Tag: opinion

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Buşteni, Romania – Carpathian Fresh Air

Buşteni, a small town nestled in the virtual center of Romania, sits below the Bucegi Range on the edge of the Carpathian Mountains and therefore enjoys the cool fresh air of the north, unlike the towns and cities south of it.

On the day we arrived in preparation for our daughter’s wedding, it was a bit cloudy and sprinkled a bit. We totally ignored this in the hope that the weather would improve and she would have a nice wedding day, a hope that would turn out to be very prescient.

The above photograph was taken on the 17th of September, the day of our arrival to the castle.

Buşteni is located in Prahova county, Romania; named after the local industry in which tree logs are harvested for the timber industry. Until recently, this was the only industry in this particular town, until several ski resorts were built and some of the local castles were restored. It is now a very active tourist destination, having many points of interests to warrant travel all year round.

The mountain range is on the southern most tip of the Carpathian Range and the tallest peak, Mount Caraiman, is in excess of seven thousand feet.

Buşteni – The Town

There is actually not much to the town itself, aside from a strip of N60 which runs north to south directly through it. This is the same road which takes you south to Bucharest and Otopeni Airport.

The Prahova River runs alongside the town as well as a line of the Romanian Railroad. Since any traffic is restricted to the N60 running north to south, traffic can be problematic at times, especially during rush hour. This can be exacerbated by construction and the occasional train coming through town.

Castle Cantacuzino

The castle is a fully renovated and a privately run venue that hosts weddings and other large occasions. It is able to provide these functions with a villa, a small lodge (known as the Hunter’s Lodge) and a very good restaurant and bistro.

The villa is integrated into the castle proper and has immediate access to the grounds, castle and restaurant. Ericka and Gabi chose this as their apartment during the wedding, which made all the arrangements and coordination much easier; more on their wedding in the next edition of this blog.

Restaurants

Casa Magica

A Romanian restaurant hidden on the back streets of Buşteni which has good food is Casa Magica. It is frequented by locals and Romanian tourist who obviously seek it out. Gabi and his brother–in–law were able to pick this establishment out while investigating places to eat in this area. It has a good variety of food at very reasonable prices.

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Bacharach, Germany – Model Medieval Town

On a bend of the Rhine River above Mainz sits the small town of Bacharach. Nestled among the varied and many castles of the west bank, its row of buildings and high walls demonstrate historically how important this part of the Rhine was in the Middle Ages.

Bacharach – Above Burg Stahleck – August 2021

The walls of the Rhine River valley provide an ample perch for the many castles and fortresses that were built to protect the towns along its banks. The Stahleck Castle sits above this small town and extends it length of walls, turrets and towers around the small community like a net from above. The curtain of walls is formidable in both height and width, being its strongest at river level, where perhaps most of the attacks (if any) would probably originate.

The Town

There is no real center of town, since it is more of a stretch of houses and building along the Rhine. Points of interest include the main street called Mainzerstraße, where all of the shops are located, Blücherstraße which starts at Saint Peter’s church and continues up through the Steeger Tor, a smaller street called the Langestraße which parallels the main street and the beautiful park along the banks of the Rhine.

A main attraction here is the beautifully preserved Altes Haus. It is here where Robert Stolz wrote his operetta Wenn die kleinen Veilchen blühen, or “When the little violets bloom”, which was eventually performed in the Haag in 1932. Aside from that, it is an excellent example of Half-Timber, or Fachwerk framing.

The hillsides in this area are dominated by vineyards, the area being a major wine producer for Germany. There are many Vintners here and many, if not all, sell directly to the public. Unfortunately after taking so long to eat, we were not predisposed to try and visit any of them.

Restaurants

There are several restaurants in town to choose from, all of which appear to serve a mixture of traditional German fare and some Mediterranean. It is probably preferable to find something on one of the side streets, since traffic is still allowed through the main thoroughfare.

Restaurant Burg Stahleck

We choose this restaurant based on its menu and amount of outside seating. Plus we were just lucky to get the last table with its advantage at being in a very strategic corner, in order to view the goings on in town.

Bacharach is indeed a great place to spend a day or afternoon. The combination of the town, the banks of the Rhine and Castle above it provide more than enough to do for anyone in the area looking for a day trip.

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Basel, Switzerland – Trams, Doors & Fountains

Basel – From The Top Of Hotel Märthof

The city that boasts the most museums in Switzerland must also operate and maintain the most streetcars or trams. At least that is my thesis. On closer inspection one will notice they are almost everywhere and if you spend any time in the historic area’s main Marktplatz, where our hotel Märthof was located, they even appear to outnumber the cars.

There are also many interesting doors in Basel. Each appear to be uniquely named and dated, some having historical significance, others more whimsical, all very Basel. All make for an increased desire in discriminating each while you walk around the city.

As one can imagine there are fountains all over Basel, all strategically located. Some obviously served as sources of water for the citizenry during older times, others are more decorative. All betray Basel as the water city that it was and in many aspects, still is today.

Our Hotel

The Basler Märthof hotel sits at the nexus of the grand portion of the historic city. Bordered by the Rhine, the Marktplatz and the hills around it, it sits central to life in this city. Surrounded by shopping and many different types of restaurants, one can find almost anything they want in this cosmopolitan city, where English is spoken as frequently as many other languages, the exception being German.

The Märthof Hotel

At the time of our visit, a newly renovated hotel with the most modern of amenities and very spacious rooms. This included access the terrace on the roof for our sitting pleasure or some very nice photographs.

Marktplatz And Rathaus – In The Evening – August 2021

The Trams

Trams are everywhere and give this city’s residence a freedom of movement that is seldom seen elsewhere. From the city’s historic center the network branches out like an octopus, occupying every denizen’s neighborhood within five kilometers.

Tram On Kohlenberg – Basel – August 2021

They can be somewhat of annoyance, making an inordinate amount of low frequency grinding noises, as well as stacking up when you are trying to cross the street. The latter forces you to wait the required time for them to leave, hopefully before more arrive and interfere with your travels across the street. But for the most part, they are a welcome addition to the city’s smorgasbord selection of commutation.

Tram On Mittlere Brücke Over Rhine – Basel – August 2021

The Doors

Entryways in the city of Basel have their own descriptive appeal, as seen below.

Just wandering through the streets an observer will see many examples of craftsmanship, old wrought iron hinges, locks, doorbells and doorknobs. Some of the doorbells are especially amusing, where the owner has carefully preserved the original design and function. Some are pulled, some are twisted and some pressed but all made from old iron that has been braving the environment for hundreds of years in some cases.

Old Wrought Iron Doorknob

The above example old world iron work was found on Martinsgässlein, on our walk down from the Gothic Cathedral Münster. It appeared to be fine example of blacksmith work on an obviously restored door. Here are a few more…

The Fountains

A city historically close to and a heavy user of water, there is no doubt that there would be a plethora of fountains throughout. The most useful and convenient ones are in most cases built into the sides of buildings, whether apartment or governmental. Obviously strategically located in the past for the residents before indoor plumbing was available.

The Rhine Boats

As an adjunct to all of the trams, buses, taxis, ferries and other forms of conveyance, Basel has a system of Rhine boats along the Rhine. When there isn’t a bridge around when you need one, look around, there may be a Rhine boat!

Rhine Boats – Münsterfähre – St. Johanns Ferry – Basel

Each boat has its own name, owner and distinguishing paint job. They are not motorized! By using a cable strung across the Rhine at strategic points, they use the power of the Rhine’s strong current and their rudder to propel them from one bank of the river to the other. The cabling system is not complicated and only requires the pilot to move a pipe on the boat the moors the cable and then direct the boat appropriately using the rudder.

For the modest fare of €1.90 per person you can climb aboard and be on the other side in a matter of a few minutes. We took the Sankt Albans Fähre or Ferry from Basel, Altstadt Kleinbasel on the east bank to the Altstadt Großbasel on the west bank, that was after we walked along the Rhine on the one side and wanted to cross to visit the Paper Mill on the other.

The Basler Papiermühl

One of the high points of our trip was a visit the Paper Mill Museum. One would think it would have not much to offer, but in this case they would be wrong.

Basler Papiermühle – Saint Albans Tal – Basel – August 2021

The city of Basel had done an excellent job of creating a museum from an old paper mill using a mixture traditional museum look and feel along with a hands-on approach for younger, as well as older audiences. The individuals performing the demonstrations are very informative, eager to demonstrate and skilled at explaining during the demonstrations any steps left out. In all cases this is shorten the format of each demonstration so that participants can actually take home what they have made.

I later talked to the man who ran the paper making demonstration and he related to me all of the inconsistencies in his demonstration, explaining that the process took days to complete, from actually pounding the materials to the dried end production. He was most informative.

Basler Papiermühle – Demonstrator Behind Covid Shield

As was alluded to before, participants actually get to create their own examples of paper using the old techniques. In my case, two sheets of rag based paper with the watermark of the mill, dried using a modern appliance, instead of the old method where they were hung on lines for a few days (as shown above).

Restaurants

While in Basel we did not have to venture far from the hotel, since plenty are in an around the area of the old historic part of the city.

Rosario’s La Sputino

This tiny little Osteria is quaintly tucked into the side of a hillside street coming down from Saint Peters.

Rosario’s La Sputino

A traditional Osteria menu with local favorites, both the type you order and the ones that apparently visit (they seem to get their fair share of the local business crowd). We had the carrot soup and then I had the Gnocchi in sauce and Patti had the Scialatielli Fresoli, which actually are pasta in the shape of green beans.

Fiorentina

Continuing with our Italian cuisine indulgences in Switzerland we visited Fiorentina. An upscale restaurant with terrace seating with grand views of the Rhine. However, if you want the outside seating, reservations are necessary.

We visited this restaurant just after we arrived in Basel and since we were both hungry, so we took a walk, found it, walked in and got seated. I ordered the traditional lasagna and had the panna cotta for dessert.

Ramazzotti

Our Pizza

Finally we found the Italian restaurant Ramazzotti which specializes in pizza. Since we were dying for a pizza, not having one for more than month, we ate here and ordered the Pizza Margherita. In fact the food and service was so good here, we ended up eating here a second time.

Ramazzotti Italian Restaurant

The second time we tried other fare.

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Dijon, France – City Of Mustard

Dijon’s claim to fame is the invention of its namesake mustard. Created in 1856 by one of its residence when he substituted the acidic juice of unripe grapes to his mustard mixture, instead of the customary vinegar. It has spawned many varieties and has a world renowned reputation for one of the best mustard types.

Maille Mustard – One Of Many Famous Dijon Mustard Types

Dijon was actually a second thought, a chance detour in our travel itinerary. We had thought that aside from mustard, there was actually nothing of interest or note in this city. I have to say, for the record, we were both pleasantly surprised and would recommend this small city of about 160,000 over some of their more populated cousins we have already seen.

A note, perhaps a generalization, about the French people. They were extremely polite, genial and very attentive to us at all times. We never received any negative feedback when trying to get into restaurant or other venues, in fact they all seemed extremely helpful. However, we did find some of their hotel appliances to be most annoying and counter-intuitive. But as for the French themselves, they appear to be first rate, accommodating and very friendly.

Our Hotel

We stayed at the Grand Hotel Le Cloche, located on Avenue de la 1ère Armée Français, which is eminently close to the train station and the entrance to the old historic part of town.

This hotel has plenty of room and large bathrooms, which are uncommon generally in Europe. Our room had a nice view of the courtyard and small park inside the confines of the hotel.

The Historic Center Of Dijon

From our hotel the center of the old historic part of town was directly through the Arch or Porte Guillaume. The Park Darcy, directly across the avenue from our hotel is the starting point for a city sponsored Owl Trail. For three euros you can purchase a booklet that details and explains more than two dozen points of interest throughout the city.

Some points of interest are rather hidden from the casual observer and required either a keen eye or a brochure, like the one aforementioned, we found it a handy guide.

One such site was the House of Maillard, which contains a most unusual collection of stone figures carved into the wall. It also has a very old wooden staircase and a helical one in a very confined space. This place is reached by a very inconspicuous door which leads to a long, dimly lit hallway made of old wooden timber and stone. Definitely worth a visit.

The owl trail takes you past several noteworthy sights, including many buildings built in what Americans would recognize as Tudor-style or Fachwerk, is typically known as Timber-Framing. The following examples are easily found throughout the city and in some cases demonstrate the age of the buildings and the city itself.

And yet one of the strangest houses seen in Dijon appears below, owing to the flared roofing around several of its dormers.

Odd Building Between Rue Du Temple And Rue Du Chateau

Another characteristic of housing in this area is the roofing. Most of the materials here are reminiscent of the typical ones you would find in France, Germany and Italy. However, some are distinct for this area of Burgundy and are clad in a specific design and pattern specific to this region of France.

Burgundy Roof On The Church Saint Benigne De Dijon

Most of these roofs have a distinctive yellow, green, brown – almost terracotta color and black. The patterns vary a bit, but seem to stick to a central weaved look from below.

Churches

There are again numerous churches in Dijon, all of which have their own interesting history. Obviously one has to have the name of Our Lady, or Notre-Dame, and it is situated on the Place Notre Dame of the main street Rue des Forges.

Notre-Dame de Dijon

Built in the thirteenth century is an excellent example of Burgundian architecture. The facade sports a collection of gargoyles, all of which have a difference appearance and most likely meaning. They must have given the worshipers pause as they entered its archway, especially one can imagine when it was raining and some were spouting water from their mouths.

The front entrance shows enormous amount of wear and can only be attributed to poor quality stone that must have been used in some of its construction, or a deliberate act of destruction or vandalism.

Not actually a church anymore, the Church of Saint Anne of Dijon now houses a museum of sacred art that includes vestments, chalices and other historical religious artifacts.

Restaurants

We ate at a few very good restaurants in Dijon, one of which was an amazing learning experience, the other noted for its exceptional taste based on years of expectations (that is, french cooking and their meat).

L’Aspérule

A fine dining establishment run by a renowned chef Keigo Kimura and only opened in 2019, this restaurants has all anyone would want to eat. I would consider it a French-Asian Fusion restaurant, where the owner takes Asian liberties with known French classics, the results of which are astounding. We are not food critics, but all we could say when we left this restaurant was, WOW!

L’Aspérule – Chicken Appetizer with a Gevrey-Chambertin 2015

As expected with most fine establishments, seating was limited and inside, so it is necessary to get a reservation. We found ourselves lucky, in that they had one seating left the evening when we visited, so we jumped at the chance.

The menu promised either a flight off six or seven courses, starting with an appetizer and working our way up to two different ways to cook Guinea Fowl. The highlight of our meal was both the 2015 Gevry-Chambertin Red Wine and the Ground Guinea Fowl with Whipped Potatoes in Foie Gras Butter served in a cup. It gives me Guinea Fowl bumps just thinking about it again.

Chez Léon

Chez Léon offered a more relaxed atmosphere outside, during a rather warm evening. We were lucky to enjoy a breeze now and again and luckily the lack of any smokers nearby.

The food at this restaurant was traditional Burgundian which we had both wanted to sample before we left the area. Our chef did not disappoint, the menu was full of the expected entrees and some with which we were not yet familiar. I ordered a half-liter of the Givry Red Wine when we placed our orders for the Beef Bourgogne that was one the menu. I upped the ante a bit but ordering an appetizer that used the same sauce as our main entree, but also contained two soft boiled eggs, a specialty they call Oeufs de Poul Bio en Meurette, Recette Traditionnelle.

In Conclusion

Visiting Dijon was a real treat, one we had not expected. Given its many appealing qualities, especially its food, we would recommend it to anyone.

Grand Hotel Le Cloche At Night
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Lyon, France – Silk And Murals

If one were to think of two words that exemplify Lyon, besides being known for its culinary heritage, it would be as the city of silk and murals. There are other sights to see of course, but these two are the ones that you will not forget if you visit this city in the heart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Lyon – Panorama of the city of Lyon, taken from the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière

During the week of the tenth through the twelfth of August, 2021 we were fortunate to travel through Lyon. Our expectations were mixed, having known or read little of the city in the past. In fact, until we visited we had no idea of the impact that Lyon had had on the silk or weaving business in the world.

Lyon – Cour Des Loges

The Historic City Center

The historic part of the old city is backed up against the hill on the other side of the Saône below the basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. Here you will find the old narrow streets paved in cobblestones and buildings fitting their age. The Place of the small college, right next to our hotel The Cour Des Loges, is an example of this as seen below. Though I must admit I am not a fan of walking on cobblestones and prefer the larger stoned walkways of Turin. Walking in one thunderstorm or shower will testify to their slipperiness.

Lyon – Place Du Petit College

Many of the old building date back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and were deeply involved in the silk trade and fabric making. This included our hotel which has several stairwells within it similar to the one above. Though they are inside the hotel, they were customarily on the outside and almost always in the form of a helix.

Rue Du Boeuf An Old Staircase

Bordering the Historic City Center to the east is the river Saône. There are many bridges that span the waterway and will bring you to other old parts of Lyon in the district in and around Bellecour.

The Place Du Bellecour sports the traditional statue of Louis XIV on a horse. Aside from a well architected space around it that serves as a park, the space seems to otherwise be devoid of purpose, it is not even paved well.

Fountain Of The Jacobins

However, the area in and around the Fountain of the Jacobins seems more impressive and well designed. It is situated closer to the buildings, including a ring of trees with a beautiful fountain at the center. The only thing it appears to be missing are cafe tables and people.

Roman Ruins

There are several roman ruins spread across the city. Most are comprised of amphitheater that we used by the local population for amusement. Lyon has at least one example of twin amphitheater, which frankly I have never seen before, even in Italy. The two are adjacent to one another on the hillside overlooking Lyon and just below and to the south of the basilica atop the hill. Both still appear to be used for special events and have wooden stages carefully erected over them.

We actually arrived at the amphitheaters quite by accident, trying to find our way up to the basilica. We both knew they were there, we were just both surprised that we happened upon them in that location.

Basilica Of Notre-Dame De Fourvière

Continuing our walk up the hillside from the roman ruins you can easily see the basilica, so groping for directions on your phone is not such a big deal. The basilica is impressive, both inside and out. However, it appears to have been place on real estate where they allowed residential houses to encroach upon it. This takes away from one’s ability to get an actual appreciation of the scale of the structure from outside.

Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière

Inside is a totally different matter. There are actually two churches within the basilica, one above (the actual basilica) and one below in the crypt. Though the directions indicate crypt, in fact there numerous persons buried below, it appears to also function as a full church with pews and all.

Inside Notre-Dame de Fourvière

Croix Rousse

Across the river Saône from the historic district lies the district on the hill called Croix Rousse. This area is known for its historical ties to the Canuts and those who established and made the silk trade famous in Lyon.

The Museum Of The Canuts

Anyone interested the history of weaving or silk, or anyone interested in old machines should probably put this somewhere on their list of places to visit. They have a small but authentic collection of old and rare machines dating back to the time the Canuts flourished in this area.

A canut was a master weaver of gold, silver and silk thread. The word has probable origins in the word canette, which in french means spool, for which they were responsible in changing out in order for the weave to be successfully finished. The start of the industry can be traced back to its start in and around the year 1536.

The Fresco Buildings

There are several buildings in this area that have been frescoes painted on them. Some of them have been done numerous times over, in order to keep the appeal up and to changed the theme slightly.

Mur Des Canuts – Croix Rousse
Fresco of the Lyonnaise

Other Weird Points Of Interest

The are at least a few unusual points of interest, where artists apparently had a hand. Owing to a profound lack of graffiti in the city my wife and I thought them interesting. Here are a few.

Restaurants

Many of the restaurants here serve local food, or as close to traditional home cooking in these parts of France as you can get and are called Bouchon, it is sometimes spelled Buchon. They are similar to Italy’s Osteria or Trattoria and being in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are very meat based establishments. Most menus include sausages from the region, both sliced as an appetizer and fully cooked served with a sauce or gravy. It is obviously interesting to try, but over the course of a few days can become tiresome.

Buchon Fiston

The second restaurant we tried with such fare was Bouchon Fiston, the first being of no particular note and right across the same street. Trying to mix it up a bit I went for a soup and salad. The onion soup came with a delicious filo dough top and the salad came with melted regional cheese on toasted bread. Patti ordered a lentil salad, which came as a combo of a lentil compote and green salad on the side.

Bistrot Des Cours Des Loges

Belonging to our hotel is a small bistrot that serves many good specialties from the region. Our second evening in Lyon found us visiting it, because the main restaurant normally served by a famous chef was closed for the holiday season.

The bistro offers outside seating under the amazing trees of the Place de Petit College. We had a most enjoyable evening sampling many fine dishes and enjoying the wine.

Le Cabaretier

Our last evening in Lyon found us dodging raindrops to make it to the Cabaretier for dinner. After a rather warm afternoon the thunderstorms would not be denied, but neither would we.

Le Carabetier – Lyon

The place was vacant for the most part, possibly owing to the rain, since most other places appeared equally bare. The owner and ostensibly the cook at this is a real character and listens to American music all the time. Once he learned we spoke English and were from the States, he was constantly buzzing around trying to help or playing songs he thought we would like to hear. If anything it made for an interesting evening.

Yes, That’s Sausage, But I Had To Try It – Andouilette Sauce Moutarde

The inside looks as though it belongs as a Antiquariat and not a restaurant. But the eclectic furnishings did not take anything away from his authentic Lyonnaise food.

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Cuneo, Italy – A Piedmont Gem

We left Turin in a rain storm, just getting into our carriage before the rain really came down hard. It poured most of the way and we saw several instances of lightning as we traveled to Cuneo, giving us the foreboding feeling that perhaps we had made a terrible mistake.

Piazzale della Liberta – Cuneo Train Station – July 2021

When we arrived, it was still raining terribly hard and we were trapped in the train station for a little over fifteen or so minutes. But I checked my phone and the weather radar application on it gave every indication it was going to pass soon, and thankfully it did, though it would continue to threaten us for the remainder of the morning.

Cuneo appears at first sight to be a clean, very well kept city. In many respects, unlike its larger brother to the north Turin, it has every indication of being a very pleasant place to live. One rarely finds any graffiti and the number of animals seems much less than other cities in Italy, and Europe over all.

The Reading Man – Via Nizza – Cuneo – July 2021

As the man on Corso Nizza will suggest, sporting his shiny clothes and shoes, everything is just perfect in this little city.

The main attraction is Corso Dante Alighieri, which after the main piazza, Piazza Galimberti, turns into via Roma. It is a traditional historic center promenade, with its wide street and classic Sampietrini, it offers a great place to walk and many places to shop and eat.

The Bell Tower of Cathedral Santa Marie Del Bosco on via Saluzzo

Having only spent the day here, we carefully chose our place to lunch, after researching several opportunities prior to leaving. Fortunately, Cuneo provides many top places to eat, most of which open at or around 12:30 and will close by 2:30 to 3:00, in traditional Italian style. 

Restaurants – 4 Ciance

Our first choice was Osteria dei Colori, but it was no longer open for lunch. After that, it was the process of elimination and we finally ended up at 4Cinace.

This restaurant is typical of today’s fine dining establishments, part art, part harmony, mostly excellent food. Paired with an excellent wine and you are in for a delicious time.

Piazza Galimberti – Panorama

Cuneo appears to be an excellent place to live. Very close to the Maritime Alps and the sea, one can easily get to the beach for a weekend get-away. Nestled close to the Alps it must be an easy drive to the mountains during winter for a quick ski holiday. Or, just stay home and enjoy the city itself, dining in one of its many excellent restaurants or Osterias.

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Back in Turin

Making Our Way Back

Not to make light of the pandemic, but we have shaken off the disease for now and are finally back in Turin after nine long months of rest and relaxation in North Carolina.  Having gotten vaccinated some time ago, we booked a non-Covid flight and hoped for the best.

Leaving the States

Our flight was full and everyone thankfully wore masks.  It did however leave an hour late, because there are just some people in this world who either cannot read directions, or just live in the own alternative reality.  So, it took an hour out our lives so that the crew could find their bags and leave them behind.

So, some advice:  If you cannot, or simple do not want to follow directions, please DON’T TRAVEL!

The train from the airport to Milan was about half full and it appeared that things in Italy were getting back to normal.

Standing on the platform at the airport

However, when we reached Milano Centrale, we discovered that this big city still suffers from post-pandemic stress.  Just the shear lack of passengers and movement within the train station, was a bit disconcerting.

Where are all the trains and passengers?

But we finally made it back to Turin and found our apartment essentially how we left it.  With a little cleaning and adjustments here and there, if anything just to knock out the dust (caused by lack of use), everything was back in good working order.

A beautiful day from our kitchen

Turin Restaurants Are Alive And Well

Luckily we found the restaurants, Osterias, Piolas and bars in Turin all open and waiting for business.  We wasted no time in sampling what we had missed for the past nine months, finding the food just as appetizing and delicious as when we left.

Ristoranta Sciamadda

A restaurant on our list of places to visit, the Ristorante Sciamadda is a very busy place during lunchtime in Turin.

This restaurant specializes in typical Ligurian Seafood fare and at very reasonable prices.  They have a good wine list and sell wines by the glass or bottle that will match nicely with anything you pick from the menu.  Appertifs are something different though.  If you ask for a Sambuca, you will most likely be politely rebuffed and suggested to try one of the Ligurian Appertifs.  I chose the Pernambucco which was chilled and very refreshing.  Infused, I can only say that it tastes like a mixture of oranges and lemons and is quite refreshing.  So do not be dismayed, though I would not put it in my caffé!

Piola Sabauda Osteria

Kind of a play on words, since Osteria and Piola actually mean the same thing.  Piola derived from the local Piedmonte dialect and Osteria a general term used in Italy to define an establishment that has homestyle cooking.  This term apparently tacked onto the end of some restaurants to attract non-native Italians and tourists familiar with that term only.

Agnolotti Al Ragu Bianco with Parmesan Cheese
Plin al Sugo D’Arrosto – Another Agnolotti
Piola Sabauda

For lunch, Patti had the Plin al Sugo D’Arosto and I had the Agnolotti al Ragu Bianco.  Both were very good, well seasoned and served with a mixed salad provide a sufficient lunch for anyone.  We are going to have to stop this, or we are going to put on too much weight..!

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Obertraun, Sankt Gilgen – The Better Alternatives

Having stayed in Salzburg for about three days, we were eager to explore other areas within the beautiful Austrian countryside. After discussing our options with our daughter Ericka and her boyfriend Gabi, and having heard so much about the little town of Hallstatt, we decided it might be a good idea to try and pay it a visit.

StGilgen_2
The beautiful Austrian Countryside between Wolfgangsee and Hallstattersee

Hallstatt

From Salzburg, about a hour’s drive away or so, is the tiny town of Hallstatt. Billed by Rick Steves, and many others, as the place to see in Austria, the so called quintessential Austrian town –  hemmed in by mountains on one side, the Hallstattersee on the other and a stream dividing it – it must have been, back in the day. I stress, must have been, because it is no longer, thanks to over-tourism.

Obertraun_3
Hallstattersee and Hallstatt from Afar

It is much like Venice now, spoiled by the hords of people that descend upon it daily and ruin its quaint charm, it is nothing but a hollowed-out tourist trap. Do not bother going, unless of course you are willing to do the Covid-elbow-rub with thousands of others. It is so overrun, even in times like these, that they have parking attendants, much like they have in the US at a state fair! It is so bad, people park along the sides of the roads for kilometers and walk in, perhaps for up to an hour. Therefore, after several U-turns and mulling it over for ten minutes or so, we didn’t think it worth the risk, nor the increased burden on the town. We gladly passed it by…

Suggestion: With the exception of major cities, here is something you may want to try. If you have paid for a travel book, circle everything in it on a map, and just don’t go there. Part of traveling should be discovery, not necessarily traveling on someone else’s footsteps. Unless it’s large city, like Rome or Paris, I am sure the people in these tiny little towns – who have been targeted by the tourism industry – will thank you, if anyone still lives there.

In our travels, we have been in some seriously one horse towns, and though some may be considered down right boring, we have never regretted visiting any of them.

Obertraun

This tiny little place is not in anyone’s book and consequently, is nothing to look at, but it has fantastic views. It has a beautiful park where you can walk and enjoy the day, you can even make arrangements to go swimming, boating or paddle-boarding.

Additionally, there are ferry rides that can take you to other places along the lake. At the time we were here, they were running a reduced scheduled, so you may want to have alternate plans, if planning a visit soon.

Sankt Gilgen

Another quiet little gem is the small town of St. Gilgen, or Sankt Gilgen. It is on the road to Salzburg along the Wolfgangsee. We spent a quiet afternoon here, eating lunch, walking and talking and enjoying the town, almost tourist-free.

This little town seems to enjoy mostly local tourists, probably from the surrounding countryside, eager to get out and relax in the beautiful waters of the Wolfgangsee. There appears to be a host of things you can do on the water, as well as cycling, camping and just sunbathing.

After our initial disappointment with Hallstatt, we were glad we made the day-trip to see these two unexpected surprises in the Austrian countryside.

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La Spezia – Harbors No Secrets

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Lungomare

A rather active port on the Ligurian Coast is the port of La Spezia. Not typically known as a tourist hot-spot, it is noted for several museums, churches and other sites worth seeing, if you visit. With one day in our itinerary to investigate, I came away with the opinion that if you have other things in your own itinerary to see, then it’s probably not worth a stop. There are plenty of old city centers around and this one was rather unremarkable.

As can be noted by some of the photographs above, this port is heavily used by the Italian Cruise Lines and Navy. While here, we noticed several cruise ships moored, since their use is restricted during the virus outbreak. The port is also heavily used by commercial fisherman, as well as leisure craft. The city is very walkable, especially down by the water where they have a very excellent Lungomare.

That is all for La Spezia, our next stop is Rapallo, about thirty minutes North of Moneglia, via Sestri Levante. Another port town, but more for leisure craft and very close to Santa Margherita. Our Ligurian journey continues…

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Pranzo Italian Style

In Italian the word for lunch is pranzo, and with no surprise, it has its etymological roots in Latin. If you walk the streets of many small towns and cities in Italy around noontime, most restaurants will have a Pranzo Menu, outlining their lunch deal for the day. It appears customary that most Italians take lunch out, giving them yet another reason to socialize and catch up on the news and opinions of the day. It is considered to be the most important meal of the day. So, on any given day most restaurants here will be a-buzz with eating and talk, as the local population descend to get their midday meal and earful.

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A Beautiful Spring Day In Piazza San Carlo – Torino – Virally Quiet Day

Pranzo a Torino

Since things have started to open up again, we thought a short blog on some of the restaurants we have visited, just walking the streets of Turin, was in order. They are arranged in order of price, service and quality of food, from best to better.

Ristoranti

Gastronomia Ferrero

This is actually a Ristogastronomia, or what we would call a Deli-Eatery. It is a  fusion of a Delicatessen and restaurant, which also serves food for take out. Gastronomia Ferrero is located on Via Antonio Bertola, Turin and is an easy walk from the city center. To eat in, you just choose from the many fine things they have on display for a hot meal, or choose something from the deli if you are looking for something like a sandwich or panini. They have many pre-cooked foods to choose and the menu appears to change often, so going back does not necessarily mean you will get bored with the same old selection.

All plates are made of paper and totally recyclable. Though, if you order something more demanding like we did, they will bring out silverware so you can manage meat or other entries that stronger tools. The food is very good and the pricing a bit more on the moderate side, but well worth the visit. And yes, if you eat in, you select your food and they serve you, along with what ever beverage you had in mind.

Our meal of rabbit and a side with wine, water, coffee and an apértif, ran a bit on the high side and came to 42€. Highly recommended nonetheless.

Pizzeria La Fila

La Fila pizzeria is located just down the road from the previous restaurant at Via Principe Amedeo, 3/A, Turin; and yes, make no mistake, it is the same street. Like some southern states in the US, streets often change their names across intersections, so the traveler should be aware!

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La Fila Ristorante

This restaurant serves traditional pizzeria fare, including pizza and other hot pasta and spaghetti dishes. It has a good wine list and there are salads and desserts one can choose to round out your meal. Though I didn’t feel like taking a photograph of my Lasagna, since I was starving, so I only took one of my salad and my wife’s Spaghetti alla Vongole.

Our meals of salad and pasta with wine, water, coffee and an apértif, was more moderatly priced and came to about 31€ and change. Very good food and service at a good price; a recommended stop if looking for open air, piazza eating.

Da Peppino

This restaurant is right on the border of the old historic district and offers a fixed price lunch at very reasonable prices. So, if you are working on a very fixed budget, this could be one of your stops, while out shopping or traveling the city center or historic district. As you will see, we ate a lot of food, along with wine upgrade (a glass is included in the lunch menu), dessert, coffee and an apértif, and it all came to just 24€! Two can eat here easily for less than 20€.

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Da Peppino is located on Via dei Mercanti 7, Turin and does not appear to have an issue attracting people to lunch, so you may want to be prompt. If you are more of the planning type, they do accept reservations.

We really enjoyed this restaurant, though the pigeons at times were a bit annoying. The service was very good and the food was simple, but very tasty. And one cannot complain about the price, enjoy!