italy – well hello lovie

Bologna – ‘lagrassa’ (the fat), the culinary capital of Italia

May 4, 2017November 28, 2018 by Well Hello Lovie, posted in travel

well hello lovie!

By now you can guess why I came to Bologna! Any place that is known as ‘the fat’ is a destination I want to immerse myself in. I wanted to give you an idea of the foods that are specialties in the area and have bestowed Bologna with this awesome name.

Tagliatelle, Tortellini and of course Lasagne Bolognese! Whatever you do though – don’t ask for Spag Bog – it’s known here as ragu.

We also have the delicious mortadella, prosciutto and salsicee (sausages).

So my mission, was to seek out each of these in all their forms and eat, eat, eat!

So…..that was the plan but I seemed to have lost my mojo in Bologna! Maybe I’ve eaten one too many fabulous dishes, walked too many streets, seen too many fresco’s but I couldn’t seem to get excited here which is weird as Bologna was one of the places I was most excited about coming to! Look, it’s a beautiful city – dusty pink buildings, great graffiti, of course fabulous monuments and there are portico’s on pretty much every street which is great BUT I just couldn’t get my groove on.

I did have dinner on the first night at a restaurant and of course had the tortellini and mortadella and they were both insanely good but after that I just bought ingredients from the deli’s here and recreated the specialty dishes in the apartment myself (restaurant quality of course!).

I don’t want to take anything away from Bologna – if you get the chance to come here do it. I think I’m just a bit weary and this was the part of the trip where I needed to recharge. I was meant to spent 4 days here however I’m a big believer in – if you don’t like something/change it! So I made the decision to leave Bologna early and head back to Milan which I adored at the start of the trip. Sometimes you’ve just got to change the plan 🙂

Be fabulous xx

Getting lost in Florence

May 3, 2017November 28, 2018 by Well Hello Lovie, posted in travel

Well hello lovie!

Florence was absolutely beautiful but for some reason, I could NOT get my bearings and was eternally getting lost! I had been here 20 years earlier but that didn’t seem to help. The benefit of getting lost was that I got to admire the striking architecture, discover tucked away boutiques and give my legs a real workout on the cobblestone streets. Florence for me was a city of contrasts. Beautiful from the exterior but I felt the people were a bit cold. It’s the first city on this trip where I haven’t left going – wow I’m going to keep in touch with so and so because they were awesome! Despite this, I still had a beautiful stay and I based myself away from the tourist area (notice a theme here) in the Oltrarno quarter on the ‘other’ side of the Arno river. It’s got an artsy/bohemium feel and it was still only a 10 minute walk to the main area of Florence. So, here’s my tips.

eat/drink

I had two great spots I’d head to for breakfast. One was S.forno Panificio which had the most delicious pastries and a rustic, country chic fit out. The other spot I discovered as I was needing to eat more like I do at home so luckily I found Carduccio around the corner from my apartment. It also had a cottage/cute fit out and offered organic/raw food so I put some nutrients back into my body!

I found the most A-MAZ-ING gelato place and have just realised I gobbled it down daily and was clearly so ‘in the moment’ I didn’t take any pics! Regardless, you can find the best cheesecake gelato at Gelateria Santa Trinita – you’re welcome.

Finally, I had one of the top rated dishes on my trip at Osteria Santo Spirito. I still don’t know how I managed a table as it’s always booked out and random people I spoke to on my trip wistfully spoke about the ‘famous blue cheese gnocchi with truffle oil dish’ and yes, I had it and yes, this is a half portion and yes, it is fabulous! If you’re going to go, I would highly recommend making a reservation – I think the food gods were looking down on me this time.

shop

Florence is where I got my shopping mojo into overdrive! It’s all about leather here – obvs! The thing about me is that I ~~obsess over~~, adore accessories. My theory is that jewellery and handbags are investments as no matter how much weight I put on or lose, they will always fit! So, there were two particular designers I was keen to delve into, but found so many more along the way.

I first spoke of Angela Caputi in my Milan post, but Florence is her home town and she has a bigger shop! Let’s just say I’ll be rocking long, statement earrings for some time to come…..

I was also anxious/excited to meet Clara (who was delightful) who owns Digerolamo as she believes in ‘slow fashion’. Her bags are unique, handmade pieces of the highest quality and I seriously could’ve bought the whole shop! I did ask and yes, she ships to Australia……….xmas present anyone?

Just explore. You can do museums, cathedrals, monuments, galleries – whatever gets you excited! I just wandered and looked around me – up at the glorious buildings and down at the ornate pavements.

See what’s on as there’s always a festival of some kind. I particularly wanted to visit the Exhibition of International Crafts which was huge! Entire buildings dedicated to artisans showing off specific themes – environmental, vintage, hand craft, indoor/outdoor, health & beauty…the list goes on. I came away with a plan for my perfect ‘forever’ kitchen 🙂

I finally succumbed (mainly because my legs were sore) and got on the hop on/hop off tourist bus and bloody hell it gave me the best surprise! Of course it did the usual tour around Florence and up to the fabulous view of Piazza Michelangelo, but there was a second connecting bus ride which wound up and around the beautiful villas outside of Florence. I ended up a Fiesole, a famous Etruscan town surrounded by beautiful views, cypress trees and olive groves. Stunning!

stay

As I mentioned earlier, I chose to stay in the Oltrarno quarter. I was able to walk to the main train station from here – about 20 mins and I was right near the beautiful Pitti Palace. It wasn’t filled with thousands of tourists and I really felt I was hanging with locals which I much prefer, whilst dodging all the scooters on the street! My airbnb accom was described as a charming loft by the Ponte Vecchio and it was. On the top floor with a cute view across the terracotta tiled rooftops, church bells ringing and a bit of a vintage/country chic fit out. I was inspired by the timber flooring, white couch and the dark oil painting above it #decorgoals

Would I come back to Florence again? Absolutely! If only for the leather goods and unusual designers/artisans. Also, did I tell you how good the blue cheese gnocchi with truffle oil is???

Be fabulous xx

The Chilled out Cinque Terre

May 2, 2017November 28, 2018 by Well Hello Lovie, posted in travel

Well hello lovie!

The Cinque Terre is where I found my holiday chill spot. I know it always takes me a bit of time when I start holidays to wind down from work and to be honest I thought I was pretty relaxed up until this point, but from the minute I discovered my new favourite bar, ordered a drink and realised a few hours later I hadn’t moved – I knew I was super chilled!

Just a little recap if you’re not sure what/who/where the Cinque Terre is. It’s a group of five (cinque=5) villages (terre=land) built into the cliffs on the Italian Riviera. Each village has it’s own personality and style but essentially they all have a cute harbour, the buildings are colourful and seem to be precariously hanging over the top of cafe’s, restaurants, souvenir/clothing shops.

Get the drift? Now as I mentioned, there’s 5 villages and I decided to stay in Riomaggiore. Why? Out of all the villages it seemed the right ‘size’ for me. Some were really tiny and some were a lot bigger and touristy. So note that a lot of my recommendations below are based out of Riomaggiore but if you had to pick other villages I’d go next with Monterosso (bigger, more resort feel) or Vernazza (super pretty). Cool – so here’s my wrap on the area:

eat/drink

Ok, so I became a bit of a regular at Fuori Rotta. I loved it because it was perched at the top of the village looking down, was off the tourist drag so mainly locals, and the guys there always made me feel welcome. Soooooo relaxing.

My lunch each day was pretty much fried seafood in a cone! There’s heaps of places that do this but I found the best one in the village of Manarola. No idea what it was called but trust me – look for the lineup.

I really wanted to eat pesto the regional specialty and was recommended to go to Veciu Muin and they were spot on. The woman at the next table ordered the same thing (pesto tagliatelle) and we were comparing notes on how awesome it was, funny how food can create conversations 🙂

shop

You know I LOVE to shop but this was not a shopping mecca for me. If you want to buy soap shaped as a lemon, linen scarves (ok, maybe I did buy this one thing), ceramics, olive oil, magnets and the usual tourist gimmicks then go nuts! Or you could always buy a sun baking cat for 10 euro……

check out the 5 villages and take in their subcultures, quirky charms and personalities. Vernazza was my fave – pretty and just had a relaxed feel.
visit the villages via the local train or the ferry. I choose the ferry (massively out of my comfort zone as I hate boats) as it gave me a new perspective and was great to see the villages from the water. I would suggest though, going first thing in the morning as by mid afternoon it was packed like a tin of sardines.
walk between the villages if you’re a bit fit. I’m not. I chose to do the walk between Monterosso and Vernazza as I was told it was a lovely coastal stroll. In reality it was uphill on rocky steps amongst olives groves and lemon trees (smelt awesome) for the first 3/4 hour and it did have some more uphill parts but that was the worst of it. It took me 1 1/2 hours but it was amazing – the views were spectacular! Depending which walk you do you’ll need to pay for the trail – here’s the link

stay

Ladies and gentlemen we have a winner for the most authentic airbnb experience of the trip! I stayed at Nigu apartments hosted by the generous and beautiful Nicola and Greta. My experience started when I was greeted at the train station in Riomaggiore by Nicola who volunteered to drag my bag up the hill to the apartment – thank God! Once I got over the wobbly legs and stepped into the apartment I was greeted by a cute seaside vibe, exposed timber ceilings, mod cons, a massive bed and a beautifully appointed bathroom. Nicola and Greta had also left me focaccia to eat as they knew I’d been travelling all day along with a host of snacks to get me through the next few days. On top of this they keep in regular contact to check I was ok (particularly as I had problems working the shower – user error!). The icing on the cake is they offer a range of experiences like hiking, having aperitif and going to their home in La Spezia for a home cooked 5 course meal (which I did). The planned 2 hour dinner was glorious and 5 hours later they dropped me home as I’d missed the last train. They even gave me flowers from their garden and a gift as it was my birthday and I had just met them! I was made to feel like a local and I loved it! (yes, that’s my laundry hanging out the window to dry – Italian style)

So the Cinque Terre was where I found my bliss. I had been here nearly 20 years ago with my Mum and had a wonderful time but this experience was really different. Lots of fabulous food, sitting in a bar pondering my thoughts, walking and more walking and cruising around on a ferry (never thought I’d say those words!). It was the circuit breaker I needed and 3 days was just enough time for me……..until next time.

Be fabulous xx

p.s. Keen to hear if anyone else has a favourite village/memory from the CT!

Alba – the perfect Piedmont town

April 25, 2017November 28, 2018 by Well Hello Lovie, posted in travel

Well hello love!

I’ve spent the past 5 days in the Piedmont region for the sole purpose of learning more about the food and wine in the area as I really didn’t know too much about it. I can honestly say, this is now one of my favourite regions and I can’t wait to come back again one day! I did a lot of research about where to base myself to explore this area and Alba kept popping up. It’s really like a fairy tale village. Cobblestone streets, towers, flags everywhere and really friendly people. So, if you decide to come to this area here’s my tips:

eat/drink
Cafe Teatro – for breakfast. Super cute, friendly and pastries to die for!
Gina la Piadina – for lunch. Basically, choose from a pile of fillings and they put it in a kind of wrap thats almost like an incredibly thin pizza base. My airbnb host suggested I go there as it’s like a traditional sandwich for the region – you won’t be disappointed.
La Piola – my number one choice for dinner! Here’s my review and I dare you not to go!

Piedmont antipasto platter at La Piola

Proscuitto, Mozzarella & Rocket Piadina

Perfect Pastries at Cafe Teatro

shop
This isn’t a shopping area like Milan or Florence but instead, take your time and get lost in the myriad of laneways which are filled with boutique clothing, perfumeries, chocolateria’s, enoteca’s and I’m happy to say, not a souvenir shop in sight!
I did happen across the market on Saturday morning which amused me. If filled every street in the village and you could buy everything from bags, to zippers to Australian underwear?

do
A wine tour of the region. I highly recommend contacting Matteo at Langaround who will give you a day to remember, in case you missed it here’s my review.
I also did a day trip to Turin which was lovely. That is a serious shopping city but also stunning to wander around full of history. It’s highly influenced by the French and is the true royal city of Italy.
I also timed my trip to coincide with VinumAlba which is best described as a wine festival to celebrate the region with some food stalls and music thrown in! I highly recommend going to give yourself a great understanding of the different wine varietals and also have some yummy food as well. FYI – there’s also a major White Truffle Festival in Alba in October which would be awesome to go to also.

stay
Alba is pretty tiny so as long as you choose somewhere within the city walls you’ll be fine. I stayed at a charming AirBNB called L’ortodellerose and it was perfect. Large bedroom, lounge area, kitchen and bathroom and Paola even supplied breakfast and washed my clothes!

Alba was an amazing experience and I absolutely plan to go back again one day and explore the area further. A dining experience at the 3 star Michelin restaurant – Piazza Duomo is at the top of my foodie wishlist!

Be fabulous xx

Touring the Langhe – one perfect day!

April 23, 2017November 28, 2018 by Well Hello Lovie, posted in travel

Well hello lovie!

What a perfect day! I really wanted to explore a wine region I wasn’t familiar with so I’ve based myself in a fairy tale village called Alba. Fortunately I was referred to Matteo from Langaround for a private wine tour of the area and it was more than I hoped for! Matteo was the perfect host. He was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about wine and food and tailored my tour as the day went on based on my tastes.

I started the day with Matteo picking me up from my accommodation, then driving out of Alba up to a lookout so I could get an overview of the area. Here’s a little video (still figuring out my camera so start is a bit dodgy) I took which gives you an idea of the landscape. FYI – those aren’t white clouds in the distance, they’re the snow capped Italian Alps!

After this we headed to the beautiful Marchesi di Gresy Winery where I got a full tour by Anna which covered the history of the family, the wine region and the wine making process. We finished with a tasting of their wines (they specialise in Barbaresco) and needless to say I purchased a few.

After driving around a bit more, Matteo took me to lunch at Osteria More e Macine, La Morra. You probably won’t find this place in the guidebooks! It’s nothing special to look at but it’s apparently the go-to place for locals and people who work in hospitality. This was my first try at eating the raw veal dish which is a speciality in the area and I was absolutely sold! All the food and wine was exceptional but the highlight for me was being taken down to their cellar where I got to choose wine to buy (with Matteo’s help!) and was given a very hefty discount. There didn’t seem to be any system to his storage – boxes everywhere!

We then headed to the Massolino Winery, Serralunga D’Alba where again I was given a private tour of the whole winery and finishing with tastings – this is Barolo country! The views around the winery were spectacular and of course I walked away with MORE wine.

The day wasn’t over yet, Matteo took me to a famous church in the area that is no longer in use but owned by the Ceretto family who love art and they had it painted (see my post here for La Piola restaurant review, also owned by Ceretto) . Apparently it’s the thing to do to go here and check it out – very cute!

So now as we are weaving our way through the beautiful vineyards and sights of the region and I realise I have a problem, 12 bottles of wine to somehow get back to Australia – Matteo to the rescue! He takes me to the local shipping office and translates what I want and before you know it I’m told my wine will be home in 3-5 days! Fingers crossed they get home safe as I’ll treasure these wines and relive the memories of my day with every sip.

Be fabulous xx

Dining at La Piola in Alba – a total foodgasm!

April 22, 2017November 28, 2018 by Well Hello Lovie, posted in eat | drink

Well hello lovie!

If you are serious about trying regional foods and you’re in the Piedmont region – do yourself a favour and book at table STAT at La Piola! Let me start by giving you a bit of background into why this bistro is so special.

Firstly, it all starts with the Ceretto Family – 3 generations that have a passion for food, wine and art. I could bang on and on about all they own and have achieved but click here and you’ll get a better idea. So they are the owners of the famous Piazza Duomo based in Alba – the only 3 star Michelin restaurant in the region. To get a booking is incredibly difficult and not only that, you’ll have to sell your kidney to pay for it! Lucky for me, underneath Piazza Duomo is La Piola almost like their baby sister bistro. All coming together now? Great! So I will mention that when you sit down at La Piola you’ll have a beautifully decorated plate in front of you that they use as an underplate. There are 36 in the collection and they’re done by American artists and you can buy them from the winery but one plate is about $200 AUSD. Here’s the two I ate off and I’m inspired to look for something locally for home now!

1st night

I went there on a recommendation from Matteo from Langaround and I didn’t know what to expect. I was greeted warmly by the lovely Simona despite the fact amongst a sea of couples/families I was a solo diner. Simona spoke wonderful English and we discussed the food and wine throughout the evening so I was able to learn about the food/wine as the meal progressed. Here’s what went down:

First course

An Assortment of Cured Salami served with some pickled carrot, cauliflower and capsicum with the obligatory basket of bread! The charcuterie was so incredible, each meat had a distinct flavour however the literal icing on the cake was that there was a drizzle of honey over the dish. I’ve never eaten charcuterie before this way but will always do this moving forward!

I paired this with the Brut Marcalberto (Sansanne) which is like a prosecco (which I normally can’t stand) but this cut through the fat of the meat beautifully.

Second course

Fresh homemade “tajarin” with Salsiccia sauce. The Tajarin is a local specialty and is obviously pasta like tagliatelle but much thinner and lighter. You’d look at this dish and think, “oh it’s like spaghetti bolognese” which it is in some ways however it really is delicate yet full of flavour – i loved it!

I paired this with a wine from the Ceretto winery of course. The Ceretto Barolo 2012 which is one of the more bolder reds in the region that could compliment the meat.

At this point I was completely full as I’d eaten a fair bit that day so I booked a table for the next night intending to arrive on an empty stomach this time!

2nd Night

So this time I was prepared. I was ravenous already and was determined to push my comfort zone and try some regional specialties that I normally wouldn’t even think about trying. As I walked in I was greeted again by Simona with a loud “Ciao Lisa!” – I was home! Here we go!

First course

Mixed hors d’oeuvre of the Piedmont region – the prettiest dish I’ve seen in a long time and my favourite course of the whole experience! it was made up of:

fresh asparagus with parmesan
slices of roasted veal with tuna fish mayonnaise
diced roast vegetables with tuna fish mayonnaise
raw veal tartare with a parmesan shaving

I’m really not a tuna fan so was quite hesitant but it was a really light flavour that completely complimented the meat. I’d had the raw veal tartare in another bistro a few days ago and I’m sold! The meat here is very low in fat so you get the true flavour. The way to eat it is to spread it out on your plate, crush sea salt on top and with every mouthful have a bit of a bread stick!

I paired it with the Extra Brut Contratto (like the prosecco again but more floral). This was incredibly easy drinking and again, worked well with the meat.

Second course

Cod croquettes served with zucchini and salsa verde sauce. What can I say about this, the zucchini was incredibly tender, the salsa verde delicious and the croquettes were like little clouds.

I paired this with the Langhe Bianco Nascetta E. Germano which is extremely unique to this region. Not quite like a riesling but certainly has the floral nose to match. It was light enough to not drown out those little cod clouds.

Third course

Gianduiotto, raspberry sauce and hazelnut biscuit crumble – clearly the hero shot! Gianduiotto originates in the Piedmont region and is shaped like a boat upside down – it was like a thick chocolate mousse and complimented perfectly with the syrupy raspberry sauce and the crunch of the crumble. Mouth watering!

I paired it with the Barolo Chinato which I’ve never heard of or even tasted before. Best way to describe it is that it’s like a dessert wine but has been fermented with a variety of herbs and barks and every mouthful you can taste something different – really unique!

What made this dining experience so special was that I was treated like a family member both nights by the staff and in particular Simona. The atmosphere was lively and the people watching was fun – from the couple in love, to the stylish woman who arrived all in black with the most amazing earrings and her fluffy dog, to the group of rowdy men who turned up at 9.45pm to start their evening. I loved every minute of it and will always endeavour to eat here when I’m in the region.

Be fabulous xx