Day 9 Menton and our dining experience at Mirazur

This entry is solely based on our experience in Mauro Colagreco's two star Michelin rated restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France.  I will warn you now that if you're not into food you won't enjoy this post, but if you are, I hope you enjoy it and the pictures.  We tried to capture everything so that we can remember this wonderful and fun eating experience.    
  Menton is another beautiful Riviera town situated on the French and Italian border.  Visiting Menton and eating here was on our wish list of things to do while staying in this area and we're thrilled it actually happened.  The restaurant itself as you can see from the pictures sits above the town with spectacular views.  The chef has his own gardens on the property and his philosophy is to use what he grows along with what's currently available in the market to create his menu, a theme that's not uncommon now in the U.S.  We don't get to eat food like this EVER.  It's fancy, elaborate, over-the-top and clearly expensive so our wallets do not typically allow such indulgences.  However, since this is our honeymoon we wanted to do something really special, so we decided to do lunch there when it would be daytime and we could fully appreciate the views.  The service at Mirazur is formal but extremely friendly and the atmosphere is actually more casual than you might think.  I know this whole thing may seem pretentious but many of you know how much we love food and wine.  We just enjoy seeing what people can do with food and we like eating it even more.  So to continue, the menu is such that you can choose based on the number of courses you wish to do.  You don't choose what you're going to eat, but you can tell them if there are certain foods you don't or can't eat.  We chose the six course Degustation option and told them we'd eat anything.  We're not entirely sure what they count as a course.  It appeared to us that we had 8 courses, but apparently some of the courses must not have counted as an actual course.  So, let's begin...

Amuse bouche - We started with a glass of Taittinger Cuvee Prestige champagne (that was for you Jen) and a few little bites.  We honestly can't remember what was on the rock with the moss in the background (sorry I guess we're not off to a great start), but in the middle are baby radishes with some minced veggies inside and on either side of that are beet chips with little balls of white and yellow beets on goat cheese.  They were yummy little bites for sure.

First course - At that point we ordered a bottle of wine to accompany our meal.  We opted for a white that the sommelier said would be appropriate for all the courses.  It was a 2009 Rhone Valley Viognier by Domaine Belle.  Our first course was oysters with a shallot creme and seaweed foam.  Although we eat oysters,  I've never had a raw oyster that was removed from the shell for me and that tasted so perfect.

Second course - Carpacchio of Seam bream fish with begonia flowers and some kind of baby peach. A++

Third course - Heirloom tomatoes, mango sorbet, mint leaves, cucumber, tomato gelee, tomato water.  No joke, the tomato gelee and the tomato water actually tasted like a real tomato, in fact it was the essence of tomato.

Fourth course - Mussels, fennel, summer squash, dill, saffron sauce and coriander emulsion.  I wanted to lick the saffron sauce off the plate.

Fifth course - Fillet of John Dory fish, stew of chickpeas and red pepper broth.  The fish was perfect in taste and texture, and the chickpeas were a surprising but welcomed addition.

Sixth course - Pork belly with plum sauce and lavender emulsion.  I'm drooling just typing that.  OMG that was some amazing pig.  Single best pork product I've ever eaten.

Seventh course - They called this "pre dessert", which was carpacchio of fig with anise sorbet.  I can't really describe the flavor combination, but the figs were really fresh and delicious.

Eighth course - Dessert was goat cheese tower with goat milk mousse underneath, cucumber sorbet, meringue of verbena.  I'm honestly not a huge sorbet person.  It's good, but I'm more of an ice cream girl.  The goat milk mousse was great but the cucumber sorbet was surprisingly incredible.

Espresso:  Just thought this was a cool picture.  In France they actually drink their coffee after dessert and not with dessert

Espresso accompaniments: Chocolate raspberry truffles and dark chocolate truffles.  I love chocolate, hence I loved these truffles.

Espresso accompaniments:  Erin, these little treats were absolutely heavenly.  Lemon macarons and something that I can only describe as having a caramelized outside and a doughy, almost french cruller-like inside.  We can't figure out what it is and we should have asked because it really was amazing.  Oh well.

Something not pictured was the bread.  I know, shame on us.  At the beginning they brought us something called "sharing bread" which were little pull-apart rolls along with olive oil.  Of course, I'm sure you know by now this was no ordinary olive oil.  It was lemon and ginger infused olive oil.  I'll be honest, at first I thought it sounded like a weird combination, but after eating it, I would bathe in the stuff.  They poured such a generous amount of it onto a plate that I thought we would never eat it all, but there wasn't one drop left.  They served different types of breads, rolls and baguettes throughout the meal and we dipped it all in that oil.  So good.  It was a terrific meal from start to finish and something we will remember forever.

Blog post courtesy of Allison Boisvert
Pictures courtesy of Mike Boisvert                    

Days 4 - 7 Villefranche-sur-mer and the French Riviera

  We have had little wifi in Villefranche, so my blogging has had to wait.  It's day 7 of the trip and we're sitting in our favorite drinking spot called L'X Cafe.  It has wifi, pronounced we-fee here in France,  reggae music and friendly bar staff.  They also make a pretty nice coffee.  When you order coffee in France it's either espresso or espresso with steamed milk. I'm sure there are plenty of other types, but those are the typical choices.  Last time I typed we were on the train from Paris to VilleFranche, which went very well.  It's a great way to travel.  We had to switch trains in Nice and take a local train to Villefranche. The station in Nice is very busy, and very chaotic, so it took us a moment to figure out where to buy train tickets and where to board the train. We figured it out, and eventually boarded the train, which was really cramped and a little stressful with all of our luggage, but we made it.  We arrived in Villefranche a few minutes later, exited the train squeezing through people and thanking those who helped us off.  We walked through a little tunnel and out onto the street.  Picture if you will a mixture of beautiful aqua and green sea, filled with yachts, a beautiful soft pebble beach, and a tiny cobble stone street lining the sea.  You can smell the fresh seafood, and hear the joy of the patrons in the cafes.   Although we had a long day of travel and some stress, we knew we made the right decision and picked a very charming little town to spend the week.   The last few days have been spent at the beach swimming and on foot exploring our little village, which is very hilly, with lots of steps, secret passage ways and tunnels.

 The food has been an amazing fusion of French and Italian cuisines.  From the octopus to the escargot, it's been an incredible experience.  Notably Les Garcons and Le Grignotiere have been the winners thus far.  The Scallop risotto with white truffle oil from Les Garcons is over the top good.  Risotto is a tricky one to get perfect and they make it look easy.  Villefranche has been extremely relaxing and extremely delicious.   It's exactly what we wanted, beach, food, ambiance and relaxation.  The only worry we had with our honeymoon itinerary in France, was a lack of relaxation. We found that here plus so much more.

  We decided today would be a great day to venture out of Villefranche and see Nice.  We got up early (9am) ; ) and took the train into Nice.  It's about a 7 minute train ride.  We headed straight down to the sea, and along the Promenade des Anglais to find a nice spot for a croissant and coffee.  I've been bad about making my croissant comparisons, but it's only because they are all great.  Even the bad ones are great.  The tastes are all over the board.  But the texture and buttery goodness make it the perfect breakfast. After breakfast we walked the old city. More maze-like alley ways with cafes and shops. You could really feel what it must have been like in medieval times.  After we walked to the top of a giant scenic overlook.  Allison got a picture of me  looking over the beach and city, which is in my flickr. account.  I think that is all I have for now.  Please enjoy the pictures.

  Tomorrow we head to Menton for lunch at a 2 star Michelin rated restaurant called Mirazur.  We're both really excited for Menton.  I believe I mentioned in the first post of this trip that Menton is the restaurant in Boston where I proposed, which is inspired by Menton, France.  At any rate, thank you for the comments and emails, it keeps me motivated to do this blogging business.

Days 2 and 3: Embracing the cafe life and travel by train

  On day 2 we allowed ourselves to sleep in a bit before we attacked some of the sites.  We started off the morning with some coffee and buckwheat crepes filled with cheeses, meats and a fried egg,   which we both really enjoyed.  It's odd how simple things can be so exciting and fun.  Sitting in an open air cafe, people watching, drinking great coffee, and slowly savoring a meal is such a perfect thing.  The cafe is theater.  It sounds silly and mock poetic, but really I don't know how else to describe the cafe lifestyle here. You watch people walking by, chatting with a friend or partner, a lady riding a bike in chaotic traffic with high heals on.  The people traveling past are also looking at the cafe patrons and waitstaff.  Not sure how to do it justice, but I wish I could take a moment every day to cafe.

After our breakfast we headed towards the Louvre.  We decided to take the long way there and soak in as many little nooks and crannies while we were at it.  We stumbled upon a lot of public places with fountains, playgrounds, or gardens.  I love how this city is really made for the people.  I've noticed one modern "sky scraper" in the distance and it's really out of place.  It's really great to be able to see a park, school, or museum from any given spot, instead of a new high rise or office building.  That is what it's all about, the people make the city and those people should be able to enjoy it.    

We made it over to the Louvre and waited in line for about 5-10 minute then headed straight in, it wasn't overly crowded.  

Sorry, this is taking too long.  To be continued when I get a chance...

  Allison and I are currently sitting on a train in big plush seats facing each other, sipping café espresso and munching on Croissants.  We’re about 1 hour outside of Paris heading south to Nice, it's day 4.  Our 2’ by 5’ window view is changing pretty rapidly.  Train tracks and walls filled with graffiti, to flat green and beige fields filled with produce and cattle. I’m trying to embrace the experience while typing about our experiences thus far.  Hard to believe a few years back I would be sitting in a bar right now annoying a bartender or falling off a stool.  I’m not going to pretend that won’t happen again, and/or hasn’t happened within the past few weeks, but I’m really enjoying looking at my wife with the landscape of France in the background.  I’m not sure how life has led me here, and although I’m not religious, the only word I can think of is blessed.  Even the dude snoring a few seats over seems fitting, HA!  Some of these words come out sappy and cliché, but this is my life and although there are moments of drunken foolishness, emotional break through, jealousy, pride, and arrogance, I’m trying to get as much as I can out of it and I’m proud of what Allison and I have created for ourselves.  These adventures are 100% a part of the life we wish to lead, and we’re doing it, which seems impossible to me.   Enough of that back to Paris…

  Where were we... Yeah yeah, the previous few days were spent in cafes and seeing the sites, so I guess I’ll start with the sites.  On day two after strolling around different arrondissements for a bit we ventured over to the Louvre.  We pretty much bee-lined it to the Mona Lisa.  We both like art, but at the same time when it comes to the really early religious stuff, it’s incredibly grand and impressive, but we lose interest very quickly, which is why we decided to get the big gun out of the way.   I’m sure you have all heard the room she is in is filled to capacity, and she sits on the wall like a tiny postage stamp behind glass.  Yep, that’s pretty much the deal.  I will say to stand in front of the most famous and recognizable piece of art in the world is a little surreal.  This “lame brain” of mine doesn’t fully grasp what makes that painting special,  I just don’t see it,  It’s just as beautiful as the rest.  What I am amazed by, is that it was created so long ago in a time before modern luxuries, and 90% of the world recognizes that piece of art and knows her name and the creator…mind blowing.   After checking out the old lady, we strolled around looking at 1000’s of paintings and sculptures, until our legs couldn’t take anymore.  The Louvre is massive and we saw about a 10^th of it, including the ancient Louvre down below.  

  On day 3 we took the batobus, which is a ferry, that has 8 stops along the River Seine.  You can hop on and off all day with one ticket.  Each stop is in a specific tourist destination such as the Eiffel tower, The Louvre, Musee d’orsay…At any rate, we hopped on at Notre Dame, the closest stop to our hotel.  It was a really beautiful way to see the city.  The bridges are works of art as you can see in the pictures on my flickr account to the right of this page.  The first stop we got off at was the Louvre stop.  We wanted to check out Musee de L’Orangerie, recommended by my sister.  On our walk to the Museum, we went through the courtyards of the Louvre.  Once again, the public spaces are incredible.  I would guess it’s a mile long strip of park, filled with fountains and statues, flower gardens, great little lounge chairs and small food stands.  People played with their dogs, children, and friends.  The atmosphere is happiness and peace, no yelling or fighting, no thugs.  Picture one of those parking lot carnivals, yeah completely the opposite.  You can try to blame drugs and booze for those carnivals, but there were plenty of people drinking beer and wine, so nope, nice try.  

We arrived at the Musee de L’Orangerie and got our tickets. We visited rooms filled with paintings by Monet, Picasso, Derain, Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse, and more. We already liked this museum a lot.  We passed some familiar pieces, and plenty of unfamiliar, but much more our style compared to the Louvre. The highlight of this museum was the Monet water lily rooms.  Oval shaped rooms with 100% natural light from the giant glass ceiling that had a slight transparent shade covering it.  The walls were massive rounded paintings of water lily covered ponds.  Up close they looked like giant smears of paint, but as you step back you can see the details of lily pads, lilies, clouds and light sources (Moon or Sun) reflected on the water. Each painting was a different season or time of day.  We really loved them.  I wish I could stop saying “we” but so far we have agreed upon most of the art.  And disagreement is sure to follow. 

   After the museum we walked Champs-Elysees, which is the famous street you see in movies, with all the lights that leads to the Arc de Triomphe.  This area was very busy, everyone was extremely well dressed, and on a mission to get where they were going.  There were lots of high-end fashion stores and car dealerships.  Some of the dealerships have cars in their windows like dresses in Macy’s.  Saint-Germain and the Latin Quarter, where we were staying, is more our speed.  We continued walking towards the Arc de Triomphe, but it was completely mobbed. It was very impressive to see from the outside, although we were told by Mr. Duclos to get to the top for a great view, it seemed too busy for us to wait.  We’ll be back in that area when we return to Paris at the end of the trip so maybe we’ll try again.

  Our last sight of this leg of Paris was The Eiffel Tower.  It’s massive and beautiful. Pictures and TV really don’t prepare you for its size.  When we return later on our visit we’ll head up it.  Lets talk about food, shall we?

  Dinner on day two was at La Petit Cour, recommended by The Nigro’s family friend.  It was a really interesting restaurant in the Saint Germain district, down a flight of stairs on a side street. When you head down stairs it’s a courtyard with a nice awning, flowers, tomato plants, and intimate little tables.  It reminded us of a place we ate at in Sorrento, Italy.  Per usual our Waitress was very friendly and completely up for speaking to us in English, although we tried to use as much French as we could.  People really seem to appreciate that. This was a prix fixe meal of three courses with about five choices for each course.  Allison ordered burrata, which is similar to a ball of buffalo mozzarella over mixed greens, with some pesto and balsamic. It had little olive oil caviar, which I have no idea how they make, but it was awesome.  I ordered Pigs ear, which they basically mash up into a paste with spices and other goodness, on a little piece of garlic bread with some tomato paste and peppers.  It was incredible… one of my favorite things so far.  For our second course, Allison ordered roast pork, which compared to the best grilled steak I’ve ever had.  It tasted and looked like a steak, but more tender. It came with cauliflower puree, and fried potato strings.  I took another risk with my second course, which turned out to be a big mistake.  I ordered veal Kidney, rare…ha ha, what a jerk, Oops!  That was way out of my league.  I did my best to attack it, but the flavor was just too organ meaty.  I can’t complain though because I could tell if organ meat is your bag, that stuff would knock your socks off…Luckily it came with white beets, which reminded us of artichokes, and a cabbage puree which was also great.  For dessert Allison got a chocolate cake and mango ice cream.  Her first pastry in Paris, and it didn’t disappoint.  It was a very soft fluffy piece of light chocolate cake, not comparable to anything at home.  I got a rice pudding maki.  It looked like a piece of sushi.  Amazing rice pudding wrapped in a green soft fruit roll-up type wrapper. It came with lychee ice cream.  Also crazy good.  Of course we had great wine with the meal, but that goes without saying.

  Sorry to jump around but I forgot about the first night post dinner fun, you'll see why.  After dinner we stopped at a tapas bar for a nightcap.  We each ordered a French beer, which was really great.  Then the bartender started making shots for his friends and offered us one, so we went for it.  He lined up 6 shot glasses and added an apple liquor, layered something that looked like blue curacao over it and then topped it with Cointreau and lit the things on fire.  Then lit the bar on fire, and handed us straws.  Ha ha!! I killed mine, and Allison smiled and killed hers.  We laughed, thanked the bar tender and sat back down to enjoy our beers.  Awesome! The French are obviously rude jerks right? No way!!  99% have been excellent people so far, which is a higher percentage than anywhere I have ever been. 

  Ok for our last dinner in Paris we at Au Port du Salut, another prix fixe meal. This place had lots of old celebrities on the wall.  The waitress mentioned the place had been around for ages, and was once the place to see and be seen.  The only problem we had at this place was the other guests.  A couple of old British tourists who had been there the night before were complaining about their meal, which was the same as the night before, but they had the chef completely strip it of sauces and sides. A slab of beef on a plate, that was it. And the other guests were Americans that only ordered an appetizer and ice water, also bitching about everything...What we had was excellent from start to finish.  Allison had Bellota ham to start.  This was pretty amazing.  It was an aged pig leg sitting at the front of the restaurant that they shave thin slices off as it's ordered... It was the best "cold cut" I've ever tasted, slightly sweet and really marbled. It's said to be the finest ham of Spain. Free range pigs that room oak forests feeding on acorns.  That was served with shaved tomato, olive oil, and baguette.  I started with beef cheek canneloni, which was sort of like a crepe filled with a shredded beef and a cheese sauce, also incredible, tasted a bit like an amazing bolognese. Second course, Allison had pan seared duck breast and peaches, perfectly cooked duck! I had what the British travellers order, except, as the chef intended. Beef over haricot vert puree and a shaved mushroom.  It was incredible.  I would have to really strain to find a complaint for that dish.  For dessert I had creme brulee, I'm not sure what they serve in the U.S. but it's not that. That's not bashing the U.S. I've had some of my greatest meals in the mighty states, but they don't make creme brulee.  Allison had a layered almond chocolate cake.  I don't think I need to explain how good a chocolate almond cake in Paris is.. I'll just say they don't mess around with Hershey, or even Ghiradelli for that matter..  Awesome meal, awesome services, shitty tourists, oh yeah and another free shot... ; )

HONEYMOON IN FRANCE!

Here we go again, travel time.And this time back to Europe, France to be exact. Allison and I floated around lots of ideas, including a multi country adventure. We ended up deciding, we want to relax, drink wine, and eat like monsters. France seemed like an obvious choice, with 5 stops starting and ending in Paris. A visit  to the French riviera for beaching and sun. Provence for food, art, and beautiful vistas. And a stop in Burgundy for, you guessed it, wine, wine, wine.. I know we have a one track mind, but at least we're consistent.

View France honeymoon in a larger map

We start in Paris, 3 nights in the Latin Quarter. Our plan is a nice mixture of cafes and tourist fun, with the obvious major sites. We received lots of great advice from a lot of you, and we appreciate it. One of the really great ideas is hopping on one of those cheesy tourist buses that cruise around the city. After airport hell, we may be groggy and lazy, so doing one of those buses will be a great way to relax and see the city. I'm not going to be ashamed of being a silly tourist, I may even throw on a fanny pack, and the dreaded socks and sandals..

After Paris we're taking a train 6 hours South to Villefranche-Sur-Mer, which is in the French Riviera, 10 minutes East of Nice, and very close to Monaco and the Italian border. Villefranche is a former fishing village.  We're staying at an apartment rental for 7 days.  The plan is beach, lots of beach. With day trips to Eze, Nice, Monaco and a place really special to us, called Menton. Here's a little back story on that.  Menton is a town that borders Italy. There is a restaurant in Boston called Menton, which is where I proposed to Allison.

Our next stop is Saint-Remy-de-Provence, another little village, but this one is more medieval. With lots of shops, art, and food. There is some really nice hiking in the area, some vineyards, and lots of other medieval town in close proximity.

Next we have a stop in Beaune, which is in Burgundy. Obviously there is lots and lots of wine in this region. I've read it's a really great place to rent bikes, and take the vineyard trails from winery to winery, sound like a lot of fun to me, we'll see if I can convince Allison. Also there is a few wine cellars right in Beaune which people really rave about. We're packing Advil, and I expect we'll use it.

Last, we head back to Paris, and this time we'll be staying 2 nights with views of the Eiffel tower. I'm sure we'll be unwinding and trying to soak up our last few days in France. I'm not going to write anymore about that because it's depressing..

We tend to get hung up on finding specific treats on these trips, Pizza in Italy, Conch Fritters in Key West, wine in California. Although wine will play a big part of this trip, I expect bread and Pastry may be the one. I love croissants, so maybe that will be my special treat I try everywhere.  I hope I can keep this fresh and fun for all of you to follow along. It was really great reading your comments on our last trips, so please take a second to comment as we go along.

au revoir!

Last days of our greatest adventure!

Sorry I dropped the ball on the blog for the last few days in Italy. I was really trying to just soak it all in, and enjoy what time I had left. First off, I really want to thank all of you for following along, even the critics have been thoroughly entertaining, and have helped me with their amazing and in depth grasp of the English language. But honestly, thanks for all the kind words and encouragement. I was obviously never a great student, so I'm glad the majority of you were able to read through my poor grammar and spelling. On to the story!

On Friday, September 18th. we planned on sleeping in and then taking a bus down the Amalfi coast to Positano, another Cliff side village with a nice beach at the base. Shortly after my last post, Allison and I received a call from Lynda telling us, there are no buses, because a cruise ship in port took them all hostage for the day... bummer! There's the culprit, to the right! Lynda and Steve decided to hop a boat to the island of Capri, and invited us along. We decided to have a lazy day and bum around the pool, which is Oceanside, and drink Pina Coladas like the silly American travelers we are.. What's one day? ha ha.

After sitting around the pool and having drinks, we decided to get lunch next to the hotel. It was more like a dinner. Once again we had octopus, Mussels, clams, and risotto. (B.T.W., I didn't gain any weight on the trip, we all look pretty great after all that eating. Oops, there's that pesky ego again) Once again we had the house wine, but we tried white this time. I think it was 8 Euro for a liter, and better than anything you get, for around $30 at a restaurant in the U.S. After lunch we strolled around the town, looking for souvenirs and gifts to bring back, which was silly, because we didn't have room. Sorry everyone : (.. Later we ran into The Capri crew, who had a nice time but really didn't get what they were looking for. They can tell you more about it, in the comments, if they choose. Later we had another great meal and ended the night at a bar ran by Louie Depalma, from Taxi. He made great drinks, sold awful Grappa, and sold posters off the wall, what a character. May be hungover tomorrow..

The following day, we woke up and hit the bus station in hopes to catch a bus down to Positano... Success!! We had a half hour to spare, so we went to the local market to get stuff for a picnic lunch. here's the list: 2 blocks of cheese, a Salami, 2 bottles of wine, 2 bottles of water, a bunch of grapes and 2 loafs of focaccia bread.. How much do you suppose that would cost in the U.S.? Good wine, don't forget! 25 Euro...Yeah 25 Euro total! And everything was high quality! We boarded the bus, and set off for a crazy ride! Cliff side roads which would be small for a compact car, and buses flew on this thing. I'm not afraid of heights, but at times I would look out the window and straight down 100's of feet. It was a lot of fun, very pretty, and very scary all at once. At one point a lady screamed and Allison laughed at her.. Poor thing. Real nice Allison. We soon arrive in Positano, and like every place else, completely stunning. Another coastal town built into a cliff, with tons of multicolor homes, churches and a really nice little beach. We get off the bus and begin a 1000 step staircase to the bottom of the cliff to grab a spot on the beach. We finally make it down to the beach and find a few beach chairs with umbrellas, then run into the water, we were all really hot after the long walk down. When you get to the water edge it was a small rocks hill, which made the water dip from 2 feet to 15 feet in a few steps. The water was warm but refreshing, I could have easily stayed in it all day. With further inspection we realized the rocks were speckled with sea glass, tons of it. So after our perfect lunch, we all sat on the shore looking for sea glass, sound pretty lame right? It really was relaxing and fun. Don't forget, we were in the Mediterranean sea, we were surrounded by the most amazing beauty, and the water was so comfortable. After a great day at the beach, we were ready to head back and have some wine our balcony's.

There was an amazing lightning storm in the distance, across the bay over Naples that night. It was quite a sight, and great way to end the day/trip. We all knew this was the end of our trip, since the following day would be a drive into Naples, dinner and then an early flight home. And that's exactly what it was.. I near flawless trip! I can't think of a better way to end this trip, it almost seemed scripted for us. I had an amazing time, and couldn't have asked for a better group to go with. I originally made this blog to keep the memories written down, and to share the experience with everyone who cared to do so. I think it's become much more than that to me. With all the great feed back and input, whether through email, word of mouth, and comments on here, I really feel inspired to continue travelling and continue blogging about it. Obviously I don't mean career, although who wouldn't love that? I think I've picked up a hobby I really enjoy, and hope to continue for years to come.

Check back occasionally, I hope to post about concerts, restaurants, and the little adventures in between. Allison and I have already talked about taking a trip to Napa, Sonoma, and Lodi California in the very near future.

A special thanks to Steve, Lynda and Allison, for allowing me to join them on their adventure. You were all so great, and made me feel so welcome. I hope to have more adventures with you.

I would also like to thank My Dad for driving us to and from the Airport in Boston, you're the best! Next time maybe you'll join me on the trip instead of reading it on your computer! Let's get that boat..

And once again, thanks to My mom, Jen, Lori, Rich, Pete, Mimi, Joe, Marcel, Erin and Judd, Althea, KO, Doug, Nick, Mel, Jacki, Ted, Jessica, and Friends of PF, for all your great or uncalled for comments.. Also thanks to the rest of you who quietly followed or mentioned it in person.. Ciao

Check www.flickr.com/photos/bovs00 I'm going to make a set of my favorite photos, and I hope to have all the Nigro's photos up there soon..

Day 11 or Day 3 in Sorrento, Volcanos and ancient ruins

As I said, we're into the relaxation part of the trip. Today we slept in, and plan on heading to the beach, that's our only plan. The weather is looking great so far, it should be about 82 and clear sky's. We'll be taking a bus down the Amalfi coast to a beach that sounds really nice.

The trip from Rome to Sorrento was fun, I drove about 3/4 of the way. Most of which was highway, but there doesn't seem to be a maximum speed. The signs are posted with Minimums for each lane. The high was are wide with nice straight aways for the most part, and truck tend to stay in the right lane. We passed through Naples on our way to Sorrento, and and was very dirty and congested looking. In the pictures from our trip to Mont Vesuvius, you can see some shots of it. After we passed through Naples we got dumped onto some very narrow busy streets, you need to drive aggressive, and you quickly realize there aren't many rules. I actually had a real lot of fun. We eventually reach our hotel, which sits on the water in a tiny section of fishing village.

Sorrento is about the size of Portsmouth NH. Lots of shops and restaurants which leads to a few small marinas, where fisherman head just off shore to net Sardines and the catches of the day. A few menus just say "1 fish" which changes daily depending on the catch, you can't get fresher than that. It's a very nice little town, seems to be a lot more locals and less tourists, so it's been a nice change.

Yesterday we took a day trip to Mont Vesuvius and Pompeii. It was a 30 minute train ride to Pompeii and an hour bus trip to Mont Vesuvius. The ride up Vesuvius was really beautiful, the views were spectacular. Naples actually looked really nice, nestled against some mountains and lead to the Mediterranean Sea. The bus driver pointed out the Canyon created by the Eruption lava which spilled down the side. We eventually arrived at a staging area where you start the walk to the top. The walk up was mostly soil surrounded by volcanic rock. It was a very steep but quick hike to the top, less than a half hour. At the top you can look into the top, The crater was gigantic. You could make out the different layers of rock and see steam seeping out. It was a very cool sight and also scary to think it's natural.

After that, we hopped the bus back to Pompeii, so we could stroll around the ruins a bit before heading back to the hotel. Pompeii is dated pre-Christ, so I really wasn't sure what to expect, history is very interesting to me, but I really have a hard time with dating civilization. At any rate, the ruins were spectacular, and in surprisingly great condition. They have been doing a lot of work preserving and restoring some of the areas. The streets were truly impressive, cobbles stones streets with curbs and sidewalks. A lot of the side walks still had tiles and marble on them. Some of the stores still had oven like structures and artwork painted on the walls. Really amazing stuff. There were a few theaters and a Colosseum. I couldn't believe the shape these were in, what a great place. They say it takes a week to see everything there is to see, we saw about 2 hours worth and were wiped out. Time to head back to the hotel enjoy some happy hour, then get dinner. Big day of sun and sea ahead of us.

I hope all is well with everyone! You're all missed. The Nigros say the same. We're on our last few days and going to make the most of them. Thanks for following, I thing the rest of my updates may be filled with "we relaxed here" "we ate this" and "we drank that" Talk to you soon.

Day 8 Holy Rome Batman

Today we're on our way to Sorrento, and very excited to have 4 days of sun and relaxation... Hopefully the sun part for sure, cross your fingers. It's overcast and the forecast today is looking grim. But we have hope, we've had near flawless weather, except for one or two quick thunderstorms.

We had a day and half and 2 nights in Rome. The whirlwind tour was filled with sights, from the Colosseum to the Vatican. All very inspiring and grand. I can't do the sights justice with words or photographs, but it was all very overwhelming. We're staying in a courtyard Marriott which was more Marriott, less Courtyard for sure. A nice balcony overlooking the city, St. Peters Cathedral in the distance. Really nice tiled bathroom with a large tub/shower. All the hotels have been nice, but the others were more quaint, and built in old homes. We were definitely a little spoiled in this one.

The first day we did the Colosseum and then met up with Allison's college friend Alessandra, she has dual citizenship and works in Rome. Really nice girl, she was very helpful in pointing us to a few great locations and restaurants. I know Allison and her family were so glad to see her, and I was pleased to have met her. She lead us to dinner then she had to hop a train out of the city, she has a very long train trip home every morning and night. She told us to see the Trevi fountain and the Spanish steps at night.

The Trevi fountain was really impressive, hundreds of people hang out around it at night and eat Gelato, sit and talk, or take pictures, we really enjoyed that.

After the Trevi fountain we walked a short walk over to the Spanish steps, basically a similar hangout where people sit on the steps and enjoy the locations. At the top of the steps there is a gorgeous view of Rome. You can see the Vatican and Saint Peter's Cathedral. After that we headed back to the hotel for a much needed sleep. That was a very quick run through of a really full and great day. The age and history of the city is so overwhelming.

Day two of Rome, we decided to sleep in a bit and get room service, which for some reason is cheaper than dining in the restaurant. We had a giant basket of pastries, blood orange juice and 2 Cappuccinos for about 12Euro, not bad. We ate that on the balcony while I uploaded the pictures and checked emails.

After breakfast and showers, we hopped a cab to Saint Peter's Cathedral. The cab titled "Taxi Jazz" was a great ride, straight out of a Woody Allen movie, except Rome, not NY. Imagine driving though an old city, passing fountains, beautiful people, and grand statues, all while listing to really peppy up tempo jazz. Great moment, that will stick with me forever.

We get out of the cab and start heading towards the Cathedral, which is littered with huge fountains and statues lining a roundish courtyard. There are also large screen monitors surrounding the area,. I assume the Pope gives speeches over this courtyard, but I'm really not sure. First we visit the sub level of the Cathedral where all the Popes Tombs are. The oldest one I saw was dated 999 AD... Seriously 900's? Scary old. We also saw Pope John Paul the 2nd. I don't consider myself religious, but it still had some impact on me, he's just a man, but still achieved the highest level in the largest organization in the world. After the tombs we went up to the cathedral, once again I can't explain the grandness and beauty of this place. Marble statues, walls, floors, doors and alters. It was massive and all I could think about is the amount of work and money put into this place. Truly breathtaking and unbelievable.

After Saint Peter's we visited the Vatican, I really was a little bit religioned (yeah I get it, made up word, get over it!) out by this point, it was basically a museum filled to the brim with art, statues, vases, tables and anything else having to do with the religion. All very beautiful and amazing, but I grew desensitized to it all after awhile, it all looked the same. The Sistine Chapel was very amazing. It's buried into the Vatican through hallways and stairways.

Sorry for the delay, but I found wifi and can get back to updating. Today we're off to Pompeii and Mont Vesuvius. Talk to you all again soon.. I hope all is well, thanks again for following :)

Day 7 Bottle of red, another bottle of red!

1030 a.m.in route to Rome. We're on a very comfortable highway with views of vineyards and hills on both sides. Road trips in the U.S. would be a lot better with some views on the highway. I think I'll write a letter.. ha ha.. We have been told the trip into Rome is quite intense and that Florence was a breeze. If you are reading this, the trip was a success, because I type these up in route and post them as soon as I get Internet service.

Let talk about Siena shall we? I loved Siena, we all did. Siena is a population of about 60k, all in a reasonably small city. The first day, the ladies did some shopping after lunch in an area of town called Il Campo. Don't listen to my history facts, they are probably inaccurate. But, if you look at the picture to the right you can see a rounded sitting area in the middle of buildings. Twice a year they haul in sand to surround the sitting area for a horse race. The pictures of the races look very exciting and intense. We ate down in this area twice, it just feels really historic and special. I saw a few paintings that showed battles in this area, I guess Florence really did a number on Siena. The first day was really relaxing and we did a lot of walking and people watching.

This was part of a wedding, the father drove the bride around the track of Il Campo as people waved, cheared and took pictures. He was really proud and you could see the joy on his face. By the looks of it, he could afford the wedding, no problem.

Day 2 of Siena, was the Wine tour mentioned in my previous post. We slept in until about 9 and had breakfast, then I updated photos and typed, while sitting on the balcony over the football stadium, but no need for repeats. Around 2 pm we boarded a bus to a vineyard in Montalcino called, Abbadia Ardenga - Il Poggio. The ride was beautiful, pretty much what I pictured, but much more massive. Hillsides covered with green grape vines. The Vineyard building was very old but well kept. The owner, Mario, was a little old man wearing a nice nice suit and hat. He didn't speak a lick of English, but he definitely loved the young ladies, taking any excuse to take them a side and put them on display. Allison, was no exception and was roped in with his charm, only to be put on display, while he showed the difference between the way women dress today compared to the 1800's. She was a good sport, but was also embarrassed. I being a nice guy, took pictures, as seen to the right.. : ) That little pervert Mario..

We tasted 5 types of Sangiovese's all varied by year and soil the grapes grew in, one better than the next, 3 of which were award winning Brunellos. The last was one of the best wines I've ever tasted or seen! Dark ruby red and I could smell it across the table, while it was being poured. Very dry but you could still taste all types of fruit, great, great stuff. After that we sampled some Grappa made from Brunello grape skin and stored in oak barrels. Not the best grappa I've had on this trip, I'm definitely partial to the ones we had in Cinque Terre. (Message for mom, dad, and Jen: You're going to need to give grappa a second shot, I'll bring a small one home from the right grapes for our taste, the one Jen had was brutal, some taste almost like Bucca but less syrupy, we've found a few greats) (Rich, thanks for the recommendation! and please pass along this blog address to the office if you haven't already)

After the wine tour, we visited Montalcino city, which was very small and beautiful. We stopped at a wine shop and sampled 3 Brunellos for 9 Euro, these were all reserves of great vintages, ranging from 30-100 Euro. I suggest you run to a liquor store and find a Brunello, the older the better, but nothing older than a 2004, unless you plan on keeping it for years. I bought a 2004 Brunello for 34 Euro, which is around 50 u.s. After I bought the bottle, I was told it is sold in the U.S. for 100 or 150 U.S. I was told I should hold it for at least 2 years if I could wait, and anywhere up to 2016 if I am extremely patient. We'll see, I really would like to wait for a special occasion, I have little faith in myself though.. :)

My battery is about to die, and we're about an hour from Rome.

Thanks for the great messages, I'm glad you can all share this with us. I'm hoping it doesn't come off braggy, that isn't my intent. If you haven't been to Italy, you should start planning, even if it's 5 years down the line, and you put away a little every month. I'm so glad I came.

Message from the Nigro's:

Aunt Jr., Steve would like to tell you , he doesn't remember any mishaps of his early driving and it must be your advanced age that's causing you to remember falsehoods.. (from me, thanks for your supportive words, they have been very encouraging)

Erin, thanks for following and for your comments. Love and miss you lots and wish you and Judd were here!

Ken, we met a couple from Canada on the vineyard tour who claim to work for the Canadian government. They said they had a six month vacation and get to travel around Europe, but we know that they're not really on vacation and they wouldn't admit it but we know that they work for the same people you do and that they're really on the job. Say hi to Jackie.

and hello to everyone else following, you're all missed.

Messages from me:

Hi Golder, I can't say I wish I was there, sorry suckers! Actually thanks for following, and Please pass this link on to anyone who wishes to follow. I hope all is well there. Rich, thanks for the Grappa recommendation Cinque Terre has been the best by far.. really great stuff!

Auntie Lori, this is your postcard, goofball. It's very time consuming you little brat! I miss you a bunch, I know you would love it here... So much yummy food and it never stops.. Yesterday we ordered a glass of beer and they served us homemade chips and a bowl of snacks, that's the standard when ordering just a drink: )..

Buddies, start planning a trip to Europe if you haven't been. I know you may not think it's your type of thing, but it will change your life.

Mom, Dad and Jen, I'm glad to hear you have been so entertained by these posts, I miss you guys a ton and wish you were here. Of all people I think Dad would enjoy it the most, I doubt you would hear " Oh that place sucks" ha ha Go Pat's Jen! How did you do with my team?

Sun. Day 6 My quest for great Pizza is over!

Today we're in Siena, It's about 11:30. I have wifi at the hotel, so I'm going to update before a big day, Vineyard tour in Tuscany! We're really looking forward to this. It's going to be a few high marking Brunello vineyards of the tour guides choice. Brunello is a big deal in this area. They make a lot of Chianti also, but Brunello is a relatively big red which they are very proud of.. There is a soccer/football stadium outside of our hotel, so I'm typing on a patio overlooking the "pitch". Siena A.C. and another rival team have a match today, the crowd is starting to show up, and they are singing team chants and waving flags, you can really feel the excitement.

I'm going to jump around a bit here, because there's a lot to update and remember. I'll rewind to Florence and try to stay on track.

We left for Florence from Vernezza Cinque Terre. We had a very easy time out of the tiny village and to the highway. Steve was really good at getting accustomed to the way the highway works, I would have struggled a bit. We arrive in Florence and WOW, mayhem.. Bumper to bumper traffic, with no rules... I mean besides stoplights and stop signs.... NO! rules! Mopeds by the thousands zip between cars and trucks zig zagging and weaving.. We were at a dead stop at one point and a moped snuck between us and a bus at 40 mph with no room in between. They are crazy, but the skill is amazing. It's not human, the reflexes they have. I wish I got video, but I was not going to be able to hold the camera still, it was very tense in the car. After some close calls and wrong turns we made it to the hotel, we parked and all took a deep breath.. I had to laugh a little. At that point we all wished we skipped Florence, but that passed quickly. We got settled in and went for a walk to lunch.

The architecture was amazing, All the doors are 10 feet tall minimum and wide enough to fit a small car through. The people seemed a lot more friendly than some of our other stops, and as we strolled I realized Florence aside from the drive was very great. Once again beautiful shops, with pastries, pizza and gelato. High end fashion shops and bars all in these amazing old buildings, but it really seems like they were meant that way when they were built.. The Italians are truly artists with architecture and streets, most things, even when rundown, just seem right. For lunch we found pizza, and I mean we found the best pizza I've ever had.. ham, artichoke, and mushroom on one, and Gorgonzola and eggplant on the other. The sauce was light but flavorful, the cheese was far to good to be on a pizza and the crust was very thin and crispy, it was so amazing. Just to side track a bit. I've had pizza for lunch everyday and each day is better than the last. I think the cheese is really what makes it, these pizzas would cost $30 in the US, just for the cost of cheese.

After lunch we went and saw Michelangelo's David, It's pretty much everything people say. I didn't have a religious experience or anything, but the pure height and detail is overwhelming, I couldn't imagine creating something so amazing with Marble and a chisel, I assumed it took a life time, nope, 4 years! Once again, doesn't seem human to accomplish such a thing. I'm glad we went to see him.. I suggest they put a fig leaf over him though, quite offensive! ha ha! After that we strolled through the streets and shops, had a beer or two, then prepared for dinner. Dinner only gets better and better, and I'm sure it's not too interesting to hear about. I will say the wine was spectacular, we didn't do the house for a change, and we had the waitress recommend it. The names escape me, but I took pictures with my phone that I will upload at some point. Leaving Florence was not nearly as tough since, it was Sat morning and the streets were empty, easy escape! Florence overall was a great place, there are some rough edges, but I really like the people there the best so far, extremely helpful and pleasant. Looking back, I could spend some time there, but not for a relaxing vacation, more for the sites and people!

Thanks for following. All of the comments have made it very easy to keep up with this blog, and it will really help me to keep this whole experience fresh! I miss you all, and the Nigro family wishes to tell you all the same.

I can't do these places justice with words so hopefully the pictures help, at some point I will group them together by locations, but you can follow them in order, each place looks extremely different.