Back by popular demand.....It's been way too long!

What an amazing Christmas we had!

The 2 ½ years we have been in Italy have been nothing short of amazing! (Yes, it has been that long)  But, as with all things, there are upsides and downsides.  The downside is not being around family for the holidays.  As much as I love Christmas, there is just something that Skype can’t deliver when it comes to truly being there.  I have loved seeing Italy for the holidays, but my inner elf has sorely been missing my familiar Christmas traditions.

This year we had the opportunity to have Payton and Addy for the holiday break.  We discussed having them fly out to spend Christmas with us and that perked our spirits.  Then I got an idea, a wonderful, awful, Grinchy idea!  What if instead for bringing the girls to us for Christmas, we brought ourselves to them AND the whole extended family?!?

So we set about a plan.  A SURPRISE plan of elf attack!  This is no small task given the number of family members we have and the logistics of housing 4 “surprise” guest for 2 weeks.  We had to let a few people in on the mission – Payton & Addy were key – they had to travel from NC, Liz was essential because she was in charge of housing and there were a few others that were sworn to secrecy!

Seems pretty simple, right?  Til you start figuring out all of the details…..

Plane ticketsü  Rental carü  Presents shippedü  Incoming present corralledü (Thanks Liz!)

Doggies cared forü  Suitcases packedü  Italian goodies shippedü   Last minute Italian goodies packedü (Extra suitcase needed)   House cleaned for dog sitterü  Passports ü

Not talking to people for fear of spilling the beansü

Oh, and did I mention we started this plan in October!!!

We arrived in DC on Sunday and zipped in our rental car to the Eastern Shore. (There really is something magical about crossing the Bay Bridge to make you feel relaxed and at home)  Quick stop at Liz’s, scoop up Payton & Addy and the first stop – Craig’s parents! 

There is nothing like feeling you are in a live Folger’s commercial when Peter comes home! (For those that don’t remember the  Folgers commercial click here) We literally got them out of bed for the surprise!  It’s such a great feeling of joy to make someone happy, just by being there.  Next we had to swear them to secrecy til the rest of our clan arrived….in 3 days!  Doesn’t seem like a big deal until you repeat the phrase “no Facebook posts!” to everyone you see!

Lizzy & I dashed to Salisbury on Monday to run some errands & treat my hair to a much needed cut (Thanks Angela), a bit of shopping and a visit with Buttons (Thanks Bob you are a great secret keeper!).  Tuesday our gang of 4 ventured to Annapolis for some “malling” and a bit of Italy at Maggianos.  The waiter was telling us all about the “authentic” Italian food, when we told him we lived in Italy….he thought we were joking!  The Annapolis mall didn’t disappoint – Addy wanted to live in Hot Topic!

Mom & Pat arrived from Charleston on Wednesday.  The surprise 4 were hiding in Liz’s living room, listening to them discuss plans for dinner.  We popped out and said “What are we doing for dinner?”.  The look of delight, surprise and happy tears is an incredible gift to receive!  Next on the surprise list – Carlye!

Not so much….a hiccup occurred when she and Craig pulled into the side by side driveways at the same time.  He ducked down and then peeked back up.  He may be an ace pilot, but covert stealthiness is not in his repertoire.  Next up Traci – first, hide the pilot, then surprise!  It worked!  Next up Jason –all he did was say hi.  Then it sunk in that we were not “supposed” to be there. I love getting all of the hugs!!   Terri, Sherri & the boys came by and we had Italian hot chocolate and a firepit!  (Thanks to the weather gods for delightful temps!) Surprising is fun work!

Christmas!  What can I say???  I just love it.  Wrapping (yes, I do have a wrapping problem – there is nothing wrong with having the best dressed presents!) Thanks Addy for the ribbon support – you are definitely in the Wrapping Club!  Christmas Eve candlelight service at church (I love knowing the words to the songs!)  And, opening a Christmas Eve present.  This is something I remember doing with Dad & I was happy Payton & Addy wanted to do it too!

Wow! Everyone knows I LOVE giving gifts at Christmas, especially feeling like I picked the right thing.  I don’t think I’ve ever been more blown away than by what the girls gave us – Payton drew a picture of Craig & I – seriously, the girl is talented!

But even more than that, was the love and excitement they had in giving it to us!  Let the tear flowing begin!!!

Christmas morning!!  There is something to be said for not having “Santa” come at a set time with older kids!  Relaxing is that word!  And that is a rare commodity when there are 10+ people sleeping all over the house (Thanks Lizzy & Charlie!) We did our 4 person present exchange and the elf in me was pleased to see happy tears when the girls opened their presents – who knew an autographed Andy Biersack photo would do the trick! Did I mention how much I love Christmas?? Let the dashing begin!

 

Off to Oxford to Sherri’s and brunch.  Delish as usual and those Italian spritzes!!!  So glad you liked those on your visit!  It is so much fun to see the girls with their cousins!!  Living apart is hard sometimes, but when they get together & simply mesh, it is wonderful!!

Then we had our Elfster Christmas!  (If you are a family that draws names, Elfster is a remarkable site for Secret Santas)  It is fun being an international traveler/Christmas shopper!  Nothing like being able to pick up a Manchester City soccer jacket when you are in London or a handmade Italian copper pot!! I love being a Christmas elf!  And then we do our “Chinese Auction” Christmas exchange.  We play a game to determine picking order (drawing on a paper plate on our heads was this year’s game) for the coveted $5 gift auction.  In all of the years we have done this, the $5 limit has not increased.  This year’s fight for it gift was the sought after “selfie stick” (kudos Payton for the pick).  After several steals – Traci emerged as the selfie stick owner, much to Carlye’s dismay.  With the help of the selfie stick and Jason’s long arm, we got a priceless pic of the group!  We danced, we sang (some of us remembered the words to Leader of the Pack), we laughed, we cried and we laughed until we cried!!  As Bob put it perfectly, “You know it was a good time when you wake up the next morning and your abs hurt from laughing so much and your cheeks hurt from smiling so much!”

Princess waves!

So, you might think that was enough for a full holiday visit right? Only for amateurs! Next on the agenda, The Haslup Open House!  Loved seeing friends, old and new and sharing my cellos with the gang!  Tons of food and drinks!  Most importantly, I love the fact that my family & Craig’s family are not separate entities – we blend and we blend well!  I love that we have friends that have been around for so long that they become family and it was so great to share all of that with Payton and Addy!  We partied til the wee hours of the morning and woke up to even more than the 10+ sleeping in the house! (Nothing like having the house that all the kids come to!)

What is Christmas without the After Christmas Sales??  Payton & I set off on an adventure – The Mall in Columbia ….the Columbia Mall! (Not sure why I remember the silly old jingles) After Christmas Sales – score, snack at PF Changs – score, meeting Carlye at her apt for a dinner date with her roommate Rachel – score, shopping on Rachel’s bed after her closet cleanout – SCORE!!!  Payton and I came home with, literally, a bucket full of clothes! Thanks Rachel!!!  And we had a great dinner to boot!

Happy New Year 2016!  We got to ring in the New Year at the beach!  Again, it was slumber party central at Liz’s, only this time in OC! All of the Wheeler children & grandchildren in one place for the ball drop! We had some creative sleeping arrangements, but what a blast!  After a hearty breakfast, our Penguins lined up for the swim in the Atlantic….brrrrr! (I did not plunge, having checked that block in a frigid blizzard years before!) What memories!

Next sneak attack was a New Years Day party at my friend Kim’s!  I got to surprise her (and a few more old & dear friends) and make more happy tears!!  It’s a small world indeed….one of her OC friends is Italian and is from the same town that we live in.  Hopefully he will visit us in April! What a blast!

Words can not even describe the happiness that Craig and I felt on this visit home.(I know I've forgotten a ton of things, there was never a dull moment)  Sure, there were lots of presents (and stolen selfie sticks), but truly the greatest gift of all was the time spent with friends and family and the memories that will last a lifetime!

Make 2016 your best year ever!

Ciao for now.........

Buon Compleanno America!

Happy Birthday America!

We had a beautiful time at the Fourth of July celebration on base.  The fireworks show was pretty awesome! I love it when the fireworks are choreographed to music.  And it is always fun to view the fireworks through the eyes of an 11 year old.  We are lucky to have Addy with us for most of the summer.

I am looking forward to showing her all of the new things we have discovered since she was here last year. It is hard to believe we have been in Italy a whole year!  Time has just flown by.  I am amazed at all of the friends and experiences I have had in this fast year.  It is also PCS season.  For those that don't have the "Alphabet Soup" glossary of the military, PCS stands for Permanent Change of Station.  In English it means that their time here in Italy is over and they are moving to a new post.  So friends that I have made are moving on....such is the norm in military life, I guess.

We are lucky enough in the social media age to be able to keep in touch much better.  I know that Facebook gets a bad rap sometimes, but it is a godsend to me to be able to keep in touch with friends and family all around the globe.  And it keeps me in the know about what is going on here in Italy.

We have a busy summer planned.  Addy has specifically requested to see Pompeii, so that is definitely on the list.  We have a murder mystery scheduled in Verona...a 700 year old mystery tour. The local festivals are in full swing and we plan to see what the towns do for their sagras. We already took her to Asiago and I believe she tried every cheese in the factory.  She is quite the formaggio aficionado. What else is better on fresh made pasta???  And we are turning her into the food snobs that we have become!

I knew food was delicious here, but I didn't realize just how spoiled we have become.  That is until we went home for a visit.  We are so used to fresh foods, with little or no preservatives.  I buy our meat at the local butcher shop, our fruits and vegetables at the local shop near the house (I even have a frequent buyer card that I get stamped every time I spend 10 euros), bread from the bakery on the corner and of course wine, from the local wine guy.  And I found the local cheese coop, just around the roundabout from the house. Shopping is done every few days in Italy, because if you don't eat it, it goes bad.


When we got back to the states, we did try to choose healthy food.  Ok, maybe PF Changs doesn't qualify as healthy, but we did try to steer clear of fast food and junk.  Even with being cognizant of our food choices, we both ended up with upset stomachs after less than one week.  Now, that is not to say that all of the food was bad, quite the contrary.  The steamed crabs lived up to my expectations and then some!

We traveled home to see Payton graduate from high school!  What a proud moment!  I know that Craig is wrestling with the fact that his daughter is old enough to be going to college and how quickly the time has flown.  After graduation we traveled to Ocean City for a fun filled week at the beach!  Oh, how I love the beach!  It was so nice to have a set place to stay and the weather cooperated for us beautifully!

For those that travel home for trips, it can be exhausting trying to see everyone that wants to see you. Typically there is a lot of "we have to go here" and "we have to go there".  We opted for "this is where we will be, come by and see us".  It makes for a much more relaxing time.  We had quite the revolving door of friends and family come by and it was great to see everyone.  It was so nice to catch up with everyone and what a welcome change to just be able to sit on the beach and have conversations.  No electronics to interfere with real face time!


We got our seafood fix, steamed crabs, soft crabs, crab cakes.....notice a theme?  Then of course, there were Thrasher's french fries.  I do feel sorry for people that never get to experience them, just the smell on the boardwalk makes me crave them!  There is a new favorite, Old Bay Cheese Curls....I see a care package in my future!! And there is not much better people watching than on the boardwalk....good and bad!  Really makes me wonder if some people don't have mirrors in their houses!












Returning back to Italy, was bitter sweet.  We love it here but we miss our family and friends.  We are hoping for lots of visitors!  Late summer, my mom and aunt will be coming over to visit.  We are definitely looking forward to that.  I see a cooking class in our future.

We are definitely living La Bella Vita here.  We hope everyone has a delightful and safe summer.  Spend time talking, put away the electronics, enjoy food, family and fun!  Life is short, enjoy it while you can! Oh, and come visit!!!

Felice Estate &
Ciao for now!

Buongiorno!

Hello,

It has been a while since I have blogged.  I was looking at my last post of Christmas and the gift of time.  It is a bittersweet read for me now, for what I wouldn't give for a little more time with loved ones!

When Craig and I embarked upon this journey, one of the many discussions we had was the difficulty of leaving family and friends for such an extended time.  We knew that inevitably there would be "goodbyes" that would be permanent; that there perhaps would be people that we would never get to see again.  I thought that I had prepared myself for that.  I had run through a number of scenarios in my head to feebly try and prep myself for those possibilities.

We made it through the holidays and were looking forward to hosting friends and family in the coming months.  I had my calendar all prepared and was ready to play hostess to friends in March, Craig's parents in April and my parents in May.  Excited, doesn't even begin to describe how I felt.  

Unfortunately, I got the midnight message that no one wants.  My step-father, Dave had a stroke and was in the hospital.  I prayed for good news....and then the phone call came...."I've got bad news".  My heart broke.  There is no amount of planning or prep, long or short that eases the shock and pain of the death of your loved one.  This wasn't supposed to happen to a young healthy man!

My sisters and I got lucky.  After my father passed away in 1976, my mother brought a wonderful man into our lives.  He came in wearing braces and driving an old VW bug.....and he was young! Ten years younger than my mom....she was an early cougar!  I never quite understood what he was thinking (maybe he wasn't) getting involved with a woman with 3 teenage daughters.  It was not a role for the faint hearted, but he stepped up to the role.  

I have never been a fan of the "step" parent moniker.  It seems to diminish the role.  I will say, that Dave "stepped" in, the best way possible.  He expanded our family and brought 2 adorable boys to our household of girls.  He was the best combination of adviser, friend, parent and role model!  He fathered me and my sisters for over 35 years and did an amazing job.  He was never obtrusive, but had the innate ability to come forward when needed and was always steady and strong in the background.

He taught me to drive a stick shift, something I never truly appreciated until I tried to teach it.  I called him after that to let him know that I never quite thanked him enough for the whiplash he must have suffered from so many of my stall outs.  He cheered me on at graduations and I'm sure took pride in my A's in economics. No one could teach "diminishing marginal return" like he could.  He walked me down the aisle....on more than one occasion! And he let me cry on his shoulder after my husband died.  

He wasn't one to show too many emotions, wasn't comfortable in crowds, but I knew that I could give him a look and a wink and nothing needed to be said. His laughter could fill up a room and although he was never one to look for the spotlight, he always had a good story.  He was a rock....steady and reliable.  I knew that he was always there, whether I had boyfriend troubles, needed a ride or need help getting rid of a tree...Dave was there. Men would come and go from my life, but Dave was always there....I never imagined that he wouldn't always be there!

It has been a little over a month since that phone call.  The stages of grief are a rocky road.  Anger is a big one - why us?  Hasn't this family had enough deaths?  Weren't we due a break?  Couldn't we have a bye this round?  I am trying to work my way through to Acceptance, but it is a difficult road.  I loved the man that fathered me, even when he wasn't required to.  I am grateful to have had such a wonderful example of how to be the best "step" parent. My heart aches for the loss that I feel, but I am trying to focus on the "silver lining"...I had a wonderful father for my first 12 years and a wonderful man who "stepped up" to be my father for the last 35.  Not many girls get 2 great dads!

My apologies for the sadness of this post; I just needed to do it.  I hope you, too, will see the silver linings in things, even when it is difficult.  Father's Day is approaching, give the gift of time....it is the greatest gift you can give!

Ciao for now!

Buon Natale

The holiday season is upon us....one of my favorite times of the year!  My dream job would be Santa's personal assistant!  I love shopping, picking out the "perfect" present, wrapping, decorating, cooking....I love holiday cheer.  I watched the West Jet holiday Santa video and was moved to tears....I would love to be a part of something like that.  I love holiday TV, The Grinch, Charlie Brown, Frosty, Rudolph, It's a Wonderful Life....the list goes on!

Christmas to me is not about presents, it is about giving and sharing time with family and friends.  My immediate family can attest to the fact that I can be somewhat obnoxious about it.  I love giving presents, even if they are silly little things.  I love planning and plotting about what to get for who. Wrapping them so they are beautiful and fun and may even win the award for Best Dressed Presents! But mostly I love that it is the time of year where we share our time.

My fondest Christmas memories are not of the presents that I received, they are moments that we have shared.  I remember as a child, going to St. Mark's Church with my parents for Christmas Eve services.  How pretty the church was, the advent calendar, the candlelighting, the hymns (mostly because it was about the only time I knew the words).  I remember rushing home and my dad telling me I had to hurry to bed because the red light up in the sky was Rudoph's nose and Santa would be landing on our roof soon. (Really the red light was the radio tower at WEMD, but I believed and I still look at it every Christmas Eve)  I remember one year it snowed and we couldn't go to church so we lit candles and a fire and read the Chrismas story from Bible, each taking turns reading a passage.

I remember the event of decorating our tree.  It was almost like a party.  There were beautiful glass ornaments, garland and tinsel.  I loved tossing the tinsel in the air and having it land on the branches (I don't think Mom was that thrilled).  The tree always looked beautiful to me in those moments (even if the pictures captured a scraggly looking tree). We would invite our friends, the Foxes, over to participate in the decorating. They would reciprocate by inviting us over for candle lighting at Hanukkah....ahh, the memories!

Time shared, is the best Christmas present of all.  As I approach middle age (yes, I plan on reaching 100) I realize that time is the only gift we can't exchange for a larger size or more gigabytes.  I would love to have more time with loved ones that are no longer with us. Christmas makes me a bit sad in that regard, but it reinforces the desire to make more, long lasting memories and to experience the joy of now.

We have had many wonderful adult Christmases as well.  I love a tradition and our family gift auction has been one of my favorites.  Each person brings a wrapped gift with a value of $5.  We play a game to see what order you get to pick gifts and then the unwrapping and gift stealing begins.  One year the game was musical chairs and we were rolling on the floor watching as the chairs dwindled and the battle for the remaining chairs ensued.  I was seriously afraid that Mom was going to get knocked down for a chair, but she held her own to the finals.  One year the game was Mad Gabs and I thought I was going to need oxygen from laughing so hard (not to mention, new pants....Sorry Pat!)

Another tradition we started was a Christmas Eve open house for family, friends and neighbors.  We started this to bring festivities to my brother-in-law who was too ill to travel.  Oh, the Christmas hats, Holiday massages, smiles and great cheer!  What great fun....and food (even when the oven was broken).....and cocktails!! It has always been an adventure and a wonderful time!

This Christmas will be my first in Italy.  We have loved exploring the Christmas markets in the area. Most towns have them in their central area.  They put up wooden sheds and decorations and local vendors sell a variety of items and there is always a Vin Brulee booth. The Italian nativity scenes, Il Presepe are absolutely stunning and a focus of their holiday decorations  It will truly put you in the Christmas spirit.

We went to our local market yesterday at the Villa Caldogno.  The dogs were dressed in their Christmas attire and they were a huge hit. It was the first time we were able to go inside the Villa and we were in awe of the beauty.  We met several local vendors, and Dario, our "wine guy" greeted us as soon as we got there.  Everyone was friendly and welcoming and it was a great part of celebrating Craig's birthday. Coincidentally, it was also Dario's birthday.....I knew I liked him for some reason....maybe the wine!  

We finished up by bringing our tree inside (it is a potted tree that has been in our yard since we moved here) and decorating it.  It is reminiscent of Charlie Brown's tree, but as his was; ours isn't such a bad little tree!  I had Christmas carols playing and we had a ball!

While gathering presents to ship back home to everyone, something occurred to me.  This will be the first Christmas in my 49 years of life that I have not been "home" with my family and friends.  I will miss being the "caterer" for Christmas Eve and concocting the holiday cocktail.  I will miss being an elf and handing out presents (hmmmm what order will they go in this year?) Christmas day.  I will miss the present auction and the stealing of gifts.  I will miss my family and friends and the moments we share.  I am lucky that we have Skype and the gift of technology and I plan to utilize them to the fullest this Christmas!

My wish for the holiday season is that everyone shares the gift of time, make the most of it and most of all make wonderful memories!

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!

Ciao for Now!

Mangia, Mangia, Mangia!

Ok, lets talk about one of my favorite subjects......FOOD!

Most times I plan my day around eating.....what am I going to eat, what time am I going to eat, where am I going to eat....it's an event for me, not just nutrition.  Welcome to the land of pleasant eating. Eating in Italy is an event....places shut down for riposo, right around the noon time meal, and stay closed for a couple of hours.  Not just office buildings, retail stores.  Can you imagine Lowes or Walmart closing for 2 1/2 hours at lunch time?  It happens here!

Fast food is the exception here, definitely not the rule!  And for that, I am eternally grateful!  I have never been a huge fast food fan and I laugh at the McDonalds signs here.  You can find a McDonalds and even an occasional Burger King, but they are not every 1000 yards (or even meters) like in the states.

When you have a 2 hour lunch break, there is no need for fast food.  I can get a pizza with pretty much anything I want on it (including french fries and hot dogs - I know - kinda gross) from a wood fired oven in less than 10 minutes.  Not a doughy mess like Dominos.....a real pizza with fresh ingredients.

Now that I have mentioned fresh.....fresh food is amazing!  You do not find prepackaged, processed foods here like a US supermarket.  You can find them, but the majority of food here is unadulterated.  I am not a fan of shopping at the commissary, sometimes it is a necessity for our "American" items, but most often, I have adapted quite easily to the Italian Supermercato.  In fact, there are quite a few American things that are banned here....No Easy Mac - food coloring.....American Breads - bromate....No BHA or BHT in meats, cereals & butter - its made from petroleum.....you get the gist. Fresh fruits and vegetable abound here.

I have explored with some foods and have a few items that I was unsure of or didn't know existed, but now....WOW!

Salad dressings - you won't find them here.  Primarily they use oil and vinegar, but I have come up with a few conncoctions that I am pleased with...one is a vinagrette with an avocado base...delish!

Cheese - I could spend a whole year on cheese, but one has particularly surprised me.  Smoked Ricotta - Ricotta Affumicato.  Oh my, is this ever good!  It is the consistency of a very crumbly feta, but it packs such a flavor punch, you can't even imagine.  Mostly I have just topped a basic pomodoro sauce with it, but I will definitely be experimenting more!

Pasta - What's not to love!  I have recently acquired a pasta maker and have tried my hand at some pasta recipes.  It is quite easy once you get the hang of it.  I have successfully attempted fettucine, tortelloni, ravioli and even pierogis.  They turned out quite well, if I do say so myself.  I even went a little healthy and made quinoa pasta.  I made raviolis by hand, some stuffed with broccoli and ricotta and some with mushroom and brie.  Delish!  Don't tell Craig, but I snuck some cauliflower in with the mashed potatoes for the pierogi....he never noticed!!

Fettucine, tortelloni & pierogi

All finished

Making it one by one

Quinoa Ravioli

Ham - I know there are some shocked looks at the inclusion of this one.  Some of you know my feelings about ham.....not only do I not care for it (as my mother taught me to say)....I HATE it (sorry Char) ! There is something unnatural about a pink spongy slab of meat on my plate or in a sandwich...ugh!  Well, who knew the Italians could make me like the dreaded ham......now let me clarify that.  They have a "ham" called speck.  It is made from lean pork legs and then salt cured, dried and smoked.  It is quite tasty!!

This ham...I like!

Wine - Again, this could be a multi year discussion, but here's a few wonderful things about wine here.  You can buy fresh wine and BYOB....you own bottle, doesn't matter the size, they will fill it. No preservatives.....no headaches... and it is cheaper than soda and even gasoline! And they let you taste it before you buy it.  I'm trying to figure out a way to ship a whole cask of fresh wine back home!!

Dario - the wine guy...filler up!
Notice the number of taps and the tasting glasses above!

Dining out....we have had many wonderful experiences.  I feel quite comfortable with my Italian in most restaurants.  We had an enjoyable meal this past weekend in Posina, a small town on the mountain that we wandered to.  We went to a restaurant....I was getting Hangry....and our waitress knew no English.  I could make out some of what she was saying, but she decided to just bring us samples of everything.  What a treat!  We had gnocchi and bigoli (fat spaghetti) with six different sauces, including duck ragu and artichoke.  Then came two different meats with 3 vegetables.  We were stuffed, until she asked Cafe' e Dolce?  Coffee and Dessert?  She didn't wait for an answer, she just brought out 2 plates of tiramisu, torte di mele (apple cake) and gelato.....holy moly, unbuckle the belts! It was truly and event....and a great way to cap off a Sunday drive.

Some of the beautiful pictures we took on our Exploration Sunday Drive!

This experience is just amazing.....If you ever have the chance to come here....COME!  We've even got plenty of room!!

Next up....Paris for Thanksgiving!!  A big bucket list item for moi!!

Ciao for now!!

Ovunque tu vada, vacci con tutto il cuore!

Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~ Confuscious

This journey to Italy, is indeed travel, but within the grand scope of moving for three years...we have the luxury of additional travel.  While there are lots of European adventures ahead, we have done some local travel and find that every day, we are truly blessed by where we are living.  There are so many things to see and do, really within 30 minutes of our home. And we are meeting wonderful people along the way!

Asiago!! Cheese, what's not to LOVE! Well, there is so much more and boy did we have a wonderful time exploring.  First up, we met some friends who live in Asiago and they were gracious enough to be our tour guides for a great weekend!  Our itinerary included a Cheese Factory Tour, fireside drinks, a lovely bed and breakfast, fantastic dinner, and wandering to a few beautiful sites.

The cheese factory, Caseifico Pennar, has been around since 1927.  It was beyond spotlessly clean.  We went through the process from raw milk to fresh cheese to aged cheese.  It really was fascinating.  And for those of you who only think of Asiago as a substitute for Parmesan cheese, you are missing out.  After the factory tour, we went to the cheese shop and tasted. Seriously, who knew cheese could be this good.  Smoked, fresh, aged 1 year, 2 years, or 3 years....Delicioso!!!  And we learned to keep it in paper, not the dreaded Ziploc bags that bring on mold.  It was Fabulous!!!

After our cheesilicious afternoon, we met up for fireside cocktails at our B&B before heading off to a delightful dinner.  In the morning we dined on a traditional Italian breakfast before doing a bit of exploring.  We saw some beautiful sights, including a bit of a traffic jam.  If Little Bo Peep is missing her sheep, I know where they are!

 We stopped by a beautiful golf course and spa for an afternoon beverage.  The views, as you can see, were spectacular.  I really am going to have to pull out the thesaurus for more superlatives, because stunning, just doesn't cut it.  Thank you Sarah and Mauro for hosting us on a great weekend getaway!

 

After such an exhausting and trying weekend (just kidding), I needed to unwind and it was a good thing that I had signed up for "Wine Down Wednesday", one of the events that the Army Recreation Department puts on....for the Alphabet Soup Acronym fans....that is MWR. 

The green is the mountain!

 Wine Down Wednesday, is a trip to a vineyard for what else...wine tasting.  Oh, and a tour.  This beautiful winery is located in Bassano del Grappa and is built into the hill/mountain.  They do spectacular things, using nature and the environment in their wine production.  Lenora, was our lovely tour guide; she is the daughter of the owners, and it was her 21st birthday. She explained how the mountain keeps the wines at an even temperature, without any electronics.  The casks are kept  at a cool even temperature using only mother nature.  It took the stone mason one month just to cut the stones that line the ceiling of the room.

Tasting room view

The beautiful view from the tasting room, overlooks the vineyard.  The family runs the winery, a restaurant and produces olive oil.  We were treated to a lovely lunch and some of the best wines.  I forced myself to limit my purchases to 2 bottles, one white and one red....and a bottle of olive oil that they also use grapes it.....delish!!  Oh, and conveniently, the wines go just perfect with the cheese that we purchased in Asiago, the neighboring town!

After our wine tasting, we stopped in Marostica for a quick visit. I think it was to sober up the moms who were due to pick their kids up from school, but don't tell anyone! 

Marostica is best known for it's live chess matches, complete with living pawns and horses.  In the town square, the chess board is hard to miss.

Town Square and Chess Board

The Castle wall is gorgeous and boasts 360 views from the top.  Not enough time to walk around it, but that will definitely be another day's adventure!

Panoramic view from the Alpini Bridge

Well, after my Wine Down, I decided that I needed to see a bit more of Bassano del Grappa, so I drug Craig along....no kicking and screaming involved.  He readily agreed to go for a ride up the hill with the top down!  Our main attraction for the day was the Alpini Bridge.  It was built in 1569, by none other than Andrea Palladio (a very busy man!) and is wooden.  It has been rebuilt several times, including, after being destroyed in WWII.  The bridge, also known as Ponte Vecchio, spans the Brenta River.

The Bridge!

View of the mountains from the bridge

 It is much larger than the pictures seem to show and gives such striking views!

Beautiful Rapids

We had lunch at a small cafe, just beyond the bridge.  The sun was shining and the smoked chicken salad was heavenly!!

Strolling across the bridge

 After enjoying the bridge and all of the splendid views, we wandered through town and came upon the Grappa museum.  Now, I have not tasted Grappa yet.  Craig's opinion is that it tastes like sticks and grass, of course, I thought boys liked sticks and grass, but apparently not.  I plan on setting up a Grappa tasting soon, because with all of these bottles, there has to be more flavors than sticks and grass!  

Now that's a lot of minis!

Part of the museum had a fantastic "bouquet" display.  You could press a button and smell the different aromas from the different flavors of Grappa. They were wonderful and definitely ones that I would like to try.....and somehow they missed setting up the sticks and grass scent! 

This was a beautiful copper still that was used in the Grappa production. The museum was great, in that you could just wander through and see what you liked.  I can't wait for our Grappa tasting!!


I didn't realize that with this move, I would become the Cruise Director on this Love Boat, but I sure am enjoying it!

Next stop......Panettone and Nove Pottery!!  And we'll see what other hidden treasures I can find!

Ciao for Now!

Amare l'Italia - Things to Love about Italy!

Well, after about 4 months of living here, I decided to come up with some things that I absolutely love about living in Italy.....and maybe a few things I miss about the states.

First - Sizes of Most Everything
Things in Italy, generally are smaller, from cars to coffee cups to clothes.

It definitely makes things interesting.  I have been giving Craig a hard time about parking.  He keeps driving around looking for the perfect parking space and I keep telling him, "They are all the same size...none are going to fit this land yacht".

I didn't understand all of the people standing up to drink their coffee....well, it is because you don't have time enough to sit down before you have finished your tiny cup.  Well, that is not really true, they do sit in the afternoon and enjoy their cafe' or spritz.  But, they do pack a wallop of caffeine in those tiny little cups.  No French vanilla creamer yet....but I am managing!

Second - Shopping Carts

They have the best shopping carts.  They are 4-wheel drive and you can even take them on escalators. No slipping, sliding and you can go sideways.  And the best part is they don't flop and squeal like the US carts.

Third - Plants, Flowers & Shrubs
Many streets are lined with Crepe Myrtles.  Not typical in the US, but here, they groom them like a topiary. None of the bunches of limbs coming from the ground.
These are neat and beautiful.

Also, the beauty of your house can be measured by the fluff and
fall of your windowsill petunias....Gorgeous!

            

Fourth -Getting Around

I think bikes are more popular than cars here.  You see everyone riding their bikes, to work, to market, to school, to the wine store....everywhere.  Young or old doesn't matter.  It definitely keeps them from a sedentary lifestyle...one that we should adopt!

Fifth - Traffic

This is a mixed bag....some I like, some....not so much.  I love/hate the traffic circles.  They keep traffic moving, but boy those Italians are aggressive drivers.  Typically the traffic circles have two incoming lanes and sometimes the outflow is only one lane.  There is quite a bit of jockeying for position.  Driving here is not for the timid.  Oh, and if you are a motorcycle/scooter/4-wheeler, just drive where ever you want, especially down the center line.  Mamma Mia!

No kidding, he passed me on this!

Sixth - Drinks

One thing you won't find here is Supersized Drinks.  For those that know me, my beverage capacity is quite large.  I've been know to down 3-4 Diet Pepsi's at lunch, most particularly at Plaza Tapatia.  Not only are the drinks small here, there is no such thing as unlimited refills...no how, no way.  Let's just say, my diet soda consumption has gone way down.  Especially when you consider that a small can of light cola runs about 2,50 Euros.....yup, that's about $3.40....EACH.  Gone are my Big Gulp days......sniff sniff!

The Italians are very friendly, my use of the language is getting better.  I was even complimented on my Italian accent.  For the most part, they don't care that you mangle their language, just that you try.  I've had people ask how I like Italy...my standard response is......What's not to LOVE!!

Stay tuned for the next blog post......Asiago Tour, Monte Berico, Nove and Winedown Wednesday!!!!

Ciao for now!