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Don’t fight the universe

The dolomite hiking in 2018 had left a strong impression. It was one of those journeys that spoke to my soul in a way that words cannot describe. I thought about that trip all the time. Saw more YouTube videos of the area. Read blogs. Read Amelia Edwards and about her journey through the dolomites and its nearby towns. I was crazy about it.

It was now Autumn of 2019 and I was ready for another trip. I was going to spend a week in Corvara and do all of those things as last time. I had also planned to visit Stefan in Leipzig and we were going to also travel someplace together. It was going to be perfect.  It had to be. I had planned it that way.

And it was. But not really how it was supposed to be.

The last year in Pinnakl had been rougher than anything can be, something I felt at the time, and I was going to be proved wrong, and by a lot. But that story is for another time. I had not been well with sinuses, lingering sore throats and just overall not feeling healthy. I did everything to get better, took an antibiotic course, ate turmeric – lots of it, took vitamin supplements – lots of them, drank ginger tea – lots of it too, but did not see much of a change. Not too sick to cancel the trip but not healthy enough to look forward to the dolomites. I also did last minute workouts of 10 rounds of my 5 floors of stares, to build cardiovascular endurance. I felt dizzy in the end.

The day came. I pushed myself and flew to Berlin where Stefan picked me up in his van, that had been modified to perfection to accommodate Stefan and Franzi’s needs of long distance travels all the way from North East Germany to South of France with proper sleeping setup for them and for Holly altogether. That night Franzi had made Roulade, something she only does for Christmas, the meat was from the special butcher across the town that Stefan had biked to. It was the most set up a dinner table can be. A great evening amongst friends was had.

The next day we hung out in Leipzig town and did nothing of note. The following morning, I woke up with a fever of 105. Stefan was surprised that I had brought my thermometer! He figured I was not well before the trip. Maybe he did not like it but I was too sick to care for all that.

I had never had that high of fever. Ever. We canceled our trip to the woods in State of Saxony. It was the weekend so there was no access to the doctor, nor I had any health insurance to feel comfortable to access one. Next couple days I would load up on the maximum dosage of paracetamol and my temp would come back down to a comfortable 102! I had found a flight back to Chicago middle of next week. Stefan and Franzi felt that giving this relaxation to my body brought up what had been breeding underneath. And I needed to continue to my vacation otherwise I would not get better. It made no sense. One is not supposed to continue a vacation when they had been sick for months and now find comfort in 102 temperature.

Coming Monday, Stefan finagled his way through the German beurocracy and got me an appointment (he lied that the appointment was for him and then negotiated when we reached there). Doctor was wonderful. Figured it was some virus and by now I was getting better already. Stefan also negotiated a week of sick leave for himself.

In a few days, but days that seemed like an eternity, I got better. I would join Stefan is daily chores like taking Holly for a walk. In the next few days we checked out Leipzig, its atelier district, the old town, the schnitzel guy in the forest that I was told I had to try, the antique restoration shop with a 600 euros chair, the bakery across the street with croissants for breakfast. Stefan was a tourist in his own town. It was a new experience for everyone. One day we even made a trip to the town of Dresden. It’s historic center was incredible and the town squares were huge and almost panoramic. In the evenings I would spend time with Franzi in the kitchen. Some nights Robert would stop by. We would all chat in English. Drink. Some would smoke. Talk philosophy. With Holly walking in and out of the rooms.

New relationships were formed. Deeper than they were supposed to be. I did not plan this. I did know what to do this. I saw Stefan and Franzi doing better together and I hoped they would be back to their best.

By now I had cancelled my dolomites trip. I was better but not to a point of hiking mountains! Manfred never responded to my email requesting cancelation. He is clearly upset with me.

I figured the rest of the trip needs to be at some place warm. After looking at hundreds of destinations from Berlin, I figured Spain is the place to be at that time of the year.

I spent a few days in Valencia followed by a few days in Barcelona in Casa Gracia. It was a hostel stay in a multi bed dorm room after years! I had met Carla, Nicki and Amit in free city walk tour, organized by the hostel each day. That night I went on a date with Mary Hollander from Holland! My crew wanted me to join them for dinner but understood that I had different plans. Mary and I went to eat at a nice restaurant a few minutes away from the hostel. The food and the wine were delicious and we then bar hopped to two bars! She was enchanting, a great conversationalist whose company I was enjoying, and all in all, a great time night was had.

I have lately felt that things happen if they are meant to. If the universe has a different plan for me, then I need to stop fighting. I had wished hiking dolomites again for a year but the universe had a different plan for me. I should have listened. But If I had, I would have never gotten to know Stefan this well and it seems like a friendship that should last a few years.

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A note on a train from Bologna to Venice

A tourist does not know where they have been and a traveler does not know where they are going. I was aware of this saying. Or that’s what I thought. And then the dots connected. A layer of onion was peeled. And I finally understood what this actually meant.

My early years of travel were full of planning from translating reviews into English to find location that tourists would easily not do, finding phone numbers from the websites and reaching out to them via WhatsApp. But, looking back, its clear the most incredible moments have happened, out of nowhere without plans. And so was this trip to Alta Badia.

On a train from Bologna to Venice in 2013, we had a small chat with a guy with a guy named Roberto. He worked in Bologna and was home which is Padua. He gave some tips that I wrote in my travel diary, which is mostly scribbles of things – recipe of a local dish, name of some wine maker, some inane emotion that I have decided is worth capturing, or a stamp at a mountain hut with height of the peak inscribed in. I don’t look back at the scribbles but few years later in 2018, when I was single and hiking more and more, I did and decided to go to Alta Badia, a place Roberto scribbed down in my diary. I had also seen some of the hikes in Tristan and Bellen’s biking blogs. It all seemed to make sense and I booked a trip.

I’ve been traveling for 15 years and have reached a stage where there is monotony to the new things I see. It’s new but in a way its more of the same. I expect the unexpected and it’s not exciting anymore. It makes me wonder why I bother with this.

It’s now challenging to find a place that can affect me a childish fervor of sorts and now I look for places that have all I need, and I can go back to them. It’s the same people I saw last time. They remember me. It’s sort of a home away from home.  As soon as I entered Alta Badia, I knew this could be it.

I was staying at Garni Le Tranquility, in a ski town of Corvara, some 30 km from winter Olympics town of Cortina that is like many expensive ski towns in this part of the world, where skiing is the utmost religion. The summers in these towns are a different experience all together. All the mountains are connected to each other in one giant ski trail and the gondolas keep running during summer, allowing for magnificent hiking opportunities. The Austrian wood work at the garni was enchanting. Manfred and Sabina managed the front of the house and breakfast. During breakfast is the only time the host gets to welcome and chat with the guests. In case of this garni, Manfred will go from table to table, participate in the small talk, ask questions about people’s skill level, their desires and recommend the day’s plan, while multi-tasking other activities in the kitchen and not letting on how much is going in the kitchen.

What I did not know early on was that I am on the same schedule as every visitor in Alta Badia at that moment. Wake up at 7. Drag yourself down to breakfast as your feet hurt, from long hikes in previous days, in boots that you feel are not broken into enough and you should have hiked at home before the trip and how second days of each hiking trip have the same thought but nothing ever seems to change. Eat as much as you can so your body can burn this food later for much needed calories. May be take some bread and meet, that will become a snack later, eaten on some bench made of one piece of log looking outwards to some mountains. You leave by 8 am. Start the hikes with a few too many layers or clothing as its misty and cold in the mountains. From your hosts recommendation you know whether to eat at the hut on the top of the mountain or a different one on the way down.

In any case the mid-day meal is not just a meal but an opportunity to slow down and feel the moment. It’s actually your only chance during the day for the rest of the day is packed. More packed than your work day back at home. The atmosphere at lunch is rather jolly. Some tables are full of laughter while others are quiet and soaking it in. At times I will look at people’s faces and try to think what’s going on in their life. What brought them here. Where they are in their journey. There are some couples who are super chatty, while others are awfully quiet, may be their relationship has reached a stage where they can be quiet and still be saying things to each other, or may be there is nothing left to say. The lunch is usually a limited menu of recipes carried down from generations being cooked in the back by the parent with the child in training. Scribble some notes if something noteworthy comes to mind. Look at other people away from the lunch area taking pictures, go and take the same pose and ask them to take your picture, come back to the table and continue working on your beer. Not all huts have this level of romanticism. But most do.

Back in the garni by 4 or for some of us who are not as experienced, 6 pm.

One of the hikes was near Cortina so I stopped in town and ordered a drink at the bar, soon regretting my choice, but the bartender had not made it yet and I let my love for Bourdain let me order something more stiff – A negroni served in a town as Italian as they come and with a backdrop that enhances each sip. I watched the world go by. Older Italian men in their 40s with youngish trophy wives sometimes alone, other times walking in groups. This became an evening habit for rest of my stay. Each evening I would go to Café Raetia, which was a café and a half board.

The noticed an accent in the girl behind the bar while I ordered my negroni. Kate told me she is Czech but lived a lot of her life in Australia, before finding her way and settling down in Corvara and she plans to marry the next generation of the Raetia house, a story she clarified, while sounds romantic but was not easy. These towns are really cliqy and they don’t let outsiders into their lives. It makes sense. It took her many years. We also chatted about Amelia Edwards as I read about her in a book at my lunch hut earlier in the day. As one can imagine happens in this part of town, our conversation was interrupted and Kate had to go to another table where an older lady from nearby had come, to chat about her inheritance issues with which son is going to manage the place, but like they do, she was dressed to the nines.

Evening drinks are followed by a walk to a nearby restaurant with incredible South Tyrolean food with recipes being passed on from generations, enough calories to compensate for lack of eating all day, accompanied by some local beer or wine. The dessert is a limited choice between tiramisu, panecotta or some peach reduced in red wine.

The day ends, full of satisfaction from great nature and great food, and may be some house made grappa. This is all for the day. Tomorrow same time, same schedule, same plans just with places and names of people changed.

October 2018

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Lunch at Malga Sella in Alta Badia

It was the last day of my first South Tyrol trip. I had stayed the entire time in Corvara, a ski town with expensive shops that sell Moncler jackets, at Garne le Tranquility, beautifully decorated with Austrian woodwork, with Manfred and Sabina Alfarei managing the front of the house and breakfast, and the mother and sister keeping the place exceptionally clean. Most of the sights that needed to be seen had been seen, most of the boxes had been checked, and I was going to drive down to Venice the next day to catch my plane. Alta Badia had made a place in my heart, I was going be coming back, may be again but possibly quite a few times, and the day was meant to soak up the vibe without trying to, reflecting on the trip, processing the feelings and structuring them in a format that made sense.

After checking Passo de Sella, which the German lady on a hike few days ago had strongly recommended along with a mountain who’s German pronunciation was a topic of our discussion, I looked for a lunch spot nearby and decided on Malga Sella. The parking situation was not clear and to find the correct spot, I had to drive back and forth, something that’s never easy with people walking in between and after all, a U turn is never fun on a road in Dolomites.

It was a late autumn day, with a cool breeze that can be bitter in the absence of shining sun, which combined with the fear that it might very well be the last day of autumn, made the patrons want to sit outside. The courtyard of the Refugio was full but not packed. Patrons who were there had a calmness to their face, as one always finds in patrons in a refugio after long hikes, as people are happy to be sitting down after all, lost in their thoughts, too tired for the brain to actually fire up, and the beer and wine doing what it does best. The outside seating was so arranged that you could baste in the sun, enjoy the stunning beauty of majestic dolomites, so close to the sight and so tall that the view does not seem real for a moment.

I was waited by a young girl who spoke decent English and we settled on a specialty of the region – Canederli– a dumping that is a south tyrol version of Knodel, and is made of cheese, spinach and something that every dish in this region seemed to have – speck. While waiting for my food, I was talking to the lady of the hut, and she was quick to express disappointment in my calling her Italian. She claimed her Austrian heritage, showing both anger and pride as one does in these patriotic moments. She tried to restrain herself but the emotions seemed to be leaking. I wanted to offer a rebuttal to this seemingly excessive response, but I managed to show restraint as one of us had to, and since it was just small talk and I had no intentions of opening up old wounds, that I figured never get healed at the wrong side of the border.

Every few minutes, the patrons were entertained by a couple older Italian gentlemen playing an instrument, singing what seemed Tyrolean folk music, drinking wine and smoking. Their faces were wrinkled in a way that we see in mountain folks, showing their age and the hard work that mountain life is all about, but they were happy with what they were doing. Their faces clearly showed years and years of wine consumption. Lots of it at that. The little kids would sometimes interact with the singing folks, and everyone would clap between songs, always nervous towards the end of the song, hoping that there is another coming.

My Canderdli arrived and it had, what may seem excessive for those of us who are not accustomed, a decent amount of lard, but it was delicious nevertheless. There are moments in trips that are the nucleus of the journey, similar to a scene that brings together the entire movie. This afternoon was that. I had numerous memorable events each day of the trip, and that never happens because I have travelled so much, and I had let Alta Badia fully wash over me as much as a place possibly can, but the lunch at the hut with all the incredible food, a backdrop of soothing folk music, shining sun, autumn breeze, and majestic dolomites, allowed me to perhaps internalize south tyrol. It allowed me to bring it all together, all dots seemed to have connected and there seemed to be comfort in that. I seemed to have reached a destination. Not the final destination but still an important one and now the mind and the body can be at ease.

There is never a good time to end these moments, which are so very deep, and they are rare and only a handful of them occur in each trip if at all, and cause your mind to wrestle between emotions and practicality, but at some point, they must end. I called it a day, walked towards my car and drove back to my garni, not looking to explore anymore, as if I had decided that I was content and there was comfort in knowing that there is more to come in future trips and I can start where I left off.

October 2018

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Bologna - The bar was too high

The foodies we are, when i was planning the Italy trip, i looked for best region in Italy for food and it appeared to be Emilia-Romagna and therefore Bologna. So Bologna was added to the plan and it got full 3 days. Doesnt a food heaven deserve 3 days in a 22 day trip ? In theory it does. May be another time of the year it does. But not our time in Bologna.

We had a 10 pager that we had downloaded from Chowhound with a review of the best restaurants in Bologna and what to eat there. The only problem was that August in Bologna is HOT and by hot i mean 40 degrees. Thank god for Bologna is full of porticos (perhaps the most in the world), which made walking around the city at all, possible

The locals think this is the best time to head to the sea and the locals include the best chefs that were supposed to cook for us. Deepa had marked all the restaurants on her map and we walked from restaurant to restaurant and they were closed. It seemed like August + Weekend is a deadly combination. Restaurants closed. Shops closed. The city dead. So we tried again on Monday but nothing still... I clearly remember this restaurant called Serghei. We came to it 3 times during our trip but closed each time. Full points for persistence though :) We were a day late coming to Bologna, what a great decision.

All this being said, there were some good experiences nevertheless. One of the restaurant we were able to go from the Chowhound list was Teresina (Via Oberdan). They use fresh ingredients and that's why their fresh seafood pastas were awesome. We liked it a lot and since nothing else was open we came back to it.

One of the nights, Deepa located a restaurant/bar off of Piazza Maggiore. Our server ended up being a Bangladeshi. He told us stories about opening restaurant business in Bologna. We were tired but he didnt want us to leave because he was practicing his Hindi. Sure ! For someone who's only exposure to Hindi movies was bollywood and was speaking the language for the second time in their life, he was awefully good. He also showed a picture of his sister's on his cellphone and asked us "isnt she cute".

Shopping appeared to be an unrealistic venture in Bologna at this time of the year with everything being closed. Luckily we ran into this boutique which gets clothes from designers in Milan. Deepa got a couple tops and i bought a couple shirts. Really cool stuff. We also decided to buy food items to take them back to US. We found this place called Eataly (Via Degli Orefici). Its on the second floor of a bookshop and has a cafe attached to it. The place is a bit expensive but they have a hell of a selection. 

What is also quite popular in Bologa is the food market. It starts from one of the exits out of Piazza Maggiore. Deepa really wanted me to try all these different salumi that Bologna is famous for. She chatted up this butcher guy. He didnt understand the language but the easy and perhaps the only way for him was to take the the 5 big pieces of meat one by one and make 2 slices each for her husband. This was one of those "dont try this at home" things but it worked for us and i enjoyed like nobody's business :)

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We wish to come back to Rome. We do.

6:15 wake up call. We got ready quickly and were off to St. Peter’s basilica, a short 10 minute walk from the hotel. I had heard that whether one cares about the religion or not you should see the basilica for it’s an artistic miracle. And sure it was. The grandiosity and the beauty of the sculptures and the mosaics were second to none. All we could do was stand in awe and imagine how in the world anyone could do such a work. After taking in as much as we could, I was on my way to the top of the dome. It’s an elevator followed by 300 steps in a slanted floor and wide enough to barely fit one person. It felt like the dome would come crashing on you. It was a smart decision by Deepa to not test her claustrophobia. The view from the top was nice.

We got back to the hotel, showered, had breakfast and were off to shopping. We learnt about a couple of streets behind Piazza Navona that apparently had young designer/boutique shops. Due to August or the strikes or god knows what, both Streets X and X were pretty much shut. We did get into an artist shop and negotiated with him on a painting. He didn’t speak any English so we did the old school offers on paper until we reached an impasse. Oh well.  After having a quick bite for lunch, we reached the Palazzno Valentini for the Le Domus Romane tour. It was very nice. The historians within us were wide awake. It was well worth the EUR 12.

Since this was the last night in Rome, we decided to treat ourselves with a luxurious meal. We ate at Galleria Alberto in XYZ. The restaurant was actually not even open when we got there but they sat us. We returned the first bottle of wine for it was tannic and the only thing we had insisted that it not be. The server brought a different wine and it was great. Deepa had a gnocci with potatoes, tomato, eggplants and ricola cheese and I had handmade pasta with seafood and fresh herbs. The gnocci was to die for.  We shared a secondi of rice pilaf and chicken. It was ordinary and we were full. Like the Italians again, we had our espresso and left for the Trevi fountain and threw a coin wishing we come back to Rome like the soldiers did in the old days. I followed the technique that our guide Stefano had told us. With your back on the fountain, throw the coin with your right hand over the left shoulder as that’s where your heart is. It was fun! What was not fun was the Trevi fountain area.  It’s really the worst part of Rome. The streets are dirty and packed bumper to bumper with tourists and then the pickpockets. By now Deepa’s stomach ache had become extremely bad and she struggled to get back to the hotel. After some hotel remedies, she felt better and we both went to sleep. 

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Rome- If these walls could talk

We returned the car at the Termini station and decided to try the New Delhi India restaurant right behind the station. I remembered seeing decent reviews on TA but the food was ok. We weren’t in the mood for pasta so it did its job. We then walked on Via Del Corso. I had read that it’s a great place for shopping. What I had not read was that it’s a great place for shopping if you are looking for mall brands at discounted prices. After finding nothing, we took a bus to the colloseum. We barely made it for the last guided tour of the day. On the other hand, it was good timing for now you could stand in the colloseum without the sun on your heard. Being 2000 years old, it was understandable why the whole structure was quite damaged. Despite not being in good shape, it played an important part in the roman history and deserves a visit. And if you know the history you will be able to appreciate it more. After the tour we spend a few moments close to the arena trying to imagine the fights 2000 years ago. And I thought, if these walls could talk.

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Rome - What the barbarians didn’t do, the pope did.

Today evening, we took the new free rome tour. The 2 hour long tour starts from the bottom of the Spanish steps and ends at Trevi fountain. Our guide was Stefano. A roman and very knowledgeable. He started the tour by saying that if he had two words to describe rome, it would be marble and water. And that made all the sense in the world. He then showed us how there are 3 capitals in the same city. Rome and Vatican are separate entities and then there was this spot close to the spanish steps that belonged to Spain. So, 3 capitals in one city. Next on the tour was Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, a 17th centrury basillica, where as per the story on Jan 20th, 1842 Virgin Mary appeared and converted a jewish guy who then went on to become a priest, apostle and a missionary and had his own church. There were a couple jewish guys in the tour and they didnt come into the church. Stefano suggested that we show them pictures and tell them about the miracle when we go out and this one girl did. From that point on, everyone looked at them as weird jewish guys :) Then we saw the church of Saint Ignazio. We saw X Y Z… and then reached the Pantheon.

The building is 2000 years old and still has its full structure. Stefano told us that what the barbarians didn’t do, the pope did. The pope ordered the bronze on the Pantheon to be recycled and used in the construction of St. Peter’s basilica and in this process damaged a beautiful building. The statues and decorations were replaced with big holes. Sad but true ! It was also a no bullshit tour as he didn’t made regular stop at coffeeshops. I tipped him 12 euros at the end of the tour as it was all the cash I had. Stefano recommended a Pasta and Pizza joint La Archetta, 2 blocks from the Trevi Fountain. We started with bruschetta of asparagus. For the main course Deepa had handmade pasta with cauliflower and tomatoes and cheese and I had handmade pasta with lobster sauce. The food was good but nothing immaculate. We were relaxed and were having a good time so we ordered a second half bottle of wine to continue the fun.

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Siena - PALIO!

As early as we could, and its not very early, we left for Siena. Deepa was able to find a last minute room at B&B Duomo. Today was the first trial of Palio. The town had lots of festivities going on. The locals were out and about, drinking wine and singing. On our way back from lunch, a bunch of young girls, probably belonging to the local contrada stopped us and offered us Armiata. It was easy to be absorbed in the festivities. After some much needed rest we left for Piazza Campo. People had started to look for good spots. I was chit chatting with some locals and learnt about the corner where the horses reach the maximum speed. And that was going to be our spot for the trial. The piazza kept getting filled with people.

By the start of the event, it was almost “packed” and this is Piazza Campo, the biggest piazza in Italy. Its hard to plan a trip around events like this so we felt lucky that we made it to the Palio and the Calici di Stelle. Cant begin to fathom what the atmosphere would be like on the day of the actual Palio. The tickets for the Palio are 700-800 EUR.  After the palio we had dinner at an indian restaurant, the only indian restaurant in town. Again, bhai meets bhai and share love and food..

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Montepulciano - Calici di Stelle

We were exhausted. And not just a wee bit tired but more like legs hurting, body in pain, all you want is sleep exhausted. So we took it easy in the morning and lazied in the hotel. Stepped out for lunch and ate at Trattoria Di Cognano. The peer carpachio and the pasta with truffle sauce was to die for. I also tried wild boar but it was a bit salty and I was full.

In the night Montepulciano was hosting Calici di Stelle. Its like a festival where every person in Montepulciano would show up. You pay 10 euros and gets a star, where each of the five leaves of the start is good for a wine tasting.

You can choose from the hundreds of wines available on many stalls throughout the road between the gate of Montepulciano and Piazza Grande. We both got our stars and started walking up towards the piazza and trying wines on the way. Mind you, this stuff is for people who are into acidic and tannic wines. Really acidic and really tannic. And if you like this kind of stuff, this place is a heaven for you. By this point we felt like every other guy in the town was a wine producer. Deepa was chatting with some and when they found out we were from America they would try to be friends with us in case we have hooks in America. At the piazza grande, there was also a cigar tasting and some music stuff. Apparently, we were on time at Piazza grande but in Italy things usually don’t run on time. We waited and waited for the flag bearers to march up to the piazza with the flags but they were nowhere to be found and soon hunger took over. We decided to walk back down to get a pizza. As soon as we left we saw the flag bearers walking towards the piazza and we missed it. We decided to do a takeout so we dont waste any time but even before we got our takeour pizza those guys were on their way down. Oh well, it was not meant to be. But it was fun just to see them go up and down and the chavaly or the locals that followed them.  We couldn’t have timed this any better.

By now, the concert at the Piazza had started and the festivities were in full stream. We watched the shows, listened to the music. It was all in Italian but was fun nevertheless. the festive feeling had taken over. Its hard to plan trips around things like these so it was lucky to have been there. The night was getting busier and busier. There were two types of crowd. The old and the rich which included the who’s who of wine producers. Men wore hats, jackets and leather shoes and women wore elegant dresses. And then there was the hip music which attracted all the youngsters. But whatever the reason may be, everyone in town was there.  We were content and decided to call it a night.

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Liguria - The boring beach

Today was supposed to be an easy day. We got up at 6 so that we could be at Vernazza early morning before the heard of Rick Steves followers dive in. The view from the breakfast Terrace on the Hotel Europa at the early hour was majestic. We were the first one at the terrace, so the lady gave us a personal treatment which included a photo shoot J

After a short train ride from La Spezia, we were in Vernazza. The town itself is pretty small; just one road; much smaller than portovenere. But we were there to take the trail up the mountain and we did. Deepa slow but steadily was hiking as well. The trail takes you up some winding paths and you reach a point with a very pretty view of Vernazza on the edge of the Adriatic. We had an hour before the next train and we spent it just sitting at the overlooking point, reading our novels, and enjoying the view and the sound of waves hitting the shore. It was well worth the hike up. We were now on our way back. We didn’t know the train tickets need to be validated and there was a ticket checker on the train. The fine was 100 Euros. But she was nice and offered us a 90% discountJ Thank god. 

We went back to the hotel, showered, nap and were ready for the beach. I had high expectations from laying down on the beach but it was no fun. The beach was full of kids and schoolchildren. They were loud. We just felt we didn’t belong there. All the hopes shattered; like how Teddy KGB says in the movie Rounders.

By 6, we were back in the hotel thinking about dinner. We didn’t want to walk all the way back down and then all the way back up. So we decided to go to Tellaro as one could drive there. We had dismissed the town and had no expectations but it was just the opposite. We reached Tellaro around sunset and as we walked towards the restaurant we could enjoy the orange sky, the mountains and the water. I kissed Deepa and told her that I love her. We went into La Gritta and the food there was great. By night time all the locals had come down on the streets and it was a new experience. The kids were running around. The adults were chit chatting. There was no touristy feeling. It was awesome. 

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Liguria - The cool breezes

It was 9 am. We woke up to a wonderful breakfast buffet with a gorgeous view. After 3 days of lame breakfast in the hotel in Sulzano, Deepa was now like a kid in the candy store.  The gameplan for today was Portovenere, a small town on the edSoon, we were on our way down, not sure what to expect from the day, to the Piazza to catch the ferry to Portovenere.  While on the boat, we were sitting upstairs and i took my shirt off. The breeze flowing in from the sea brought an instant smile on the face. By now I had started to get the "beach vacation" feeling.

We landed in Portovenere and were greeted by a beautiful view. Its a very picturesque city. The harbor is lined with narrow tall houses in different colors. It had an atmosphere to relax and have fun in the water. There isn’t a sandy beach in Portovenere so people were laying on the rocks (its free). We soon realized we didn’t bring swim wear so we can’t stay in the sun for too long. Deepa found a spot in the shade next to the port and she read her book and I did nothing. At around 1:30 we got up to check the town. The town from inside is basically a cute street lined with shops.

We checked out the shops and had lunch while sitting on a big flat wall  overlooking the rocky beach while enjoying the Adriatic breeze.  At 2:59, while we were still eating, Deepa asked me to check the time of the return ferry. I was confident that it was going to leave at 4PM. And not just a little confident, but Tarun confident. But i was going to be off by an hour. It was supposed to leave in 1 minute so I ran and ran and ran. After the 5 min run, the ferry happened to be on schedule, the only thing on schedule in our month long italy trip. Oh well ! Getting stuck in such a picturesque place is not such a bad thing after all. The next ferry was 2 hours later. We found another bench under the tree on in the main square and did the classic nap under the tree while the breeze cooled us off. It got to a point where we were cold which is crazy to think of!!! We took the ferry and pleasant memories back to Lerici. We didn’t know what to expect out of Portovenere. We never thought we would spend a full day there. But we did. And it was the first day of the vacation where it was about pure relaxation. We loved it so much that we decided to stay another day in Lerici. 

Got back to the hotel and were soon on our way to La Spezia hoping to find some non Italian food. But it was after 8:30 and we were in a small town in Italy, so come on ! We didn’t. Deepa found a nice italian place in the middle of a square in La Spezia. Their food was good, the weather had turned beautiful, and the music in the background made it a perfect evening of food and romance.

It got me excited and I decided to split an expresso and find out what the fuss is all about. 

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Italy - Parma, so not worth it

Wished our goodbyes to Riccardo, Fabbiana and Shahbaz we left for Lerici. We stopped in Parma for lunch and boy it was hot ! It was 40 degrees. We “almost” ran to Restaurant Parizzi being afraid we will not make it in the crucial “lunch hour”. Riccardo had told us the chef was one of the 20 best chefs in Italy. Parizzi was a Michelin start restaurant, quite upscale but NO AC ! Seriously !!! With our sweaty faces, in-appropriate clothes drenched in sweat we had realized we didn’t belong there. But after a few stares we didn’t care. The food was expensive but innovative and tasty. I got Rabbit ravioli and nettles with gravy, pecorino cheese, fried zucchini and Deepa got Ravioli filled with greens and served with Parmesan Cheese.

We downed the food, a bottle of water and 2 glasses of wine in no time. Although the food was awesome, it wasn’t fun eating hot food in hot restaurant drenched in sweat. On top of it, i think the service was a bit too much. After a couple sips of water, they would come over to refill the glass. Come on, some privacy please. We wrapped up the meal and asked for the check. It came out to 50 Euros which wasn't bad but you could easily spend 200 euros for 2 people as well. Anyhow, it was hot and every second felt like a minute and every minute felt like an hour. Who doesn’t have air conditioning in 40 degrees C. On our way out, the server told us that Parma is a great city for cheese but not for living as it gets too hot. I was like, NO SHIT! On our way back to the car, we stopped by for a wonderful mango gelato in the shade.  We left for Lerici hoping for better weather in Liguria. 

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Italy - Yummmmmmm

We were tired from the first 2 days of continuous sightseeing. The dehydration from the sun wasn’t helping either.  So we decided to take it slow today. We got out of the bed around 9 and then went down the street for the some coffee and some breakfast. The coffee shop had run out of croissants. The breakfast in Italy is minimalistic to begin with and then without croissants it was nothing. By now it was 11 am, we figured its probably best to get back to the hotel , dress up and find a place for lunch. Riccardo’s favorite place in Iseo was not open for lunch so he made a reservation at another place - "Il Volto".

The chef was Pakistani and treated us like family. He made me 2 fishes so I could try them both. For Deepa he made a vegetable Pasta. We were sick of drinking wine but we couldn’t say no. So far it was the best meal of Italy. We got back to the hotel for a much needed nap. In the evening we headed back to Lovere. We bought a book to learn English as a gift for Riccardo & Fabbiana and some baked goods as we were walking in the alleys..It was getting close to dinner time but it was hard to leave such a pretty place. But what choice do we have. !! We jumped into the car and headed to Pane e Vini Dispenda

Its a Michelin rated restaurant where the chef is the owner of a winery in Franciaccorta and also Riccardo’s mentor. We got a table outside where the air was breezy and live jazz was being played. The dinner was a gastronomic delight. I had ordered Manzo all’ole and Deepa had ordered chicken salad. Literally the best meal ever ! Both of us were eating slow as we didn't want the food to end. Ofcourse, we could not say no to the wine so here we were, drinking ! Our server knew English very well as he was preparing for his PHD in economics in US! Of, come on. Interestingly, the kitchen at the dispensa has glass walls and you can see how they run the kitchen .. smooth as music.... After the kitchen closed, the chef stopped by and was very happy with our complements. Today is the best foodie day of my life.

Contact:

Osteria Il Volto

Qadeer -

Email: KAIFCO2@GMAIL.COM

Phone: 3287749706

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Italy - Passo di CroceDomini

Today was crazy and by that I mean today was crazy !!!!  We started our day driving towards Lovere going north on the western side of the lake. We made the regular stops wherever we thought the scenery was gorgeous and let me tell you that was a lot of places. The closer we got to Lovere the better it got. The roads on this side of the lake are narrower, next to cliffs. Near Riva Di Solto, we stopped at one point to check out the view.

As we get out of the car to look over the fence, we see this guy sitting across the fence on the side of the lake on a little protrusion  of the land. We also saw a small cell with a statue of Mary. It was bizzare how someone would have made such a thing as there is land in front of the statue. The guy was wearing only shorts and they too were pulled up as much as he could. He was sweaty. It seemed like a sun bathing day. Luckily, he was chatty. He asked us if we knew George Clooney is here for a movie shoot. We saw lots of planes in the water trying to make movie shots and it did make sense. I told Janice that for all practical purposes including facebook, we saw Clooney. Then he told us that the story goes that Michael Angelo uses to sit in this spot to get inspired. It’s a story and he said he believes in it. Well, if you were in that location you would believe it too. Other passers by looked at us and stopped and we had a big group and before long, cops came over requesting us to move on. And we did. 

We had lunch in Hotel Lovere. Deepa asked for a Risotto and it turned out to be a fish Risotto. Well, that’s great for me but it actually wasn’t well prepared. It needed to be cooked a bit more. After that I dropped the girls to Bario Di Terme and I left for Passo Di Croce domini. As soon as I crossed the mountain and went to the other side, it was raining dogs and cats. A crazy day was in the making… Ofcourse, the pass was not in the GPS so I had to get creative and search for towns on the way. I was doing sort of ok, until I entered into this residential area. I think it was by Breno. Words cant do justice to this and thank god I had an automatic car. First, it was raining like crazy. Second, roads were wide enough to barely fit just my car. Third, low visibility. Fourth, I was on a 20 degree gradient and backing was an option but one you dont want to take . Fifth, I was on top of a mountain that i was not supposed to be on. It wasnt the correct route. . .. So I turned around and made my way down the mountain and figured I took a wrong turn at the base of this mountain..Now further down, at one point this car driver stops next to me, lowers his window and tells me something. I had no clue what he said so I went on… And BOOM, I knew what he was talking about. There was an extra large vehicle coming down this mountain and ofcourse it barely fits itself on the road. Luckily, there was a spot on the side of the road (and this was very very very lucky) just a few metres back. By now, the rain had slowed and I was starting to see and enjoy the scenery. The area was pristine.

I stopped at a couple mountain huts to enjoy a cappuccino and it happened to be the best cappuccino of our trip. On the second hut, the family was so hospitable that I paid them 5 EUR for the 1.5 EUR cappuccino.  On my way back, i stopped every now and then to take pictures and enjoy the moments of being where i was. I felt lucky that it rained. The after rain atmosphere on top of the mountains close to the alps made it an unforgettable experience. 

I came down and met Deepa and Jan waiting for me outside the spa. They enjoyed their 30 euro pass for the many baths with alternate cold and hot showers. We both were very happy. We drove to Bergamo to drop Janice and then came back to Villa Rosa for an amazing dinner and hospitality.

Riccardo had reserved the private spot that extended onto the water. The night breeze from the lake and the dimming lights on Monte Isola gave a major romantic feeling. At this special night, I decided to give Deepa a candle that had our names engraved as gift for this trip. For dinner, I ordered the local perch fish, that Riccardo described as "Fabbiana the top" and Deepa had the vegetarian calzone. It's obvious this delicious food was accompanied by some excellent wine. The exclusive seating spot and the extraordinary service was catching everyone's attention and we felt like royalty.

A day to remember !

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Italy - It was as if we were in a different world…..

The long awaited trip to Italy begins.

On our flight to Amsterdam I could hardly sleep whereas Deepa slept through most of the flight, our usual. However, I could get a good 45 min hit in the Amsterdam to Milan flight even though it was the loudest flight I have ever been on. It was my first hit that Italians are a talkative bunch. And just like that we were in Milan.

I got myself a Volvo S60 for the week, oh what a luxury to drive ! I had always wanted to drive a Volvo. Never thought my first experience will be on Autostada. As I was driving I saw some cool motorcyclists pass me by L

We picked Janice from Bergamo airport and reached Sarnico and were happily surprised to see festivities on the streets.  All sorts of activities in such a pretty town and we had totally forgotten about America. 

We found the enoteca I wanted to check out. After a few back and forth between Bruschetta and Bruschetta we agreed to get Bruschetta. The server was very nice and we had her recommend us a bottle of wine.

Soon, we were headed to Sulzano. After a couple of really long wrong tunnels we made our way into the 30% descending parking lot of the hotel. Without wasting any time we were out on their patio for pizza. The hotel is next to the water and is close to Monte Isola. Beautiful view. Riccardo offered us a wine, which only had 50 bottles in the whole of Italy.. It was as if we were in a different world.

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Last day in Scandivavia

Went to a local football dirby Hammerby - AIK, Magnus's cousin was there with us too with one other friend of his... They told me dont worry about seat numbers as we will be standing with the passionate fans who stand all game. I thought there is going to be a group of like 20 people that we would join or something.... Infact it appears that one entire side of the stadium was the passionate fans. They kept singing the entire game .. even when AIK was down 1 goal... then AIK came back in the second half and won the game 2-1. It was a surreal atmosphere... People genuinelly happy to support their team... They were having the best time in the world... I had a pretty terrific time too...Initially when the teams were getting on the ground... i thought the people are standing and singing to welcome them but hell no ... they kept doing that all the way.....

I guess my time is up.... What can't go on forever must end. I felt a bit homesick once in a while last few days but i think i have to go leave this world of dreams and get back to the sipping lattes and talking interest rates.

Be Good,

Until next time,

Tarun

Signing Off

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Going to stockholm

Bye Bye Copenhagen... I had the best time ever ... No more enjoynig the sun while sitting by the canal with a beer, cigar and reading a book, sitting on the Nyhavn square and people watching, taking the bike to everywhere, sitting in the communcal palace gardens, sitting outside and enjoynig Kaffe Lattes, the rod polsker hotdogs, enjoying the dinner for the whole evening....... the danish lifestyle.....

Found the overnight train to stockholm for 75€ so that was good. ...

The train wasnt that cool. I think the Euro rail they show in commercials is the business class section of it and its like the business class of a plane which is what it is...

So while i was getting out of the train... I saw this girl crying in her cabin and it seemed like she had lost a shoe and when i brought that up she totally started crying and was mad at me for thinking its funny. She was going to a trip to the islands in an hour and wouldnt have time to buy new shoes.... So i calmed her a bit helped her fuïnd the shoe and the crying stopped immediately.....She was just scared...It was a bit funny though....'

So we got back to magnus's place... Its a bit out of town but thats ok... I am not going to do a whole lot of things anyways... He was quite hungover from the previous night so we just decided to watch a movie and then later go to the city and check whats up 

Its quite astonishing the difference between sweden and denmark... The danish are so much helpful and polite and laid back and having a good time always....Swedes are a bit more businesslike stockholm being the business capital of scandinavia...