A Walk Down Memory Lane

This week a friend nominated me for a fun 5-day Landscape Photo Challenge on Facebook. It was a great excuse to dive into my extensive collection of photos and remember all of the amazing trips we've taken. Below are the photos I used during the challenge.

Day 1 of 5 - this photo was taken in Morocco in 2008 when Tom and I went there on our honeymoon. You can see the Atlas mountain range in the background.

Day 2 of 5 - this photo was taken at the Palace of Versailles, France in 2009. I can't wait to go back and explore the gardens. 

Day 3 of 5 - this photo was taken while driving through Tuscany, Italy in 2010.

Day 4 of 5 - this photo was taken in 2012 as we were riding in a gondola to the top of Mount Pilatus in Switzerland.

Day 5 of 5 - this photo was taken in 2011 at Schoolhouse Beach on Washington Island in Door County, Wisconsin.

Pesto Vernazza Style

During our trip to Italy in 2010, I had the most amazing pesto in Vernazza. The Cinque Terre region is the birthplace of pesto and they have perfected it! I had it for dinner both nights and the second night was even better than the first! While I can’t remember the restaurant names, I’ll never forget the locations. In the photo below, the restaurant we ate at the second night is located just above my head and to the right…did you get that? I know I have their business card somewhere, so I’ll have to look. I guess I gushed a bit, because the owner even offered to give me a cooking lesson. Unfortunatly we were leaving the next morning, so I couldn’t take him up on the offer.

So why was it so amazing? The fresh pesto was served over trofie, a pasta made from flour with a bit of potato. It was designed specifically for pesto and I can’t find it anywhere in the states. Tossed with the pasta were chopped green beans and chopped potatoes. It was simply delicious! I bought a jar of pesto to take home and didn’t even think that it would be considered a liquid. Sadly it was confiscated at security.

Close up of trofie pasta.

Since it was October, I had to wait until the following summer to plant basil and make my own pesto. Here is a link to a simple recipe: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/. As I mentioned, I can’t find trofie pasta anywhere in the states, so we use small gnocci instead. I'll also substitute walnuts, because pine nuts are crazy expensive. I like to make large batches of pesto and freeze in ice cube trays. That way we can enjoy it long into winter. A quick meal is pulling out 4-5 cubes of pesto, cook the gnocchi and toss over pesto cubes. Then steam a few chopped green beans and microwave a few small red potatoes (chop after). Toss it all together and in less than 10 minutes you have a pesto Vernazza style. Yum!

Side Note: I have never tasted focaccia like the kind I had in Vernazza. It was simply amazing. I was addicted. Especially the version that had olives on it. I tried to recreate it at home, but it didn’t turn out the same. Guess we’ll just have to go back!

Thinking About Italy

Our trip to Italy last fall really was amazing and I'm thinking about it now as I sit in gloomy Chicago. September/October is the perfect time to travel there.  And we went everywhere!  We started out south in Naples and went to the pizza place from Eat, Pray, Love.  It lives up to its reputation and worth a trip to Naples just to try the pizza.  My husband is obsessed with trying to recreate it at home and I don’t mind!  

Delicious!

We made a stop to Pompeii on our way to the Amalfi Coast and it was really cool to see how people lived almost 2000 years ago.  They even had fast food restaurants.  The Amafli Coast is just breathtaking - cliffs, blue sea and lemons everywhere.  We did a lot of hiking up and down the endless steps that lead down to the sea and up to the hill towns.  On our way to Rome we decided to take a really scenic route that involved a boat ride and a stop in beautiful Capri where we did some more hiking.  With all the hiking we did, I worked up an appetite and the food did not disappoint. It was all so fresh!  

Amalfi

The next leg of our trip was in Rome where we spent a long weekend and saw all of the major sites.  It's such a vibrant city with amazing restaurants, architecture and shopping.  We stayed at a convent and, while convenient and affordable, the 10:00 curfew put a dent in our evenings.  It was like we were in high school trying to get home on time before our parents (aka nuns) locked the door. 

I made it to Rome!

Tom's brother (who lives in Belgium) met us for the next leg of our trip, which was driving around Tuscany. We made it to 7 hill towns in 2 1/2 days.  Quick trip, but we'll definitely be back.  I love the medieval feel of the towns and I'm kicking myself for not getting any of the pottery.  

Tuscan Countryside

Our next stop was Cinque Terre which is on the east coast and we hiked between the 5 fishing villages.  We stayed in Vernazza and they don't have any hotels, so you have to rent a room from a local.  We did it when we got there and outside our window was the drying rack where we hung our cloths out to dry.  I must have done it wrong, because the woman we rented the room from rehung everything for me.  We also had THE BEST focaccia bread and pesto there.  I'm still dreaming about it.

Vernazza

After that we went to Lake Como for a few days and just relaxed and took the ferry to the different towns. There are so many gorgeous villas and gardens there. Finally our last stop was Milan were we saw "The Last Supper" and had the best happy hours.  They serve tons of snacks for free with your beer or wine.  

I can’t wait to go back to Italy, but until we do, I have a lot of wonderful memories stored away.

Lake Como

Happy Hour in Italy

Italians really know how to deliver a great happy hour.  Now, they had a lot to live up to in my book after the endless potato chips and olives delivered with our beers in Morocco and how could I forget Spain, where each bar had their own special complimentary treat – olives, jamón and my favorite tortilla Espanola.  Europeans (and Moroccans) know that you need to eat when you drink.  Something bars in the U.S. fail to remember and hence the need for midnight super pretzels.  But I digress…

All over Italy we received various snacks along with our happy hour drinks.  Potato chips were a favorite, as were peanuts and olives, but nothing compared to the bars in Milan.  Our last day in Italy was spent in Milan and after a 3-hour walking tour of the city, which finished with a breathtaking viewing of The Last Supper, we needed a break.  We bee-lined to a bar we saw during our walk and ordered a few drinks.  Well, along with our drinks came mini sandwiches, potato chips and peanuts.  There was also a full snack buffet at the bar.  We were in heaven! 

After one drink we decided to make our way to another bar to compare the happy hour selection and although it wasn’t as grand as the first place, it still provided plenty of snacks to keep us happy and free Wi-Fi, a rarity in Italy.

Tom Enjoying Italian Happy Hour

Chips and Olives!