It was another great Spring in
Italy - hmm, beginning to sound like a broken r
ecord.
I think ANYTIME is a great time to be in Italy. And for those of you who have been following my international
haircut saga - the BEST EVER was this time in Provence.
Good fortune came my way in the form of a tour guide with a
great haircut. Quickly seizing the opportunity I got myself
introduced to her hairdresser and, as they say in France -
VOILA - one great haircut coming up! Got compliments
on that haircut throughout Italy and when I got
home. It even got approval from my husband though he
didn't express the opinion that it should become a regular
occurrence. Guess I just have to hope I have a
Provence group each season so I can get another haircut!
There
were a couple of new events this time. First, I did a
customized 2 week trip with 10- women that was great fun.
Second, saw the introduction of a new associate tour leader,
Vito, making his debut on the
Cinque Terre/Riviera
trip. Vito has worked with me intermittently since the
days of the cooking school. He is Italian/American,
accomplished cook, passionate gourmet, knowledgeable traveler (part time
Italy
resident) and one of the more entertaining hosts you'll
meet.
The Tastes &
Traditions of
SICILY–
April 23-30
This trip started with several airline misadventures
resulting in a variety of arrival times for folks.
Fortunately we were able to reshuffle the schedule
so
nothing was missed. Most importantly our welcome
dinner at the palace of the charming Contessa, Stephanie; a
woman who delighted in sharing her amazing ancestral home as
well as entertain us with stories of Palermo's colorful
history.
In
Palermo we visited the historic monuments and market - an
amazing city. Much lovelier than most people imagine.
Next we headed out to the countryside for our visit to the
Marsala Wine producer as well as a memorable luncheon at our
Olive Oil Frantoio. Followed by the Sea Salt
production area (and the not to be forgotten rock carver)
capped off by a quick visit to the Marzipan Lady in
beautiful Erice. Now that's a FULL day! 
Then
came our visit to the remote center of Sicily and our
cooking class/dinner featuring a GREAT pasta w/fennel sauce
(did I mention that fennel is a favorite of mine?).
That evening we
celebrated Dante & Joyce's anniversary
(photo:Dante,Silvano,Joyce) with
local Sicilian music AND an authentic Cassata Siciliana.
For the uninitiated, the Cassata Siciliana is one of the most
famous desserts of Sicily - which is renowned for many
desserts. In fact, I received a special request from Chiara in Amalfi to bring one back for her husband - it is
his favorite dessert. Funniest part of this story is
when I got on the airplane heading for Amalfi - when the
flight attendant found out the huge item I was juggling
was a Cassata she insisted that it occupy the seat next to me; it
was far too important to be relegated to a lesser position.
Such is the respect Italians have for Sicilian desserts!
Our
cheese visit was even more remarkable this time in that the
local Sicilians were making jokes that the recent Mafia
Chief having been captured in a stone hut similar to the one in
which we found ourselves watching the cheese being made,
others of us were cap
tivated by the
playful puppies
prancing about. This is really LOCAL cheese production
- nothing high tech here!
After a profitable visit to our ceramic
producer we headed to that jewel of a city, Taormina.
Checked into our gorgeous hotel with views to die for, and
headed for a great dinner topped off with a Sicilian Dessert
Buffet. We did ourselves proud!
We all enjoyed Siracusa with its Greek ruins, but I think
the highlight of our Taormina stay was the cooking class
with the renowned Sicilian chef/author who seemed t
o have
the culinary history of Sicily in her veins. She spoke
quietly but eloquently about the richness of the culture and
cuisine - a very moving experience for all of us.
Our pizza party Saturday evening marked the end of our visit
to this wonderful island. Next morning we headed out
to our various destinations.
Cooking in Paradise - AMALFI
COAST
April 30 - May 7
I arrived into the Naples airport with the
above-mentioned Cassata Siciliana in hand. Once again,
everyone understood it's importance and gave it the best
seat in th
e house. In fact our driver took it upon
himself to personally deliver the package so
nothing
untoward would happen! Only in Italy would this
happen.
Our Welcome Dinner at Villa Maria was as
lovely a ever. It's amazing how warmly we are always
greeted by the staff. I could tell by the end of that
meal it was going to be a good week; a very lively and
entertaining group of people! That always makes for a
good week.
Once we toured Ravello (home base) and enjoyed the fabulous
panini in the square , then
dinner that evening at my
local favorite - the tone was set for the week. Next
day we visited the Mozzarella Lady, followed by the Limoncello producer and finally the private museum of the
cameo carver. Our wine/cheese luncheon was the most
elegant ever - the dining room chef really outdid himself.
That evening we had our first cooking class with Mamma (and
her assistant, Antonella). Everyone got into the act
and cooked up a storm - then, of course, we ate it all.
Once again, it was a lesson in the potency of pappa's white
wine -Mike, however, was game to try just about anything!
These evenings are always such a delight - it's a great
treat to be in Mamma's family home. I was pleased to
hear that Chiara (Mamma's daughter) had surprised her
husband with the Cassata I faithfully carried from Sicily.
Next day was our Pompeii visit - with the most memorable
guide I've had in quite some time. Donato was a giant
of a man, with awesome knowledge, and a desire to take us
places the average tourist doesn't see. Our pizza
lunch was quite memorable - one of Donato's favorite places
where he was an obvious "regular". After a
quick meal at a great "view" restaurant, we
enjoyed a delightful musical event. A satisfactorily
full day.
Thursday we were off to Vietri with stops
along the way for a visit to the anchovy producer. It
never ceases to amaze everyone how labor intensive these
processes are. In Vietri we enjoyed the ceramic
demonstration, then scattered and bought the town out!
The merchants here are very happy to ship items - surprise,
surprise. Then it was back to Mamma's and the BIG
SURPRISE. There were FOUR BIRTHDAYS being celebrated
in this group, so I had asked Chiara if they could put some
candles in Mamma's famous Ricotta Pear tart. We
ll, let
me tell you they outdid themselves! Chiara's son,
Mario, was about to burst with excitement, as were Chiara
and Mamma - they had blown up balloons, strung a HAPPY
BIRTHDAY sign across the wall - the whole nine yards.
It was hard to tell who was more excited the birthday people
(Joyce, Sybil, Sharon, Barbara) or Chiara & family - I'd put
my money on the family, they're faces were bright red.
When we had the famous cake later, there were even small
presents for each person - cute vegetable ceramic pizza
cutters for each. What a day - can't
get any better than this. (Photo, L-R:
Sybil,Joyce,Barbara, Sharon)
Capri day dawned bright and sunny so we
scurried down to the ferry, not wanting to miss a moment.
The sign at the ferry said "sailing sold out". Believe
it or not it turned out to be a good thing. We took
the earlier jet boat and were to Capri in half the time!
Gave us more time on this lush island. From here on
in, it's the jet boat for us - much smoother ride and less
time. Another time when "plan B" worked much better.
Saturday, our last day, and we're off to Positano - credit
cards clutched in our hot little hands. I'm sure the
merchants of Positano were happy we stopped by. Had a
great lunch at our beachfront restaurant, topped off with
great gelato. Returned to Ravello to pack, then go to
Mamma's for a "Country Dinner Farewell" in which we have the
opportunity to taste some of the old traditional dishes of
the Campania countryside - the way the housewives prepared
foods for their family. A beautiful ending to a
perfect week.
Next morning we all reluctantly went our
separate ways, many vowing to return at their first
opportunity. I hopped on a plane in Naples and headed
for my week in Provence.
The Romance of Provence – PROVENCE
May 7-14
What a special group this was - the Davis
Family of 6 (Tuscany 5/02) plus two friends. It's
always a treat to travel with the same people again.
I'd have to say this was the PERFECT group for this new
tour. Our chef for this trip is positively committed
to teaching as much about French culinary techniques as
possible in the space of one week. In fact, I'm
thinking of renaming this tour "Be a French Chef for a
Week!" It is amazing how much he squeezes
into four cooking classes. Let me explain that these
folks are very accomplished cooks, and they were
amazed at how much material was covered.
Just to g
ive you an idea of the fashion sense for this
group, here are two photos of Bob taken on two separate tours. On the left is his 2002 photo from Tuscany
(you can see he is getting ready for France), on the lower right
his current chapeau in Provence.
I had
a great surprise in our little 8 room inn - wi-fi wa
s
available, so I was able to get on-line in my room - will
wonders never cease. Weather didn't start off so
promising for our welcome dinner, but we were cozy and comfy
in our little bistro. Next day we took off for lovely Gordes and their market. Lunch consisted of some truly
remarkable salad presentations, and spectacular desserts!
After the olive mill visit we gathered for the first of our
cheese tasting and aperitifs - a splendid way to begin a
cooking experience. Then Chef Philippe began to weave
his magic in the kitchen and we were all enthralled.
The dinner we prepared was my personal favorite, the local
"aioli" - which is NOT just a bowl of garlic mayonnaise, but
instead a full meal featuring fish and vegetables that are
dipped in the BEST aioli ever! This is Provencal
heaven.
Next day brought our visit to St. Remy and
the hospital where Van Gogh spent a year of his life.
The town is charming, but the visit to the museum/hospital
is a very moving experience. Then we headed back to
our inn for another rigorous wine/cheese tasting followed by
a cooking class/dinner featuring "40 Clove Chicken" -
another Provencal tradition.
Thursday was Avignon and our lunch at the Michelin starred restaurant. It was here that I met the tour guide with
the great haircut - she toured us around Avignon, introduced
me to her hairdresser and set the stage for my haircut later
that day. After a beautifully prepared and presented
lunch, I headed for the hairdresser and everyone else toured
the Papal Palace. (Avignon was the seat of the papacy
for a period of time).
The Castle at Lourmarin was our target for Friday; followed
by a peek at their market - I always manage to find
something. It was here that we tried another "aioli"
and were quite disappointed - the one we had prepared was
FAR superior! Then it was back for another cheese
tasting & aperitif, followed by a class in which we mastered
making sea bass mousse - it was outstanding. The
chocolate truffle cake was nothing to sneeze at either!
The
ochre hills of Roussillon were our destination for Saturday,
with a lunch overlooking the scenic area. I
found a
great souvenir ceramic cup & sugar container to take home -
had a cicada on it (good luck in Provence). Then it
was onto our final cheese tasting and cooking class - this
time featuring one of Philippe's favorites from Spain -
Paella. We all agreed this was, without a doubt, the
best paella we had ever consumed and the dessert lemon tart
was to die for! Then came the surprise ceremony with
photos and lovely mementos prepared by Philippe's wife,
Marie Pierre. The last morning was spent at the
famous antique market of L'isle sur la Sorgue, then it was
off to various other parts - me to Venice, the Davis party
headed off to the Loire valley and visit to the gorgeous
chateau region. (Cheers to the Chef in center)
We agreed it had been an outstanding week and that the
cooking classes were really extraordinary! So if
you're looking to be a Chef for a Week - this is your tour!
The
BEST
of
ITALY
- Venice,
Cinque Terre, Tuscany,
Rome
May
7-28
This CUSTOM tour was the brainstorm of my
client, Alice. Alice w
anted to take a group of
girlfriends to see the best that Italy has to offer.
I was intrigued by the
idea so Alice and I put our heads together
and came up with a 2 week itinerary that took into account
their specific needs and interests. Turned out 9 of
Alice's friends wanted to go with her on this "dream trip" -
so off we went.
(Rt - 10 women +baggage in Venice)
First stop was magical
VENICE and our
beautifully restored Palazzo/Hotel.
It's easy to think
you've stepped back in time when your room is covered
with silk cloth! A gondola ride accompanied by music &
singing (and champagne) set the appropriate tone followed by
our "Welcome to Italy" dinner at one of Venice's best
restaurants. We felt VERY special, especially
since
this was Mother's Day. I rather guess no one will ever
have a Mother's Day quite like this one!
Next morning we were off to Murano with
our local glass expert, Alvise. I was especially
delighted because we visited the reining glass maestro, Pino
Signoretto, whose work I have admired for several years.
This time I succumbed and ordered one of the pieces I've
been postponing for 3 years - "life is uncertain, eat
dessert first". To celebrate we had a fabulous
seafood lunch at Chef Lele's famous restaurant. He is
a truly remarkable man - on his wall is an award he received
for work done to benefit the 911 Trade Center victims.
Next
day began with our Venice walking tour and ended with a
cooking class in a Venetian Palace - what an experience.
Dinner in Mariagrazia's elegant dining
room was a great ending to our Venice experience. In
the morning we had another uniquely Venetian experience -
that of watching our luggage hauled from the hotel via water
taxi, passed to porters with handcarts who then transferred
the mountain of bags to our waiting van & driver. 
Then
it was off to the CINQUE TERRE/RIVIERA
our next stop.
On the way to Rapallo (home base) we
stopped for lunch at that Italian institution, the
Autogrill. Unless you travel by highway, you don't
have an opportunity to do this and I think it is quite
remarkable. The Autogrill is unlike any "highway
restaurant" in the US - each grill specializes in the food
of the region in which it is located. So that in Emilia
Romagna you will get egg pastas, while in Tuscany you will
find more grilled meats. In addition, there are food
stations representing each course of a traditional meal.
It's a nice lunch and well worth experiencing.
We arrived into Rapallo, settled into our
seaview hotel and headed for a quick visit to Portofino,
that most-famous town. Had dinner there and got ready
for the next day which began with the open air market right
in front of our hotel! Then we trained it to the
Cinque Terre to visit the 5 towns. Then back
for a fish cooking demo by our hotel chef - then the
fish banq
uet - what a day!
Friday was the cooking class with Ligurian Chef Fausto - one
of the best anywhere! We were really busy producing a
mountain of food for the evening's meal. But before
that, we went to Guido's for a marvelous wine/cheese/Italian
products tasting that everyone enjoyed. In fact we
enjoyed it so much, we were very careful to take some with
us!
Next morning we headed for
TUSCANY/FLORENCE.
Checked into our hotel and got to the Central Market in time
for lunch at "Pork's" run by the Sicilian lady and her sons.
Shopped a bit - the leathermaker in the market is still
talking about the group that bought out his supply of shawls
- then had dinner at my favorite trattoria in
Florence, nothing fancy, but the food is extraordinary.
Good thing we had reservations because it appears to no
longer be a secret - when we left there was a line waiting
outside.
A visit to Panzano
(considered the culinary capital of Tuscany by some)
and its open air market was Sunday morning. We had the
PERFECT lunch overlooking the magnificent Tuscan countryside
- and to top it off, the food was wonderful. Sunny,
warm, good food, good friends - Life is good! Then
came our winery/olive oil visit to a "picture postcard
perfect village" - hard to believe that the village only has
45 inhabitants. Dinner was a restaurant near our
Florence hotel.
Off to San Gimignano
and Siena on Monday, again with
perfect weather. After a quick panini lunch in San
G
imignano we were off to Siena and our guided tour with tour
guide, Paolo. However, I think the highlight was our
special meal prepared by Chef Pino - it was fabulous from
start to finish; he is a true artisan. We nodded off
on the van ride back to Florence, but it had been a truly
memorable day.
Our cooking class/lunch the next day with Chef Bea was
amazing. Of course being in a beautifully restored
villa in the heart of Chianti doesn't hurt, but the food is
the BEST. Lunch in that lovely dining room with MY
FAVORITE DESSERT is something that we will never forget!
Custom leather making was next on our agenda - as you
probably know, Tuscany is famous for leather goods.
We saw the full process for making "designer" purses (no
photos) - the complexity definitely gives you an
appreciation for how much goes into making one little purse.
Again, the handwork is impressive. Then came the
custom shoemaker where several of us simply had to purchase
new shoes!
Next morning we were off to ROME
- after a bit of drama about transferring
our luggage to the
waiting van - communication in Italy is an art form in
itself. This time we grabbed panini from the
Autogrill and ate on the van (not the usual custom in
Italy). We arrived into Rome
and checked into our beautiful hotel - a quiet oasis
in the middle of hurly-burly Rome.
Following a twilight tour of the monuments we went to dinner
in a restaurant located IN the Roman Wall. Host Paolo
was happy to explain the unusual features of his family
restaurant. (Photo-Piazza Venezia)
Next morning we headed out for our cheese making experience.
Gianni, the owner, was as
animated and expansive as ever -
happy to show us every aspect of the process. The
group vote was that Gianni definitely belonged on the
Italian Guy Calendar. Returned to the city for our
Vatican tour only to find that the day-before holiday had
resulted in horrendous lines. Unlike all other cities,
the Vatican (a city unto itself and NOT part of Rome)
doesn't allow tour guides to take their groups in without
waiting on-line. It was too hot, so our guide, Mauro,
suggested we do an intensive tour of St. Peter's followed by
his in-depth description of the Sistine Chapel so we could
visit it at our leisure. We thought that sounded
great, so we covered St. Peter's in detail, then over cold
beers we enjoyed Mauro's description of the Sistine Chapel.
We topped off the day with dinner at the colorful Trastevere
trattoria with the singing musicians - there was
even one
man who had quite a voice and did a credible rendition of La
Donne Mobile.
In the morning we met up with Chef Dana for our tour of
Campo dei Fiori, Rome's colorful outdoor market, followed by
her excellent cooking class. I think the favorite dish
from that class was her variation on a salade Nicoise;
everyone went home and made that one! After class came some
frantic shopping expeditions - several items had been
spotted during our walk that just needed to come home with
us! We were also in search of additional suitcases to
hold the treasures we'd been accumulating for 2 weeks -
judgment day (in the form of airline weight) was coming.
Our last day was spent in the lovely Roman countryside.
It sounds like just another winery visit, but if you ask
everyone who attended, they'll tell you differently.
Our visit to the vineyards led by Adriana, the passionate
owner, must be experienced to be believed. She has the
ability to impart her own passion and invite you to share it
- it is completely contagious. Then you sit down - in
the midst of beautiful trees and lake - to her marvelous
"little" lunch; enough to feed Sherman's Army and absolutely
delicious. We were very busy trying to get the recipe
for her delectable cookies made with - what else - wine!
This was the perfect ending to our Italy visit - our
Farewell Pizza Party was just the icing on the cake.
I really love the pizza at our little neighborhood pizza
parlor - crisp and delicious. Everyone raised a glass
in a toast to Alice thanking her for putting this group
together and providing everyone with such a good time.
Alice reciprocated by reading a very touching poem about
women friends that added special meaning for everyone.
Next morning after everyone had struggled to pack their
recently acquired purchases we all climbed into vans and
headed to the airport, content in the knowledge that we had
seen some of the the BEST
that Italy has to offer.
Fortunately we had taken the precaution of throwing coins
into the Trevi Fountain to assure our return!
The Road Less
Traveled - CINQUE TERRE/RIVIERA
May 14-28
While I was tooling around with my 10 ladies,
Vito was busy with his small group in the Cinque
Terre/Riviera. Soon as I get his write up, I'll post
it here.
The Tastes of
TUSCANY
May 28 - June 4
It picked up my car at the Rome
airport and headed to Tuscany - my home away from home to
introduce a new group to my wonderful Tuscan friends:
Sabina, Giancarlo, Vincenzo, Patrizia, Giovanni, Dario,
Carlo the cobbler, Hildrud, Chef Bea, Sr. Cappelli, Paolo,
Michele, Kosrov the water color artist, Stefania, Jane,
Theresa, Romeo, Fabio and many, many more.
Our red tote bags really helped us find
each other at the Florence Train Station (photo left) - we were off to
our Chianti Villa in no time flat! At the Welcome Dinner
that evening it become immediately apparent that this was
another one of those groups that "gel" immediately and you
know in your bones it's going to be a great week; and so it
was. We had a couple of firsts on this trip - Joey &
Sheba who were on their honeymoon. They had just come
from a few days in Venice where a water taxi driver is still
talking about their suitcase - biggest suitcase ever (well,
maybe Sally last year still is in first place - after all,
she was only 1 person). And secondly, I must mention
Wendy, who definitely gets the "Trooper of the Year Award"
for hobbling all over Tuscany in a walking cast on her 5
week old fracture WITHOUT A WHIMPER! She received well
deserved accolades from everyone we encountered.
We
began with our Central Market tour and an absolutely amazing
lunch
at nearby Mario's - Theresa our waitress took fabulous
care of us. Even the tripe got rave reviews - but
that's no surprise because the food at this tiny trattoria
is fabulous. People are wonderful too - Fabio and Romeo
take good care of us, but Theresa is an institution.
Not sure what they would do without her. Again the
leather maker is still talking about the number of coats
some of us bought - I believe 3 was the max, but I'll have
to check my records. We shopped so much we were a bit
tardy for Chef Vincenzo and our cooking class, usually we
wait for him. (photo - Marty,Theresa,Joey)
Visited our winery and olive oil producer
next morning, (photo left) followed by a visit to Dario, the Butcher
of Panzano. It always
amazes groups to step into Dario's shop and be greeted with
classical music, wine, and wonderful tidbits for tasting.
Nothing like any butcher shop you ever heard of. His
printed explanations tell you that he is an artisan, not
just a tradesman. It's his devotion to his art that
has gained him a world-wide reputation. The visit to
Panzano was topped off with a great lunch featuring
tortellini with sage & butter being the big hit!
Desserts were memorable also.
Next came Carlo the custom shoemaker and I
finally got the pair of sandals I had been wanting ever
since Royce bought hers last May. They are very, very
snazzy. The
n we went to the leather maker that
produces the designer purses (Gucci, Prada, etc) and had a
great demo, followed by a brief shopping frenzy. We had a little extra time, so we dashed off to
visit the nearby production of my favorite ceramics. I
can tell you this was a BIG mistake for me - I am now the
proud owner of 6 dessert plates (still being held for me by
Susan). Again, we do our bit to enrich the local
economy. Dinner that evening is at a local favorite
restaurant with a spectacular view and we had the best seats
in the house. (photo-leathers on display)
Wednesday was our special cooking class then it was off to see how Grappa is made
and
experience a tasting! We concluded that Grappa was
an acquired taste and took much longer than we had to devote
to it!
Then to Greve and the various artisans, especially my
watercolorist friend who always has interesting stories to
tell. That evening we went to another local
trattoria where Gina and the owner chatted at length about
the joys of owning a restaurant. We all agreed
the day had
been another great day.
Next came our visits to San Gimignano and
Siena - always a highlight of the 
tour. Tour Guide
Paolo was in his usual form, impressing everyone with his
charming manners, witticisms, and obvious depth of
knowledge. After the tour we had to refresh ourselves
with gelato, then it was back to our Villa for another of Patrizia's fabulous Tuscan home meals. It's always so
relaxing to be able to come to dinner in our own villa at
the end of a busy day. Life is good.
(R-photo-alabaster shop in San Gim)
Friday was our day in Florence beginning
with a guided visit to the Uffizi and the David, followed by
some more hits on the local shops. Celebrating at the
end of the day with Michele's fabulous pizza.
Saturday was the fabulous Greve Open Air Market where we
found even more treasures that had to come home. I
think Joey & Sheba's suitcase was now filled to overflowing.
We hastened back to the villa to pack, prepare our Farewell
Dinner, enjoy every morsel and prepare to leave this
heavenly place.
What a great way to end my spring trips in Italy - I am a
VERY lucky woman.
Hope to see you soon - on a
tour
Ciao, Bev
