Is that big yellow thing the sun??

The sun rarely pokes out in Brussels. I have been told this many times by our friends Ale and Flora, who have lived here several years, and whose wedding we will attend tomorrow. We looked at the forecast before leaving the states and it looked pretty grim for our entire visit. But then this morning, a very nice surprise--the sun was shining brilliantly and giving an optimistic aspect to the normally gray city.

We slept in our clothes, washed up, then put the same things back on to head outside for the day. Of course, this is not the optimal way to begin a vacation, but since nobody knows us here I was not too worried about my appearance and various body smells. This neighborhood has plenty of cafes and we found a cozy spot for cappuccino and muffins just around the corner. 

We quickly came upon the famous Manneken Pis statue, which must be one of the quirkiest things about Brussels. Why they have chosen to make a monument to a small boy taking a pee is anyone's guess.

Then we took a long stroll in the direction of the Royal Palace, where Belgium actually has a king and queen in residence. I looked up the royal family and saw that King Phillipe and Queen Mathilde just took over last July. They are a young couple with four small children. The buildings in that neighborhood include historic churches and a giant museum complex. We bought tickets and visited the Magritte Museum, dedicated to the life's work of native son and famed surrealist Rene Magritte.

 

These kids were on a field trip to see Magritte--surprising to us since the work contains so much nudity and very dark images. 

Then we moved on to the Fin-de-Siecle Museum, which just opened in December. It features the work of artists in the very early years of the 20th century. Mostly local artists were represented and there was a Van Gogh, three Gaugins and some pointilists, like Seurat and Signac whose work was on display.  We could have also gone to the museums of Modern Art and Old Masters, but there's really only so much art one can absorb in a day.

On to lunch in a local institution called Chez Leon, which was buzzing with customers--both local and tourists. I had the Moules Frites, which is like the national dish of Belgium and found on every menu. It was delicious.

Brussels, Gluttony city!

This is a city that's betting on complete lack of will power. Every street boasts at least a couple of waffle shops, more still of cookies and even more dedicated to the pursuit of chocolate fantasies. The scent of freshly made waffles wafts through the streets--it's not fair!!

Joe couldn't resist this selection of Middle Eastern-style cookies. 

These neat and orderly confections appeal to the serious and sedate chocoholic.

These giant rafts of nutty bark fill a window.

This colorful,  art nouveau facade appeals to the chocolate lover, who is also an art historian.

Believe me when I say that it takes a very determined person to consciously avoid all the sinful and gorgeously presented delicacies that are here to tickle the senses and strip the wallets.

A window full of waffles awaits a gluttonous passerby. Here, this is street food--meant to be eaten outdoors as one window shops for other goodies. Just thinking about all the sugary options makes me have to unbutton the top button of my pants.

Is it possible to get fat by osmosis??!!

Traveling stinks!!

By that I don't mean the type of traveling that involves warm, sunny beaches or fine restaurants with an exceptional wine list. I mean the type of traveling that occurs before you actually arrive at your desired destination.

At this moment, I am still trying to catch my breath after running from a delayed flight from Charleston to Philly to our departure gate for Brussels. I am sitting in the US Airways Club in Terminal A. I have a cheap glass of free wine and a paper cup of nut mix. I might go back for some of the free soup. But it will take more than the balm of hot soup to rid me of the panic and angst I felt when I arrived at the gate to see empty seats and a very large plane pulling away from the terminal. Missed it! Dammit!

We caught our breath, held hands and made our way to the airways club to figure out our next move. 

There's not another flight to Brussels until tomorrow night. Now what?

Lucky for us, we discovered that we'd been rebooked from Philly to Manchester, then on to Brussels from there. Our luggage was also successfully diverted and will, I hope, be on the same flights.

All's well that ends well, but still, why does this shit happen nearly every time we fly?? 

Addendum: the luggage didn't make it. We will be lucky to have it by Friday. Meanwhile we are trying to readjust our plans for Friday so we wont miss the delivery of the bags. Ugh!!!

Addendum 2: the luggage arrived after lunch on Friday. Yay!! It was delightful to brush my teeth and have fresh clothes after my shower.

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!!