Spent Rememberance Day with an old friend, we went for karaoke, had kimchi noodles and gelato!

Devo subito scrivere qualcos altro, che il blog mi sembra nudo.

Ad esempio una serie di considerazioni sparse sulla vita.

“Difficile ma non impossibile” significa “facile”.

“Impossibile” significa “difficile”.

“Facile” significa che quando meno te lo aspetti andrà male.

Del cucciolone preferivo la parte allo zabaione.

Sono i gelati che diventano sempre più piccoli o siamo noi che diventiamo sempre più grandi?

Perchè non ci sono più calciatori coi baffi?

Se vai più lento di me ti insulto perchè vai più lento di me.

Se vai più veloce di me ti insulto perchè vai più veloce di me.

Se vai alla mia stessa velocità ti insulto perchè è ovvio che lo fai apposta perchè non vuoi che ti superi.

Alle 18 si va a casa.

MmmmmmmmmassiMo’s!

There are heaps of gelato/ice-cream stops on Hastings St…true. But this is the real
deal. Massimo is from Italy. He knows how to make good gelato. Go anywhere else
and you’re missing out…Tust me or ask my Mum – she’s a gelati connoisseur.

-

-

What: You say Gelato, I say Gelati

When: 10am – late everyday through Summer, Autumn & Spring

Where: 75 Hastings St, Noosa Heads, Sunshine Coast QLD

Phone: (07) 5474 8022

Expect to spend: Around $5…but well worth it!

I like to travel by train where possible (more room, generally speaking, and on board toilets, although those are sometimes UNspeakable). So my first plan was to take the night train from Batumi to Tbilisi. But that would mean missing a lot of scenery, the country’s second city, dating in various incarnations back 4,000 years, and a couple of dramatically-sited monasteries. Instead I would spend one night in Kutaisi in a well-reviewed homestay.

The river bank in Kutaisi

The taxi from Dzveli Batumi delivered me not just to the bus station, but to the conductor of the correct marshrutka, who stowed my pack and pointed out the ticket office. I switched seats after the sun finally came out, which was as soon as we left Batumi. We headed north, with the sea to the left and mountains to the right,until we could turn east through the central, agricultural, plain.

I found the house plans interesting, and typical of the country: the working part was on the ground floor, with the next story either built out, or with a verandah, and reached by outside stairs. Clearly, the visitors’ section was upstairs, In homestays the family lives downstairs and guests upstairs.

The main church at Gelati

I took a taxi to my homestay, and when I saw how far I would have had to trek, up a steep path, if I had followed Lonely Planet’s directions, I felt the “splurge” entirely justified. A lavishly bearded Dutchman arrived shortly after I did, and had clearly not enjoyed the walk. Homestays may not be especially comfortable (at this one the toilet was outside, down the stairs, and round two corners, and the far from “sparkling” shower room outside and round one corner) but they are great for meeting other travelers. The Dutchman instantly agreed to share a taxi with me for the afternoon. After a remarkably cheap lunch (cheese pie for two and water for one for 5 GEL) and a quick bargain with a driver, we were on our way to Motsameta and Gelati.

The scenery – forested mountains – outshone the church. I noticed that the water pipe for priest’s house seemed to start in the graveyard, and I also noticed a struggling sheep being dragged towards the church – animal sacrifice has not completely died out in these parts. The much bigger complex at Gelati, while less defensible, still perched well up a wooded hillside. David the Builder, perhaps Georgia’s most successful monarch, was buried here, and President Saakashvili chose it for his inauguration.

Aside from great locations, Georgian churches are also distinguished by cruciform design, with a central round or polygonal tower, capped by a “dunce’s cap” roof and pierced by tall, thin windows, making the inside much lighter than superficially-similar Armenian churches.

View of Kutaisi from outside Bagrati Cathedral

Gas is clearly a valuable commodity here. After we agreed the price with our driver and got in, our first stop was for gas, and on the way back to Kutaisi, we coasted wherever possible. After the ride I found an ATM, and a cafe in a central park, before totally failing to find the synagogues mentioned in LP – the map being flat wrong. I trekked up the afore-mentioned steep slope towards the homestay, stopping off at the town’s 11th century Bagrati Cathedral, only to find it completely off limits and undergoing extensive renovation. The castle cum palace next door had survived 11 centuries, but Russian bombardment (against the Turks) in 1769 reduced it to a state of complete ruin from which no renovation was possible.

Dinner at the homestay, like the bathroom, did not live up to to expectations raised by the reviews, being long on potato and short on protein, and not especially tasty. I slept well, though.

so last post looked like spam of some of the good deals i thought was happening
but i have more good news XD and good deals
btw i’m not paid to endorse them
i paid for all the stuff myself (the worst thing bout having someone sponsor you is that if you don’t like it, you have to like it because they paid for you to like it…so i might as well pay for it myself and i get to write whatever it is they had to offer)

anyway up until this weekend (i think)
the cut above academy has a very sweet promo going on
if you like massages because a back and thigh/leg(have to check i forgot) massage cost only $50 and with this promo, the academy’s beauty and spa dept is giving away free sauna treatments….

btw
i went for my facial yesterday and i fell asleep again
best ever 40 minutes of my life because after the facial i had a massage
and they really have the hand of a goddess…..

so if you like to relax and want to treat yourself at a very cheap price, head on there
and you can quote my name to get discounts~~ how not good is that?

anyway
i went to the meetup yesterday and boy were the a bunch of funny and interesting individuals.
but i guess i’m going anti social and cannot mix well anymore
i’m gonna hang up the cape over the weekend when i turn 24 next week
partay is apparently happening on saturday
but that depends on the weather
and whether baby and i are actually bothered to leave the house later in the evening
(we have this bad habit of once we go home we won’t go out until the next time we need too… -_-)

anyway giapo’s icecream on queen street is nice : )
i still prefer the gelato at the ferry terminal in downtown because it’s more smoother and it’s not uberly sweet
but giapo is still awesome never the less…for $7, the cone is so big and like double scoops..WTF how not cheap is that? anyway if you go and become a regular, you can join the giapo familia’s wall : )
cheap and good and designered. oh yeah!!!
they’re italians btw! so go on in and flex your italiannnnnnn~~~

i’ve been receiving presentssssssssssssss and it’s not my birthday yet!!!
sniff
thank you thank you thank you~~~
i’m madly in love with one of them my bf think i’m neglecting him -_-
sorry baby
but i’m sure my obsession will be over soon
i think i’m almost cured…..
waiting for results now…
well hopefully good news and on a better road to recovery
if i have to take medicine for the rest of my life
sigh…………………………………………………..

anyway have a good weekend ahead
i forgot everything i wanted to post -_- sigh..

Ingredienti per 4 persone:

16 cubetti di ghiaccio
200 g di panna fresca
2 cucchiai di zucchero a velo
4 cucchiai di Nutella
1 bicchiere di liquore al cioccolato
4 cucchiai di latte

Per guarnire:

1 cucchiaio di cacao

Preparazione:

Ammorbidite la Nutella con il latte a bagnomaria e profumate con il liquore.

Montate la panna e unitevi lo zucchero.
Tritate il ghiaccio nel mixer e distribuitelo in 4 bicchieri, aggiungete la Nutella precedentemente ammorbidita e profumata con il liquore, coprite con panna montata e dolcificata, guarnite con una spolverata di cacao fatto scendere da un colino.

Servite con le cannucce!

With all the exciting events from this weekend’s big engagement, Ryan and I are two sleepy people this evening.

After Ryan opened his birthday presents (he liked ‘em, yay!), we nixed the idea of a nice sit down dinner in favor of a low key meal at Jimmy John’s, followed by an ice cream treat from Jeremiah’s Italian Ice.

Ryan's Gargantuan

 Ryan ordered the Gargantuan on the seven-grain bread from Jimmy John’s. Look at all that meat!

Meat Overload

I opted for a roast beef sub on their famous French bread.

Roast Beef Sub

I ate my whole sub and quite a few bites of Ryan’s. The seven-grain bread on his sandwich was doughy and so fresh! I couldn’t get enough!

Though I love the French bread from Jimmy John’s that I had on my sub, I wish they made a whole wheat sub bread.

After dinner, we headed to Jeremiah’s, a local ice cream stand and ordered cookies ’n’ cream gelati (it’s a softer version of gelato) with vanilla soft serve.

Dessert

Mmm, Mmm Good

Taigi, aišku – ITALIJA!!!

Rojus – saulė ir šiluma, tuo metu kai Lietuvoj lyja. Ir nors ši kelionė buvo visai netipinė, ne “mano” keliavimo būdu, o ir tikrosios Italijos mačiau gal tik 1%, bet kavos ir ledų atsivalgiau už Tėvynę. Lietingąją tėvynę ;). Gal kas išduotų, kur Vilniuje galima gauti TIKROS kavos ir TIKRŲ ledų? Būčiau TIKRAI labai dėkinga. Kartais norisi pavalgyti ir ko nors išgerti  ne tik namuose, tik kol kas niekaip nerandu vietos, kur pavalgiusi skaniai nesigraužčiau, kad permokėjau. O gal jau neberandu . Prie gero naminio maisto priprantama, ar ne?…

Italijoje toks ženklas reiškė, kad gausim ne tik geros itališkos kavos, gausim fantastiškos kavos.

Na, argi ne fantastiška ? Užuodžiat?

Nagi, paragaukim. TIKRA!! Siiiii……

O čia – pistacijų ledai. Radome ledainę, iš pažiūros, kažkokiam užkampyje, bet turbūt ji greitu metu bus paskelbta viso regiono sostine, nes šitokią kaugę žmonių, nuo bambinų iki garbių senjorų, gali pamatyti nebent šv. Petro bazilikos aikštėje Vatikane.  Ir visi apsiseilioję žiūri i meniu, negalėdami apsispręsti. Arba bandydami vienu kartu išragauti viską. Mes buvom vieni tokių gudručių. Neprisimenu, kada paskutinį kartą valgiau šitiek ledų. ”Chiama un’ambulanza” (“Kvieskit greitąją!” ), surijau furgoną gelati…

Foto: Eligijaus ir Šarūnės

191 E. Campbell Ave
Campbell, CA 95008
(408) 307-9020
www.gelatodessertcafe.com

If you live in San Jose, then you’ve probably made the 15+ min drive to mountain view just to stop by the dainty gelato shop owned by the friendly Italian man. You’d think…15 minutes just for gelato?? But, it really is just that good. Lucky for us lazy people (or just mainly me), a Gelato Classico has opened in downtown Campbell. What makes it even more perfect is that its location is right across the street from the high-esteemed Sonoma Chicken Coop. Good food followed by good dessert=perfection .

You could ask, “Why go to a gelato place rather than Baskin Robbins/Cold Stone or one of the other plethora of frozen yogurt places that have sprung up like weeds in the past 2 years?” Well for one, typically gelato does not contain egg or other egg solids. Eggs are normally used in icecream and froyo to add richness and color, inhibit ice crystallization, and stabilize/emulsify fat to create a creamier, smoother texture. In gelato, other ingredients are normally used to improve the shelf life. Icecream as we know it, is rich and creamy while frozen yogurt tends to be more icy and tart-like. While gelato is still rich in flavor, its texture is more soft and sticky than either icecream or froyo. I personally also think that some of the gelato flavors are more pronounced in gelato, for example: pistachio tastes very strong of pistachio. Sometimes icecream can be too sweet but I’ve found that I don’t usually get overwhelmed by sweetness with gelato. Also, if you find frozen yogurt too tart but icecream too creamy, then gelato might be perfect for you.

Now, onto what I’ve tried. This place allows you to choose one of 3 cup sizes and depending on the cup size you can have multiple flavors in one cup. In these pictures we’ve got: lychee & chocolate hazelnut, and some strawberry and ..chocolate mousse flavor I think. Normally I get a small cup with half green tea and half tiramisu.

I always leave Gelato’s feeling very satisfied. The taste for every flavor is unique and the texture just feels like something that was hand-churned (or whatever they do for gelato). None of that machine operated feel. The best part is that there is a really big selection of flavors. Whether you like fruity flavors or more creamy flavors, Gelato Classico definitely will have something to put a smile on your face.

…if not for my very, extremely upset stomach. Now, allow me to share with you a very intimate detail about myself. My sai and jio of the day weighs 2.5kg.

For the past month that I’d spent in the Land Down Under, I’d gained a total of 6kgs, eating

snacks like

Moist Chocolate Cupcake on a Stick at Paddington Market, Sydney

Delice (a fancy-pansy name for macarons) and Chocolate Milkshake at

Lindt’s Cafe, Melbourne

Belgian hot chocolate, Belgian Spoil (a cute little platter of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, shortbread, chocolate ice cream and chocolates) and Iced chocolate at Koko Black, Lygon Street, Melbourne

Limited edition banana crepe flavoured Koala snack found at the Asian Groceries

Mentaiko onigiri at Kenzan,(GPO, Melbourne)

They have the best handrolls, and the seaweed’s always fresh and crisp as it’s wrapped separately

Green tea with grape juice and banana gelato from Trampoline, Southgate (Melbourne)

I’m so gonna have the same thing again tomorrow. Or maybe even tonight.

Litchi ramune from a wide range of ramune that they have here at their Asian grocery (Melbourne)

Strawberry frappuccino blended cream that is so yummilicious and PEENK! It’s a core product in Starbucks Australia, which means you can have it all year round!

Girly/Wussy fruit beer (1st and 2nd from right) that taste nothing like alcohol, which I like because I am psychologically allergic to alcohol, at the Belgian Beer Cafe (Eureka, Melbourne)

Peach beer ^_^

and home cooked food like

[Clockwise from top] Stir fry pumpkin with bacon by Chef Su Phing, bacon and onion omelet pizza, and spicy lemon chicken

Luxurious cheese, bacon and mushroom omelet, stir fried mushroom, sausage with Worcester sauce and Chunky vegetable soup with shredded cheddar

Seared kangaroo steak with stir fried bak choy and chicken curry

served with fragrant butter rice

Healthy temaki roll with ham slices, mushroom, crab meat, tuna and gourmet salad.

Kangaroo bibimbap

Yes, not forgetting the Tiramisu that Chef Su Phing and I made

Darrell Lea’s Rocklea Road served with fresh strawberries and Milo dessert

more big ass strawberries

Pancakes lovingly made by Chef Dahbriukay on that special day

and lastly, restaurant food like

Big ass potato spuds with chicken kebab at Westfield’s food court, West Lakes (Adelaide)

Angel hair pasta with tiger prawns, basil, tomato & fetta cheese, and grilled cod served with saffron and broad beans risotto at The Rocks (Sydney)

Pumpkin soup with garlic bread

Pesto chicken with olive bread

at this very homey and awesome place called Common Ground Cafe in Katoomba, Blue Mountains, run by the people of the Twelve Tribes Community

Fresh oysters that are so fresh, you can still see the parasitic worms on the shells wiggling out

Seafood platter and fish & chips at the Sydney Fish Market

Penne with tomato & beef and risotto at Degrave Street, Melbourne

Ah..! Greek food: meat platter, bean soup, pita bread with dips and salad at Stalactites (Melbourne)

Grilled scallops and beet root risotto at St Kilda (Melbourne) Yes, it’s Peenk again!

Mighty and Grand Angus from Mc Donalds! I personally prefer Mighty as I love relish, but Dahbriukay likes Grand better as he hates relish.

Vietnamese noodles with raw beef slices at the other place in Melbourne that’s not Mekong because Mekong recycled their customer’s unfinished soup (so we heard from a friend’s friend who works there).

Udon with beef slices at Kenzan, GPO, Bourke Street (Melbourne)

Curry fish head, sambal kang kong and stir fried bak choy at Kopi Tim (Adelaide)

Wagyu at Nobu, Melbourne on that special day

and yeah, Thai food at Ying Thai 2 just yesterday…

before I purged everything out × 3 from my rear the next morning for eating something so spicy after a 3 week hiatus.

I weighed myself yesterday night and again after the massive outburst from my rear.

That’s why I know how much my sai and jio weighs. (Yes, 2.5kg)

My butt hole is so numb now that I can’t even feel its presence anymore.

Com o calor que abateu a cidade maravilhosa hoje, nada melhor do que um sorvete para levantar os animos e fazer a tarde mais produtiva (rs). Por sorte, temos no escritório um pequeno “estoque” a título de degustação dos sorvetes Gelati!

Diferentes das marcas tradicionais, a proposta da Gelati é oferecer sorvetes premium, com ingredientes selecionados e receitas especialmente criadas para dar aos comensais máximo de sabor, com o mínimo de calorias. Feitos de maneira artesanal e elaborados à base de iogurte e ingredientes frescos, sem corantes nem aditivos artificiais, a fórmula dos gelados não utiliza gorduras trans e hidrogenada.

Entre os diversos sabores, clássicos como chocolate, nata, morango  e frutas tropicais como açaí, coco, goiaba, graviola, tangerina e maracujá. A marca conta ainda com uma linha feita à base de soja para atender o público com intolerância ao glúten e lactose, nos sabores chocolate, maracujá, papaia com granola e vanilla, e sorvetes diet, sem adição de açúcar, nos sabores chocolate, flocos, manga, maracujá e vanilla. Criações especiais, inspiradas nos sabores brasileiros, versões de doce de banana, amendoim, doce de leite com coco, pé de moleque, rapadura e tapioca.  Para os aventureiros, com paladar mais exótico, as dicas são creme de abacate, damasco, figo seco com cardamomo, limão com manjericão, iogurte com frutas vermelhas, gengibre e pistachio com castanha.

A Gelati distribui sorvetes para os melhores restaurantes do Rio, como os de lichia, para o Nao Hara, canela para o Zuka e Terzetto, chá verdem para o Líquido, iogurte com frutas vermelhas da Osteria D’Angolo, laranja com gengibre do Pink Fleet, baunilha soja no Nirvana Orgânico. Para ter todas essas delícias em casa ficou mais fácil. A Gelati conta também com serviço de delivery para atender os mais ávidos consumidores.

Há opções de embalagens de dois litros (R$ 30,00), perfeitas para rechear o freezer. Na Zona Sul, Barra e Recreio, entregas com até 24 horas de antecedência de segunda a sexta-feira, pelo telefone 3411-9448 (taxas de entrega sob consulta). Outro ponto de venda é a pizzaria Pizza Al Taglio, no Leblon, que também faz entregas rápidas de embalagens de ½ litro, de terça a domingo, a partir das 18h, pelo telefone 2259-0988. Entrando na onda da web, a Gelati agora recebe pedidos online pelo site www.gelati.com.br.

Que tal?

Don’t tricked by those places that say and maybe even think that they are the best gelati in Brisbane. Lies all lies. The real best place for gelati is Gelateria Cremona. This place is truly addictive, they make all their gelati with fresh real ingredients on-site, which means the gelati is not too sweet and leaves a delicious taste in your mouth! The owner is a trained gelati chef from Italy (apparently at the gelati training place they do not accept applicants over the age of 30!).

All the flavors there taste fantastic and there are around 20 different flavors to choose from but the most exciting thing is their special flavours! Every couple of days they will have a differeertnt weird flavour for you to try, I’ve seen orange, carrot and pineapple (very refreshing!!), chai tea, Anzac biscuit and dragonfruit (I was only told about this one but want to try it soooo badly!). It’s always exciting to see what werid flavor you’ll get to try in your next visit!

Gelateria Cremona is located at 5/151 Baroona Road, Rosalie, They are open 7 days a week until 10pm

Everyone has their own feelings about Southbank, yes? Tacky, tourist trap, overpriced, convenient, varied, hit and miss, the craft market on the weekend is pretty decent (I personally love those glass Kaleidoscopes). But rarely would you think of the Flinders St end for cuisine, what with Rockpool, Guilaume etc down the Crown end stealing all the limelight.

But Tutto Benne, the Italian restaurant on level 1, enshrines one of Melbourne’s hidden gems – the best damned gelati in Melbourne. Yes, I make the claim and dare you to prove me wrong. What makes it the best: well key in my mind is the diverse and interesting range of flavours, plus the fact that they keep the range small (12 flavours) but each one is amazing, and they vary the range up depending on the day and the season. It’s wonderful, fresh epiphenal-tasting gelati. Not to mention the fact that you can choose from regular size and baby-cup size, and even the baby cup is generous enough for a decent sized sweet. So far the flavours that have rocked my personal world include:

Pannetone (which was there yesterday 06 08 09 and I HIGHLY recommend).
Fig
Gin and Tonic
Campari and Blood Orange

plus the old favourites like chocolate, lemon, coconut, coffee, blood orange done very very well.

I can’t recommend this place enough. You’ll find it in the corner near the centre stairwell on Level 1 of Southbank, upstairs from the food court, outside Tutto Benne the restaurant. Winter isn’t normally the time one considers a gelati… but with flavours this great I’m pretty sure there’s an exception clause.

PS I owe this one to a tip from UM gastrosleuth Paul.  Cheers.

Backstory: I never dreamed when I wrote The Japanese Art of Sex: How to tease, seduce and pleasure the samurai in your bedroom, I would be speaking about geisha and performing Japanese dance at La Biennale in Venice, Italy, the oldest and most prestigious cultural arts festival in the world.  I also had the opportunity to sign copies of my Harlequin Spice novel, The Blonde Geisha, in Italian: Passioni di una Geisha.  Come to Venice with me as I explore the city in my video series: Jina’s Excellent Adventure in Venice, Italy.   

Today’s Venice Video Episode:  Venice bookstores and gelati shops. 

I love bookstores.  There’s something magical about finding that intriguing tome that transports you to another time, another place and you’re there.  With him.  That special man… 

And what is more magical than Venice? 

I have no doubt everyone in Venice reads.  I saw a different bookstore on every corner filled with romances, mysteries and travel books.  I’m pleased to say Venetians are also reading my Harlequin Spice novels, which have all been translated into Italian, including Passioni di una geisha (I did a booksigning after my speech at La Biennale).  

As any Venetian lady will tell you, when you find that special man, I mean, book, you want to get between the sheets and enjoy every moment.  And if it’s a hot summer day, you’ll need a creamy scoop of gelato or Italian ice cream to cool you (and him) off.  

I swear Venice has as many gelati shops as it has bookstores.  In this Venice video, we’ll explore the bookstores (you’ll see a first edition of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”)  and the gelati shops…including my favorite ice cream shop, il Tovaro.   Buon Appetito!   

Coming up in my next Venice Video: Venice street scenes and performers

February 2010: meet The Blonde Samurai 
“She embraced the way of the warrior.  Two swords.  Two loves.”

Nella lista degli ingredienti dei gelati, sia confezionati sia cosiddetti artigianali (in questo caso la lista degli ingredienti dovrebbe essere esposta in negozio), troviamo quasi sempre additivi, con funzioni diverse. Spesso sono presenti emulsionanti.

Cosa sono gli emulsionanti
Si tratta di sostanze che, per la loro particolare struttura molecolare, sono in grado di legarsi sia con l’acqua sia con i grassi: consentono quindi di formare o mantenere omogenea una miscela di due o più sostanze alimentari che normalmente non si miscelerebbero tra loro, come appunto l’acqua e il grasso. Un esempio di emulsionante naturale è la lecitina del tuorlo d’uovo, fondamentale per dare vita alla maionese.

Alcuni possono comportare reazioni allergiche
L’uso di emulsionanti nei gelati si può considerare accettabile anche se talvolta suppliscono alla mancanza di ingredienti più pregiati (come appunto le uova).
Alcuni di essi tuttavia possono essere responsabili di reazioni allergiche o di ipersensibilità: è il caso delle lecitine, derivate dall’uovo e dalla soia, e del poliricinoleato di poliglicerolo. Sconsigliati i fosfatidi d’ammonio e gli esteri di propilen glicole degli acidi grassi, per la mancanza di sufficienti studi disponibili che ne garantiscano la sicurezza.

Fonte: www.altroconsumo.it

Ieri ho visto la pianta di ribes del nonno stra-carica di frutti, così ho pensato bene di fare un bel gelato fresco.  Vi servono :

300 gr di ribes ben maturi

150 gr di zucchero fine

una bustina di vanillina

100 cc di latte intero

100 cc di panna liquida da montare

Schiacciate per bene la frutta con una forchetta (io sono un pò maniaca e la passo al setaccio per non far rimanere i semini e le bucce nel gelato…), aggiungete lo zucchero, la vanillina, il latte e la panna e amalgamate per bene il tutto. Un a volta pronto, mettete il liquido ottenuto nella gelatiera e lavorate per circa 40 minuti.

Ed ecco fatto : il gelato è pronto da gustare, magari accompagnato da un biscotto tipo lingua di gatto….!

Fede

100 cc di panna

Rita’s Ice – Ice Custard Happiness
Check site for locations nearest you
http://www.ritasice.com

It’s that time again! I’m bringing travelling back; that good old pack your bags and hit the road, relax and drink in all the wonderful sights along the way. You’re on the road, it’s hot and you’re dry and needing something cold and refreshing; something that has that ‘ahhhhh’ factor. My gang and I were on the road to New York, we made a stop in Philadelphia, PA at Rita’s Water Ice. I truly think Rita has the best cool treats to chase those hot summer days blues away. Yuki and I ordered the Mistos, it is a combination of Italian ice and frozen custard and talk about de-lic-ious!!! Heidi, Zak and Katsumi ordered the Mocha Ritaccinos; Italian ice and frozen custard combined with a rich coffee; also available in cafe and we couldn’t leave until we all had the Blue Raspberry Ice….whoa! Divine goodness! For those who are health conscious, they serve up a lighter version of their treats – Slenderita fat-free soft serve and Sugar free Italian Ice (fat-free, cholesterol-free and trans- fat-free)

Happy Summer Drinking!

Thursday

MY BIRTHDAY!

After arriving into Termini the Wednesday night, our B&B host escourted us back to our B&B which is nestled on the west (nasty) side of the central station but would not cause us any concern during our visit. He checked us in – he had only just opened so everything was perfect – and then walked us down to a local eatery (not a turistico one, no) and negotiated a meal for us as by this time it was 11.30pm and new diners were not exactly a welcome sight! The meal was divine and we wolfed it down in 15 minutes before heading back to our leisurely bed….

The piccolo princessa (little princess) awoke early on her birthday as our dear friend Melanie had arranged a free Coliseum tour for us through a local friend! We had to be at the Il Coliseum Metro at 9.40, and squeeze in our glorious breakfast before then! Following our shower in our space ship shower, we enjoyed fresh croissants, cake, Italian toast, free cappuccino and juice with strawberries before heading out for our day.

We opted to walk to the Coliseum as it was not far – the equivalent of two metro stops. We managed to make it to our meeting place on time (after leaving at 9.15am) and then tried to decipher which tour group we were with! We found out home, was adorned with our blue dot and ear piece in preparation for Bruno, our guide (and a hottie, happy birthday to me! – sorry Nick) to takeover.

First stop on our (free) tour was the humbling Coliseum. Not only did we get in for free (thank you free tour), but we also skipped the lines! Our tour throughout the Coliseum was so interesting and worthwhile and we appreciated it so much as it’s not something we can usually afford to do. We learnt so many extra details about the history of Roma in general (we were taught early that Rome ‘means nothing’, but Rome means ‘love’ (or amor backwards). Following a lengthy tour of the Coliseum and a glimpse back in time to gladiators, lyons, tablets and circus acts; we then wandered past the Constantine Triumph Arch, past the Pine-Umbrella trees and up to Palantino Hill.

Again, free entry and jumping the queue was a great benefit upon entry to Palantino Hill. Just jokes! Our tour was not only a tour of the ruins of the emporer’s 40 roomed house (thankyouverymuch!) and extensive bathroom collection, but also of the area and of the many herbs that grow wild on the side of Palantino Hill that are the base to Italian cooking: Italian mint, wild fennel, thyme, myrtle, olive trees, fig trees and grape trees.

To the unguided eye, there are many many rooms and walls of a empire once so enormous only 50% of the city had to work (as the rest could live comfortably off the fruits of the empire without working!). We learnt stories of the Gemini temple, temples named after wives, after virgins, and the tomb of Julius Caesar (who apparently was never really an emporer).

I couldn’t rate the tour guide highly enough, and Nick loved the ancient Roman overload of info just as much as I did. After three hours of wandering ancient Roma, our feet were tired and we headed up towards Michelangelo-designed Capital Square (near Capital Hill, the original but now non-existent place where all roads lead to). We then checked out the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before seeking out a pizzeria for lunch near the Fontana de Trevi (Trevi Fountain).

The Trevi Fountain was very beautiful, and we secured our return to Rome with a coin over the shoulder (and as a request for Nick’s Mum Nick threw a coin over his shoulder to ensure she would one day visit Rome!). We also threw the second coin for good luck/good love depending on which tradition you choose to believe in!

We then wandered past Tritone’s Fountain (Barbarini), Quattro Fontana (the four fountains) and Il Repubblica before returning to our room for a little afternoon birthday snooze. We were very worn out (and slightly sunburnt).

Plus, Nick was nursing an eye developing in conjuntivitus, and I was trying to overcome a nasty throat infection that had begun the day before in London.

For my birthday dinner, we had decided to head back towards the backstreets behind the Coliseum and choose a local wine bar to celebrate my coming of age to the big 2-6. After a bit of wandering my heart became set on a lovely bustling little wine bar that had a spare table on the street. It was meant to be!

We took the table and ordered our many courses and bottle of Chianti – bruschetta, then prima piatti, seconda piatti, and an amaretto to finish. A key highlight was the drunk who set a fire in the street outside the gallery across the alley. Yes, that’s what you get celebrating a birthday in Rome!

Friday

_{We took the Metro to Flamino to check out Piazza de Pompeo} – a very impressive square! It is huge, with an obelisk and two churches that are exactly the same that sit to one end. We climbed up the many stairs above the square to see out to Vatican City.

We headed across the Vatican via a walk along the Tiber River, across Pont St Angelo to see St Angelo’s Castle. After a tip from one of Nick’s friends, we were aiming to hit the Vatican line up about lunch time – a quiet time of the day when all the other tourists would be invading the many pizzerias nearby and therefore would leave St Peter’s almost empty for us to explore!

We headed back over the bridge just prior to lunch, and happened across a convoy of policemen on scooters armed with whistles, motorbikes, security, and a truck towing a car behind it. “I wonder what that was all about,” Nick wondered aloud. “Oh, probably filming a video clip or a TV show or something,” I answered non-challantly. After a slight pause, I asked Nick: “It wasn’t towing a black Alfa Romeo was it?!” (In reference to Angels and Demons, a book set in Rome). Nick’s response: “Yes.”

“I wonder if they are filming ‘Angels and Demons’. Imagine!”

We wondered further up the street, and took a table outside (read: half of the road, that the owners had blocked off with pot plants for diner’s to enjoy the courtyard ‘ambience’. After ordering a beer and a pizza each, we were overwhelmed by the storm of whistles, scooters, motorbikes and car convoy again as it raced towards Castle St Angelo. This time – the traffic slowed the convoy and the Alfa Romeo came to almost a stop right in front of us to reveal – TOM HANKS! Aka, Robert Langdon! There was Tom Hanks in the car, reciting lines quickly with his eye up to a microscope reading a piece of manuscript (aka Robert Langdon reading Galileo’s Diagramma in Angels and Demons!). When Nick had told me to make sure I read Angels and Demons prior to going to Rome I didn’t realize it was so that I could CELEBRITY SPOT!

The convoy circled our block another couple of times allowing me to point Mr Hanks out to Nick (to make sure I wasn’t seeing things), and for us to snap a pic!

Following the lunchtime excitement, we then wandered across to Vatican City to bring our plan into action. And it worked brilliantly: we rocked up about 1pm and there were a measly 15 tourists in line and we were past security in a couple of minutes. We sailed in St Peter’s Basilica with no problems and were able to explore the very impressive, and breathtaking art and architecture of the monstrosity that it is. Easy to see where all the stolen marble from the Coliseum went!

Nick and I also paid 5 Euros to walk up to the Cupola (it cost more to take the lift) but of course had no idea exactly how many stairs it would take to get up there. A LOT! And it’s a very long circular staircase you have to climb! But the view from the top of the inside of the dome – and outside across Rome – is SPECTACULAR!

We then went in search of the Sistine Chapel, and as it was 3.30pm we were running out of time – last entry was by 4! A kind Swiss Guard pointed us in the right direction when I asked him ever so kindly if he could let us know how to get there (quickly). Again, as it was 3.45pm when we arrived at the entry of Musei Vaticano, there was no line but the Museum wasn’t due to close until 6pm so we had plenty of time.

The collection and arrangement of the art held within the Museum is amazing. Many of the great artists have works that are owned and held by this museum, including the Bellini (or was it Raphael?) sculptures that had their ‘boy parts’ removed so as not to ‘tempt’ the cardinals; and then the later sculptures had their ‘boy parts’ “tastefully” hidden by a leaf. Hmm, subtle non?

Of course, the many rooms and passages filled with loads of Renaissance and Impressionist Art leads to the most amazing and wondrous of all: the Sistine Chapel.

There, with our very own eyes we were able to see the brilliance and amazing work of Michaelangelo. Everyone stands there with eyes glued to the ceiling.

The most curious part of the experience are the Swiss Guards: one in particular was a tyrant of the Sistine Chapel. ‘YOU! YOU, I SEE YOU! PUT THE CAM-E-RA DOWN! CAM-E-RA DOWN! NOW!’ Needless to say cameras are banned (buy a postcard people!).

Not to mention the woman he confronted who was wearing a singlet top (‘You are in a CHURCH. Cover yourself. Show some respect), or the inevitable SILENCE! (‘Shh’ was obviously not part of his vocabulary).

The Metro trip back to Termini was reminiscent of London in peak hour: packed. We changed at home and then caught the Metro to Circus Massimo to see Palantino Hill by dusk before discovering Trastevere and a restaurant there for dinner. It was a gorgeous little area, and an amazing little restaurant. Bellissimo!

Saturday

After a bit of sleep in, we headed out about 11am to the Spanish Steps (crowded), down via Condotti (the shopping strip) towards Colonna Piaza and Templo Adriana (unfortunately under refurbishment). Next stop was the Pantheon.

The Pantheon (I love churches with free entry) was amazing. Not only the architecture of it, but also it houses Raphael’s tomb and demonstrates that the church was a Pagan Church that was converted to a Christian Church. Now that’s an old building! And it’s remarkably good condition.

Lunch was a backstreet trattoria behind Piazza Navona. I was looking forward to checking out this Piazza (arguably the most beautiful in Rome) however the central sculpture by Bellini turned out to be under restoration until about 2010, and it is covered up by so much scaffolding and wire you feel as though you are just looking at a building site (not a piece of art). Luckily we threw that coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure we would be back to Rome to see if post-face lift!

The afternoon was spent wandering Trastevere and Rome between lanes, and backstreets while enjoying some divine Gelati! OMG! It was so very very good!

A brief visit to the Rome Rose Gardens, promised as the ‘most beautiful in Rome’ were a little disappointing as they were more wild rose gardens – a few dead, a few weeds, a few wild vines, and some very beautiful roses for those that were surviving the elements.

We picked up a couple of bottles of wine (it’s so cheap in Italy!) to enjoy before heading out to dinner that night. We were going to eat just behind the Trevi Fountain as Nick wanted to see it by night. After two bottles of wine, we headed into town and were surprised how many people were there by night. It was packed!

We found a beautiful restaurant named ‘Dune’ where we enjoyed the most beautiful Italian meal of all. I enjoyed Canelloni for my First, and Chicken Tequila for my second course. It was so scrumptious!

We finished up at dinner by 10pm, but as we approached the Metro station it was all closed up! So we had to take a taxi home, but luckily it was not far and only cost us 8 Euro to make it back to Termini.

Sunday

After a little lazy sleep in, we enjoyed our last shower in a space-shuttle shower and completed some local errands (sending postcards, withdrawing cash to pay for our room) in the sprinkling rain. We were glad that the weather had been so good during our stay in beautiful Rome.

We took the Metro out to try and see some Roman Baths, but as it was past the expanse of our free map, we ended up wandering the streets of Rome and not finding the baths until it was time for us to head back to the B&B to make the trip home to London…..

I hope that promised return to Roma is sooner rather than later! I (heart) Roma!

Ah, Venice. Place of exceptional boatmanship and canal chaos! It lives up to all of its expectations: the grandeur, the romance, the expense (!), the wonder, and gondola novelty.

Our trip began at 330am for our commute to Stanstead Airport to catch our 630am flight to Treviso. Carry on security was strict… luckily we had overcompensated on timing for as it was, even though we checked it at 5am, we were lucky to make it to Final Boarding Call! After a short 1 and 3/4 hour flight we began our descent into Treviso over the beautiful mountain range, capped with snow in some parts and gorgeously sunny. We then boarded a bus from Treviso across to Venezia with the slowest bus driver in the world (isn’t that odd for Italians?). Our trip from the mainland to the island made it very clear that we weren’t just going to any city! We were in Venice!

Nick and I found our hotel – conveniently placed near Piazze de la Roma (bus terminal end) so we could check in our things going almost immediately. Nice work, Nick! Mapless in Venice, we begin our first meandering excursion to wander among the many canals and alleyways. Truthfully though, it is hard to get lost when there is an endless stream of tourists making their way from Piazze de la Roma to Piazza San Marco. We tried to escape them by taking a hard right… and then when things were exceptionally quiet and we lost our sense of direction we located a yellow San Marco sign and we were on our way to the piazza. Trust the yellow sign. Trust it.

On our way to the piazza we past trattorias, back street bars, gift stalls, exclusive stores like Bvlgari/Versace/Gucci, plus crossed tens of bridges who were all hosting a gondola or two looking for his next fare. There is always a bustle of activity going on, no matter whereabouts you are in Venice.

So we hit Piazza San Marco at approx 1:30pm – with hundreds of other tourists! We were amazed by the sheer size and grandeur of the building; and Nick thought he could outsmart the pigeons by holding out his palms as though they had feed. Stupid pigeons. They bought it!

We wandered throughout the square before heading back the one and a half hours to our hotel! It was then time for a brief kip, before heading out to find a place for dinner – again by wandering the back streets of Dorsudora, then San Croce, then San Polo only to find ourselves dining just up from Per Rialto. We enjoyed a bottle of Pinot Grigio, appetiser, first course, second course and dessert for a mere 60 euros! A Venetian bargain!!

First thing on Saturday morning after enjoying out coffee, ham/cheese/bread/yoghurt     breakfast, we headed back to Piazza San Marco to beat the crowds so we could climb the bell tower overlooking the square without having to line up for two hours. The view     across Venice from up there is amazing – you can see across to all the neighbouring     islands, and also truly contemplate the complexity of the design of the city. You also    have the option of seeing into a Venetian backyard! Yes, some are lucky to have a bit of spare room in their tiny properties.

We then jumped on a vaporetti across to Murano – a sleepy fishing village on a nearby island. I LOVED Murano. It is just gorgeous. We stopped off for some lunch here – pizza and beer – in a sleepy canal-hugging trattoria. Cold beer. Divine pizza. I think I was in food heaven. We then meandered our way down the island checking out the glass blowing stores, churches who would let you come in for FREE, and a fort that sits like a lighthouse on one side of the island. The peace in Murano is gorgeous.  From there, we jumped on another vaporetti across to Lido – a beachlovers island. First thing that spun me out here is that there were cars (!), and it seemed to be even more expensive than Venice. We did treat ourselves to divine Gelato by the seaside so we were delighted with our efforts. After a vaporetti and a cold shower (30C!) we headed to a restaurante for dinner that we had picked out during the day. Unfortunately, we had no reservato so denied access and sent searching for an alternative. After much meandering, we stumbled across a canal side restaurante in San Marco that had another couple leaving so we were able to score their canal-side table!

The restaurante was situated directly next to a Servizioso Gondale so were had the pleasure of watching many holidayers excitedly jump in their gondolas (with a cheap bottle of champagne and plastic cups, I might add!!) and sway off into the night. They would return about 50 minutes later looking bored, unromantic and not happy at all!!! Again, we enjoyed a lovely bottle of wine with first and second courses (handmade parmesan and ricotta cannelloni/ veal with a divine sauce and medley of vegetables) and were even more spoilt by the canal lapping just below our feet on a perfect summer night in Italy. Ah, bliss!

Sunday we headed up to Il Palazzo (The Doge’s Palace) to see how the better half lived in the 1400/1500s. Clearly, quite well it seems! We spent over two hours wandering our way through the Doge’s apartments, learning about the Venetian Great Council and its system of government, before heading over the Bridge of Sighs to see the prisons. The palace was so grand, and so huge! According to what we read, the Great Council Chamber is one of the  biggest rooms in all of Europe. Not bad for a tiny island! Il Palazzo is clearly my favourite sightsee from the trip.

We then headed to the Carnereggio region of the island to check out the ghetto – the one a half hour walk wasn’t really worth it as there wasn’t much to see. We did get to venture to this region and we now know where the hottest (and stinkiest) area of Venice is!

Sunday night we met two of Nick’s mates (James and PJ) for a beer and a catch up. We enjoyed a many San Soucis, in a backstreet bar, before heading to a restorante nearby for more wine, gnocchi and….. Amarretos!! The divine drink of Italy. I would give up icecream and chocolate brownies for amaretto any day. Standing up after dinner – we decided to walk to the hour home from San Marco to the hotel…

On Monday morning we lamented. We had to go home. We tried to sneak in to see Chiesa San Marnaba to check out the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit they had on but alas, they were closed on Mondays. We hung out on the Fondamenta in Dorsudora before heading back to pack and board our bus back to Treviso. Then board our plane to Stanstead, London. Then catch the train home.

On the flight home I was already thinking up plans for the next European escapade – Cesky Krumlov to see Rach in Sept (TBC), Paris end of September, and Amsterdam in October hopefully.

nascosto dietro il chioschetto aspettava.

se il chiosco si fosse mosso l’avrebbe forse seguito.

ma l’attesa di sarebbe irrisolta vana.

ogni giorno usciva di casa anticipando il sole e si nascondeva dietro il chiosco, nonvendendo gelati.

la notte, tutto finito, tornava a casa, ove nessuno lo aspettava. nemmeno un letto comodo, perché il sole correva ogni giorno di più e anticipava ogni notte la sua levata.

finì col dormire adagiandosi piano in ginocchio appoggiato al chiosco.

a volte si chiedeva perché aspettare ancora. “non verrà mai”.

intanto resisteva alla sua infanzia pasticciera, ai dolci odori di vaniglia e cioccolato che pretestuosi rimbalzavano dai vani frigoriferi.

ogni giorno era una nuova attesa, un nuovo sforzo al palato per dimenticare il caramellato.

passavano stagioni e genti, ma non lui, sfiduciato ma assoluto nell’attesa.

un giorno, a metà della sua attesa mattutina, sentì nel cuore farsi strada un segreto amore mai sopito per il pistacchio.

preso nell’intimo, forte della scelta, s’alzò di scatto e aprì il contenitore della crema verde.

ne venne fuori un lurido braccio peloso che all’estremità teneva una pistola. senza nemmeno

guardarlo marchiò d’un grosso buco la sua fronte e si rinchiuse nel silenzio del pistacchio.