Tolls, Gas, and Autogrills..

I will be happy if I never see an AutoGrill again..the US's version of a rest stop but much more. There is a restaurant, food, wine, local specialties for wherever you may be. And yes, we purchased Parmesan-Reggio cheese in Reggio. I can't quite understand what the draw is to a "rest stop". Really, isn't it for a quick stop for gas, bathroom, and get the hell outta there? Apparently not so for the Italians. They seem to enjoy them.
Here are our totals for various things
Gas: 346. 09 euros
Tolls: 381 euros
fights in the car between C&E: 2 (1 of which involved Pringles)
Hours of driving time: 40
Hotels: 6
Photos taken: 800
Trip of a lifetime with Erich: priceless!

Back to Reality

We apologize for the lack of posts while we were in the Italian Alps. The internet there is a joke but here are some pictures of our trip to Lake Maggiore. We extended our stay in the Italian Alps because we loved it so much and did not go to Beaune in the end. Erich is back to work, my heap of laundry is staring at me and since I ate my way through Italy for 3 weeks, the gym is calling.

A late route update - we travelled from Torgiano to Amalfi last Thursday.



Today we are on our way back toward Paris. We travelled from Amalfi to Bologna and we are spending the night before continuing on to Verbania in the Italian Alps tomorrow. It is nice a cool! Only 60-65 at night and it is kind of relieving!

Capri

We had a great day in Capri although the weather was not completely cooperative. It was hot and cloudy, but we have to say that Capri is absolutely beautiful and we want to go back and spend more time there.

This is a view from the centre looking down at the port.

Capri centre shopping, dining, hotel area. This was a very nice place to spend the day. No pictures here but we had lunch overlooking the harbor from above.

From the port is was a nice 750m climb to the centre. I would have preferred the funicular, but Carolyn said no without reading this sign...

Cool Capri taxis.

Nice boat - over 200 feet. Notice the helicopter on the back and the sailboat "tender" mounted on the side. The sailboat has to be 35-40 feet. There were several of these around the harbor.

More Amalfi and Positano

Here are some more Amalfi pictures as well as a couple from Positano. We took the boat over to Positano for the day and found that it was quite nice, it has a bigger beach than Amalfi, but much more crowded and a lot more large tour groups from cruise ships. There were a lot of nice restaurants along the beach and we had a nice lunch.

Amalfi with a view

We finally made it to Amalfi after winding, hilly, and breathtaking views of the sea. Amalfi is an amazing town with an energetic feel. Our hotel is in the perfect location, thanks to Erich, personal travel agent extraordinaire. We have a balcony with a view that overlooks the square and the marina. We continue to have the most amazing meals even at the most simplest places. The mom and pop's type restaurants are underrated and the price is certainly right. One of our favorite meals was at Gamma. Erich and I split a smoked mozzarella baked in lemon leaves. Erich had the fresh catch of the day, grouper, and I had the most amazing blue fin tuna. There is no such thing as "no dessert" so of course we were treated to a shot of Limoncello with chocolates to go with it. The next night we went to a 2 person run restaurant and it was fantastic. Erich and I split roasted red peppers with basil and I had the freshest fusilli with cherry tomatoes. Erich has become a fan of the "house" specialty pasta dish. They do not disappoint.

Pompei

I have come to realize 2 things. 1. I should have paid better attention in history class and 2. My husband is my walking encyclopedia. He is so smart! I am not one to brag about my husband but he is the best and is an abundance of information. On that note, Erich was really looking forward to seeing the Pompei Ruins. He had to give me a "cliff note" review of what happened in Pompei and I was shocked to actually see what occurred there. The town was completely covered with ash during an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79. During the 1700's the streets were excavated and most of the town was still intact. It was a sight to see.

Basilica San Francesco d' Assisi

Needless to say we got a late start to our day because of our late night at the festival..Approaching Assisi you can't help but notice the beautiful village built into a hill and marvel at how big this basilica is. The church was started in 1228 and is built into a hill that consists of 2 churches. The lower and upper church. Erich and I loved the lower "gothic" style" church which also contains the crypt of St. Francis. There is no photography or video allowed and complete silence is enforced, and in my opinion the way it should be in any church. Assisi, the town, is simply beautiful as well with cobblestones, columns, and a great view. It is a quiet town where the main focus is the Basilica.

Italian festival Part 2

A second video capturing the festival in Torgiano. Both videos were recorded at 11 at night but time here clearly is not on their minds. Live, Love, Laugh! xoxo!

La Dolce Vita

After a wonderful Italian dinner at our hotel, Erich and I were fortunate enough to take part in the Torgiano festival that takes place only once a year. We purchased our 6 euro tickets and let the fun begin! There were bands playing, people dancing, and wine flowing! There were various tents set up with various different types of food and wine and everyone was so friendly. The atmosphere was stereotypical of a an Italian festival..people dancing in the streets, little kids dancing with their parents, and not a care in the world. It really says a lot of the Italian culture.

Tuscany to Umbria

Today we will leave Tuscany and head to Umbria for a few days. We will stop off at Montepulciano and Lago Trasimeno, Italy's largest non-alpine lake, before arriving in Torgiano just outside of Perugia.

Siena

We had a brief time in Siena the other day. Our hotel is in the countryside overlooking the city and we have spent a lot of time taking small trips around Tuscany and relaxing rather than in the city. It was very nice to see the Duomo and the Piazza del Campo where the Palio is run twice per year. The Palio is a famous horserace running since the 1600s where the districts of the city field a horse and jockey to run.

More info on the Palio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_Siena

Tuscan countryside

I have been falling behind on my logging..but wanted to give you guys some pictures of the wonderful countryside of Tuscany. We have managed to visit some really cool villages within Tuscany. Siena, Montalcino, and San Gimignano.

Blog Update - Anyone can comment

Hey Everyone - We have had several people tell us that the blog did not allow comments. We have found the setting for this and corrected it so anyone with or without a gmail account can post. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Lunch in Panzano

Erich and I continue on our way through the Tuscan countryside..our stomaches a little bigger but we eagerly await our next meal. For all of you Anthony Bourdain lovers we stopped into a famous butcher shop featured in one of his episodes. We happen to stumble upon it as I was furiously (with Erich annoyed) trying to find the Italian post office to send my latest round of postcards out. As we entered the shop we were handed glasses of wine and the staff was so welcoming. I wish we had a kitchen at our next destination, Erich would be cooking up some famous tuscan stakes. Back to lunch..We found this cute trattoria overlooking Panzano hills. We split a bruscetta and garlic bread. The bread was thin sliced, toasted to perfection with olive oil and crunchy to taste! I had a ravioli with spinach mixed in with some sage and butter sauce. How could I not finish it? Erich has found a typical Tuscan dish with pasta and wild boar sauce. It does not sound appetizing but the flavors have hints of cinnamon that make it less "beefy". I have discovered Cappuccino and am becoming a snob with my espresso...I am sticking with my French N'Espresso for now.

Route Update - Pistoia to Siena via Chianti

Today we left Pistoia in northern Tuscany to head for Siena with a nice back road drive through Chianti. We skipped Florence (Fiorenza) because both Carolyn and I have been there (several times for me). Instead we got to spend time in some small towns in Chianti and we visited what is supposed to be the most famous butcher shop in the world called Antica Macalleria Cecchini in Panzano and treated ourselves to great traditional pasta lunch on a terrace overlooking the countryside.

Pizza, Calzones, and Rain..

I guess it was bound to happen at least once on our trip but we made the best of our "rainy day". We decided to hop in the car with our umbrellas in tow and head to a town called Lucca. It is a small town 20 miles away from Pistoia. We were delighted to see how nice Lucca is. It is a old walled city and inside were shops, churches, and the best pizzeria I have ever been to. I had the Funghi pizza which had mushrooms. I could go on about how much I enjoyed this pizza. Thin crust, burnt edges, and just enough sauce and cheese. I did not want take my last bite! Erich had the most amazing calzone filled with ham, cheese, onions, sauce..etc. Of course, knowing Erich and his "food sharing" issues he would not give me a bite so I can't really tell you first hand how great it was but it looked fantastic. Driving through the Italian countryside and eating these delicious meals, I'm beginning to think the Italians have it right..good wine and fantastic food..what else matters?

Route Update #3.5

I forgot to post the map! Another interesting item to note is that BMW diesels are truly amazing. With all of the mountain roads we are averaging 49mpg and laughing at all of the hybrid golf carts as we speed ahead at a reasonable speed!

Route Update #3

Today we travelled from the Cinque Terre to Pistoia. This was a nice short trip so we stopped off in Pisa to get a picture of the local engineering failure. It was quite a scene there - kind of like the Eiffel Tower in the summer but with a bit less harassment. We are now very happy to be in Tuscany, our hotel is fantastic, and there are certainly no complaints about the pasta and wine.

Back to Geneva

One highlight of Geneva that we did not mention was the car show that was imported from the Persian Gulf for the summer vacation. It seems that entire families along with their cars make the trip to Switzerland for a long period of time coinciding with the summer heat in the Middle East. It is an interesting scene to be sure. Check out some of the highlights that I was able to capture. I missed the Rolls Royce Phantom Convertible, several Ferraris, and a nice Lamborghini or two.

Cinque Terre, We will miss you!

Ciao for now Cinque Terre but we will be back. Cinque Terre meaning "5 lands" is the most amazing place with spectacular views of the Mediterranean. It is known for all the hikes you can walk between the 5 villages but knowing Erich and I we chose the lazy route and took the "boat" option. It is the perfect place to escape and take in the views with a book and a glass of wine in hand! The village we stayed in is called Vernazza. We managed to explore 4 of the 5 villages and we were happy we chose Vernazza. We did not have internet for 3 days and it was quite nice and refreshing. Erich and I can't get over how fresh the food is. I have officially turned Erich into a seafood eater as all meals we had included fish of some kind. The mussels, tuna, and even octupus were all so delicious. Enough talking, here are some pictures we think summarize Cinque Terre and all its beauty.