Charleston, SC

           Of all the American cities I have visited, Charleston is in the running for number one on my ever-evolving list of favorites. With so many restaurant options to choose from, museums, historic sites and magnificent houses, there is always something here to hold my attention.

We arrived yesterday and began our day at Southern Season, an enormous food emporium with a cooking school and very nice restaurant. In a space about the size of a modern supermarket, the store has sections including coffees and teas, world cheeses, chocolates, sauces, ethnic foods, pottery, cookware, etc, etc. 

The Eataly chain is focused on all things Italian. I think Southern Season is a classy mix of tantalizing treats, with a healthy dose of southern charm thrown in. There are lots of things to taste and the salespeople are mostly like me--middle-aged food lovers who are just happy to be part of something great.

Later, Joe had a meeting, so I checked into our historic hotel, the Mills House, and then set off for the shopping streets around Meeting and King. Last week I was reading Oprah's magazine and saw a great jacket in her Favorite Things setion. While wandering around, I spotted the same jacket in the window of a shop called C. Wonder and just had to buy myself a present. Fabulous cobalt blue barn jacket with a black corduroy collar and elbow patches.

          

Dinner was at Social, a wine bar and restaurant on East Bay Street. The wine by the glass list was extensive and all the entrees are paired with a suggested flight of three wines. Joe loved his pork cheeks dish and my braised lamb over green lentils was excellent.

After dinner, we met Pat and Linda Nestor at the Thoroughbred Lounge at Charleston Place, where I had an Irish coffee and enjoyed the pianist with the Michael Bolton hair. The Nestors were in Charleston for the night to celebrate Linda's birthday.

This morning, Joe checked out early to get to a meeting and I went down to breakfast and was delighted to find shrimp n grits on the menu. Why not? Yum!

He will be back in town by noon so we can have lunch together, then we head to the airport and back home to Jamestown.

Graduates!!!

Another successful week at Il Sasso! Can't wait to return.

Telma and Luisa all washed up

Hah!! We're just getting started.

Today we drove to the wine mecca Montalcino so Luisa could get a feel for what all the buzz is really about regarding Brunello. We took a nice walk around to get familiar first and found an artisanal producers' market in the lower end of the town where they were selling newly pressed olive oil that had my name on it. Joe specifically asked for chestnut honey, so I found some of that too. Can't disappoint such a nice guy.

So finally it was time to taste Brunello. We went to the Fortezza and were greeted by Tomas, who turned out to be a real gem. I will always ask for him in the future. He was so kind, patient, and when I told him which Brunellos I already liked, he pulled together an excellent assortment that matched my palate, but also reflected the different styles so Luisa could experience the differences. When we were through tasting, we had been introduced to 9 different wines and loved 3 of them. Lucky Joe will get a very nice surprise in a few weeks when the boxes show up at his office.

Later, we went to Bagno Vignoni, because in five trips to Tuscany, Luisa had not yet been there. We had a heck of a time finding a parking place--it was mobbed. The restaurants were full, the spa was full--I had never seen so many people before. But we lucked out on a spot with someone else pulling out, then found the burbling waters and giant bathing pool the Medici family created so many years ago.

We stuck our feet in the warm stream and sat awhile thinking that life was treating us pretty well. Then lucked out again and got the last outdoor table at La Loggiata, where I enjoyed polenta topped with pecorino, radicchio and walnuts with a glass of vermentino. Another very special day.

Prima e dopo

Prima:

Ho comprato tre grande funchi porcini freschi dal fruttivendolo in Montepulciano. Vorrebbe fare un sugo per la pasta con funghi. Mettevo anche le cipolle, un po' di carne ed un pizzico delle spezie.

Dopo:

Il sugo dei funghi e carne, cipolle ed un pizzico delle spezie.

Yum!!

L'arte in Montepulciano

The Piazza Grande, at the top of the hill in Montepulciano, is usually a pretty quiet place, with most of the tourism activity taking place nearer to the bottom of the hill.  The square is usually empty except for a few pigeons, but this week, the town is full of art. These sculptures are just so full of life and energy, Luisa and I laughed out loud, sharing in the enthusiasm. Two of the pieces were of an overtly sexual nature and we agreed it would be better not to focus on those ones as we might wet our pants giggling. You will just have to use your imagination as I did not take pix of the XXX ones.

This guy was painting the buildings surrounding the piazza with his fingers. He wasn't there when we first arrived on topof the hill, but shortly thereafter, not only was he set up, but he had a pretty good painting in the works. Amazing to see how fast he could get the image on the canvas using paint thickly spread with his hands.

There was also a temporary exhibit of works by De Chirico at the Fortezza, which runs through November.

Then Luisa had to buy ceramics, so we went to see Giovanni and she filled a shipping box with beautiful things. I managed to restrain myself.

We were still full from dinner last night when we woke up this morning so ate very lightly, but were ready to eat by the time school was over for the day. Lunch was at Aquachetta, a very popular spot in Montepulciano where they specialize in large--Fred Flintstone--cuts of meat.

On the list of specials was a coniglio ripiene, which was rabbit stuffed with a sausage made of rabbit meat and put back into the body of the rabbit before tying and roasting. It was delicious and flavored nicely with sage. My vegetable was a very good pumpkin parmigiano, which was slice pumpkin topped with some tomatoes and cheese and roasted until the cheese was browned. I never thought of trying this method with pumpkin before, but it was absolutely delicious!

One weird thing about this place is that they will only give each person one glass for both water and wine and so you must alternate between the two for the duration of the meal. Not knowing the deal, I asked for a wine glass and was refused. The waitress said that having one glass was the way they did it historically and they are maintaining the tradition. 

Return to Gattavecchi

Il Sasso has a relationship with La Cucina di Liliana at Gattavecchi cantina and the restaurant offers cooking classes to incoming language students one night per session. Luisa took the class last year and has been raving about it since, so I decided to give it a go.

Liliana is a warm general, loudly giving orders to her assistants, but following up with a smile. A busy mother of four, she runs a tight ship, expects nothing but perfection and is willing to put her entire self into everything she does. Her passion shows in her food and she is generous with her recipes, sharing all that she knows with her students.

We happily chopped zucchini, rolled pasta and peeled countless chestnuts under her tutelage and the end result was a multi course dinner that began with salumi and cheese with a glass of rosso, continued with platters of zucchini gratinata and a frittura di zucchini with their vernaccia. Next was the tagliatelle made with vino nobile topped with a simple sauce of cherry tomatoes, sage and mozzarella. Then there was the roasted pork loin topped with a chestnut cream sauce, fragrant with rosemary. We started to leave about 10, knowing that we still had a long walk to the car, then a drive home, but were beckoned back with a plate of budino di pecorino--a cheesecake made with sheep's milk cheese. Fantastic!!

Finally, a big round of hugs and thank yous, then Liliana gave each of us a signed bottle of Gattavecchi wine to enjoy later. Just a wonderful night.

Return to Gattavecchi

Il Sasso has a relationship with La Cucina di Liliana at Gattavecchi cantina and the restaurant offers cooking classes to incoming language students one night per session. Luisa took the class last year and has been raving about it since, so I decided to give it a go.

Liliana is a warm general, loudly giving orders to her assistants, but following up with a smile. A busy mother of four, she runs a tight ship, expects nothing but perfection and is willing to put her entire self into everything she does. Her passion shows in her food and she is generous with her recipes, sharing all that she knows with her students.

We happily chopped zucchini, rolled pasta and peeled countless chestnuts under her tutelage and the end result was a multi course dinner that began with salumi and cheese with a glass of rosso, continued with platters of zucchini gratinata and a frittura di zucchini with their vernaccia. Next was the tagliatelle made with vino nobile topped with a simple sauce of cherry tomatoes, sage and mozzarella. Then there was the roasted pork loin topped with a chestnut cream sauce, fragrant with rosemary. We started to leave about 10, knowing that we still had a long walk to the car, then a drive home, but were beckoned back with a plate of budino di pecorino--a cheesecake made with sheep's milk cheese. Fantastic!!

Finally, a big round of hugs and thank yous, then Liliana gave each of us a signed bottle of Gattavecchi wine to enjoy later. Just a wonderful night.

Lunch at Gattavecchi

Do I look content? I am.

I am happy to have discovered Gattavecchi Cantina last year when Linda and I were at school here the first time. It's a top-rate winery and restaurant high on the hill in Montepulciano. Joe and I were here in July for a fabulous lunch and Linda and I have been planning our return here for months. Well, the day lived up to expectations.

I had my favorite pasta--hand made with Vino Nobile--and tossed with a rich duck ragu. I had to order my salad twice because the first time it came with a bottle of olive oil I discovered (too late!) was infused with hot peppers. Mamma Mia, as they say here. We each savored our glasses of riserva 2008.

Toward the end of the meal, a large group of Russian tourists came in for a dinner and wine class. It was very interesting to hear the owner, Jonathan, talk about his wines and how to taste and enjoy them in Italian, then have the translator and group leader explain all the concepts in Russian. 

Classes are going well and our group of five: Katie, Margaret, Daniel, Alex and I are comfortable enough with each other to laugh at our mistakes--a good thing.

I spent a little time in my favorite boutique, Fatamorgana, where they always have something that appeals to my taste. The owner recognizes me now, since I have been there at least a dozen times and have bought shoes, a scarf, gifts and jewelry over the years. Today I bought myself a ring. It's a little large so I will be asking Carolyn to size it for me when I get back home.

Siamo arrivate!

So here we are again, Telma and Luisa doing what we do best: eating lunch after a morning of Italian lessons. Despite a head chock full of rules and words yet to be digested, I somehow managed to enjoy a glass of Boscarelli Vino Nobile with my lunch of millefoglie di zucchini, scamorza affumicata e funghi. It was served with a nice mixed salad and, fortunately, was served quickly because I had another session of private lessons scheduled in an hour. Wow! Talk about a full day. Sono pieno in molti cosi: la mia pancia e pieno, il mio cervello e pieno. Oppure, il mio cuore e pieno con l' amicizia di Luisa e la cordialita' della citta' di Montepulciano. La vita e' bella oggi. Penso che sara' bene domani anche.

Zuppa in Toscana

I love to make soup. It's hearty, filling, healthy and it's a food that makes you feel warm and loved. Last night when we went to the Pam market to provision the house, I told Linda I was in the mood for soup so we picked up onions, beautiful purple carrots, celery, cabbage, tomato paste, and some big cheap beef parts with a lot of fat and bone--the perfect pieces for a flavorful zuppa. 

This morning, I seared the beef, added the veggies and olive oil and let them get some color, then I added the water and tom paste and headed outside with a pair of scissors to forage for some herbs. Luckily, in the yard, there is timo, salvia, rosmarino and lauro--just what I needed. 

I let it simmer all morning while we did laundry, ate breakfast and talked. I turned off the stove when we left for a wallow at the Fonteverde Spa in San Casciano dei Bagni. When we returned, I removed the bay leaves and herb stems, chopped up the meat, which was falling off the bone, and added a handful of farfallini, tiny butterfly pasta.

Lunch was a bottle of fizzy Pignoletto, sharp, creamy blue cheese, Gaeta olives and tarralli, then a bowl of Donna's Zuppa di Radicofani. It was a good and relaxing way to begin our week in Tuscany.

Farewell par-taaaayyy!!

Well, okay, it wasn't really for us, but our favorite little tapas bar in La Herradura turned out to be the livliest party in town last night. The live music started at 9 with a very talented musician playing Spanish  guitar. It was quite sedate, very pleasant, and even emotional when he played a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner in the Spanish style.

Well, it wasn't long before the place was packed with an International crowd, all baby boomers. For his second set, the guitarist welcomed a female singer and they took off on a musical journey that spanned Lynnard Skynnard (did I spell that right?) to the Beatles, Police, and everybody started singing along with the Rolling Stones' numbers. I realized that most of these happy revelers were actually British teenagers during the British invasion. This music must be part of their soul. Several folks in the audience got up and sat in for a number or two. There was Geoff, who had the worst voice I've heard in awhile, who gave a go at "Rocky Mountain High," and there was Ken, a very reserved, white haired guy, who really went to town banging along on a wooden box. You'd think he was Charlie Watts! Really very good--just needs a real drum set. A very large British woman in her 30s asked if she could join in on Roxanne. He let her have the solo and my ears are still ringing. Oof!

In this pic, there's Ken playing the box on the right, an Pepe the waiter making his way through the crowds.

When the guitarist spotted a young couple and their baby walking down the street, he yelled for them to come in and play a couple songs. They sang two of the most beautiful Spanish ballads, with him on guitar and some friendly woman holding the baby in one arm and a wine glass in the other.

A young Dutch guy named Thijs, played his guitar for a set and was quite technically talented, but lacked the finesse and experience of the other guy.

The whole place, which easily held 80-100 people was manned by one very smooth and efficient waiter, Pepe, who didn't let a glass get dry or a plate go uncollected. What a hard worker!

There was kissing, hugging, some tears of happiness through the night. We stayed till after the third set and the crowd was still rocking.  It was our farewell party from Spain. A vibrant, memorable night made more so by the inhibitions and spirit of a bunch of regular folks just trying to relive the best moments of their youth.

The final day: Adios to Andalucia

Andalucia: I have to admit that when I first looked at this dry, dusty landscape I felt a sense of despair. I looked at the dessicated cover without seeking the kernel of oasis that hid itself under many layers. I was being a snobby tourist--exactly the type I loathe and now I am secretly ashamed of my early quick judgements. Though the landscape is rough, craggy and difficult to traverse, the oasis is there and I think I understand it now. When we leave here tomorrow, it will be with a sense of sadness, of feeling that something is unfinished. 

I left today open on our itinerary. It was marked only "revisit favorites." We decided to give Nerja another day because of its closeness, the abundance of restaurants and shops, and its new familiarity. On the way there, I saw the exit for Frigiliana, a tiny inland town I had read about in guidebooks. "Let's go here," I asserted as we came upon the salida from the highway. Why not? It wasn't on the list of favorites as it was uncharted territory, but maybe . . .

We had planned to stop for a quick stroll and a cup of cafe con leche, then head to Nerja, but ended up staying all day. Nerja will just have to wait to be revisited.

Frigiliana is perfection. It stands steep and bleached white against the sapphire sky. Nestled in a hammock surrounded by steep peaks, the views in each direction are stunning. Each home asserts its personality by painting the door and window trim a perky shade of blue or red or lavender. Artists work at messy tables inside their neat shops. Wildly-colored pottery flows out of doorways and begs to come home.

We stopped at the tourist information booth to ask for a map and the clerk told us it had been several days since another American had come in. We felt honored. "I will tell everyone about it," I assured the tourism guy.

Steep hills require frequent stops to recharge. I took advantage and poked in every well-curated shop. We searched for a restaurant with our noses. Walking slowly uphill we finally went as far as we could climb only to find a pair of masons working on a stone pathway, their donkey bearing heavy baskets of tools. We walked past the donkey, down a shaded alley and found the most perfect view in all of Frigiliana. Why hurry? Today was not a day for tapas quickly eaten and forgotten. With a view like this it was an occasion to linger, enjoy, reflect and say a happy and sad goodbye.

More Malaga please!

What a beautiful city!

 Malaga, Spain has a population of more than 500,000 people, but it's so clean and organized you'd never know it. The tourism office is right as you leave the large underground parking lot, which is perfectly located to walk to all attractions. We picked up our city maps at the office and followed the suggested walking tour route, which passes by all the major attractions. Each of the tourist sites has a small kiosk in front of it with info about it in several languages. This a town that really wants visitors!

The wide pedestrian streets are lined with designer shops. There's a charming cafe every 10 feet. Public gardens--even one with a resident flock of wild parrots who were noisily chattering up in the treetops.

The cathedral is magnificent with a grand central altar that is surrounded by smaller chapels, each ornamented richly. This altarpiece was created in the mid 1500s and was covered in gold.

This one was full blown Baroque and loaded with richly-colored marble.

Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga and there are two museums here dedicated to him and his work. Here he is in bronze and his birthplace is behind us in the mustard-colored building to the right. 

We walked through the birthplace and saw his childhood apartment, which was full of paintings by his father, also an accomplished artist. Unfortunately, the museum that houses some 400 pieces of Picasso's work was closed for some unknown reason. I had really looked forward to seeing it and am disappointed.

There is also a Roman amphitheatre, a Muslim fortress, much like the one in Granada, but not as grand. Then there is an entire seafront with a cruise ship port, dozens of bars, chic shops and a pretty promenade for a long, breezy stroll.

Maybe my favorite thing was the city's huge covered market, which is open daily from morning to 3 p.m. After some lunch we took a stroll through perhaps a hundred individual stalls separated into meats, fish, veggies, nuts and spices, by different rows. 

The high metal roof is beautifully lacey and the atmosphere was just buzzing with hungry buyers and sellers. I wished I was renting an apartment there so I could have gathered up the makings of a feast. With just one more full day here, it didn't seem practical.

Of all the towns we've visited on this trip, this is the one I would come back to first.

Briefly: Gazpacho

I love gazpacho and make it at home when we have an abundance of tomatoes in the garden. Andalucia claims to have originated the recipe, and I have no reason to dispute the claim, but their preparation and presentation is different from any gazpacho I have eaten in the states.

I have ordered it three times now, all in different restaurants and it's always served like this. They must run the soup through a food mill to remove all the pulpy stuff, so the broth is very smooth. Then they give you a little bowl of minced veggies and bread cubes to put on top. The contrast between the silky broth and the crunchy veggies is interesting. I like it, but I think I like the pulpy version a little better.

Lazy day

Today we slept late and then puttered around until about 11. Yesterday, the Alhambra wore us out, and tomorrow we will visit the large city of Malaga, so today has been a day to recharge our batteries. When we did go out, we drove down the hill to visit the Marina del Este, which we can see from our terrace. It is quiet in late October, but I can imagine it's a pretty happening place in the summer. There are four restaurants, an art gallery, a dive shop and a small market, which oddly has a topiary duck tree standing guard out front. We didn't stop to eat, but dining dockside would be pleasant on a warm day.

Then we took a drive to our local town of La Herradura and went to the market for a few groceries to wind out the week. When I asked for a mango, the woman asked is is for "hoy o manana" ? She wanted to know if I planned to eat it today, or later and when I said today, she dug through her pile and chose one of perfect ripeness. She did the same thing with an avocado. I love the service I receive in these little mom and pop markets--people really care about their products.

After that, we walked into town to find an optical shop. I wasn't sure how to communicate my problem in Spanish, so I launched into an explaination in Italian to the optician, which he responded to perfectly, then I used an English word and he switched to English and we stayed there for the remainder of the conversation. People speak so many languages here--I'm jealous. Anyway, I broke my glasses a few days ago at the place where the frame meets the earpiece. I have been wearing them cock-eyed, balanced on one ear! The only way to repair them was to give me a new earpiece, which is black and the rest of the glasses are red. Who cares?? I can see and he only charged me 5€--even cleaned and tightened up all the screws.

Everything is incredibly cheap here. We went into a bakery last night and came away with a chocolate croissant, two cookies and a bag of raisin breadsticks for less than 2€. Our lunch bill today was 17€ and that included 4 glasses of wine! I can see why this is such a popular retirement destination for British, German and Scandanavian seniors--you can live well on practically nothing.

Granada: take two, the Alhambra

Today was all about the Alhambra, one of the most visited historic sites in all of Europe. We were advised to buy tickets in advance, as they only sell a maximum of 6,600 per day, so I bought them online and picked them up when we arrived.

I wasn't quite sure what the Alhambra consisted of until we spent the day there. It's much more than just a palace. It's more than many palaces. It's really a complete city of palaces that were originally built by Muslims and occupied by the reigning sultan. But it's more than that too.

The Nasrid Palaces are the most important part as they are incredibly well preserved given that they were built starting in the 1200s. The floor to ceiling tilework and the overall aesthetic of the designers is at once breathtaking and calming, if you can correlate the two. Fountains and pools are everywhere and the sound of water helps to drown out the less-than-peaceable sounds, like busloads of Chinese tourists, for example.

Beyond the palaces, on one side is the Alcazaba, the early military defensive walls and towers guarding the Alhambra. On the other side, and quite a long walk away is the Generalife, another set of sumptous rooms surrounding green courtyards and gardens where water and its cleansing properties are the focus.

In the middle of the complex, which is the size of a small city, is the later palace of Charles V, who built his structure in the 1500s, employing Spanish Renaissance design. The palace now holds a selection of Islamic artworks. 

Then there is the San Francisco monastery, now converted into a luxury parador, or one of the many hotels in Spain that were formerly historic religious buildings. This one has it's own beautiful formal gardens and an outdoor terrace restaurant--perfect to recharge onesself after hiking through this incredibly beautiful place.

It took us about six hours to fully tour the place. This includes a stop for a quick snack and beverage halfway through, then a glass of wine at the parador restaurant at the end. It was six hours I will never forget.