immediately warms my heart. I wish I could recount all the amazing stories I've heard since moving to Italy, they all belong in books to be read by future generations in those rare instances when you lose faith in love. 

I admit that I always dreamed of a love without borders, the kind that you read about in the travel literature section. Forged between two countries and two languages, a sophisticated, wrenching kind of jet-set relationship emerges whether you wanted it or not. Happy moments captured all over the world also fail to convey the hardships of leaving...leaving each other, leaving family and friends, leaving jobs, leaving home to build another. It's the crazy, stupid love that does it you know. Massi and I have been living our crazy, stupid love story for 7 years now (as Facebook reminded me) and so here are some of our very worldly moments- can you guess where we are in each of them?  Also, if you have an international love story to share, please do! Leave it in the comments or e-mail yours truly! x

Last Saturday, Massi and I took the morning and good part of the afternoon to do a whirlwind trip around Lake Como, passing through Lecco, Varenna, and eventually scaling up the mountainside back to Passo San Marco and returning to Bergamo through San Pellegrino. I'm not actually going to list various reasons George Clooney (and now Amal) can be found gallivanting around the Lake Como area in the summers, I think it's pretty obvious- it's gorgeous. As well, being by the lake takes away some of the intense heat due to the cool breeze coming off the water, so the temperature is just perfect. On the way to Varenna, we stopped at a lakeside bar with the most darling terrace, characteristically covered in vines and furnished with wrought iron tables and chairs. It was the perfect pit-stop to enjoy the lake and indulge in my newest obsession- Lugana white wine (am I late on this bandwagon? It's the ideal summer white wine, not too sweet, not too dry...so refreshing!). Lunch was had, instead, up in the mountains at Osteria Ortesida. We had the pizzoccheri, perhaps the most famous dish from that area of the valley which is basically like an extremely sophisticated version of mac&cheese in the sense that it's a pasta dish with melted local cheeses, potatoes, and this time there was also cabbage. On the way up to Passo San Marco, we decided to take a little afternoon snooze on the mountainside. I felt like I was somewhere in Middle Earth, or Ireland. Ok,  I've never been to Ireland but for some reason I imagine it to be like the photos you'll see below...Lots coming up in questa dolce vita since starting August 8th, all of Italy, including yours truly, goes on vacation for the famed Ferragosto "holiday" and Massi and I will be taking you all on a motorcycle tour of Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzo, and Le Marche before we head out to Ireland for a fabulous Canadian/Irish wedding where I will be sure to Instagram (the venue is a CASTLE!)....Where are ya'll headed for summer vacation? 

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to meet fellow friends (old and new!), Chelsea and Yuriy, on the Ligurian coast. We are so lucky to be able to drive from Bergamo to Portofino in less than three hours and so when I heard this jet-setting couple was headed down to Italy from Paris, I just knew I had to jump on the chance to meet. I love seeing friends from home while abroad. It might be the surreal-ness of it, the way it makes the world feel so small. It might be the fact that they somehow quench my thirst for home- the familiar accent, the way they talk and laugh, and the ease that comes from being in the company of people that grew up where you did. Whatever it is, it's always a pleasure. Massi and I drove down Saturday morning and immediately claimed our spot at the beach in Camogli (the photo above is of the beach and shoreline). We spent the entire day there like the Italians do, only breaking to re-hydrate with ice cold Moretti beers; it was scorching- a heat so indescribable the only way I can do it justice is by saying we only managed to leave the water momentarily for five or ten minute spurts. 

We had booked a hotel using AirBnB for the very first time- being as scalding as the weather was, the entire Ligurian coast was booked full and the remaining prices were astronomical. We paid a cool 55 euros for an apartment tucked away in the hills behind Camogli and it was perfect. considering prices were running almost triple that for a single night in a hotel. We even managed to drag ourselves out of our beach stupor to wander around Camogli before heading back to freshen up for dinner. Our original (overly idealistic) plan was to meet up in Portofino, but having driven there and having no luck with parking, we back-tracked and decided on Santa Margherita Ligure, which to be honest, is devastatingly cute and probably underrated next to its famed neighbor. After an aperitivo of beers (tonic water and lemon for heat-stroked me), the four of us meandered over to our 9 o'clock reservation at Ristorante da Antonio (check it out on Trip Advisor because it was wonderful). The ceiling of the restaurant is draped with vines and they offer you pink prosecco to start. Our dinner was done Italian-style, something like three or four hours later, we were the second-to-last table remaining, glowing from the good food, company, flowing wine, all encompassed bit of magic that Italian summer nights seem to create. The limoncello was perfect and I had moscato-drenched peaches for dessert, one of my favourites thusfar. For even more photographs of our weekend, follow my Instagram (@questadolcevita)! 

I’m playing catch-up with the blog, so this post is not about this weekend which we spent at the seaside near Portofino, but instead about the weekend before that where we took Massi’s blonde girlfriend up into the mountains. Italians do one of two things when there’s a heat wave- they escape either to the mountains, or to the seaside, there’s really only those two options; it’s almost unheard of to stay in the city, or if you do, you’re spending the entire day in front of your air conditioner wishing you were in the mountains or at the sea... 

I had just bought a new motorcycle jacket (my first) and evidently I have excellent taste in motorcycle wear because I guess the brand I chose is quite popular (in addition to pricey, I can attest to that!). So this was the jacket’s debut- a quick jaunt to Passo San Marco. Massi calls it the “top of the world” and it really is worth a visit if you’re ever in the area. The views are just incredible, the drive up even more so. I found it endearing that there was a food truck up at the top, they were advertising every variation of food made with mirtilli (blueberries), so I assume they are in abundance up there at this time of year. 


Next post up: our sun-filled weekend on the Ligurian Coast meeting up with friends from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada! 

If you follow me on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/questadolcevitablog), you've already seen this one- that time I wore my boots to the beach in Sicily and all the flip-flop-clad Europeans experienced a major case of shock and awe. I would just like to point out that all the major Italian magazines are touting "western style" to be the newest summer trend this year.