Packed our bags today preflight; Rocket salad-ing thru Florence,Rome&Paris
Oct 30th, 2011, 12:04 PM
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Packed our bags today preflight; Rocket salad-ing thru Florence,Rome&Paris
Off to Florence on a 3:30 PM flight out of LAX via Paris. 17 fun and food-filled days in Florence, Orvieto, Rome and Paris and the ridiculous idea that I am doing it all with carry-on luggage. I would like someday to be the consummate traveller who can pack light and wash out her two pair of pants and one shirt that doubles as a raincoat and evening dress but I am not yet that gal. There is a lot of crap I need in the 17 days of our trip and when we hit Paris, it will be pretty cold. No, it wasn't hard parting with the Louboutins I didn't own anyhow or the 5 fake Pashminas I bought the last time I was in Florence but I did stuff a fair amount of scarves in every nook and cranny. My suitcase luckily sucked in its bourgeoning stomach with the help of Spanx-like plastic bags and we had a pre-trip cocktail party just so all of our friends could sit on our luggage to get it closed. Doors locked, mail stopped, fridge cleaned and we were off!
Let me back up a couple of months. The last bag I helped pack before the ones going to Florence were those of my son going off to college. I neatly folded his clothes for the last time and helped him pack his suitcase. Clothes that would probably never see the inside of a dresser but instead live happily on a dorm room floor. Up until now, we travelled everywhere together. Both my son and daughter share our spirit of travel and gregariously call for cabs or hop buses in foreign cities and there have been many crazy family dinners recounting, well, mainly times I "may" have embarrassed them in other regions of the world. Who knew I didn't really know Rosanna and Patricia Arquette as I drunkenly yelled their names across the Trevi Fountain at midnight? Apparently my kids did and ran as fast as they could away from me when the two sisters turned to look for a friend they didn't know they had. I thought back to all of the Spring Break trips and summer adventures we had together as a family and knew I was at a crossroads. My son's life would veer off into journeys of his own that didn't include us and ours would do the same. Leaving his university, I'm glad it was a sunny day and that I could wear sunglasses as I hugged him goodbye. We are now officially empty nesters and on our own for the first time in 18 years.
So on a warm LA day this past Monday, we tucked ourselves into our Premium Voyageur Air France seats and took off. About Premiere Voyageur. A few hundred bucks more per ticket than coach, a skosh more room,business class "free" alcohol no doubt hand me downs from the passengers behind the magic curtain in front of you, French croissants made in Downey, California, a piece of what they called Pastrami du Boeuf but what looked liked tranche du Spam, a comb, a shoe horn, some earplugs and seats that don't actually recline but instead slouch. Worth it? If your flight is over 10 hours and you don't mind paying that extra few hundred, I would say yes. The seats are bigger, there is more legroom and a footrest and you get on the plane little sooner. But it will never be business class in spite of the pretty pictures and video on the Air France website. But a teensy bit o' Xanax and a plastic tumbler of champagne helped - (seriously, when doesn't it?). And as Louis CK says, you're in a chair in the sky traveling thousands of miles in mere hours, there should be NOTHING to complain about. A quick plane change in Paris and 17 hours since we left LAX and voila/ecco! we were turning the key in our apartment on Via Della Spada in Florence.
Next - Our first rocket salad and apartment living vs. hotel living
Let me back up a couple of months. The last bag I helped pack before the ones going to Florence were those of my son going off to college. I neatly folded his clothes for the last time and helped him pack his suitcase. Clothes that would probably never see the inside of a dresser but instead live happily on a dorm room floor. Up until now, we travelled everywhere together. Both my son and daughter share our spirit of travel and gregariously call for cabs or hop buses in foreign cities and there have been many crazy family dinners recounting, well, mainly times I "may" have embarrassed them in other regions of the world. Who knew I didn't really know Rosanna and Patricia Arquette as I drunkenly yelled their names across the Trevi Fountain at midnight? Apparently my kids did and ran as fast as they could away from me when the two sisters turned to look for a friend they didn't know they had. I thought back to all of the Spring Break trips and summer adventures we had together as a family and knew I was at a crossroads. My son's life would veer off into journeys of his own that didn't include us and ours would do the same. Leaving his university, I'm glad it was a sunny day and that I could wear sunglasses as I hugged him goodbye. We are now officially empty nesters and on our own for the first time in 18 years.
So on a warm LA day this past Monday, we tucked ourselves into our Premium Voyageur Air France seats and took off. About Premiere Voyageur. A few hundred bucks more per ticket than coach, a skosh more room,business class "free" alcohol no doubt hand me downs from the passengers behind the magic curtain in front of you, French croissants made in Downey, California, a piece of what they called Pastrami du Boeuf but what looked liked tranche du Spam, a comb, a shoe horn, some earplugs and seats that don't actually recline but instead slouch. Worth it? If your flight is over 10 hours and you don't mind paying that extra few hundred, I would say yes. The seats are bigger, there is more legroom and a footrest and you get on the plane little sooner. But it will never be business class in spite of the pretty pictures and video on the Air France website. But a teensy bit o' Xanax and a plastic tumbler of champagne helped - (seriously, when doesn't it?). And as Louis CK says, you're in a chair in the sky traveling thousands of miles in mere hours, there should be NOTHING to complain about. A quick plane change in Paris and 17 hours since we left LAX and voila/ecco! we were turning the key in our apartment on Via Della Spada in Florence.
Next - Our first rocket salad and apartment living vs. hotel living
Oct 31st, 2011, 03:31 AM
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Thakn you edhodge - what a nice thing to say!
This was our third trip to Italy and we wanted to mix it up a little. Since we were going to spend 9 days in Florence, we thought we would try an apartment for the first time. We have a dream of one day spending a month at a time in a foreign city and we know apartments are the way to go. After a lot of research before we left, we rented our apartment through Italy Perfect http://www.italyperfect.com/ - one bedroom, large living room and kitchen, up three flights but there is an elevator and really centrally located. Italy Perfect has an American office that was great and offered a lot of help before we left and gave us an ENORMOUS amount of literature not only about the apartment and the neighborhood but about adapting to the Italian way of doing things and the quirks of apartment living. Quirks such as; they don't turn on the heat, really until November 1st, you pay cash for your utilities when you leave and you take your garbage to a nearby Piazza where it magically disappears into a small bin. The apartment overall is great so far - reasonably priced and we enjoy the benefits of not having to eat every meal out. The bedroom window is double paned which is a plus. The apartment sits at the apex of three streets that converge and head to Via Tournabuoni. 3 floors below is is the Florentinian Bermuda triangle of what can only be called "The Car Clusterf*#%." At least three times a day, there are fights breaking out between the Vespa, delivery truck and taxi drivers of Florence. A lot of "I got here first, move it!" and other more colorful language involving the Blessed Mother, cows and random body parts and what one should do with them. It is city living after all and we have gotten used to the cacophony of noise below us. But the magic of Florence also means that below our balcony every day around 5 PM, an accordion player and guitarist serenade us with music. Surprisingly, most of the songs are from other countries, I suppose on the off chance that a Spanish tourist would throw a coin in if they heard Besame Mucho.
Night one before dinner we went to the Cavalli cafe just below us. Great hot chocolate and expresso but at 3.50 euros a pop, not really worth it. On a recommendation of Florentinian friend, we ate around the corner at L'Osteria di Giovanni's (22 Via Del Moro) and had our first rocket salad - wild arugula, bresaola, shaved parmesan, oil, balsamic - we are officially back in Italy! Also great was the wild boar tagliatelle and Osso Bucco with roasted potatoes. Ridiculously full, we did the "walking dead" crawl back to our apartment as jet lag set in. 5 hours later, we were wide awake and waiting for the Il Forno Top bakery to open below our apartment. After cappuccino and some fresh bread, we headed to Ponte A Santa Trinitá and watched the sun come up. Dawn in Florence, standing at the Arno is truly one of the world's most wondrous sites.
Next, Coca Light and Caravaggios at the Uffizi and rocket salad number two....
This was our third trip to Italy and we wanted to mix it up a little. Since we were going to spend 9 days in Florence, we thought we would try an apartment for the first time. We have a dream of one day spending a month at a time in a foreign city and we know apartments are the way to go. After a lot of research before we left, we rented our apartment through Italy Perfect http://www.italyperfect.com/ - one bedroom, large living room and kitchen, up three flights but there is an elevator and really centrally located. Italy Perfect has an American office that was great and offered a lot of help before we left and gave us an ENORMOUS amount of literature not only about the apartment and the neighborhood but about adapting to the Italian way of doing things and the quirks of apartment living. Quirks such as; they don't turn on the heat, really until November 1st, you pay cash for your utilities when you leave and you take your garbage to a nearby Piazza where it magically disappears into a small bin. The apartment overall is great so far - reasonably priced and we enjoy the benefits of not having to eat every meal out. The bedroom window is double paned which is a plus. The apartment sits at the apex of three streets that converge and head to Via Tournabuoni. 3 floors below is is the Florentinian Bermuda triangle of what can only be called "The Car Clusterf*#%." At least three times a day, there are fights breaking out between the Vespa, delivery truck and taxi drivers of Florence. A lot of "I got here first, move it!" and other more colorful language involving the Blessed Mother, cows and random body parts and what one should do with them. It is city living after all and we have gotten used to the cacophony of noise below us. But the magic of Florence also means that below our balcony every day around 5 PM, an accordion player and guitarist serenade us with music. Surprisingly, most of the songs are from other countries, I suppose on the off chance that a Spanish tourist would throw a coin in if they heard Besame Mucho.
Night one before dinner we went to the Cavalli cafe just below us. Great hot chocolate and expresso but at 3.50 euros a pop, not really worth it. On a recommendation of Florentinian friend, we ate around the corner at L'Osteria di Giovanni's (22 Via Del Moro) and had our first rocket salad - wild arugula, bresaola, shaved parmesan, oil, balsamic - we are officially back in Italy! Also great was the wild boar tagliatelle and Osso Bucco with roasted potatoes. Ridiculously full, we did the "walking dead" crawl back to our apartment as jet lag set in. 5 hours later, we were wide awake and waiting for the Il Forno Top bakery to open below our apartment. After cappuccino and some fresh bread, we headed to Ponte A Santa Trinitá and watched the sun come up. Dawn in Florence, standing at the Arno is truly one of the world's most wondrous sites.
Next, Coca Light and Caravaggios at the Uffizi and rocket salad number two....
Oct 31st, 2011, 07:05 AM
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Italy06 ... We are also leaving for Florence on Air France from LAX in 2 weeks. My 22"
carry on suitcase is almost packed. I also can't wait for the "rocket" salads. Enjoy and
looking forward to reading about your adventures.
carry on suitcase is almost packed. I also can't wait for the "rocket" salads. Enjoy and
looking forward to reading about your adventures.
Oct 31st, 2011, 08:07 AM
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Rocket salad is a term I believe originated in Britain. It is arugula and then according to what country you are in, it is used in a variety of ways. It is grown extensively in the Veneto region of Italy and here, it is usually arugula, shaved parmesan, oil and vinegar and a lot of restaurants add a salami or dried beef (bresaola). I don't often see it on menus this way in the U.S. but yes, I could get all of the ingredients and make it in LA, even though bresaola is sometimes hard to come by. I had never tried it until I came to Italy the first time and it is one of those foods that always makes me think of Rome or Florence when I have it. It just seems to taste better in Florence than in the San Fernando Valley! And all rocket salads aren't equal - some trattorias make it better than others as simple as the ingredients are.
And deedee, have a great time!!
And deedee, have a great time!!
Oct 31st, 2011, 02:47 PM
#13
Rocket salad is a term I believe originated in Britain. >>
wild rocket can be found in the UK, and rocket is a popular crop for amateur growers like me, though I prefer to mix it with other leaves as i find it too strong in a salad by itself.
I've been growing it, off and on, for about 10 years.
wild rocket can be found in the UK, and rocket is a popular crop for amateur growers like me, though I prefer to mix it with other leaves as i find it too strong in a salad by itself.
I've been growing it, off and on, for about 10 years.
Nov 1st, 2011, 04:53 AM
#17
Actually, the name rocket comes from the Latin <i>eruca</i> which became <i>ruca</i> and then Old Italian <i>ruchetta</i>; the botanical name is <i>eruca sativa</i>. The English term rocket arrived through the French <i>roquette</i>.
Okay, I'll stop being pedantic.
Okay, I'll stop being pedantic.
Nov 1st, 2011, 05:42 AM
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Hilarious kerouac! Please tell me you won at least one spelling bee in your life. It always comes back to the Latin, doesn't it? The other thing about the salads here is that there is only one dressing - oil and vinegar. Not the 100 choices we seem to have in the US. A lot healthier, especially considering all other calories of primi piatti....
