Under the Tuscan Sun

Today is my last day in Siena, Tuscany. I know, I'm a little sad about this. Only a little, since there are other places to go and things to see.

So today I decided to have a "day off" from site seeing. No plans.

After a nice, late breakfast and shower at La Locanda di San Martino, I wandered over to Piazza del Campo and sat in the morning sun watching the little kiddies run around chasing pigeons. It really ought to be a national sport. Silly pigeons; so focused on the possibility of food left from tourists, they don't have the sense (or desire) to fly off. Then a Jack Russell terrier and a very excitable dachshund started in on the game. Pre-schoolers, small dogs and birds...what could be more entertaining?

After that I headed over to the Siena Cathedral to sit on the white steps and soak up some more sun. Did I mention today is clear skies and 23 degrees? Slight breeze. Anyhow, sitting against the warm white stones, feeling the sun shine down on my arms and face...in late October. Amazing.

Time to stroll along the winding streets and do a little window shopping. After about two hours of walking, it was time for a late lunch. I found myself back at Piazza del Campo and opted for a little table, some fresh bruschetta pomodoro, some house pasta, a glass of wine, and you guessed it....more sunshine.

Next up was some gelato. It's absolutely true that Italy has the best gelato. I mean, Spain and Portugal come pretty close, but I think Italy has it down to a science. This time, I chose Cherry English Trifle and coconut. English Trifle in a gelato you say? Why yes! The gelato custard base is made and then a layer is spread into the pan. Pieces of sponge cake, amarena cherries and liqueur are then layered on top. Then more gelato custard base is spread on top. Repeat the layers. So good! And where did I eat my gelato? Why, sitting in the sun of course!

Back to wandering the streets. There are so many leather goods and pottery shops here. My mom has asked for a pair of brown leather boots. She and I are the same size shoe, as well as the same through the ankle and calf muscles. Which means if the boots fit me then they should fit her. I think she's going to really like the ones I bought her. And if she doesn't, well..... I really like them, and I know they fit me....so it's really a win-win situation.

Then it was time to head back to the hotel for a quick nap and to catch up with family back home. I also worked on some design sketches for a bit. I'm happy to report the new sketches are coming along nicely.

Dinner was at Osteria La Logge. This Michelin-rated restaurant is warm, inviting, and just a little quirky. I passed by the spot during the day and couldn't help smiling at the display of old trumpets used as candle holders in the window and the old weigh scales by the cash register. Also catching my attention were the large display windows into the kitchen, and that one of the windows was open with a screen in place. This meant that the kitchen is the star of this restaurant (as it should be), and that the restaurant is happy to display their working kitchen in hopes of enticing the people walking by. The open window let prospective guests (the restaurant does not advertise but replies on word of mouth) know that the kitchen is "open for conversation" and therefore approachable. And the wonderful aromas coming through the window definitely had people stopping to take a longer look. An interesting way of advertising, but it seemed to be working. I knew I needed to eat in this restaurant.

The lead server is Mirco. He was amazing at finding me a spot in an already-booked restaurant. If you do visit, be prepared that you might not be seated at your own table. I was seated at an oval table with two other men, but the table gave me a great view of the room. The kind gentlemen promptly offered me some of their Brane- Cantena Margaux 2000 Gran Cru (yes, a French wine in Italy....even Italians get tired of their own wines I guess). Already in the room (and in full swing) was a party of ten gentlemen from various states in the United States. They were visiting the area on business. More on this gang a little later.

The space used to be a pharmacy, and still retains the beautiful cabinetry; now filled with books, glassware, bottles of grappa and scotch, as well as limited edition bottles of wine. A cabinet of additional glassware by the kitchen proudly displays snapshots of famous guests including Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Stiller and Morgan Freeman.

And what a kitchen! High end Italian kitchens tend to be laid out in a square format, rather than the traditional "kitchen line" I'm used to in North America. Essentially, each cook works in their space on their particular item (garde manger, veg, meat, etc), and then bring their item to the center island to plate. This, to me, seems to cause less confusion, less shouting of "BEHIND", and ensures each station has access to the plate, which means in theory it would leave the kitchen sooner. And as a result, all of my dishes arrived within great time.

The food was fantastic. I started with a simple pappardelle with house ragu. Noodles and meat sauce, right? I didn't want this dish to end; I could have ordered another portion it was so good. The meat sauce was somehow both robust in flavour and light in texture at the same time. The noodles were spot on.

As soon as my plate was cleared, it was replaced with my second course, stuffed rabbit. The medallions were crispy on the outside while moist on the inside and stuffed with spinach, rosemary and salvia.

Somewhere (and somehow) between my dinner plate being removed and my dessert arriving I ended up invited to the table of 10 Americans; who as it turns out were with Jackson Family Fine Wines .....Freemark Abbey, Hartford Family Wines, Kendall-Jackson, La Crema, Stonestreet...and Tenuta di Arceno, which produces Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Reserva under winemaker Lawrence Cronin. Meeting a group of like-minded people also interested in wine and food is fantastic and always evokes great conversations, along with some hilarity. Case in point: I was educated on the word "Schmeg"...as in "Waiter, there is some schmeg in my glass".

For dessert I took Mirco's advice and had a hazelnut cake and chestnut sauce dish. I liked how cheeky this dish was. It resembled mushrooms and a forest floor in the fall. The airy sponge cake was divided into pieces on the plate in a puddle of hazelnut cream. Cylinders of pastry made to resemble pasta or the stems of mushrooms offered a bit of saltiness and were filled with vanilla pastry cream; a nice contrast. Chestnut gelato. Heaven.

The business men headed out to their next party and I found myself with Mirco, his friends (my original dining partners) and their friend; a lovely woman from New Jersey. Some grappa, scotch and more wine resulted in dancing into the wee hours of the morning in a closed restaurant, causing people passing by to (once again) pause and look in the windows.

So a day with no plans turned into my most enjoyable day in this city. Tomorrow I leave for San Gimignano (again) and then on to Montepulciano. But I will take with me these wonderful memories of this beautiful city of Siena, and look forward to returning again soon.

Paris - Day Three

Day Three in Paris!

The day started with finding more mosquito bites. Perfect.

I got a late start to my day. Part because I was waiting for the water to heat up in the hot water tank. Partly because I was searching online for another place to stay. I also had to go to the pharmacy this morning to get antihistamine tablets; hopefully the swelling from the bites will go down soon. I look a mess.

Decided to do a little shopping today. Here's the tough thing about retail therapy while on vacation: You can only take back so many pairs of shoes or handbags, and you have to be careful about weight restrictions. Unless you are filthy rich. If not, here's the solution around that. Actually, a couple solutions:

You can pack a small bag, and then buy all new clothes and shoes in your destination city; as well as a new suitcase. This works especially great in cities such as London or Paris. Pack only your favourite jeans and a couple tank tops and maybe one light sweater. I go a little further and pack one black simple cocktail dress and a pair of black heels. Maybe a strand of pearls (faux for travel). That way, if a special evening out suddenly comes up, you have something to wear. Okay, try and understand that I often go to the symphony or opera when I travel, and you'll realize this little black dress/heels/pearls trick is very handy.

You can do what I'm doing this trip. I packed a large backpack because I will be travelling for over a month. In the backpack, I put a folded up sleeping bag cover. Coming home, I will put my full backpack with items I've purchased into the sleeping bag cover, then fill up the extra space with my worn clothing. This is especially good if you are bringing, oh....I don't know...WINE home in your checked luggage. Pack the wine securely in the center of the backpack, use your own clothes as cushioning around the backpack in the sleeping bag cover, and check it through FRAGILE when checking in.

Another thing I've done (and will probably end up doing this trip) is send stuff home ahead of me. Half way through my trip, I'll go to the post office and get a shipping box. Then I put any brochures from museums, sweaters I don't need, clothing or shoes I've bought but don't plan on wearing during the trip, souvenirs....all go into the box (I remember the first time I travelled to Europe I took a curling and a flat iron. Ha! Those things got shipped back home in a hurry). I then ship it to a neighbours' or my parents' house. Just be sure to ship it ground or by boat if you are overseas. Shipping air is WAY too expensive. Unless, like I said, you're made of money. In which case, ignore and carry on.

During my aimless wandering of stores, I found Fauchon. And I fell in love instantly. I am a sucker for fantastic packaging and this company has done it right. Just look at the display of chocolates, candies, coffees and teas. And this was just one display, of which there were many. It was hard to look at the displays and not want to buy one of each.

There is a real culture of "à emporter" in Paris. This means to take and go or to take away. The store has a large delicatessen, as well as bakery and champagne selection. And I'm not talking cheap bottles of bubbly. From the main floor of the shop, you go downstairs to the "cave" (pronounced 'cav' ), where an amazing selection of vintage champagne awaits, perfectly chilled and ready to take with a box of French macarons to sit along the Seine asthe sun sets and watch the boats go by. Veuve Clicquot, Dom Perignon, Ruinart, Krug....pick your poison.

All the big name jewellers are located in and around the same area in Paris; Place de Vendôme. These are some serious displays of bling. Needless to say, these beauties were not part of my shopping purchases. At least not for today. But I spent a good amount of time peeking in all the windows. Each store has at least one security guard at the door; each dressed immaculately in a dark suit with French cuffs and cuff links. At least I think they were cuff links. They could have been security microphones. Some had ear pieces in. Like the Secret Service of jewellery stores.

Doing all that window shopping had worked up an appetite, so I made my way over to Angelina for a Croque Monsieur and a glass of champagne (yes, I know....spoilt rotten this one is). Angelina is a Paris landmark. The Salon de Thé first opened in 1903. It quickly became the place to be seen. Coco Chanel and Proust have been counted among its famous customers. It has long been a meeting place for the upper crust of Paris society. Or, at least, it used to be because today they let me in without question.

In any case, you either have to arrive early or come late in the afternoon, because they are quite busy. There is usually a line up everyday; not only to sit and enjoy tea but for their shop as well. There is a selection of house blended teas and coffees, hand made candies, chocolates and biscuits. The display cases offer a beautiful selection of fresh made pastries to take with you, and they are famous not only for these sweet treats, but for their house hot chocolate L'Africain. I saw table after table ordering the pitchers of warm milk and drinking chocolate, which you mix as you like at your table. It is served with a mountain of fresh whipped cream on the side. At €8.20 for hot chocolate that you pretty much make yourself, it is more like an event than a simple cup of cocoa.

After my bubbles and sandwich, I had a little strawberry, cream, custard and flaky pastry concoction; sort of like a fruit mille feuille. I also had a pot of their house tea, Mont-Blanc. Be forewarned if you order tea. It's premium black tea leaves, candied chestnut, toffee, orange blossom and apricot; and as such, you are charged a premium price. A hefty €7.50 price. But it is really yummy tea, and I did buy a tin of it to take home, which was a better deal at €13.00.
Refreshed and revived, I walked around the city for another couple hours, along the Avenue des Champs Élysées, tried to take some pictures of the Arc de Triomphe which didn't turn out well and made my way back to my apartment (and the mosquitoes).

Tomorrow will be another busy day.

Paris - Day Two

Today is my first full day in Paris for this trip. Not a whole lot on the agenda today, except to go see the Sacré Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica.

La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre is a Roman Catholic church that sits at the height of an isolated hill and is the highest point in the city of Paris. The now-popular landmark was designed by Paul Abadie in 1870 and construction began in 1875. After Abadie's death in 1884, a team of five architects continued his design and the final stones were placed in 1914. Which the impending war, the minor basilica was consecrated at the end of World War I in 1919; by which time the public acceptance of the church shifted from a political and religious one (in 1873 the Archbishop of Paris, by approving its construction specified it was to "expiate the crimes of the Commune"), to more of a monument of dedication to honour the 58,000 men and women who lost their lives during the war.

Sacré Coeur is built out of travertine stone. The stone exudes calcite, which keeps the monument looking white even through weathering and pollution.

There is a funicular that you can take from the metro station up the hill to the top, but I decided to just walk it. Many, many steps. 270 steps. But the views are fantastic. You can also take MORE steps up to the top of the dome, but it will cost you €8. I was okay with skipping the extra hike and decided to instead wander around the basilica and then through the narrow streets of Montmartre.

Montmartre is famous for its many artists' studios and craft boutiques. There are a number of side walk cafés and street artists; but beware - the streets are very narrow and the cars passing by do not tend to slow down. Several famous artists have worked in or around Montmartre because of low rent (at the time) and a combined artistic atmosphere; including Salvador Dali, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro and Vincent van Gogh. There is a Salvador Dali museum (Espace Dali) which unfortunately was closed during my visit. I guess it just leaves something for me to visit on my next trip.

Because of its elevation, Montmartre has a series of steep stairs with wrought iron railings and lamp posts. You may recognize the scenery from popular movies such as An American in Paris, Amélie, Moulin Rouge, and La Vie en Rose.

It's interesting how sometimes in our rush to get to the main attraction, we overlook or even miss great scenes and fantastic reminders of everyday life and the incredible opportunities we have. An example of this is the old carousel at the bottom of the stairs before heading up to the monument. Many pass it by without even a second glance. But it was fun to sit and watch the old horses turn round and round, and how delighted the little girls were to ride the pink ponies and the boys to climb up high on those black stallions. It also gave me a breather after climbing up and down all those stairs. You may remember this carousel from the movie Amélie, as mentioned above. In the movie, this is the scene where she returns the scrapbook to Nino.

I found out that carousels were created as a result of tragedy. King Henry II was killed in a jousting accident, and so safer practices for tournaments were created. Thus, a "carrousel" refers to a type of military dressage. Originally, there were a series of metal rings that the knight must spear with his lance. Overtime, this evolved into a turning platform, and the rings were placed at varying intervals to increase difficulty. The knight would hook the rings onto his lance as he came around, and the rings were replaced by a servant so that they would be in position for the next time. The speed of the turning platform could then be altered in speed until the knight was no longer able to capture all the rings. For the birth of the Dauphin in 1662, Louis the XVI held a carousel festival with true fanfare. Over 15,000 guests came to watch knights participate in the tournaments. But it must have been some party, because even today, the location is known as Place du Carrousel.

After wandering the streets below Montmartre for a bit and picking up a few trinkets to bring back home, it was time head home to get ready for my sunset dinner cruise on the Seine.

Brunch at Yew

Ah…Sunday Funday!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining a friend I hadn’t seen in way too long for brunch. Initially, it was to be a whole gaggle of gals, but because of a nasty flu bug that’s going around and last minute cancellations, it ended up being just the two of us. Which was just as nice. It gave us a chance to catch up that we otherwise might not have had with a whole group.

I have several favourite places for brunching. This time, I chose Yew in the Four Season Hotel. It’s a beautiful room; open, full of light, interesting architectural features and lots of wood accents. We sat in a cozy booth for two, which was not butted directly up against the wall. Instead, there was a 12 inch wide wood “shelf” between the table and the backlit wall, perfect for hand bags and coats. No putting the purse on the floor or on another chair. It’s great when restaurant designers think of the comfort of the guest and combine it with function.

Yew does a 3 course brunch for $29.00. Essentially, you choose a starter, a main course and a dessert. I chose Lemon Buttermilk Pancakes to start, followed by a Goat Cheese and Chive Omelet and finishing with a Brulee Duo. My friend chose a Shaved Apple and Fennel Salad, a BLT Eggs Benedict and the Chocolate Explosion to end.

Instead of standard bread that arrives after ordering, we received little sugared mini donuts with a mixed berry mango dipping sauce. Warm doughnuts? For brunch? I’m in!

Yew also offers all their bottles of wine at 50% off on Sundays. Like I said….Sunday Funday! With just the two of us, we decided to skip on ordering a bottle and save that for when we’re able to have the whole gang. Instead, I had a peach bellini. Not the slushy, overtly sweet kind but the traditional, muddled peach nectar and champagne kind.

And so we enjoyed a nice leisurely two hour brunch catching up and chatting about life and its many twists and turns. Our jobs, our homes, our projects. Bad boyfriends. Family. Afterwards, it was off to Holt Renfrew for some post-brunch shopping.  We oogled over Chanel and Prada, decided that at 60% off, $7995.00 was still too much to pay for a blazer jacket; and then said our goodbyes, with the promise “let’s do this again soon”.

Sweet & Pretty . . . take 4

Garage Sale Finds

Why oh why do we not have garage sales like this in Canada, more specifically in Vancouver, BC ? This is from an outdoor market sale in Amsterdam called Albert Cuyp Market on....Albert Cuypstraat (street).

The largest open air market in the city is open year-round Mondays through Saturdays . . .has been for over 100 years. (I bet some of these beauties are still hanging around from then).

If airlines didn't charge so much for checked luggage, then I definitely would have taken home one of these lovelies. Cut an oval in the top, drop in a sink and some plumbing...turn the drawer fronts into cupboard doors and ta da! instant guest bathroom elegance.

More Shoes - take 3

have I mentioned I adore shoes? Well, I do. Here are the pair I am lusting after today:



A girl could easily fall in love with this pair. And really? . . .wouldn't blame her.

Shoes . . . again

Sigh . . . . note to self. When you see a pair of shoes that catch your attention while travelling and they are on sale (well, actually, they don't necessarily have to be on sale). . buy them. Just buy them. These lovelies were in a store window in Amsterdam last year in May. Pay special attention to the pair in the center with the satin and silk two tone rosettes. Yes, the one with the yellow SALE sticker . . . .

The other day I was looking for a pair of shoes to wear with a blush and copper toned dress. Do you think I could find something I liked? that wasn't the same price as a mortgage payment? No, of course not.

Seattle Weekend with Mom

During our Mother-Daughter Weekend to Seattle, my mom and I ended up having a number of things we wanted to see and do. It didn’t start out that way. The original plan was to drive from Vancouver to Seattle on the Friday night, check in, do some shopping on the Saturday and then go see Itzhak Perlman on the Sunday afternoon before heading back home Sunday night. At least, that was the plan.

Sure enough, we left after a quick dinner on the Friday night. We arrived in Seattle and checked into the W Seattle Hotel at around 10pm (yipee for complimentary upgrades and corner suites overlooking the city !). We then headed out to Purple Wine Bar, which came as a recommendation from a good friend and her hubbie at CinCin in Vancouver. The place was bustling and noisy as was to be expected on a Friday night. We shared a couple nibbley plates of soft brie, fig jam and wonderful crusty bread.

After a sound and restful sleep in our luxury suite and a good breakfast, we ventured out to a glass blowing shop and studio. We then headed to Pike Place Market for a little shopping. This is the home of the famous thrown fish, where you tell the fish vendor what you want, he picks it out for you, then tosses it up to another guy who wraps and packs it for you. This is also where we found Chukar Cherries. But Pike Place Market is not simply the market building, it is all the stores on the surrounding streets as well, such as Penzey’s Spices, Beyond Threads, Thailand Junkie, Dragon's Toy Box and Maggie's Shoes. . . . . .

I had something in the back of my mind that told me there was an opera taking place that weekend and I was correct. Lawrence Brownlee was performing the lead role of Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville. Now, I had seen him perform this role at the Gala Season Opening of the JFK Center for Performing Arts last September, so I wasn’t surprised to find that tickets were scarce to come by. Sad to say, we were not able to get tickets and had to settle for dining at Canlis.

Sunday morning we were back at the market, and afterwards we went to the beautiful Benaroya Hall to watch my mom’s lifetime idol perform the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. It is an experience to sit quietly and watch brilliance being performed in front of you. The audience was on its feet before the final bow was off the strings.

After the performance, I managed to pull a gentleman in performance tuxedo aside and explained that we were visiting from Vancouver and asked if Mr. Perlman would be so kind as to sign my CD. He asked us to wait and then disappeared around the corner, then came back and asked us to come around to the side door. There we waiting a short while until he came back and told us that yes, Mr. Perlman would see us (it turns out my tuxedo’ed friend was actually the Artistic Director). I thought my mom was going to burst into tears! Turns out, we were the only guests he granted an audience to that day. He was warm and cordial and exactly as we expected him to be (his home videos on Youtube and Facebook are always so charming). My mother had a hard time getting her words out so I explained that she had actually seen him perform once before in Vancouver when she was a teenager, and that the Queen Elizabeth Theatre had suddenly gone on strike the day before and that the concert had been forced to move into a high school (and here Mr. Perlman and I said in unison) . . . “gymnasium with a basketball hoop”. Mr. Perlman completely remembered the experience and we all had a little laugh.

What an amazing experience, and the perfect ending to yet another Mother-Daughter weekend.

California Dreamin'

Recently, I treated my mom to a girl’s weekend. I had a couple of airline credits that needed to be used and the San Francisco Opera Company was set to open their season with their annual Gala Evening . . . so what better reason to pick out a ball gown and pack a couple of bags and hop on a plane to San Francisco.




After checking into the Kensington Park Hotel overlooking Union Square (and also complimentary), we sat down for a quick lunch at Puccini & Pinetti before wandering through Chinatown. Then it was dinner at Rue Saint Jacques, which in a word was . . .meh.

Back to the hotel to quickly dress for the opera. Now we have been to the opera many, many times but we soon discovered that attire for the opera in Vancouver and attire for the opera in San Francisco are two very difference experiences. Often when attending the opera in Vancouver, we have seen other attendees dressed in jeans and T-shirts. We are not clothing snobs, but we do not approve of this practice of “wearing whatever”. The Opera is still in our minds an occasion to dress up and enjoy the atmosphere; to see and be seen. At the SFO’s opening performance of Verdi’s Aida, it was top hats and tails, ball gowns and opera gloves galore. Hair, make-up, jewelry . . . all bases were covered. In retrospect, I found the atmosphere of what people were wearing more interesting than the actual opera (which was a bit of a snooze-fest after Radames blew his opening aria).

Saturday was our free day with no real plans. Well, none that couldn’t be changed with a simple phone call. We originally had a spa day booked at Teashi on Polk Street in the Russian Hill area, but we decided we wanted to continue browsing the Open Art Market on Embarcadero Square and the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building. We had brunch at Market Bar. The crepes with caramelized apples and mascarpone were extremely delicious and would require many more hours of walking to burn off the calories. Inside the Ferry Building we found a wonderful array of specialty shops, including Boccalone Salumeria - Tasty Salted Piggy Parts (perhaps the best tag line for a store). Very popular were the Salumi Cones, which are essentially a paper cone filled with freshly shaved lonza, capocollo, piana and prosciutto salami. Alas, we were still full from brunch.

We also visited Boulette’s Larder, where I was reprimanded for taking pictures of their eggs and the beautiful display of apothecary jars. They specialize in gourmet take-away meals and, apparently . . . snarky shopkeepers.

Another shop we spent a good deal of time in was Sur la Table. Dear Sur la Table . . . please come to Canada. Specifically to Vancouver.

From the Market we walked to Ghirardelli Square, which was immensely busy with the Chocolate Festival. This entailed people lining up with stamp cards at different venues for free chocolate samples. Some lines were over 3 blocks long. For chocolate. Crazy. We did not participate, needless to say.

We then stopped for a break and a dip in the ocean before boarding a cruise to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz and Angel Island. Problem was that the fog decided to roll in just as our boat left the dock. So really it was an hour and $36.00 worth of pea soup fog. No refund. (on either the fare or the time).

Dinner at McCormick & Kuleto’s was much more successful. Crab cakes, seafood linguini, sablefish and basil gnocchi left no room for dessert. And after a full day of walking it was time to head back to the hotel.

Sunday morning meant breakfast in the Oak Room in the Westin St. Francis with fresh orange juice mimosas and blueberry Grand Marnier pancakes. Yummmmm! Then a quick walk around the shops and Union Square before heading back to the hotel to check out. The concierge then gave us the bad news. Unfortunately only the limo was available to take us to the airport and would we be comfortable traveling in the limousine? Um . . .I think we would be able to manage.

And so ended our girl’s weekend of shopping, dining, opera and champagne & limousine service. Time to start planning our next trip.