Here's where we are right now

www.citadelle.com

Odd place. A cross between a historic site, a museum, and a weird zoo.

I'll post some pics later but there are parts of this city (gardens and side streets) that are prettier than I fist gave credit for. Still a big city.

Whoo Hoo - Internet!

Made it to Besacon - BEAUTIFUL HOTEL (Le Sauvage).  It's a former convent that sits above the city.  Most importantly there's working wifi that I don't have to hang my computer out the window to get reception (come on - you guys know what I'm talking about).

The city is, um well, big.  We're staying in the old section which is pretty and quiet but we may wear it out quick.  The hotel is worth the stay - if only they had a restaurant we wouldn't need to leave.  They do have a bar...

 

Off on the road to Besacon

Leaving in a few hours. Will post when I can.

Anncey was a great day or two stop. We'd definitely come back.

Food in Annecy

Food in Annecy

Clever use for left over bread and olives - give it away with an aperitif

Rillettes - complementary in most French restaurants

Steak Frites!

 

This was a local speciality - basically an assortment of sliced meats, salad, and potatoes with Fondue.  Good but filling.

We were both virtuous at lunch today - my Salad

Carolyn's Salad

Well almost virtuous...

 

 

Annecy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to France!

I love France.  Annecy is France.  The GPS freaked on us a bit so we didn't get here until almost 2 pm. She couldn't figure out where we were half the time and thought we were like 100 feet west of our actual position so she kept trying to direct us to the road we were on.  We had to resort to manual navigation (which wasn't too bad).  I eventually shut everything off at a rest stop and gave her a break.  She got back on the right track after the break.  We all need a break I guess.

Went through the Mont Blanc tunnel (look it up - longest tunnel in the world I think).  Cost 41 Euros.  Spectacular views though.

 Anyway we were starved when arrived and all we could find open was a creperie (poor us I know).

Ham and potatoes with emmentaler cheese, salade verte, and a ham and cheese galette.  Washed it down with a pichet of cidre (apple cider).  As I said - I love France.

Aoste Food

So we tried the local cuisine a few times are were frankly unimpressed.  A bit heavy and cheese for our tastes.  It wasn't terrible - just too heavy.

 

Local chicken salad

This was toast with goat cheese and a salad.  Not bad.

This is their version of polenta but it's made with a heavier grain than corn (like spelt).  Topped with melted fontina cheese and local sausage.  Everything is toped with melted Fontina.

Aosta

So Aosta (or Aoste) is up in the Italian Alps.  It's a former roman gate way city to what is now France - and the architecture and surrounding show both this is an alpine city and a former roman city.  No more need for comment...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Made it to Anncey

Made it. Wifi looks spotty here too.

Pretty town terrible Internet

Aosta is a pretty town. Our hotel has terrible Internet. We leave today for Annency France. I'll hopefully be able to upload some pics from Aosta there.

Made it to Aosta

Made it here but having network issues. Don't know how much I'll post but will try. It's beautiful here. We're in the middle if the Italian alps.

Off to Aosta this AM

We'll be leaving around 11 (It's 8 am now) for Aosta (a small resort town in the Italian Alps) this morning.  It's our last stop in Italy.  It's my understanding the Internet can be spotty at the hotel we're headed for so I don't know how much I'll post but I'll try.  Pavia is definitely worth a visit and we'd come back here.  

Dark and Stormy Night in Pavia

It was a dark and stormy night in Pavia. So we ate!  

And Ate.  I ordered the "house mixed antipasto" which was a bit bigger than I thought.  It included: Carpaccio

Capriase 

 

Procuttio, melon and salami

Fatto and Feta with nuts

Fried ricotta, a brie tart, and a zucchini fritter

And apples with parm cheese

We ordered a Primi each: Gnocchi with tomatoes, beans and chard for me (Gnocchi was potato but very light)

And risotto with pears and we think brie (note it was Taleggio) cheese for Carolyn

And a Tiramisu with coconut (again the lightest I've ever had)

We struck gold a second day in a row by going down a dark alley on a dark and stormy night.

For the food Pavia is definitely with a visit (and some day a return for us).

Pavia

This town doesn't boast a lot of sights (though it does have the third largest Duomo in Italy) but it does take life seriously, at least Italian life.   Thousands of people in the streets doing the  passigiata.  A real festive atmosphere.  The town hasn't been tainted (much) by tourism like Padua or Parma seem to have been.  There is a real purity of spirit and striving for excellence here (at least in the food). Here are a few pictures

I don't know if I'll post again from Pavia - we're off to the resort town of Aosta tomorrow.  I think we'd return to Pavia for the food (Pavia is known as the birthplace of risotto) alone.

Best Meal Yet: Osteria alle Carceri

We'd been kind of lamenting that the places we've eaten in Italy this time, while good, weren't spectacular (with the exception of Osteria Istriana in Trieste).  We were really hungry early last  night but most stuff doesn't open until 8 pm.  We went to a place that had been recommended to us but it was closed (May 1st holiday).  So we tried 2 other places about as far apart in the old town as you can get.  Both were closed.  Finally, close to 10 pm,  we stumbled across this place on a back alley and though it met the rules we really went out of desperation.  Wow.

First course for me was a parma ham (actually called lardo because it's mostly fat) with caramelized fennel bulb.

Carolyn had a Sformatino (small baked dish with eggs - kind  of a heavy soufflé) artichoke and parm cheese dish

We both had the risotto - made with a fava bean puree and parm cheese

The waitress recommended some excellent wine.  We bought 2 glasses but she kept coming over saying she had a little extra and filing our glasses. They basically gave us a bottle of wine for the price of a few glasses.

This was finished off with a chocolate torta with berries

 

And an excellent espresso.

Pavia seems much more serious about food than Padua or Parma.  This meal probably ranks in my top 5 meals of all time with the fun staff and quality of food.  

We're trying a different Osteria tonight and we're both quite excited.