italy trip notes - june 2010

VENICE
-------------

5/28 :
arrived
ate at cavatappi - forgettable.


5/29 :
walked to rialto bridge.

rialto produce market
- small strawberries (fragolini)
- real strawberries (fragole)
- banana

mauro ... forno
- very ordinary.

pizza by the slice place
- ricotta-spinach pizza.
- very good.

steps of some church

roamed to calle lunga

viziovirtu
- awesome choc tart, amazing chocolates (grand marnier, cointreau, grappa)

random strolling, incl dead end.

alaska gelateria
- arugula gelato, ginger also.
- guy had the very desi fruits and other chart.

reached zucca early - sat outside - all reserved.

coop for bananas+choc milk + cheese

dinner at 50-pizzas place (all'ancora?)

walked back


5/30 :
choc + tart near san marcuola

anise stella booked out.

lunch at panini place

off to burano.

BURANO !
- cookies were very good @ garbo giorgio pasticceria.

dinner at ristoteca oniga - Excellent!
- pesto pasta
- plate of cichetti (fried beetroot, very clean polenta, eggplant with ricotta, eggplant with onion, zucchini w/ ricotta
peppers, cornbread )
- pumpkin & spinach lasagna

5/31 :
lunch at grom gelateria + ??

piaaza san marco.

dinner at zucca - Superbe!
- asparagus pastry.
- zucchini-pear soup.
- spaghetti pomodoro ?
- salad with tzatziki


6/1:
vaporetto to pizzale roma

bus to marco polo airport

flight to rome

train to termini

train to napoli centrale

via dei tribunetti
- gino sobrillo closed
- pizzeria vesi
- stacchurio (bride)
- gay-odin

taxi from piazza garibaldi to molo beverello

hydrofoil to ischia (sitting in the center really helps with the motion sickness)

taxi to hotel.

trek outside for groceries and dinner

dinner at 'de cecilia'
- puttanesca, sorrentina.

6/2 :
breakfast.

very parked in hotel.

swimming for 1.5 hrs.

Arpi attended a few talks.

Roaming with PR. croccante al limone

Dinner at port-front restaurant.
- pasta
- gnocchi


6/3 :
arpi attended only invited talk.

got out and went to casamicciola

back to ischia porto for lunch at da ciccio

roamed around ischia ponte

lots of pictures of catello aragonese

spiaggia pescatori

cafe gran vittoria

accelerated negombo

awesome dinner at homely place.
- bruschetta (smokey with cherry tomatoes)
- caponata (sicilian)
- pasta with pumpkin & almond
- pasta with fava beans & mint, pine nuts

6/4 :
arpi's talk - went off very well.
spa use in resort + more swimming.
dinner again at homely place - risotto w/ carrots and zucchini and pumpkin

6/5 :
amazing alacrity in getting out.
caught the 9:25 ferry from ischia to naples
then ferry to sorrento
taxi to bus station
quick lunch at david's gelateria
bus drive to amalfi - awesome views !!
chill a bit at hotel.
walked around amalfi.
desi music dance party :)
dinner at 'il teatro' with lots of chatting.

6/6 :
got out and went to 'el grotto smeraldo' - cute.
- funny boatman - "looke looke ... miracle" :)
then to positano.
- funny directions for bus stop - "you see bus, up the hand, it's no problem" (w/ two fingers pointing to two eyes gesture)
positano also cute.
mini health emergency.
long lunch at 'buca di bacco'
- great views.
- Nice homey food (lentil soup, pasta with zucchini flowers sauce!), though expensive.
trek back to sita bus stop.
back to amalfi.
tired - so we rest.
- funny hotel guy - "tell me! tell me! what's the problem ?"

6/7 :
bus to salerno
- litte kid : "go, bus, go!"
- great views and weather.
train to pompei
walk to scavi
walked around the ruins
- nice amphitheater (with wildflowers)
- nice paintings on the walls
back and back
dinner at best restaurant in amalfi - coperto-free, good prices.
- omelette, artichoke pizza, wine.
- 'ready to order?' in italian english = "it's okay?" :)

6/8 :
ferry to salerno - very fast.
train to rome (noventa tre settenta sei)
hotel andreina
walked around
- trevi fountain
- chiesa di ignazio loyola.
- san crispino gelateria - amazing.
- pantheon
- bibliothe - ayurvedic restaurant.
-- ate yellow moong dal, lemon rice with chutneyesque sabzi, bulghur with tomatoes and raita.
-- checked out the library.
-- there was a small sanskrit class in progress as well.
- walked back through lots of monuments and ruins.
- saw the colosseum.
- long walk back to hotel.

ETC :
ischia had a great breakfast (great muesli) and lunch (conference) buffet

amalfi - antica republicca had a nice breakfast on the terrace with deadly hot chocolate.

many people recognized us as indian in a couple of places (but couldn't place arpi in ischia) ...

arpi loves italiano accente - practising religiously.

italians have a hidden talent for DC (woof-woof (amalfi hotel girl) and chee-chee (sneeze - amafi farmacia boy))