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In Search of Sofrito
Maybe it’s because I’ve lived in Denver for the last 23 years, but over the last 5 1/2 months, I’ve really missed the brightness and spice I’m used to in Denver’s Tex-Mex influenced cuisine. I’ve found it in Spanish sofritos and my palate couldn’t be happier. A sofrito is the base of many Spanish foods…
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Barthelona, young energy in the old world
Three days in Barcelona were not enough. Landing in Barcelona from Naples and arriving at our hotel by taxi, the difference in architecture and atmosphere was striking. The cobblestones of Italy, England and France gave way to wide open boulevards and bright, modern buildings. To my eyes, the buildings had a distinctly Spanish flair; balconies…
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Week #22 ~ Recap
2 countries, 2 museums, 3 UNESCO world heritage sites, one flight across the Mediterranean Sea, 1 concert, 1 dear old friend, 1 new friend who guided us through a tapas menu in Catalan, and $121.83 OVER budget. Flying from Naples, Italy, to Barcelona, Spain was only two hours, but the difference in the food, the…
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Napoli ~ amazing past, gritty present.
Founded by the Greeks, Naples is one of the oldest continually inhabited urban areas in the world. With its bay and cargo port, Naples sustained heavy damage in World War 2 and a large portion of the core city had to be reconstructed. Today that port is active with container ships and cruise ships disgorging…
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Rome, the Eternal City
When you get the chance to spend 10 days in a city you tend to see it from a different angle. With 10 days in a location your schedule can include one intentional rest day and one unintentional sick day. You can see things at a different pace than folks who have only one, or…
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Week #21 ~ Recap
2 countries (the Vatican is small but mighty!), 1 major American Holiday, 3 museums, 4 dinners cooked at home, 1 concert, 3 walking tours, 1 grand cathedral, 1 Swiss guard, 1 rest day, 1 afternoon spent in awe at the home of the Catholic Church, 3 protests, approximately 8 arancini from the street food vendor…
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Siena waits…for you
Do you remember that color in your box of crayons called “Burnt Siena”? Maybe not, but that color comes from the color of the buildings made from the clay taken from the surrounding hills. Siena, a walled hill-town city in Tuscany, has all of the medieval magnificence of Florence on a smaller scale. What it…
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Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Travel-Weary
It’s been awhile since we’ve posted about the less glorious side of travel. As of today, we’ve been on the road for 151 days. Every new location comes with a bit of anxiety as we adjust to a new “home”. Each new place requires research and exploration to understand what sites we want to see,…
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Week #20 ~ Recap
477 miles, 4 towns, 1 major city, 6 train rides, 5 or 6 more tiramisus, 4,000 stairs (maybe not that many but it sure felt that way), 2 UNESCO world heritage sites, 1 duomo tour, 1 Michelangelo sculpture, 1 saint’s sanctuary, $649.40 UNDER budget. The week started in the Cinque Terre and ended in the…
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The Cinque Terre, magic where there shouldn’t be any.
I apologize in advance to all of you who have already been to the Cinque Terre (five towns) area of Italy ~ this post may produce a yearning to return. Lots of people have heard of the Cinque Terre ~ a coastal area in northeast Italy consisting of five towns whose only defense against pirates…
