Blue Doors

For this Too Good to Miss Tuesday I must address a universal truth . . . blue doors are beautiful. The evidence: substantial number of instances found throughout Europe.

With shades ranging from chicken egg blue (yes they exist--my sister has a chicken that lays blue eggs) to "almost green" turquoise I love them all. Included are a few "un-door" examples too significant to leave out.

"Sky on a snowy day blue" with a "dash of retro vibe aqua"

Clockwise from top left: Riomaggiore Italy, Bratislava Slovakia, Paris France x2, Verona Italy, Paris France

"Solemn-enough" grey/blue fit for nobility and a monastery

Clockwise from top left: Modena Italy, Prague Czech Republic (x2), Inveraray Scotland. Center: Prage Czech Republic

"You know you want to know more" electric blue  juxtaposed with "sophisticated sky" blues

Clockwise from top left: Bologna Italy, Amsterdam Netherlands, Zurich Switzerland, Amsterdam Netherlands. Center: Paris, France

The unorthodox mix . . . of course the Gelato University sign is blue, and the 2 black doors in Amsterdam are made even more stunning by the neighboring blue paint. Those sky blue/grey door and window frames in Zurich are the portals to a cozy home decor shop. I dream of wallpapering a nook with their library/book wall covering just as they did.

Turquoise that's all I'm gonna say

Clockwise from top left: Ghent Belgium, Inveraray Scotland, Dozza Italy, Gothenburg Sweden, Verona Italy, Edinburgh Scotland

And below, the pic of that romanticly lit door caught in a drizzly haze was the last blue door I captured on my last night in Europe.

Ardently Indigo

Clockwise from left: Bergen Norway, London (Notting Hill) England, Paris France

Positively Perfect in Portovenere

First of all I got to take a boat. But not one of these.

And the port is charming.

Sitting at a boardwalk cafe you are just 20 yards from the water.

My airbnb.com host recommended I visit. He likes Portovenere better than Cinque Terre and within 30 minutes I completely agree.

Church of San Petro

Shopping in windy little streets.

My new favorite shop for a tasty apple and piece of bread to go with

Pesto from this shop (the one on the left with the tray of basil in the window). One taste and it was all over. I've never had pesto his good. Really! (I'm beginning to wonder if all of the flavors are just enhanced by the scenery or if everything really is that much better)

It's official: Portovenere is on my "I will return here someday" list.

The Gelato Awards

Taking a tour of the gelato museum in Bologna at Carpigiani University I learned that sorbetto is Arab in origin and was used for medicinal purposes. Or as our tour guide said for "eating therapy"!

So let the eating therapy awards begin

CATEGORIES 1 &2

Most Aesthetically Pleasing and The place I most dream of returning to 

WINNER: CREMIA in Parma

FLAVORS: Amarena and something creamy and caramelly 
These girls have turned gelato serving into an art. Perfectly swirled. 

CATEGORY 3

The Best 2 Gelato Day (yes, this happened more than once)

WINNER 1: LA SORBETTERIA in Bologna
Flavors: Michaelangelo and grapefruit

WINNER 2: IL GELATAURO in Bologna

Flavors: Almond and Kiwi

2 gelaterias, 2 friends (having a fabulous time with my new friend Rebeca, she's an exchange student from Canada studying at Bologna University).

CATEGORY 4

Favorite Overall Flavor

WINNER: GELATERIA GIANNI in Bologna
Flavor: 2 Febbraio (chocolate hazelnut gelato with Nutella sauce and hazelnut sauce and cookie pieces)

Closeup of 2 Febbraio (see lower flavor)

 

CATEGORY 5

Best View while Eating Gelato

WINNER: near Basilica di Santa Maria Novella in Firenze

Insert giant round of applause for all the gelato in Italy

My judging qualifications: much experience eating gelato and recent GELATO CLASS attendance. Which I probably should have failed because I put too much water in our Strawberry Sorbetto. 

By the way...pretty pans of gelato should look like this 

As opposed to this 

Team Fraugula left to right:Francois, Celine, me and Marcato our instructor.

Lake Como in Bloom

Today I caught a ride with my B&B hostess and 2 of her friends as they were on their way to a B&B convention. They spoke primarily in Italian and my hostess would give me updates on each new topic in English. They chatted primarily about flowers. I heard tuber, magnolia, rossa, bianca. At one point they all laughed heartily and then Annamaria explained. When her girlfriend--in the backseat--goes to the market, her husband reminds her, "we are going to the market for groceries not for flowers" to which Annamaria shared "my husband says the same thing to me!"

So this post is dedicated to all the flower lovers out there and those that support them.

A hedge of yellow Blooms on the hike up to my B&B in Mandello del Lario.

No flowers yet, but I think that will be wisteria when it blooms. Who wouldn't want to work on their jump shot?

Villa decorated with flowers Mandello del Lario.

A gigantic magnolia tree and a rhododendron at Villa Carlotta.

Oranges, camellias and snapdragons (I think) at Villa Carlotta. Bellagio is to the left across the lake and to the right is Villa Melzi.

Magnolia close up in Varenna.

Looking at the Pansies makes my missoltini a bit more palatable.

Flowers cascade out of drainage holes along the walkway by the water in Varenna, I promise.

 More camellias during a walk along the lake in Como.

Window boxes in Bellagio.

Cinque Terre

Yesterday was my designated Cinque Terre day, those 5 little cliff hugging towns along the northwest coast of Italy. But the weather and a train/bus strike tried to thwart my plans for some sightseeing. No boats were running due to the rough sea. So sad. All the buses stopped running just when I thought "well ok I'll go visit another town". A train worker was totally unhelpful.

The highlight of the morning: walking by a little Tabbacceri, a convenience store of sorts, just as my umbrella lost 3 more corners. I looked down to see umbrellas for sale. I must have had quite the look on my face because the shop owner laughed and then helped me pick out a new one. I'm calling this one The Silver Bullet. Because I think if I name it it will stick with me. You see, I'm on my 4th umbrella in 2 weeks. #1 lost #2 stolen #3 a lemon #4 The Silver Bullet.

So after a little regroup session I jumped on the train to Cinque Terre, or for me Due Terre because I was perfectly happy to hit 2 of the towns after the soggy events of the morning.

Riomaggiore

This is the second time in 2 days I have seen a full set of Snow White and the seven dwarves statues displayed outside a home. Someone please explain.

I really am quite speechless as I climb the stairs and get lost in the labyrinth of paths through this town. It seemed I was completely alone here at times and then WHAM I would hit a german tour group.

 

Vernazza

Check out the super secret boat passage. Argh!

That red flag means dangerous sea today.

I really did stand and gawk, weather permitting, quite a bit.

La Spezia, Italy

Leaving Bologna I resolved to only eat vegetables and fish for the following week to off-set all the gelato and carb filled meals I enjoyed there. Arriving in La Spezia (the gateway to Cinque Terre), my airbnb.com host recommended a really good budget friendly fish place right on the dock: Dai Pescatori. Perfect. Right in my meal plan, that is until I see everyone ordering Frittura--a plate of fried calamari and prawns. So I can't resist and I'll tell you in a bit why I don't feel one bit guilty.

You may also notice 2 plates and 2 waters. The lady I paid also looked confused when I said it was for one. I needed extra water and I just had to try the other dish, with fish of course, and potatoes and olives and pine nuts.

 I polished off the Frittura. Those prawns were the best I have ever had. The whole prawn (minus the eyes) including legs and shell was sweet with a salty crunchy exterior. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I completely understand why the line out the door is 20 people deep. And just a couple of bites of the other dish was enough. Good, but had to go with the Frittura.

And this is why I don't feel guilty.

I found a little trail and thought I would wander a bit....

Straight up a gazillion flights of stairs.

I had no idea where it was going

but I was enjoying the sunshine and shedding the winter layers one by one.

I passed a few other hikers. One in particular, an Italian woman coming up the stairs. She had a torrent of words for that hike up. I said "non parlo Italiano" and smiled. Then she said a whole lot more, in Italian, pointed down, pointed up, and said "capiche"? Gave several sighs, waved her hands and said "capiche"? I smiled, nodded my head. I knew exactly what she meant. That trail kicked my behind too.

Pretty awesome view. Yep I earned my dinner tonight.

La Spezia has a lovely town center. I love the architecture. And, except for the herd that was expelled from a cruise ship for a couple hours I had a relaxing boardwalk stroll.