March 2018 - Dave and Sara’s Excellent 2018 Adventure

Pizza, Pasta, and Gelato

By Dave and Sara on Friday, March 30, 2018

Today is sadly our last day of the Sabbatical. We started the day by heading to the Palzzao Fortuny Museum. The museum was quite cool. It was the personal Palazzo of the Artist Fortuny. They had a few other exhibits but the building itself was really cool. The special exhibit was of Zoran Music. Honestly, (this is Dave), I did not think his art was that impressive. Sara liked it though. The permanent exhibit I thought was really cool. Fortuny designed a few theaters and there were models he developed which I also thought were really cool.

After visiting the museum, we headed to grab some Pizza. We headed over to Birreria La Corte. It was one of the few pizzerias on Venice that are allowed to burn wood. Most are restricted to gas due to fire danger. The pizza was quite delicious.

With the Pizza finished, we headed out to run some errands. Even though our planned destinations were only a few 100 meters away, with poor directions each stop took about 15-20 minutes to get to. One of the important stops was to grab some Gelato. We took this shot of relaxing gondoliers as we ate it.

Tonight we have a massage, followed by heading back to Osteria 4 Feri for some pasta and seafood. Tomorrow morning we take the water taxi back to the airport and fly back to the States. Because it was our last day it was important to us to make sure to eat Pizza, Pasta, and Gelato one last time.

Overall, this has been quite an amazing experience. In numbers we have done:

300+ Miles of Walking
4000+ km of driving
60+ Bottles of Wine (not all betweeen just the two of us)
5 Cases of Wine successfuly shipped home
100+ new words Dave has already forgotten in Italian
3 Countries Visited
6 Ski Resort Slayed
40 Euro lost at gas stations
All of the Pizza, Pasta, and Cheese Consumed
0 days we didn’t talk at length about what Joe and Penny were doing

60 days is a long time to spend on vacation. Luckily, we both agree if we were to do it over again, there is not much we would have changed. The skiing was epic and the road trip was an incredible experience. An interesting perspective is that it is rare for couples to spend 60 days without separation with their partner. Usually you have to wait until retirement for that and even then you likely have some alone time when one runs out. Luckily, Sara and I really enjoyed spending the time with each other. Neither of us felt like we needed time apart or a break which I think is good.

I am very thankful for all of the hard work that Sara put in to earn this Sabbatical. Hopefully we get to do it again sometime in the future. What a long, strange trip it’s been and we can’t for the next one.

Alla prossima, Europe.

Italy Road Trip

Quiet Day

By Dave and Sara on Thursday, March 29, 2018

This morning we woke up a bit earlier than usual to hit the gym. After running for a half hour we headed up for breakfast before hitting the town.

We set out on a walk with no particular destination in mind. We started by crossing the Academia bridge and journeyed around until we crossed the Rialto. The Academia bridge is currently being restored. Our trip took us through the neighborhoods of Dosoduro and Santa Croce.

After walking for about three to four hours we stumbled in to a wine bar, Vino Vero, we found on our last trip. It was one of the highlights of our last trip so we were excited to find it again. They have tons of bruschettas. They also advertise that they don’t have spritz because they love wine. Their selection is quite good both by the glass and bottle which they sell to take away as well. It’s along the Fondamenta Misericordia in Canneregio.

After we finished at Vino Vero we started to make our way leisurely back towards the hotel. We stopped at another bar on the way for more snacks. It’s like tapas in Barcelona where you can eat a little bite and then move on and eat a little more. All delicious bites on toast and a reason to stop for a little while on the walk. In the second bar we met a law student from Israel who lives in Bologna but comes to Venice to buy his supplies for Passover. The ghetto in Venice is still one of the largest Jewish communities in Italy. Nice guy, bought us each a little shooter of wine they drink here called an ‘Ombra.’ (Note: top photo is from google just to show what the ‘Ombra’ looks like)

Our day of laying low had us walking over 20,000 steps. We enjoyed many bars and was able to escape most of the rain. Also tonight we are expecting 1.2 meters of Aqua Alta around 11:30PM so the walkways are up. As we passed through San Marco the water was already bubbling up through the storm grates across the piazza. Gladly we will be back safely at our hotel before the alarm rings. (Anything over 110cm of high tide the alarm rings all over Venice to let people know it’s coming so they can get to where they need to be.) The walkways cover heavily trafficked routes in the the areas that are most prone to flooding.

Tomorrow is our last full day of the Sabbatical and we are understandably sad to see it end. Tomorrow we will try to get emotional and “shmoopy” about the trip unless we get too busy. If that happens you all will have to wait.

Italy Road Trip

Harry’s Bar and a Bunch of Islands

By Dave and Sara on Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Last nights dinner was at Al Covo in Castello. The neighborhood (Castello) is pretty cool and much quieter than where our hotel is located next to San Marco. Soft shell crab was the special of the evening so we were pretty stoked on the meal.

Afterwards we went to Harry’s Bar because it’s next to our hotel and when in Rome…or when in Venice more like.

Today we went to the islands of Murano and Mazzorba and were out on the water all day. It was sunny and fairly warm so a good day to visit the islands. Murano is the glass island and there are a lot of tourist traps to sort through. We did a lot of research about where to buy glass online before we went and it was still super confusing. What we found is that the nice stuff seems to be in stores named after someone (I.e. Carlo Moretti) and that there are nice pieces for a reasonable price. Most of it was not really to our taste though so we didn’t buy anything.

Mazzorba is attached to Burano the lace island. We took a very crowded boat there and had an unpectedly nice/expensive lunch at a place called Venissa which is a restaurant, B&B and winery. It’s very cute and sits in the middle of its own vineyard on the island. Unexpected though because Sara meant to book the osteria but mistakenly booked at their restaurant (oops). We did not opt for the wine they make on the property for 500 euro. Oh well, it was a serene afternoon even if albeit more costly than planned.

Tonight we went back to one of our favorite restaurants from the last time we were here called Osteria 4 Feri. They have really great seafood. After dinner tonight, we loved it so much we booked another reservation for Friday night. We did the same thing last time we were here.

Tomorrow we have no plans except to act like we are Venetian. Should be fun!

Italy Road Trip

The Final Frontier

By Dave and Sara on Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Today we left Verona and headed for Venice. Along the way we stopped in Padova for a quick stop over. It was a beautiful day in Padova with everybody out and about. We tried to go to the Scrovegni Chapel, but they were booked for the day. Instead we headed over to the Church of Saint Anthony. After walking around a bit we walked over to the Duomo before stopping at a cafe for a quick bite to eat.

Back on the road, the drive from Padova to Venice was very short. Once we returned the car at the airport we took a water taxi to our hotel. Sara worked really hard to get us into our hotel here, the Hotel Gritti. After all of her travel we were able to use points to book a hotel that is a bit nicer than we deserve. We walked around a bit but did some chores mostly once we got here.

Italy Road Trip

Fair Verona

By David on Monday, March 26, 2018

Yesterday and today we’ve been in Verona. Yesterday was fun because it was Palm Sunday and the city was full of people. We walked around quite a bit and saw the Arena from the outside and also Piazza delle Erbe where the city was hosting a kind of science/environmental fair for kids. The weather is nice and all the cafes and restaurants are full. We had a very light lunch at a cute tavern called Osteria Al La. We spent the early evening relaxing in the hotel, when we checked in we got upgraded to a suite that’s pretty spacious. It also is very heavy on the gold accents.

We had a seafood dinner at Osteria Bertoldo in the historic city center, we got a little turned around on the way there so we ended up seeing quite a bit of the center on the way. After dinner we finished with a nightcap at our hotel in front of the fireplace.

Today we went to Juliet’s balcony with all the school children in all of Italy who are apparently here today for a field trip. It was a brief visit. This isn’t a photo of the balcony but all of the walls near the balcony are covered in hearts.

This is the Castle.

We also went to the Arena which is still used a concert and opera venue. Unfortunately we are missing the upcoming production by a few days. Interestingly, the Arena has perfect acoustics so they don’t mike the productions. In fact, today we were way up at the top of the amphitheater and could hear one of the workmen sawing through a 2×4 down in the center.

Tomorrow we leave for Venice, our last stop (sad face).

Italy Road Trip

Osteria Francescana

By David on Sunday, March 25, 2018

We said we’d make the most of our last Saturday in Italy and we certainly did! When we booked the trip we put ourselves on the wait list for Osteria Francescana, an amazing looking restaurant by Massimo Battura that’s won all kinds of awards and is considered the number two restaurant in the world (we have heard maybe number one). It has three Michelin stars. We’ve seen it featured on a bunch of shows and the chef is an amazing artist with food. He also does a lot of good for the community and gives the impression of being a pretty cool guy. So on Friday when we called to see if we could get a place off the wait list we were shocked when they said yes to two schmoes like us.

We spent the whole day walking around and only had a salad so we would be good and hungry for the experience. The restaurant was right by our hotel so we walked over, it’s very unassuming from the outside. Inside it’s serious, all grey and dim lighting and fairly austere. The staff are all outfitted by Gucci. (Sara had to ask because their shirt collars had these big embroidered bees on them.)

Everyone who worked at the restaurant was welcoming and extremely professional. Also there didn’t seem to be any women waitresses (Note, there were many women chefs)? We both ordered the 12-course (Tutto) tasting menu with wine pairing and they adjusted it to replace all the meat dishes.

The whole experience was something to remember. All the food was outstanding and the wine pairing (which also included some non wine items like a fermented honey liquor and Yuzo) was interesting and unique.

Hands down the best part of the evening happened at the very end after we paid our bill and started walking home. Around the corner from the main entrance the kitchen door was propped open onto the street. Sara stopped to peak in and take a photo when one of the staff stepped out with the trash. They started chatting in Italian and he invited us in to take a photo with the whole crew! Unfortunately the head chef wasn’t there but still, it felt incredibly special to be welcomed into the prestigious kitchen so warmly. We will cherish this photo and the memory of truly a great night in the twilight of what has been a life changing trip for us. Another interesting note, as you can see in the photo people come from all over the world to train in one of the best kitchens. This photo likely contains the next hottest chefs we will all read about in the upcoming years, we hope.

We tried to take photos of all of the dishes but some had bites taken out and some we forgot. Below are those photos:

Today, we moved on to Verona.

Italy Road Trip

A Day in Modena

By Dave and Sara on Saturday, March 24, 2018

This morning we woke up to make the short drive from Bologna to Modena. It is only about 45 minutes away.

Upon getting here we initially thought it was a ghost town but once we got in to the historic center, it was quite crowded.

in the center of town there is a large flea market with lots of good stuff. Unfortunately we didn’t bring a shipping container with us. There also appeared to be a book fair in the adjacent piazza.

The food market here is quite large as well. It reminded us of the food market on Barcelona but likely a bit smaller. After walking around for a bit we grabbed a quick lunch. We stopped at Sosta Emiliana for a nice salad, eating light today.

This afternoon we ran a couple errands and did some window shopping during the passegiata. Now we are enjoying a Spritz surrounded by all the very chic Modenese. Also, Easter season is in full swing so lots of church bells ringing all over the city.

Sadly, this our last full Saturday in Italy so we plan to make the most of it.

Italy Road Trip

A Run, A Pizza, and Shopping

By Dave and Sara on Friday, March 23, 2018

This morning we started our morning with a four mile run. Our plan was to run around the entire city but on the run we realized it would be closer to a half marathon so we ran half way around then cut through the middle. It was a bit brisk but was still fun to get some fresh air.

After our run, we showered up and headed out to get some lunch. We walked around town for about an hour and a half before we stoped at Ristorante Nino for some Pizza.

After lunch, we headed over to the market to get our fixings for dinner. After shopping around we decided on getting clams for tageltelli with clam sauce. We also got some cheese, artichokes and capers for our home aperitivo.

When we finished our shopping, we had some laundry to get finished before we leave our last place with a washing machine. Turns out we may have to do some shopping to end up with enough clean clothes to end the trip.

Tomorrow we leave for Modena.

Italy Road Trip

Back to School

By Dave and Sara on Thursday, March 22, 2018

Today, we set out on learning to make pasta. We hired Maribel of Taste of Italy to spend the day showing us the markets and teaching the finer things about cooking Italian pasta. We started the morning bright and early at 9am to walk around the market to see what was fresh and decide the menu for the day.

Based on the vegetables we decided on artichokes, fava beans and peas, and roasted butternut squash. After making our purchases we headed back to Maribel’s apartment to get started on lunch. First step is making the pasta. What was nice about the course is Sara and I basically did everything so we could really learn. While making the pasta was probably the hardest part, it wasn’t really that bad. Based on our dishes we decided to make three eggs worth of pasta. Sara made one egg while I made two. Mixing the egg with the flour we got to kneading. First by fork, then by scraper and finally by hand. The key is that your hands are warm so you want to wait as long as possible to use them. Once we were done kneading, the dough needed some rest.

‘While the dough rested, we got to pealing the fava beans and peas. With three of us it didn’t take much time. Then we got to rolling out the pasta. This was by far the hardest part. Getting the dough to paper thin without tearing or making holes. Once it got to be so big, the only way to rotate it was to role it on the the pin. Because I had two eggs I had to use the meter wide rolling pin. This got to be quite large and I was very nervous I would mess it up. Luckily I didn’t.

With our dough rolled out, it was time to pasta. The first pasta we made was tortelloni with roasted butternut squash, Parmesan and nutmeg. Look how good they look! Next we made bow tie pasta for our fava beans and pea pasta. Finally we made tagelotelli for our sautéed artichokes.

After getting everything all prepared we feasted. It was all so good!

Italy Road Trip

A long drive

By David on Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Today we had our longest drive back to the north, destinstion Bologna. We took out one short stay in the countryside and added a few days here because they weather turned cold again. Glad we did as this morning it snowed in Abruzzo but here in the city there is plenty to do even if the weather isn’t so nice. For most of the trip we followed the A14 right along the east coast of Italy. The beaches in this area don’t look so nice, or at least they didn’t today and the ocean was also quite agitated.

Bologna is a pretty cool town so we are off to explore before dinner. Tomorrow morning we booked a pasta cooking class so that should be fun.

We had a little bit of a crazy experience at Mailboxes etc trying to ship the wine back from Chieti. Hopefully we see it again!

Month: March 2018