The Perfect Roman Respite: Frascati

You might have assumed that this would be a holiday recap post, since Monday was the final day of the epically long Spanish holiday season, but no! Because Graham and I aren't even finished celebrating Christmas. Although it may seem like we're trying to out-Spanish the Spanish by waiting to open gifts until after Three Kings Day, really it's because it's taken until now for all of our packages to be delivered (with one still unaccounted for, ahh, the mysteries of the military postal system). So, our Christmas will be happening Friday night. Take that, tradition!

In the meantime, let's get back to Rome!
  

Our first two days in Rome were spent taking in the city to the fullest, since it was Graham's first time there. In exchange for being an enthusiastic second-time tourist, I wanted a day to do something outside of the city and hoped it would involve sipping wine in the countryside. The rest of our group was interested too, so the day also needed to be kid-friendly, which is not something I normally have to take into account, but it turned out there was a perfect solution.

After a bit of internetting, I came across the wine tour at the Old Minardi Farmhouse, which seemed to be just what we were looking for, but unfortunately wasn't open on Saturdays, the day that we had set aside for our excursion out of the city. I figured it was worth a quick email inquiry...and it most definitely was! I received a reply from Dominique, an American who had married into the Minardi family, and she was more than just accommodating, she was enthusiastic! 

On our last full day in Italy, our big group, littles included, headed for the Alban Hills southeast of Rome. Our destination was the small town of Frascati, one of the Castelli Romani, the historic refuge and playground of well to-do Romans for centuries. And now ours for a day!

Bonjour, Bordeaux!

Hola, amigos! How has your summer been? Mine has been steadily, happily improving. It's amazing what a positive effect Spanish sunshine can have. And I've been beyond thrilled to simply be at home, relaxing back into daily life in my little corner of España. That doesn't mean I've forgotten about our last vacation though, just the opposite actually - Bordeaux has been difficult to get off my mind!

We had just 3 days and spent most of that time eating, sipping, strolling, and falling in love with the city. This was not our typical, fast-paced touring trip - hardly any time was spent at historic sites, we walked through just one church, and didn't set foot in a single museum. I do enjoy all of those activities, but this getaway truly felt like a vacation devoted to my favorites things, of which Bordeaux has plenty to offer. And for me, that was the perfect way to spend our time.

So, with that in mind, here is a list of what I consider musts for Bordeaux, if you want a similarly lazy, but delightful trip:

1. Walk along Les Quais, the wide pedestrian path that follows the Garonne River, past the Place de la Bourse. Continue your walk away from the waterfront, through the smaller streets and neighborhoods, dotted with cafes. Pick out your (imaginary for us, unfortunately) new apartment.

Ours is the one with the umbrella...I wish.

Then do the same at night.  

Sunshine and wine

I had a lovely little lunch with a friend today. Even though we were wearing jackets, it was warm enough to sit outside, next to the water, a view of Cadiz across the bay. With the sun on our faces, we enjoyed a glass of wine. It feels like spring is here...which hopefully means summer isn't far behind...

Hope you enjoy some sunshine and wine this weekend! Or if you are in the Northeast in the States, snow and whatever you have stocked up on!

Port Tasting in Porto

I had been hearing and reading great things about Porto recently, so when we were coming up with ideas for the long weekend, I suggested it. And by phrasing it this way "What about Porto? We could go port tasting!" I knew that Graham would be sold. 

He loves port, has for a while. I can remember buying him bottles of 20 year tawny for special occasions when we lived in Texas, way back when he was in flight school, when we were young younger and dating. During our first trip to Portugal, Graham did a little port sampling in Sintra and he bought a bottle in Lisbon. As for me...I have always preferred wine, simple, delicious, unfortified wine. But I've learned that the best way to gain an appreciation for something is to learn about it and try it at its source (worked for Guinness and whiskey in Dublin). 

Port tasting in Porto is ridiculously easy to do - simply cross the bridge in Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia and walk along the riverfront, with the old port boats anchored along the side. All of the cellars are lined up, each easily identified by large signs, and hours clearly posted out front. If you have any questions about tours or tastings, the staff at most cellars are very friendly and required to speak at least 2 languages, so English is no problem, but many speak 4 or 5, if you would prefer French, German, or Spanish. (Coming from southern España, where the concept of customer service is a little rough, we were impressed.)

6 Months y Seaweed

When we first moved to Puerto, we heard about an amazing restaurant right here in town, called Aponiente.  We could hardly believe that the New York Times wrote an article naming it one of 10 Restaurants Worth a Plane Ride.  The thought of a Michelin-starred meal just minutos away in our tiny town was too bueno to be true. We knew we would have to check it out, we just needed the right excuse to go. Tuesday, the 3rd, was our 6-month anniversary (monthiversary?) so Graham made reservations!

Thirsty Jueves! Tinto de Verano edition

In celebration of our air-conditioning being fixed (woohoo!) and that it's almost the fin de semana, we are going to dedicate this blog post to a muy popular Spanish bebida.

If you said sangria, you are wrong. While delicious (and nutritious?), sangria is considered to be somewhat of a tourist drink and locals are rarely seen ordering it. Frankly, we don't quite understand this - Meghann has an unabashed amor for all things blue crab and Graham would never turn down Carolina barbecue. But that's okay, because the Spanish have come up with an equally delicioso and much easier to make drink.

Tinto de Verano! Which literally translates to "red wine of summer." Vino tinto = red wine and verano = summer.

It can be ordered out at most bars and restaurantes, either by the glass or pitcher.

It can even be bought ready-made from the local tienda, but it's so easy to make there is no reason to not DIY this drink.

Here's what you need: