If everything has already been said about Venice, not enough has been said about Naples. At least, not enough good. We prepared for Naples as if we were going to a semi-war zone. We read about the tricks used by thieves in the train station. We had our strategy of sticking together to ward off the Mongol Hordes. We had inner pockets, inner purses, hidden money belts, etc. It was all for naught.

The street scenes were haunting but in no way menacing. There are more thieves and beggars in the Florence train station than in Naples. In fact, the Naples train station (at least the upstairs section) was more beautiful than the stations in both Florence and Venice. Every taxi driver was honest and accommodating. We did not have one negative experience. I won’t count the hour long taxi ride to our lunch restaurant on our last day because that was the fault of the America’s Cup race and the closing of one entire artery of traffic. Even that experience was entertaining since we saw 6 lanes of traffic merge into 1. Our taxi driver got on my phone when I called our lunch restaurant and explained our situation in great detail, then he wrote down the fish that we should order. We also saw a traffic accident where a poor girl’s bumper was nearly torn off by a motor bike who just zipped away.

Our hotel, La Ciliegina (http://www.cilieginahotel.it/en/), was centrally located, close to the harbor and close to the old city center. We had a nice modern room and a roof top terrace with great views of Vesuvius and the harbor. It was lovely to sit there at the end of the day, have a refreshment, and plan the evening. We went to Naples with our Palazzo friends and we are all looking forward to returning. Two nights were not enough.

There is so much to see in Naples. This is the Farnese Bull, so named because it was owned by the Farnese Family and currently housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. It is the largest single sculpture ever recovered from antiquity. There is some controversy over whether it is a first century BC original or a second century AD copy. It is carved from just one whole block of marble and was imported from Rhodes to Rome. The statue was unearthed in 1546 during excavations by the Farnese Pope Paul III in the hope of finding ancient sculptures for his family's palatial residence in Rome. He lucked out.

It was breath taking to see all of the detail of the ancient myth of Dirce who was tied to a wild bull by the sons of Antiope to punish her for the ill-treatment inflicted on their mother. Pretty nasty stuff.

The bull is the most dramatic of the ancient sculptures in the collection but there is so much more to see.

There is an entire floor of frescoes taken from Pompei. There are no words to describe the beauty.

The ancient mosaics are amazing. We particularly liked this one because it depicts an alligator and our great-niece Rosalie has a thing for alligators.

It could take several days to seriously examine all of the ancient sculpture and frescoes and mosaics in the museum so after just 2 hours we felt like we did run-by art viewing.

After a brief lunch we went to the Capodimonte Museum to take in a few more modern (15th-17th century) pieces from the Farnese collection. I guess it was really good to be Pope in those days. This is a Caravaggio that was the highlight of our visit. The museum is situated in an old Palace, on top of a hill overlooking Naples, surrounded by acres of gardens and green space. The park was filled with families and children of all ages and lovely to see.

Another day, another museum. The Certosa di San Martino is a former monastery complex, now a museum, located next to Castel Sant’Elmo and is the most visible landmark of the city, perched atop the Vomero hill. We wanted to go mainly for the views.

Unfortunately, it was a hazy day and it wasn’t possible to see clearly either Mt. Vesuvius or Capri. We decided to be adventurous and take the Funicular to the top of the hill and then walk to the monastery. I thought the Funicular would be more like a ski lift with great views but it was more like a subway car going up through rock. The walk from the Funicular station is about 10 minutes and we followed the signs to the monastery but noted that there were no accompanying signs pointing back to the station. Instead of leaving bread crumbs I took pictures of every corner where we made a turn to have a digital picture record for our return. That was a good idea in theory but after taking over 50 pictures at the top I never did go back to our photo map. We made it back all the same.

The monastery was beautiful and the views, even with the haze were spectacular. We didn’t have time to go to the castle next door, that will be for our next trip. Also, there was a lovely restaurant near by with a large outdoor terrace that would be a great place for lunch, if only we had the time.

There is an abundance of famous art scattered throughout the churches in Naples but we only had time for the Duomo. The French-Gothic altar is a bit over the top, but hidden inside the Duomo are Greek, Roman and early christian ruins including the oldest surviving baptistery of its kind in the western world.

While we were wandering the streets and museums of Naples, the America’s Cup was conducting its World Series races. We didn’t get to see any of the races in person, but the restaurants had the race on TV so we saw it on the big screen. There was a big party atmosphere at the harbor, but interestingly, no commerce that we could see, so we don’t have any hats or T-shirts.

What is Naples without food? We had some great seafood meals and tried to order those things that we couldn’t get elsewhere, like really good langoustines, and octopus and calamari.

And, what is Naples without pizza? The pizza in Naples is very different, I am told, because of the water and the near by San Marzano tomatoes. I don’t know what in the water changes the dough, but it really tasted great. The pizza was softer than we are used to and we saw the Neapolitans folding it instead of cutting it, as the Florentines do.

All in all it was a wonderful adventure. I just could not edit my pictures beyond what you see below. I hope that you will eventually have time to see them all. I strongly encourage you to make an effort to see these sights live and in person.
Give Naples a chance!

Chow Napoli http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633300718425/

Wandering Naples http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633473336940/

National Archaeological Museum http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633475904746/

Capodimonte Museum http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633460866447/

Duomo http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633461000011/

Certosa San Martino http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633461137345/

America’s Cup http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633314993689/

Getty Images photographer Marco Secchi (www.marcosecchi.com) took this picture of us at the end of our Venice Photography Walk, in the same courtyard where we had lunch the previous day. The walk was the highlight of our Venice trip.

I learned about Marco while trolling the Slow Travel Italy forum, http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/frm/f/862600685 (the hosts of this blog). In doing additional research I learned that his walk had made it to #1 in the top 10 things to do in Venice on TripAdvisor. I certainly learned why. Also, Marco has a Venice Tour app for that was very helpful in planning our trip. I highly recommend this walk even if you use a disposable camera. I just have a Canon point and shoot and I was happy with my results. Marco also has an iPhone Photo Walk. What is this world coming to??

Marco took us to places we are unlikely to have found on our own, like this exterior staircase. The wealthy owner was apparently tired of having to run into his staff on the interior stairs, so he built the exterior staircase to isolate himself from the “great unwashed.”

Here is another example of a hidden gem in plain view. This shot of San Marco is taken from the same angle as a famous Venitian painting of several hundred years ago. Again, notes would have been good. I don’t remember the artist (a famous Venitian) but Marco said that the scene has not changed. However, in order to get the picture I had to sit on the ground in a certain spot, something that I NEVER would have tried on my own or even thought of. Getting up was not a pretty site.

I can’t remember the significance of the bronze statue on the left (notes?) but Marco thought that the juxtaposition of the Medieval statue with the iconic portrayal of Dodge Foscari kneeling before the Lion of St. Mark was interesting. I agree.

This photo was shot on my knees. There were lots of tourists jostling to get a picture of the 16th century Bridge of Sighs so it was a bit rushed. Luckily, the gondola came at the right time.

This was the last picture taken from the ground. I think Arnie and Marco got tired of pulling me up. However, it did give me a different perspective of the gondolas and is one of my favorites.

From St. Mark’s Square we took the water bus to the Castello district then walked back to the Rialto Bridge. The first stop was the Arsenale that was the dockyard in the 12th century when Venice was building the ships for the crusades. The significance of this shot is that it is the only angle from which to get a distant picture of the structure without having a telecommunications tower blighting the view. Who would have known?

We learned from Marco that the lion statues are Greek originals, liberated from Greece by the Venetians, and recently found to have Viking carvings on them. Marco attended the press conference the day before and the researcher was still hard at work photographing the almost invisible carvings during our visit. (You can see more lion statue photos on the unabridged Photo Walk link below)

One of our favorite photos. You’ve got to love the juxtaposition of Jesus and the Communist Party office. Marco had this shot published in the NYT. Instead of an elderly communist in the frame, I believe he caught a nun.

You can see the abridged or the unabridged photos below. It was truly a great experience and we were lucky that Marco’s schedule coincided with ours to make it available. The 3 hours rushed by and it was time for lunch before we knew it.

We ended the photo walk near the original restaurant choice of the day before so we gave up the opportunity to take interesting shots of the Rialto Bridge and went to eat instead. Vini di Gigi, Cannaregio 3628/A, is considered one of the best seafood restaurants in Venice. It is part of the Buona Accoglienza Restaurant Association and now affiliated with our first dinner restaurant. We started with the seafood platter of Venetian specialities (notes, I’ve got to start taking notes!). Then I had the tuna and Arnie had the squid, cooked in squid ink. It was a wonderful meal and a wonderful end to our brief stay in Venice. We look forward to our return next year.

Best of Venice Photo Walk  http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633251930503/  

Unabridged Photo Walk http://flickr.com/gp/susanarnietravel/h5Hm9j/http://flickr.com/gp/susanarnietravel/h5Hm9j/

You can check out Marco’s blog at http://goo.gl/EIdu4

View Venice in a larger map">
View Venice in a larger map

There is nothing new to be said about Venice. There may be a few new things to say about arriving in Venice during a water bus strike. As we all know, Venice is surrounded by water. The railroad station is at the most western edge of the group of islands and there are a gazillion bridges to get from almost any point “A” to any point “B”. So, when one can’t take a water bus to ones hotel located only a little over 1 mile away the walk over the gazillion bridges and dead end alleys with luggage is very unpleasant to say the least.

We finally arrived at the Hotel Galleria,http://www.hotelgalleria.it, (the pink building on the right) at the Accademia Bridge, just 1 1/2 hours after starting our trek. Fortunately, it wasn’t raining so I guess we should have been happy about that.

Our room was the biggest of the 9 rooms in the hotel. The hotel website states that Robert Browning and his sister were guests in 1878. I don’t think much has changed since then.

The view is the highlight of the hotel. Complete silence on the Grand Canal was one of the benefits of the water bus strike. An unforeseen detriment of the strike was missing one of our 5 Venice meals.

A visit to the Palazzo Grassi, Campo San Samuele, was one reason for going to Venice and it happens Monday afternoon was our only opportunity. So, we ate an adequate pizza next to the hotel (that in California we would consider very good) and went to the museum.

The Palazzo Grassi is owned by François Pinault, who has one of the biggest collections of contemporary art worldwide. He is reportedly worth $11.5 billion, so, why not have a Palazzo or 2 in Venice?

The entire 54,000 sq. feet of the Palazzo was devoted to an exhibit by Rudolf Stingel. The brochure described the exhibit as, “The groundbreaking project, ..., where carpeting based on an oriental rug, covers the entire surface of walls and floors.” Truly, 54,000 sq. feet of carpet on every wall and every floor. Because, as the brochure states, “the carpet is a medium through which painting relates to its architectural context.” One painting by the artist was hung in almost every room but some rooms remained completely bare other than the carpet. Arnie would have to explain the significance of the exhibition, it was lost on me.

Would I rather have had my body enriched by a good late lunch and skipped the exhibit or my soul enriched by the cultural experience? Interesting question.

We made it back to the hotel before the rain started and had a quiet lie-down before dinner.

There were multiple options on our list for dinner but because of the strike we changed course to stay close to the hotel. Then, we changed course again due to the rain and went to the restaurant closest to the hotel. (not the lunch Pizzeria) It turned out to be fortuitous.

Ristorante Agli Alboretti, Dorsoduro 882 Rio Tera' Antonio Foscarini, 30123 Venice, 041 5229937, is steps away from our hotel. It has always been part of the “Buona Accoglienza” Restaurant Association, similar to a “Slow Food Movement”. However, it was a mere step-child in the sense that no one whom we asked knew anything about it. Although the restaurant was on our original long list, we did not know that it was under new management and they were part of the family with one of the best restaurants in Venice. Everything was delicious from the seabass ravioli to the wasabi panna cotta. Service fell down a bit at the end of the meal, as it often does in Italy, but it was a lovely experience.

The next day was beautiful and sunny. A perfect day to wander and go to the top of the bell tower in St. Mark's Square to take pictures. I am told that the view from the top of the tower of the church of San Giorgio Maggiore, on the tiny island across from St. Mark’s Square, is the finest but I was happy with the photos that I got. (even thought I had to wait in line to take the elevator to the top, and even longer to take the elevator back down.)

Although I had a long list of restaurant choices I asked the hotel owner for suggestions for lunch. As luck would have it, his first choice restaurant was closed on Tuesday so we had to resort to the back-up. I’m usually pretty particular about where we eat, especially when we only have 5 meals in a city. However, we threw caution to the wind and followed what looked like blind alleys to the Campiello Remer. The restaurant was charming but they served a lunch buffet and that is never my favorite. It was very good and a very good price, but not a memorable gustatory experience.

The setting couldn’t have been more charming and the courtyard in front of the restaurant is one of the more charming in Venice, so that alone was worth the visit. In fact we returned the next day with photographer Marco Secchi on our Photo Tour. The rest of the day was spent wandering the alleys of Venice.

It is just as well that we had a modest lunch since dinner was the blow-out meal of the year. Riviera Restaurant, Dosodoro 1473, 30123 Venezia, was something to behold. It is situated along the Guidecca Canal. We had an early reservation and I was glad because I was able to request the table next to the only window. We watched the colors change across the canal as the evening progressed. It was extremely civilized and once we saw the menu (I mean prices) we understood why. In fairness to the restaurant we did choose all of the specials of the day and we knew what we were getting into before we started, but looking at a bill that is similar to a small car payment is still staggering.

We started with the fish carpaccio, otherwise known as sashimi. Each fish was described in great detail (including where it was caught and the temperature at which it was maintained) and had a different flavoring on top, be it an herb, spice or fruit. I honestly can’t remember which was my favorite; I should have taken notes. The carpaccio was followed by a take on spaghetti with clams but in their version the spaghetti was made with squid ink and there was something magical that they did with the clams.

Pasta was followed by an entire seabass baked in salt, presented at the table, then the salt crust was hacked off with great effort. The end result was a delicious, moist fish served with beautiful grilled vegetables

Why stop when one has gone this far. We chose the desert medley and each bite was better than the last. But, the best, and I mean the very best, was the tiny square of caramelized guanciale (pork cheek). It is the little square at the far end of the plate on the right, sitting on top of panna cotta. Think the best bacon ever, caramelized. I could have snacked on that all night. On our way out of the door we were presented with a corkscrew of our very own. Arnie says it is now the most expensive corkscrew that we own.

We waddled off to bed to be ready for our next day’s photo tour with photographer Marco Secchi.

Link to all of the Venice Wandering Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633258133029/

Link to all of the Chow Venice Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633251930503/  

Here's the link to the rest of the Rudolf Stingel exhibit pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633355529369/

Link to my Venice Google Map https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214591024992202800324.0004d967c90417d895598&msa=0&ll=45.435924,12.332239&spn=0.031258,0.075102

To Blog or not to Blog, was not really the question, it just happened that I didn’t. I start the trip with a fantasy that I will do a short blog entry every day. And then... Sometimes life takes over.

Maybe it was the weather; this was the wettest March in over 50 years. Maybe it was preoccupation with my dad’s health; he’s better now. Maybe it was internet issues; not totally resolved but better ( I have to upload pictures at my friend's apartment). Maybe ??? Who knows.

We did do a lot worth writing about in the last month.

We had our Pilgrimage to Panzano. I had my annual squeeze by Dario.

Then we ate our fill of meat.

We had lots of great home cooked meals. At Beverly’s we always had fabulous food and a beautiful table.

At Skai’s we had pasta with chicken and vegetables. This was a major event since Skai is a scientist and not a cook.

We found a truffle at the market and that grew into a lovely dinner.

We continued our tradition of cooking rabbit for Easter weekend.

Then we had lots of great meals at restaurants, including our usual Easter lunch at Belcore.

We were happy little piggies when we came home from that Easter lunch.

We also had lots of cultural events including concerts at the theater and at the San Lorenzo Cathedral. We found a small wooden crucifix newly attributed to Michelangelo in the Bargello museum.

We went to a Dali exhibit that was OK, not great. We went to the Ferragamo museum to see their tribute to Marilyn Monroe that was way more interesting than I expected, especially since the physical structure of the building is so beautiful.

We had a tour of the back rooms of the Farmacea di Santa Maria Novella.

We had a private tour of the restoration of the frescoes of the Cathedral of Santa Croce, that involved going up to the ceiling in an elevator then walking down the various levels of the scaffolding.

It was wonderful to be up that high and to see the frescoes that close.

And then there was Venice.

Photographer Marco Secchi took this picture at the end of our Venice photo walk that was a real highlight of the trip. It will take a while for me to distill the Venice trip but I don’t have much time since we go to Naples on Wednesday, and that should be wild.

So, I guess the answer is, To Blog.

Here are the albums uploaded to Flickr:

Panzano http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633237999124/

Dinners at Home
http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633232993403/

March Restaurant Meals
http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633232323783/

Cultural Events
http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanarnietravel/sets/72157633238392825/

As I lie awake from 1am to 6am I ran through the best food that we ate in the past week.

The Arista (roasted Cinta Senese pork loin) from San Michelle all' Arco (via del Oriuolo 1/r) was right up at the top of the list. The restaurant is new; just 6 months old. They are the purveyors of the Cinta Senese pork products that we buy from our pasta guy, Christian. Last year I bought the pork loin from him that was one of our most memorable home cooked meals.

The salumi appetizer at Trattoria Antico Fattorie (via Lambertesca 1/3r) was on the list.

The pastas at the same meal were also memorable; linguine with seafood, and, pici (Tuscan round pasta) with pork sausage and olives.

However, nothing compares to the meals that we had at home. There is no extravagant preparation, just the best ingredients treated with respect. An indescribable spring sensation is a salad of fresh baby fava beans with the freshest Pecorino cheese and Cinta Senese salumi thrown in for good measure. I can get good fresh produce at home, but everything else is uniquely Tuscan.

I didn’t take pictures of other home cooked meals of fresh pici pasta with Cinta Senese pancetta, spring garlic and fresh peas; or, the fresh tagliatelle with pesto and a side of boiled spinach that was sautéed with Sicilian cherry tomatoes and served with fresh burrata cheese. Sometimes you just have to eat without a camera.

So, when our neighbors rang our door bell at 5:15pm to announce that we were having a communal meal I was happy to forgo my nap. Skai was in charge of shelling the fresh peas and took ours to add to Beverly’s for the fresh pasta that she just bought ( and that was just made). Arnie went up to Beverly’s to get her fava beans to add to ours for the salad.

We all gathered at Beverly and Gianni’s at 7pm with a few bottles of wine and the feasting began.

What is unique about this picture? Skai (the tall red head) is helping Beverly (the shorter blonde) cook the pasta. Skai is a scientist and not a cook. However, for a good meal she is willing to do what must be done.

Everyones efforts equaled an exquisite impromptu meal. How can you go wrong with fresh pappardelle pasta tossed in crisp sautéed pancetta, spring onions, fresh peas and cream?

We were all happy campers. Sorry I don’t have a close-up of the pasta. Did I mention we had some wine?

The view from the Gossen’s apartment topped off the evening.

No one counted the empty wine bottles. No one wanted to know.

We are the first of our group to arrive for our “Season” in Florence, our home away from home

The flying experience was not terrible this year, it almost approached pleasant. We used American Frequent Flyer miles and got British Air flights. The bad thing about British Air is that, even if you pay cash for a Business Class ticket, they nickel and dime you with extras and fees. The landing fees at Heathrow were $670 each and one must pay an additional $120 to $98 to get a reserved seat in Business Class or wait until 24 hours before the flight to get the available seats for free. The good thing is that the plane has individual Pods in Business Class. There is an upper deck with 2 pods on either side of the plane (2-2) and a lower deck with a 2-4-2 configuration. The 2 pods on the window sides of the plane have heads facing each other which means that the person in front/behind you must step over your feet to get out. Unless, like me, you were in a bulk head and my feet were totally undisturbed. Also, the pods have a privacy screen if you end up next to a stranger that you don't want to look at.

After a mere 55 minutes and 3 phone calls, starting at 23 hours and 59 minutes before our flight, I scored the best seats on the plane for free. It seems that there were several “technical difficulties” that created this ordeal. First, we purchased our tickets from our separate Frequent Flyer accounts so, as far as British Air was concerned, we were strangers. (There are some disadvantages to not sharing a sur name.) It was necessary to go separately on line into each account. I tried my account first and hit the first “technical” problem which was never explained but prevented me from checking in. I then immediately logged out and logged into Anrie’s account and encountered the second “technical” problem that actually worked in our favor. It allowed me to book his seat for free in the coveted upper deck of the plane, in one of the $120 seats. That’s when the phone calls started because I couldn’t reserve the seat next to him unless I paid $120. The first operator told me that I had to call another number because we booked using miles. The second operator told me he couldn’t help because we should not have been able to book the upper deck seat and even he did not have access to booking those seats. He suggested that I call the first operator again. This time I got India and that operator tried for about 30 minutes to figure out why I couldn’t check in and get a seat and why Arnie got the good seat. His final explanation was, “I’m sorry madam, there is nothing that I can do. You will have to check in at the airport in 26 hours and get your seat assignment at that time.” I so did not think so!

It only took 10 minutes on hold for his supervisor to come on the phone and I am sure he would have liked to have me wait longer. My mantra was, “I must sit next to my husband and I know that you can make that happen.” And, eventually, he did.

The pods were quite comfortable. We had a delightful stewardess who looked and sounded like a young Emma Thompson. She taught us how to use our seats and got us a cold salad for our supper right after take off. We both took our Ambien and slept for about 6 hours until just before landing in London.

After a 2 1/2 hour layover in London we were on our way to Pisa. Fortunately it was a nice day. They had had snow the week before and rain earlier in the day.

The Italian country side was a welcome site after so much time in the air. All of our luggage actually made it to Pisa with us. That was a first in several years. I made arrangements for Sergio (sergio bartolini ) to pick us up in Pisa and it was so civilized to walk out of the terminal into his van and be whisked off to Florence, 1 1/4 hours away.

Arnie insisted that we stay up and unpack our 6 pieces of luggage and 5 bags that we store here. I was ready for bed at 4pm. For weeks before arriving we discussed where we would have our first meal. All of the discussion went out the window since it was in the low 40s and I was not walking more than a few minutes from the apartment.

Fortunately, Francesco Vini is within a block and was opened. We started with their appetizer of fried pizza dough, Italian cream cheese and prosciutto. Is there anything better than fried bread?

Next we shared the pasta with duck sauce. That’s when I really started to fade and could barely eat my lamb chops, let alone take a picture of them. The owners of the restaurant are the second generation. Fabio married an American, Jody, and they just re-opened last week after an extended vacation in the US. I was so glad that they were back from their vacation since I really didn’t want to walk any further than we did for our meal.

Once home we started the long struggle of trying to stay awake during the day and asleep at night. We have a few more days before we succeed at that.

We started the day again with a breakfast of champions, but today it was the lemon tart from Secco that we couldn’t eat for dessert last night. Even we have our limits. We then headed out to Goumanyat, 3 rue Dupuis, 75003 http://www.goumanyat.com/goumanyat-ENU.html This is an incredible spice shop. They personally source every spice, we were told. Their specialty is saffron. I bought things that I can not find at home, like unusual peppers and spice blends. They have an on-line catalog so I went in with a printed list. We were alone in the shop and got some very helpful info. I could have spent more time there but we had lunch reservations! Here’s the link to the rest of the pictures from the spice shop. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4078537047503.174797.1404825224&type=1&l=afa08d5072

We left the spice shop to walk the few blocks to our lunch destination, Pramil, 9 rue du Vertbois,75003. Here’s their website http://www.pramilrestaurant.fr/
I found this restaurant by trolling the Zagat guide. They rated the food a “28” out of “30” AND they have a 22 euro 2 course lunch. That was enough for me.

It is a little gem. The one waiter was delightful, joking, in English to all the patrons. Yes, we were all English speaking. I don’t know what that was about. Maybe because it was a hot Saturday afternoon? Anyway, it seemed appropriate to start with a Kir Royale. The waiter brought wasabi covered nuts because he said they went well with the Kir. He was right.

As always, Arnie chose a perfect wine that we tried to buy in their retail store across the street but it was too popular and they were out. We brought home something even better!

I could not decide what to have for my first course because everything seemed wonderful. Our waiter suggested this salad ficoïde with shrimp and tomatoes because he told us that the lettuce was as specialty of Brittany and rarely seen in Paris. Well, I am so glad that I listened. It is hard to describe the lettuce. It was crisp on the outside but actually seemed succulent on the inside. What a great start to a fabulous meal.

Arnie started with the house cured salmon filet. It was succulent as well, and delicious.

You know we are suckers for porcine products. Arnie saw Iberico pork chop on the menu and there was no question about his second course. This was done to perfection, pink in the middle and oozing with juice. It came with beets an braised leeks.

I had the pigeon as my second course. The chef himself brought it out and said, apologetically, that is was difficult to eat and that it was OK for me to pick it up with my fingers. Then he brought me a finger bowl with lemon slices. I didn’t kiss him because I thought it would upset Arnie, but I sure thought about it. The pigeon was wonderful, but the swiss chard with melted cheese was divine!

We weren’t going to have dessert because I had already decided that we were going to go to Jacques Genin for dessert (see below). However we were so happy with our meal that we could not resist. We had the chocolate ice cream made with the pepper from the spice shop that we just left. OMG! I am so glad that we did not miss this.

Yes, that is actually a smile on Arnie’s face!

The chef, Alain Pramil, was kind enough to pose for a picture taken by the couple from Boston who sat behind us. I liked them because she kept saying, “Oh my God”, as she ate each course. Then, they had extra glasses of champagne. They could have been our new best friends but we have all the best friends that we need at this point.

Yes, this is the point were you can make oinking noises aimed at us. Even though we had dessert at Pramil we still went to Jacques Genin, 133 rue de Turenne, 75003. Jacques Genin received the designation of one of the best chocolatiers of France in 2010. We found out why. I think he uses some butter. While we were waiting to be seated I purchased a few things. Truly, I can not recall better chocolate. I am not a huge fan of fruit gelée but his might even be better than the chocolate. And then there are his caramels. To die for. Happy, Happy.

Here is the link to the rest of the pictures from this chocolate heaven: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4078571408362.174798.1404825224&type=1&l=212956b6e2

Since this was Saturday and most things will be closed on Sunday we made our last trip to Rue Cler. God forbid we should go without food. So, even though I was not the least bit hungry, at 9 PM I heated a few slices of the duck breast in orange sauce; carrot granitee; and green beans. For good measure we had more cheese and wine. We did save the lemon tart from Jacques Genin for tomorrow morning. Even we have our limits.

Oink!

We started the day with the breakfast of Champions: Pain au chocolate and pain au raisin, from just across the street.

Fortified we walked in the heat ( It was in the 80’s again today) the short distance to the Palais de Tokyo, Contemporary Art Museum. It was a giant contrast to yesterday where we were immersed in the 18th century. My very sketchy research indicates that the building was constructed for a 1937 Exhibition and the name derives from the name of the street. I assumed, wrongly, that it was initially for the Japanese exhibition site. Humph. I must mention that the 20 something child at the ticket desk gave us the Senior discount without us even asking. I haven’t decided yet if I was happy about the 3 euro discount or upset about not being asked. He probably just looked at Arnie and gave us both a break.

My research indicated that there is 90,000 square feet of exhibition space. Even the windows here are covered in contemporary art. I especially liked this window. The top section is a commentary on Syria. The bottom right is a commentary on music. If you can’t read it, it says “The way of music: Pilaf (as in Edith)---Madonna---Lady Gaga. Yeah. They also have a Modern Art section which we missed because we couldn't find the entrance but I hope that we can get back to see it. As with yesterday, I’m not going to post all of the pictures but you can see them from this link.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4072577018506.174669.1404825224&type=1&l=4c75ad5a63

At the stroke of 1:45 our tummys told us to go in search of food (the other reason we missed the modern art). You know that food choices are not left to chance. Before leaving the house I mapped out our route to lunch. We took the RER C train to the Latin Quarter in search of a restaurant recommended by Patricia Wells, Dorrie Greenspan and Le Fooding ( a French Foodie group).

The restaurant was in the trendy 6th district and we passed several packed restaurants at 2:15. I was getting nervous that we would not get into our choice. We didn’t have reservations for 2 reasons: I didn’t know when we would finish in the museum; and, most importantly, they did not take on-line reservations. I had back-ups just in case but I really wanted to try this one.

Semilla is Spanish for seed, no idea what the connection is to this restaurant. Chef Eric Trochon holds the coveted title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (One of the best chefs of France, decided in a competition; not anything like Iron Chef!) There is only a tasting menu at lunch. There was no choice for the first course, but you got 3 different things. We had, as you can see, 3 choices for the second course. Our young waitress was very helpful and not the least bit intimidated that we were the only English speakers in the restaurant.

But first the wine. The list was reasonable with low stuff and high stuff and lots of wines by the glass. We went in the middle.

The first course consisted of cream of cauliflower soup that tasted like it had a bit of potato added and there was a crunchy element that I just couldn’t figure out;
pissaladière which is a puff pastry topped with carmelized onion, olives and anchovies; and, perfect avocado with cilantro and tomato. Really, this was a delight. The flavors were so much more intense than yesterday, at a fraction of the cost.

My second course turned out to be 2 beautifully poached eggs with arugula and shaved parmesan cheese. If I read the menu more carefully, I would have seen “Mollet” which I did not know was a poached egg, and not misread it as “Mulet” a type of fish. So, I was expecting fish but was not overly distraught because...

Arnie ordered the fresh spring cod. It was served with a generous portion of aioli and lovely fresh peas, string beans, roasted tomatoes and fennel. Actually, it was way more moist than the fish yesterday. Yesterday's fish could have used some of this aioli. We ended up sharing both plates. I have such a good and generous husband, and smart.

I saw the chef chatting and sharing wine with the table behind us and at the end of their meal they had 2 desserts. I thought it was wise to order the same.

The first to share was described as an Aloe vera cream served with tropical fruit. It seemed like a regular creme anglaise to me. It was delicious.

The other dessert was a citrus fruit soup with a grapefruit sorbet. Just the perfect thing on a hot summer day.

Overall, for me, this was a much better lunch than yesterday and a lot less expensive. The staff was friendly, the chef was delightful (I spoke to him on the way out) and the flavors and textures were more complex and delicious.

So, we trundled home in the heat, stopped on Rue Cler for a bit of wine and a few more treats and came home to do laundry.

A Paris Perfect day.

I decided that we would lunch at Restaurant Dominique Bouchet for 3 reasons: it was a favorite pick of food writer Patricia Wells; it was close to the museum; and, most importantly, I could make a reservation on line. We arrived about 15 minutes early and were given the last open table. We were not the only English speakers in the room, just the only ones who did not also speak French. Everyone else was dressed for work, and at these prices, I suspect they were on an expense account. We had decided before we arrived that we would have the daily special menu (first course 19 euro, second course 28 euro) since we did the 5 courses yesterday. They did have an 11 course option for 98 euros but that was way too much on so many levels.

As always, Arnie choose a lovely wine.

Our first course was a salmon mousse on a bed of quinoa, layered with heirloom tomatoes with half of an asparagus thrown in for good measure. I wish I had a picture of the face of the young waitress who brought the dish when she realized that we didn’t speak French. I told her that she could explain it to us in French, and then I explained it to HER because she was so flustered. It was, OK. Actually, it was kind of bland. It could have used a little herb or vinegar or something to jazz it up. There was nothing complex about this dish although there were probably a lot of ingredients in the quinoa and the salmon.

The main course was a red mullet stuffed with baby squid and roasted peppers. It was cooked to perfection and the presentation was first rate, The table across from us asked for more sauce and if I knew how to do that I would have. That little schmear on the side didn’t add much. And, they never brought us bread, which was probably a good thing since we have been eating a baguette every night at dinner. But still.

For dessert I decided to go all the way and ordered the Grand Marnier soufflé. I remember the restaurant soufflés of the 80’s when the waiter would bring it out with a flourish then deflate it and add that wonderful creme anglaise poured in the middle. Nope, not here. And, the soufleé did not deflate, ever. I think Julia would say that it was overdone. It did have a lovely rise up over the pan.

In general the meal was...meh.

After lunch we walked to the Parc Monceau and that was just lovely. We made our way home and rested for a bit because it was 85 today and we are just not used to that. Then, we made our second trip to Rue Cler for some lovely things...

Here’s the restaurant’s link http://www.dominique-bouchet.com/#/en/restaurant/

Here's the link to the Parc Monceau album
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4067501091611.174583.1404825224&type=1&l=dc17399156

Today was a very packed day so it will get 2 separate blog posts. First we went to the Musée Nissim De Camondo. I won’t do it justice so you may want to check out their website: http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/english-439/nissim-de-camondo-742/

I first read about the museum in the New York Times several years ago. I am a collector of information and had the article tucked into my Paris file. Moïse de Camondo was an avid collector of 18th century everything. He was part of a wealthy Sephardic Jewish family that founded one of the largest banks in the Ottoman Empire. The family moved to Paris and the Chateau was built on the Parc Monceau in 1913, in the style of the Petit Trianon at Versailles. Moïse de Comando had 2 children. Tragically, his son died in WWI. His daughter was not interested in his collection so he willed the chateau and it’s contents to the City of Paris at his death in 1935 with the request that the museum be named after his son.

A second tragedy occurred when his daughter and her husband and 2 children were murdered at Auschwitz. The chateau was preserved because it belonged to the city, otherwise, the collection would likely be disbursed throughout Germany and the world.

The chateau is beautiful and beautifully appointed.

A staircase leads to the main rooms.

This is one of 2 corner cupboards with Japanese lacquer panels, circa 1750.

This is the Great Drawing Room. The white and gilded oak panelling came from a Paris home, circa 1782. The carpet, which really can’t be seen in this picture, is from 1678. Just goes to show that quality lasts.

This is the Dinning Room, the table is oak veneered with mahogany, circa 1775. The silver tureen on the table was commissioned by Catherine the Great of Russia for Prince Gregory Orloff. The black bust of a woman, visible over Arnie’s shoulder, celebrates the abolition of slavery in 1794. Mosïe de Camondo was a great gourmand and entertained lavishly, we were told. Adjacent to the dinning room there is a Porcelain room, and a butler’s pantry where the dumb waiter brought food up from the kitchen. (click on the photo album link below to see those, it just takes too long to upload pictures to the blog site)

This is the Small Study. The table in front of the couch was made for Marie Antoinitte.

There is a beautiful manicured lawn. Beyond the fence is the lovely Parc Monceau. The trees were planted to block the chateau from the eyes of the curious. A lovely staircase leads to the next floor where the bedrooms and baths were located. (again, click on the photo album link below to see them)

As you might imagine, I was fascinated with the kitchen. I would be very happy with this kitchen today! The kitchen is just below the dining room and insulated in tiled concrete to prevent any smells, heat or noise from escaping to the upper floors. God forbid the guests should smell the roast when they arrive.

The kitchen range was made in 1912. The central range has 2 coal-fired heaters and 4 ovens. The roasting range has a central heat source for spit-roasting large pieces of meat. I really felt like I was walking into the kitchen of Downton Abbey. The album (I know you remember, but, see link below) has pictures of the chef’s office with the dumb waiter that sent the food up to the butler’s pantry. I guess the English just had cooks and their downstairs office went to the house manager. There is also a servant’s dinning room that looked very nice. The Scullery kitchen had 2 copper sinks to maintain the hot water to better clean the pots and pans. There was also an elaborate venting system that took the smoke from the range under the floor in a pipe leading to a chimney behind a wall.

You might be wondering how I got Arnie to go there. Mosïe de Camondo was also a great collector of impressionist paintings. We didn’t know that those ended up in the Louvre. Still, this was an amazing experience. Poignant. I am very glad that we were able to see it.

Photo Album http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4066910116837.174573.1404825224&type=1&l=253135f370

This entry is predominantly about lunch, but it was also our first full day in Paris so you must indulge. The above picture is a teaser that tells you that we did have a wonderful lunch.

We started our first day a little fuzzy. “Where is the deodorant?”, “Where are my scarves?” (We haven’t found either yet). We are not good at packing and un-packing which is why we usually stay put for 3 months in Florence.

We left the apartment with an hour to find the restaurant. We arrived just on time. First, we went to the Metro. Well, we walked in the direction of the Metro, passed it, doubled back and found it. Who would have thought that the Metro station would be in part of a lovely park. We, of course, were looking at areas that would have intruded on the sidewalk.

Down we went. I asked at the information desk, in terrible pigeon French, if I could buy my tickets from him or the machine. No, the machine. So, with the assistance of 2 different people, we attempted the machine only to find that our credit card would not work because it needed the chip that is in all EU credit cards. Back to the information desk. “No, madame, your credit card will not work .” “How can I buy a ticket?” “From me.” After 3 months in Italy this made sense. He could have told me at the beginning that I must buy the ticket from the machines except that the machines would not accept my credit card, in which case I could buy the ticket from him. However, he did not. What ever!

With tickets in hand we turned left, believing that we were headed in the right direction but not really sure, so, as a train arrived we went back up the steps to check the direction. We were right, and now had to wait for the next train. We were going a pretty far way away from home, the 11th. When we emerged from the Metro we, of course, headed in the wrong direction but immediately changed course. Then, we were watching address numbers, but on the opposite side of the street because the side we were walking on didn’t seem to have numbers. We got to the 70’s on the left side of the street and noticed a restaurant without a sign with interesting wine and what looked like a lively crowd, We commented that it looked good but was geographically inconvenient to return to and kept walking. We were looking for #80. In the next block we were at the 90’s on our side. We carefully backtracked and low and behold, our reservations were at the restaurant that we thought looked interesting. A good sign. It was. We never figured out the numbering system since we were across the street from number 73. Another, whatever.

There were several choices on the menu. We could each choose an entrée, a main course and a dessert OR we could have 5 courses at the discretion of the chef. Since I chose this restaurant based on a blog entry by the food writer David Lebovitz, and the restaurant was ranked #84 in the top 100 restaurants of the world list, I thought it would be safe to trust the chef. Our meal consisted of 4 items on the regular menu and a main course that was a wonderful surprise.

The restaurant has an open kitchen. It was a miracle that all of those chefs could fit into such a small space. I counted 7, but they were moving targets and I tab an obstructed view. They were clearly very organized and each had, and knew, his few square inches of real estate. The counter was too high to see the actual plating but I could see long tweezers being used often.

Our waiter was very pleasant and spoke perfect English. I must admit that I am intimidated by France, mostly because, in spite of 4 years of high school French, my French sucks. But, I have found, in my dotage, that a very forceful and cheerful, “Bonjour”, gets an old lady a long way. Think Julia Child, but shorter.

Arnie initially choose a wine that was not available but our waiter suggested one that was, shock of all shocks, less expensive. It was a lovely Cote du Rhone.

Our first course was asparagus on a bed of goat cheese cream topped with toasted hazelnuts then covered by what our waiter described as shaved radish but the menu translation is turnip. Whatever, it was wonderful. I could see where those tweezers were used to do the plating.

It was so good and so pretty that it deserved 2 photos. We were looking forward with great anticipation to the next courses.

Next up was a masterpiece of flavors. Mushroom broth with a poached egg, shaved mushrooms. shaved carrots, shallot, a bit of those toasted hazelnuts, and LARDO. Be still my heart. Well, it was just worth the price of admission.

That was followed by Pollack, with a Tandori foam, asparagus, freshest of peas, and wild fennel. This was melt in your mouth delicious.

The last of the main courses was described as “baby lamb”. I don’t know, this was so tender and delicious it could have been fetal lamb. And, as shocking as it will seem to the Vegan Tree Huggers, I was OK with that because this was the most wonderful piece of lamb I have EVER had. I could have fed this to my toothless Principessa Great-Niece Rosalie and she could have gummed it without a problem. (Full discloser, at 16 months she is not toothless any more). I tasted a hint of bacon and it was served with a schmear of pureed roasted shallots. Oh, yes.

At this point we were given a choice of cheese or dessert. Hey, this is us. We picked one of each. First we had 2 lovely cheeses.

Then we finished with a dessert of juicy strawberries on a bed of rhubarb coulis with baby meringues and an ice cream that I though the waiter described as Rose, but the google translation of the menu was Elderflower. Whatever it was it was good.

We waddled home through the Place de Vosges and into the Musée Carnavalet to see the exhibit of Paris photographs from 1890-1927 taken by Eugène Atget.

It was an amazing exhibit but you will have to read about it on your own since it is now my bed time. http://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/en/exhibitions/eugene-atget-paris

Au Revoir for now.

As I already stated, once we settled into the new apartment it was nearly 3 hours since our last meal. Off we went the 3 blocks to the Rue Cler. You know a shopping district is good when Rick Steves’ devotes 11 pages to it. He even had a map.

After getting the lay of the land we started from the beginning and made our first purchase at the butcher. The rabbit looked tempting but we went for the already roasted chicken. Fortunate for our waistlines, they were out of roasted potatoes.

Next up was cheese. Ah, the glorious French cheese. We have been eating Pecorino cheese for 3 months and although I love it, a change is welcome. We stopped for charcuterie but it was too crowded to take a picture. Maybe next time. We bought a country pate and a rabbit pate. Love the rabbit.

Next stop was the bakery for the baguette that we saw being put in the oven when we started our venture. We didn't buy any sweets, however tempting they looked.

Last, but certainly not least, wine. The wine merchant was extremely helpful and is likely to be our new best friend.

90 euros later we had a feast.

We were happy campers when we crossed the street from the Cafe de Mars to the rental agency. That changed. We were told that our apartment was ready and it really was only a short distance from the agency. I believe we were told about 3 blocks. That must be real estate speak in France for “really far but we are not going to tell you.” We agreed to push, drag, and pull our luggage train instead of calling a taxi since “it is such a short distance.” Note to self, do not believe someone else’s description of distances when you are the one taking the luggage. It was 6/10 of a mile over cobbled stone streets and sidewalks.

We weighed our luggage before leaving Florence so I know that we had 210 lbs., not counting my mega-travel purse. So off we went with the 6 bags, assisted by Kevin, one of the agents.

This is not our building, but I thought it was so pretty and I wished that it was.

This is our new home, 11 rue Jean Nicot (not to be mistaken for 11bis, more on that later). We are very centrally located, in the 7th arrondissement, between the Invalides and the Eiffel Tower, closest to the Latour-Maubourg Metro stop on the number 8 line. That should get you oriented. Most importantly, we have a pastry shop recommended by food writer David Lebovitz steps away. We are also within 3 REAL blocks of the major food shopping street, Rue Cler. That is not by accident. I choose the neighborhood based on the available shopping. Our apartment is on the 5th floor, in the back, and thank God there is an elevator.

The apartment is small, about the size of our living room at home, but it is very comfortable. It is beautifully appointed. There was a welcome bottle of wine which we really needed since poor Arnold was literally dripping wet by the time we got here. I think he might have burned off at least a few bites of that chocolate cake; I know that I did.

That glass brick wall is dividing the bed from the living room. The couch opens to a bed but that would make for very tight living quarters.

The “bedroom” is a little tight but adequate for just a week.

The only closet is a bit small for our 3 months worth of clothing so we haven’t unpacked everything. There are built in drawers and shelves on the other side of the closet.

The kitchen is also very compact but stocked with everything we would need and more. We have both an American coffee maker and an espresso machine with the coffee pods provided. All utensils are here, including a blender. They even provided milk, juice, spices, oil, etc. It was very thoughtfully stocked.

The view from the kitchen is not like my kitchen view in Florence, but I’m not going to be spending that much time in this kitchen. No duck ragu will be made here. This is a “heat-only” dinner preparation week.

There is a small terrace. The view isn’t great but it really is nice to open the doors and get fresh air. The french doors flood the space with light and give a sense of more open space. It is very quiet here. We were told that we are the only renters; everyone else owns their apartment.

So, once we decided where we would store our luggage it was off to stock the fridge. After all, it was about 3 hours since we ate.

BON JOUR PARIS

There is so much more to write about Florence, and that may still happen (ha, who am I kidding) but I wanted to stay as current as possible on Paris since we only have a week and it is packed every day with wonderful food opportunities and probably other stuff.
Our travel was very uneventful. Our driver to the stars (that would be us and our friends), Sergio, picked us up promptly at 7:30 AM with our 6 pieces of luggage and my mega travel purse. He chatted away in Italian the entire trip and I actually caught the gist of most of what he said. At the airport he tried to give us a good-bye bottle of wine and it was very embarrassing to have to refuse but there is no way we could have stuck wine in at the last minute. We promised that he could pick us up next year and give us 2 bottles. He really is a dear and if anyone needs I driver in Florence I will send you his number.
There was no line at all at 8AM at the Florence airport because most flights leave between 6 and 7AM. We have been through that madness. We were able to hang out in the lounge for an hour, very tranquil. There is free wi-fi at the airport but one needs a password for their post-9/11 security. However, the program that created the passwords was not working, so, no internet access. How Italian.
There was no line at the security check point. I asked the agent if I needed to take off my shoes and he looked at them, then at us and said, “No”. How Italian.
Our flight was on time and very uneventful. However, just to make life interesting, we did have a minor incident that did not really affect us. We were waiting for what seemed like a long time to get the luggage. I joked to Arnie that the baggage handlers were probably on strike. Well, I was right. But, the carousel finally started to move just as there was an overhead announcement stating that the baggage handlers just went out on strike and most of the luggage was still on the plane and they were waiting for someone, anyone, to show up to unload the bags. As this was being announced in French and then in English, our bags showed up. Mine was the last. The travel Gods shined upon us, only to poop on us later. (you will read about that next time)
We hired the driver recommended by our rental agency, Paris Perfect, and I was glad that we did because he called the office and was told that our apartment was not ready. He was instructed to bring us and our bags to the office instead of the apartment. I guess I could have used my Italian cell phone to call the office when we arrived then directed a taxi to the office (which was not easy to find) but this worked out just fine.
We were advised that the apartment would be ready in 1 hour and that we had to be there at that time because our “Welcome” agent had to “Welcome” someone else. But, everything has a silver lining, and in this case it was a foie gras lining. I asked for a lunch recommendation since we had exactly 60 minutes to kill. Fortunately for us we were directed across the street.

Cafe de Mars, 11 Rue Augereau, is a gem. That is Pierre waving in the picture. He is at least the manager if not the owner. There was also a very friendly and accommodating young woman.

They have a chalk board menu. Two plates are 19 euro; 3 plates are 23 euro. Our waitress explained every dish in perfect English, and did not seem the least bit put out that she had to do so.

Wine is on a chalkboard as well. Our lovely waitress helped Arnie pick a lovely red that I absolutely do not remember, other than it was good and inexpensive.

I started with polenta with a fresh tomato sauce and asparagus. Lovely

Arnie had the house made foie gras. Ah, to be having lunch in Paris!

Arnie had the lamb which was perfectly done and delicious

I had the filet covered in olive tapenade wrapped in a Filo sheet. It may have technically been a Bric sheet but it doesn’t matter, it was really good.

Pierre recommended the chocolate cake because it was his family recipe and he stated that it was the best in Paris. It looked so good I did not wait to take a picture and we devoured it. It was a flourless dark chocolate cake with enough butter and eggs to make it, well, less dense, if not light.

I obsessively planned most of our meals on this trip and even did a google map. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214591024992202800324.0004bf4b171af49b7611d&msa=0 So, this was a wonderful, fortuitous experience. Seriously, I would not have taken the recommendation if we were not pushed for time. It was the perfect combination of friendly, helpful service, and really good food at a great price. I hope we can go back.

We were well fortified to start the next adventure, or so we thought...

What can we say about our dear friends Beverly and Gianni Gossen? We met them 5 years ago at a cocktail party given by La Contessa at the Palazzo. The rest, as they say, is history. The Gossens have been visitors to Florence for the past 20 years, spending one entire year at the Palazzo, then returning for 3-6 month visits annually. Needless to say, they got to know the city and the people very well. It is through the Gossens that we have met the ex-pats and Florentines that make up our circle of friends there. It is difficult to overstate how much they have enriched our time in Florence. And, of course, Beverly is a fantastic cook. It was a very special treat to be invited to dinner, just the 2 of us, before they returned home.

The Gossens always rent the Mira Vista apartment which has the best views in the Palazzo. We get our “portrait with a view” annually from their terrace.

We also spend countless evenings enjoying the view and a beverage; in both small and large groups.

Enough sentiment, back to the food. We found the most beautiful mushrooms to contribute to dinner. They were priced the same as a filet and worth every euro.

They do shrink quite a bit once cooked with a little olive oil and garlic, but they are so delicious.

While I was sautéing mushrooms in our apartment Beverly was creating magic in her tiny kitchen.

It just proves that one does not need a commercial grade stove to cook world class food.

We were not distracted from the deliciousness of the feast that Beverly prepared by looking at the Duomo.

Or by looking at the Church of Santa Croce. The food was better than the view.

Man does not live by filet, sautéed mushrooms and delicious vegetables alone. Our gelato store around the corner provided the dessert.

No dinner party would be complete without great conversations. We always solve the worlds problems by dessert.

So lovely to just watch the evening descend into the night.

A last look at the church and it is time for a long nap.

And so it was with much sadness that 3 days later we helped with the luggage train that sent the Gossens home. I have 9 months to collect recipes to try with Beverly in 2013.