Bocconcini e Pomodorini

I'm going to be a Nonna :)

2009-12-11T18:03:00.006+01:00

Yep thats right I am going to be a Grandma at 45. It came as no suprise when Natalie told us she was pregnant as she always said that she wanted to be a young mum.It seems to run in the family, in fact I made my mum a Grandma at 39, which came as quite a shock to her.

Anyway we couldnt be more thrilled and are planning to go over to New Zealand early March.Its times like this that we wish our family wasn’t so spread out and wish we had the typical Italian scenario with all the children living nearby, but I suppose it was inevitable considering the travelling we have done over the past 10 years.

So here he is still in utero at 27 weeks.

And Nats still looking as trim as ever .

16 weeks and 27 weeks

Our First Trip To Venezia

2009-11-30T21:43:00.001+01:00

On our way back to Siena from Trieste we decided to stop for a few days in Venice, the first time for both of us. I am so glad we didnt decide to leave it until this week as the 'Aqua Alta' high water hit today,131cm of it, flooding most of the city.
We found a park for the car in Mestre and took the train over to Venice, it was a wonderful sight walking out of the station and seeing the canals and the city before us despite the low cloud that had followed us from Trieste and lingered for the next few days.
We hadn't booked any accomodation but found a fantastic place La Locanda A rt Deco after browsing through Laterooms.com and phoning the hotel direct. We had enquired about a double room at 60 euro a night but for 10 euro more we were offered their boutique apartment at the Residenza Art Deco which was just perfect as there was more space for Milly and with the added touch of breakfast delivered each morning.

The next few days were spent exploring the city on foot, it was like a maze and we got lost several times. Milly posed at just about every bridge and drew quite a bit of attention to herself as tourists wanted to take photos of her!

Wandering the streets the first evening

St Marks Square
'Look every body..its the Grand Canal'
Exquisite Carnival MasksAnother day, more walking and more photos

The Rialto Markets near the famous Rialto Bridge Cannaregio...Local area away from the touristy parts.

A Weekend visiting Trieste & Slovenia

2009-11-28T16:54:00.000+01:00

Last weekend we made a impromptu decision to drive to Trieste, DJ still had some of his stuff at our place so we thought we would load up the car and drop it to him as he now lived in Trieste. Any excuse to see a new city.
We arrived early evening after a five hour drive from Siena and took the opportunity to explore the city at night. I was quite taken aback with the beautiful buildings and the various pedestrian shopping areas.

The city had a lively vibe to it with alot of young people spilling out of the bars and cafes into the heated precints drinking their Aperitivi. It certainly had a very international feel to it and was suprised to see so many Ethnic restaurants, especially Japanese.

With Trieste being on the border of Slovenia, we decided the next day to take a road trip to the capital Lubjiana. The low cloud that had lingered over Trieste finally lifted as we reached the border and within an hour we were at Lubjiana. On arriving it seemed like a ghost town but once we parked it didnt take long to find the beautiful old town running along the sides of the canal.

It turned out to be a stunning day and the cafes and restaurants along the canal were packed with people lazing away their Saturday afternoon. Again Lubjiana like Trieste felt very international with all types of cuisine available and had a very friendly laid back atmosphere.

A Dogs Dinner !!!!

2009-11-29T19:07:00.008+01:00

For a few weeks now Milly has been attending obedience classes at the dog training school in Siena...she is a fantastic dog, but needed fine tuning to stop her pulling when we are out and about. She tends to be a real 'sticky beak' wanting to see everything that is going on and wanting to greet and play with every dog she sees...much to the fear of other owners.
I find the corrections a bit extreme as I have been advised to use a choker chain on her which I have never done previously and the look on her face when I give her a jerk is a look of 'what the hell did you do that for!!' We are slowly making progress, but I think it is more beneficial for me as I'm learning how to train her and what I can and cant let her get away with.

Anyway this post isn't so much about Milly's training but the Christmas dinner we were invited to hosted by the dog training school. It was an evening of food that in my opinion was only fit for a dog, very disappointing.

The three long tables were set up with plastic plates, plastic cutlery and plastic cups....this is a very common occurence in Italy especially at Sagras which I can understand due to the quantity of people and lack of facilities, but it is also becoming more common also in homes.It is one of my pet hates and would only ever use them for kids parties or picnics...used at any other occasion food just doesn't taste the same.
Back to dinner...the first saucer sized plastic plate had on it 3 crostini. One of the spreads was mayonnaise out of a jar, the other, a fishy paste out of a tube and lastly a strange tasting dry fegato paste (couldnt even call it a pate!).
To the primi... again served on the saucer sized plate, a gluggy pasta with bechamel (commercial) then followed by Fusilli with a sparse sauce of ground sausage and pumpkin...at least this pasta dish was al dente.
For the secondi we were served another saucer sized plastic plate of 3 meatballs, so hard my plastic fork kept bending and a side order of soggy beans in a tomato sauce that tasted a bit fizzyish!!
The highlight of the evening was a raffle which we won a dog lead ...whoopeee!! and a bottle of Bubbly.
The dessert then came out, a chocolate slab sponge which smelled like it was made from a packet, so we passed and decided to make a quick exit............but not before the organiser put a tin in front of us...'what was this for' asked Domenico. The meal was 25 euro per head!!
I couldnt believe it, when ever we had been to a christmas 'do' the price was always stated at the start unless it was something organised as a thank you to customers for supporting them, which we thought this was. Domenico and I just looked at each other without saying a word...lesson learnt!!

Funghi Galore

2009-11-18T18:48:00.005+01:00

As the last of the dry golden leaves cling to the trees and the air a definite chill to, it is a sure sign than winter is on its way. The smell of wild mint has now been replaced with a woody mushroomy smell as the woods surrounding us play host to an amazing array of different varieties of funghi, flourishing in the moist conditions.

It has been a great season for the mushroom pickers whos cars over the past few weeks have lined the road leading to our house. The rainy days followed by sunshine has made the conditions perfect for the mushrooms to thrive in ...and what a variety there are.

The Porcini season September /October in these parts has finished and instead a different variety can be seen collected. I had to stop a few mushrooms pickers with baskets laden with funghi on a few occasions just to see what type were safe to pick and so last weekend we trooped into the woods to collect our own. The kind everyone was picking had a pink tinge to them and I was excited to get them home to start cooking.

Unfortunately I was very disappointed that they didnt have much taste at all. I tried roasting them in the oven with fresh thyme and olive oil, and again in a risotto, but I couldnt draw any mushroom flavour out of them unlike Porcini. So my desire to collect mushrooms has now diminshed and will now wait until the Porcini season next year.
Little did I know until lately that you need a licence to go mushroom picking, not expensive, but necessary. I suppose due to the fact that there are so many poisonous varieties out there it makes sense to know which are safe to pick.

Apartment Rental Siena

2009-09-27T16:06:00.005+02:00

We are currently renting an apartment in a beautiful casale situated on the “Montagnola Senese” slopes in the Siena countryside about 12 minutes drive to the centre of Siena in a very relaxing and tranquil location.

The casale actually consists of two holiday apartments, one of which I have told the owner that I will try and find a tenant for.

The apartment is tastefully fitted and furnished in the traditional Tuscan style with Cotto floors and beamed ceilings. Gas central heating.Parking.It is very spacious and comfortable and consists of a kitchen, dining and living area, a double bedroom with a double bed, a double bedroom with two single beds, and a bathroom with shower.Garden furniture and barbeque.

The apartment is available on a weekly basis until the 23^rd December for 380 euro and between the 23^rd December until the 10^th January for 430 euro. After the 10^th January the price is 380 euro again until March 2010. I reckon that these prices may be negotiable.

The owner is also happy to rent it out from now until March 2010 on a longer term basis for a reduced price.

More photos are in my side link and I would be happy to provide any further info as needed.

Bye Bye House!

2009-09-26T14:15:00.010+02:00

A couple of weeks ago we finally sold our house in Le Marche, after having it on the market for a year. It was no ordinary sale either it was destiny!

6 months ago Domenico said to me why don’t you sign up for Facebook..I was always a bit hesitant as I am quite a private person and thought that Facebook may be a bit intrusive. Anyway I gave it a go and ended up discovering alot of friends from my past. One of these was James who was one of my best friends at school and who I lost contact with when I left England 30 years ago. We were both thrilled to be in touch again, and it wasn’t long before we organised to meet up in London where he lives with his partner Jon. We still got along really well and spent alot of time reminiscing...before we left we told him to come and visit us in Le Marche as he was keen to see the house we were selling. James has spent alot of time in Italy and speaks perfect Italian and was at a stage in his life where he wanted to leave England to live in Italy. As it happened he loved our house and when he got back to London put his flat up for sale...within a few weeks it sold and now he is the proud owner of our house.

It was hard letting it go as we have put so much work into the place but I couldn’t be happier that James has bought it as it means that we can still visit and see what progress he makes in continuing with the renovations.

Before After

Pizza Napoletana

2009-09-25T20:23:00.000+02:00

Pizza Napoletana in my opinion is the best pizza in the world..especially when eaten in Napoli. Domenico and I have been known to drive for 5 hours from Le Marche when the urge for a good pizza strikes.

Our first stop is usually Pizzeria Da Michele,this is in the heart of Forcella one of the most undesirable areas of Napoli, not far from the station and Piazza Garibaldi. Chaotic is an understatement, noise, dirt and traffic ..no parking unless you double park in an unknown zone with an unknown unofficial parking attendant who you trust your car to then hope for the best that nothing happens!!!

Domenico grew up near to this area and his family owned several shops here many years ago..these have now been taken over by the Chinese who have made a big presence in Napoli and who seem to be accepted by many of the Napolitani. The main market near Piazza Garibaldi has changed too ,even in the few years we have been going there...alot of the stalls have now been taken over by the Aficans who used to sell their goods illegally on the footpaths!!

Da Michele is an institution in Napoli, one of the most well known pizzerias which always has a queue outside. Luckily we arrived just on midday just as the queue was starting ...as usual we ordered a Margherita each and within half an hour we were finished and on our way again.

We also found out not so long ago that Chiara, DJ’s fidanzata has family connections to the pizzeria as her grandfather is one of the owners. So no doubt her family knew of Domenico’s grandmother and other family members who also had shops in the area...such a small world.

Another Pizzeria we go to is Pizzeria Vincezo Costa in Porta Capuana another grotty area of Napoli .

The pizzeria itself is very sparse and basic with no cash register..just a family member adding up the bill in her head and a handbag to store the takings. No receipts here, so I don’t know what happens if the Guarda Finanza drop buy...no doubt a free pizza or two keeps them quiet!!

Domenico used to stop here for a pizza after work when he was a little boy, back then a Margherita cost 30 Lire (1.5 cents), now it costs 4 euro.Pizza fritta is also very common here, which is a calzone stuffed with ricotta and then fried...very tasty though not good for the wasteline!

Bella Napoli

2009-09-24T22:38:00.009+02:00

Napoli...we visit often, though after a few days ‘devo scappare’...it is vibrant, chaotic, noisy,dirty (though slowly cleaning up a bit) and has the best food in Italy. Here are some pics of ‘a day out ‘ in Napoli.

Via Chiaia

Galleria Umberto

Baba's

Streets in the Spanish Quarter

A break for some water

Milly..the dog with attitude, refreshed and on her way again!

Piazza Umberto

Boys taking a break from their football game in Piazza plebiscito

The bird man who wasn't impressed when Milly decided to chase them!

Go Milly !!

Back in Italia.

2009-09-24T21:43:00.007+02:00

For the past 4 months now we have been back in Italy...I can’t explain it but after 4 years of living here I have come to accept the way 'it is', initially I fought the system and didn’t accept the way it was with all the beaurocratic and everyday issues, thinking perhaps by making a fuss it would change for me. After spending several months in France I realised how much I missed Italy and how it has gotten ‘under my skin’ so to speak..although there are many negative aspects I have come to enjoy more the positive ones and the diversity of the country. We have travelled alot throughout Italy and have come to love the changes that come with each region, and the differences in the people as well as the ever changing countryside.

So for now we are living in Siena, renting a lovely apartment in an old casale in the Sienese countryside until we get our bearings and see what the region has to offer in the way of work..still hoping to perhaps get back into the hospitality business..though some days I think we must be mad to do it again and to lose the freedom we have had these past 4 years...we shall see.

Reminiscing

2009-06-16T15:48:00.013+02:00

About 27 years ago to the day, as a naive 18 year old, I jumped on a plane from New Zealand to France to join my boyfriend (now husband) in the South of France.

After settling down our priority was to find jobs.Domenico had made some contacts in Nice and St Jean Cap Ferrat, so after a few weeks I started work at Le Gourmet Italien Restaurant in St Jean.

Le Gourmet was owned by Gianni D’Angelis who Domenico actually worked for years previously on the island of Capri and unexpectedly bumped into again in St Jean as he was working as a waiter next door at Le Sloop restaurant. Gianni was a typical Neapolitan and an absolutely superb chef, he took me under his wings and showed me the ropes, luckily his English was brilliant which helped as my French was limited even though I had studied ‘O’ level french at school.

So the summer was spent working 7 days a week serving the rich and famous, making loads of tips, then heading to the beach to sleep in the afternoon before starting the evening shift. Back in those days the port of St Jean was thriving.

In 2006 we stopped off in St Jean during out camper vanning trip and was surprised to see that Le Gourmet was still there and had in fact expanded to include a Neapolitan pizzeria. After a few calls the staff tracked Gianni down who came to spend the evening with us, it was lovely to catch up after so many years and for him to see our children, we reminisced a bit and he kept saying how I was always his favourite waitress…how sweet!! Unfortunately Gianni’s health was not good and he was getting on a bit, but he couldn’t keep himself away from the restaurant, it was in his blood.

It wasn’t until a couple of years later that we heard that Gianni had passed away. His partner for the past 30 years is still running the restaurant, though only the pizzeria part, the other has closed down. Domenico and I quite often go down to see her and help out occasionally, it is a lovely restaurant though the port in general has lost its charm from years ago and a lot of places are looking tired. The menu’s are still the same as they were 27 years ago ….nothing has changed with time. The prices too are absolutely over the top... for example a margarita pizza in Naples will be no more than 5 euro, in St Jean the average is 15 euro…crazy!! They say they have to justify the high prices because the season is shorter now.

After travelling the world and running our own restaurants we can see where things are going wrong and what needs to be changed in St Jean, but unfortunately the owners are stuck in their ways and won’t make changes to adapt with the times…which is a real shame.

DJ and I have recently finished a website for them to bring them into the 21st century http://www.gourmetitalien.com/

Nice & Dog Walking

2009-06-15T16:55:00.008+02:00

We have been back in Nice now for the past month and still trying to adjust, I think that the fact that we don’t yet have our own place here and still living at Domenico’s brothers apartment hasn’t really helped with the process. But it seems the sensible option for the moment until we know exactly which part of the coast we want to settle. Then we can find a larger place with some space for Milly, she certainly misses her country lifestyle!

It puts a lot of pressure on me having to take her out several times a day for a walk and Nice is not the dog friendliest of places considering so many people have dogs.

I have started a daily regime of taking her up to Mont Boron a short climb from where we are living and running the tracks with her, though it is becoming more difficult in the heat. It is a beautiful part of Nice with views amazing views of the city with its beaches and around to Villefranche and St Jean Cap Ferrat.

Most of the time the other dog walkers are pretty friendly once they know that Milly is not aggressive, she can be a bit too friendly though and I sometimes see a look of fear when we are walking towards some one with a smaller dog. But usually a quick don’t worry ‘elle est gentile’puts them at ease.

One of my worst cases and there have been a few, was when a nasty French chap was coming towards me with 2 poodly dogs not on a leashes and barking away ferociously. I kept Mill under control and she looked at them as if to say ‘what is all the fuss about’, but he had the cheek to say that I should have my dog muzzled, when it was his dogs larking about. I was so angry, I wanted to say to him in my shocking French what an idiot he was, but the words didn’t come out in time, so I stormed of muttering under my breath!!

I have found that the French always have something to say and can’t keep to themselves. I was also verbally attacked one day on the promenade by a woman riding a bike with her dog in the basket. Telling me I should not be walking the dog as it was too hot and the ground would burn her feet! It was a lovely spring day and definitely not too hot, and there were plenty of other dog walkers out who she didn’t approach!! Why pick on me! I need to take some serious French lessons so I can stand up for myself in these situations, as I become mute when I can’t say what I want to say.Very frustrating!!.

On a lighter note, Domenico & I have met some super people and are slowly making new friends through the Nice Meet Up group, loads of events have been organized from walks though to dinners which has been great and have a good laugh.

Back Home in Le Marche for a bit...

2009-06-01T17:05:00.014+02:00

At the beginning of May we made the 8 hour drive from Nice back home to Le Marche I always love going back, though was in for a bit of a shock when I saw how much everything had grown, it had been such a wet spring and the week prior to us going the weather had changed to a heat wave, so everything was flourishing and overgrown. I have never seen the countryside looking so lush.

Casa Nostra

Nearby

Our main priority was trying to cut back all the wheat that had popped up surrounding the house,even between the paving...it was a major and exhausting job with the weed zapper machine and my shoulders really felt it for days later. But it was good being able to walk around and not have to worry about random snakes in the overgrowth.
The stalla was full of swallows making babies.....well actually laying eggs! And Milly spent the days in and out trying to catch them, as well as chasing the lizards...so many without tails running around now! Domenico managed to save this little chap before Milly caught site of it.

It was going to be a very special weekend as an old school friend James who I had made contact with through facebook after 28 ish years and his partner Jon were coming to stay.

Domenico, Jon & James with the Sibillini Mountains in the backgroundBeach at Porto San Giorgio

Servigliano.

They have both spent a lot of time in Italy though it was the first time in Le Marche for both of them, so we tried to cram in as much as we could in the 2 days they were with us, in between lots of eating and drinking! A fabulous weekend...

The view from Fermo looking out to the Adriatic & the Centre

Natalie & Chris' Wedding

2009-03-05T17:57:00.007+01:00

February the 1st was a very special day for us...the day our oldest daughter Natalie married Chris. The wedding was to take place in Auckland, New Zealand, where Natalie still lives. So a week before the big day we flew over, with Liana and DJ following on a few days later from England.
It was a big family affair as it was the first time in many years that I was together with all my family and the first time all of the cousins on my side of the family were together, which was very special.
The wedding and ceremony took place at Mantells in a beautiful old mediterranean villa, it really felt as if we were in a part of Italy.
It was a lovely intimate wedding with about 60 family and friends, Natalie looked stunning and I couldn't stop crying as she walked in with Domenico. Liana was one of her bridesmaids who looked equally gorgeous, as well as DJ who looked very handsome as the groomsman....a very proud moment. Loads more photos are on their website www.amadio.co.nz.

Nice, South of France

2009-03-05T17:08:00.005+01:00

Well here I am back again....it has been a while with a lot happening since my last entry in August.
I've been meaning to update for some time but never seem to get the fingers and brain moving in unison.
The end of last year saw us moving to Nice in the South of France, where we are still hoping to settle...work permitting.

NICE

OLD NICETHE PORT

Our life has done a full circle. 28 years ago before children, Domenico and I both lived and worked on the Riviera for several years before heading to New Zealand. Now the children have all left home to do their own thing we decided to head back there.
We are currently going through the dilemma of 'where is home' as we have been travelling so much and although Domenico would continue to keep moving, I would really like to find a place I can call home and keep coming back to.
We still have our house in Le Marche which is still for sale and I do love it there, but not for work. I didn't realise until leaving Italy how much 'in grained' it had become even with all of its faults and I really start to miss certain things,most importantly the friendliness of the Italians,the fresh produce and the simple way of cooking.
It is for this reason we are currently looking for an apartment in Menton, still in France but only a walk away from Italy...for when I am in need of a quick Italian fix.
I am also thinking of changing the name of my blog, as it is not really an 'Italian Journal' any more,but will see how things go in the next few weeks.

Jamies Great Italian Escape

2006-12-16T14:48:00.000+01:00

I got a lovely suprise in the mail today, a belated birthday present from my daughter, the DVD of Jamie's Great Italian Escape. I know alot of people are not Jamie fans, but I really like and relate to his style of cooking and was very frustrated when I couldn't get this particular TV series in Italy as we don't have Sky. I searched everywhere for the DVD with no luck, then my daughter called to say she managed to find a DVD in Australia of all the Italian series put together. So I've been glued to the TV this morning watching all 6 series' and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the different regions with their own styles of cooking and the attempts of Jamie Oliver to cook and have his food accepted by the locals. It shows the stubborness of the locals in their particular region to accept any style of cooking that is different from what they are used to, it was all very interesting. The DVD does require parental guidance as there is one particular scene where he is asked to slaughter a lamb.. eek... very gross and I had to look away! If any bloggers here in Italy would like to see the DVD let me know.

2006-12-16T16:54:00.000+01:00

As I sit here writing this I am indulging in yet another piece of Panettone, with toasted almonds on top ( Not for you Annika!). It is so easy to eat several pieces and not realise.

Well Christmas is just a week away and to be honest I'm having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year especially since Ikea were sold out of trees, I'm seriously thinking of decorating our large pot plant!.
As it is going to be a quiet one we are thinking of taking off to Prague for a week on Christmas Eve.The airfares have sky rocketed so I reckon we could drive there as it only takes 12 hours and we could stop in Austria on the way.
All our life we have always taken holidays on impulse due to the nature of the business we had, nothing has ever been planned much to the disbelief of our friends.
Many times back in New Zealand we closed the restaurant around christmas time, went to the travel agency wanting a package deal that week only to be told no accomodation available. It has never deterred us though, we hop on the plane and keep our fingers crossed that we will find something when we arrived.
In Bali we found some amazing hotels all willing to barter the price, Thailand was a bit harder though. We arrived late at night, I hadn't slept on the flight and was sooooo tired, I need at least 7 hours sleep to function properly or you don't want to be around me! We trailed around several hotels in Phuket all to no avail, in the end I sat on the side of the road and balled my eyes out. Where was I going to sleep!! Domenico took off to find somewhere, leaving me to drown in my tears. Luckily he found a room in the Holiday Inn for the night where I crashed and woke up the next day totally refreshed and happy.
The next day we hired a scooter and found a fabulous resort just out of Phuket where we spent rest of the week.
It is all very adventurous and I actually like not having to commit to accomodation or a place we are not sure about.
Well I will finish there and have yet another piece of panettone.

Prague- Our Christmas Holiday 1

2007-01-03T14:19:00.000+01:00

After a really early morning flight from Ciampino we eventually arrived at Stansted. Looking down from the plane the countryside was covered in a blanket of frost, I haven't experienced this since I left England, it was lovely and crisp and brought back lots of child hood memories.
After picking up our car we checked into the hotel at Docklands then made a quick dash to the underground to the centre of London to make the most of the the rest of the day. By the time we had wandered the streets, checking out the shops, we were ready for dinner. We stumbled across a fabulous communal Thai restaurant 'Busaba Eat Thai' in Piccadilly and indulged in a fantastic feast, it had been 2 years since our last decent Thai meal (apart from my attempts at home).
The following day we rose bright and early to start our trip to Prague. We took the ferry from Dover to Calais ( a word of advise.. you save alot of money by booking prior or buying the ticket from the agency advertising cheap tickets before you reach the terminal) and then drove through France,Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, reaching Prague 12 hours later.

Prague-Mala Strana from Charles Bridge

My first impression of Prague was that it felt really eerie, as a low cloud hovered over the city the whole time we were there, preventing the sun from shining through and the air was very still and bitterly cold.
With our thermal underwear on and 'Time Out' in hand we went to explore the city. The old quarter of Prague (Stare Mesto) was really delightful, the quaint little streets were full of christmas lights and decorations and several Christmas markets were scattered throughout the old squares.There was plenty of activity and alot of tourists around browsing through the little shops full of crystal ornaments, Czech dolls and plenty of woolly hats. Others were keeping warm huddled around the wood fires which were roasting hams on the spit, drinking beer or Gluwein (hot mulled wine).

Christmas Hams

Castle Grounds and the Old Market Square

We followed the route which took us over the Charles Bridge and across to Mala Strana, the area between the river and Prague Castle, then proceeded to the castle grounds. Unfortunately we were too late to look through the castle.

Mala Strana area

Prague Castle

Statue St John of Nepomuk, photo taken 1st crossing the bridge then again on our return

To keep warm we spent alot of time in and out of shops and pubs, the feeling was blissful as we entered from the cold that had penetrated through to our bones into the warmth. We also ate a great deal of Czech sausages, and drank alot of Pilsner beer and Gluwein which I became addicted too and brought several bottles home with me. Though it doesn't quite have the same effect drinking it in a warm house.
The Czechs are a very quiet bunch preferring to keep themselves to themselves, though were more than willing to help with advice as most of them have a good knowledge of English.
We were in Prague for 5 nights and it was plenty of time to take in and explore the city.

Austria- Christmas Holiday 2

2007-01-03T20:34:00.000+01:00

Before returning to Italy we decided to stop a few days in Austria, as soon as we reached the border into Austria the skies cleared as if on cue and before us we could see the Alps where we were heading. We decided to go to the Gastein Valley near Salzburg as it wasn't too far from our route back to Italy and luckily had a substantial covering of snow considering the rest of Europe was still waiting. We hadn't booked any accomodation though did leave an email with the information centre for any vacancies to be texted to us. Luckily we found one of two self contained apartments (Hausebengut) in an Austrian families house on the mountainside at Bad Hofgastein.

Hausebengut

View up the valley from our terrace

Domenico, Liana, DJ & I

It was just perfect and had everything we needed and at 45euro a night for four of us it was a real bargain. The Wallner family were extremely hospitable greeting us with a glass of Schnapps and then bringing us some homemade christmas cookies.
The next day we headed to the ski resort for a day of skiing and snowboarding. The conditions were perfect, DJ took off with his snow board and we didn't see him for the rest of the day, whilst Liana, Domenico and I tried to stay together. It didn't take long to get the hang of it again, though Domenico had a bad fall at one stage and lost his confidence so spent the rest of the time cautiously snow ploughing down the pistes. After yet more sausages (yes we are all sausaged out now!) and a couple of mugs of hot mulled wine we were on our way again, our skiing suddenly improved with some alcohol in our systems! and we had a fabulous time meandering through the forest on a 7km run. I was exhausted by the end and my legs were like jelly, though it was a great feeling.
The following day we spent around the town of Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein which are part of a thermal area full of health spas and underground caves reknowed for there therapeutic qualities. We really loved this area in Austria and will certainly return one day for a longer stay.

Bad Hofgastein

Though a bit of advise to any one travelling with their car, make sure you buy the road tax sticker for the autostrada and expressway 7 euro. After travelling through the rest of Europe ( apart from Czech Republic) we didn't realise it was necessary and got a whopping 120 euro on the spot fine when crossing the border back into Italy. No amount of pleading helped and they said they would take our car if it wasn't paid!

Linguine Con Vongole

2007-01-17T10:06:00.000+01:00

This is one of my favourite pasta dishes, light, quick to make and slightly picante.

You will need:
Vongole (Clams) make sure they are very fresh
1 Onion
1 Garlic Clove
Pepperoncini
Fresh Parsley
A few salted anchovies
Linguine

1. Cover the Vongole in salt water ( a good handful of salt) and leave for a few hours, if the vongole are still alive they will open up and spit out any sand still in the shells.
2. Sauté finally diced onion with the garlic, pepperoncini and anchovies.
3. The anchovies should melt to add to the seafood flavour.
4. Cook the pasta
5.Drain and rinse the vongole and add to the simmering onion mix. Add a dash of white wine, chopped cherry tomatoes, salt, cracked pepper and a little water then cover, leave until the shells have opened.
6.Drain the pasta well and add to vongole sauce, I usually make this dish in the Wok so I have the depth to toss everything together.
7.Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Buon Anniversario 22 Anni

2007-01-31T15:18:00.000+01:00

This week Domenico and I reached our 22nd wedding aniversary.We have known each other since I was 16 years old, 26 years later and with 3 children thrown in along the way, I'm still crazy about him!

Nonna

2007-02-07T15:42:00.000+01:00

This week 'Nonna', Domenico's Mum came to stay. She is getting on a bit now and finds it hard to get out and about, though it suprises me how, when she is at home, she still manages a daily trip up and down 4 flights of stairs to go to the park to feed the pigeons, despite her having a hip disability.
It makes me laugh when she comes as she always brings a bag of treats for Liana and I. This time it consisted of a couple of pairs of huge bras and girdles, four pairs of elastic waisted trousers that don't sit on the hips but go right up to the boobs and a pair of fluorescant pyjamas! Liana and I look at each other in disbelief, though we have to say that they are lovely so not to offend her. The crunch comes when she tells us to try them on to see if they fit OK, it is so hard to try and keep a serious face. I have a special drawer now which is full of Nonna's special gifts to us, I just hope she doesn't go snooping one day and finds them all!
She loves coming to Frascati as she finds it so peaceful compared to Napoli, though most of her time is spent sleeping, she reminds me of a cat, eats and sleeps, eats and sleeps!

Not A Good Week!

2007-02-21T16:34:00.000+01:00

I'm having a really lousy week this week, sadly may friend Ross died after his fight with cancer, I will miss him so much he has always been there for me and we spoke often, even though we were so far away. I did write a post a few months ago (below) about Ross, I know he will be around in spirit. Before he died he managed to set up a website ( in my links) of his stories and publications over the years, his 'Spiritual Journey' is very inspiring, (you will need to scroll down to read.)

As well as this I've had an awful hacking cough the past few days, I reckon its the warm weather breeding the bugs. If it was cold they would be dead by now! and its been raining the last couple of days which hasn't helped my spirits. Role on next week....

(I’m having a sad weepy day today after having spoken to my dear friend Ross in NZ who was diagnosed with cancer a couple of months ago. Unfortunately the cancer has spread rapidly and has got into his lungs so his breathing is difficult and he is in alot of pain as antibiotics no longer work. By the sounds of it he doesn’t have much longer left to live.I think he is slowly coming to terms with his mortality though I’m having a tough time accepting it.

I came to know Ross about fifteen years ago when he applied for a job in our restaurant. We hit it off from day one and have had many days of fun and laughter. After my husband, he is my best friend who has been my mentor in my personal and business life and has always been there for me. We are so similar in the way we think its quite scary, maybe it is to do with the fact that our birthdays are only a couple of days apart.

Ross has experienced a lot in his life, he is a very passionate conservationist and has done a lot of work with the preservation of whales and dolphins in NZ. Through out his years he has travelled the world, travel writing and photographing for several NZ publications, his love of Italy brings him back year after year, though he is upset at the thought of not being able to see any more of Italy.)

I feel so angry that a life can be taken so quickly from someone who has had such a love of life and has always looked after his health, it is so unfair. I’m just hoping he can hang on.

Early Days

2007-03-19T11:46:00.000+01:00

Domenico is probably going to kill me for posting these pictures which I came across recently, but I think they are so cute and really take you back in time.
This one was taken on the beach at Napoli, probably 44 years ago Domenico is the one with the blonde curls looking towards the camera with his brothers, sister and mama (very proud of her offspring).

This is an early school photo, Domenico is to the right of the teacher. I just love the smock dresses they had to wear, I don't think they did though, as they don't really look like a very happy bunch. Real 'Scugnizzi'!

And here he is 3rd from the left in the second row

Easter Weekend

2007-04-16T14:22:00.000+02:00

We had a lovely Easter weekend this year, Sunday was spent cooking,eating and hanging out with our friends, Nigel and Isalena. We have known N & I since 1985 as they were customers in our first restaurant in New Zealand. Nigel who had just finished his Architect degree took on the job to design and oversee another restaurant we had just bought and when it was finished we bought himself and his girlfriend Isalena an airline ticket to Italy. That was the last we saw of them though we heard that they were living in Rome!
We decided when we arrived here to look them up in the phone book and were thrilled to hear that they were still here after 17 years and with 3 beautiful children. Even after so long it is nice to be able to pick up where we left off, though with Nigels busy schedule (he has just finished working on the controversial Ara Pacus museum project) it is hard for him to find free time.

Easter Monday was spent with friends who were visiting from New Zealand, the girls Madeleine and Frances have been friends with our girls since primary school.
After lunch in Frascati we all trooped off into Rome to show them some of the sights, it was a fabulous warm day and they were in awe at all the History around them (the perfect tourists!).
We finished the day at 'Gusto' our favourite pizzeria, absolutely exhausted.