ciao down

malfunction

2010-05-07T09:44:00.003+02:00

We've been cursed with our mac computers here in Italy (if you're thinking about moving here, invest in a pc and leave your mac at home). I of course can go into detail more about this but I'm updating via my itouch because our second mac has unfortunately bit the dust and finding someone in Italy to fix it is harder to find than a needle in a haystack. with that I will hope and pray that our computer miraculously recovers and starts working again, a girl can dream right!?

Next Chapter

2010-04-11T11:32:00.008+02:00

{photo credit}

Forgive me in the lack of blogging lately. Life here has been quite the roller coaster the past month. We've had many curve balls thrown our way, both good and bad and we haven't really known the next step in life to take. Recently, though, the path has become quite clear and I couldn't be more excited. We're moving back to New York!

Our time in Italy has been an interesting adventure that we will always hold close to our hearts, but our home is in New York. The next chapter in our life will be bringing us back home, to America. We couldn't be happier to be back with family and friends, and (hopefully) back into our careers.

We'll be here in Italy until July while we wrap up work, and taking in every enjoyable second that we have here in Bologna.

Hopefully you'll join us on the ride!!

Because...

2010-03-30T11:26:00.004+02:00

Sometimes in life, you just need to see a human pyramid.

Reason #247 to love Spain:

For more videos, click here

I {heart} Barcelona!

2010-03-25T18:43:00.032+01:00

We're back from Barcelona, and honestly 3 days isn't nearly enough time to truly explore that city. I'm behind in posting. Since we've returned it's been the arrival of spring and my birthday, so needless to say our little blog has been neglected while we enjoy the warm weather that has finally arrived to the city!

But back to Barcelona! We had been planning on going there since before we moved to Italy, and it lived up to everything we thought that it would. And with that said, I've been struggling to write this post. Coming back from such an amazing city, I think it takes a week or so to process everything that just happened (and possibly recover from all the Cava that was drunk).

Our first day, we opted to do a bus tour of the city. Normally I'm against bus tours, I love walking the streets to get a locals feel for a city, but some Italian friends had recommended doing the bus tour to get a lay of the land since the city is so big. And seriously, it was the best advice we got. We took the hop on/hop off Barcelona Bus Turistic which leaves from Placa de Catalunya. I personally think it's a great way to see the whole city when you have very little time.

(Pictures, click here )

Casa Batllo'

From the bus, we hopped off and headed to La Boqueria, off Las Ramblas, for some lunch. If you walk past the tourists and the crowded front entrance, you'll find the tapas bars where the fishermen, servers and shop owners stop for a midday snack. We found this little place in the back of La Boqueria where we got to practice our Spanish.

Lunch at La Boqueria

La carta

#yumtown

Tummy's full of tapas and cerveza, we wandered around the streets off the main tourist streets. I loved the side of this wall.

Wandering around the city I found this wall... amazing!

One of the more modern tapas restaurants we went to was Celler de tapas (Placa Universitat 5). My favorite thing there was the personally sized paella tapas dish. Delicious!

My personal seafood paella!

Park Guell

We headed up to Park Guell and spent some time wandering around the crazy mazes of the park. Unfortunately, the weather for us was hazy and cold that afternoon, otherwise you can get a beautiful view of the city below.

Us at Park Guell

Beautiful tiles of the park benches

More food? Always! On Friday night we found ourselves wandering around a new area in Barcelona and found this place, Bar Lobo. It's a beautiful bar where Spain meets New York's Soho, and it's definitely worth a trip if only to try the jamon! (Carrer del Pintor Fortuny 3). In the summer, the outside is a perfect people-watching spot.

Bar Lobo - absolutely amazing!

One of the things we found during the bus tour was the area of Barcelona called Mont Juic, which means Jewish Mountain. In Mont Juic you can visit different art museums, the various Olympic arenas, have a gorgeous view of the city below, and check out Poble Espanyol.

Poble Espanyol is a really unique area where you can see all of Spain in one little park. The cost is around six euros and inside you can visit all the different regions of Spain, shop the local regional stores, and spend an afternoon drinking sangria and enjoying the surroundings. If you want to avoid the crowds, go in the early morning before the bus loads of tourists arrive.

Poble Espanyol de Mont Juic

Andalucia at Poble Espanyol

After spending the morning doing some traveling throughout Spain and some much needed shopping for a porron, we headed down to Port Olympic in search of some seaside paella. We arrived at Xiringuito Escriba (Ronda Litoral 42). Despite the chilly breeze off the Mediterranean, the restaurant was filled with locals all opting for a huge paella dish to share at the table.

Seaside dining

Paella at the beach!

Us on the Mediterranean

Playing

La Sagrada Familia

Our last day in Barcelona we headed down to the area off Las Ramblas where I was told you could find the locals doing a traditional dance of Sardana. We waited anxiously to see what it was all about, but nobody showed up to dance. Instead we were greeted with a street parade of over-the-top sized human puppets and a human pyramid team!

A random street parade in Barcelona

Human pyramid during the street parade

One last round of tapas and cava sangria
Cava Mar (C/Vila Joiosa 54)

I {heart} Barcelona

There are so many wonderful spots in Barcelona and if you're willing to step off the tourist path, you can find quiet streets filled with Catalans enjoying life. I truly love this city!

Additional information:

Our hotel- Hotel Amister
Av. Roma, 93-95
Barcelona (España)
Tel. (34) 93 363 34 68
Fax. (34) 93 363 18 65

Tapas spots:
Euskal Etxea (Euskal Taberna)
Placeta Montcada, 1-3
www.grupsagardi.com

Vinorvm (La Bodegueta del Barri)
C/. Provenza, 99
Closed Mondays * but if you try to speak Catalan, you will find a bottle of Cava missing from your receipt ...at least we did! *

El Xampanyet Bar *locals overflow this Champagne bar *
Carrer de Montcada 22, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

Museums:
Picasso Museum
*Free Sunday afternoons

Can you guess...

2010-03-17T08:06:00.004+01:00

where we're off to?

{photo credit}

We're heading to Barcelona! (Finally!)

We've been planning this trip for about a year now (thanks to a Ryanair zero euro flight we bought last June) and it couldn't come at a more perfect time. We're off to celebrate Giancarlo's new job, a pre-birthday birthday and a break from life in Bologna (for a weekend).

We'll be back soon, hopefully refreshed, motivated and checking a city we've been dying to go to off the list!

Hasta Luego!

Let's catch up

2010-03-08T10:38:00.005+01:00

{photo credit}

I can't believe March is already here!

Spring has been teasing us here in Bologna, a beautiful sunny, warm day followed by snow the next. But, life continues and Giancarlo and I have been so extremely busy that I can't wait for our little vacation we have planned.

So I figured I'd fill you in on whats been going the last two weeks:

Finally ventured to do #60 in our list of 101 things to do in Bologna, and went to MAMbo Modern Art Museum in Bologna. First impression, wasn't overly impressed however I'll give it a second round when they open the Fellini exhibit shortly.

Did a guest blog post at day[s] in my shoes about life in rainy Bologna! Check it out!

Early birthday trip to this place next week! I'll have to buy me one of these.

Giancarlo got a new job! And I got more work than I know what to do with, which made me fold and start using Twitter.

I finally channeled my inner Napolitana mamarella and made homemade pasta (these little goodies) and some homemade southern Italian sauce. Don't worry... I'll be sharing the recipes too! Next weekend, I'm going to try my hand at some more handmade goodies...stay tuned!

It's All In The Name..

2010-02-26T08:00:00.006+01:00

{photo credit}

Apparently, I have the most difficult name in all of Italy. Emily.

No matter where I go, or who I speak with, the first time I tell someone my name I get an arrangement of confused looks, and then asked to repeat it.

Case-in-point, the poor telemarketer who called me yesterday. Now, I never pick up numbers I don't know, but this particular case I was expecting a call and assumed this was it. Wrong. The poor soul didn't know what to do when he asked me my name. Me: Emily. Telemarketer: What? Me (again): Emily (I even attempted an Italian accent, but still no dice). This went on for about 3 minutes till I then proceeded to say "Emily like Emilia" (the region that we live in), and then from that moment on my name was Emilia, no longer Emily.

This is the story of my name here... too many vocali, vowels, together I guess (and that's if we're counting that "y" as a vowel). Long gone are the days where I can find cheesy tourist key chains, mugs, state license plates or whatever tourist trinket may have my common American name.

The flip-side, I now find all those tourist trinkets with Giancarlo written on it. I always joked in America that he never got the pleasure of having a key chain from California with Giancarlo written on it, but now he's one-upped me. He gets a key chain from everywhere in Italy with Giancarlo written on.

American Breakfast

2010-02-24T09:07:00.009+01:00

I'm a little behind in a few blog posts, especially this one.

When we returned from America, we decided to gather our Italian friends and have an American Brunch, complete with everything bagels, scrambled eggs, muffins and of course, bacon (which we finally discovered you can buy here!).

It was so much fun, for the first time being on the other side of the food-spectrum and sharing the concept of brunch and a heavy American breakfast. It by no means can compete with Lasagna, Tortellini or homemade ragu`, but everything bagels can come close, right?!

A big thanks to Roberta for letting us crash her kitchen!

{Chef Pacheco}

{The delish everything bagel with bacon, egg and cheese - a NY staple!}

{Sampling the goods}

Sora Lella

2010-02-24T09:05:00.001+01:00

{All of us with Simone at Sora Lella NYC}

New Yorkers, Romans and all who love to travel to either place reading this blog - I'm going to tell you about the best new restaurant in New York that you've probably never heard of, but speak to your Italian friends and I guarantee they'll know exactly who, what and where you're talking about.

Over Christmas break, Giancarlo and I had the opportunity to meet the two wonderful Italian brothers who are renting an apartment from Giancarlo's mom. They moved to New York from Rome last year to open up their second restaurant, Sora Lella New York City.

Being back in New York, we missed having an aperitivo hour, and the food all around just tasted different. One of the brothers invited us to join him at his restaurant for their aperitivo (which I'm hoping takes off in NYC before we move back).

We were delighted with the thought of aperitivo, and arrived one cold night at the Soho restaurant. Candle lit walls, the restaurant bar was filled with ciao's and come stai's - a language now very familiar to me. The aperitivo spread was just as fresh and delicious as if they had magically transported it directly from Bologna (and I wouldn't have put it past them). Long story short, it became my little Italian oasis in the middle of Soho.

When we arrived back to Italy, like good Italians, all discussions led back to food. And our trip to Sora Lella came up. "Sora Lella?!" everyone said to us with excitement and awe. It's one of THE most famous restaurants in all of Italy. Mention it to any Italian and they will immediate know Elena Trabalza, nicknamed “Sora Lella,” an actress and the sister of famed Italian actor Aldo Fabrizi, both of whose photos you will find throughout the restaurants in both Rome and New York. What I love most about this place is that it's the true core of everything authentic and genuine you love about Italian food. The simplicity and freshness of ingredients to create the most mouth-watering dishes.

If you're in New York or heading to Rome, make reservations for Sora Lella. I couldn't recommend a better place!

New York City
300 Spring Street
New York, NY 10013-1399
(212) 366-4749

Rome
Via di Ponte Quattro Capi, 16
00186 Roma Rom
066 861601

Good Friends + Good Food

2010-02-21T12:26:00.005+01:00

It's always a treat when we have friends visit.

It also gives us a great reason to back go to Osteria Broccaindosso.

Sunday Love

2010-02-16T09:44:00.012+01:00

Happy (post) Love Day!

This year was really the first year that Giancarlo and I got to celebrate V-day in Italy (last year, we were here), and since I was busy working all day on Saturday, Giancarlo decided to cook up something special for Sunday.

A simple wrap up of the day....

I woke up to this...

And was given this...

Which had this inside...

Followed by late lunch here...

And we had ourselves some of this...

On the way home, we ran into this...

All in all a very successful Italian V-day! And, I highly recommend the Ristorante Biagi in the Osteria della Lanterna (Via Savenella 9/A- Bologna- closed Tuesdays). There was no menu and the food was absolutely delicious- traditional Bolognese food, which never disappoints!

How To...

2010-02-11T08:37:00.005+01:00

...start a conversation in Italy: carry a to-go coffee mug with you on the way to work.

Results: Stopped twice in the span of 15 minutes, and had a conversation about my very cool, very American coffee mug.

Carnevale 2010!

2010-02-10T10:50:00.010+01:00

It seems fitting that our 200th post would be celebrating Carnevale!

It was quite the event, and it was adorable to see all the little kids dressed up like it was Halloween. Everything got underway on Sunday afternoon, so before we left for the train station to head back to Bologna, we watched the start of the parade. Everyone, adults mostly, were ready with their umbrellas, to catch the candy thrown from the floats.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the Carnevale festivities in Fano last weekend.

Next year I'll remember to bring my umbrella for the candy!

Carnevale in Fano runs for the next few weeks (7th, 14th, and 21st of February). For more information, click here.

If you want to check out more pictures from the parade, click here!

Good Morning!

2010-02-09T10:03:00.007+01:00

I'm headed off to another long day at work, but I managed to get up early enough to upload all the photos from Carnevale in Fano (there is a first time for everything).

We had such a great weekend relaxing, eating and enjoying the festivities. Sadly we missed the Superbowl, but considering neither the Chargers (me) nor the Jets (GC) were playing, we didn't mind missing it so much. Till next year!

You can get sneak preview of the pics here in the meantime!

Carnevale!

2010-02-05T11:32:00.011+01:00

Last year, we spent this weekend celebrating at one of Italy's most famous Carnevale in Venice. This weekend, we're heading down to Fano to check out Carnevale there, which we've been told is quite famous as well (who knew?!).

Over the course of last year, we began to discover all the different Carnevali around Italy, everything from over-sized caricature floats, famous Venetian masks, to medieval orange-throwing fights.

My top favorites to check out:

Viareggio - Every year this quiet Tuscan beach town hosts one of Italy's most popular carnevale. The parade consists of over-sized floats and caricatures of popular people, and runs alongside the local beach. Festivals, cultural events, concerts, and masked balls take place throughout the carnevale season both in Viareggio and nearby cities, and restaurants have special carnival menus.

{photo credit}

Ivrea - The town of Ivrea, is located in the Piedmont region of Italy (40 miles north of Turin). Ivrea has one of the most unique carnival celebrations with deep medieval roots. In addition to the local carnival parade, the town also houses tourists from around the globe to participate in the orange-throwing battles held in the center of the town.

The orange battles take place from Sunday until the Tuesday of Carnevale. The highlight of the event is the burning of the scarli (big poles, erected in the middle of each district's square, covered with dry bushes) on the last evening to end the carnival season. Why? The battle is an allegoric representation of a local insurrection in 1194 against Holy Roman Emperor Frederick of Swabia, a.k.a. Barbarossa (Red Beard). A local Joan of Arc, Violetta, supposedly started the insurrection, which resulted in the destruction of a castle that represented imperial power.

If you're interested in reading moe about the history behind the event, click here

{photo credit- James Martin}

Cento - Cento Carnevale is located in our neck of the woods, in Emilia-Romagna, near the city of Ferrara (about a half hour from Bologna). It's also the sister carnevale to the most famous celebration in the world, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. No orange-throwing festivals, but nearly 30,000 pounds of candy are thrown into the streets of Cento.

{photo credit}

If you want a complete list of the different carnevale around Italy, click here for more details.

Buon Martedi grasso!

#31 - Fender Strats and Mozart

2010-02-01T10:02:00.021+01:00

#31

Vedere Il Compito Sbagliato di Mozart

Did you know Mozart made mistakes? Neither did Giancarlo.

#31 on the list of things to do is to visit The International Museum and Library of Music of Bologna, and in addition to seeing all the frescoes and musical artifacts from all over Renaissance Europe, you can see Mozart's failed test.

The story goes that Mozart came to Bologna at the age of 14 to study music with the Philharmonic Academy of Bologna. The entrance exam consisted of transcribing a Gregorian chant to sheet music, exactly as it was heard. Well, Mozart screwed up. Big-time. The monk he was staying with during his studies in Bologna broke protocol and submitted his own original sheet music for the above mentioned chant - thus getting Mozart accepted into the academy. As they say, the rest is literally history...

For the past couple of months, the International Museum and Library of Music has played host to the Love Me Fender exhibit, displaying art inspired by classic Fender guitars. Giancarlo braved the snow here in Bologna this past weekend to check it out before the exhibition ended this week. Among artwork inspired by Fender, there were also original guitars used by Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and tons of other legends on display... right alongside Mozart's failed test and plagiarized homework. Now that's Rock 'n Roll.

Jimi Hendrix's guitar from the Monterey Pop Festival

Rock 'n Roll Panda!

Fender made a special Stratocaster
for the inauguration of this museum in 1994.

Museo Internazionale e Biblioteca di Musica di Bologna
Strada Maggiore 34
Tues - Fri: 9:30 - 16:00
Sat - Sun: 10:00 - 18:30

Entrance to the museum is free.

Brrrrrrrrr!

2010-02-01T09:14:00.012+01:00

Our old buddy, Neptune, definitely feeling the cold.

It snowed all weekend here in Bologna. And since it wasn't our responsibility to shovel it, we enjoyed every bit of snowfall that hit this city! And of course, we took our fair share of pictures. Enjoy!

The view from our window.

Cold vespa!

Snow everywhere!

The Seven Churches of Santo Stefano.

Needless to say, it's been cold here in Bologna this past week (and will continue to be that way for a while... noooo!). Since our apartment is older than the Declaration of Independence (true story) - and it seems our heating is too - as Bleeding Espresso can attest to, we'll be making very good use of our new stufa!

#64

2010-01-25T08:56:00.005+01:00

#64

Fare La Spesa Al Mercatino Biologico

Number 64 on the list of things to do is shopping at the farmers market here in Bologna. Every Saturday morning for a few hours, all the local farmers gather in the little piazza behind the Cinema Lumière to participate in the Slow Food Earth Market : From the Earth to the Table.

Check out Un sabato al Mercato della Terra from Jonathan Ferramola on Vimeo.

Click here for a calendar list of events.

Bologna Earth Market
Via Azzo Gardino, 65

Every Saturday morning, 9am to 2pm.
Contact:
Giorgio Pirazzoli

Other great markets in Bologna include central Quadrilatero, the Mercato delle Erbe,and Eataly - which are open everyday (except Sundays), but get there in the morning before everything's gone!

And for those in New York City, Eataly (Turin's famous indoor farmers market) will be opening up a giant market this summer with 80% of the products being imported directly from Italy!

According to the release:
"Giant foodie mega-market Eataly has its first piece of signage up at 200 Fifth Ave. The 60,000 square foot space will contain all kinds of retail plus a wood-fired pizza and pasta bar, a cheese and salami counter, a steak restaurant, a vegetarian restaurant, a wine shop, a bakery, a crudo and seafood bar, and a classic Italian bar serving gelato, espresso, and wine. On the roof will be a 4,500 square foot open-air rooftop beer garden serving pizza and sausages."

Buon Appetito!

#92

2010-01-19T20:19:00.016+01:00

#92
Gustare La Cucina Bolognese al Ristorante e in Trattoria

Well, we never said we'd do all 101 things in order - so here we are starting with #92 of the 101 things to do in Bologna. It's a number you'll probably see a lot of on this blog, and (hopefully) experience just as equally in Bologna - Enjoy the cuisine at a Bolognese restaurant or trattoria.

Tamburini

Some of the mentioned restaurants in the book are Il Caminetto d'Oro, l'Osteria dei Poeti, Annamaria, Da Gianni a la Vecia Bulagna and of course one of our favorite places, L'osteria Broccaindosso, which is so off-the-beaten path that google had virtually nothing on it. (Via Broccaindosso 7/a- telephone: 051.234153 - reservations are highly recommended).

This weekend we tried another Bologna staple (and a favorite of this American chef), Tamburini. If you walk around the center of Bologna, it's difficult to miss this culinary treasure. Mortadella, prosciutto, salami and various other meats overflow the front windows of the building, while on the other side every kind of hand-made tortellini, tortelli, tortelloni, etc., tempt passers-by to come in.

The window meat display at Tamburini

Hand-made tortellini

On Saturday we wandered in, passed the mountains of meats, cheeses and pastas and tucked away in the back of the store is a little self service restaurant. There you grab a tray and ask for a pitcher where you pour your own wine of choice, and tell the man behind the counter which pasta with ragu you'd like. Then you continue to choose which secondo you prefer (and if you have room, there is also dessert). After those easy steps, you pay and choose a place to sit. We arrived around 1 p.m. and it was perfect timing, shortly after a flood of Italians entered for the lunch hour.

Pranzo alla Tamburini

The line that quickly followed

Tamburini
via Caprarie, 1
40124 Bologna
tel +39 051 234726

*If you live in the EU - Tamburini can ship it's goodies, click here for more information. Sorry Americans, no shipping there yet - however I do have some other goodies coming your way, so stay tuned!

101 Cose Da Fare A Bologna

2010-01-18T09:21:00.009+01:00

Last year (technically just last month since this happened in December), as a Christmas present one of Giancarlo's students gave him the book 101 Cose Da Fare A Bologna (101 Things to Do in Bologna).

Since coming back to Bologna from New York, we've made it our New Year's Resolution alla Bolognese to do all these things this year with the book as our guide. Some of the things we've already done - like spending an evening at Osteria del Sole, visiting all three main historical buildings in Piazza Maggiore (especially San Petronio's church!), checking out the Fountain of Neptune at just the right angle, shopping at the local organic farmers' market, making the trek up to San Luca, eating at traditional Bolognese trattorias, and a couple other things that I'm forgetting right now.

But now, it's game on! We've got our Sharpie in hand ready to cross off all these different things we have left to do in Bologna as the year progresses. And yes, I'll be taking pictures and blogging about each and every one of them. Which means as of today, we have about 90 some-odd more things to do!

Andiamo!

Bologna Beer Festival

2010-01-18T08:45:00.003+01:00

Before we left for New York, Bologna had a beer festival in Palazzo Re Enzo (the big Castle in the center).

Like most Italian things, it wasn't publicized. I saw a little ad tucked away in a cafe` the day before. So we gathered some friends, not really knowing what to expect other than the fact that you could drink beer in a big castle. And in all honesty, that's all we needed to know!

This year was the first year they held this festival in Bologna (this traveling festival also hit Rome and Milan). The cost was relatively cheap, €7 and that included your beer tasting glass and a handy little yellow carrier, and each beer you tried was €1. Even though New York was on the horizon - spending the night drinking beer in a medieval castle? That's a no brainer.

Giancarlo and his handy yellow beer bag

Beer tasting

Me and my handy yellow beer bag

Checking out everyone's beer choices

I'm not sure if it will be back in Bologna next year, but the festival consisted of local Italian micro breweries, and they traveled around the country together. If you're interested in finding out more details for 2010, you can check out the Italia Beer Festival Associazione Degustatori Birra (or click here for the English version).

The Ladies of We:Plan

2010-01-13T11:37:00.010+01:00

I've been meaning to write this post for some time now, but if you're thinking of planning a destination wedding in Italy, you need to check out the ladies of We:Plan here in Bologna. I started freelancing with these ladies over the summer, and quickly fell in love with not only their style but the loving personalities of these two ladies. We quickly became fast friends and I absolutely adore them.

You can check out their blog here (where I'll be contributing) about everything, and I mean everything you want to know about the non-touristy Italian places to eat and stay, weddings in Italy, eco-friendly Italy and weddings, and off-the-beaten path travel ideas. These ladies seem to know everyone here in Bologna and more or less all of Italy, and they know how to make quite possibly some of the most beautiful Italian weddings I've seen. They also know how to do it create these beautiful weddings on a budget which nowadays is even more important.

My favorite wedding- wedding and cocktail party. The brides dress is Dolce & Gabbana.

You can also check out their press page for past weddings that have been published. These ladies are smart, stylish, extremely creative, and I wish I had them around in 2008!

Paola and Roberta of We:Plan

For more information, click here for their main webpage (English or Italian)
We:Plan - Wedding & Event Planner
Via Andrea Costa 4 - 40134 Bologna
tel + 39 051 432907
fax + 39 051 4392277 - C.F. e P. Iva 02688091202
e-mails:
info@weplan.it

For press (English & Italian) contact:
press@weplan.it

And stay tuned over at the We:Plan blog as we debate who had the prettier Christmas... Bologna or New York!

Week Four

2010-01-13T11:18:00.013+01:00

The last week back home we visited DC with my sister. The last time we went, it was extremely hot and it seemed appropriate that we'd go back and have it be extremely cold. One of these days we'll get it right. Till then, here are some pics from the trip-

The Capitol Building

Nicole and Giancarlo climbing snow at the stop light

The three of us in front of the White House

And seriously, forget taking Greyhound from NYC to DC, or worse.. the Chinatown bus. There are two really cool new options. One is Bolt, but we took Megabus (if you're in the UK, you can find them here, and Canada here). For $15 we took the bus to DC from New York (one way). They're fully equipped with free wi-fi, plus sockets for computers, etc., and the real selling point... it's a double decker! They do multiple routes daily to DC, Philadephia, and Boston from New York.

Ok, that's my little plug, now back to the blog.

The rest of the week we spent saying our goodbyes, and doing last runs to the supermarkets for American goodies to bring back. Sadly, we have no plans yet to return to the United States (for vacation), but rather (hopefully) moving back sometime in the next year. And while it's been bitter sweet to be back in Italy, the thought that this might be our last year here has made us more appreciative of this little thing we're doing abroad.

So far, 2010 has had a good start!

Week Three

2010-01-13T10:30:00.014+01:00

Week three in New York brought extremely cold weather and more snow. I let Giancarlo do most of the tour guiding since I'm a wimp when it comes to the cold.

The roundup: Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, Nicole coming to town (which means Fig and Olive, Central Park and Magnolia cupcakes), finally seeing the new Highline park (awesome!), Chelsea Market, New Years Eve in Brooklyn, and our "We eloped in Italy" wedding party.

Giancarlo being a tour guide in the freezing cold

Sister!

Bubble gum contest in Central Park. I won.

Some of my favorite people

Magnolia!

Best of New Years Eve pictures- (well, maybe not the "best" but rather the blog appropriate pictures). The rest- all 111- are here.

Nicole and her sparkle shorts. The hit of the night.

Us.

Fordham U./Maujer crew

End of the night

Highline = awesomeness

Chelsea Market

Us again at the party

Week Two

2010-01-13T09:52:00.010+01:00

Every week we were home seemed to get more packed. You'd think with four weeks you'd be able to do everything and see everyone, but time flies so quickly that before you know it, you're back on a plane to Bologna and it's 2010.

The second week we were home, we were able to see all the family for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Last year we spent the holidays with Jacopo's family in Fano, so it was nice to trade places and have them experience new holiday traditions. It was also my first time to experience a "Pacheco" Christmas, and I can honestly say that my life will never be the same. Normally their tradition is to have an Ecuadorian Christmas Eve and an Italian Christmas Day, but this year we had a Puerto Rican Christmas Eve (GC's aunt who is from Puerto Rico hosted) and an Italian Christmas Day. Needless to say, there was just as much food (if not more) as there was last year.

All of the Pachecos under one roof , but too many to fit in one picture

Hanging out by the warm fire place

Me and my "E" stocking (also the only time you'll see me without makeup)

Christmas morning breakfast

Christmas Day Italian lunch

Week One

2010-01-13T09:11:00.008+01:00

To say our trip home was a success is an understatement. Between celebrating the holidays with family and friends, meeting up with old co-workers, shopping on the euro, and an overnight trip to D.C., the past four weeks were exactly what the doctor ordered for us. I don't even know where to begin to sum up our trip or the thousands of photos I took (I seriously acted like I was never going back). I figured I'm going to have to break it into a four part series for all the photos I took (this is me trying to be a better blogger so hopefully you'll enjoy!)

Summing up week one- Missed our flight home due to the first snow fall of the season, our return to NYC party, Christmas parties in Brooklyn, Christmas markets, a surprise "you eloped in Italy" dinner party thrown by our good friends Ryan and Lora, a blizzard, a walk home in a blizzard, and the arrival of the Italian cousins (which included their introduction to the wonderful world of American food).

The Maujer Christmas party

Surprise dinner party

Walking home in the snow

At Bryant Park

The Italian cousins, Jacapo and Elena at Bryant Park

Trying apple cider for the first time at the Bryant Park Christmas Market

Trying Buffalo wings for the first time, I'd be scared too but it was a success

The Christmas Market outside Columbus Circle and Giancarlo's old office

Bad Bloggers

2010-01-12T10:22:00.004+01:00

The view from our room

I've been a bad blogger, I know...but we're back in Bologna and slowly recovering from our four weeks in New York. It's bittersweet to be back, but we've got a long list of things to accomplish here in Bologna before we move back stateside.

In the meantime, I'm going through the thousand some-odd photos I took, slowly unpacking all our luggage, and putting away all the American goodies we smuggled through customs. This post from another blogger sums up returning from home perfectly, check it out here.

Thanks again mama & papa P!

Lazy Sunday, American Style.

2009-12-20T23:15:00.009+01:00

Blogs posts are gonna be few and far between while we're back home, but it's great being back!

We're finally having a lazy Sunday (which GC was famous for back when he lived in Brooklyn) after a whirlwind 6 days that included Christmas markets in Columbus Circle and Bryant Park (Union Square and Rockefeller Center, you're up next), hot apple cider, shopping, parties in Brooklyn, a loooooooong night at Bar 119, some non-Italian food (aka NYC street meat), and LOTS and LOTS of snow.

Photos of our days and nights out and about will be up soon, but for now we're gonna get back to watching the Jets lose, the Chargers (hopefully) win, relaxing on the couch, and doing.... NOTHING!

Happy Lazy Sunday!

Buon Giorno New York!

2009-12-16T21:59:00.011+01:00

{photo credit}

After nearly 24 hours of travel, the first snow fall of the season in Bologna (leading to a three hour delay on the tarmac), one missed flight, four countries, seven languages and a partridge in a pear tree, we've finally arrived home to New York! I must say, as hard as it was to make it here, waking up to see the skyline of the city makes it all worth it.

We're both eagerly waiting for jet lag to pass, and tomorrow we're heading into the city to visit all the friends we had to sadly leave when we moved overseas. We have so much to do, so much food other than Italian food to eat, and so much to look forward to that we can't wait!

Already as I blog, RAI is on the TV in the background (more so for Mamma Pacheco to make sure I don't forget all my Italian). Not too far away from the other world we just left, and back home in another.

Buone Feste, Bologna!

2009-12-13T16:20:00.005+01:00

Ci vediamo all'anno prossimo!

Well, we're all packed up (...ok I lie, we're packing right now...) but, the tickets are printed, the 4am taxi's confirmed, and we are ready for some quality family time, friend time, Jersey time, Brooklyn time, and last but not least, Christmas time in New York City!

Ciao ciao Bologna. Happy Holidays, and see you next year!

{photo credit}

Dear Babo Natale

2009-12-10T08:40:00.006+01:00

I {heart} Furla.

I'm tempted by them everyday as they've conveniently opened a store right next to our apartment. I get to see the latest and greatest everyday on my way home from work, and I've easily spent thousands of dollars in window shopping on their purses, bags, you name it.

Furla is THE Bolognese leather company, and you can find stores all over the world (the link above is to the American store!)

The other day, passing by on my way home from work, I saw their latest collection, "Alice In Wonderland" by Leitmotiv, Fabio Sasso and Juan Caro. They created a collection of accessories inspired by Alice in Wonderland, and I love this idea! What girl didn't love Alice In Wonderland when she was little?! I think the umbrella is adorable.

You can check out the full collection here in the Furla Talent Hub.

{photo credit}

Pandoro Season

2009-12-08T13:03:00.007+01:00

One of the best things about Christmas in Italy is Pandoro arriving to the markets! Pandoro is typically from Verona and according to my friend, Wiki- " it's the product of the ancient art of breadmaking, as the name, Pan d'oro ("golden bread"), suggests. Throughout the Middle Ages, white bread was consumed solely by the rich, while the common people could only afford black bread and, often, not even that. Sweet breads were reserved for nobility. Breads enriched with eggs, butter and sugar or honey were served in the palaces and were known as "royal bread" or "golden bread".

You can also find, Panettone but to me it's the equivalent of fruit cake in America. Nowadays, you can find Pandoro in the original flavor (seen below) but also Tiramisu, Panna e Cioccolato (cream and chocolate) and mixed fruit. This weekend we had some fun with our first Pandoro of the season.

You can find traditional Pandoro and Panettone here at Bauli (and a little Italian Christmas music as a bonus)

It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas!

2009-12-07T14:46:00.010+01:00

This weekend marks a very important holiday here in Italy (and in Europe), the Immaculate Conception. Which leaves us with a very nice four day weekend to catch up on life and the Christmas Markets that are beginning to pop up all around Bologna.

{photo credit}

Throughout Bologna, you'll find little Christmas markets filled with local goodies (pasta, cheeses, jams, meats). The only trick is to figure out how to get it past customs in the United States. Or better yet, just eat your way through the market (as Giancarlo and I often do). Next to the train station is one of the food markets where you can sip vin brulee, eat local delicacies and spend the afternoon ice skating (picture not shown). Yesterday, we took our day off and wandered through the rain down to walk around the market.

Food goodies from Trentino and Bologna

Doing some early Christmas shopping

We wandered back up to Piazza Maggiore to see the new "eco-friendly" Christmas tree. I'm still trying to figure out how exactly it's "eco-friendly" but a very interesting tree non-the-less. In the piazza is Palazzo Re Enzo which usually holds events inside the castle walls. This weekend was the Regali a Palazzo (Gifts at the Palazzo) with local handmade crafts, and gifts and of course, food from local farmers in and around Bologna. It smelled absolutely delicious inside, and as tempting as it was to eat our way through the Castle, we resisted (reluctantly).

The Bologna "eco-friendly" tree

Us inside the Christmas Market

Technical Difficulties, Updated

2009-12-03T17:21:00.004+01:00

Sorry for the technical difficulties. We're trying out a new header, so if the blog looks weird it's because we're fighting with Blogger and Blogger is momentarily winning....

Latest update: Success. Ciao Down - 1, Blogger - 0.

West Coast, East Coast

2009-12-03T09:21:00.008+01:00

This morning I read a post that pretty much sums up everything I've been feeling for the holidays - here

{picture from our engagement party in 2008}

And while I hate the fact that we won't be in California for part of the holidays (decorating the palm trees out front, running around to Rite Aide with dad for Christmas essentials- and by essentials I mean toys, baking cookies with Grandma), I am so extremely thankful that I'll get to spend the holidays with my second family and friends in New York!

One more week!

Weekend wrap-up

2009-11-30T10:45:00.005+01:00

How was your holiday weekend?

After recovering from Thursday evening, (sadly we both had a long day of work on Friday - no black Friday shopping for us) we spent the rest of the weekend putting up our Christmas tree, purchasing our first pandoro of the season, watching old holiday movies and making some delicious tomato bisque soup (Dad & Sherri, just like Vons!).

We may not be in America yet, but we try our best to recreate America in our living room. Officially two weeks till we're in New York. The countdown's begun!

Il Nostro Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T20:09:00.005+01:00

Our first Italian-American Thanksgiving was absolutely amazing. Thanks to Paola and Roberta, (the two awesome ladies that I've been working for at we:plan) and the awesome ristorante Farina here in Bologna (and mama Pacheco for supplying the recipes) we had a beautiful and delicious dinner.

Leading up to Thanksgiving we were both extremely curious about how this was all going to turn out, luckily the ladies had it covered. The turkey was fresh and, an Italian chef prepared everything. FYI- if there's an opposite for the word oxymoron, "Italian chef" would fit the definition. The only question was: "Could an Italian chef make a traditional American meal and make the setting feel kinda like home?"

Answer: You betcha.

As soon as we got to the restaurant, we were greeted by the ladies, the chef... and an American flag draping the carving table! Friends of ours and friends of Paola and Roberta met us at the restaurant as well, and the Thanksgiving festivities commenced.

We have so much to be thankful for living here in Italy, and among our many memories Thanksgiving 2009 will definitely be a night that we'll never ever forget.

Thanksgiving alla Bolognese

2009-11-25T10:06:00.005+01:00

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and being away from America, the American expat is once again confronted with the reality that other parts of the world don't celebrate the same things (like Dad - when you wondered when the 4th of July fireworks were going to start around the world. It never gets old!). But you miss these little holiday gatherings. Not to mention the other big reality check... trying to find a store that will sell you a whole uncooked turkey.

Fortunately for us, the ladies that I work with (which I've been meaning to get you up to speed on) have asked a local restaurant here in Bologna to prepare a "Proprio American Thanksgiving" for friends tomorrow night. Giancarlo's mom supplied us with her traditional American recipes, and the restaurant supplied everything else for us.

If you're in Bologna (or in Italy and want to stop by Bologna), come to Farina Living Ristorante in via de Fusari 9 tomorrow night. You can bet I'll be there with my trusted camera to capture this very rare event.

Regardless how the turkey comes out, it will definitely be an interesting story.

{photo credit & Martha Stewart.com}

Someone Got New Glasses Today (Finally!)

2009-11-21T17:05:00.008+01:00

It's been on the list since we've moved here: get Emily some new glasses.

Being the fashion center of the world, every day we see the coolest glasses in the world being worn, being sold, being displayed - everywhere. But being foreigners, we were a little hesitant about the process involved since I actually need glasses to see and read (and write this blog). We had so many questions, and didn't know how to get them answered. Would it be expensive? Would we need insurance? Would there be hidden costs? Would we have all the paper work needed?

{photo credit}

Today, randomly walking around we hopped into an eye glass store to get our questions answered and to try on a few styles for kicks. And what we found out was: getting your eyes checked in Italy is quite possibly the easiest experience.

Not only are the eye exams free, but if you get "a note from the doctor" your glasses are free too. I was also informed that glasses you purchase now, you can then claim on your taxes as a tax deductible medical expense. A strange concept for these two Americans. So needless to say, we put down a €30 deposit and ordered me some new lenses!

New York, New York!

2009-11-18T10:02:00.004+01:00

We're heading home!

{photo credit}

Tickets are officially booked and unofficially, the bags are already packed. And while we may not be moving back to New York just yet, it's been a year and a half since Giancarlo and I've returned back home to New York and we can't wait. Brooklyn Christmas parties, spending time with family in Jersey, old dive bars (119), favorite restaurants (sushi!) and the city decorated for the holidays, I can't wait!

It's the light at the end of a long tunnel. The next few weeks will be extremely busy. Tomorrow I start a new project that will keep me working 12+ hours a day till we leave, we're also going to attempt Thanksgiving Italian style here in Bologna with friends who have donated their restaurant for the event (more on this later..I promise!) But, in the end it's all worth it to go back home to New York (with love out to So. Cal too!) and see all our friends and family.

Let the countdown begin!!

p.s. I love this photo, it reminds me of the view I had from my office in New York!

BYOF

2009-11-17T09:34:00.011+01:00

{photo credits, Osteria & Fulltravel.it}

This past weekend, Giancarlo and I met up with some friends for an evening out on the town. Our Bolognese friends took us to the oldest osteria in Bologna, Osteria del Sole.

Built in 1465, Osteria del Sole is easy to miss on the busy Bologna streets, but all you need to do is look for the locals overflowing from a barely noticeable doorway in the midst of tourists walking about the central outdoor market. Inside the osteria, long wooden tables with benches line the cavernous interior, and a family style atmosphere is created every night by the locals. But this isn't just your average osteria. It prides itself on being the last remaining old fashioned osteria - the kind that were everywhere during the renaissance. It's an old style of osteria where you could buy a bottle of wine and BYOF (bring your own food!) to share with your friends, new and old.

Most of the osterias in Bologna today have their own kitchens and are actually very renowned for their cooking and family style eating. But back in the day (and we're talking the Renaissance, here), a night out at the osteria involved dressing up in your best velvet, bringing your own breads, cheeses, olives, cold cuts, pizza, etc., finding an available table (and if not, improvise!), and enjoying local bottles of the Sangiovese wine. Osteria del Sole keeps this tradition alive (minus the velvet).

Our friends who went to university here told us about their classmates who lived in an apartment above Osteria del Sole. Around lunch time they would make a BIG bowl of pasta, and head down to the osteria and share it with whomever was at the bar that afternoon, and graciously be offered wine in return.

Osteria del Sole has quickly become one of our favorite Bologna spots, and I highly recommend a trip but make sure you bring your own food.

Located at Vicolo Ranocchi 1/D
directly off Piazza Maggiore
*call to make reservations for a table

Chocolate & The City

2009-11-12T10:19:00.004+01:00

{photo credit: Giancarlo Bononi}

It's that time of year again here in Bologna, the annual Chocolate Festival hits Piazza Maggiore next weekend, and we have officially begun the countdown to the festivities!

Every November, over a 100 exhibitors showcase their chocolate delicacies from the major production districts around Italy like Tuscany, Piedmont and Sicily, as well as Valle D'Aosta, Sardinia, Puglia and of course Emilia Romagna. A chocolate lovers dream come true!

The festival also holds daily lessons on how to make chocolate and gelato (with samples of course!) and holds a variety of events scattered throughout the city. Other events include: the Nero Cioccoshow, a blindfolded chocolate guide for your senses, delicious photographs by Bolognese Giancarlo Bononi, as well as the Chocolate Hot Show where you'll find the famous corset designed by La Perla for Victoria Beckham and the proceeds go to benefit research against Breast Cancer.

For a full list of events, click here.

For more information on how to get to the event and where to stay, click here.

Ci Scusiamo Per Il Disagio

2009-11-09T20:46:00.009+01:00

We apologize for any inconvenience.

It was a simple plan, really. Get up early enough to catch the 11 a.m. train to Ravenna for the Sangiovese wine festival. Doing so on a Sunday morning is truly easier said than done, but the prospect of a fall festival of wine before of us (with, yes, those really awesome wine holders) is enough to get us up and out of bed.

So of course, you can imagine our shock and utter disappointment when TrenItalia decided to go on strike for the day - or the week, still not really sure - because like a lot of things in this country, there was no warning. No advisory when we looked online to get tickets, or warning in the newspaper (local or national). Just two sad Americans looking up at the Arrivals and Departures board and seeing no trains would be running to Ravenna this rainy Sunday.

Who knows if we'll be here in Italy next year, but if by chance we are (or you are as well) check out the GiovinBacco November 2010 in Ravenna. In the meantime, here's to already looking forward to next weekend and whatever may... or may not... happen.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T09:24:00.007+01:00

{photo credit}

Dolcetto o scherzetto! Trick or Treat!

We're celebrating this year with another Truffle festival and finding the hidden farmers market in between a weekend of working. Nothing like our last Halloween in NYC. No cute little trick or treaters for us here, but every adult Bolognese dressed up as witch is equally amusing to watch.

Have a Happy Halloween!!

P is for Padova

2009-10-28T17:52:00.022+01:00

Basilica of Sant Antonio

I first heard of the city last year from a friend who often went to the city for work. I never thought much of it, other than it being another Italian town. I then read this blog post about the rather large city that lies 20 minutes from Venice. One look at a picture of the big duomo and I was hooked. It is a cheap and easy day trip from Bologna (minus all the tourists that are headed to Venice). We set out early Sunday morning, picnic lunch packed and bottle of wine in hand. A speedy hour and a half later we arrived and made our way to the center of the city. Walking down the portici, I immediately saw the cities of Venice, Bologna and Verona all mixed together in one city. It was beautiful.

astrological clock in the Piazza dei Signori

Piazza dei Signori- Reminds me of Verona

Zucca Risotto

Of course to our shock and amazement, the center of town was holding a zucca or pumpkin festival. Only shocked and amazed that we didn't even plan on going to the city for the festival (as we normally do). Even though we had our picnic, we decided we couldn't pass up trying some zucca risotto. Quite possibly one of the best dishes for Fall, along with Truffles. The next few hours consisted of eating, drinking and wandering around the city till we found ourselves down at the highlight of the city, the Pratto della Valle.

Prato della Valle

Looking down on one of the canals

We made our way but up to the center of town to visit Padova's (Padua) number one landmark, Cafe Pedrocchi, which has been open for 200 years, and I'm sure the ciocolata calda (hot chocolate) probably hasn't changed much either.

A jug of hot cocoa, what more do you need in life?

Inside Cafe Pedrocchi

Easily on a sugar high and well caffeinated, we continued to wander our way over to the Roman arena area. But we were left a little disappointed (or maybe we missed it). Instead of Roman coliseum like arena, there was a beautiful garden so we sat and did what we do best, people watched.

Walking around the park

The beautiful pond and people watching spot

Chestnut roaster

Saying goodbye to Padova with some local Prosecco

Padova is truly an undiscovered treasure. You won't find anyone speaking English or massively big tour groups, they've already found their way to Venice. What you will find is a quiet, beautiful city where the locals proudly serve you their zucca risotto and local wine, where when the clock strikes 4 o'clock, everyone walks up and down the streets in the Sunday best, and where they serve you hot cocoa in a jug. What more is there left to say!?

For more photos, click here

Red Wine, Chestnuts and Truffles

2009-10-21T09:03:00.021+02:00

Thirty minutes outside the walls of Bologna, perfectly situated on top of a hill, lies the charming little town of Pianoro. Giancarlo and I were first introduced to this town last Fall when we made our way there for the yearly C'era una volta festival. When our weekend plans changed (due to work) we thought it would be the perfect time to go back for the Tartufesta. I LOVE truffles, bordering on obsession with these delicate little morsels.

We made our way up the curvy road to Pianoro and found ourselves in front of the food tent in no time. The line seemed to go on for miles, and it was freezing cold. While I was trying to warm up, Giancarlo realized that the woman standing in front of us was speaking Italian with an American accent. Being American, we didn't want to interrupt the conversation and just wrote it off as a coincidence, until we got inside. As fate would have it, we were seated at the family style table with the American and her Italian friends. Immediately, Giancarlo started up a conversation and all of us (the 3 non Italians) began to reminisce about life in New York (she too had moved from NYC), the absence of American treats (peanut butter and doritos) and about the book she is writing, the antithesis of Under The Tuscan Sun. A book about how life in Italy really is. We also talked to her friend, who had just returned from visiting the United States. The highlight of his trip, Hooters.

The locals of Pianoro

Tagliatelle with truffles...delicious!

Our new Italian friend and our Itali-glish conversation

After our amazing lunch and Ital-glish conversation, we made our way outside to sample the new wine and taste some roasted chestnuts. Living in Union Square in New York, I never once tried the chestnuts from the street vendors. The smell was so over-powering when I got off the subway that it just didn't smell appealing, and I didn't think I'd like them. I was right. A mix of a potato and a nut is the best way to describe them. And while I'm not a fan, Giancarlo loves them. I will admit it's a beautiful fall combination with the red wine, but I'll skip the chestnuts and stick to the wine.

Sampling the new season of local wine

The chestnut roaster

Making piadine- a local food (think tortilla, Italian style)

Baking the piadine

The rest of the afternoon, we wandered around the food stalls that housed locally grown mushrooms, homemade wine and olive oils, truffles, you name it. We sat and drank our new season of red wine and I watched Giancarlo eat chestnuts. Unfortunately, the clouds rolled in fast along with the cold winter wind so we decided to head back to Bologna.

Me trying to warm up

Perplexed by the chestnut, at first

Local olive oils

Local mushrooms- check out the price! €15 for one etto or gram.

During the month of October, Pianoro holds sagras (food festivals) every weekend to celebrate the regional cuisine. It's a truly "locals only" experience. To get there from Bologna, take bus 96 from Piazza Cavour (leaves every hour on the hour) and you'll see exactly where to get off. If you get a chance to visit in October, I highly recommend going- if not for the food alone!

Buongiorno

2009-10-20T09:18:00.009+02:00

{photo credit}

Somehow Fall has come and gone and Bologna went directly to Winter weather. It's cold, extremely cold, and rain is on the way. The good news is, it's officially time to start drinking that delicious Italian hot cocoa! And, while it has taken me a little longer than expected to recover from this past weekends festivities (sampling of the new season of wine and eating truffles), it has taken me even longer to go through all the pictures I took, so a post will arrive shortly (hopefully).

In the meantime, I've stumbled upon some great fun reads:

If you want to move abroad? Check this guest post and this post about life abroad.

And you think you know Pasta? The New York Times does, read here.

Happy Weekend!

2009-10-15T14:02:00.005+02:00

{photo credit}

This past week has been a rather stressful, and I'm extremely glad to see it end. This weekend we might attempt to venture here, here, or here. So many good things, it's hard to choose!

Have a lovely weekend!

Vinni Vedecci

2009-10-15T12:31:00.008+02:00

Have you seen this?!

Forgive me if you have, I feel like we've been living under a rock in the realm of American TV until this past year. Vinni Vedecci, SNL's new character is an Italian talk show host on RAI (RAI- the leading channels here) sits down with actress Drew Barrymore, and couldn't have been more perfect. It seems like the last SNL episode (10/10/09) was all over Italians, and it was great.

Here's a clip from NBC's Saturday Night Live-
(due to copyright laws, it can only be viewed from a U.S. IP address)

Saturday Night Live - Vinny Talks to Drew

Saturday Night Live|MySpace Videos

You can check out other interviews with Seth Rogan and Shia LaBouf!

It's Dolce & Gabbana, Hello!

2009-10-15T12:03:00.006+02:00

Reason #329 to love Italy - Forget the Nike tracksuits, America. I'll take the Italian National Soccer team decked out in Dolce & Gabbana.

{photo credit}

Check out reason #330, it's not just the men's soccer team that gets to enjoy tailor-made D&G, these guys too.

Ombralonga no more

2009-10-12T20:38:00.005+02:00

I know it's early to think about the weekend when you just finished one, but as I'm staring down the barrel of a long work week, I (we) can't help it. Over the weekend we realized that the Ombralonga (Ombra in the local dialect means shadow) would be coming up soon, so we hit google to make sure that we didn't miss it this month. But, in an unfortunate twist of events, the yearly Ombralonga in Treviso has been canceled. Well, let me rephrase, not canceled per se but rather "restructured" after an unfortunate incident in 2008 (last year-we were here). You can check out the new structure of the Ombralonga or Veneto tra la terra e il cielo (Venice from the earth to the sky) here.

But let me step back, what exactly is the Ombralonga? To me it's quite possibly the greatest idea, a wine festival in the beautiful town of Treviso (next to Venice) where for a simple €10 entrance fee, you enter armed and ready with a cup, and a cup holder (to wear around your neck) and proper eating utensils to eat your way through the festival. Filled with local wine (home of Prosecco) and fresh local food equals perfection.

{photo credit}

This Saturday, hopefully we'll make our way to the little town of Treviso (an hour and half from Bologna) and check out the new "Ombralonga" for an afternoon on the canal with food, music and of course, some wine.

Stay tuned!

Books, Books, Books..And A Trip To The Library!

2009-10-07T21:24:00.009+02:00

{photo credit}

After completing my summer reading list quicker than I had imagined this past summer, I was left early on looking for some good new books to read. I think because we were so busy, I didn't mind not having a good book to curl up with. But now that it's starting to get cold, and my bus commute is long and uninviting, my search has begun. In America, I'd just buy the books I wanted off amazon.com (and spend like 1.25 per book) but considering that I can only go home twice a year and there are luggage restrictions, I have to limit myself.

Thankfully there is an English bookstore here in Bologna, and while it's amazing, it's also expensive. Why Italy hasn't caught up to cheap online shopping, beats me. So, I need to narrow down my list till I can go home for the holidays. Thankfully (again) A Cup of Jo had the same problem, so I took the opportunity to hunt down some good suggested reads.

Here is what's on my radar:
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
My Life In France by Julia Childs and with that Julie and Julia
Saturday Nights by Susan Orlean
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

What are you reading?

I also finally got a library card, so I'm feeling very "Bolognese." Although, I don't think I've had a library card since the age of 11; I'm feeling very economical. It has a great selection of Italian language books that I've been checking out to study the grammar. Now, if only there was an English book section...

Weekend Escape

2009-10-07T20:52:00.006+02:00

{photo credit}

This weekend we're off to Fano to go visit a new little bundle of joy that arrived in September, and of course a visit the familia. Food, friends and a new bambino... a great weekend combo.

Hello Fall!

2009-10-07T16:28:00.009+02:00

{photo credit}

Even though it has been "officially" Fall a little bit now, here in Bologna we're finally starting to feel the change in the weather, and I love it! The city really begins to wake up the month of October. The chestnut roasters take their seasonal positions underneath the porticoes, while the wineries begin the release of the new wine for the year, and the leaves begin to change into their beautiful fall colors.

Yes, this is quite possibly the best season.

Festa di San Petronio

2009-10-06T11:47:00.010+02:00

October 4th is a very important day in Bologna, it marks the festa di San Petronio, the patron saint of Bologna. This was our second year celebrating the event and while we didn't go all out this year, we definitely enjoyed the festivities.

The Basilica di San Petronio is the major church in Bologna and sits smack in the heart of the city in Piazza Maggiore. And while I'm on a fact giving trip, I'll fill you in on the odd looking but beautiful church. Like many magnificent churches in Italy, it took the Bolognese centuries to build, and the goal was to make the church better than Santa Peter's Basilica in Rome. And they probably would have succeed however, when the Pope caught wind of what was going on in Bologna, he immediately put a stop to it (no money= no construction) which is why it's two different styles. The festival celebrates Saint Petronius who was the bishop of Bologna during the fifth century. This year also included flag throwing, which I had yet to see in Bologna.

After Mass, everyone lines up for a procession around the piazza. We were fortunate to have the same viewing spot as last year. Unfortunately we forgot the flip at home, but the procession is quite moving, and the only time I think it's truly silent in the piazza.

Tortellini 101

2009-10-06T10:40:00.004+02:00

This past weekend was the festa di San Petronio (which I'll blog about in a bit) but while eavesdropping in on Italian conversation, I overheard something very interesting. A group of men were chatting about Tortellini. Rumor has it that they were started by throwing them at the King of Bologna way back in the day.

So of course, this got me thinking...whats the real story? These little nuggets of pure flavorful goodness, whats the truth? I wikipedia'd it, and while I found no story of any Kings (and slightly disappointed by that) I did find some other interesting tid-bits.

Here's what I found out about theses delicious treats. One legend says that "this dish is born in Castelfranco Emilia (province of Modena)^{[citation needed]}. One night during a trip, Lucrezia Borgia checked into an inn in the small town. Over the course of the night the host became so captivated by Lucrezia's beauty that he couldn't resist the urge to peek into her room through the keyhole. The bedroom was only lit by a few candles, and so he could merely see her navel. This pure and innocent vision was enough to send him into an ecstasy that inspired him to create the tortellini that night."

"Another separate but similar legend, originating in medieval Italy, tells how Venus and Jupiter arrived at a tavern on the outskirts of Bologna one night, weary from their involvement in a battle between Modena and Bologna^{[citation needed]}. After much food and drink, they shared a room. The innkeeper, captivated by the two, followed them and peeked through the keyhole. All he could see was Venus's navel. Spellbound, he rushed to the kitchen and created tortellini in its image."

Who knew pasta was this captivating?

Whatever the story, these mouthwatering treats are definitely worth every penny.

H is for Holland

2009-09-19T19:15:00.006+02:00

A month late and a few euros short (well, more than a few euros short), I'm finally getting around to posting some photos from our trip to Amsterdam. First let me just say, the city is absolutely breathtaking and honestly, the Dutch are quite possibly the coolest, nicest people ever. Amsterdam had been on our top 10 cities to see before we leave Europe, and this summer we finally conquered it.

While we spent a few days in the city of Amsterdam, we also took two day trips. One over to Leiden, a small town about 30 minutes away, and the other over to Utrecht about an hour or so away.

I'd love to say that I had planned for months on which day trips to take, searched far and wide through every travel book and expert recommendations, but the truth is, I closed my eyes and pointed to a map. We definitely weren't disappointed, and I really don't think you can be in Holland. Everywhere you look, it's like right out of a painting.

But, getting back to Amsterdam. We spent about 3 1/2 days in the city and of course did a good majority of the touristy things like, visit the Anne Frank Huis (in my opinion, very worth it), hang out at the Heineken Experience (not really worth it) and ate frites, drank koffee and well, drank more koffee but there was still so much left to see.

Me and the brothers

Fine Dutch architecture

Beautiful canals, and weather

Everyone

More beautiful canals

Reesluis

Concert on the canal

When in Holland...

Everyone needs a windmill in their life

Us in Utrecht

In my true nature, I took way too many photos but decided to just post a few favorites and a slide show of the rest. I'm not sure when we'll be able to go back to this city, but it's definitely staying on my favorites list.

Buon Appetito

2009-09-19T18:19:00.006+02:00

One of the best hidden secrets in Italy, are the agriturismi. Those little tucked away farm houses that serve quite possibly the best food in and around Italy.

I had my first agriturismo experience last summer in the Urbino countryside. When Giancarlo and I first moved to Italy, our American friend was working a summer camp at an agriturismo there. They needed a teacher and of course, the prospects of making euros as opposed to dollars was enough for me to say yes. The catch was, I had to live at the camp. Not knowing really any Italian at that time, Giancarlo was able to come along as my "helper/translator." For 3 weeks we lived at the agriturismo that fed us some of the best meals we've ever had. No menus, what they cook is what you eat, all local specialties.

Everyday, lunch and dinner were created from scratch and included all locally grown, fresh produce, homemade pasta and sauce. For aperitivo hour, the owner of the agriturismo would bring out the homemade wine from his father's house, the homemade sausage from his neighbor and the cheese that he personally cured, and he made sure that everyone was eating and socializing. I had found my new home. At dinner, the owner would sit with us, and talk about every subject under the sun, how his neighbors made the sausage, where his farmer is - all the while his wife was in the kitchen cooking for customers and the camp kids. I wish these summer camps existed when I was growing up.

A few weeks ago, I worked an event in the countryside of Bologna. Now, I'm gonna brag... Bologna has some (if not the) best food in Italy. So of course, the agriturismi in the countryside are going to be filled with mouthwatering favorites (Bologna is home to Lagana, Ragu, Tortellini, mortadella, you name it). And sure enough, this particular one was an explosion to the tastebuds.

This Fall, my goal is to try to find The Best agriturismi (both for work and fun) in the Bologna hillside, and document it.

Until then, I was fortunate to find the last episode of No Reservations in Sardinia (fyi, i love Anthony Bourdain) and to shed a little light on the beauty and essence of the agriturismo. (Click to 7:45)

Little Italy

2009-09-19T18:09:00.003+02:00

One of my favorite photographers and street artist, Slinkachu of Little People, based out of London, recently came to Italy for the Fame Festival. Check out his lighthearted take on Italian culture here.

Italians Things That Make You Go Hmmm - Pizza To Go Edition

2009-09-02T09:54:00.007+02:00

While waiting for our flight to Amsterdam, we found this handy contraption in the Bergamo airport for brick oven pizza, to go. The funny part is (as if a pizza vending machine wasn't funny enough), all the Italians (yes - the young ones, and yes - the ones on our flight to Amsterdam) were stopping (at 5:30 a.m.) to buy a pizza. They left distraught when they found out that it wasn't functioning.

Doing As The Romans Did

2009-09-01T16:17:00.021+02:00

In August, we were fortunate enough to be in Fano during the Fano Dei Cesari (Fano of the Caesars), an annual event where the entire town gets dressed up in togas and celebrates their Ancient Roman roots. This year marked the 2,000th birthday of the the Arco di Augusto. (Take a moment...that means it was built in 9 A.D... and it's still standing..)

Each part of the city is broken down into a different color. During the week, the shop owners dress all the store windows with their district color, and the mannequins in togas. All the restaurants create menus in Latin with Roman dishes. Since we're in the district near the sea we were blue and "Delfino" (the dolphins). On the weekend, the town holds a variety of events such as a Gladiator fight, a chariot race and big Roman dinner.

We were also fortunate enough to have our friends from London, Katherine and Rob book a mini vacation to Fano that very weekend. Since we had such a big group, we decided to have a big group dinner in the piazza and watch the parade of each quarter march through the city.

Here are a few photos from the event. If you want to see the rest of the photos, click here and more videos including our big cenone, click here

The track for the chariot races

Team Delfino!

Team America!

Making Roman crepes

To say they take it seriously is an understatement

Little lady who was part of the parade

Team America, part 2

Many groups had wagons in the parade filled with food. The silver bag on the left is covering a huge vat of wine that they all drank from while they were waiting to walk. And yes, that is a huge roasted pig on a carving table.

After all the festivities, there is a huge party down on the beach.

Below is video of the burgundy group waiting for the parade to start. In true Italian fashion, they chant about soccer but, I'll let you figure out what exactly they're saying!

Summertime, Mussels, and Clams

2009-08-31T11:20:00.018+02:00

One of Giancarlo's favorite summer dishes is Pepata di cozze e vongole (mussels and clams in a spicy red sauce). I'd like to say it's my favorite too, but I'm just in for the sugo e pane (sauce and bread)!

Whenever we eat out, it's the first (and sometimes the only) thing we get to eat because it's so good and very filling. This past summer we learned how to make Napoletano style. Since Giancarlo's mom is from that area, she knows how to make it well. Normally, you can order this dish in a white wine sauce, but our favorite is with the spicy red sauce.

Here's how it goes:

Heat oil in a large saucepan.

Add in onion and garlic, stirring until wilted without browning.

Then add in red vinegar and cook briefly. Add tomatoes, oregano, pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil.

You also add the clams at this time too, and bring everything to a boil and let cook for 4-5 minutes or until all the shells have opened up.
Serve in a bowl with all the liquid spooned into the mussels!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

2009-08-31T09:49:00.004+02:00

Summer is officially over for us as we returned Thursday from Amsterdam, and I was immediately thrown back into work with an event this past weekend. As glad as I am to be back to work, our poor little blog is backlogged with posts that I need to put up from August.

September is around the corner, and Bologna is finally beginning to wake up. The shops are removing their "chiuso per ferie" (closed for vacation) signs and the students are returning to classes. The piazza is filling up with day trippers, and the wonderful food and wine sagra's are beginning to start. Fall in Bologna is quite possibly the best season here, and Giancarlo and I will take a break from traveling outside the country and enjoy Bologna and Italy for all it's got.

My goal this Fall is to be better about updating! Let's see how well I do...

Un jour à Paris

2009-08-18T14:22:00.023+02:00

The week long travel schedule only allowed for a day and a half in Paris. A part of me wishes we could have stayed longer, the part of me that didn't see the massive crowds that overtake the city in the summer. The first night we arrived, we went straight to dinner and then directly to Laduree (first of many trips there) for some delish macaroons and ate next to the Eiffel Tower.

The ladies at dinner

Goodies of Laduree!

Nicole and her macaroon

The Eiffel Tower at night

The next day we ventured to Versailles , the former home of Louis XIV to walk around and see the beautiful gardens. We got up early and went about a half hour outside of Paris to spend the morning there.

Front of Versailles

Versailles

The mirror room

Me in the garden of Versailles

After spending the morning at Versailles, we went back into Paris and decided to have a picnic underneath the Eiffel Tower. After stopping at all the different markets, we grabbed a spot and relaxed the rest of the afternoon enjoying the warm weather.

Nicole enjoying the picnic

The best.lunch.ever.

The lady

For dinner (everything revolves around food! I've been living in Italy too long) Whitney took us to one of her favorite places she used to go to when she lived in Paris. Right off the area around Notre Dame, is a little whole-in-the-wall restaurant (whose name I can't for the life of me remember) where we had Raquelette (my new favorite thing) So easy and so good!

Nicole demonstrates the instruments for dinner

Yum!

Absolutely delish!

The next morning we had a few hours before we had to head to the airport so we went and had another round at Laduree and hit up Fauchon for some Parisian goodies to bring back to Italy. A few best of the rest...

Breakfast!

Inside Fauchon

To the Louvre!

Au revoir Paris

For the rest of the pictures, click here

1999

2009-08-18T14:02:00.008+02:00

My sister and I realized (after we booked our trip to Paris) that every 5 years, we end up in the City of Lights. Our first trip was back in 1999. I was 17, Nicole was 13.
The second trip was in 2004 as a graduation gift. I graduated from college, Nicole from High School.
And 2009. Now 28, Nicole 23

Next trip, 2014!

Back! And London!

2009-08-18T10:52:00.020+02:00

We're back in the land of wireless internet! (Finally!)

The past month has been a whirlwind of travels starting with me meeting my sister up in London. After getting settled at the hotel, we kicked off the weekend meeting up with some of our New York friends living in London, for an Indian feast down on Brick Lane, and a little hopping around the various establishments after.

Me, Sophie and Penny before their Portgual/Barcelona adventure

Rob, Katherine and Whitney

We only had about a day and half in London before leaving for Paris, so Sunday morning we wandered around the city. That afternoon, we went for afternoon Pret-a-portea at The Knightsbridge Berkeley hotel. It was the prefect afternoon, a little chilly and rainy outside, warm and cozy inside...even if it was the end of July.

Into Trafalgar Square

In front of Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards

Big guy

A small corner before Trafalgar Square

The Ladies in windy London

Prét-a-Portea Spring/Summer 2009 fashions

Hervé Léger vivid orange bikini

A collection of goodies

Tea time

After tea, we hurried back to the hotel and got bundled up and headed to Nicole's (and my) favorite place for dinner, Wagamama's. Wagamama's is seriously one of the best places to eat in London (according to us) and rumor has it, they'll be opening up in New York City soon!

Wagamama!

The ladies

Spicy monster

Following dinner we walked down to the Tower Bridge to take in the view at night. Even at night, the city still takes your breath away. No crowds, no tours, just you and the sites.

Tower at night

The next morning we packed up and headed down to Kings Cross station to catch the Eurostar to Paris. Thanks somehow to Rail Europe, Whitney and I both got first class seats cheaper than second class with Nicole. A little bottle of wine really does make a 2 hour trip better.

French Vogue e vino...Très bon

Italy all around

For more pictures, click here

Internet Blues

2009-08-09T19:06:00.002+02:00

After returning from Paris, Giancarlo and I packed up shop and headed to Fano for a few weeks before we leave for Amsterdam. But, alas the internet gods are against us again. So stay tuned and we'll be back as soon as possible!

I'm back!

2009-07-30T08:16:00.001+02:00

And while I go through the 500 pictures I've taken, check out our summer abroad feature on Life Abroad!

I'm off!

2009-07-23T08:56:00.009+02:00

Can you guess where?!

Shocker.. I know. I should just move there, but I'm heading up to London to pick up my sister for a little European jaunt. No new cities, just revisiting some old favorites. We're spending a few days in London and then off to Paris before heading down to spend some time in Fano. We have a few other trips planned for August, but I'll save it for later (God bless the Italians for closing the office the entire month of August).

Buon estate!

Sotto Le Stelle

2009-07-07T20:08:00.005+02:00

One of my favorite things when living in New York City was watching movies outdoors in Bryant Park.

My summer-movie routine involved packing up my computer and walking down to Bryant Park (as my office was conveniently located right around the corner), setting-up shop with my blanket around 4 p.m., hopping onto the park's free wireless, and working from the park while I securely held onto our ever-so-small-spot for the evening movie. Giancarlo would meet me after work with dinner in tow (thanks to made-to-order sammies and fruit cups from Whole Foods), and we'd enjoy a movie in the heart of the city, under the stars.

Summer in New York City can be a very beautiful thing.

I've found that same summer beauty here in Bologna. Only now I don't have to pack up my lap-top to work from the piazza in order to ward off Italians from stealing my spot. Rather, I simply walk out of my apartment 10 minutes before start time with a bottle of Pignoletto, my comfy pants, and enjoy a free evening outdoors at the movies. And Giancarlo doesn't even have to meet me from work - he's already with me. Questa e' la vita.

Always with the food.

During the summer, every night in Piazza Maggiore the Comune of Bologna shows a new film. Last night, they decided to show Food Inc., and it wasn't dubbed in Italian (as almost all foreign films are), but shown in its original language - English - with Italian subtitles (a rarity as even American MTV reality shows are dubbed in Italian).

If you haven't seen this movie, see it now- especially if you live in the States. Living in Italy for this past year, we've experienced just how much Italians not only prioritize their food, but also its cultivation from start to finish. I can see the huge difference in food preparation as talked about in the film. (And there is a reason why the food is better here!) I support the local farmers markets (poultry and vegetables) and everything organic and natural. My simple rule-of-thumb: If I can't pronounce the ingredients, I don't buy it.

Go see the film.

Il Quattro di Luglio

2009-07-07T19:01:00.019+02:00

No fireworks, no bbq's, but loads of seafood, a few hamburgers, a trip to a cafe for "ahmerichan breahkfast" and lots of quality beach time. Quite possibly the best way to celebrate the 4th of July in Italy, minus this train ride:

For two hours....

Vongole e Cozze- Clams and mussels in white wine sauce... absolutely amazing!

a closer look

Stefano and his pasta with an assortment of seafood

Lido tre

"Ahmerichan breahkfast"

Il Centro

And now that it is officially unbearably hot here in Bologna, and Giancarlo's family arrive this week, we'll be back beach-side for the rest of the summer.

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-03T08:42:00.005+02:00

While it's not fireworks on the Hudson or bonfires on the beaches of the Pacific, we are definitely going to celebrate the 4th of July with the best of them.

This weekend, we're off to Fano to celebrate America's independence with friends and family, spending some much deserved time at the beach, an attempt to b.b.q. alla Americana and possibly a few strawberry-lemonade granita's thrown into the mix.

Happy 4th! (a day early!)

Weekend alla Bolognese

2009-06-30T09:05:00.012+02:00

In between lots of traveling, rain storms, and heat waves here in Bologna, we got one afternoon when the weather was just right and we were both here to enjoy it. Of course granitas and gelato are always part of the mix, but just wandering around the city with no purpose other than to enjoy the surroundings is one of my favorite things.

Some photos of life around Bologna.

Simply a favorite.

Who doesn't need flowers?

Aperitivo hour behind the church.

Wandering around the mercato, and passing the fish vendor.

Summer is here and that means, fruit...fruit... and more fruit!

The heart of Bologna...Tortellini!

Movies in the Piazza!

The church next to our house. I'm always amazed when I pass by every morning.

We live next to the street of the "happy little ones." It sounds better in Italian.

For The Dever's.

Sunday we made it over to our favorite pub for the U.S.A. vs. Brazil soccer game. A great match to say the least, and some video to share in a bit!

I Needa Granita!

2009-06-28T16:55:00.007+02:00

Summers in Italy wouldn't be summers in Italy without la granita.

Granitas are originally from Sicily and typical to that island, but during the summer you can find them in gelaterias all over Italy. When we're at the beach in Fano, we always make sure to stop at Fru-LaLa for a granita - in particular their lemon granita. (Actually, if you're ever in Sicily make sure you get a lemon granita there because that's definitely where it's at). A new gelateria called Cremeria Funivia recently opened up in the center of Bologna similar to Fru-LaLa (so we heard) , and we figured we'd give it a try.

Yesterday, Giancarlo tried his hand at some ice cream, and I went for la granita di pompelmo rosa (the grapefruit granita). It was sooooo good, we went back today for round two feeling a bit more adventurous, not knowing that we were about to experience the holy grail of granitas.

Now that's a Strawberry-Lemonade done right!

Cremeria Funivia
Piazza Cavour, Bologna
tel 051-6145062

Ryan Air, You're a Very Good Friend.

2009-06-27T11:31:00.008+02:00

I remember the days of booking flights in the US. NYC to Chicago - $200+. NYC to LA - $300+. NYC to San Francisco - $300+. Even cheap train tickets to Philly, Boston, and DC hovered in the $75+ range. So needless to say, Ryan Air's regular 0 euro sales, or 1.99 euro sales TO OTHER COUNTRIES makes for very good instant gratification purchases.

Our first year here in Italy we'd look longingly on the Ryan Air website imagining all the trips we could theoretically be on. Because of getting set up in Italy, and trying to figure out how work schedules would shape up, we were light on our trigger finger when it came to clicking that "Purchase Tickets" button. But a Christmas trip to Germany finally whet our appetites for Ryan Air, and left us wanting much more.

Now, a year later, with renewed contracts for work in 2010, the days of $200+ purchases on expedia.com are a thing of the past. For no more than 10 euro a ticket, we're not only crossing borderlines, but we're seeing cultures change before our eyes with trips that last little more than an hour. It's a far cry from the culture shock (or lack thereof) one gets from leaving NYC's Penn Station and arriving at DC's Union Station, or taking off in San Francisco and landing in LAX. The different pronunciations of "water" between Boston, NYC, Philly and DC don't count as a different dialect, and overusing the word "hella" doesn't count as a new language (unless we count my one trip to the South - sorry readers from Georgia, but I needed my own dictionary to understand what was going on at The Waffle House every morning).

While you might not be jetsetting in the lap of luxury with Ryan Air, with most flights under 2 hours, you'll be on the beaches sunbathing in Greece, eating tapas in Barcelona, or climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris in no time. But there are rules to playing the Ryan Air game:

*Be flexible when you go. Thursday to Monday is the perfect weekend getaway, and when flights are relatively inexpensive. Also, traveling the summer is when the prices are double, and most places are so hot you can't bare to be away from the beach, or out of air conditioning for more than a minute (that is, if your hotel has it!). Instead, opt for May or September when the weather is still good and you can avoid the large tour groups of high school kids at every corner.

*Carry on! If you find a tax-free flight or a zero euro flight the company has to make money somehow, so they charge you 10 euros for each bag you check in, and 10 euros for in person check-in (online check-in = free!). Our rule is, don't pay for anything extra that you can simply and easily do yourself. Bring a carry on and do online check-in. Save the 20 euros and spend it on a couple pitchers of sangria in Barcelona. (Or 5 potato pancakes in Frankfurt.)

*If your heart's set on a city, start looking in advance. Most of the good (and cheap) flights, as well as the sales, are promoted 3 months or so in advance. Sign up for the newsletter, and jump on the sales for 5 euro flights to London or Brussels, Madrid or Budapest, or... the list goes on and on. I recently booked a (one way) flight from Paris to Bologna for 10 euros tax included back in April for a trip in July. It would cost me more to go to Rome or Florence for a weekend.

*Take a chance on a new city. When we were looking for Brussels, we found Amsterdam. When we were looking for Munich, we found Bari. When we were looking for Dublin, we found Barcelona. And of course, when we were looking for Prague, we found Frankfurt. And although Frankfurt wasn't on our top 10 list (or even top 20), when we found that cheap, cheap flight out of Bologna for Christmas, we took a chance, booked, and fell in love with the Christmas Market.

So, hello Frankfurt! Hello Amsterdam! Hello Puglia! Hello Barcelona! And hello to all future 10 euro (tax included!) trips to come! (And yes, the above mentioned flights altogether cost less than a one way ticket from NYC to Chicago.)

Grazie

2009-06-24T09:44:00.012+02:00

We's got an award! Thanks to Tina (@TinaTangos) for the Honest Scrap Award.

"The Honest Scrap award is given by other bloggers who consider a blog’s content or design to be brilliant. The awardee must then post ten honest things about themselves and pass the award on to other bloggers who fit the bill - in other words, whose blog is brilliant."

Why...thank you! Although, Ten Honest things about myself? Since I share this blog with Giancarlo... I have 5 things about me, and he's got 5 things about him. Ok, so here goes:

1. I love to travel (as if you didn't know already) but my favorite places in the world will forever be San Diego, New York City and London.

2. I am attempting to get back into the routine of wearing high heels. I gave up on them when I lived in New York, for obvious reasons, but I think Italian women are born wearing them, so when in Rome... (or Bologna) I guess.

3. I enjoy living in Italy, but I must admit that I miss living in NYC in the good 'ol US of A.

4. I like to think that I'm a nonna in training. Cooking-wise only. If I can leave Italy with just one thing, it has to be cooking.

5. I believe wine should be considered a food group, and must be consumed at least 3-4 times daily.

(GC):
1. Peach flavored iced tea is the best iced tea.

2. Even though I haven't touched one in about 10 years, I'm glad my parents made me learn piano when I was younger. Maybe one day I'll pick it back up.

3. I used to have every chinese restaurant in my neighborhood on speed dial. Now... not so much.

4. I wish everything bagels existed in Italy.

5. I want to own a Vespa!

I'm passing the award onto a few of my new & old favorites:
La Tavola Marche
Nicole @ La Mia Vita
The Bennettars
Bella Vita in Luguria
Transient Travels

We also received this:

Thanks for reading!

View From Our Window...

2009-06-24T08:59:00.004+02:00

Our morning alarm clock.

Pranzo

2009-06-22T08:33:00.006+02:00

I'm still attempting to get caught up with life since returning from California - finishing old projects, and starting a new one. But this past weekend we had a chance to head over to Fano for un battesimo (a baptism, more on that later).

Of course a weekend in Fano includes pranzo at Zia's house (homemade ravioli!) and a little fun with the flip.

Enjoy!

Deep Thought of the Day

2009-06-18T16:38:00.004+02:00

Only in Italy is deciding who makes the Insalata di Riso a necessary (and very welcome) component of planning a brainstorming, strategy session for work.

Yum.

Ecco mi!

2009-06-15T19:45:00.005+02:00

{photo credit}

After roughly 48 hours of travel, which included 2 trains, 2 airplanes, 3 countries, 5 time zones and a few buses thrown in there somewhere, I made it safely back to the land of pasta.

More updates to follow after I recover from fighting some massive jet-lag, but I will inform that In-n-Out was consumed... on multiple occasions, Target was shopped at... on multiple occasions, played hide-n-seek with the sun... the sun won, but most importantly I got to just hang out with family and friends.

Now that I'm back, the countdown to some serious summer travel has begun.

A Magical Pencil, or Another One for the Italian Things That Make You Go "Hmmmmm?" File

2009-06-07T11:52:00.010+02:00

When I voted in last year's US Presidential elections with my absentee ballot via email, none of my Italian friends/family/colleagues/students/etc. believed that such a thing could be legal. "Voting by email!?," they'd say. "How anti-privacy! How unsafe! That's not how democracy works!" Their basic claim was that here in Italy so many safeguards are put in place to make sure someone's vote is 100% secure and private. (Keep in mind, my application process to vote absentee started many months in advance and involved background checks, SSN requirements, a trip to the US Consulate, maybe even some fingerprints, and a special web address to cast my e-ballot.) Nevertheless, Italy's general pushback against fully embracing the internet was in full effect during these discussions.

Well, wow - you can imagine the look of amazement on my face today when I went to vote in the Bologna Mayoral elections and the EU Parliamentary elections and they handed me A PENCIL to mark my ballots. A PENCIL. But not just any pencil. A pencil required by law. A pencil that (supposedly) can't be erased. A magical pencil, if you will.

I still don't know if it's a genius invention, or one big con. Whatever the case, I voted (proudly, because I like voting - magical pencils notwithstanding). Whether or not someone's erasing my votes as you read this... let's save that for another blog post.

Here's to you, Democracy.

P.S. Ok, yes it's a little fun to make fun of the voting pencil, but I must admit, Italy's policy of automatically registering its citizens to vote as soon as they reach the age of 18 is very, very cool.

P.P.S. Did anyone else notice that the ballot in the above picture is too big for the box?

Bring On Il Ponte

2009-05-29T11:50:00.004+02:00

Last weekend in the States was Memorial Day Weekend. I definitely was missing my old Memorial Day 72-hour routine of hot dogs, hamburgers, Brooklyn rooftop parties and general enjoyment of the 3 day weekend.

But the Italians more than make up for its lack of celebrating American holidays (minus the rooftop parties) with their tradition of il ponte (the bridge) and their seemingly never ending list of Italian national holidays.

Italians love their holidays that fall on Tuesdays or Thursdays. It gives them the perfect reason to also take the preceding Monday or the following Friday off, giving them their "bridge" to or from the weekend. Yes, il ponte is a beautiful thing.

And next Tuesday, June 2nd, is La Festa della Repubblica. Which is a very important holiday to me. Why, you ask? Because it means a 4 day ponte weekend mixed with equal parts Adriatic Sea, home-made cooking, white wine, catching up with friends and family in Fano, and most importantly... niente lavoro (the phrase "no work" sounds good in any language).

It's safe to say La Festa della Repubblica is my favorite Italian holiday. At least until the next ponte comes along.

Here's Another One for The Italian Things That Make You Go "Hmmmmm?" File

2009-05-28T17:39:00.000+02:00

It took us 4 months to figure out our living situation here in Italy. It took us 6 months to figure out how to get a proper internet connection. And now after an entire year, we've finally figured out the crazy world of paying bills in Italy. Specifically, the gas bill.

Since moving to Bologna we've been legally robbed by the Italian gas company Hera on a bi-monthly basis. At first I thought - we're not in the US and gas is CAH-RAZY expensive here, therefore I didn't think twice about our gas bills. But after the second and third bills arrived, Em and I realized we needed to be waaaaaay more attentive on how much gas we used. So we did just that, acting like responsible adults (!), and not consuming too much energy. Tracking our conservation efforts, we expected a much less expensive gas bill the fourth time around.

Nope. It was TRIPLE the previous two bills put together.

Long story short, because of our previous experiences with apartment hunting, getting phones, internet service, etc. - we learned that there's the recommended way of doing things... and then the Italian way of doing things. So, I had a hunch that there was something Italians were doing with their gas bills that the guide books just don't tell you about in the How To Pay Bills In Italy chapter.

After a week of asking all of my students, the consensus (more theory than fact) was that Hera has this formula where they work off of the highest gas bill ever paid in the history of your apartment (ours goes back to the 1600s, fyi), and base consumption estimates on that. BUT, and here's where your glasses for reading really fine print come in handy, there's a phone number where you can automatically input your meter usage, and voila! Accurate bills!

I rushed home to Em the night I found out about this to explain what I had just learned. Her response was the stink-eye and incredulity at the fact that the Bologna branch of Hera had never thought of hiring actual meter readers for the city center. After reminding her that we're not dealing with Con-Edison anymore, I tried my hand at this autolettura (literally, self reading). Lo and behold, the wonderful people at Hera sent me my most recent gas bill...

Yup. That is indeed a NEGATIVE 457 euros. Papa's not paying for gas for the rest of the year!

(Fingers crossed, of course).

The Soccer Gods Are Against Me

2009-05-27T19:04:00.008+02:00

It's pisciando pioggia. I'm not sure if that translation sounds the same in Italian - whatever the case, that's what it's doing outside my window right now. Which is a major bum out, because I was really looking forward to catching the Champions League final at a pub on via Zamboni.

Oh well - instead I'll use this time to give a big "Forza Bologna" presence to the blog. After a pretty dismal season for the local soccer team, Bologna FC, this Sunday we'll find out if they will stay in Serie A. Fingers crossed, because after a full year of living in Italy Em and I have one big regret - we STILL haven't been to a game! I know, I know - not seeing a soccer game while living in Italy is like eating the chocolate parts of the Oreo and skipping the cream filling. Nonsensical and unforgiveable.

So, Forza Bologna! And Forza Operation "GC and Em going to Serie A game for the 2010-11 Serie A season!"

The crowd at the Dall'Ara Stadium

UPDATE: It stopped raining after an hour or so, and I was able to make it to the pub to watch Barcelona-Manchester Utd. playing in the Champions League final. I've seen the Red Sox win their first world series after 80-some-odd years, I've seen the Devils win 3 Stanley Cups, and lived in NYC when the Yankees won a bunch of World Series, but wow - you haven't seen passion for sport until you've seen Europeans go crazy over soccer. Tonight all the Spanish expats from Barcelona are making Bologna their city as they're parading through the streets singing their Barca chants, and waving their flags and Barca scarves. Congrats on a great 2-0 win tonight in Rome.

Dispatches from the Pacific: Slow Food

2009-05-26T08:30:00.009+02:00

While Em's away, I'll try and keep the blog fresh. I'm a little jealous that she has iced coffee and Carl's Jr. breakfast burritos (extra spicy) at her fingertips, but as she reminded me in a recent email, I still got the slow food.

***
From: Emily
To: Giancarlo
Subject: I already miss...

...the days of no tipping, and five hour long meals.

my plate was taken from me, and the bill was delivered all before I was finished eating!

***

Don't forget that 15%.

Ciao!

2009-05-22T07:16:00.004+02:00

I promise!

I'll be back soon blogging stateside, while Giancarlo continues to blog Italianside. A presto!

Dear California,

2009-05-18T11:45:00.022+02:00

I'm coming home to you!

I have officially begun the countdown to go home this Sunday. There are many, many things I can't wait to do, some things I don't (DMV to say the least) and many people I can't wait to see - three weeks just isn't long enough, but here are a few things I can't wait for:

10. Having NO pasta for 3 whole weeks! I'm very very excited about not seeing, and eating, you name it with pasta. (Although I'm sure I'll miss it just the same.)

9. Target, Target, Target. I think it's a California thing. We have no problem spending hours on end going up and down the aisles. I'm very much looking forward to doing just that.

8.5- Being able to speak English on a constant basis, and actually having someone understand me when I speak. It's a beautiful thing.

8. In-n-Out. Not that I need to eat it, but it's comforting knowing that it's there if I want it.

7. Disneyland with Nick. Because really, when is it not fun to act like you're 5 again?

6. Padres' games. Because nothing is more American than a baseball game, even if the Padres aren't good this year...

5. Old Town Mexican food (and margaritas)... the best in San Diego.

4.5- Starbucks. I may have realized that your (Starbucks) coffee isn't really all that good, but I still got a special place in my heart for ya. I miss the nights curling up in those big Barnes & Noble sofas with random travel books, iced coffee in hand. Plus, I can't get an iced coffee here in Italy to save my life. (Sorry, un shakerato doesn't even come close.) Very excited about finally getting one.

4. Seeing old friends and family. I'm sorry it's been so long...

3. Shopping, shopping and more shopping. Big thanks to the Euro for holding strong. Please stay where you are at, or feel free to work even more to my advantage while I'm in the States. I packed lightly and haven't shopped for summer clothes for this very reason.

3.5- Sun, sand, bonfires, maybe a little surfing, but just all around beach bum laziness. I've been working hard, it's ok, I deserve it.

2. Running errands with Dad and Sherri. The best thing ever, not only for the quality time with the fam, but it also usually involves a stop at Chipotle or Costco...most times, both!

1. Lounging around the pool and beach with these two beauties. More quality time and a nice tan!

As excited as I am to go home (and as hard as I know it will be to come back to Italy...twist my arm...I know...), there will be many things that I'm going to miss about Italy while I'm away (the number one of course being Giancarlo). But I'm kidnapping Nicole and Whitney for a week in the summer for a little European adventure. So it will be onto planning the next one when I return!

Smem Invasion

2009-05-18T10:32:00.006+02:00

I really don't know how this nickname got started, but it dates back to New Years Eve 2006 when Giancarlo and I were in London visiting Heather and Dave. Heather, the funny lady that she is, decided that my nickname should be Smem. It means absolutely nothing, just a nickname (I've been given many random nicknames, so whats one more...)

Well, last year while Giancarlo and I were still getting set up in Italy, we worked for three weeks at an Italian English camp in the Le Marche hillside. You can imagine our surprise (and the flood of jokes,) when one of the students was carrying her camera in this:

Free To Be Free...

So Heather, this is for you... for being ahead of the nickname curve. One other sidenote, the English bookstore in Bologna has a whole collection of Smem school notebooks, day planners... you name it.

How can one girl be so lucky?

Bella Roma!

2009-05-18T09:55:00.013+02:00

Ok, so we actually went to Rome last June (my first time) because we had to visit the American Embassy (good excuse, right!?). Well, long story short, while we were in London last summer my computer crashed. Dead to the world with no hope of coming back to me. The ironic thing was Giancarlo had sent his computer home (with his dad) to get fixed for crashing a week earlier (Thanks Steve. Appreciate the hard work on the G4 books), and we had just uploaded all of our Rome pictures to my computer to make room on the camera for London pictures. We lost them all. Gone.

The plan was to wait till we went home to America again to get my computer fixed, seeing as they are Mac-phobic here in Italy (the Mac store down the street turned us away saying they didn't know what to do). If the Mac store in Italy can't help you, no one can... or so we thought.

Fast forward a good eight months later... Giancarlo's cousin Guglielmo had a friend over for lunch who said he could fix it. By this point, I was willing to give my computer to anyone who wanted it. We had already planned to go back to Rome at some point in the near future, so whatever. Take it!

I have to give a BIG grazie mille to Guglielmo because his homeboy fixed it! All my pictures have been returned to me, and the computer works... better than it did last summer (ok maybe not, but it feels like it). So enough of me writing. Here are some pictures of bella Roma! Finalmente!

(side note- I think I had built the pictures up in my mind because I really only saw them once before they fell into the abyss. These are pre- me having a crash course in understanding all the different parts of my camera (I'm still learning). We're planning on returning to Rome after I get my new lens in Cali!)

The Spanish Steps!

Don't you just want to dive right in?

The Colosseum

Il Foro Romano (The Roman Foran) next to the Colosseum.

My favorite part of Rome was just walking around, and no matter what corner you turned ruins awaited you. Just hanging out for the past thousand some odd years... amazing.

The storm coming in...

The Colosseum again.

Inside the Vatican Museum on the way to the Sistine Chapel.

Aperitivo hour in the Trastevere.

The Pantheon.

Inside the Roman baths.

Ruins hanging out around the Roman baths.

For more pictures, click here

Food Fest '09

2009-05-12T10:51:00.016+02:00

The other week we had another set of Londoners in Bologna for the weekend. Heather and Dave came to celebrate European Labor Day with us. Ok not really, it was Dave's birthday present (coincidentally the day before mine), and for all of us it was just an excuse to have a day off.

The weekend went as follows; ate an exorbitant amount of Bologna's finest cooking, booked simultaneous flights to Amsterdam for August (GC's birthday!), references to Euro Trip were made in abundance, and hopefully come March 2010 we'll have new American/British neighbors in Bologna!

Here's a fun fact: It is also now an "unofficial" rule for visitors to Bologna to purchase Doritos for Giancarlo. Even if the bags pop in-flight, he will still eat them.

(Sorry for the blurry quality, I was laughing too hard to focus the camera)

It's now also another "unofficial" rule that you must also bring Giancarlo a three pence vinyl record appropriately named, "Too Hot Ta Trot" which is composed of songs by such greats as Diana Ross, The Commodores, Smokey Robinson, Jermaine Jackson and many (oh yes) many more. You know its going to be a good weekend!

(Here's a fun fact: This was the #1 R&B album on Billboard's Top 200 in 1978)

(Again, laughing)

The only thing we did all weekend long was eat...drink...laugh...and enjoy the warm weather which finally decided to arrive.

First things first, Gelato!

Relaxing in the sun.

Cold Cuts and Kisses.

Introduction to aperitivo hour (the guy behind Dave wants in).

Our homeboy, Del Bono, was having a sagra for two weeks in the centro as part of his campaign. I don't ask why, I just go.

Wandering around Bologna, we found this little restaurant/bar where the menu was random pieces of cardboard hung up around the outside of the place. We dug the style...

...so we stopped in for a drink.

We definitely commited one of the seven deadly sins that weekend (guess which one), but I think when you visit Bologna you have to. Of course after you eat, you have to walk around and see the sights (as we did), but eating in Bologna always comes first.

Video hopefully to follow...

One Down and Counting...

2009-05-05T10:57:00.003+02:00

{photo credit}

It's hard to imagine that only one year ago Giancarlo and I were saying goodbye, packing up the apartment, putting everything we owned into storage and living off a blowup mattress before moving here. I'd be lying if I said everything went perfectly and easily from the moment we landed, but (I remind you that this is Italy) we had our fair share of "oh god, what are we doing..." moments. But thinking back on all the good, the bad and the downright confusing moments feels like a lifetime ago. We've decided to stay on for another year, if only for the food alone. But there is still much more to discover here, many more awkward and great Italian moments to be had and new challenges to take on.

I celebrate this anniversary, of course, by going to California for three weeks in three weeks. It will be the first time I've headed back to California in a year. A new record for me, although not one that I'm generally proud of. I'm a little nervous to see what America has become. A little nervous knowing that it's not the same place I left a year ago. Talking with friends back home, I couldn't think of a better time for Giancarlo and me to be here in Italy. Companies (mainly the ones that we used to work for,) that were on a roll are no longer the same companies we left a year ago. Friends that were NYC lifer's have moved on outside of New York, only to save themselves from future layoffs or from being victims of the financial downturn. Any second guesses I had a year ago about moving to this country are out the window, and I feel very fortunate to be here with Giancarlo enjoying this adventure.

I don't know what May 2010 holds in store for us, but we definitely have a few adventures already booked for this summer, and right now I can't think of anything better..(except for going home to California!)