Mirror Shots 2019 Continued! (Autumn Version)

  Well, as you regular readers know, I can't resist the chance for a "Mirror Shot". I'm constantly on the lookout for a good opportunity to get Johnny and myself together for a photo. It's become a bit of an obsession, and poor old Johnny...bless his heart...he just goes along with my whims. I do admit, he isn't always smiling in these mirrors, but at least I can get him to stand there...most of the time.

  Now that we are going back and forth twice a year, it's getting harder to find new mirrors. This makes it a real challenge, and I'm up for it, Babies!

  Sometimes a random reflection works just fine.....

Venice. In an amazing Palazzo.
Oooooohhhhh....reflections of reflections....

Venice. Waiting for the water bus.

Venice. At an exhibition space.

Venice....at the Biennale.

Florence.  Collezione Roberto Casamonti,
which houses an amazing collection of contemporary art.

  Most of the time, though, I like to find these traffic mirrors. They are all over the place in Italy, because there are zillions of little streets, dirt roads, alleys, etc. that have blind spots, and so these mirrors are CRUCIAL! Trust me, I know. I often have to hop out of the car to 'check both ways', because the mirror is all fogged up, or so old and funky you can't see in it anymore. Johnny needs me as a guide.

  Ahhhh...Driving in Italy. Ain't it grand?

  So, anyway....I love the mirrors for photographing the two of us, with a little background and foreground in the mix. It's fun to try and get an interesting shot...

A nice, clean mirror...

...and a really funky one.
But...I like this shot a lot, anyway.

  

The next four were taken in the same basic place, on the same day. Right near our little village. This was on a morning walk, of course!

  I couldn't stop taking pictures because the fall color and early morning light was so gorgeous.

  I don't remember where I took some of these, but that's ok. I get a kick out of trying to figure it out.

No idea.

On the outskirts of Cortona.

Same spot as above...outskirts of Cortona. Close up!

  Then there are the silly ones....

La la la....just foolin' around.

Elevator in a favorite B&B in Rome.
I never have my hair down anymore...I think I let it down
just for this photo.

Again, I have no idea.

Hmmmm...I think we were in Italy...

  I always take a photo of us in this spot, below. It's a classic spot that features our village in the background. Always a good morning walk, too.

  It's pretty shocking to realize that we'll be heading back again shortly. Time to buckle down and:

1) Do my language studies!
2) Get all the roses pruned and fed!
And...
3) Drop a few pounds! (always a priority so we can munch down while we're over there...mmmmm!)

  Here's to more Mirror Shots in 2020!
  Jeez...2020? You're kidding me, right?
 

 


 

Two Meals Out, And Gelato!

  Boy, oh boy...I have been far away from my blog these days.

  Sorry! Blame it on, well, let's see....ummm....I dunno. Just overwhelmed with the holidays, work, family stuff...and a week with the worst back pain ever. 

  I do it to myself, of course. I am trying (honest!) to be better to my own sweet self, but it's always tough.

  So, I figure that one of the very best things I can do for my own sweet self is look back at some tasty moments in Italy. This always makes me happy...and since I just booked our next trip, why not dream about the food for a minute or two, eh?

  We love to have lunch out, when at all possible. It gives us time to walk it off, and enjoy chips and wine later in the afternoon. I can happily go without dinner if we've had a nice mid-day meal. 

  A big bonus: Natural daytime light makes the food photos so much better!

  We spent a week in Venice during our last trip. It was early September, and the weather was sublime. We stayed in a totally different area, which was great, because we had time to discover all sorts of new places to eat, drink and be happy. We spent lots of time viewing art, lots of time walking around the whole city, and lots of time sitting and watching the world go by.

  One day, after walking around all morning, it was time to stop for a bite to eat. I had taken note of this small restaurant, 'Bacarandino', as we passed by several times during our visit. The menu looked good, so we gave it a try. 

    

                                   

  

  We sat outside, and we were in an area that had just enough foot traffic to make for some fun people watching. I love people watching in Venice. I love people watching anywhere in Italy. The weather was September gorgeousness, and life was good. Of course, first things first, wine was ordered:white, half liter. Sparkling water, also. 

  Our first dish was a lovely burrata served with super sweet and perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes and spring greens. It was so pretty on the textured black ceramic plate.

  

  

The slight drizzle of pesto on top was just right.

  The burrata was very good. I love to see a nice 'outer wrap' of the mozzarella, and the creamy insides. I always like a little olive oil, salt and pepper, too.

We dished ourselves, and dove in. 

  Next we enjoyed some yummy pasta... Johnny ordered house made tagliatelle with a garlic cream sauce. It was great. I always love a good garlic cream sauce, and this was done just right.

  I had 'paccheri', a typical stuffed pasta. It was stuffed with ricotta and served with a spicy red sauce. Also very good, but I preferred Johnny's dish. I'm so glad he likes to share!

  Our side dishes were also simple and delicious. Johnny never passes up a chance to enjoy some polenta, and since we were in a region known for it's polenta, well....

Yes, please!

Grilled vegetables are always a must, as far as I'm concerned.

We ate slowly, enjoying and sharing all of our dishes. I have a very fond memory of this afternoon....

I am craving all of this right now.

When I saw the cops coming, I knew it was time to go...Andiamo!!

Uh-oh. Johnny, what have you done now??!?

  

  Can you handle another meal?

  Ok, here goes-

  Back in our neck of the woods, and a few weeks later...we shot across the valley to buy art supplies in Cortona. We usually take a walk and have lunch when we go.

  After a very long and lovely hike around the outskirts of town, we decided to have lunch in a spot we'd never tried, but always wondered about.

  I am so glad we checked it out! 

  Trattoria Etrusca, or "Mario's" has about five or maybe six tables inside, and another several more across the small street, weather permitting. We arrived early, so we were able to snag a table outside. All the outdoor tables filled quickly. 

  There are no menus. Mario, the owner, comes out and let's you know what's available that day. 

There is also a chalkboard just outside the door with a few items written down. We let Mario know that we were vegetarians, and he made several recommendations. We ordered a bottle of local 'grecchetto', a favorite white wine, and settled in.

As we waited, Mr. J just couldn't help himself...
I wish I could remember what he was drawing!

Water and wine soon arrived...

  Mario is delightful. He's so ready to help with your decisions, and his low key attitude is so refreshing. We've already returned, and we will go back again.

  On this visit, I ordered the 'pappa al pomodoro', a local specialty. It's a tomato and bread soup. Here, it is thick and luxurious, with the summer sweetness of ripe tomatoes bursting through in every bite. I love this dish, and order it whenever it's on a menu, but only in season.

Right?

  Johnny ordered a classic bruschetta. We drizzled good, green olive oil on both dishes, and dug in.

  Our pasta dishes were equally wonderful. Again, we had no menu to refer to, so Mario just told us what we should try.

  Johnny ordered one of his favorite dishes, spaghetti 'aglione'. Aglione is a giant, sweet garlic. It's not elephant garlic, I've been told...it's a regional thing. We see it often on menus in Umbria and Tuscany. It's usually served sliced thin into a red sauce.

  Here, it was served in thicker pieces, with big chunks of green and yellow tomatoes. It may sound odd, but it was delicious.

This photo was taken before he doused it with olive oil and a bit of parmesan...

  

I tried the spaghetti with zucchini and garlic. Mmmmmmm. Mmmm. Sigh.

  There is nothing so nice as sitting in the shade on a warm day, absorbing the sights, sounds and smells of the Italian day to day life, while eating a simple plate of delicious pasta.

  Throw in a glass of good local wine, and I am in paradise.

  

  We ended our meal with espresso and biscotti.

  Honestly, I can't wait to go back and see what Mario is dishing up in the springtime!

  

  Well, what can I say. After we walked around a little more that day, we stopped later and did a very rare thing...we got ourselves some gelato! We never do this...I just don't like gelato much, but I was happy we went for it.

  It was a good day.

  

Rome Moments 2019

  Well, we've been home well over a week now, and in my mind I'm still in Italy. 

  I've had a tough time getting back into the groove here, but I'm back at work and trying to cope with re-entry, so to speak.

  One thing that helps, is taking time to do the blog and continue the adventure through my photos. So....

  We had a great last day in Rome before taking off...The weather was picture perfect. We took off just before the massive rains hit.

  We took an early train down to Rome from Chiusi, after dropping off our rental car (thanks, AutoEurope!), and headed out for a long day of tripping around the historic center. Rome is such a great city for walking.

  I enjoyed seeing all the greenery around town...in the early spring, we don't get to see this...the leaves haven't quite come out yet. You could tell it was autumn, much of the foliage was starting to change color.

An amazing display of asparagus ferns!

If I lived in Rome, my balcony would look something like this...

 I love the narrow streets...

  I also love the rusty colors of the buildings...

  People watching is always fun, and on this trip I was not disappointed.

Note the musician and the dog on the steps. A typical day in Rome...

Kids on a field trip stopping for lunch.

  Rome is full of moments. I'm so grateful to have been here so many times. I always find something new, and this is why I love this city. Rome is filled with wonderful sights and sounds.

  We walk and walk and walk in Rome. At some point we will find ourselves gazing at the banks of the Tiber River. On a day with blue skies, it's magic...

  I like to visit the murals by artist William Kentridge, which were done in early 2016. They have gone through a lot since then, including almost being flooded and several bouts of graffiti. They are meant to be ephemeral, so it's interesting to watch them slowly disappear over time...

Going, but not yet gone...

  Of course we stop along our way for a sip and a bite. There are so many options, but we always end up at the same old favorite spots.

Finding it hard to say goodbye.
He promises me we'll be back soon, though....

I'm sad, but the Proseco always helps.

An old favorite watering hole in Trastevere.

  We can't help ourselves. Honest...If we our in Rome, we will head to Supplizio. It's a must for us. The best 'suppli' (deep fried rice balls with various stuffings) we've found. Even if we have lunch plans somewhere, we'll stop for a pre-lunch bite. 

  What can I say? We love this place.

This visit was lunch. We decided on a few bites here and there, throughout the day.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm.
Suppli.

  After Supplizio, we walked and walked some more, then stopped for one more bite at another spot we like. Since we'd eaten already, we just treated ourselves to a bit of bruschetta. Perfect with our glasses of white wine.

The basic tomato, garlic and basil.

A tasty blend of oozy soft cheese, honey and truffle.
Oh, yum.

  It's always hard to leave our other life in Italy. It's becoming harder and harder. We do it, though...at least until we can call it done and just live there full time. The dream continues, and we will do what we can until then.
  Spending our last day in Rome makes the transition a little easier, I guess.
  We are so fortunate. A couple of lucky souls are we...

See you soon, Italy...