Rubber Slippers In Italy

Somana, Mandello del Lario (Lecco) - Let me first start out by saying that if you ace this trail with no regrets, then you are definitely EE - Escursionisti Esperti (expert excursionist) - material. This is the hike that gave me a taste of what a via ferrata (english) path might entail, and might I add that it was effin' thrilling? It has been a week since we last hiked this, but the River Trail in Somana left an impression that I can only describe as mind-blowingly incredible . A big thank you to the italian reader who alerted me to this gem of a sentiero !!! For an easy-to-recognize reference point and beginning from Somana's church square, trailmarker 15b follows along a brief stretch of asphalt before heading down Via dell'Acqua Bianca and the last of the residential homes in town. Great grandaddy fig and cherry trees, and a large clump of tall bamboo line one side of the road before it turns into a dusty mule path leading into the woods. The circle tour it...

Don't ask, I'm still recuperating from a wild weekend.

By my clock he should be back in about 3 hours, and I hope that for what MotH doled out (130 euros), the "operation" will prove to be the right decision to lessen the aggression in our beloved little dachshund. I think he knew something was up this morning when I said 'no treats for you', and when he and the MotH were driving away, I could hear him crying in the back of the car. Maddie wasn't the least bit bothered by his absence and spent the better part of the morning hunting lizards.

Vineria Trattoria - via Piancroesio 64, Paesana (Cuneo) I wish we had these types of eateries in Lombardia. Merenda [singular] means a snack taken mid-morning/mid-afternoon. Add to this the word sinoira [pl. sinoire ] and what you've got is a late-afternoon reason for skipping dinner altogether. In the Po Valley we saw at least 3 of these wine/snackbar establishments with signs out on the roadside, and just like the leafy frasca in Friuli, we couldn't miss out on the region's local flair. Typically, the merenda sinoira begins at around 5pm, but according to the woman who runs Vineria Trattoria, customers can expect to be served meat, cheese and whatever else on the menu any time during opening hours. I like the casual ease of places like this since you don't have to dress up. People come in for an espresso or a glass of wine and a quick chat before heading off their merry way. The dialect of this area was mainly undecipherable by the MotH, but it was enough ...

Tales of mischievious, mythical beings exist in nearly every culture, but this is the first I've heard of naughty woodland imps in my 6 years of living here. In Hawaii there is the industrious menehune , and while I can't ever claim having seen them, the story goes that the menehunes built a ditch and a fishpond on the island of Kauai. In Italy, stories of sarvanot in the Occitan valleys portray a creature bent on causing trouble, and while researching trails in Valle Varaita, I came upon info where they were implemented in a particular itinerary. A cultural group in the village of Rore had created an environment depicting these short, unbecoming and hairy creatures in their natural surroundings. See link (italian). We were only able to see one of them. It felt a little bit weird taking the photo because I had to get up pretty close, but I felt as if someone unseen was watching me! Just an overactive imagination because the dogs didn't even turn to sniff. Awww mam...

The peak of the Grignetta. Piece of cake for nimble-footed climbers (italian site). Post-easter weekend update: since Monday ( la pasquetta ) is also a holiday in Italy, we embarked on an ambitious attempt to whip our lethargic winter muscles back into shape. The photo is a section of the Grignetta (2177 meters), the lower part of Grigna mountain in Lecco province. According to trail guides the hike to the foot of Grignetta (1384 meters) takes only 90 minutes, but I just don't see how that's possible unless you're speed-flying through the trees like Edward and Bella . I'm still beat, mentally and physically. Must...get..must get to..the...top. It feels as if a stampede just ran over me. From a departure point of 750 meters, we walked up 625+ meters (2000+ feet) on a winding 19% grade in 2½ hours. The return was quicker but much of the trail is full of loose rock. Fell on my okole only once. Swore several times. This hike was alright for a get-in-shape out...

*Yawn* *grumble* *nose in the air*. It wasn't easy convincing these two to agree to an easter greeting photo shoot. Just to get them wearing the ears without pulling or shaking them off was a 10 minute battle of I'm not having any of that *BS* . But the way to a dog's cooperation is through the stomach, and eventually, two dishes of pear chunks was enough to grant me this Kodak moment. Happy Easter from me, MotH, Maddie and MisterB

The gist of a Cheese Tango in Italy is exposing some of that cheese lust right here with names other than the usual staples like mozzarella and parmigiano. A total of nine, relatively unheard of formaggi (most of which come from northern Italy), has been selected by my husband aka the MotH (Man of the House). General details on milk, texture and regional location are given, along with serving or wine suggestions with an emphasis on matching cheese to a wine that is symbolic of like region. Are we experts on the subject? We wish! We're just devotees to what is definitely a substance that should be the stuff of moons. Once you've crossed into the land of artisan cheese and loved it, there really is no turning back. The sit-down and tasting was the easiest part (nibble, take notes, a sip of wine, repeat). Try taking all that and assembling it into a post. Our westie and dachshund kept getting in the way as they know a good thing when they smell it. Grapes would've...

German-style breads, pastries and cookies at Mein Beck Bäkerei. Intro : while savoring a greedy mouthful from a pot of chili con carne over the stove, I said to myself, "Well this woulda been better with cheddar; wish I could fly to the UK right now." Then I began smiling at the crazy impulsiveness of it all because in our kitchen, cheese is undeniably the be-all and end-all of food indulgence. Formaggio frenzy . Cheese disease? Waxy golden wheels and mold-covered rounds, pyramids, logs and squares. Pungent wedges. Complete appetite turn-ons. The best steak in the world doesn't even do that for me. Reflecting on that chili, whoever coined the phrase 'cheddar is better' is a damn genius. Which leads me to the hardworking geniuses who orchestrate the festive Mercatini di Natale in Trentino Alto-Adige every year. In 2007 we attended the one in Trento, and while I may have been blinded by the smiling gnomes, the mulled wine, and the scrumptious canederli...

We are back, and let me say that while I got my wish for a white Christmas, waking up to a wintry wonderland on the first day of 2009 was like wishes come true all over again. This has been one very snowy season for Italy, the most I've ever seen since moving here. Can you tell that the Mads agrees with the stuff? The arrival of the new year saw a fresh layer of about 6 inches as a powdery veil fell continuously from the evening before. Let it snow baby snow! With a crackling fire in the hearth and a pot of bubbling fontal on the table, we celebrated untraditionally, à la fondue , one bite after another til the cast iron vessel ran dry. I need to remember that a pound of cheese is nowhere enough for two. Amazing how a cold, snowy night does something to morph your tummy into a bottomless pit. The dish of thick, melted cheese ran out way before midnight. Even at less than 20F degrees outside and frozen flurries swirling like mad, there was no missing a celebratory toast in...

Hamura sign 2 yrs ago. On a previous visit back in May 2006, I compiled a list of eateries that were the utmost favorites of mine. These places were located in the west to southeast areas of the island, in towns along the stretch of miles between where I lived and temporarily worked. Suffice to say that a lot can change in the course of two years and I had great fun working on a new list of favorites. Most are tried and true from the previous list, while a few are new faces and places that haven't even been in business for a year. The listing is not in order of preference, but follow a clockwise direction beginning from the north shore of Kauai, so without further ado... 1. Pau Hana Pizza/Kilauea Bakery - Kong Lung Center, Kilauea Written up in the NY Times , my only regret is not living close enough to this wonderful bakery-slash-pizza shop. What's so great about it besides the breads, delicious pizzas (loved the Billie Holliday one), delicious pastries and casual isla...

Last month I had the opportunity to go beachcombing along a rocky shore hidden behind a sugar plantation. As you can see, that canefield is cultivated on red dirt that extends all the way out to the Pacific coastline, yet I can't imagine that this less-than-glamorous scene would ever be a visitor's idea of a day on the beach in Hawaii. Where are the swaying palm trees? No swimmers, surfers, and babes in bikinis? No sandy white beach? Rest assured that those things do exist here (Waikiki and Oahu's North Shore for example), but if you're a jewelry designer this type of "glass" beach is like stumbling upon gold. Among the rocks and pebbles and chunks of dead coral, broken shards of colorful glass and porcelain fragments "litter" the water's edge. Worn to a smooth, frosted finish by sand and sea, beach glass is what my uncle collects to create beautiful one-of-kind pendants of his own design. Each shard is inspected before the best are trans...

W here there is avid hiking, there comes a hunger to match, so I saved the best part for last. We spend a fair amount of weekend time in the regions of upper Lombardia/Trentino but I've never written about the food in great detail. The cuisine in Trentino-Alto Adige takes some influence from neighboring Austria, individually unique foods that aren't generally thought of as italian , especially when you note that kraut and wurstel is on the menu. There are a few well-known meat dishes that stick out in my mind but the real bragging rights goes to a fruit that caused Eve a bit of embarrassment ( quick! grab me a fig leaf!! ) and a lifetime of disgrace. See the sign below where it says strada della mela ? That's Roadway of the Apple and they mean it. This is Italy's apple kingdom. Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Renette, Pink Lady and much more. Like them apples? MotH doesn't (fresh ones anyway), but he has nothing against apple strudel, so when in Trentino, ...