Mon 25 Nov- we had to get up early to have breakfast; everything closes about 8 am, and we were supposed to vacate our rooms by then. Our departure was scheduled around 10 am, so we went to the library and read our books.
Disembarkation was smooth, wait for a taxi was short and before noon we were at Ft. Lauderdale airport. We checked with the Southwest agent, and managed to get on an earlier flight. We arrived in Denver, had lunch, got on another plane, and arrived on time in San Jose. Amazingly all our luggage made it, too. Alan was ther to pick us up.
On the way home Kiyomi requested a stop by Nijiya, the big Japanese supermarket. After nine months, she had an overwhelming urge for mizudake, a Japanese soup made with lots of vegetables, so that was our first meal at home.
So ended our grand trip through Europe: safe at home, healthy and with all our luggage.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Mon 24 Nov- Our last day of the cruise
Mon 24 Nov- we enjoyed the final buffet breakfast, and then walked the deck to enjoy the nice weather as we steamed toward Miami. Stan had finished 'The Singularity is Near' and had started on Thomas Friedman's 'The World is Flat'; so he was trying to finish as much as possible before disembarkation, while Kiyomi was trying to finish her book. We enjoyed the Horizon Lounge for a while, and then played Held in the Game Room.
Although the Regatta had nominal Internet access, it was $1/minute, a rate that just didn't justify using the Internet, especially considering the very slow connection speed (satellite link - cable is not available at sea!). We did make an exception and checked in at Southwest for our flight tomorrow, and just that cost about $10. We enjoyed the last String Quartet performances.
Dinner tonight was at the Tuscana, an upscale Italian themed restaurant, where we had an excellent Italian dinner, complete with olive oil and balsamico (which we now appreciated after our tour of Tuscany) with the bread, freshly-made pasta, and Stan had the dessert quintet special, similar to the Polo Grill, it's a selection of five Italian desserts
Although the Regatta had nominal Internet access, it was $1/minute, a rate that just didn't justify using the Internet, especially considering the very slow connection speed (satellite link - cable is not available at sea!). We did make an exception and checked in at Southwest for our flight tomorrow, and just that cost about $10. We enjoyed the last String Quartet performances.
Dinner tonight was at the Tuscana, an upscale Italian themed restaurant, where we had an excellent Italian dinner, complete with olive oil and balsamico (which we now appreciated after our tour of Tuscany) with the bread, freshly-made pasta, and Stan had the dessert quintet special, similar to the Polo Grill, it's a selection of five Italian desserts
Sun 23 Nov- Jacques Pepin cooking demonstration
Sun 23 Nov- after breakfast, the enrichment lecture was 'The Environment and You', in which Derek pointed out the need for taking better care of our environment, emphasized by the photo of the small-looking earth as seen from the moon. There was not much disagreement about the need to be good custodians of our world so we can leave it in good shape to our descendents.
The final Jacques Pepin cooking demonstration was enjoyed by a large number of passengers; many, including Kiyomi, got autographed books or DVDs after the demo.
We had an early dinner so we could listen to the String Quartet for a longer time, then attended the show 'Salute 2008', which featured not only all the entertainers, but also the officers and crew from all departments of the ship. There was mutual appreciation expressed between the officers and crew, and the passengers, and an 'Auld Lang Syne' rendition by everyone.
The final Jacques Pepin cooking demonstration was enjoyed by a large number of passengers; many, including Kiyomi, got autographed books or DVDs after the demo.
We had an early dinner so we could listen to the String Quartet for a longer time, then attended the show 'Salute 2008', which featured not only all the entertainers, but also the officers and crew from all departments of the ship. There was mutual appreciation expressed between the officers and crew, and the passengers, and an 'Auld Lang Syne' rendition by everyone.
Sat 22 Nov- Hamilton, Bermuda
Sat 22 Nov- after another nice buffet breakfast, we decided to walk to the Bermuda Botanical Garden (http://www.bgci.org/garden.php?id=852). Once we left the center of town, it was a very nice walk (except for lack of sidewalks) through pretty lush countryside. It's surprising how well everything grows, considering the soil is mostly limestone. The garden was very enjoyable, not just a compilation of plants, but an enjoyable layout with interesting areas, including a small-scale example of four different types of gardens. We got our exercise for the day walking there, walking around the garden, and then walking back to the ship. The ship departed for Miami as we watched from the rails. We enjoyed another great dinner and String Quartet music.
Fri 21 Nov- Hamilton, Bermuda and Stan's birthday at the Polo Restaurant
Fri 21 Nov- when we awoke and went for breakfast, the sea was much calmer. We decided to play Held and read in the Horizons Lounge. During and after lunch, we were approaching our port, Hamilton Bermuda. We sailed past beautiful tropical islands with lush vegetation, and fabulous mansions with yachts anchored in front.
After the ship docked, we disembarked and walked around the town. We found a flower shop where we bought Casa Blanca lilies for our cabin, and also picked up maps with tourist attractions. The GPS did not know about Hamilton, but we saved the ship's location so at least we could head back in the right direction. Hamilton is an attractive, clean town (a map and tourist info is at http://www.lookbermuda.net/bermuda.aspx?id=8002&client=undefined, and has a nice park downtown next to the library, the Par-La-Ville Park. We walked around for a couple of hours, then returned to the ship for the Quartet and then dinner.
We had dinner in the Polo Grill, a separate restaurant on Deck 10, which specializes in meat dishes. The view of Hamilton was beautiful; they have already started putting out Christmas decorations, and it is quite pretty. Stan had the 'Surf & Turf', beef and lobster; Kiyomi had the New York Steak; both were excellent; and we had Asti Spumante to go with it. For dessert, Stan had the special quintet of desserts, a little taste of five of the items on the dessert menu. It was a very enjoyable meal celebrating Stan's 66th birthday.
After the ship docked, we disembarked and walked around the town. We found a flower shop where we bought Casa Blanca lilies for our cabin, and also picked up maps with tourist attractions. The GPS did not know about Hamilton, but we saved the ship's location so at least we could head back in the right direction. Hamilton is an attractive, clean town (a map and tourist info is at http://www.lookbermuda.net/bermuda.aspx?id=8002&client=undefined, and has a nice park downtown next to the library, the Par-La-Ville Park. We walked around for a couple of hours, then returned to the ship for the Quartet and then dinner.
We had dinner in the Polo Grill, a separate restaurant on Deck 10, which specializes in meat dishes. The view of Hamilton was beautiful; they have already started putting out Christmas decorations, and it is quite pretty. Stan had the 'Surf & Turf', beef and lobster; Kiyomi had the New York Steak; both were excellent; and we had Asti Spumante to go with it. For dessert, Stan had the special quintet of desserts, a little taste of five of the items on the dessert menu. It was a very enjoyable meal celebrating Stan's 66th birthday.
Thu 20 Nov- another rough day at sea in the Bermuda Triangle
Thu 20 Nov- We awoke to another rough day; we were again glad our cabin is amidships. Some passengers had trouble sleeping, and we noticed a number of seasickness remedies, including a bracelet that applies pressure to the wrist and Dramamine or Bonine patches. Oceania@ sea put on a 'The Amazing iPod' presentation, showing the timeline of the iPod from its first appearance to this year. It really illustrates Ray Kurzweil's thesis in "The Singularity is Near" that the rate of adoption of new things like cell phones and personal music devices is accelerating. A cooking demo by Jacques Pepin was scheduled for immediately after, but had to be canceled due to the rough seas; Kiyomi and many other passengers were disappointed. Maybe it has something to do with our traveling through the Bermuda Triangle
After our buffet lunch, Stan attended the enrichment lecture 'Man on the Moon'. It was quite interesting, illustrated by many photos.
The Art Seminar 'Spanish Masters' compared and contrasted Spain's two surrealist painters, Salvador Dali and Joan Miro. Stan and Kiyomi still don't like Miro, but understand his art a little better; we got an even greater understanding and appreciation of Dali.
The Regatta String Quartet played for Afternoon Tea, so we again enjoyed their styling. The after-dinner show was supposed to be Hanna Starosta in a new show, but the rough sea caused her to cancel. Instead, we got a show featuring several of the other singers, plus the Regatta Orchestra.
After our buffet lunch, Stan attended the enrichment lecture 'Man on the Moon'. It was quite interesting, illustrated by many photos.
The Art Seminar 'Spanish Masters' compared and contrasted Spain's two surrealist painters, Salvador Dali and Joan Miro. Stan and Kiyomi still don't like Miro, but understand his art a little better; we got an even greater understanding and appreciation of Dali.
The Regatta String Quartet played for Afternoon Tea, so we again enjoyed their styling. The after-dinner show was supposed to be Hanna Starosta in a new show, but the rough sea caused her to cancel. Instead, we got a show featuring several of the other singers, plus the Regatta Orchestra.
Wed 19 Nov- another day at sea - a Country Fair and 'Destino'
Wed 19 Nov- after breakfast, the crew put on a Country Fair. This is where they put up many games of skill and chance for the passengers to try their skill or luck, things like ring-toss, basketball toss, etc. We had more fun watching than actually participating. Some of the games were quite amusing to watch. Fortunately the sea had calmed somewhat.
After the buffet lunch there was an art auction preview, with free champagne to lure people in. Kiyomi and Stan would have attended even without the champagne inducement; there was a lot of interesting art to look at, by well-known as well as unknown (to us) artists. Stan likes Salvador Dali, and they had a special presentation of 'Destino' created by collaboration between Walt Disney and Dali, setting Armando Dominguez’s Mexican Ballad 'Destino' into an animated short based on Dali's art ( http://www.animationartconservation.com/destiny_of_dali_destino.html). There's lots more if you google the words: disney dali animated short.
The String Quartet played at Afternoon Tea, then workout, then yet another great dinner, followed by a comedy and magic show featuring Mark Worgan in a new show. Once again his act was very enjoyable, with hard to believe effects.
After the buffet lunch there was an art auction preview, with free champagne to lure people in. Kiyomi and Stan would have attended even without the champagne inducement; there was a lot of interesting art to look at, by well-known as well as unknown (to us) artists. Stan likes Salvador Dali, and they had a special presentation of 'Destino' created by collaboration between Walt Disney and Dali, setting Armando Dominguez’s Mexican Ballad 'Destino' into an animated short based on Dali's art ( http://www.animationartconservation.com/destiny_of_dali_destino.html). There's lots more if you google the words: disney dali animated short.
The String Quartet played at Afternoon Tea, then workout, then yet another great dinner, followed by a comedy and magic show featuring Mark Worgan in a new show. Once again his act was very enjoyable, with hard to believe effects.
Tue 18 Nov- a rough day at sea
Tue 18 Nov- the ship was rocking pretty vigorously, so getting breakfast was a challenge, avoiding other people who were also having trouble walking in a straight line. We managed successfully, and heard some of the passengers comparing this 'little roughness' to some real heavy seas they had encountered on other crossings. We were glad we were not on them! The enrichment lecture was about 'College Hall - RAF Cranwell', apparently Derek Clark's alma mater, which was also attended by both Prince William and Prince Charles. If you're interested, try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_College_Cranwell but the anecdotes told by Derek Clark were quite interesting. A cooking demo by Jacques Pepin was scheduled; Kiyomi and many other passengers were inspired.
The String Quartet didn't play at Tea today, so we spent more time in the gym, trying to burn off calories that have been building up and out from all the good food.
After replenishing the lost calories at another delicious dinner, we attended the show 'Collections' featuring Emily Garth (see http://hstrial-egarth.homestead.com/references.html for a bio and photos; she's also on FaceBook and MySpace.) You can hear her singing a few nice songs on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vLOSFSYe-Y
The String Quartet didn't play at Tea today, so we spent more time in the gym, trying to burn off calories that have been building up and out from all the good food.
After replenishing the lost calories at another delicious dinner, we attended the show 'Collections' featuring Emily Garth (see http://hstrial-egarth.homestead.com/references.html for a bio and photos; she's also on FaceBook and MySpace.) You can hear her singing a few nice songs on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vLOSFSYe-Y
Mon 17 Nov- another day at sea
Mon 17 Nov- after breakfast there was an Oceania@sea seminar on using the Internet to shop, then an art seminar on Picasso -'the artist who changed the world of art'. Then the buffet lunch, which features many delicious desserts and 8 or so flavors of ice cream with various toppings that Stan cannot resist; and cooked-to-order pasta that Kiyomi cannot resist. The enrichment lecture presented 'Travels of a Spaceman', which Stan found interesting, but Kiyomi skipped.
After the Afternoon Tea with String Quartet concert, and the trip to the gym, it was again time for another great dinner.
The show was a hilarious 'The Liars Club' presentation. We found out there is actually a phobia about getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_phobia_is_the_fear_of_peanut_butter_sticking_to_the_roof_of_your_mouth), among learning other interesting (but not very useful) words. The truth was often as fantastic as the lies.
After the Afternoon Tea with String Quartet concert, and the trip to the gym, it was again time for another great dinner.
The show was a hilarious 'The Liars Club' presentation. We found out there is actually a phobia about getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_phobia_is_the_fear_of_peanut_butter_sticking_to_the_roof_of_your_mouth), among learning other interesting (but not very useful) words. The truth was often as fantastic as the lies.
Sun 16 Nov- another day at sea
Sun 16 Nov- after breakfast there was a cooking demonstration by Jacques Pepin scheduled but a rough sea caused cancellation. The ship was pitching pretty vigorously, but fortunately neither of us got seasick. We kept busy playing Held and eating. The guest enrichment lecture by Derek Clark was "it's Rocket Science", a topic dear to Stan's heart, since he was a rocket scientist for 20 years, but Kiyomi decided to skip it.
After another delicious dinner we skipped the show (singing style we don't like) and listened to the String Quartet instead.
After another delicious dinner we skipped the show (singing style we don't like) and listened to the String Quartet instead.
Sat 15 Nov- Funchal, Madeira (Portugal)
Sat 15 Nov- today we docked in Funchal, Madeira (actually part of Portugal) for 8 hours. We went ashore after breakfast, with a shopping list that included flowers for the cabin and Port wine for after-dinner enjoyment. We walked around the town, enjoying the warm day, blue sky, kind of windy, but really quite pleasant. We found some nice flowers, but not the fragrant variety of the 'Casa Blanca' lilies we wanted. The flowers do add nice color and some pleasant fragrance to our cabin. We found some nice "Casa dos Vinhos Madeira" port, 3 bottles for the price of 2, so we bought that. It's really good as a sweet after-dinner drink. We walked back to the ship through Santa Caterina Park, enjoying the garden aspects and the nice view of the harbor and town below.
Back on the ship, we enjoyed lunch and later the String Quartet. We relaxed, reading our books and playing 'Held'.
The show (after anaother delicious dinner) was 'A Celebration of Music', featuring the vocal styling of Emily Garth, Kami Rodgers, Chris Shafer; and the music of the Regatta String Quartet and the Regatta Orchestra (all Russians, playing very jazzy arrangements of tunes).
Back on the ship, we enjoyed lunch and later the String Quartet. We relaxed, reading our books and playing 'Held'.
The show (after anaother delicious dinner) was 'A Celebration of Music', featuring the vocal styling of Emily Garth, Kami Rodgers, Chris Shafer; and the music of the Regatta String Quartet and the Regatta Orchestra (all Russians, playing very jazzy arrangements of tunes).
Fri 14 Nov- Jacques Pepin Cooking Demonstration
Fri 14 Nov- highlight of today was a cooking demonstration by Jacques Pepin, one of Kiyomi's favorite cooks. Master Chef Pepin is the Oceania's executive chef, and has many 'signature' dishes available in the dining room. He is onboard for our transatlantic crossing, and today gave a demonstration that was packed with interested passengers. The link connects to the KQED website, where Jacques records his shows for PBS. You can get lots of information there, including recipes and future programs schedule. Afterwards, he autographed cookbooks that were eagerly snapped up. Kiyomi got three total, one for her, and one each for our children.
We enjoyed the Regatta String Quartet performances, then had another delicious meal, and the hardest part was choosing among all the interesting menu items (the next hardest part was eating everything - there was sooo much and an irresistible desert came just as you felt you could not eat another bite!) Afterwards we enjoyed the comedy and magic of Mark Worgan 'Unseen by millions'. It was fun, his magic seemed like it wasn't working, but at the end, to our surprise, everything came out right.
We enjoyed the Regatta String Quartet performances, then had another delicious meal, and the hardest part was choosing among all the interesting menu items (the next hardest part was eating everything - there was sooo much and an irresistible desert came just as you felt you could not eat another bite!) Afterwards we enjoyed the comedy and magic of Mark Worgan 'Unseen by millions'. It was fun, his magic seemed like it wasn't working, but at the end, to our surprise, everything came out right.
Thu 13 Nov- Day Two
Thu 13 Nov- the ship docked at Tangier, Morocco but we stayed on board, enjoying the view of the city from a distance. We had been there on a previous cruise, and didn't need to renew our acquaintance. After a leisurely breakfast buffet, we played some ping pong, read our books, and played our favorite card game, 'Held'. It's a competitive version of solitaire that gets pretty wild at times (especially with more than two players). If you're interested, I'll try to find the rules (pretty simple, actually, if you know the version of solitaire it is based on).
Our daily schedule is usually Afternoon Tea at 4, then from 5 to 6 or so, a trip to the gym, where Stan rides the stationary bike, Kiyomi does the Stairmaster; then both of us do resistance training on the equipment. We burn off a few calories and enjoy the exercise. We enjoyed the gym and exercise quite a few times during the cruise, as well as walking around Deck 10 that overlooks the pool in one direction, and the ocean in the other.
After the gourmet dinner and listening to the Regatta String Quartet in the Upper Hall, we went to the show featuring Kami Rodgers in "Opera in Concert", a selection of arias that we both enjoyed, as did the other passengers.
Our daily schedule is usually Afternoon Tea at 4, then from 5 to 6 or so, a trip to the gym, where Stan rides the stationary bike, Kiyomi does the Stairmaster; then both of us do resistance training on the equipment. We burn off a few calories and enjoy the exercise. We enjoyed the gym and exercise quite a few times during the cruise, as well as walking around Deck 10 that overlooks the pool in one direction, and the ocean in the other.
After the gourmet dinner and listening to the Regatta String Quartet in the Upper Hall, we went to the show featuring Kami Rodgers in "Opera in Concert", a selection of arias that we both enjoyed, as did the other passengers.
Wed 12 Nov- Day one, at sea
Wed 12 Nov- the Regatta serves an extensive breakfast buffet, as well as a sit-down breakfast, which is served by waiters in the Grand Dining Room. We usually opted for the buffet at the Terrace Cafe, going for the fresh fruit, fresh bread, cooked-to-order eggs or omelet, and plenty of coffee (Stan added the cocoa mix to his, as might be expected).
After breakfast was an Oceania@sea presentation, 'Digital Camera and Photography - Tips and Tricks' presentation that Stan enjoyed, learning several new things. Then it was lunchtime, and we usually go to the Terrace Cafe for the extensive luncheon buffet; Kiyomi having pasta, vegetables and salad while Stan tries several of the desserts and ice cream with various toppings (usually including chocolate syrup).
In the afternoon there was an enrichment lecture 'Journey into Space' (or why you don't want to be an astronaut!) by Derek Clark of the RAF (retired). His talk considerd the effect on the human body of space flight, and the living and working conditions in a space microgravity environment. The talk then considered the uses of space, such as the Global Positioning System (which I used extensively in Europe) and space surveillance, before ending with a discussion of the Challenger accident. He had a host of stories, and lots of pictures about the early days of space travel.
At 4 pm daily is the Afternoon Tea, which features hors d'oeuvres and tea, but more interestingly, music by the Regatta String Quartet. The quartet is composed of 2 violins, a viola, and a cello. The performers are 3 lovely ladies and a handsome guy, all Russians, all professional musicians, playing all kinds of music, from classical to pops, and often very unusual and interesting arrangements. There is a photo here: http://hutchings.smugmug.com/photos/433158617_LCFmC-L.jpg. Stan made it a point to attend the Afternoon Tea daily to hear the quartet. On our trip over, there was also a Regatta String Quartet, but they were 4 different musicians, 4 lovely ladies.
I'm not going to do a thorough daily report on the food experiences; if you've taken a cruise, you know the experience; and if you haven't taken a cruise, imagine dining in a four-star restaurant. Suffice it to say each evening was a gastronomical adventure: delicious food in an elegant setting in the Grand Dining Room, served by attentive waiters. Each day had a different set of choices for appetizers; salads; soups; main courses; and desserts. Fortunately the servings were not excessively large; unfortunately, it was extremely difficult to decide on one each - sometimes Stan or Kiyomi just had to order more than one.
After dinner was the entertainment, first the 8:15-9:00 performance by the Regatta String Quartet, than at 9:45 the featured show. Tonight was Hanna Starosta, a virtuoso violinist. You can see a Hanna Starosta Promo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL6Ap03twtc. She gave a rousing performance, similar to the YouTube performance. .
After breakfast was an Oceania@sea presentation, 'Digital Camera and Photography - Tips and Tricks' presentation that Stan enjoyed, learning several new things. Then it was lunchtime, and we usually go to the Terrace Cafe for the extensive luncheon buffet; Kiyomi having pasta, vegetables and salad while Stan tries several of the desserts and ice cream with various toppings (usually including chocolate syrup).
In the afternoon there was an enrichment lecture 'Journey into Space' (or why you don't want to be an astronaut!) by Derek Clark of the RAF (retired). His talk considerd the effect on the human body of space flight, and the living and working conditions in a space microgravity environment. The talk then considered the uses of space, such as the Global Positioning System (which I used extensively in Europe) and space surveillance, before ending with a discussion of the Challenger accident. He had a host of stories, and lots of pictures about the early days of space travel.
At 4 pm daily is the Afternoon Tea, which features hors d'oeuvres and tea, but more interestingly, music by the Regatta String Quartet. The quartet is composed of 2 violins, a viola, and a cello. The performers are 3 lovely ladies and a handsome guy, all Russians, all professional musicians, playing all kinds of music, from classical to pops, and often very unusual and interesting arrangements. There is a photo here: http://hutchings.smugmug.com/photos/433158617_LCFmC-L.jpg. Stan made it a point to attend the Afternoon Tea daily to hear the quartet. On our trip over, there was also a Regatta String Quartet, but they were 4 different musicians, 4 lovely ladies.
I'm not going to do a thorough daily report on the food experiences; if you've taken a cruise, you know the experience; and if you haven't taken a cruise, imagine dining in a four-star restaurant. Suffice it to say each evening was a gastronomical adventure: delicious food in an elegant setting in the Grand Dining Room, served by attentive waiters. Each day had a different set of choices for appetizers; salads; soups; main courses; and desserts. Fortunately the servings were not excessively large; unfortunately, it was extremely difficult to decide on one each - sometimes Stan or Kiyomi just had to order more than one.
After dinner was the entertainment, first the 8:15-9:00 performance by the Regatta String Quartet, than at 9:45 the featured show. Tonight was Hanna Starosta, a virtuoso violinist. You can see a Hanna Starosta Promo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL6Ap03twtc. She gave a rousing performance, similar to the YouTube performance. .
Tue 11 Nov- Depart Barcelona, Spain for Miami, FL USA
http://hutchings.smugmug.com/ (photos)
Tue 11 Nov- we got up, had coffee and finished our packing. Ship boarding started from about 3 pm, so we had a last lunch in Barcelona at a nearby restaurant, Cafe Roma: a bottle of 'Senorio de Aldaz' rose; spaghetti with garlic oil; grilled cuttlefish with salad and fries; cost E35. It was quite good, a last taste of Europe in Europe - Italian food in Spain.
We did last-minute Internet work, then checked out of the Torre Catalunya, took a taxi to the port and boarded the Oceania lines ship Regatta. It was the same ship we took to Barcelona 8 months ago. The boarding formalities were unexpectedly smooth; a few minutes of check-in and we boarded the ship and were taken to our room.
Stan hurried to the library to check out Ray Kurzweil's 'The Singularity is Near', which he started on the way over. Fortunately it was still in the library. Kiyomi signed up for the Spa and Beauty parlor. Then we checked out the food - they were already serving hors d'oeuvres, and we wanted to sign up for the specialty restaurants: the Polo (specializing in beef and other meat) and the Toscana (specializing in Italian).
The ship 'set sail' for Tangier, Morocco, and we settled into our cozy inside cabin. We chose inside because in the event of rough weather, the inside cabins closest to the intersection of the three axes of rotation have the smoothest ride. Also, there is no porthole, so there is no dawn to awaken you; you just eventually feel you've had enough sleep and get up nicely refreshed.
Tue 11 Nov- we got up, had coffee and finished our packing. Ship boarding started from about 3 pm, so we had a last lunch in Barcelona at a nearby restaurant, Cafe Roma: a bottle of 'Senorio de Aldaz' rose; spaghetti with garlic oil; grilled cuttlefish with salad and fries; cost E35. It was quite good, a last taste of Europe in Europe - Italian food in Spain.
We did last-minute Internet work, then checked out of the Torre Catalunya, took a taxi to the port and boarded the Oceania lines ship Regatta. It was the same ship we took to Barcelona 8 months ago. The boarding formalities were unexpectedly smooth; a few minutes of check-in and we boarded the ship and were taken to our room.
Stan hurried to the library to check out Ray Kurzweil's 'The Singularity is Near', which he started on the way over. Fortunately it was still in the library. Kiyomi signed up for the Spa and Beauty parlor. Then we checked out the food - they were already serving hors d'oeuvres, and we wanted to sign up for the specialty restaurants: the Polo (specializing in beef and other meat) and the Toscana (specializing in Italian).
The ship 'set sail' for Tangier, Morocco, and we settled into our cozy inside cabin. We chose inside because in the event of rough weather, the inside cabins closest to the intersection of the three axes of rotation have the smoothest ride. Also, there is no porthole, so there is no dawn to awaken you; you just eventually feel you've had enough sleep and get up nicely refreshed.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Mon 10 Nov- one last PT/INR adventure and shopping Barcelona
Mon 10 Nov- after breakfast of coffee, bananas and artichoke hearts, we left to find a place for Stan's PT/INR test. The local pharmacy referred me to a nearby hotel, the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. Looking at the map, it wasn't far, so we walked there in about 20 minutes. We asked at the info desk, and were directed down the hall, but apparently passed the room and ended up where we got sent several different places. Finally, after asking several nurses and doctors, we were directed to the correct room, where we spent a few minutes with paperwork (very little, just date of birth, address, age, name, etc.). Then the test was very quick, a finger prick and the answer within minutes. Cost was E 21, about $30.
Then we were ready for lunch. We found a Tapas Bar restaurant, apparently a chain with several other locations including Mexico, and decided on a couple of draft beers and the seafood special 'Mariners Menu', consisting of: toast with garlic and tomato spread (similar to yesterdays, but already prepared - we preferred yesterday's); fried calamari; grilled cuttlefish with lettuce, tomato and carrot salad; garlic shrimp (shrimp and garlic cooked in olive oil; and steamed mussels; for a total cost of E 48.50.
After lunch it was off to La Rambla for last-minute shopping. Kiyomi found a Lottusse shop, apparently in business since 1877 that had very nice leather goods, so that's what we got. Gifts for the kids and a new belt for Stan. Kiyomi stopped by several other shops, investigating price and quality versus Italy and France. She decided leather is good in Spain and Italy; clothes and cashmere garments in Italy.
Back at the hotel we started preparing for our cruise home tomorrow.
Then we were ready for lunch. We found a Tapas Bar restaurant, apparently a chain with several other locations including Mexico, and decided on a couple of draft beers and the seafood special 'Mariners Menu', consisting of: toast with garlic and tomato spread (similar to yesterdays, but already prepared - we preferred yesterday's); fried calamari; grilled cuttlefish with lettuce, tomato and carrot salad; garlic shrimp (shrimp and garlic cooked in olive oil; and steamed mussels; for a total cost of E 48.50.
After lunch it was off to La Rambla for last-minute shopping. Kiyomi found a Lottusse shop, apparently in business since 1877 that had very nice leather goods, so that's what we got. Gifts for the kids and a new belt for Stan. Kiyomi stopped by several other shops, investigating price and quality versus Italy and France. She decided leather is good in Spain and Italy; clothes and cashmere garments in Italy.
Back at the hotel we started preparing for our cruise home tomorrow.
Sun 09 Nov- a tour of Barcelona
Sun 09 Nov- a tour of Barcelona
Sun 09 Nov- after coffee, artichokes, tomatoes, banana and orange for breakfast, we set out to explore Barcelona, intending to go to the Montjuic to look at the gardens. Partway there we saw the open-top tourist bus that makes a circuit of Barcelona, going past all the important landmarks on the way. We decided to do it, for E 21 each. So we went around the Montjuic, then past the port and statue of Columbus. We got off the bus at La Rambla, the interesting pedestrian walkway that is lined with shops and performers. We got back on the bus at Placa Catalunya, which then took us past the (still unfinished) Sagrada Familia cathedral, and up to Park Guell, where we got off.
We had lunch at a local restaurant, Casa Manzanares, that turned out to be quite delicious, a pleasant surprise: 1/2 liter house rose wine, E 2.60; toast with garlic and tomato - you rub the garlic and tomato on the toast, then add some olive oil, and get a delicious appetizer, E 5; a calamari planch (tapas) - delicious squid, E 3.80; anchovy tapas E 3; pimientos padron tapas, E 3.50; Mediterranean pizza E 6.90; green mixed salad E 3.25; and 2 espressos after the meal, E 2.50; all that food for E 30.55.
We waddled up to the Park Guell to walk off some of the calories, enjoying the sunny cool 17-18 C day, with nice views of Barcelona and some of Gaudi's designs in the park.
We got back on the bus, which then went past the sport stadium and down the Avinguda Diagonal, lined with shops, banks and other businesses, and finally back to the hotel. We checked the Internet in preparation for two weeks with limited access, then read our books.
Sun 09 Nov- after coffee, artichokes, tomatoes, banana and orange for breakfast, we set out to explore Barcelona, intending to go to the Montjuic to look at the gardens. Partway there we saw the open-top tourist bus that makes a circuit of Barcelona, going past all the important landmarks on the way. We decided to do it, for E 21 each. So we went around the Montjuic, then past the port and statue of Columbus. We got off the bus at La Rambla, the interesting pedestrian walkway that is lined with shops and performers. We got back on the bus at Placa Catalunya, which then took us past the (still unfinished) Sagrada Familia cathedral, and up to Park Guell, where we got off.
We had lunch at a local restaurant, Casa Manzanares, that turned out to be quite delicious, a pleasant surprise: 1/2 liter house rose wine, E 2.60; toast with garlic and tomato - you rub the garlic and tomato on the toast, then add some olive oil, and get a delicious appetizer, E 5; a calamari planch (tapas) - delicious squid, E 3.80; anchovy tapas E 3; pimientos padron tapas, E 3.50; Mediterranean pizza E 6.90; green mixed salad E 3.25; and 2 espressos after the meal, E 2.50; all that food for E 30.55.
We waddled up to the Park Guell to walk off some of the calories, enjoying the sunny cool 17-18 C day, with nice views of Barcelona and some of Gaudi's designs in the park.
We got back on the bus, which then went past the sport stadium and down the Avinguda Diagonal, lined with shops, banks and other businesses, and finally back to the hotel. We checked the Internet in preparation for two weeks with limited access, then read our books.
Sat 08 Nov- to Barcelona, Spain; Hotel Torre Catalunya
Sat 08 Nov- after a leisurely cup of American coffee, we checked out of the Hotel Grand Florence and went to the airport. The cab was E25 for the 20 minute ride to the small Florence A. Vespucci airport. We checked our luggage in to the Meridiana Airlines counter, breathing a sigh of relief that there was no extra charge (we were 1 kg over the allowance). Then we went through security with our carry-on bags, expecting them to be weighed, but they just did the inspection without weighing us in. Another sigh of relief.
We were early, so decided to have a light lunch at the airport's MyChef snack bar. Kiyomi had the menu 1 pasta for E 8.80, which included a salad, spaghetti and a soft drink; Stan had a piece of chocolate cake. The spaghetti was made from fresh pasta - we watched the counter personnel make more pasta and put it into microwavable containers for heating. It was actually pretty good; apparently it is difficult to get bad pasta in Italy, because the place would be boycotted. The flight left on time, and arrived in Barcelona on time.
We took a taxi after collecting our checked luggage to the Grand Hotel Torre Catalunya, a modern high-rise hotel next to the Barcelona Sants station (we could have taken the airport bus and arrived just across the street instead of the 40+ euro taxi). Our room on the 14th floor has a beautiful view toward the Mediterranean and Mount Montjuic. We can see the cruise ships in the harbor; we might be able to watch the Regatta arrive on the 11th.
We had dinner in the hotel's <isual Restaurant Panoramic (that's a horizontal V, at first I thought it was a C!), which has a restaurant on the top floor where it has a spectacular view of Barcelona. They have a very interesting menu selection; we had a nice white wine; then a small glass of a seafood puree with anise and gelatin that had a taste more like mild mushrooms; Kiyomi had 'Iberian suckling pig with cooked peach with passion fruit and vanilla oil' that was tender with a crispy skin; Stan had 'Guinea fowl cannelloni with sauce of foie in the truffle perfume, chestnut puree, rocks of herbs bread and a black beer reduction' that was an unexpectedly delicious combination of ingredients; then a plate of interesting petit fours to finish the meal. Total cost was E 67.70; but the ambience, the view, and the interesting cuisine made it worthwhile.
We were early, so decided to have a light lunch at the airport's MyChef snack bar. Kiyomi had the menu 1 pasta for E 8.80, which included a salad, spaghetti and a soft drink; Stan had a piece of chocolate cake. The spaghetti was made from fresh pasta - we watched the counter personnel make more pasta and put it into microwavable containers for heating. It was actually pretty good; apparently it is difficult to get bad pasta in Italy, because the place would be boycotted. The flight left on time, and arrived in Barcelona on time.
We took a taxi after collecting our checked luggage to the Grand Hotel Torre Catalunya, a modern high-rise hotel next to the Barcelona Sants station (we could have taken the airport bus and arrived just across the street instead of the 40+ euro taxi). Our room on the 14th floor has a beautiful view toward the Mediterranean and Mount Montjuic. We can see the cruise ships in the harbor; we might be able to watch the Regatta arrive on the 11th.
We had dinner in the hotel's <isual Restaurant Panoramic (that's a horizontal V, at first I thought it was a C!), which has a restaurant on the top floor where it has a spectacular view of Barcelona. They have a very interesting menu selection; we had a nice white wine; then a small glass of a seafood puree with anise and gelatin that had a taste more like mild mushrooms; Kiyomi had 'Iberian suckling pig with cooked peach with passion fruit and vanilla oil' that was tender with a crispy skin; Stan had 'Guinea fowl cannelloni with sauce of foie in the truffle perfume, chestnut puree, rocks of herbs bread and a black beer reduction' that was an unexpectedly delicious combination of ingredients; then a plate of interesting petit fours to finish the meal. Total cost was E 67.70; but the ambience, the view, and the interesting cuisine made it worthwhile.
Fri 07 Nov- shopping and our Italian farewell dinner
Fri 07 Nov- we had a cup of coffee in the breakfast area of the Hotel Grand Florence so we could admire the beautiful architecture and decoration/renovation that makes this a 'Luxury Collection' property. It really is a beautiful interior.
Kiyomi wanted to spend our last day shopping, so we walked around the old town area.
We had lunch at a local cafe: 1/2 bottle 'Chianti Colli Senesi' S. Quirico 2006 wine (E 8.50); 'calabra', a toast with artichokes (E 5); spaghetti vongole (E 10); couvert (bread that you get charged for, whether you want it or not); 2 espresso (E 3); total E 37. We continued shopping, stopping in at Hermes, Ferragamo's, Laura Piano, and others. Kiyomi found a nice pair of shoes to match her coat, and a shirt for Stan, and found out it was a good thing she bought her Tanino Crisci coat in Milan, because the store in Florence did not have any left.
In the evening we were invited to a family reunion with Ragnhild's family they were staying with. We went to the Villamagna restaurant in the hills above Florence where we had a variety plate of antipasto (4 kinds of prosciutto and bologna, cheese, toast with chicken liver pate), 2 huge pizzas with 4 different toppings (cheese, prosciutto, meat, zucchini & eggplant); and several different kinds of pasta. Everything was wonderful, and we had a great time communicating in several languages. Kiyomi was speaking in Spanish, Ragnhild and here relatives were speaking Italian and English, Roland sometimes spoke Swedish as well as Italian. Stan was strictly English. It was lots of fun figuring out what the others were saying, and trying to answer. Everyone was so friendly and happy that the atmosphere was so pleasant we didn't want the evening to end. It was definitely a high point of our travels. Meeting with the local people and communicating over a meal is one of the best parts of traveling; that's what we've noticed everywhere we've been.
Kiyomi wanted to spend our last day shopping, so we walked around the old town area.
We had lunch at a local cafe: 1/2 bottle 'Chianti Colli Senesi' S. Quirico 2006 wine (E 8.50); 'calabra', a toast with artichokes (E 5); spaghetti vongole (E 10); couvert (bread that you get charged for, whether you want it or not); 2 espresso (E 3); total E 37. We continued shopping, stopping in at Hermes, Ferragamo's, Laura Piano, and others. Kiyomi found a nice pair of shoes to match her coat, and a shirt for Stan, and found out it was a good thing she bought her Tanino Crisci coat in Milan, because the store in Florence did not have any left.
In the evening we were invited to a family reunion with Ragnhild's family they were staying with. We went to the Villamagna restaurant in the hills above Florence where we had a variety plate of antipasto (4 kinds of prosciutto and bologna, cheese, toast with chicken liver pate), 2 huge pizzas with 4 different toppings (cheese, prosciutto, meat, zucchini & eggplant); and several different kinds of pasta. Everything was wonderful, and we had a great time communicating in several languages. Kiyomi was speaking in Spanish, Ragnhild and here relatives were speaking Italian and English, Roland sometimes spoke Swedish as well as Italian. Stan was strictly English. It was lots of fun figuring out what the others were saying, and trying to answer. Everyone was so friendly and happy that the atmosphere was so pleasant we didn't want the evening to end. It was definitely a high point of our travels. Meeting with the local people and communicating over a meal is one of the best parts of traveling; that's what we've noticed everywhere we've been.
Thu 06 Nov- Galleria dell 'Accademia and Galleria d'Uffizi
Thu 06 Nov- after our buffet breakfast, we walked past several cathedrals and through a very picturesque part of town to the Galleria dell'Accademia. This is where the 'David' by Michelangelo is on display, and was a 'must-see' for Kiyomi. It is a beautiful work. Other displays at the Accademia were of old religious art - annunciations, adorations of the babe, crucifixions, martyrdom of saints, etc., some of which were quite beautiful and spiritual, some revolting, some forgettable. The room full of plaster casts of older Roman sculptures were much more interesting; lots of very nude male and female gods, goddesses, fauns, nymphs, etc. with very nice proportions. We were surprised that the very strictly Roman Catholic society would allow such a display of nudity, especially in the same gallery as all the religious art.
We then walked back past the duomo and several other churches and cathedrals to the Londra where we checked out and moved to the Hotel Grand Florence, a 5-star Starwood Luxury Collection hotel right on the Arno River. Our room was on the 4th floor and had a great view over the piazza and the river toward the southeast.
We had our lunch at the hotel: bread sticks served with Ornellaia extra virgin oil; sparkling water (carbonated); Stan had chard flan with melting Pecorino cheese; Kiyomi had spaghetti with artichokes and a draft beer. It was quite tasty, but a bit expensive.
After lunch we walked along the river to the to the
We then walked back past the duomo and several other churches and cathedrals to the Londra where we checked out and moved to the Hotel Grand Florence, a 5-star Starwood Luxury Collection hotel right on the Arno River. Our room was on the 4th floor and had a great view over the piazza and the river toward the southeast.
We had our lunch at the hotel: bread sticks served with Ornellaia extra virgin oil; sparkling water (carbonated); Stan had chard flan with melting Pecorino cheese; Kiyomi had spaghetti with artichokes and a draft beer. It was quite tasty, but a bit expensive.
After lunch we walked along the river to the to the
Wed 05 Nov- Villa Gamberaia
Wed 05 Nov- after our buffet breakfast and learning Obama had won the election, we asked the hotel to print the tickets to the Galleria dell Accademia and Uffizi Galleria that we will visit tomorrow. We had bought advance tickets through the Internet to ensure entry, and to avoid the possibility of long lines (even in this off-season time, the lines at the Uffizi can be quite long).
We met with Roland and Ragnhild and they drove us to the Villa Gamberaia, located on the hillside of Settignano, a suburb of Florence, with extraordinary views of Florence and the surrounding Arno valley. It was built in the early Seventeenth century and been renovated after WWII.
After the garden, Kiyomi and Ragnhild decided to visit Pittarello, a shoe store near Prato in Sesto Fiorentino. We drove to the town and had lunch at the Opera Cafe, a modern snack shop with a piano theme that served good fusili pasta with clam sauce and shrimp curry rice. After lunch the ladies looked at the hundreds of different women's shoes in many styles - boots, heels, pumps, ballet, exercise, etc. while Stan and Roland looked at the men's shoes. Another popular shoe store near Prato we skipped was Scarpe & Scarpe, which apparently also has a huge assortment at reasonable prices.
Back at the Londra's Garden Lounge Restaurant, for dinner we had 'Montecarlo Rosso 2007' red wine; a ham quiche appetizer and welcome champagne; linguine alle vongole veraci' (linguine with clam sauce); 'zuppa di verdure invernali' (winter vegetable soup with carrots, beans, peas, potato and cabbage). It was quite good, cost E 33.
We met with Roland and Ragnhild and they drove us to the Villa Gamberaia, located on the hillside of Settignano, a suburb of Florence, with extraordinary views of Florence and the surrounding Arno valley. It was built in the early Seventeenth century and been renovated after WWII.
After the garden, Kiyomi and Ragnhild decided to visit Pittarello, a shoe store near Prato in Sesto Fiorentino. We drove to the town and had lunch at the Opera Cafe, a modern snack shop with a piano theme that served good fusili pasta with clam sauce and shrimp curry rice. After lunch the ladies looked at the hundreds of different women's shoes in many styles - boots, heels, pumps, ballet, exercise, etc. while Stan and Roland looked at the men's shoes. Another popular shoe store near Prato we skipped was Scarpe & Scarpe, which apparently also has a huge assortment at reasonable prices.
Back at the Londra's Garden Lounge Restaurant, for dinner we had 'Montecarlo Rosso 2007' red wine; a ham quiche appetizer and welcome champagne; linguine alle vongole veraci' (linguine with clam sauce); 'zuppa di verdure invernali' (winter vegetable soup with carrots, beans, peas, potato and cabbage). It was quite good, cost E 33.
Tue 04 Nov- Vinci: birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci
http://stanhutchings.blogspot.com/ (this information as a blog)
http://hutchings.smugmug.com/ (photos)
Tue 04 Nov- after our buffet breakfast, we met with Roland and Ragnhild for a day in the countryside. They took us to Vinci, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci.
We had lunch at the Restaurant Leonardo (many shops and other buildings have names related to Leonardo da Vinci, like the Mona Lisa Hotel, etc.) We had 'Sangiovese Toscano in purezza 2007', a wine bottled locally for the restaurant, and the 'menu of the day for tourists and workers': spaghetti with clams (Kiyomi, Roland & Ragnhild); minestrone soup (Stan); grilled meat (Roland and Stan) and salad (Roland and Ragnhild). Afterwards we drove up the road to see the birthplace. It was interesting to see the farmhouse where he was born almost 600 years ago; even more amazing, it is still there, pretty much as it was, after being restored and donated to the town and endowed so visitors can enter free. On the way from the parking lot we admired the view of the Tuscan countryside, with olive trees full of olives ready for harvest. After the visit, we stopped by an olive pressing coop, where local olive growers brought their olives to be pressed for the 'nouvelle' virgin oil, the first pressing of the olives. The oil came out a fluorescent green, quite vivid compared to the later refined product we see in the stores.
In the evening we watched some of the early reporting of the presidential election, and skipped dinner.
http://hutchings.smugmug.com/ (photos)
Tue 04 Nov- after our buffet breakfast, we met with Roland and Ragnhild for a day in the countryside. They took us to Vinci, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci.
We had lunch at the Restaurant Leonardo (many shops and other buildings have names related to Leonardo da Vinci, like the Mona Lisa Hotel, etc.) We had 'Sangiovese Toscano in purezza 2007', a wine bottled locally for the restaurant, and the 'menu of the day for tourists and workers': spaghetti with clams (Kiyomi, Roland & Ragnhild); minestrone soup (Stan); grilled meat (Roland and Stan) and salad (Roland and Ragnhild). Afterwards we drove up the road to see the birthplace. It was interesting to see the farmhouse where he was born almost 600 years ago; even more amazing, it is still there, pretty much as it was, after being restored and donated to the town and endowed so visitors can enter free. On the way from the parking lot we admired the view of the Tuscan countryside, with olive trees full of olives ready for harvest. After the visit, we stopped by an olive pressing coop, where local olive growers brought their olives to be pressed for the 'nouvelle' virgin oil, the first pressing of the olives. The oil came out a fluorescent green, quite vivid compared to the later refined product we see in the stores.
In the evening we watched some of the early reporting of the presidential election, and skipped dinner.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Mon 03 Nov- Florence on a rainy day
Mon 03 Nov- after breakfast and a short walk to the tourist office in a light rain and cool 18-19 C temperature, we investigated the possibilities for visiting. Today most of the interesting places are closed, so we'll have to visit from tomorrow.
We had lunch at the Londra's restaurant: 'Buonamico Montecarlo' 2007 white wine; Kiyomi had linguine with clams; Stan had hamburger with fries and pickled veggies. The rain came and went as we were investigating, so we didn't venture out.
In the evening we met with Roland and Ragnhild Edstrom (Roland is a 'cousin' who lives in Sweden, but is visiting Ragnhild's Italian relatives near Florence). It was great to see them again after many years; they are very nice relatives. Roland drove to a town above Florence (using a borrowed Tom-Tom GPS), where we had a lively discussion and catch-up of news, plus dinner: a nice Chianti wine and fizzy water; an antipasto variety plate; Stan had the delicious lasagne while everyone else had a wonderful linguine with fresh mushrooms.
After dinner we took a walk to the viewpoint where we looked down on Florence with a dramatic pattern of foggy and clear view.
We had lunch at the Londra's restaurant: 'Buonamico Montecarlo' 2007 white wine; Kiyomi had linguine with clams; Stan had hamburger with fries and pickled veggies. The rain came and went as we were investigating, so we didn't venture out.
In the evening we met with Roland and Ragnhild Edstrom (Roland is a 'cousin' who lives in Sweden, but is visiting Ragnhild's Italian relatives near Florence). It was great to see them again after many years; they are very nice relatives. Roland drove to a town above Florence (using a borrowed Tom-Tom GPS), where we had a lively discussion and catch-up of news, plus dinner: a nice Chianti wine and fizzy water; an antipasto variety plate; Stan had the delicious lasagne while everyone else had a wonderful linguine with fresh mushrooms.
After dinner we took a walk to the viewpoint where we looked down on Florence with a dramatic pattern of foggy and clear view.
Sun 02 Nov- Florence, American WWII Cemetery, Piazzale Michelangelo, farewell dinner #3
Sun 02 Nov- after breakfast we departed for Florence. On the way, we stopped by the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial site (http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/fl.php) to pay respects and remember the lives lost in Italy during the latter part of WWII. More than 5800 are interred here, the ones not returned to the US for burial. We were reminded of our Viking Cruise visit to the American Cemetery in northeast France, where 'Battle of the Bulge' victims of World War I are buried.
On the way to the hotel we stopped at the famous scenic view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo, and where the bronze copy of Michelangelo's 'David' is located. It is indeed a lovely view, and the sky was clear and blue, the temperature a warm 22-23 C.
Then we checked in to our 'Hotel Londra', and immediately left to visit the 'Giardino di Boboli' located at the 'Palazzo Pitti', a short taxi rides from the hotel. We had a snack at the Caffe on Piaxxa Pitti, just across the street from the Pitti Palace, of beer, spaghetti and salad.
We enjoyed walking around the huge garden/park for several hours, admiring the statues, fountains, views of Florence and the surrounding countryside, and an extensive collection of 18th and 19th Century porcelains. There are some really beautiful patterns; I guess this was the Medici family collection.
After the garden, we walked back to the hotel over the 'Ponte Vecchio' (bridge over the Arno River) famous for the goldsmiths' shops lining both sides, so you can hardly see the river. We continued walking past the 'Galleria Gli Uffzii', the 'Piazza del Duomo', the 'Santa Maria Novella', and many, many shops of all kinds. There were crowds of people out; it was Sunday and a really nice day, so everyone was taking advantage.
For our Farwell Dinner #3 at the hotel we had: red wine Montecarlo 'Il Borghetto' 2006; pasta with a cream sauce flavored with bits of ham; risotto with meat sauce and peas; turkey with gravy and baby boiled carrots; a lettuce with oil & vinegar salad; flan for dessert; a champagne toast following dessert; and a 'discovery' cookie characteristic of the region. We spent a long time saying goodbyes and wishing well to our traveling companions of the last 16 days. Many go back to the USA tomorrow, though some are continuing in Europe for a while longer.
On the way to the hotel we stopped at the famous scenic view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo, and where the bronze copy of Michelangelo's 'David' is located. It is indeed a lovely view, and the sky was clear and blue, the temperature a warm 22-23 C.
Then we checked in to our 'Hotel Londra', and immediately left to visit the 'Giardino di Boboli' located at the 'Palazzo Pitti', a short taxi rides from the hotel. We had a snack at the Caffe on Piaxxa Pitti, just across the street from the Pitti Palace, of beer, spaghetti and salad.
We enjoyed walking around the huge garden/park for several hours, admiring the statues, fountains, views of Florence and the surrounding countryside, and an extensive collection of 18th and 19th Century porcelains. There are some really beautiful patterns; I guess this was the Medici family collection.
After the garden, we walked back to the hotel over the 'Ponte Vecchio' (bridge over the Arno River) famous for the goldsmiths' shops lining both sides, so you can hardly see the river. We continued walking past the 'Galleria Gli Uffzii', the 'Piazza del Duomo', the 'Santa Maria Novella', and many, many shops of all kinds. There were crowds of people out; it was Sunday and a really nice day, so everyone was taking advantage.
For our Farwell Dinner #3 at the hotel we had: red wine Montecarlo 'Il Borghetto' 2006; pasta with a cream sauce flavored with bits of ham; risotto with meat sauce and peas; turkey with gravy and baby boiled carrots; a lettuce with oil & vinegar salad; flan for dessert; a champagne toast following dessert; and a 'discovery' cookie characteristic of the region. We spent a long time saying goodbyes and wishing well to our traveling companions of the last 16 days. Many go back to the USA tomorrow, though some are continuing in Europe for a while longer.
Sat 01 Nov- Montepulciano, farewell dinner #2
Sat 01 Nov- after the buffet breakfast, the sun was shining and the temperature was a comfortable 16-17 C, so we joined the GCT bus trip to a nearby hilltop town Montepulciano about 2000 feet above sea level. Most of the group went, and we again passed through beautiful Tuscan countryside, up to the town. We walked up, up, up to the main piazza, enjoyed the view of the countryside through the clouds that were starting to cover the hilltop. Then walked down, down, down to the bus pickup area. We thought about tasting the famous 'Vino Nobile' local wine, but decided not to. We did stop by several of the interesting shops. After our exercise, we stopped into a small cafe/bar for cappuccino, only E1.50 each, and looked at the Italian version of 'People Magazine'.
Back at the Ambasciatori Hotel, we finished off the fruit, tomatoes and wine for snack. Then Kiyomi had a Shiatsu massage while Stan read and worked on the computer. To Kiyomi's great surprise, the masseuse turned out to be a man; but she said he was very skillful, and was from Opatija, Croatia so they had something to talk about.
For our farewell dinner #2 we had: a fantastic buffet with many different dishes characteristic of the local cuisine; 'Palazzo Bandino Toscana' red wine; spiced [with little peppercorns] meat of the Impruneto; spaghetti with tomato and meat sauce; 'zuppa inglese (trifle)' for dessert.
Back at the Ambasciatori Hotel, we finished off the fruit, tomatoes and wine for snack. Then Kiyomi had a Shiatsu massage while Stan read and worked on the computer. To Kiyomi's great surprise, the masseuse turned out to be a man; but she said he was very skillful, and was from Opatija, Croatia so they had something to talk about.
For our farewell dinner #2 we had: a fantastic buffet with many different dishes characteristic of the local cuisine; 'Palazzo Bandino Toscana' red wine; spiced [with little peppercorns] meat of the Impruneto; spaghetti with tomato and meat sauce; 'zuppa inglese (trifle)' for dessert.
Fri 31 Oct- Acqua Santa Therme, farewell dinner #1
Fri 31 Oct- Acqua Santa Therme, farewell dinner #1
Fri 31 Oct- after the buffet breakfast, we checked the weather, but it was still chilly and windy, so we stayed in, working and reading. For a light lunch at the hotel we had Gavioli 2007 'Castellaro Chardonnay di Toscana', a local wine; spaghetti with garlic oil, cappuccino and a caramel creme dessert.
After lunch it cleared up and was 15-16 C, so we took a walk past the numerous shops and cafes to the Acqua Santa Therme (spa: http://www.termechianciano.it/in Italian), a large park that was almost deserted, but was very pleasant to stroll through the grounds. There was a large area where people could sit and drink the water, which is reputed to be good for liver and kidney problems. The park was somewhat hibernating for winter, but we could see that it would be very nice in the spring and summer. Walking back, we found a bookstore that had lots of garden books, but unfortunately, all were in Italian.
Dinner was an included trip to 'Il Casale', a local restaurant for the first of three farewell dinners: local red house wine; tostino (toast) with various toppings-chopped tomato, chicken liver pate, olive pesto; delicious minestrone soup; chicken roast and port steak; zucchini and eggplant; a delicious tiramisu for dessert.
Fri 31 Oct- after the buffet breakfast, we checked the weather, but it was still chilly and windy, so we stayed in, working and reading. For a light lunch at the hotel we had Gavioli 2007 'Castellaro Chardonnay di Toscana', a local wine; spaghetti with garlic oil, cappuccino and a caramel creme dessert.
After lunch it cleared up and was 15-16 C, so we took a walk past the numerous shops and cafes to the Acqua Santa Therme (spa: http://www.termechianciano.it/in Italian), a large park that was almost deserted, but was very pleasant to stroll through the grounds. There was a large area where people could sit and drink the water, which is reputed to be good for liver and kidney problems. The park was somewhat hibernating for winter, but we could see that it would be very nice in the spring and summer. Walking back, we found a bookstore that had lots of garden books, but unfortunately, all were in Italian.
Dinner was an included trip to 'Il Casale', a local restaurant for the first of three farewell dinners: local red house wine; tostino (toast) with various toppings-chopped tomato, chicken liver pate, olive pesto; delicious minestrone soup; chicken roast and port steak; zucchini and eggplant; a delicious tiramisu for dessert.
Thu 30 Oct- relaxing in Chianciano
Thu 30 Oct- after buffet breakfast, the sky cleared and the temperature was a pleasant 16-17 C, so we walked around Chianciano, where we got some fresh fruit and tomatoes from a small market. As it started clouding over and a chill wind picked up, we headed back to the hotel to read (Stan continued reading an anthology 'Predators', a gory gruesome collection of horror stories about predators and their victims), Kiyomi did some work and watched tennis on the Eurosport channel. As it started to rain heavily, we were glad to relax in our hotel room, where it was warm and dry.
For lunch and dinner we snacked on the fruit and tomatoes we'd bought earlier.
For lunch and dinner we snacked on the fruit and tomatoes we'd bought earlier.
Wed 29 Oct- Archaeological Etruscan Museum, Val d'Orcia, Radicofani, lunch at an agriturismo farmhouse
Wed 29 Oct- after our buffet breakfast we left on a tour of the Tuscan Val d'Orcia, Orcia Valley. It's the home of the Etruscans, who predated the Romans, and the site of the book 'Under the Tuscan Sun'.
We visited the Archaeological Etruscan Museum "Delle Acque" in Chianciano Therme (http://www.chianciano-terme.info/museoetruscodelleacque/indexe.php) that features Etruscan artifacts dug up in the surrounding area. Apparently they cremated their dead, and put the ashes into a 'canopic', which is usually in the shape of a head or house. The pediment ruins of an Etruscan Temple which dates back to the 2nd century B.C. was the featured display.
Then we continued to Radicofani, driving through typical Tuscany countryside, with roads lined with cypress trees, to the hilltop town, which was enveloped in clouds as we approached. We walked through the town, visiting the church with its unique art.
We had lunch at an agriturismo farmhouse: red house wine, pecorino cheese, various characteristic hors d'ouvres (spicy tomato, sausage, hard boiled egg, chicken liver pate on toast slices); minestrone soup with black cabbage, beans garbanzo beans in a thick delicious stock; homemade pasta with tomato and meat sauce; mixed salad (served after the main course and before dessert, as is customary here); delicious tiramisu for dessert.
Although the sky was cloudy and there was occasional rain, the countryside still had a beauty that was perhaps enhanced by the weather.
We visited the Archaeological Etruscan Museum "Delle Acque" in Chianciano Therme (http://www.chianciano-terme.info/museoetruscodelleacque/indexe.php) that features Etruscan artifacts dug up in the surrounding area. Apparently they cremated their dead, and put the ashes into a 'canopic', which is usually in the shape of a head or house. The pediment ruins of an Etruscan Temple which dates back to the 2nd century B.C. was the featured display.
Then we continued to Radicofani, driving through typical Tuscany countryside, with roads lined with cypress trees, to the hilltop town, which was enveloped in clouds as we approached. We walked through the town, visiting the church with its unique art.
We had lunch at an agriturismo farmhouse: red house wine, pecorino cheese, various characteristic hors d'ouvres (spicy tomato, sausage, hard boiled egg, chicken liver pate on toast slices); minestrone soup with black cabbage, beans garbanzo beans in a thick delicious stock; homemade pasta with tomato and meat sauce; mixed salad (served after the main course and before dessert, as is customary here); delicious tiramisu for dessert.
Although the sky was cloudy and there was occasional rain, the countryside still had a beauty that was perhaps enhanced by the weather.
Tue 28 Oct- Furlo Gorge, Trasimene Lake, Chianciano
Tue 28 Oct- after the buffet breakfast we departed for Chianciano. On the way we stopped by Furlo Gorge, famous as being a stopping point for Mussolini as he traveled between his home and Rome on the ancient Etruscan, then Roman road known as the Flaminian Way. After a snack of cheese and other goodies, we saw the room in which Mussolini often ate meals as he stopped by; and we heard many anecdotes of the innkeeper's experiences with 'Il Duce' there are many photos and mementos of his better days.
Later Stan had a flashback to his university days when we passed by where the Battle of the Trasimene Lake (217 BCE) took place. It was a major Roman defeat by Hannibal during the Second Punic War. It's amazing how much history is in this area of Italy.
We continued on to Chianciano Therme, a conveniently located town famous for water that is good for the liver and kidneys (http://www.termechianciano.it/index.en.php).
For the included welcome drink and dinner we had: 'Palazzo Bandino' Toscana red wine; a hors d'oeuvres buffet that could have been an entire meal in itself, with all kinds of vegetables, meats, salad fixings, etc.; roast pork loin in curry sauce; mashed potatoes; coffee parfait ice cream.
Later Stan had a flashback to his university days when we passed by where the Battle of the Trasimene Lake (217 BCE) took place. It was a major Roman defeat by Hannibal during the Second Punic War. It's amazing how much history is in this area of Italy.
We continued on to Chianciano Therme, a conveniently located town famous for water that is good for the liver and kidneys (http://www.termechianciano.it/index.en.php).
For the included welcome drink and dinner we had: 'Palazzo Bandino' Toscana red wine; a hors d'oeuvres buffet that could have been an entire meal in itself, with all kinds of vegetables, meats, salad fixings, etc.; roast pork loin in curry sauce; mashed potatoes; coffee parfait ice cream.
Mon 27 Oct- San Marino and its castles
Mon 27 Oct- after the buffet breakfast, we decided to take a walk to see the most interesting features of San Marino: the castles above the town that are part of the republic's crest. It was a sunny cool 18-19 C, warm in the sun but cool in the shade with the wind. We walked to the several viewpoints on the way to the castles, enjoying the magnificent view of San Marino (city and republic) and Italy. The walk up to the castles was very pleasant, the air was fresh and cool but not chilly and the views were awesome. We did not go into the castles since they were museums dedicated to weapons of war.
We had a light lunch at a pizzeria: beer, cappuccino, cafe, spaghetti with clams and mixed salad, all for E 21.20. It was more than enough to tide us over to dinner, which is included in our tour.
The afternoon cooled off and got cloudy, so we stayed in the hotel, working and reading.
For our included dinner at the hotel, we had a nice bottle of red wine on the table, pasta with meat sauce, veal with gravy, potatoes and green beans, gelato for dessert. We had a relaxing supper chatting with other members of the tour.
We had a light lunch at a pizzeria: beer, cappuccino, cafe, spaghetti with clams and mixed salad, all for E 21.20. It was more than enough to tide us over to dinner, which is included in our tour.
The afternoon cooled off and got cloudy, so we stayed in the hotel, working and reading.
For our included dinner at the hotel, we had a nice bottle of red wine on the table, pasta with meat sauce, veal with gravy, potatoes and green beans, gelato for dessert. We had a relaxing supper chatting with other members of the tour.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sun 26 Oct- San Pellegrino Restaurant and San Marino
Sun 26 Oct- after breakfast we departed by bus at 8:30 am. We stopped by Spilamberto, a town famous for balsamico (balsamic vinegar, but not the grocery store kind). The museum showed the process of making traditional balsamico, culminating in a minimum 25-year aged product that sells for hundreds of dollars per pint. It's a real chemical process, starting from the 4 kinds of grapes used, the cooking process, the different kinds of wood used in the set of barrels as the liquid ages. The 12-year aged product was offered to us for tasting, about 2-3 ml on a spoon. It did not smell at all like vinegar and tasted and looked more like a somewhat tart brown gravy.
For lunch we went to the San Pellegrino Restaurant and had: the local red sparkling wine; gnocchi puff pastry flash fried in oil so it puffs up like a balloon; home-made hand-crafted tortellini in chicken broth; mashed potato and turkey with balsamico gravy & stewed onion; assorted pastries and espresso or grappa for dessert.
We crossed the Rubicon River, made famous when Julius Caesar crossed it with his legions and led to his downfall at the Ides of March.
We left Italy and entered the oldest republic, the Republic of San Marino, then climbed Mt. Titano to the town San Marino at an altitude of 2200 feet. We checked into the Grand Hotel San Marino; our room was large and comfortable with a great view of the surrounding countryside. We took a walk around the town, admiring the view of the countryside and becoming acquainted with the landmarks of San Marino.
For lunch we went to the San Pellegrino Restaurant and had: the local red sparkling wine; gnocchi puff pastry flash fried in oil so it puffs up like a balloon; home-made hand-crafted tortellini in chicken broth; mashed potato and turkey with balsamico gravy & stewed onion; assorted pastries and espresso or grappa for dessert.
We crossed the Rubicon River, made famous when Julius Caesar crossed it with his legions and led to his downfall at the Ides of March.
We left Italy and entered the oldest republic, the Republic of San Marino, then climbed Mt. Titano to the town San Marino at an altitude of 2200 feet. We checked into the Grand Hotel San Marino; our room was large and comfortable with a great view of the surrounding countryside. We took a walk around the town, admiring the view of the countryside and becoming acquainted with the landmarks of San Marino.
Sat 25 Oct- a working and relaxing day; dinner at Lido Restaurant
Sat 25 Oct- after breakfast, it was still a foggy cool 16-17 C day, so we decided to stay at the hotel. We had decided to skip the optional tour, but were considering visiting another garden near Venice. Instead, Kiyomi worked while Stan continued reading. In the afternoon it warmed up a bit and the sky cleared, so we took a walk for cappuccino and small (200 ml) beer; the cost was E 5.20.
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed the thermal pools again.
For dinner we decided to return to the Lido to try another pasta dish; some of them served to other customers looked delicious. We tried 1/2 liter house white wine, a mixed salad, a dish of grilled vegetables (zucchini and eggplant), spaghetti with clams and gamberetti & vongole (shrimp & clam) pizza. We were again pleased by the quality, quantity and price.
Since we move to San Marino tomorrow, we spent time packing because wake-up is 6:30 am.
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed the thermal pools again.
For dinner we decided to return to the Lido to try another pasta dish; some of them served to other customers looked delicious. We tried 1/2 liter house white wine, a mixed salad, a dish of grilled vegetables (zucchini and eggplant), spaghetti with clams and gamberetti & vongole (shrimp & clam) pizza. We were again pleased by the quality, quantity and price.
Since we move to San Marino tomorrow, we spent time packing because wake-up is 6:30 am.
Fri 24 Oct- Villa Barbarigo, Valsanzibio
Fri 24 Oct- after the buffet breakfast we took a walk to pick up the ironing (E5 for two shirts), then walked through a park with walks lined by gingko trees starting to change to gold. It reminds us again summer is over, but the weather is still pleasant, 15 C with sunny blue sky. Back at the Helvetia, Kiyomi worked and Stan, having finished 'Weep No More, My Lady', started reading 'The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria' (in feudal Japan, passion and secrets lead to murder...) by Laura Joh Rowland, apparently the latest mystery to be solved by Sano Ichiro and his wife Reiko.
In the afternoon we visited a nearby garden at Villa Barbarigo near Valsanzibio (http://www.valsanzibiogiardino.it). It was built in 1669 with a symbolic meaning to the path expressed in fountains, ponds, gates, sculptures, a maze, an island and plants. It was restored to original plan over the last 80 years by the current owners. It was well worth the trip and admission; we spent two hours wandering around the trails and paths, admiring the beauty and serenity of the garden.
We enjoyed the thermal pools again after returning to the Helvetia.
For dinner we went to the nearby Lido Restaurant, and were pleasantly surprised by the quality, quantity and price. We had 1/2 liter house white wine, a mixed salad (lettuce, tomato and shredded carrot), a dish of grilled vegetables (zucchini and eggplant), an order of linguini 'Lido' style (squid, tomato sauce and mushrooms), and a quattro stagnione pizza; total bill was E 26, reasonable compared to other restaurants considering the high quality.
In the afternoon we visited a nearby garden at Villa Barbarigo near Valsanzibio (http://www.valsanzibiogiardino.it). It was built in 1669 with a symbolic meaning to the path expressed in fountains, ponds, gates, sculptures, a maze, an island and plants. It was restored to original plan over the last 80 years by the current owners. It was well worth the trip and admission; we spent two hours wandering around the trails and paths, admiring the beauty and serenity of the garden.
We enjoyed the thermal pools again after returning to the Helvetia.
For dinner we went to the nearby Lido Restaurant, and were pleasantly surprised by the quality, quantity and price. We had 1/2 liter house white wine, a mixed salad (lettuce, tomato and shredded carrot), a dish of grilled vegetables (zucchini and eggplant), an order of linguini 'Lido' style (squid, tomato sauce and mushrooms), and a quattro stagnione pizza; total bill was E 26, reasonable compared to other restaurants considering the high quality.
Thu 23 Oct- Abano, Hotel Helvetia's thermal pool & candlelight dinner
Thu 23 Oct- after breakfast, we decided to take a walk around Abano, have some clothes ironed, buy toothpaste and AA batteries while we walked. There is a nice pedestrian zone next to our Hotel Helvetia, so we walked around it as we took care of our shopping. There are many hotels, since Abano is famous for thermal springs since Roman times. There are many upscale brand-name shops selling jewelry, clothes, souvenirs, shoes - the usual 'old town' businesses.
We had nice draft beer (E 8) at the 'City Bar' cafe as we looked over information from the Tourist Office, deciding whether to visit a garden if it's nice tomorrow. There are several nearby, but only one is open when we will be able to visit.
When we returned to the Helvetia, we decided to try its thermal pools (inside and outside, connected by a swim-through passage). The water was pleasantly warm, so we could stay in for more than an hour without getting too hot or cool.
GCT had arranged a candlelight dinner with music, so at 7:30 pm we went down to enjoy it. They served: Paoni Colli Euganei red wine; aubergine (eggplant) pie with parmesan cheese; risotto with Bassano asparagus; swordfish with croutons, bread and spinach; green apple sherbet to cleanse the palate; glazed leg of pork with honey and potato Mont Blanc (mashed potato); and King tart for dessert. It was a very enjoyable and tasty meal. The pork was brought out through the darkened room in a parade lit by sparklers. The King tart was a cake with fruit embedded and topped with whipped cream.
We had nice draft beer (E 8) at the 'City Bar' cafe as we looked over information from the Tourist Office, deciding whether to visit a garden if it's nice tomorrow. There are several nearby, but only one is open when we will be able to visit.
When we returned to the Helvetia, we decided to try its thermal pools (inside and outside, connected by a swim-through passage). The water was pleasantly warm, so we could stay in for more than an hour without getting too hot or cool.
GCT had arranged a candlelight dinner with music, so at 7:30 pm we went down to enjoy it. They served: Paoni Colli Euganei red wine; aubergine (eggplant) pie with parmesan cheese; risotto with Bassano asparagus; swordfish with croutons, bread and spinach; green apple sherbet to cleanse the palate; glazed leg of pork with honey and potato Mont Blanc (mashed potato); and King tart for dessert. It was a very enjoyable and tasty meal. The pork was brought out through the darkened room in a parade lit by sparklers. The King tart was a cake with fruit embedded and topped with whipped cream.
Wed 22 Oct- Padova and E'Orto Botanico del l'Universita di Padova
Wed 22 Oct- We got up at 6:45 to join the GCT tour of Padova (Padua), home of the second oldest university in Europe. We saw where the first autopsies were performed for would-be doctors. The university's walls were covered with the coats-of-arms of the students who attended. Apparently Galileo taught here for many years; as well as Copernicus and Vesalius. After that, we visited the "E'Orto Botanico del l'Universita di Padova", the botanical garden used by the students of the University of Padua. It had many different plants, all nicely identified with the Latin name and Italian name. It was not a formal type garden, however; it is really a reference work for the students. The walk was pleasant after the hustle and bustle of the city center with the university. We stopped by the open air market and picked up some grapes and tomatoes for snack tonight, since dinner is not included
We had a pizza, beer and cappuccino (E 11) in the 'Caffe Cavour' in the Piazza Cavour near the university, watching the people go about their business until it was time to board the GCT bus back to Abano.
There was a lecture 'Italian with and without words' lecture given by Lucio. He gave us a history of the Italian language as it evolved from Latin, and gave us tips on proper pronunciation. Then he told us many interesting anecdotes and examples of silent communication by gestures and facial expressions, including some very impolite gestures he warned us NOT to use. Following his lecture, a recent Padova graduate talked about the current affairs in Italy, and how things have changed since becoming an EU member and adopting the Euro.
We went to the nearby 'Cafe Milano' where we had pasta and ravioli, plus draft 'Birra Forst Spa Merano' Pils beer (since 1857, http://www.forst.it), currently and Italian beer, but formerly Austrian when the Austro-Hungarian empire held sway. Anyway, it was quite good, as were the pasta and ravioli.
We found the Internet to be available at the Helvetia, but at E 6 ($10)/hour, rather expensive. It's hard to understand why some hotels charge so much, and some provide it free. We've started using free Internet as a criterion when looking for accommodations.
We had a pizza, beer and cappuccino (E 11) in the 'Caffe Cavour' in the Piazza Cavour near the university, watching the people go about their business until it was time to board the GCT bus back to Abano.
There was a lecture 'Italian with and without words' lecture given by Lucio. He gave us a history of the Italian language as it evolved from Latin, and gave us tips on proper pronunciation. Then he told us many interesting anecdotes and examples of silent communication by gestures and facial expressions, including some very impolite gestures he warned us NOT to use. Following his lecture, a recent Padova graduate talked about the current affairs in Italy, and how things have changed since becoming an EU member and adopting the Euro.
We went to the nearby 'Cafe Milano' where we had pasta and ravioli, plus draft 'Birra Forst Spa Merano' Pils beer (since 1857, http://www.forst.it), currently and Italian beer, but formerly Austrian when the Austro-Hungarian empire held sway. Anyway, it was quite good, as were the pasta and ravioli.
We found the Internet to be available at the Helvetia, but at E 6 ($10)/hour, rather expensive. It's hard to understand why some hotels charge so much, and some provide it free. We've started using free Internet as a criterion when looking for accommodations.
Tue 21 Oct- Sirmione on Lake Garda, Abano and Hotel Helvetia
Tue 21 Oct- after getting up at 6:15, we had a nice buffet breakfast and then departed for Abano. On the way, we stopped by the ancient town of Sirmione, located on a promontory that stick far out into Lake Garda. We had a snack at a little cafe-bar on a side-street of Sirmione on Lake Garda. It was cool and cloudy, but pleasant to walk around.
We ordered a light lunch of a Margherita pizza and two kinds of Lugana wine, a specialty of the region. The wine was very pleasant, not too dry but with a nice taste that complemented the pizza.
Our GCT 'discovery' was 'Pocket Coffee', a few milliliters of espresso in a chocolate shell. When you bite down, the espresso squirts out, then the chocolate combines with the taste to be really good. Stan bought 2 5-packs at the next stop at E 1.70 each. This is a cool-weather product, not available in the summer; and not recommended to be kept in pockets, despite the name.
Shortly after arrival at the Hotel Helvetia, we were taken on an introductory stroll through Abano, famous as a spa ('therme') town.
Dinner started with a fantastic appetizer buffet, which had enough different selections to be the whole meal: all kinds of fish, shellfish, octopus salad, shrimp, scallops, etc.; plus many vegetables including artichoke hearts, green beans, asparagus, spinach, etc; and green salad fixings with different dressings. After filling up on the buffet, we were served seafood risotto, washed down by the mineral water and red wine set on the table; after that, they served fish with boiled potato; and then finally a wonderful custard/vanilla pudding in delicate flaky pastry.
We ordered a light lunch of a Margherita pizza and two kinds of Lugana wine, a specialty of the region. The wine was very pleasant, not too dry but with a nice taste that complemented the pizza.
Our GCT 'discovery' was 'Pocket Coffee', a few milliliters of espresso in a chocolate shell. When you bite down, the espresso squirts out, then the chocolate combines with the taste to be really good. Stan bought 2 5-packs at the next stop at E 1.70 each. This is a cool-weather product, not available in the summer; and not recommended to be kept in pockets, despite the name.
Shortly after arrival at the Hotel Helvetia, we were taken on an introductory stroll through Abano, famous as a spa ('therme') town.
Dinner started with a fantastic appetizer buffet, which had enough different selections to be the whole meal: all kinds of fish, shellfish, octopus salad, shrimp, scallops, etc.; plus many vegetables including artichoke hearts, green beans, asparagus, spinach, etc; and green salad fixings with different dressings. After filling up on the buffet, we were served seafood risotto, washed down by the mineral water and red wine set on the table; after that, they served fish with boiled potato; and then finally a wonderful custard/vanilla pudding in delicate flaky pastry.
Mon 20 Oct- Cernobbio, Hotel Regina Olga, Villa d'Este
Mon 20 Oct- we enjoyed the included buffet breakfast at the Villa Serbelloni, the coffee made fresh for us, and the nice selection of items, then took a leisurely walk around the Serbelloni gardens again, then got ready to leave to join our GCT tour group at the Hotel Regina Olga in Cernobbio. We went by limo, a lovely one hour drive along Lake Como, usually several hundred feet above the lake itself, with a beautiful panoramic view of the lake and the towns and mountains on the opposite side.
On arriving at the Regina Olga, we were pleased to be met by our GCT Tour Guide, Lucio, who was expecting us, and assigned us a very nice room with a terrace. After settling in, we went for a walk and came upon Villa d'Este. Our limo driver had recommended it, so we decided to visit: the 'admission' was to have a drink and/or snack at the bar; so we sprang for two E10 ($14) Nastro Azzuro beers, and were glad we did. The garden was quite nice: it was designed to climb up the hill, toward a statue of Hercules, featuring a very long cascade falling from the statue down to the beginning of the path up, which featured very erotic mosaics, bas relief and statues.
We returned to the hotel and enjoyed the welcome champagne drink, white wine and the special dinner prepared for the GCT group: penne pasta with white cheese sauce, loin of veal with herbs and veal with chard and potato, and delicious meneghina sponge cake with cream custard for dessert. We met some of the group who will be our companions for the next 10 days or so.
On arriving at the Regina Olga, we were pleased to be met by our GCT Tour Guide, Lucio, who was expecting us, and assigned us a very nice room with a terrace. After settling in, we went for a walk and came upon Villa d'Este. Our limo driver had recommended it, so we decided to visit: the 'admission' was to have a drink and/or snack at the bar; so we sprang for two E10 ($14) Nastro Azzuro beers, and were glad we did. The garden was quite nice: it was designed to climb up the hill, toward a statue of Hercules, featuring a very long cascade falling from the statue down to the beginning of the path up, which featured very erotic mosaics, bas relief and statues.
We returned to the hotel and enjoyed the welcome champagne drink, white wine and the special dinner prepared for the GCT group: penne pasta with white cheese sauce, loin of veal with herbs and veal with chard and potato, and delicious meneghina sponge cake with cream custard for dessert. We met some of the group who will be our companions for the next 10 days or so.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sun 19 Oct- the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
Sun 19 Oct- after breakfast we packed and moved to the 5-star Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, just a few meters north of Hotel Metropole.
After checking in, we wandered through the gardens. They are not very impressive or large, but they were pleasant to view, and we got some nice photos and video. We found the Internet connection was not free, but was pretty reasonable - E10 for 99 hours. It would have been a better deal if we were going to be there several days, rather than just overnight. There were no English language newspapers, surprising for a 3-star, unforgivable for a 5-star hotel. There was a very nice plasma TV in the room the got CNN and CNBC, among others, so that somewhat made up for the lack of newspapers.
Then we had lunch at the restaurant, beer (bottled, unfortunately they don't have draft beer available), a large bottle of water, spaghetti with clams and ravioli with meat stuffing and mushroom sauce. The view from the restaurant was a panorama of Lake Como and the far side of the lake, on a beautiful somewhat hazy day, cool 17-18 C, but the restaurant was glassed-in with floor to ceiling windows. The food was excellent, really good home-made pasta and ravioli; the service and settings were impeccable, as expected for a 5-star restaurant; but the price was E62 (almost $100, good for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I would not make a habit).
We used the Internet to check transportation and accommodations for Florence and Barcelona, the last stage of our trip before the cruise home. We could go by ferry, a 20-hour trip from Livorno (an hour-and-a-half from Florence), or train (about 24 hours, with a change or two at odd times), or by air (one-and-a-half nonstop via Meridiana).
Luggage is the big issue - we have too much for the allowed air transport, and too much for the train to be convenient. The ferry might be OK, but 20 hours is a long time, and the port is not convenient. We're leaning toward the flight, though we'll have to pay an extra $100 or more in excess baggage charge.
We listened to the live music by a 3-piece band (piano, violin and string bass) in the large sitting room that adjoins the restaurant, enjoying an evening drink and very nice music.
After checking in, we wandered through the gardens. They are not very impressive or large, but they were pleasant to view, and we got some nice photos and video. We found the Internet connection was not free, but was pretty reasonable - E10 for 99 hours. It would have been a better deal if we were going to be there several days, rather than just overnight. There were no English language newspapers, surprising for a 3-star, unforgivable for a 5-star hotel. There was a very nice plasma TV in the room the got CNN and CNBC, among others, so that somewhat made up for the lack of newspapers.
Then we had lunch at the restaurant, beer (bottled, unfortunately they don't have draft beer available), a large bottle of water, spaghetti with clams and ravioli with meat stuffing and mushroom sauce. The view from the restaurant was a panorama of Lake Como and the far side of the lake, on a beautiful somewhat hazy day, cool 17-18 C, but the restaurant was glassed-in with floor to ceiling windows. The food was excellent, really good home-made pasta and ravioli; the service and settings were impeccable, as expected for a 5-star restaurant; but the price was E62 (almost $100, good for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I would not make a habit).
We used the Internet to check transportation and accommodations for Florence and Barcelona, the last stage of our trip before the cruise home. We could go by ferry, a 20-hour trip from Livorno (an hour-and-a-half from Florence), or train (about 24 hours, with a change or two at odd times), or by air (one-and-a-half nonstop via Meridiana).
Luggage is the big issue - we have too much for the allowed air transport, and too much for the train to be convenient. The ferry might be OK, but 20 hours is a long time, and the port is not convenient. We're leaning toward the flight, though we'll have to pay an extra $100 or more in excess baggage charge.
We listened to the live music by a 3-piece band (piano, violin and string bass) in the large sitting room that adjoins the restaurant, enjoying an evening drink and very nice music.
Sat 18 Oct- another work/reading day in Bellagio Hotel Metropole
Sat 18 Oct- it was a cloudy cool day, so we continued working and reading after breakfast and searching the Internet for hotel accommodations and transportation. Stan read 'The Times' (http://timesonline.co.uk) for the market and other news while Kiyomi worked. Stan finished 'Simply Divine', a humorous book with lots of puns and names that were funny when read aloud; and started 'Weep No More, My Lady' by Mary Higgins Clark, which seems full of 'red herrings' and misdirection as to the villain, but is interesting reading, and fast.
After a break for beer and coffee at the Metropole cafe, we continued until dinner. For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house white wine; proscuitto & cantaloupe, salami, cheese and tortilla appetizer; spaghetti with vodka sauce with cheese & ham and panzerotta of the lake (mushroom, ham and fish wrapped in a thin pasta shell) for first plate; Milanese veal chop (breaded and fried) and steak, with beans and potato with rosemary for second plate; and a surprise grande finale dessert plate of chocolate cake, chocolate muffin, apple tart, vanilla pudding and whip cream, served with a glass of sweet wine like Muscato. What a pleasant surprise! The waiters and maitre d' came over, shook our hands, kissed Kiyomi, and bade us farewell.
After a break for beer and coffee at the Metropole cafe, we continued until dinner. For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house white wine; proscuitto & cantaloupe, salami, cheese and tortilla appetizer; spaghetti with vodka sauce with cheese & ham and panzerotta of the lake (mushroom, ham and fish wrapped in a thin pasta shell) for first plate; Milanese veal chop (breaded and fried) and steak, with beans and potato with rosemary for second plate; and a surprise grande finale dessert plate of chocolate cake, chocolate muffin, apple tart, vanilla pudding and whip cream, served with a glass of sweet wine like Muscato. What a pleasant surprise! The waiters and maitre d' came over, shook our hands, kissed Kiyomi, and bade us farewell.
Fri 17 Oct- a working and reading day at Lake Como
Fri 17 Oct- after breakfast, Kiyomi continued work on her article while Stan read the newspaper and continued to read 'Simply Divine' by Wendy Holden. It was a nice sunny day, so we decided to try to visit the garden at Villa Serbelloni in case it were cloudy or rainy when we check in Sunday, where we had coffee and beer (for an astronomical E15 ($22) (although it did include a dish of potato chips); but they would not allow us to see the garden, as we were not yet officially guests. After a short walk, back at the Metropole, we continued working and reading until dinner.
For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house red wine; three kinds of smoked fish appetizer with toast; bucatini pasta Amatriciana (tomato and ham sauce) and risotto Milanese style (mixed with white cheese) for first plate; grilled veal escalope and escalope Aosta Valley style (cheese and proscuitto layers on the veal) for the second plate with cauliflower au gratin and potatoes as second plate; chocolate cake and lemon sorbet for dessert.
For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house red wine; three kinds of smoked fish appetizer with toast; bucatini pasta Amatriciana (tomato and ham sauce) and risotto Milanese style (mixed with white cheese) for first plate; grilled veal escalope and escalope Aosta Valley style (cheese and proscuitto layers on the veal) for the second plate with cauliflower au gratin and potatoes as second plate; chocolate cake and lemon sorbet for dessert.
Thu 16 Oct- a working & reading day
Thu 16 Oct- the sky was grey and threatening rain, so after breakfast we checked with reception about the tour of Villa Mylius Vigoni. She found the tour was cancelled due to insufficient number and weather concerns. Stan read the newspaper, relieved to see the market and financial meltdown is at least temporarily controlled while Kiyomi looked for a place to stay in Florence. Back in the room, Stan prepared the photos for upload, updated the blog and continued reading while Kiyomi continued work on her article.
After a coffee break at the Metropole's cafe, we continued inside, since it was still cool, windy and threatening rain. Stan finished 'London Bridges' and started (for lack of anything else) 'Simply Divine' by Wendy Holden.
For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house white wine; beef cured and cut like proscuitto & white cheese appetizer; dumplings Roman style (with cheese) and pasta Woodman's style (in a white sauce with peas and mushrooms) as first plate; sirloin steak Mirabeau (with anchovy topping) and fish with almond sauce, served with rustic potatoes & pan-fried peppers, onions and potatoes as second plate; vanilla ice cream and tiramisu for dessert.
After a coffee break at the Metropole's cafe, we continued inside, since it was still cool, windy and threatening rain. Stan finished 'London Bridges' and started (for lack of anything else) 'Simply Divine' by Wendy Holden.
For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house white wine; beef cured and cut like proscuitto & white cheese appetizer; dumplings Roman style (with cheese) and pasta Woodman's style (in a white sauce with peas and mushrooms) as first plate; sirloin steak Mirabeau (with anchovy topping) and fish with almond sauce, served with rustic potatoes & pan-fried peppers, onions and potatoes as second plate; vanilla ice cream and tiramisu for dessert.
Wed 15 Oct- another walk to San Giovanni through Villa Melzi
Wed 15 Oct- after breakfast, Stan read the paper while Kiyomi worked on her article. After it warmed up to 18-19 C, we took a walk down Lungo Lario Manzoni, which had a flea market going on. We walked around looking at all the things on sale, many good bargains if only we had room for them. Then we continued to Lungo Lario Marconi, the lakefront promenade, then through the Giardini di Villa Melzi (http://www.giardinidivillamelzi.it) again, through Loppia, past Villa Gerli to Guggiate and San Giovanni, where we sat on the bench for a while, watched fish, birds, boats and ferries, then walked back, stopping by the highly recommended 'Alle Darsene di Loppia' (http://www.alledarsenediloppia.com) just outside the south entrance of Villa Melzi for a beer and excellent cappuccino. We walked back through the Villa Melzi on a different path, enjoying the lovely warm day, views of the lake and beautiful garden scenery. Although it is mid-October, there are still many flowers blooming, especially gin-mokusei. The Japanese maple around the pond give wonderful colors as the sun shines on or through the leaves, and the reflections in the pond are beautiful.
Back at the Metropole, Stan finished 'A Season in Hell' by Jack Higgins and started on 'London Bridges' by Richard Patterson (his tenth Alex Cross adventure) while Kiyomi worked on the article.
For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house white wine; proscuitto & cantaloupe appetizer (almost a meal in itself); tagliatelle with gorgonzola cheese and farfalle (bow-tie) pasta with sweet pepper sauce for first plate; Hungarian goulash and perch filet with butter & sage served with baked new potatoes and courgettes (zucchini) Peasant style for second plate; lemon sorbet and cream pudding for dessert.
Back at the Metropole, Stan finished 'A Season in Hell' by Jack Higgins and started on 'London Bridges' by Richard Patterson (his tenth Alex Cross adventure) while Kiyomi worked on the article.
For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house white wine; proscuitto & cantaloupe appetizer (almost a meal in itself); tagliatelle with gorgonzola cheese and farfalle (bow-tie) pasta with sweet pepper sauce for first plate; Hungarian goulash and perch filet with butter & sage served with baked new potatoes and courgettes (zucchini) Peasant style for second plate; lemon sorbet and cream pudding for dessert.
Tue 14 Oct- another PT/INR test adventure
Tue 14 Oct- left for an 8 am appointment for the PT/INR test before breakfast, walked to the clinic as the sun was coming up in about 20 minutes, where the doctor met us and filled out the forms for the blood draw and test in about 2 minutes. Then we waited inside about 5 minutes until the nurse took passport and copied the information to the medical form; waited about another 5 minutes to be called, blood drawn and ciao. In and out in less than 20 minutes. Walked back to the hotel in time for breakfast. The results of the test were faxed to the hotel about 1 pm, and faxed by the hotel to Kaiser soon thereafter. I had the evaluation back from Kaiser before we went to dinner.
After breakfast we read and worked a while until it warmed up to about 18-19 C. We had planned to visit the Villa Mylius Vigoni in Menaggio, but found out (fortunately before we left the hotel) that the villa is only open on Thursdays for tours. So instead we walked over to Pescallo for the exercise up and down there, then up and down back again, ready for a beer/cappuccino break.
Kiyomi took Stan shopping and we ended up with three shirts and a pair of stretch jeans. They offered free alterations to shirt sleeve length and jeans. The shirts are high quality material, and with the minor alterations, nicely sized and fitted for Stan.
We read and worked before dinner, then checked email and Internet for places to stay in Florence.
For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house red wine; a huge amount of shrimp cocktail with mayonnaise sauce as appetizer; pipette pasta greengrocer style (mixed cooked vegetables) and trenette pasta with basil pesto sauce for first plate; escalope cordon bleu and pork cutlet with rosemary, sandy potatoes & fennel root for second plate; lemon sorbet and profiteroles for dessert.
After breakfast we read and worked a while until it warmed up to about 18-19 C. We had planned to visit the Villa Mylius Vigoni in Menaggio, but found out (fortunately before we left the hotel) that the villa is only open on Thursdays for tours. So instead we walked over to Pescallo for the exercise up and down there, then up and down back again, ready for a beer/cappuccino break.
Kiyomi took Stan shopping and we ended up with three shirts and a pair of stretch jeans. They offered free alterations to shirt sleeve length and jeans. The shirts are high quality material, and with the minor alterations, nicely sized and fitted for Stan.
We read and worked before dinner, then checked email and Internet for places to stay in Florence.
For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house red wine; a huge amount of shrimp cocktail with mayonnaise sauce as appetizer; pipette pasta greengrocer style (mixed cooked vegetables) and trenette pasta with basil pesto sauce for first plate; escalope cordon bleu and pork cutlet with rosemary, sandy potatoes & fennel root for second plate; lemon sorbet and profiteroles for dessert.
Mon 13 Oct- PT/INR location, Hotel Belvedere, prescription refill at the pharmacy
Mon 13 Oct- PT/INR location, Hotel Belvedere, prescription refill at the pharmacy
Mon 13 Oct- after breakfast, Kiyomi continued working on her report while Stan finished 'Drop Shot', an enjoyable and funny detective story, and started 'A Season in Hell', a book by Jack Higgins. We were waiting for the sky to clear and for it to warm up before our walk.
Stan checked with the hotel receptionist about when and where he could get his upcoming PT/INR test done. She found out it could be done at the hospital in Menaggio, or at a once-a-week clinic in Bellagio, a 25-minute walk or 5 minute taxi ride. Stan decided to have it done tomorrow, close by in Bellagio, even though it's earlier than necessary, because now the boats to Menaggio are infrequent. We asked the GPS, and it told us 15 minutes walking would get us there, so we tried it; actual time was 25 minutes, but we took several round-about walkways.
On the way back, we stopped by the 3-star Hotel Belvedere for a beer and cappuccino (at E10/US$15, expensive, but we were there for the excellent view of Mt. Grigna, the other alps, and Lago di Lecco, so considered we were buying a nice view also; the cafe across the street was 1/4 the price, but no view). Their dining room also has the great view. It wouldn't be a bad place to stay, though it's a bit far from Bellagio center and the boats/ferries/shops/restaurants.
We continued our walk back through the fishing village Pescallo, and up, up, up the path and then down, down the path to Bellagio. We walked up and down in Bellagio for a while, Stan got a new backpack to replace his camera bag that has fallen apart, then back to the Metropole.
Kiyomi's prescription of 25 mg hydrochlothiazide tablets was getting low, so we decided to try the pharmacy. Sure enough, they looked at the prescription on the label, and immediately fixed us up with a refill, 20 tablets for E1.25 (that's less than US$2).
Kiyomi continued shopping, finding a very good shop named 'GLAMOUR' at Salita Serbelloni 18, with a knowledgeable proprietress while Stan returned to the hotel to blog and read.
For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house white wine; proscuitto with artichoke & garlic toast with tomato & basil spread appetizer; conchiglie pasta with mixed cheeses and tagliatelle pasta with meat sauce for the first plate; lake trout with aromatic herbs and roast beef with peas & ham & potato Lyonnaise (in cream sauce with onions) as second plate; Sacher tort and lemon sorbet for dessert.
Mon 13 Oct- after breakfast, Kiyomi continued working on her report while Stan finished 'Drop Shot', an enjoyable and funny detective story, and started 'A Season in Hell', a book by Jack Higgins. We were waiting for the sky to clear and for it to warm up before our walk.
Stan checked with the hotel receptionist about when and where he could get his upcoming PT/INR test done. She found out it could be done at the hospital in Menaggio, or at a once-a-week clinic in Bellagio, a 25-minute walk or 5 minute taxi ride. Stan decided to have it done tomorrow, close by in Bellagio, even though it's earlier than necessary, because now the boats to Menaggio are infrequent. We asked the GPS, and it told us 15 minutes walking would get us there, so we tried it; actual time was 25 minutes, but we took several round-about walkways.
On the way back, we stopped by the 3-star Hotel Belvedere for a beer and cappuccino (at E10/US$15, expensive, but we were there for the excellent view of Mt. Grigna, the other alps, and Lago di Lecco, so considered we were buying a nice view also; the cafe across the street was 1/4 the price, but no view). Their dining room also has the great view. It wouldn't be a bad place to stay, though it's a bit far from Bellagio center and the boats/ferries/shops/restaurants.
We continued our walk back through the fishing village Pescallo, and up, up, up the path and then down, down the path to Bellagio. We walked up and down in Bellagio for a while, Stan got a new backpack to replace his camera bag that has fallen apart, then back to the Metropole.
Kiyomi's prescription of 25 mg hydrochlothiazide tablets was getting low, so we decided to try the pharmacy. Sure enough, they looked at the prescription on the label, and immediately fixed us up with a refill, 20 tablets for E1.25 (that's less than US$2).
Kiyomi continued shopping, finding a very good shop named 'GLAMOUR' at Salita Serbelloni 18, with a knowledgeable proprietress while Stan returned to the hotel to blog and read.
For dinner we had: 1/2 liter house white wine; proscuitto with artichoke & garlic toast with tomato & basil spread appetizer; conchiglie pasta with mixed cheeses and tagliatelle pasta with meat sauce for the first plate; lake trout with aromatic herbs and roast beef with peas & ham & potato Lyonnaise (in cream sauce with onions) as second plate; Sacher tort and lemon sorbet for dessert.
Sun 12 Oct- walking and relaxing around Bellagio
http://stanhutchings.blogspot.com/ (this information as a blog)
http://hutchings.smugmug.com/ (photos)
Sun 12 Oct- after breakfast we worked and read until it warmed up to 19-20 C around noon. Then we walked over to the northern point of Bellagio where the two arms of the lake meet. We watched the fish and enjoyed the sun. Then we walked back through Bellagio, up and down streets (actually pedestrian stairways lined with shops of all kind) we hadn't been on before. We continued along the lakeside promenade Lungo Lario Europa, lined with raised flower beds on one side and the lake on the other. We watched the antics of the ducks and other birds, were amazed by all the fish we saw, and enjoyed the warm 22-23 C sunny day. Then we walked back to the Metropole.
After a beer/cappuccino break, Stan read the paper (the London Times is the only one in English) and worked on the blog while Kiyomi went shopping. We miss CNN and CNBC, which are not available at the Metropole; only the Eurosport channel and France24 (http://www.france24.com/en/)are in English. It was surprising and interesting to hear a French TV station broadcasting in English, with a very French and European perspective on the news.
For dinner we had: tomato and mozzarella cheese with lettuce and basil appetizer, 1/2 liter house white wine; spaghetti with shrimp & courgettes (zucchini chunks) and ravioli stuffed with green pesto (broccoli) under a cheese sauce served with rocket (arugula) & stuffed tomato for first plate; braised pork shank and fried fish for second plate; chocolate muffin and tiramisu for dessert.
http://hutchings.smugmug.com/ (photos)
Sun 12 Oct- after breakfast we worked and read until it warmed up to 19-20 C around noon. Then we walked over to the northern point of Bellagio where the two arms of the lake meet. We watched the fish and enjoyed the sun. Then we walked back through Bellagio, up and down streets (actually pedestrian stairways lined with shops of all kind) we hadn't been on before. We continued along the lakeside promenade Lungo Lario Europa, lined with raised flower beds on one side and the lake on the other. We watched the antics of the ducks and other birds, were amazed by all the fish we saw, and enjoyed the warm 22-23 C sunny day. Then we walked back to the Metropole.
After a beer/cappuccino break, Stan read the paper (the London Times is the only one in English) and worked on the blog while Kiyomi went shopping. We miss CNN and CNBC, which are not available at the Metropole; only the Eurosport channel and France24 (http://www.france24.com/en/)are in English. It was surprising and interesting to hear a French TV station broadcasting in English, with a very French and European perspective on the news.
For dinner we had: tomato and mozzarella cheese with lettuce and basil appetizer, 1/2 liter house white wine; spaghetti with shrimp & courgettes (zucchini chunks) and ravioli stuffed with green pesto (broccoli) under a cheese sauce served with rocket (arugula) & stuffed tomato for first plate; braised pork shank and fried fish for second plate; chocolate muffin and tiramisu for dessert.
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