If you are not that into wines you probably should not read this post. But before you leave... Did you check out Caroline's paintings in the post before this one? She is really good. She clearly has a talent for this, and she is having a lot of fun doing it. Brava, Carolina!
If you are into wines, I thought this would be a good time to share with you all some of our good finds here in Italy. See what you can get at your local wine shops, and let us know what you like. The ideas to post this came to me because Caroline forgot to mention Montefalco in the list of destinations in Umbria we saw while Frankie was here. Montefalco, as it turns out, is the home of the Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG red wine. At dinner there we sampled a bottle of the aforementioned wine and it was marvelous. There was also a certain novelty factor because the wine was served in glasses that looked more like hurricane lanterns. They were HUGE. You could almost fit your whole head in the glass.
Anyway, I thought this might be a good chance to fill you in on some of our good wine finds here in Italy. Bring a bottle to that holiday party and park yourself next to the host so that you can get a taste when they open it. I am learning a lot, and it is pretty complicated. I will spare you the lesson and get to the recs. We are still totally ignorant in terms of the big picture of Italian wines, but these are the types of wine we have had so far that we look for when we go to the market.
DOCG Reds (Denominazione di Origine Controlata e Garantita, which means pricier, usually anywhere from 8 to 60 euro or more depending on the vintage and the producer. We don't buy these on a regular basis, but they are certainly some of the best we have tasted here)
1) Sagrantino di Montefalco- lighter than a cabernet, brunello, or a chianti, but complex and tasty
2) Vino Nobile di Montepulciano- sort of like a pinot noir but a bit more complex and a little heavier
3) Chianti Classico- it's everywhere and for good reason in my opinion.
4) Brunello di Montalcino- one of the more famous reds from Italy. We tasted a bunch of these with Lisa and Jer while we were in Montalcino (in a wine bar that is inside the medieval fortress), and they were all pretty good. One or two were exceptional. Personally, this is my least favorite of the DOCG's we have tried (which is sort of like saying its the least talented of the Rockettes), but I suspect that if you shell out the big bucks ($50 plus) you won't be disappointed. I also suspect that this wine will age very well if you have a cellar going.
DOC Reds (Denominzione di Origine Controlata. These range in price from 4 euro to 30 or more. You can most likely pick these up for less than $20 in the US)
1) Rosso di Montefalco- the poorer cousin of the Sagrantino. a bit less complex, but very tasty.
2) Rosso di Montepulciano- poorer cousin of the Vino Nobile. tasty.
3) Barbera d'Asti- we found a bottle of this for less than 10 euro that rivals the best wines we have had here. Others are pretty ordinary, but still good and a good value.
4) Barbera d'Alba- I had an awesome one at Trimani (a reputable wine bar) in Rome.
5) Teroldego Rotaliano- we have only had one bottle of this, but it was very good.
IGT Reds (Indicazione Geografica Tipica. Usually cheaper than the other two, i.e. DOCG and DOC, but not always.)
1) Toscana -a solid Tuscan red wine. Cheaper than the "big" ones. Huge differences from producer to producer and from town to town. If you find a good one, it can be a great value.
2) Umbria (usually a Merlot from what I can tell). These have all been very tasty so far. The "Falesco" label is one that we have liked (and the only one I can remember).
DOC Whites
1) Orvieto Classico- a nice balance of light and sweet. definitely something to try if you are getting sick of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
White Varietals (these ones aren't classified in the Italian system, but they are readily available here. I have definitely seen them in the states too.)
Arneis- this is a very interesting white that tastes sort of like a Viognier as far as I can recall. If you are sick of the same old white wine flavors, give this one a try.
Falanghina- a dry wine that is great when it is hot out. Sort of like a pinot grigio, but I like this a lot more than Pinot Grigio.
That's it. Let me know if you find a good bottle. Ciao tutti!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Lazy weekend
I'll take advantage of this lazy weekend to make another blog entry. My mom was in town recently for a nice 12 day visit. It was perfect timing for us because Sam was busy with the end of his semester and I was busy finishing paintings for my class. She got plenty of quality time with Eli and I think they both loved every minute of it. We did manage to get in some nice day trips and a weekend in Umbria while she was here. The trip's itinerary included Orvieto, Civita de Bagnoregio, Tuscania, Rome, Assisi, and Spoleto. We have only a meager assortment of photos from the trip because it was so cold and rainy for most of the time.
Civita: My mom is the speck in the white jacket on the bridge.
Orvieto: The Duomo and Eli running around on the grass next to it.
Spoletto: The weather was too bad to take any outdoor photos that day, but here's one of a roman home that was excavated from under Spoleto's regional gov. offices. We didn't get any pictures from Assisi because of the damp and foggy weather, but the town was absolutely amazing. I think the church of St Francis is my favorite so far - a definite "must see" if you come to Italy. The fresco cycle within was beautiful and the church has a warm glow that's lacking in most Italian cathedrals.
This was the view from our room at the agriturismo in downtown Gaglioli. Gaglioli is a tiny speck of a town between Assisi and Spoleto.
Here are a couple of the paintings that I did for my class this semester.
The aim of the class was realism.
Orvieto: The Duomo and Eli running around on the grass next to it.
Spoletto: The weather was too bad to take any outdoor photos that day, but here's one of a roman home that was excavated from under Spoleto's regional gov. offices. We didn't get any pictures from Assisi because of the damp and foggy weather, but the town was absolutely amazing. I think the church of St Francis is my favorite so far - a definite "must see" if you come to Italy. The fresco cycle within was beautiful and the church has a warm glow that's lacking in most Italian cathedrals.
This was the view from our room at the agriturismo in downtown Gaglioli. Gaglioli is a tiny speck of a town between Assisi and Spoleto.
Here are a couple of the paintings that I did for my class this semester.
The aim of the class was realism.
Today's ride
Ciao ragazzi. Just a short update about my bike ride today.
I was supposed to meet Pat, the director of school, at the piazzetta where the cycling group gathers at 8:30 this morning. Pat and I were going to say hi to the group and go for a nice leisurely ride of 40 to 50 km. I got there to find that Pat had bailed.
It was wicked cold this morning. One of the Italian men in the group (there were only 6 of us today) said that it was around -2 degrees Celsius as we started up the first hill towards Bagnaia. We headed off on what they had said was a ride to Bassano in Teverina and back, about 50 km. For these guys this sort of ride is more like a stretch. It is certainly manageable for me too, but I always worry that the Italians are going to outpace me. Little did I know that at some point on the ride the decision was made to extend the ride to Orte. This added about 25 km and a long, steady climb at the furthest point. By the time I figured this out we were almost in Orte, and there was no going back. The climb went reasonably well, but it took a lot out of me. By the end of the ride the Italians had to slow their pace on the last two hills to let me catch up. It was very humbling, especially since the closest in age to me in the group was about 50 years old.
My feet had gone numb in the first ten minutes on the bike, and I quickly realized that those goofy neoprene cycling booties are actually really important when you ride in freezing weather. At various points I felt like I was getting some feeling back in my toes, but as the ride went on I gave up hope of sensation and focused on getting home. When I did get here it took my toes about an hour and a half to warm back up.
Now I am fully warmed up. Caroline and Eli are napping (they are both pretty sick), and we are excited to have a lazy weekend here in Viterbo. Tomorrow is the Host Family Holiday Party at the school. By all accounts this is a noisy, crowded affair with copious amounts of food. Very Italiano. One week from today we are headed off to Germany to stay in Luca's mom's house in Ehingen where I spent a summer back in college. We are excited for a cold and cozy Christmas, and we are planning a few outings to Ulm, Munich, Tubingen, and lots of castles. On the way there we are going to visit with Luca in Zurich. On the way back we might stop in Austria and in Northern Italy, maybe Mantua. We hope that you all are well and are having a great holiday season. We'll try to post again before we leave for Germany. Ciao e Buone Feste!
I was supposed to meet Pat, the director of school, at the piazzetta where the cycling group gathers at 8:30 this morning. Pat and I were going to say hi to the group and go for a nice leisurely ride of 40 to 50 km. I got there to find that Pat had bailed.
It was wicked cold this morning. One of the Italian men in the group (there were only 6 of us today) said that it was around -2 degrees Celsius as we started up the first hill towards Bagnaia. We headed off on what they had said was a ride to Bassano in Teverina and back, about 50 km. For these guys this sort of ride is more like a stretch. It is certainly manageable for me too, but I always worry that the Italians are going to outpace me. Little did I know that at some point on the ride the decision was made to extend the ride to Orte. This added about 25 km and a long, steady climb at the furthest point. By the time I figured this out we were almost in Orte, and there was no going back. The climb went reasonably well, but it took a lot out of me. By the end of the ride the Italians had to slow their pace on the last two hills to let me catch up. It was very humbling, especially since the closest in age to me in the group was about 50 years old.
My feet had gone numb in the first ten minutes on the bike, and I quickly realized that those goofy neoprene cycling booties are actually really important when you ride in freezing weather. At various points I felt like I was getting some feeling back in my toes, but as the ride went on I gave up hope of sensation and focused on getting home. When I did get here it took my toes about an hour and a half to warm back up.
Now I am fully warmed up. Caroline and Eli are napping (they are both pretty sick), and we are excited to have a lazy weekend here in Viterbo. Tomorrow is the Host Family Holiday Party at the school. By all accounts this is a noisy, crowded affair with copious amounts of food. Very Italiano. One week from today we are headed off to Germany to stay in Luca's mom's house in Ehingen where I spent a summer back in college. We are excited for a cold and cozy Christmas, and we are planning a few outings to Ulm, Munich, Tubingen, and lots of castles. On the way there we are going to visit with Luca in Zurich. On the way back we might stop in Austria and in Northern Italy, maybe Mantua. We hope that you all are well and are having a great holiday season. We'll try to post again before we leave for Germany. Ciao e Buone Feste!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Istanbul
To add to Sam's post about our fantastic stay in Istanbul, I thought I would record the visit with a little photo essay. By the way, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! The school where I'm taking the art classes held a grand dinner for everyone. Although we had to wait until 8pm to eat (very Italian), it was an absolutely delicious meal. Apparently an American-chef-turn-Italian-farmer lives amongst the people of Tuscania and was aching to cook a traditional holiday meal. Deliziosissimo!
We arrived in Istanbul after dark on Wednesday. Due to the plane ride Eli missed his nap that day so he was a bit cranky to say the least. We found a great little cafe for dinner, but since Eli had timed out before we even got there, we were weary and the meal was hurried. I'm sure Adrian was panicking about her decision to travel with a one year old in tow. So we decided to cut our losses and call in an early night. This picture, taken around the corner from our hotel, was our first impression of Istanbul.
The next morning we rushed off to the Ayasofia (what the Turks call it). Eli commemorated the occasion by sticking his finger up Sam's nose the minute we crossed the threshold. The building was amazing.
Later that afternoon we hit the Grand Bazaar. Adrian and I were quite the bargaining team. She came away with some great loot at rock bottom prices. The guy she robbed blind agreed to pose for a pic anyway. Sam and I picked up an awesome antique "miniature" of the whirling dervishes.
Dinner that night was at a great place where we had our own private room. They didn't serve alcohol but we sneaked in a flask of raki, the very potent national drink. Since we sat on the floor, Eli had a ball with the heaps and heaps of pillows around the table.
Sam and Eli hanging out on the roof deck after breakfast. Our hotel overlooked the Bosphorus, the Ayasofia and the Blue Mosque.
I was obsessed with the Harem at the Topkapi Palace. If anyone wants a brief history on Sultans, their mothers, their sex slaves, and their eunuch servants, I'm your girl.
Here we are at the Spice Bazaar. Adrian made some good friends here too and was a good guide through the miles and miles of spices to choose from.
While we were in the Bazaar, it began to rain so we took refuge in a bar on the bridge spanning the Golden Horn. We had a great view of old Istanbul and some comfy bean bag chairs to sit in. Though the pictures from our dinner that night didn't turn out very well, it's well worth a mention. We went to a restaurant at the fish market where we had to haggle for the price of our meals. We ate a salt encrusted sea bass. When I say encrusted, I mean encrusted - the fish was under 3 inches of salt. For the final presentation they lit the salt shell on fire and chiseled their way down to the fish to serve. It was delicious!
The next morning we were off to the Blue Mosque. It was impressive. It was the perfect opportunity for Adrian to sport her new muslim-chic look. Mahvelous dahling!
Later that day, a Roman Cistern. This was very cool. It was a former basilica. Three hundred Roman columns were created the structure for this huge ancient well - complete with mutated fish.
That afternoon we headed to the Asian shore and took in the local scene. Sam's third continent. The views of Old Istanbul were beautiful. That night, Sam volunteered to babysit while Adrian and I had a girls night out in Beyolou. Itstanbul 's nightlife is incredible. A great way to end the trip.
We arrived in Istanbul after dark on Wednesday. Due to the plane ride Eli missed his nap that day so he was a bit cranky to say the least. We found a great little cafe for dinner, but since Eli had timed out before we even got there, we were weary and the meal was hurried. I'm sure Adrian was panicking about her decision to travel with a one year old in tow. So we decided to cut our losses and call in an early night. This picture, taken around the corner from our hotel, was our first impression of Istanbul.
The next morning we rushed off to the Ayasofia (what the Turks call it). Eli commemorated the occasion by sticking his finger up Sam's nose the minute we crossed the threshold. The building was amazing.
Later that afternoon we hit the Grand Bazaar. Adrian and I were quite the bargaining team. She came away with some great loot at rock bottom prices. The guy she robbed blind agreed to pose for a pic anyway. Sam and I picked up an awesome antique "miniature" of the whirling dervishes.
Dinner that night was at a great place where we had our own private room. They didn't serve alcohol but we sneaked in a flask of raki, the very potent national drink. Since we sat on the floor, Eli had a ball with the heaps and heaps of pillows around the table.
Sam and Eli hanging out on the roof deck after breakfast. Our hotel overlooked the Bosphorus, the Ayasofia and the Blue Mosque.
I was obsessed with the Harem at the Topkapi Palace. If anyone wants a brief history on Sultans, their mothers, their sex slaves, and their eunuch servants, I'm your girl.
Here we are at the Spice Bazaar. Adrian made some good friends here too and was a good guide through the miles and miles of spices to choose from.
While we were in the Bazaar, it began to rain so we took refuge in a bar on the bridge spanning the Golden Horn. We had a great view of old Istanbul and some comfy bean bag chairs to sit in. Though the pictures from our dinner that night didn't turn out very well, it's well worth a mention. We went to a restaurant at the fish market where we had to haggle for the price of our meals. We ate a salt encrusted sea bass. When I say encrusted, I mean encrusted - the fish was under 3 inches of salt. For the final presentation they lit the salt shell on fire and chiseled their way down to the fish to serve. It was delicious!
The next morning we were off to the Blue Mosque. It was impressive. It was the perfect opportunity for Adrian to sport her new muslim-chic look. Mahvelous dahling!
Later that day, a Roman Cistern. This was very cool. It was a former basilica. Three hundred Roman columns were created the structure for this huge ancient well - complete with mutated fish.
That afternoon we headed to the Asian shore and took in the local scene. Sam's third continent. The views of Old Istanbul were beautiful. That night, Sam volunteered to babysit while Adrian and I had a girls night out in Beyolou. Itstanbul 's nightlife is incredible. A great way to end the trip.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
They defintely were giants...
Hey there. It's Sam again. I am sneaking in a post while Caroline is putting Eli to bed. Today is Tuesday, and we just got back from Istanbul two days ago. I still can't even come up with the words to describe how cool that place is. I'll do my best, and I'm sure my better third will chime in with her two Euro cents soon. For those of you not keeping track, two euro cents is now worth three hundred American dollars.
The flight to Istanbul was just over two hours, and we arrived at our hotel before dark. The hotel was located in Sultanhamet (just a block away from the Four Seasons in Istanbul) which basically seems to have been the center of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Within a three minute walk from our room we visited the Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, an ancient cistern and the Topkapi Palace. All of these places were breathtaking. Check out the pics at the end of the post.
Other than the amazing monuments, the city had a lot to offer. First, Eli was like some sort of infant rock star over there. Perhaps it was his blond hair and blue eyes, but people literally stopped in their tracks when they saw him. Then they would come over and kiss him, pinch him, pick him up, and in one case even sing to him. I have never experienced anything like it. People we extremely friendly, and we loved all the attention as did Eli. This gave us a great in with any group of people, and in general Eli's popularity was an awesome part of the trip. Second, Istanbul is hip. There are all sorts of new, stylish cafes, boutiques and bars everywhere, and they are not the same cookie cutter stuff that you see elsewhere. The city has a very interesting blend of East and West, as you would expect, but the vibrancy and pulse was something that took us by surprise. We explored one particularly cool neighborhood a few times, and we only felt like we had just scratched the surface. In short, Istanbul, in our estimation, has every right to be considered one of the great cities of the world. We want to go back and see more of it, but alas, so much to do, so little time.
Some personal highlights: 1) we took the ferry across the Bosphorus to the Asian shore, and I set foot on my third continent as did Eli; 2) this was my first time in a mosque, and I felt the burden of face to face diplomacy as I tried to be sensitive to Muslim culture. In other words, despite my general moral turpitude and past history, I actively tried to avoid desecrating any holy sites; and 3) I managed to eat three doner kebaps in one day with only minimal intestinal dysfunction.
Here are some basic pics. Caroline will post soon with more info and more pics.
1) the Blue Mosque at night, 2) a mosaic in the Hagia Sofia, 3) inside the Hagia Sofia, 4) Eli and Dad inside the Harem's Quarters of the Topkapi Palace of the Sultans, and 5) the Basilica Cistern
The flight to Istanbul was just over two hours, and we arrived at our hotel before dark. The hotel was located in Sultanhamet (just a block away from the Four Seasons in Istanbul) which basically seems to have been the center of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Within a three minute walk from our room we visited the Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, an ancient cistern and the Topkapi Palace. All of these places were breathtaking. Check out the pics at the end of the post.
Other than the amazing monuments, the city had a lot to offer. First, Eli was like some sort of infant rock star over there. Perhaps it was his blond hair and blue eyes, but people literally stopped in their tracks when they saw him. Then they would come over and kiss him, pinch him, pick him up, and in one case even sing to him. I have never experienced anything like it. People we extremely friendly, and we loved all the attention as did Eli. This gave us a great in with any group of people, and in general Eli's popularity was an awesome part of the trip. Second, Istanbul is hip. There are all sorts of new, stylish cafes, boutiques and bars everywhere, and they are not the same cookie cutter stuff that you see elsewhere. The city has a very interesting blend of East and West, as you would expect, but the vibrancy and pulse was something that took us by surprise. We explored one particularly cool neighborhood a few times, and we only felt like we had just scratched the surface. In short, Istanbul, in our estimation, has every right to be considered one of the great cities of the world. We want to go back and see more of it, but alas, so much to do, so little time.
Some personal highlights: 1) we took the ferry across the Bosphorus to the Asian shore, and I set foot on my third continent as did Eli; 2) this was my first time in a mosque, and I felt the burden of face to face diplomacy as I tried to be sensitive to Muslim culture. In other words, despite my general moral turpitude and past history, I actively tried to avoid desecrating any holy sites; and 3) I managed to eat three doner kebaps in one day with only minimal intestinal dysfunction.
Here are some basic pics. Caroline will post soon with more info and more pics.
1) the Blue Mosque at night, 2) a mosaic in the Hagia Sofia, 3) inside the Hagia Sofia, 4) Eli and Dad inside the Harem's Quarters of the Topkapi Palace of the Sultans, and 5) the Basilica Cistern
When in Rome
We've had quite the November with visitors coming through. Adrian and the Savage three just parted ways in Istanbul on Sunday. The city was unbelievable! We all ended up being great travel partners as well. There's too much to show and tell for one blog post so I'll tell our travel tale in two parts: the western and eastern empires respectively.
First, a photo tour of the western capital...
We started touring immediately upon Adrian's arrival. She was a trooper having arrived after a red eye flight. Ostia Antica, an ancient Rome city comparable to Pompeii, is just minutes from the airport so we stopped there for a morning stroll. The site is less traveled than Pompeii so they let you climb all over the ruins and do as you will. This first pic is taken from the top of an ancient staircase that's still intact.
Those of you that know Eli know that he's quite the orator. He had a bit of stage fright on this occasion however. Here he is trying to escape center stage at the ancient theater.
Chillin' out in the Roman baths...
Saturday night we ended the day by eating some huge and glorious pizzas at a"pizza farm" or agritourismo in Viterbo.
The next day we drove into Rome to tour the Roman Forum and the Collosseum. Sam gave us a great tour and filled us in on the history of the Roman Republic and Empire - all in one afternoon.
We lunched in the Jewish Quarter at a restaurant that was touted as having the "most authentic" Roman-Jewish food in the city. Perhaps, but both pork and shellfish were spotted on the menu. The food was great though and we decided to sample a bit of the pork "when in Rome..." since Romans seem to have discovered a loophole to the rule. This was taken after lunch at a nearby temple... it's no longer in use.
The next day, Monday, Adrian ventured into Rome on her own since I had class. On Tuesday we went to Baniaia and the Villa Lante for the morning. Here are a few shots from our impromptu jaunt through the gardens.
Wednesday we set off for Istanbul...
First, a photo tour of the western capital...
We started touring immediately upon Adrian's arrival. She was a trooper having arrived after a red eye flight. Ostia Antica, an ancient Rome city comparable to Pompeii, is just minutes from the airport so we stopped there for a morning stroll. The site is less traveled than Pompeii so they let you climb all over the ruins and do as you will. This first pic is taken from the top of an ancient staircase that's still intact.
Those of you that know Eli know that he's quite the orator. He had a bit of stage fright on this occasion however. Here he is trying to escape center stage at the ancient theater.
Chillin' out in the Roman baths...
Saturday night we ended the day by eating some huge and glorious pizzas at a"pizza farm" or agritourismo in Viterbo.
The next day we drove into Rome to tour the Roman Forum and the Collosseum. Sam gave us a great tour and filled us in on the history of the Roman Republic and Empire - all in one afternoon.
We lunched in the Jewish Quarter at a restaurant that was touted as having the "most authentic" Roman-Jewish food in the city. Perhaps, but both pork and shellfish were spotted on the menu. The food was great though and we decided to sample a bit of the pork "when in Rome..." since Romans seem to have discovered a loophole to the rule. This was taken after lunch at a nearby temple... it's no longer in use.
The next day, Monday, Adrian ventured into Rome on her own since I had class. On Tuesday we went to Baniaia and the Villa Lante for the morning. Here are a few shots from our impromptu jaunt through the gardens.
Wednesday we set off for Istanbul...
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Vino Country
The Arno
Fall colors in Tuscany
So, last weekend we had the first of our visitors. Lisa and Jeremy came for a visit all the way from Oaktown with their eight month old Zach (correction to the 9 mos I quoted prior to their visit). We had a nice relaxing time in Tuscany with a quick trip to Florence to boot. A good time was had by all even when the kiddies prevented us from doing too much sightseeing. We did see many a good view on our countryside drives though. We hit the height of the fall colors. Catching up with friends and the excellent food and wine we had were reason enough for the trip.
Unfortunately, our camera is quickly crapping out so our picture taking is getting less frequent. A new and improved one is on the way however, so we'll be back in full effect in no time.
Eli, Sam and Lisa hanging out in Piazza Santa Croce in Florence
A couple of the sunsets we witnessed in Tuscany
This was taken at the agriturismo where we stayed (agriturismi are working farms that also offer accommodations for tourists)
Jer and Zach chilling out at our place in Viterbo
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