Trip Report: Bellagio, Milan, Venice, Cinque Terre and Piedmont
Jul 13th, 2015, 05:13 AM
#61
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Monday 22
Venice to Cinque Terre via Modena
Almost anyone who’s looked at a bottle of balsamic vinegar knows that Modena is the balsamic vinegar capital of the world. I say “almost anyone” because Carol and I didn’t know that until we started planning the trip. It’s also the birthplace of Luciano Pavarotti. And, these days, it has gained more fame as the home of Osteria Francescana, Massimo Bottura’s three Michelin hat restaurant and, if you put any credence in these kinds of things, the second-best restaurant in the world.
I don’t put much credence in the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants–really, how can you compare?–and, yet, two weeks before we left for Italy, I was at my computer watching the 2015 announcement, and when another restaurant was announced at No. 3 (Osteria Francescana’s 2014 ranking), I found myself thinking, “Do we have a reservation at the best restaurant in the world?” Apparently not. No. 2 it was.
Carol and I also watched the Osteria Francescana episode of Chef’s Table on Netflix, which is when we started getting even more excited about eating there because of Massimo’s obvious passion for food.
We had hoped to get to Modena early, maybe walk around town and buy some vinegar, but the GPS took us through seemingly every small town south and west of Venice en route to the Autostrade. After a two-hour, 45-minute drive, we arrived at Osteria Francescana just in time for our reservation.
And then the fun began. First, the greeting. Not just the maitre d’ but seemingly half the staff welcomed us inside and escorted us to our table. We walked down a narrow hallway, past the statue of three pigeons with a black garbage bag under them, and to a small room with four tables (I believe the restaurant has 12 tables).
Osteria Francescana has the same menu for lunch and dinner. You can choose from the a la carte menu or pick from one of two tasting menus: Tradition in Evolution, which has many of Massimo’s classic dishes, or Sensations, which is a bit more adventurous. We had our hearts set on one particular dish–Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano–and asked if that was on the Sensations menu. The waiter said it wasn’t but offered a tasting menu combining the best dishes from Traditions and Sensations. That was exactly what we’d wanted him to say.
I’m not going to bore you with the exact details of this lunch, but during our four-and-a-half hour, 13-course lunch, we had more memorable dishes than we’ve had in any other restaurant. Was it our best meal ever? It’s hard to compare meals that were eaten years apart. But Five Ages of Parmesan Reggiano, a sensational foie gras popsicle with walnuts and Balsamic vinegar reduction (hands down the best thing I’ve ever eaten), fish soup and dish called the crunchy part of the lasagna (Massimo is a very playful chef) were spectacular. Wow, what I wouldn’t do for a foie gras popsicle right now! We ordered one wine pairing, not two, because I wanted to be able to drive to Cinque Terre; that turned out to be plenty anyway.
One of the highlights came early on when Massimo came out of the kitchen and went table-to-table to say hello to everyone. That was nice, especially so because we now knew that Massimo was actually in the kitchen that day (when we went to French Laundry in Napa, Thomas Keller was not there). He would come out two more times, dressed in his chef’s outfit and sneakers.
The thing about Osteria Francescana is that Massimo is so casual and has so much fun with his food, but the wait staff doesn’t seem to be having any fun at all. There’s a disconnect here that’s confusing; Why wouldn’t Massimo want his restaurant to be a reflection of his personality and his food? Massimo is laid back. The staff is stuffy.
But, as I said, the food was exceptional, unique, delicious. Carol’s birthday lunch was one we won’t forget. That being said, I almost forgot the little pieces of chocolate that came out at the end; one piece was (and I can say this with 100% certainty) the best piece of chocolate I’d ever had. Isn’t there a limit to how good chocolate can be?
So, after that final bit of heaven, and some conversation with the couple sitting next to us, we headed back to our car for the rest of the drive to Monterosso. The drive was uneventful and easy (no crazy drivers) through pretty countryside until we got off the Autostrade. From then on, the drive was over narrow roads with hairpin turns, up and down mountains. Not a terrible drive, but I wouldn’t want to do it at night.
Our hotel in Monterosso was Stella Della Marina, which is near the water in the old town. Gabriele, who owns the hotel, had reserved a parking spot just outside the new town and sent a driver to pick us up. Very nice. Then Gabriele carried our bags to our room on the fifth floor. If Massimo Bottura is passionate about his restaurant, Gabriele is equally passionate about his hotel, and it shows. He bought the hotel about a year and a half ago, and since then, its Tripadvisor and Booking.com ratings have soared.
Our room had a beautiful view of the Ligurian Sea (we hadn’t expected the view to be so good) and a pretty church (more church bells!). It was getting late so we went downstairs to grab a quick bite at a restaurant whose name I don’t remember, which is for the best since the pizza was awful. Then back to our room and sleep after a long day of traveling and eating.
Venice to Cinque Terre via Modena
Almost anyone who’s looked at a bottle of balsamic vinegar knows that Modena is the balsamic vinegar capital of the world. I say “almost anyone” because Carol and I didn’t know that until we started planning the trip. It’s also the birthplace of Luciano Pavarotti. And, these days, it has gained more fame as the home of Osteria Francescana, Massimo Bottura’s three Michelin hat restaurant and, if you put any credence in these kinds of things, the second-best restaurant in the world.
I don’t put much credence in the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants–really, how can you compare?–and, yet, two weeks before we left for Italy, I was at my computer watching the 2015 announcement, and when another restaurant was announced at No. 3 (Osteria Francescana’s 2014 ranking), I found myself thinking, “Do we have a reservation at the best restaurant in the world?” Apparently not. No. 2 it was.
Carol and I also watched the Osteria Francescana episode of Chef’s Table on Netflix, which is when we started getting even more excited about eating there because of Massimo’s obvious passion for food.
We had hoped to get to Modena early, maybe walk around town and buy some vinegar, but the GPS took us through seemingly every small town south and west of Venice en route to the Autostrade. After a two-hour, 45-minute drive, we arrived at Osteria Francescana just in time for our reservation.
And then the fun began. First, the greeting. Not just the maitre d’ but seemingly half the staff welcomed us inside and escorted us to our table. We walked down a narrow hallway, past the statue of three pigeons with a black garbage bag under them, and to a small room with four tables (I believe the restaurant has 12 tables).
Osteria Francescana has the same menu for lunch and dinner. You can choose from the a la carte menu or pick from one of two tasting menus: Tradition in Evolution, which has many of Massimo’s classic dishes, or Sensations, which is a bit more adventurous. We had our hearts set on one particular dish–Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano–and asked if that was on the Sensations menu. The waiter said it wasn’t but offered a tasting menu combining the best dishes from Traditions and Sensations. That was exactly what we’d wanted him to say.
I’m not going to bore you with the exact details of this lunch, but during our four-and-a-half hour, 13-course lunch, we had more memorable dishes than we’ve had in any other restaurant. Was it our best meal ever? It’s hard to compare meals that were eaten years apart. But Five Ages of Parmesan Reggiano, a sensational foie gras popsicle with walnuts and Balsamic vinegar reduction (hands down the best thing I’ve ever eaten), fish soup and dish called the crunchy part of the lasagna (Massimo is a very playful chef) were spectacular. Wow, what I wouldn’t do for a foie gras popsicle right now! We ordered one wine pairing, not two, because I wanted to be able to drive to Cinque Terre; that turned out to be plenty anyway.
One of the highlights came early on when Massimo came out of the kitchen and went table-to-table to say hello to everyone. That was nice, especially so because we now knew that Massimo was actually in the kitchen that day (when we went to French Laundry in Napa, Thomas Keller was not there). He would come out two more times, dressed in his chef’s outfit and sneakers.
The thing about Osteria Francescana is that Massimo is so casual and has so much fun with his food, but the wait staff doesn’t seem to be having any fun at all. There’s a disconnect here that’s confusing; Why wouldn’t Massimo want his restaurant to be a reflection of his personality and his food? Massimo is laid back. The staff is stuffy.
But, as I said, the food was exceptional, unique, delicious. Carol’s birthday lunch was one we won’t forget. That being said, I almost forgot the little pieces of chocolate that came out at the end; one piece was (and I can say this with 100% certainty) the best piece of chocolate I’d ever had. Isn’t there a limit to how good chocolate can be?
So, after that final bit of heaven, and some conversation with the couple sitting next to us, we headed back to our car for the rest of the drive to Monterosso. The drive was uneventful and easy (no crazy drivers) through pretty countryside until we got off the Autostrade. From then on, the drive was over narrow roads with hairpin turns, up and down mountains. Not a terrible drive, but I wouldn’t want to do it at night.
Our hotel in Monterosso was Stella Della Marina, which is near the water in the old town. Gabriele, who owns the hotel, had reserved a parking spot just outside the new town and sent a driver to pick us up. Very nice. Then Gabriele carried our bags to our room on the fifth floor. If Massimo Bottura is passionate about his restaurant, Gabriele is equally passionate about his hotel, and it shows. He bought the hotel about a year and a half ago, and since then, its Tripadvisor and Booking.com ratings have soared.
Our room had a beautiful view of the Ligurian Sea (we hadn’t expected the view to be so good) and a pretty church (more church bells!). It was getting late so we went downstairs to grab a quick bite at a restaurant whose name I don’t remember, which is for the best since the pizza was awful. Then back to our room and sleep after a long day of traveling and eating.
Jul 13th, 2015, 05:27 AM
#62
Thanks VERY much for the LaScala section. We leave in a couple of weeks for some performances in Munich followed by our usual three-night aria fix in Verona and we will be seeing "Barber" in Milan on the 6th of August.
This will be our first time in that house also. Somehow not surprised by the variety of attire you have reported and it reminds me of the Met as well as the several Berlin houses these days. Munich is much the same in our experience.
Thanks again and glad you enjoyed your trip.
This will be our first time in that house also. Somehow not surprised by the variety of attire you have reported and it reminds me of the Met as well as the several Berlin houses these days. Munich is much the same in our experience.
Thanks again and glad you enjoyed your trip.
Jul 14th, 2015, 05:02 AM
#65
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Tuesday June 23
Cinque Terre First Full Day
We had now been in Italy for 11 days and felt fully settled in. We had become accustomed to the smell of Northern Italy, which is not of food. It’s of jasmine and bougainvillea. We loved the ever-changing landscape, from the surreal beauty of the lakes and mountains to the old-world charm of Milan to the other-worldliness of Venice and, now, the Cinque Terre with its seaside villages stacked perilously on top of each other, looking as if they could fall into the cobalt blue Ligurian Sea at any time. We were no longer intimidated by the language gap, mostly because there was none. Even in the rare instance when someone didn’t speak English, we were usually able to pick up enough words and understand by context what they were saying.
We woke up and had delicious breakfast on the rooftop with its views out to the sea and the old town. The sky was overcast and the sea was choppy, so, figuring this was no day for a boat ride, we decided to take the train down to Riomaggiore, the southernmost village. The line at the train station was long, so we bought an all-day ticket waiting in line each time we wanted to take the train. The trains run pretty regularly thoughout the day, with gaps here and there, but are almost always late.
Twenty minutes later, we got off the train in Riomaggiore and followed Rick Steves’ suggested walk up through the town. This provided some fantastic, up-close views of the vertical nature of the town. We emerged at the top, headed down, saw people eating fish out of paper cones and stopped at Siamo Fritti for fried fish in a cone and a beer (8.50 euros). Carol and I aren’t fans of fried calamari; it’s almost always over breaded, rubbery and tasteless. But this calamari had a light, well-spiced coating, and the calamari actually tasted good. We also ate fried whole sardines, heads and all.
After strolling down to the pretty little harborfront (the Via dell’Amore trail to Manarola was closed) and watching the fisherman’s boats getting knocked around by the surf, we hopped onto the train to Manarola, the next town up. Colorful and with a beautiful harbor, a nice “downtown” strip of stores and beautiful vineyards up on the hills, Manarola was our favorite town in the Cinque Terre (although we didn’t see Corniglia).
We walked into turn, stopped at La Cambusa for a slice of so-so foccacia (our first foccaccia in Italy), served by a guy who reminded us of the soup nazi from “Seinfeld.” The place had a line out the door, so I assume it’s in someone’s tour book.
We sat at Caffe Cagliari for some local Cinque Terre wine (pretty good; crisp but without much depth), then set out looking for the vineyard walk. The vineyard walk, which starts at the top of town, is beautiful and provides sensational views of the town, the sea and the surrounding hillside. Lots of flowers, cactus (we didn’t realize and giant lemons. We thought about walking the trail from Manarola to Corniglia (figuring that was the best way to see Corniglia since it’s the only way to avoid the 500 steps), but the trail was closed. So, we walked through the cemetery and an old church, ending up at the point for more beautiful views of the sea and down to the town.
This would be our day of small meals. We walked back into town and had really good linguine with tiny, succulent clams at Trattoria La Scogliera. I’ve never liked linguine with clams, but this was delicious. Lots of clams and tomatoes. The pasta was cooked perfectly, as it almost always is in Italy. We sat for a long time talking to a young Irish couple. Nobody was in a hurry to go anywhere.
By now, it was late afternoon, so we took the train to Vernazza. At first glance, we didn’t think Vernazza was as nice as the other towns. It’s a little busier, a little more touristy (although wherever you go in Cinque Terre, the language you hear most is English, usually American English), but the harbor is pretty.
What finally swayed us to Vernazza’s side was the view from Gianni Franzi’s wine bar at the top of a cliff in the middle of town. You have to climb a lot of steps to get there, but you’re rewarded by a spectacular, unobstructed view of the sea. The weather had cleared, the sun was shining, the Ligurian Sea was sparkling, and we could think of no better way to spend a few hours than to enjoy friendly owner Alessandro’s favorite wines (or so he said!) and nibble on some delicious cheeses, which included two kinds of pecorino (it’s a little like parmesan reggiano). But best of all was the million-dollar view. Wow!
We finally pulled ourselves away from the view and took the train back to Monterosso. We would’ve stayed in Vernazza for dinner, but there were no trains between 9:30 and 11:30 and we didn’t want to stay out until midnight. So, we walked along Monterosso’s pretty shoreline. Since we weren’t very hungry but figured we should eat something before calling it a night, we stopped at San Martino Gastronomia on a back street in the old town and shared a plate of ravioli and some red wine. San Martino is takeout only (no service), but it does have little tables outside, and it’s perfect for a quick, simple bite.. The owner/chef is very friendly, his food is good and he has a nice selection of wines to buy by the bottle.
Then back to our room for the end of my favorite day so far. I found Cinque Terre to be relaxing. It wasn’t overcrowded, perhaps because it wasn’t the weekend, perhaps because the weather was overcast. We never had to be anywhere at a specific time. There’s none of that “I have to see this or that” feeling because there’s really nothing to see other than the beautiful scenery. The views would we even more-beautiful tomorrow.
Cinque Terre First Full Day
We had now been in Italy for 11 days and felt fully settled in. We had become accustomed to the smell of Northern Italy, which is not of food. It’s of jasmine and bougainvillea. We loved the ever-changing landscape, from the surreal beauty of the lakes and mountains to the old-world charm of Milan to the other-worldliness of Venice and, now, the Cinque Terre with its seaside villages stacked perilously on top of each other, looking as if they could fall into the cobalt blue Ligurian Sea at any time. We were no longer intimidated by the language gap, mostly because there was none. Even in the rare instance when someone didn’t speak English, we were usually able to pick up enough words and understand by context what they were saying.
We woke up and had delicious breakfast on the rooftop with its views out to the sea and the old town. The sky was overcast and the sea was choppy, so, figuring this was no day for a boat ride, we decided to take the train down to Riomaggiore, the southernmost village. The line at the train station was long, so we bought an all-day ticket waiting in line each time we wanted to take the train. The trains run pretty regularly thoughout the day, with gaps here and there, but are almost always late.
Twenty minutes later, we got off the train in Riomaggiore and followed Rick Steves’ suggested walk up through the town. This provided some fantastic, up-close views of the vertical nature of the town. We emerged at the top, headed down, saw people eating fish out of paper cones and stopped at Siamo Fritti for fried fish in a cone and a beer (8.50 euros). Carol and I aren’t fans of fried calamari; it’s almost always over breaded, rubbery and tasteless. But this calamari had a light, well-spiced coating, and the calamari actually tasted good. We also ate fried whole sardines, heads and all.
After strolling down to the pretty little harborfront (the Via dell’Amore trail to Manarola was closed) and watching the fisherman’s boats getting knocked around by the surf, we hopped onto the train to Manarola, the next town up. Colorful and with a beautiful harbor, a nice “downtown” strip of stores and beautiful vineyards up on the hills, Manarola was our favorite town in the Cinque Terre (although we didn’t see Corniglia).
We walked into turn, stopped at La Cambusa for a slice of so-so foccacia (our first foccaccia in Italy), served by a guy who reminded us of the soup nazi from “Seinfeld.” The place had a line out the door, so I assume it’s in someone’s tour book.
We sat at Caffe Cagliari for some local Cinque Terre wine (pretty good; crisp but without much depth), then set out looking for the vineyard walk. The vineyard walk, which starts at the top of town, is beautiful and provides sensational views of the town, the sea and the surrounding hillside. Lots of flowers, cactus (we didn’t realize and giant lemons. We thought about walking the trail from Manarola to Corniglia (figuring that was the best way to see Corniglia since it’s the only way to avoid the 500 steps), but the trail was closed. So, we walked through the cemetery and an old church, ending up at the point for more beautiful views of the sea and down to the town.
This would be our day of small meals. We walked back into town and had really good linguine with tiny, succulent clams at Trattoria La Scogliera. I’ve never liked linguine with clams, but this was delicious. Lots of clams and tomatoes. The pasta was cooked perfectly, as it almost always is in Italy. We sat for a long time talking to a young Irish couple. Nobody was in a hurry to go anywhere.
By now, it was late afternoon, so we took the train to Vernazza. At first glance, we didn’t think Vernazza was as nice as the other towns. It’s a little busier, a little more touristy (although wherever you go in Cinque Terre, the language you hear most is English, usually American English), but the harbor is pretty.
What finally swayed us to Vernazza’s side was the view from Gianni Franzi’s wine bar at the top of a cliff in the middle of town. You have to climb a lot of steps to get there, but you’re rewarded by a spectacular, unobstructed view of the sea. The weather had cleared, the sun was shining, the Ligurian Sea was sparkling, and we could think of no better way to spend a few hours than to enjoy friendly owner Alessandro’s favorite wines (or so he said!) and nibble on some delicious cheeses, which included two kinds of pecorino (it’s a little like parmesan reggiano). But best of all was the million-dollar view. Wow!
We finally pulled ourselves away from the view and took the train back to Monterosso. We would’ve stayed in Vernazza for dinner, but there were no trains between 9:30 and 11:30 and we didn’t want to stay out until midnight. So, we walked along Monterosso’s pretty shoreline. Since we weren’t very hungry but figured we should eat something before calling it a night, we stopped at San Martino Gastronomia on a back street in the old town and shared a plate of ravioli and some red wine. San Martino is takeout only (no service), but it does have little tables outside, and it’s perfect for a quick, simple bite.. The owner/chef is very friendly, his food is good and he has a nice selection of wines to buy by the bottle.
Then back to our room for the end of my favorite day so far. I found Cinque Terre to be relaxing. It wasn’t overcrowded, perhaps because it wasn’t the weekend, perhaps because the weather was overcast. We never had to be anywhere at a specific time. There’s none of that “I have to see this or that” feeling because there’s really nothing to see other than the beautiful scenery. The views would we even more-beautiful tomorrow.
Jul 14th, 2015, 07:43 AM
#67
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Thanks, TDudette. We actually considering doing a day trip to Pisa from CT, but we liked CT so much that we didn't want to leave.
By the way, for anyone who has any desire to go to Osteria Francescana in Modena, I've heard that reservations are hard to get. We didn't have a problem, maybe because we reserved two months out for a Monday afternoon.
Dukey1, what are you seeing in Munich? I've never been to the opera there but want to. Any Wagner?
By the way, for anyone who has any desire to go to Osteria Francescana in Modena, I've heard that reservations are hard to get. We didn't have a problem, maybe because we reserved two months out for a Monday afternoon.
Dukey1, what are you seeing in Munich? I've never been to the opera there but want to. Any Wagner?
Jul 14th, 2015, 08:41 AM
#68
Re: Munich. This will be a repeat visit to Munich specifically for opera (we were there last year prior to Verona as well).
I'm not a huge Wagner fan although I do like Lohengrin and last year in Munich I'm afraid that the Flying Dutchman pretty much crash landed, for me anyway. I have enjoyed some of his other stuff in Berlin a bit better.
Anyway, this year we will see Eugen(e) Onegin and Manon Lescault.
Tickets for the "opera festival" can be somewhat difficult. You send in your request for days and works and then wait to see what you actually get.
Admittedly it isn't quite the same as the year and a half advance requests for the Passion Play in Oberammergau (which we have seen twice and thoroughly enjoyed).
We really wanted to see a couple of things at the Liceu this year but that just didn't work and I'm still trying to figure out how to crack the nut that is Vienna without having to take out a subscription but such is life.
I'm not a huge Wagner fan although I do like Lohengrin and last year in Munich I'm afraid that the Flying Dutchman pretty much crash landed, for me anyway. I have enjoyed some of his other stuff in Berlin a bit better.
Anyway, this year we will see Eugen(e) Onegin and Manon Lescault.
Tickets for the "opera festival" can be somewhat difficult. You send in your request for days and works and then wait to see what you actually get.
Admittedly it isn't quite the same as the year and a half advance requests for the Passion Play in Oberammergau (which we have seen twice and thoroughly enjoyed).
We really wanted to see a couple of things at the Liceu this year but that just didn't work and I'm still trying to figure out how to crack the nut that is Vienna without having to take out a subscription but such is life.
Jul 15th, 2015, 04:40 AM
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Wednesday June 24
Cinque Terre, 2nd full day
We woke up and opened the blinds and saw that the Cinque Terre had woken up, too. It was a beautiful, clear day, and the sea sparkled. Already, the views were stunning, and we hadn’t even left our room.
We got a late start, wanting to take the day at a leisurely pace the Cinque Terre calls for. We had only three things on our agenda: souvenir shopping in Riomaggiore, a ferry ride and sitting on the beach in Monterosso.
When we took the train to Riomaggiore, our intention was to have some more of that fried calamari in a cone. But a restaurant at the bottom of the hill, La Grotta, caught our eye, so we decided to have lunch.
Of course, La Grotta means the cave, and it really is one. It took a minute for me to realize that the stone on the walls wasn’t a decoration; it was Riomaggiore!
Time for more risotto, this time seafood risotto loaded with claims, scungilli and plump, juicy mussels from nearby Portovenere (the best mussels we’ve ever had; we didn’t know that could be so good), plus some white wine. Excellent (although we weren’t used to risotto not being creamy), and served by the nice woman who runs this family business.
Carol bought souvenirs at a ceramic shop up the hill and we walked down to the harbor. The only way to get those iconic views of the Cinque Terre that you see when doing a Google search are from the water, so we hopped onto the ferry (crowded but not overly so) and took it all the way up to Monterosso, stopping at Manarola and Vernazza (but not Corniglia) along the way and taking tons of pictures because the views of the towns were so stunningly. The Cinque Terre certainly looks a lot better with sun and clear skies. It sparkles.
We spent the late afternoon on the beach in the new part of town, realizing the second we got there that we should’ve hit the beach in the morning, when it was less crowded. By now, the beach was pretty packed, but we rented two beach chairs and an umbrella (10 euros because it was late in the day), found a spot and sit and stared. We also went in the water, which was a bit of a pain, literally, because the beach is so rocky. One recommendation: bring water shoes! By the way, almost all of the women on the beach were wearing bikinis, no matter their physiques. The water was cool and refreshing on this hot day. Carol collected rocks, and our time at the beach got more pleasant as people to leave. By seven o’clock, we had the beach mostly to ourselves; problem was, this is when the beach chair and umbrella people start shutting down.
Gabriele had made nine p.m. dinner reservations for us at Ristorante Belvedere, a huge restaurant on the water that’s known for its seafood soup, a dish so huge and so loaded with seafood that it can feed four. Well, Carol and I couldn’t decide what we wanted to eat, and by the time we decided on the seafood soup, the waitress told us that they were out of it…the family sitting next to us had ordered the last one!
Instead, we had mixed seafood antipasto, a dish that kept on coming: first two plates, then a third, fourth and fifth, loaded with some unusual seafood (some we couldn’t identify). Most of it was very good and very filling. Carol enjoyed the linguine with pesto, and we both enjoyed a half-liter of white wine and a half-liter of red during a long, leisurely dinner. And wasn’t it nice of the Canadian family sitting next to us to offer us some of their seafood soup, which had excellent calamari.
But the real highlight was the fireworks display. This was San Giovanni Battista Day in Monterosso (I believe that’s Monterosso’s patron saint), and after a small procession, thousands of candles were lit and sent out onto the sea at sunset. Then a pretty spectacular fireworks display that we watched from out seaside table (thanks, Gabriele, for making that happen; the restaurant was very crowded) while drinking the last of our wine.
A memorable ending to our short stay in the Cinque Terre.
Cinque Terre, 2nd full day
We woke up and opened the blinds and saw that the Cinque Terre had woken up, too. It was a beautiful, clear day, and the sea sparkled. Already, the views were stunning, and we hadn’t even left our room.
We got a late start, wanting to take the day at a leisurely pace the Cinque Terre calls for. We had only three things on our agenda: souvenir shopping in Riomaggiore, a ferry ride and sitting on the beach in Monterosso.
When we took the train to Riomaggiore, our intention was to have some more of that fried calamari in a cone. But a restaurant at the bottom of the hill, La Grotta, caught our eye, so we decided to have lunch.
Of course, La Grotta means the cave, and it really is one. It took a minute for me to realize that the stone on the walls wasn’t a decoration; it was Riomaggiore!
Time for more risotto, this time seafood risotto loaded with claims, scungilli and plump, juicy mussels from nearby Portovenere (the best mussels we’ve ever had; we didn’t know that could be so good), plus some white wine. Excellent (although we weren’t used to risotto not being creamy), and served by the nice woman who runs this family business.
Carol bought souvenirs at a ceramic shop up the hill and we walked down to the harbor. The only way to get those iconic views of the Cinque Terre that you see when doing a Google search are from the water, so we hopped onto the ferry (crowded but not overly so) and took it all the way up to Monterosso, stopping at Manarola and Vernazza (but not Corniglia) along the way and taking tons of pictures because the views of the towns were so stunningly. The Cinque Terre certainly looks a lot better with sun and clear skies. It sparkles.
We spent the late afternoon on the beach in the new part of town, realizing the second we got there that we should’ve hit the beach in the morning, when it was less crowded. By now, the beach was pretty packed, but we rented two beach chairs and an umbrella (10 euros because it was late in the day), found a spot and sit and stared. We also went in the water, which was a bit of a pain, literally, because the beach is so rocky. One recommendation: bring water shoes! By the way, almost all of the women on the beach were wearing bikinis, no matter their physiques. The water was cool and refreshing on this hot day. Carol collected rocks, and our time at the beach got more pleasant as people to leave. By seven o’clock, we had the beach mostly to ourselves; problem was, this is when the beach chair and umbrella people start shutting down.
Gabriele had made nine p.m. dinner reservations for us at Ristorante Belvedere, a huge restaurant on the water that’s known for its seafood soup, a dish so huge and so loaded with seafood that it can feed four. Well, Carol and I couldn’t decide what we wanted to eat, and by the time we decided on the seafood soup, the waitress told us that they were out of it…the family sitting next to us had ordered the last one!
Instead, we had mixed seafood antipasto, a dish that kept on coming: first two plates, then a third, fourth and fifth, loaded with some unusual seafood (some we couldn’t identify). Most of it was very good and very filling. Carol enjoyed the linguine with pesto, and we both enjoyed a half-liter of white wine and a half-liter of red during a long, leisurely dinner. And wasn’t it nice of the Canadian family sitting next to us to offer us some of their seafood soup, which had excellent calamari.
But the real highlight was the fireworks display. This was San Giovanni Battista Day in Monterosso (I believe that’s Monterosso’s patron saint), and after a small procession, thousands of candles were lit and sent out onto the sea at sunset. Then a pretty spectacular fireworks display that we watched from out seaside table (thanks, Gabriele, for making that happen; the restaurant was very crowded) while drinking the last of our wine.
A memorable ending to our short stay in the Cinque Terre.
Jul 15th, 2015, 06:00 AM
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From your orginal post I got the impression you had poor meals in le Cinque Terre, but apart from pizza and apparently a dud foccacia, you seem to have liked them a great deal.
The mussels of the Portovenere/La Spezia waters are unique (a protected product), and they are delicious. The local calamari, especially when young, is also truly tasty. Fried whole fish that look like sardines are most often large anchovies (but no, they do not have the pungent anchovy taste one expect) or else they are small red mullets -- although in Le Cinque Terre, it is not uncommon to find a lot of non-native food in restaurants, and if they were sardines, they came from elsewhere. Pizza and risotto are definitely not native to the region, so they are unlikely to be made well or even with standard ingredients (no butter, no parmigiano). It's possible your wife's linguine al pesto was actually the classic local trenette al pesto, using a quite similar dried cut pasta, but listed on the menu as linguine because that's what is more familiar to visitors).
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-trenette.htm
Classic seafood pasta dishes on the Riviera typically feature mussels rather than clams, and sauces without any tomato. But glad you found a cook (possibly not native born) who made a linguine with clams it to your liking!
The mussels of the Portovenere/La Spezia waters are unique (a protected product), and they are delicious. The local calamari, especially when young, is also truly tasty. Fried whole fish that look like sardines are most often large anchovies (but no, they do not have the pungent anchovy taste one expect) or else they are small red mullets -- although in Le Cinque Terre, it is not uncommon to find a lot of non-native food in restaurants, and if they were sardines, they came from elsewhere. Pizza and risotto are definitely not native to the region, so they are unlikely to be made well or even with standard ingredients (no butter, no parmigiano). It's possible your wife's linguine al pesto was actually the classic local trenette al pesto, using a quite similar dried cut pasta, but listed on the menu as linguine because that's what is more familiar to visitors).
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-trenette.htm
Classic seafood pasta dishes on the Riviera typically feature mussels rather than clams, and sauces without any tomato. But glad you found a cook (possibly not native born) who made a linguine with clams it to your liking!
Jul 15th, 2015, 06:46 AM
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So happy to read of your experience in CT. We have 4 nights there in September. I'd read so many negative things about it because of the crowds that I was wondering if we'd made the wrong choice. Your review confirms my hopes that it is possible to have a good experience simply by taking things slow. Also thrilled to hear about the mussels, one of my favorite things to eat when you can get them fresh. Scungilli? Is that conch? I need to check to see if I can eat that. I'm allergic to crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crab, crayfish) but not mollusks (clams, mussels, oyster). I will have my epi pens with me but REALLY don't want to have to use them. I guess if in doubt, don't eat it. Luckily I can eat fish of any type.
Thanks so much for your trip report, it really is a pleasure to read.
Thanks so much for your trip report, it really is a pleasure to read.
Jul 15th, 2015, 07:10 AM
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sandralist: I think you're right, it was trenette al pesto. I probably saw it as linguine. The clams, mussels and scungilli in the risotto at La Grotta were better than the risotto itself; the risotto was good but not great. I think La Grotta has been family owned and in Riomaggiore for a while, but I could be wrong/
As I said in my original post, the food was best in Piedmont, second-best in Milan, third-best in Cinque Terre then Lake Como and Venice, but we liked it everywhere, even Venice. Being last on this list was not a bad thing, and the mussels at La Grotta were spectacular. I'm used to the dry, skinny mussels served in most American restaurants. Anthony Bourdain wrote in one of his books that he would never eat mussels in a restaurant unless he knew the chef personally. I don't know why he said that; I don't know why Anthony Bourdain says half the things he says.
Cpelk: Thanks for the kind words. I'm enjoying re-living the trip by writing about it.
From what I've heard, you should be good in September regarding crowds. We were fine in June mid-week. Cinque Terre is not just unique; it's gorgeous. We could've sat for hours outside that church (monastery?) overlooking Manarola.
I think scungilli is conch; not sure.
As I said in my original post, the food was best in Piedmont, second-best in Milan, third-best in Cinque Terre then Lake Como and Venice, but we liked it everywhere, even Venice. Being last on this list was not a bad thing, and the mussels at La Grotta were spectacular. I'm used to the dry, skinny mussels served in most American restaurants. Anthony Bourdain wrote in one of his books that he would never eat mussels in a restaurant unless he knew the chef personally. I don't know why he said that; I don't know why Anthony Bourdain says half the things he says.
Cpelk: Thanks for the kind words. I'm enjoying re-living the trip by writing about it.
From what I've heard, you should be good in September regarding crowds. We were fine in June mid-week. Cinque Terre is not just unique; it's gorgeous. We could've sat for hours outside that church (monastery?) overlooking Manarola.
I think scungilli is conch; not sure.
Jul 16th, 2015, 04:56 AM
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Thursday 25
Cinque Terre to Piedmont via Acqui Terme
Breakfast on Stella Della Marina’s balcony. A beautiful, clear morning and a sparkling sea. We were resistant to leave the Cinque Terre, and the end-of-vacation blues were beginning to set in, but we still had one more destination: three days in the Piedmont wine country.
Gabriele, the world’s hardest-working hotel owner, helped us down with our bags, and we hopped into our rental car, which was exactly where we’d left it. Have I mentioned what a pile of crap our car was? It was a Lancia with a clunky shift and horrible acceleration, not exactly two attributes you want in a car on winding, steep roads.
At the recommendation of Tim, the owner of Villa Sampaguita, the B&B where we were staying outside of Asti, we took the scenic route: around Genoa, getting off the autostrade in Ovada and through Acqui Terme and Nizza Monferrato. We had no place to be (other than a four o’clock reservation for a tour in Nizza), and planned on taking the day at our pace.
The road took us through gorgeous countryside. The hillsides are a tapestry of vineyards (you can see where one person’s farm ends and another’s starts),and the vines grow down to the road. Throw in a castle here, a castle there, and you have a fairytale setting.
After stopping in a town that we thought was Acqui Terme but wasn’t (the town had a giant pool that was a color of blue I’d never seen before and was lined with unusual trees that Carol), we found our way to Acqui Terme and eventually to I Caffi’s quiet brasserie that adjoins their Michelin-starred restaurant. We had known we were headed into a less-touristy area of Italy, and that became apparent when only one person in the restaurant spoke English. Of course, he was assigned to be our waiter.
We’d been enjoying meals in Italy ever since we arrived, but lunch at I Caffi surpassed all the meals we’d had so far (other than Osteria Francescana, which belongs in a different category altogether). Elegantly prepared gnocchi with cheese and small. Delicate raviolis with meat. A glass of white wine and a glass of red Barbera. We took this meal slower than usual, wanting to savor every nibble. Moist, delicate (delicate is a word we would use to describe food in Piedmont many times) nut cake for dessert. Sensational, and all this for 33 euros in a pretty room in which, other than Carol and I, everyone was speaking Italian.
After lunch, we stopped for gelato and window-shopped in town, window-shopping being our only option because every shop was were closed for lunch. We really were outside the tourist zone. I wanted to move here immediately!
More beautiful roads took us to Nizza Monferrato (with a stop along the way at a winery to buy a bottle of wine and sample some grappa; Carol and I have no idea why people like grappa). Tim had made a reservation for a tour and tasting at Bersano winery and museum, but the woman at the desk 1.) Had no idea we were coming; and 2.) Spoke very little English. Good thing we had our phrase book. Also a good thing that Piedmont came last on our trip because by this time, we knew a little more Italian than when we had started the trip and were also able to pick up contextual clues.
Well, she made a gallant (and successful) attempt at speaking English. She couldn’t have been nicer. She showed us around the museum, which has lots of very old machinery for harvesting grapes and making wine, and the caves with old, giant barrels. We ended up in a large tasting room, sipped Barberesco and a local sparkling wine and bought a bottle of red.
By the way, this is not California wine country, where the wineries are set up for visiting tourists. Here, most don’t welcome visitors and those that do require a reservation.
We drove through more beautiful countryside and arrived at Villa Sampaguita, which is actually in Valleandona, about 10 miles outside of Asti. It was nice meeting Tim after having emailed back and forth with him so many times. Tim was of the reasons we chose Villa Sampaguita. We knew we were heading into a less-touristy area of Italy and felt we would be relying more than usual on the B&B owner’s knowledge of the area.
Villa Sampaguita is beautiful. It’s a huge, old countryhouse on a working vineyard surrounded by farm and with beautiful views. We were the only guests at the inn, so Tim and Rina, his wife, let us choose a room (they’re all very large; we picked the one in the back because it faced away from the morning sun), then walked out back and enjoyed some wine with a view. We were really enjoying Piedmont.
Dinner was at Villa Sampaguita, homemade by Rina with a bottle of Tim’s very good red wine from his vineyard. Excellent purple gnocchi in sauce. Tender pork with delicious green beans from Rina’s garden. Conversation with Tim and Rina in their big, beautiful dining room. The perfect ending to a wonderful, peaceful day of memorable views and great food.
Cinque Terre to Piedmont via Acqui Terme
Breakfast on Stella Della Marina’s balcony. A beautiful, clear morning and a sparkling sea. We were resistant to leave the Cinque Terre, and the end-of-vacation blues were beginning to set in, but we still had one more destination: three days in the Piedmont wine country.
Gabriele, the world’s hardest-working hotel owner, helped us down with our bags, and we hopped into our rental car, which was exactly where we’d left it. Have I mentioned what a pile of crap our car was? It was a Lancia with a clunky shift and horrible acceleration, not exactly two attributes you want in a car on winding, steep roads.
At the recommendation of Tim, the owner of Villa Sampaguita, the B&B where we were staying outside of Asti, we took the scenic route: around Genoa, getting off the autostrade in Ovada and through Acqui Terme and Nizza Monferrato. We had no place to be (other than a four o’clock reservation for a tour in Nizza), and planned on taking the day at our pace.
The road took us through gorgeous countryside. The hillsides are a tapestry of vineyards (you can see where one person’s farm ends and another’s starts),and the vines grow down to the road. Throw in a castle here, a castle there, and you have a fairytale setting.
After stopping in a town that we thought was Acqui Terme but wasn’t (the town had a giant pool that was a color of blue I’d never seen before and was lined with unusual trees that Carol), we found our way to Acqui Terme and eventually to I Caffi’s quiet brasserie that adjoins their Michelin-starred restaurant. We had known we were headed into a less-touristy area of Italy, and that became apparent when only one person in the restaurant spoke English. Of course, he was assigned to be our waiter.
We’d been enjoying meals in Italy ever since we arrived, but lunch at I Caffi surpassed all the meals we’d had so far (other than Osteria Francescana, which belongs in a different category altogether). Elegantly prepared gnocchi with cheese and small. Delicate raviolis with meat. A glass of white wine and a glass of red Barbera. We took this meal slower than usual, wanting to savor every nibble. Moist, delicate (delicate is a word we would use to describe food in Piedmont many times) nut cake for dessert. Sensational, and all this for 33 euros in a pretty room in which, other than Carol and I, everyone was speaking Italian.
After lunch, we stopped for gelato and window-shopped in town, window-shopping being our only option because every shop was were closed for lunch. We really were outside the tourist zone. I wanted to move here immediately!
More beautiful roads took us to Nizza Monferrato (with a stop along the way at a winery to buy a bottle of wine and sample some grappa; Carol and I have no idea why people like grappa). Tim had made a reservation for a tour and tasting at Bersano winery and museum, but the woman at the desk 1.) Had no idea we were coming; and 2.) Spoke very little English. Good thing we had our phrase book. Also a good thing that Piedmont came last on our trip because by this time, we knew a little more Italian than when we had started the trip and were also able to pick up contextual clues.
Well, she made a gallant (and successful) attempt at speaking English. She couldn’t have been nicer. She showed us around the museum, which has lots of very old machinery for harvesting grapes and making wine, and the caves with old, giant barrels. We ended up in a large tasting room, sipped Barberesco and a local sparkling wine and bought a bottle of red.
By the way, this is not California wine country, where the wineries are set up for visiting tourists. Here, most don’t welcome visitors and those that do require a reservation.
We drove through more beautiful countryside and arrived at Villa Sampaguita, which is actually in Valleandona, about 10 miles outside of Asti. It was nice meeting Tim after having emailed back and forth with him so many times. Tim was of the reasons we chose Villa Sampaguita. We knew we were heading into a less-touristy area of Italy and felt we would be relying more than usual on the B&B owner’s knowledge of the area.
Villa Sampaguita is beautiful. It’s a huge, old countryhouse on a working vineyard surrounded by farm and with beautiful views. We were the only guests at the inn, so Tim and Rina, his wife, let us choose a room (they’re all very large; we picked the one in the back because it faced away from the morning sun), then walked out back and enjoyed some wine with a view. We were really enjoying Piedmont.
Dinner was at Villa Sampaguita, homemade by Rina with a bottle of Tim’s very good red wine from his vineyard. Excellent purple gnocchi in sauce. Tender pork with delicious green beans from Rina’s garden. Conversation with Tim and Rina in their big, beautiful dining room. The perfect ending to a wonderful, peaceful day of memorable views and great food.
Jul 16th, 2015, 06:22 AM
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Scungilli is conch.
Anthony Bourdain likes the sound of his own voice. Not to derail your thread (and this will be my only comment on the subject), but while I am not surprised at the popularity of his TV show (like I waasn't the surprised at the popularity of Bob Vila's This Old House), my own view of Bourdain is that he is an incredibly destructive force in food culture.
Home cooked meals in Italy surpass all others, in my book, so I am glad you were able to enjoy one in Piemonte. I very much like hazelnut cakes from there.
Anthony Bourdain likes the sound of his own voice. Not to derail your thread (and this will be my only comment on the subject), but while I am not surprised at the popularity of his TV show (like I waasn't the surprised at the popularity of Bob Vila's This Old House), my own view of Bourdain is that he is an incredibly destructive force in food culture.
Home cooked meals in Italy surpass all others, in my book, so I am glad you were able to enjoy one in Piemonte. I very much like hazelnut cakes from there.
Jul 16th, 2015, 06:32 AM
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Cpelk,
You should carry an allergy card explaining your allergy because while the seafood you can safely eat is common to Liguria, and the seafood you cannot is uncommon, there is a small hard-shelled shrimp that is is common to the region whose shells may be used as a base for sauce, or that might be fried in the same oil as other seafoods. Additionally, because of its high tourist profile, a lot of seafoods and dishes served in restaurants are not local -- so shrimp will turn up in dishes even though you don't see it in the markets.
Italian waiters are very used to dealing with food-allergy problems and take them seriously. They generally have a much keener sense of what is a mollusk and what is a crustacean. But you should be able to find online a card, in Italian, that you can print out and take with you that precisely describes your allergy. It's especially important if you have cross-contamination issues. Le Cinque Terre is a bit remote still, and it is not a place where you want to have medical emergencies.
You should carry an allergy card explaining your allergy because while the seafood you can safely eat is common to Liguria, and the seafood you cannot is uncommon, there is a small hard-shelled shrimp that is is common to the region whose shells may be used as a base for sauce, or that might be fried in the same oil as other seafoods. Additionally, because of its high tourist profile, a lot of seafoods and dishes served in restaurants are not local -- so shrimp will turn up in dishes even though you don't see it in the markets.
Italian waiters are very used to dealing with food-allergy problems and take them seriously. They generally have a much keener sense of what is a mollusk and what is a crustacean. But you should be able to find online a card, in Italian, that you can print out and take with you that precisely describes your allergy. It's especially important if you have cross-contamination issues. Le Cinque Terre is a bit remote still, and it is not a place where you want to have medical emergencies.
Jul 16th, 2015, 06:34 AM
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Neither DH nor I ever drove in Italy. Your description of the drive from CT makes me regret that. Looking forward to the Piedmont section.
I absolutely agree with sandralist about home cooking in Italy. And, for the price, I'd say Italian haute cuisine gives French a run for its money as well (not that I've eaten the "hautest" in either country!!).
I absolutely agree with sandralist about home cooking in Italy. And, for the price, I'd say Italian haute cuisine gives French a run for its money as well (not that I've eaten the "hautest" in either country!!).
Jul 16th, 2015, 06:59 AM
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sandralist: I agree with you about Anthony Bourdain, but he is right about da Romano's risotto. Of course, he likes everything at every place he goes.
TDudette: A car is a must in Piedmont. I guess you could get around by bike if you're in very good shape. We saw lots of cyclists.
Driving in Italy is a piece of cake. The autostrade are very well-marked. Every toll booth we went through accepted credit cards. There are numerous rest stops with gas stations. People follow the rules: left lane for passing, middle for traveling, right lane for slow traffic and exiting. The only thing you need is a good car, and for the last week, we did not have one.
TDudette: A car is a must in Piedmont. I guess you could get around by bike if you're in very good shape. We saw lots of cyclists.
Driving in Italy is a piece of cake. The autostrade are very well-marked. Every toll booth we went through accepted credit cards. There are numerous rest stops with gas stations. People follow the rules: left lane for passing, middle for traveling, right lane for slow traffic and exiting. The only thing you need is a good car, and for the last week, we did not have one.
Jul 16th, 2015, 07:37 AM
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I'm enjoying your trip report very much. We vacationed at Hotel Florence in Bellagio for a week in April. You're right - absolutely beautiful. We lucked out with great weather.
I would like to travel to the Piedmont area - having enjoyed Tuscany several times, how are the areas similar or different?
I would like to travel to the Piedmont area - having enjoyed Tuscany several times, how are the areas similar or different?
