“If you ever get tired of life, bypass the therapist and decamp immediately to Cinque Terre. Here five crazily constructed fishing villages, set amid the most dramatic coastal scenery on the planet, ought to provide enough to bolster the most jaded spirit.” That is how Lonely Planet describes this amazing place, and I could not have done a better job. Our two days here were a delightful addition to an already memorable Tuscan vacation.
Italy and good food are synonymous! This is particularly true in Tuscany, the land that produces much of Italy's Chianti wines, porcini mushrooms, rare truffles and Pecorino cheese among other delights. While Tuscan cuisine have evolved from simple peasant fare that tend to involve offals and four-finger thick steaks, there is enough for the non-adventurous foodie too.
The famously pretty Tuscan countryside was lush and green in its spring-time glory. As we drove out of Florence, we saw undulating landscapes dotted with Tuscany's signature cypress tress, vineyards and olive trees stretched out all around us. We spent most of our time in the Chianti area, home to the famous Italian wine, that is dotted with small farms producing dairy, meat and wines.
Since our first family vacation in Paris, we had never been able to find more than a week in Europe at a time. While we made many memories during our trip to Rome, we had also wished we had more time to spare to explore more in that part of Italy. This time, we had nothing to complain about! We had all of two weeks to spend in the crucible of the Italian Renaissance and the heart of Tuscany: the city of Florence.
I was in Zurich on a short business trip and I decided to make up for not finding the time here while on my Switzerland vacation a few years back. I had then taken the train directly to the picturesque hill town of Grindelwald, without getting out of Zurich airport. This time I was lodged at the atmospheric Hotel Schweizerhof right in the heart of this city.
Like neighbouring England, some of the best food in Ireland is of the simplest kind. Then what better place than one of the old-world pubs to try some local food with the drinks? TimeOut had recommended the Porterhouse in the Temple Bar area, so after a walk through Dublin Castle and Trinity College here I was. The Porterhouse is a large pub with three levels, an excess of wood and lots of old-world charm. It is also Dublin's oldest microbrewery pub that only sells its own beer labels.
I am always excited when visiting a new country and this time was no different! I peered out eagerly from my window as the aircraft banked smoothly through the clouds over Dublin airport on a bright, clear morning. Immigration was a breeze and soon I was off on my way chatting with my talkative and friendly driver as he drove me down to my hotel. It didn't take me much time to realise that being friendly is pretty much the norm; I find the Irish the friendliest and most welcoming people in the West.
Barcelona's restaurant scene effortlessly straddles the distance between avant-garde culinary innovation and the more rustic dishes of traditional Catalan fare. Catalans have been famous for their love of the fresh bounty from the Mediterrenean to the Pyrenees. The phrase mar i muntanya - meaning sea and mountain - reflects their love for 'surf and turf' combinations on their dinner plates.
Sheffield is a city that was central in the production of steel during the industrial revolution. Its geographic location - near fast-flowing rivers and mineral rich hills - made it a hub of the Western world's iron and steel industry. Several innovations such as 'crucible steel' and silver plating originated here. Interestingly, the bowie knife - popular in the American Wild West - was imported in large quantities from the city of Sheffield too!
I flew into London on a gloriously sunny day. Unfortunately, this was short-lived and the next day was dull, rainy with chilly winds blowing - in other words, London was back to its normal self! That didn't hold me back from walking through the Kensington Gardens and Notting Hill areas and trying some interesting restaurants.
The meat and potatoes diet of the locals in Prague is quickly being supplemented with fine dining options from other parts of Europe. The city's first Michelin-starred restaurant, Allegro, was located at the Four Seasons hotel where I stayed during this visit. Sadly, Allegro is now closed but its successor, CottoCrudo, turned out to be pretty good. I particularly remember the pineapple dessert during one lunch here that was especially delightful!
Prague Castle dominates the skyline of this wonderful city. What began as a walled building in the 9th century became the abode of the Bohemian kings and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. Prague Castle is also supposed to be the biggest castle in the world! It took me about 30 minutes to walk up the pretty cobblestones streets from my hotel to the castle gates. The walk to the castle was actually as much fun as touring the castle itself.
I was excited as my Emirates flight touched down in Prague on a bright and sunny day. It was a while since I was in a new country. When I told a few of my friends I was going to be in the Czech Republic, almost all of them referred to the country as Czechoslovakia. It is endlessly annoying to the locals that people around the world seem to get this wrong even twenty years after the new Czech Republic was formed.
Living out of a rented apartment for a week in Rome allowed us to discover several local culinary delights that are native to the region. Ancient Rome had played a pivotal role in the history of wine-making. What earlier used to be the privilege of the ruling classes was swiftly democratized by the Romans, who considered wine a daily necessity for life, even for their lowly slaves.
Strolling through the piazzas of Rome is an experience you don’t want to miss. These historic city squares of Rome serve as a place to meet, dine, watch people and chat. So if you truly want to ‘do as the Romans do' when in Rome, you want to indulge in this simplest of pleasures.
Piazza Navona is the most famous of the Roman piazzas. A large cobblestoned square surrounding the magnificent fountains designed by baroque sculptor Bernini, Piazza Novona has an unique charm. Scores of artists and street performers set up shop in the center, while cafes and gelateria busily attend to their customers around its perimeter.
It can actually be fun to get lost in Trastavere! This Roman neighborhood beyond the Tiber retains its character since the medieval times. Narrow, winding cobblestoned streets lined with old houses, several tiny pubs and interesting restaurants, Trastavere was easily my favorite haunt in Rome, especially during lunch-time.
The first time we visited here was on the recommendation of our landlord (or rather lady). Trattoria sora Cencia turned out to a busy place that served a variety of fresh pasta and meats. We were hungry and went with the fixed three course meal. They started us us on bruschetta before our pasta entrees. I had chosen the Rigatoni pasta with tomato sauce and wild boar - and it was out of the world! I followed with a escalope of veal in marsala wine and roasted sweet potatoes.
Travellers' Choice 2012, an annual rating by millions of travelers on TripAdvisor, recently rated Rome higher than Paris as a tourist destination. While I may not rate these two fabulous cities in quite that order, I can see why Rome has continued to fascinate so many travelers through the ages.
We had rented an apartment on Via die Serpenti, a quaint little street that sloped gently down from the towering ramparts of the Colosseum, lined with tiny shops and graffiti-adorned wooden doors. An old fountain gurgled in the middle of a small cobble-stoned piazza. Wrought-iron chairs and checkered table-cloths spilled out of trattorias around the piazza. Micro-cars, scooters and bikes lined both sides of the tiny streets. The late-April morning in Rome was refreshing cold as I looked out of my window, a full ten degrees lower than the hot Pune summer I had left behind!
One of the charms of Europe is its well-preserved history. Being a history buff, I love ambling through those narrow, cobble-stoned alleys, trying to visualize how these old towns and city-square must have looked during their prime. I had spent the better part of a day traipsing through Gaudi’s unconventional buildings and monuments; and then on the last day here, I discovered the more familiar Gothic architecture in Barri Gotic. Barri Gotic is the center of what used to be the old city of Barcelona, with several buildings and churches dating back to the Roman empire. The most famous landmark here is the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia.
Tapas and paella formed the mainstay of my lunch and dinner experiences during this trip. Dining can be fun and memorable for reasons other than the quality of food. This was particularly true during this trip: friends and colleagues from distant places, jugs of chilled sangria and the briny breeze from the Mediterranean Sea - they conspired to make the most insipid dishes seem interesting! That said, there were a couple of stand-out dining experiences I must describe to you.
In the world of cutting edge, avante grade cuisine, there is no name held in higher esteem than Ferran Adria. The man credited for elevating Spain to its pinnacle in the world of fine dining, turning molecular gastronomy into a buzzword, creating culinary foam, and for making El Bulli the #1 restaurant in the planet for foodies. Recently, Ferran announced his intention to close El Bulli so he can spend his time on other things; however, he will continue to cater to his fans through two small, casual but upscale places in Barcelona. Tickets is Ferran Adria's take on a tapas bar which is located beside 41 Degrees, his spin on a chic cocktail bar that serves several of his El Bulli classics. As you can imagine these are currently the most happening dining spots in town!
