Sunday, January 22, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Happy to be traveling
Wow time flies!
I seem to have been caught in a time warp at culinary school and lacking internet access. As it sit here atop a beautiful bluff in a rainstorm the electricity has gone out and a silence has filled the air my heater is off and I can hear the wind and the waves below. I have been delayed in posting and tonight as long as I continue to be able to access the internet I can post. My camera has decided to become even more temperamental so I continue to bring you mainly photos from my phone camera. I hope that the holiday was good for all of you. It feels like 100 years ago to me now.
Today I enjoyed a a trip to wonderful market beside the sea. It seems that the Clementines and oranges are even more fragrant and sweet down in southern Italy. I met many farmers, a family who has a stand of roasted nuts and dried fruits , I have a kilo of beautiful dried figs sitting next to me as I write this. I sampled my way through this market. Fresh cheeses, honey, fruit and vegetables. It is fennel season, which I guess is often and the bulbs are huge. We bought some mushrooms and were given recipes by the local women. I wondered through the market following one of my chef teachers and asked many questions and her expertise and language fluency made it a blast. I continue to try my Italian at every opportunity, however, my classes are in english and classmates speak english so I'm not practicing mush at all. We were given some honey from the bee keeper who told us that it is a mineral rich honey and very special as the bees penetrate into plants and vegetables to get the sap in a special way. Again my Italian is not quite up to speed. He has the most fragrant orange blossom honey! and I tried the wild flower honey too it is floral and gentle in flavor and because he does not heat it the flavor is almost buttery. The wind is crazy strong right now.
I have a few photos from the market I will post another time. For now a few other shots.
Rain In Florence.
A local market in Florence, ham ham and more ham hanging up in the back. This was like the local Sams club type sized store but look at the great stuff they had. See the fresh fish below they were at this same store.
A sunny day in Florence.
The countryside behind the hotel in Florence. This was a hilly area that had small villages dotted all over the hills.
This is a two lane road, a road cars fly down.
OH my, pasta with white truffles, this was fantastic I went back for a repeat but somehow got the black truffles . I preferred this white. This was truffles butter and pasta simple and perfect. The restaurant is the Chinghale Bianco Im certain I misspelled tonight. it is on the "other " side of the river across the Ponte Vecchio.
I seem to have been caught in a time warp at culinary school and lacking internet access. As it sit here atop a beautiful bluff in a rainstorm the electricity has gone out and a silence has filled the air my heater is off and I can hear the wind and the waves below. I have been delayed in posting and tonight as long as I continue to be able to access the internet I can post. My camera has decided to become even more temperamental so I continue to bring you mainly photos from my phone camera. I hope that the holiday was good for all of you. It feels like 100 years ago to me now.
Today I enjoyed a a trip to wonderful market beside the sea. It seems that the Clementines and oranges are even more fragrant and sweet down in southern Italy. I met many farmers, a family who has a stand of roasted nuts and dried fruits , I have a kilo of beautiful dried figs sitting next to me as I write this. I sampled my way through this market. Fresh cheeses, honey, fruit and vegetables. It is fennel season, which I guess is often and the bulbs are huge. We bought some mushrooms and were given recipes by the local women. I wondered through the market following one of my chef teachers and asked many questions and her expertise and language fluency made it a blast. I continue to try my Italian at every opportunity, however, my classes are in english and classmates speak english so I'm not practicing mush at all. We were given some honey from the bee keeper who told us that it is a mineral rich honey and very special as the bees penetrate into plants and vegetables to get the sap in a special way. Again my Italian is not quite up to speed. He has the most fragrant orange blossom honey! and I tried the wild flower honey too it is floral and gentle in flavor and because he does not heat it the flavor is almost buttery. The wind is crazy strong right now.
I have a few photos from the market I will post another time. For now a few other shots.
Rain In Florence.Still a beautiful place.
A local market in Florence, ham ham and more ham hanging up in the back. This was like the local Sams club type sized store but look at the great stuff they had. See the fresh fish below they were at this same store.
A sunny day in Florence.
The countryside behind the hotel in Florence. This was a hilly area that had small villages dotted all over the hills.
This is a two lane road, a road cars fly down.
OH my, pasta with white truffles, this was fantastic I went back for a repeat but somehow got the black truffles . I preferred this white. This was truffles butter and pasta simple and perfect. The restaurant is the Chinghale Bianco Im certain I misspelled tonight. it is on the "other " side of the river across the Ponte Vecchio. 
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Siena
A tour around Siena show me that there is still so much variation in all of the towns of Italy that I might stay quite busy for the next few years seeing it all... On this cold day I took a guided tour through the streets learned of the Burroughs that are named and have the big rivalry that is expressed during the horse races that are held twice a year. This town also has an extensive market just outside the old part with the famed or as my tour guide said about one million times the "renowned" prochetta sandwiches.. these are roasted pork on a bread roll that are dipped in wonderful juices... so good.
Gothic archetecture
the main church covered in pink, white and green marble
Inside, just amazing
the floors- inlaid marble
the dome high above, quite like the Pantheon
Narrow streets and stone buildings
The renowned piazza where horses have been known to win races without the rider still on board.
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