The next day we were off on an all day tour that I had scheduled to Siena and San Gimignano. After an hour or so drive thru the beautiful Tuscan scenery, we arrived in San Gimignano, Tuscany's best preserved medieval town. It once had a defense system with more than 70 towers, and 13 of them survive today. The more money the family had the higher the tower they built, this is how they showed off their wealth in those days. These date back to the 11th century. We had about 2 hours to wander thru the village, visiting the two Romanesque-Gothic churches from the 11th and 12th centuries and the local pottery was incredible!
Back on the bus, it was another hour to Siena where we had a local guide waiting for us. We all split up for lunch before our tour began. Marc and I ate at Osteria Le Logge, an ancient converted pharmacy with traditional cuisine, the home made pasta was incredible.
We had a very funny, energetic and informative guide. She took us on a two hour walking tour of the city. The highlight of the tour by far was the most beautiful Duomo I have ever seen (and I have seen alot of them) It is a treasure house of late Gothic sculpture, early Renaissance painting and Baroque design. The edifice is in striking Romanespue green stripes, but the form is firmly Gothic, one of the best examples of the style in the whole of Italy!
Thurs. was a private walking tour of the city of Florence and it ended with a tour of the Accademia housing Michelangelo's David (1501) and the unfinished "slaves" carved for the tomb of Pope Julius II.
The whole trip was wonderful. And I am going back with Maureen in July!!
Therese
Sunday, May 23, 2010
I am finally back!!
I have to admit that I got lazy, but when my friend, Joe McGuire emailed me to ask why it has not continued, the guilt got to me.
A quick synopsis:
Nov. 2009 Went to Basel, Switzerland (German speaking) for the 539th annual Autumn fair. Isn't that funny, in the US we don't have fair's that have been happening every year for 539 years!
Dec. 4th,5th and 6th: Took train to Stuttgart Germany for their famous Christmas market with three other women from the Intn'l women's club.
Dec. 8th Flew back home to Phx for the holidays. Daughter Maureen also came home from S Korea. Lot's of company and family including my Mom, sister Peggy and her family and our friends, the McGuires from New Mexico all visited during the 5 weeks we were home.
Feb 2010: Off to London for 3 days with two other women from the Int'l women's club. I have been there 3 times before, but saw all new things this time. We sure got our fill of the good pub food and Henry the XIII. Also, had a chance to stay at the Royal Air Force Club.
That brings me to March when Marc and I went to Florence for our 29th wedding anniv..........
next blog please.
A quick synopsis:
Nov. 2009 Went to Basel, Switzerland (German speaking) for the 539th annual Autumn fair. Isn't that funny, in the US we don't have fair's that have been happening every year for 539 years!
Dec. 4th,5th and 6th: Took train to Stuttgart Germany for their famous Christmas market with three other women from the Intn'l women's club.
Dec. 8th Flew back home to Phx for the holidays. Daughter Maureen also came home from S Korea. Lot's of company and family including my Mom, sister Peggy and her family and our friends, the McGuires from New Mexico all visited during the 5 weeks we were home.
Feb 2010: Off to London for 3 days with two other women from the Int'l women's club. I have been there 3 times before, but saw all new things this time. We sure got our fill of the good pub food and Henry the XIII. Also, had a chance to stay at the Royal Air Force Club.
That brings me to March when Marc and I went to Florence for our 29th wedding anniv..........
next blog please.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Firenze......we're back
Sorry it has been 5 months. For those of you left, we just ran out of energy, places to go, went home for the holidays for 4 weeks (Marc) and 6 weeks (Therese) and with winter set in.....just sort of got in a funk and didn't get to the effort of doing this blog.
But we just got back from a near-perfect week in Florence, Italy and thought we would share that with you.
About a month or so ago, we were on a business trip together to northern Milano and stayed in our favorite spot, Lago Maggiore. While there we were in the process of planning our trip to Florence and were debating whether to splurge on a nice hotel or go on the cheap. Well two nights on a hard bed convinced us both that a week of the same would be torture, so we decided to stay at the Westin Excelsior and sleep in the famous "heavenly bed." (We have one at home in Phoenix!)
Beautiful old hotel, perfectly located on the river Arno and a great staff, great bar, and ambience. We were also debating whether to drive or take the train. Ultimately we decided on the train (I love them - takes all the hassle out of travel: no airports, security, thinking about where you are, the whole thing). The high speed train to Milano was just over 2 hours and the connection from Milano to Florence about 2 so we got there at a very reasonable time on Monday, found our way from the train station to the hotel (by way of just one of many beautiful churches in Florence) and a bonus - we found the Fiddler's Elbow Irish Pub on the way (somewhere to spend St. Patty's day!).
So we unloaded, freshened up and headed out into town. First we went to the Central Mercato (which was closed all week) and stopped by a cute Trattoria named Za Za (Megan, Kelly and Therese had been before). Then went to the Santa Maria Novella church (and museum) and back to the hotel for a before dinner cocktail. Our dinner reservations were made by a business associate at a beautiful Florentine restaurant named Giovanni's where we had the most exquisite Bisteca Fiorentina.....the best steak ever. Cooked on the rare side cut into 1/2 inch slices about 2 inches wide and a dash of olive oil and thyme. Had this last time I was here and it literally can be cut with a fork and melts in your mouth.
Florence is about a couple of things: Great food, good wine, great art and good-looking people. Fashion is a must here. Not to go into history but the Medici family united all of Tuscany and were so powerful and strong they basically did what they wanted even if it was agains the church. This family believed in flaunting what they had as a show of their power and influence. That colors the culture here even now. And for the record, they started the Rennaissance by commissioning the greatest works of art in modern history (the antiquities of Rome and Greece not to be forgotten).
Day 2: The Uffizi Museum. First of all one of the most important museums in Europe (the world for that matter). We had the most enthusiastic and knowledgable guides who really knew and loved her art. I learned more in 3 hours than I could have in semesters of studying. Don't know really how to describe what we saw. Works by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Giotto, Botticelli. To think that the greatest artist in history all worked in one place (virtually) at the same time is really amazing.
After the Uffizi another fabulous lunch at the Frescobaldi restaurant (owned by a long-time vintner of Tuscan varietals). Had another great meal (there's a theme going here), met another nice couple on vacation and bought some new wines and olive oil. We had a bottle of wine, then some of a new late harvest wine that was perfect - not too sweet - with our creme brulee.
Then off to the hotel for a short break and across the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) and across the Arno to the Pizzi plaza where Therese had us booked for a wine tasting. This was great fun. And I finally got some insights into the intricacies of the Italian varietals (or at least the Tuscans). I will give just a very basic primer. Tuscany is the home of several regional wines including the most famous of all, Chianti. Chianti, like all the other wines of the region are named for where they are grown, not the type of grape. And like most other Tuscan wines, the main grape is Sangiovese. Chianti gets a bad rap for it's "old school" image of a cheap table wine (it is a great inexpensive table wine by the way), but can also be very refined as is true of the other Tuscan regions: Montelcino, Montepulciano, Borghese among them. We tasted 9 different (you read this correctly) wines and I took notes on all of them. Had a great time with our host Eduardo and his brother Zeno. Eduardo went to culinary school in Florence and because he loved wines so much decided to open this wine shop. They serve great appetizers and are equally good company!
But we just got back from a near-perfect week in Florence, Italy and thought we would share that with you.
About a month or so ago, we were on a business trip together to northern Milano and stayed in our favorite spot, Lago Maggiore. While there we were in the process of planning our trip to Florence and were debating whether to splurge on a nice hotel or go on the cheap. Well two nights on a hard bed convinced us both that a week of the same would be torture, so we decided to stay at the Westin Excelsior and sleep in the famous "heavenly bed." (We have one at home in Phoenix!)
Beautiful old hotel, perfectly located on the river Arno and a great staff, great bar, and ambience. We were also debating whether to drive or take the train. Ultimately we decided on the train (I love them - takes all the hassle out of travel: no airports, security, thinking about where you are, the whole thing). The high speed train to Milano was just over 2 hours and the connection from Milano to Florence about 2 so we got there at a very reasonable time on Monday, found our way from the train station to the hotel (by way of just one of many beautiful churches in Florence) and a bonus - we found the Fiddler's Elbow Irish Pub on the way (somewhere to spend St. Patty's day!).
So we unloaded, freshened up and headed out into town. First we went to the Central Mercato (which was closed all week) and stopped by a cute Trattoria named Za Za (Megan, Kelly and Therese had been before). Then went to the Santa Maria Novella church (and museum) and back to the hotel for a before dinner cocktail. Our dinner reservations were made by a business associate at a beautiful Florentine restaurant named Giovanni's where we had the most exquisite Bisteca Fiorentina.....the best steak ever. Cooked on the rare side cut into 1/2 inch slices about 2 inches wide and a dash of olive oil and thyme. Had this last time I was here and it literally can be cut with a fork and melts in your mouth.
Florence is about a couple of things: Great food, good wine, great art and good-looking people. Fashion is a must here. Not to go into history but the Medici family united all of Tuscany and were so powerful and strong they basically did what they wanted even if it was agains the church. This family believed in flaunting what they had as a show of their power and influence. That colors the culture here even now. And for the record, they started the Rennaissance by commissioning the greatest works of art in modern history (the antiquities of Rome and Greece not to be forgotten).
Day 2: The Uffizi Museum. First of all one of the most important museums in Europe (the world for that matter). We had the most enthusiastic and knowledgable guides who really knew and loved her art. I learned more in 3 hours than I could have in semesters of studying. Don't know really how to describe what we saw. Works by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Giotto, Botticelli. To think that the greatest artist in history all worked in one place (virtually) at the same time is really amazing.
After the Uffizi another fabulous lunch at the Frescobaldi restaurant (owned by a long-time vintner of Tuscan varietals). Had another great meal (there's a theme going here), met another nice couple on vacation and bought some new wines and olive oil. We had a bottle of wine, then some of a new late harvest wine that was perfect - not too sweet - with our creme brulee.
Then off to the hotel for a short break and across the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) and across the Arno to the Pizzi plaza where Therese had us booked for a wine tasting. This was great fun. And I finally got some insights into the intricacies of the Italian varietals (or at least the Tuscans). I will give just a very basic primer. Tuscany is the home of several regional wines including the most famous of all, Chianti. Chianti, like all the other wines of the region are named for where they are grown, not the type of grape. And like most other Tuscan wines, the main grape is Sangiovese. Chianti gets a bad rap for it's "old school" image of a cheap table wine (it is a great inexpensive table wine by the way), but can also be very refined as is true of the other Tuscan regions: Montelcino, Montepulciano, Borghese among them. We tasted 9 different (you read this correctly) wines and I took notes on all of them. Had a great time with our host Eduardo and his brother Zeno. Eduardo went to culinary school in Florence and because he loved wines so much decided to open this wine shop. They serve great appetizers and are equally good company!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Beaune Journey
Bon Journee (Bohn Zhour-nay) is the French way of saying "have a nice day."We had a couple of nice days visiting the very heart of the Burgundy wine region, Beaune, France. A couple of hours drive from Lausanne, we checked out the hotels in town (there are lots of expensive rooms....most of them fully booked) and decided to say at a tourist friendly (read tour busses stop here) Best Western. In the course of doing her research, Therese learned that the local chateaus don't really like or allow "drop-in" tourists on wine tasting tours. The chateaus here, if they do open, do so only on appointment and typically expect you to spend a fair bit on a fair bit of their offerings.
So we weren't quite sure what to expect and headed out through the valley south of the Jura mountain range and into another beautiful medieval town in the midst of a beautiful valley.
When leaving Beaune on the way south, upon reaching the city limits and into the Cote d'Or, I was struck by the fact that it looks exactly like leaving Tualatin, Oregon and heading into the wine country of the Willamette Valley of Oregon. See what you think.
While in Beaune, one of the must see sites is the Hospices de Beaune. This is a mercy hospital that has been beautifully maintained over the centuries. It was constructed by a wealthy lord who wanted to secure his salvation (and that of other benefactors who wanted the same) by providing medical care and a dignified death to those less fortunate. This magnificent structure is in pristine conditions where the treatement rooms are nearly as perfect as they once were. Among its unique characteristics is the colorful tile roof.....which have since come to be associated with this region of France.
Every year, the finest of Burgundy's wines are auctioned off at the most famous wine auction in the world.....the Hospices de Beaune wine auction. This auction literally raises millions of dollars annually and is so influential that the organization has it's own exclusive collection of chateaus which provide their wines. Very exclusive club indeed.
OK, the big thing we wanted to figure out was the wine scene. As mentioned, we already learned that wine tasting American Style wasn't going to happen. So one thing I did was call up a winery in Oregon where we have been wine club members, Domaine Drouhin-which is run by one of the most prominent Burgundy families. Grandfather Joseph was one of the largest landowners in Burgundy and possesses one of the most exclusive names among Burgundy wines. His daughter Veronique is the winemaker at Domaine Drouhin and she makes fabulous Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. So, I called the wine club to see if they could set up a tasting for us, which they unfortunately could not. Which turns out to be a good thing. Joseph Drouhin Cortonne Bressandes Grand Cru retails for 200 Euro or about $300 a bottle.
We were also a bit taken aback by the people, quite frankly. Perhaps because we now observe Europeans more closely (every day vs. once in awhile on vacation or business trips) we are noticing lots of differences. Until now, we had very few bad experiences in France. But the people here seemed.......well.....a bit snobby. Just little things like the way they talk or deal with you (in perfect English) but making it clear they didn't really like the whole idea. So that was disappointing to say the least. We did enjoy the local cuisine (escargots and Beef Bourguignon), however.
OK back to the wines. We did go to Le Marche de Vins, which is about the only place for the tourist to go to taste the local vintages. Here they give you what you might call a traditional tasting vessel (a small, thin tin cup used by experts in tasting-which should tell you something about how they feel about novice wine drinkers in Burgundy) and a chance to sample one vintage from each sub-region in Burgundy.
Without getting into it, suffice to say that understanding wines in France is a complex undertaking. Burgundy epitomizes that. Let me try to explain the complexities in a simple way.
-Wines in France are named for their location, not their vintage
-Bordeaux wines are Cabernet-Merlot (oversimplified explanation I know thanks wine snobs)
-Burgundy wines are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
-Rhone wines are Gamay and Syrah
-Champagne is a region-where the bubbly stuff comes from
And then there are the sub-regions
-Bordeaux: Medoc, haut Medoc, St. Emillion, Margaux, etc.
-Burgundy: Cote de Beaune, Cote de Nuits, etc.
It turns out that in Bourdeaux, there are lots of smaller chateaus (boutique wineries to you and me) that welcome tourists and others as they attempt to make a market for their wines in a region famous for the most famous of all wines. In Burgundy, they don't suffer this situation. There are NO boutique wineries here, and there is no need to make a market (Hospices de Beaune acution, etc), and therefore there are NO good wine buys to be found in Burgundy. Much like a good Pinot in the US is minimally $30, a good burgundy is going to cost you some money (average, and I mean average quality Burgundy is $70). And Pinot is either really great (which in this case means expensive) or horribly average (not that good to drink). whereas you can get an average priced Bordeax which makes a very good table wine.
So the fun of wine tasting eluded us, but we found other stuff to do.
The highlight of our time in Beaune itself was a trip to a local patisserie.
Here we found a wonderful warm baguette (you never knew bread could taste this good or be so much better than other bread you have had before), an apple pastry that Therese absolutely loved. She's still talking about it.
And as much as I hate to admit it, but we do consult Rick Steves' alot before we go someplace. His information is straight-forward, concise and always spot-on. He recommended a trip to Brancion to visit a medieval village wonderfully preserved on a beautiful hilltop in the Beaune valley which contains a marvelous example of Romanesque architecture. This did not disappoint. Weather was delightful, the trip through the castle was very informative and the town, the people (they had to make a market so they were friendly-this place is out of the way) and church were magnificent. There are few examples where an entire fortified town still remains and this sits atop a beautiful hill with what were very strategic views in all directions.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Helsinki
HELSINKI
Once Marc was on his way back to Switzerland, Kelly and I had some time to kill in Stockholm before our cruise ship left for Helsinki (more about that later) We decided to find our way to the Vasa Museum to view a ship that had sunk in the Stockholm harbour on her maiden voyage in August 1628. The mighty war ship had 65 guns and approximately 150 peope on board, mostly seamen, but also some family members. The wreck was salvaged in 1961 after 333 years under the sea! The reconstructed vessel, 95 percent original, is splendidly adorned with hundreds of carved sculptures. It is hard to explain how impressive this massive ship was at first sight and to see it displayed in this huge darkened room. I felt like we in the Pirates of Carribean at Disnyland.Kelly and I boarded our ship for the 14 hour ride over to Helsinki. There are two different cruise lines to choose from over to Helsinki and apparently we chose the wrong one! I guess I can blame that one on Kelly. We soon discovered that we were on the cheaper party boat for all of the young 20 year olds, or people who were definitely on a very tight budget. It was the motel 6 of travel, barf in the bathroom and all. To make matters worse, our room was un
der both car decks down in the bowel of the ship. Not the best experience for my first cruise ship ride, but Kelly and I made the most of it and had a good laugh. I stayed up on deck in a tacky bar playing cards with Kelly as long as I could before I finally had to make it down to the lower decks and crawl into my tiny bed. Our room was under water and I finally fell asleep listening to the engine and the rocking of the boat over every wave.While in Helsinki, we took a bus tour of the beautiful city. The architecture was beautiful. I guess it is compared to that of St. Petersburg in Russia. We ended up having two very nice dinners while there at Michelin restaurants. Everyone speaks English in this part of the world, so it makes it very easy to get around (unlike Lausanne). The people are all very kind and helpful also.
ESTONIA
From Helsinki we boarded another cruise liner over to Estonia. This ride was only 3 hours and we got a very nice table at the front of the ship by the huge windows. It was still light out, so we could see the beautiful coast line as we left and watched the sun go down. We stayed in the capital city of Tallin. Our small hotel built in the 14th century was in the center of the
beautiful Medieval Old Town.
The old town has twisting cobblestone lanes, iron street lamps, gothic spires and medieval churches. The town hall was first mentioned as early as 1322. Large portions of the old wall with three medieval towers still exist.
The old town has twisting cobblestone lanes, iron street lamps, gothic spires and medieval churches. The town hall was first mentioned as early as 1322. Large portions of the old wall with three medieval towers still exist.
Kelly, myself and one other person took a 3 hour walking tour with our private guide. She was a local and has spent her whole life here. They claimed their independance from Russia in the 1980's. Besides their native tongue, they start learning English and Russian in the second grade. Once they reach 10th grade, they can choose a language of their choice. That means that most people speak four languages! 
After two lovely relaxing days in Tallin, we headed for home. We had to time our departure, since Baltic airlines only comes to Tallin every three days. I hate to fly and taking off in a snow storm is not one of those things I look forward to. I just say to myself, I am here and must face my fears! Our flight home turned out to be pleasant, especially with Marc waiting for us at the end of our journey.
Therese
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