Returning Home to NYC (June 17, 2010)

Leaving for our flight back to NYC.  Eating at the airport in Munich:

Pisa and back to Florence (June 16, 2010)

In Pisa...this tomato was amazing!

\

Out last meal in Florence we ate at Trattoria Enzo e Piero. It was a lucky choice... we just had a few hours to spend between train rides and Ethan spotted this place not too far from the train station. It was on a less-travelled street and he thought the menu looked promising (not too many choices, focused on Florentine specialities). The restaurant was booked up and we didn't have a reservation, but they seated us with our promise that we could be done by 9pm.

I had this lovely ravioli

We shared green beans

and very tasty potatoes

and Ethan had a classic Florentine tripe dish:

For dessert we had tiramisu:

The food & restaurant was wonderful. Ethan also was able to help a waitress explain what squab was (finally resorting to saying, "You know... the birds that are in the piazza," to the waitress's horror) to a very pleasant Norwegian couple.

Cinque Terre, Day 2 (June 15, 2010)

We were using Rick Steves's travel books throughout Italy.  One of the recommendations was to go to the Cannoli Brother's for breakfast.  The pasties were so good we made dinner reservations for that evening.  It was our last night in Cinque Terre. 

Eating in Corniglia after a hike from Vernazza.  

Cinque Terre, Day 1 (June 14, 2010)

Cinque Terre - Vernazza
Our first lunch in Vernazza...the pizza was just okay.  I ordered the pizza with pesto, because apparently, pesto was invented here. It wasn't so great.

I was very excited about this gelato!

Tuscany, Day 3 (June 13, 2010)

Lunch of Salami, fruit, tomatoes and bread

We ate at this restaurant every night while we were in Tuscany.  It was in Turbone the next town from our B&B.

Tuscany, Day 2 (Saturday June 12, 2010)

We loved the Osteria we ate at the night before, that we went back for seconds tonight.

We had melon, prosciutto,  and sundried tomatoes as antipasti.

The waiter suggested a beef dish... we opted not to get it, but then he brought it anyway. It was great!

And Janet and I decided that the boar pasta I had the night before was a winner, so we both ordered it again.

Tuscany (Friday, June 11, 2010)

We decided to cut our time in Florence a little short so we could spend a few extra nights in Tuscany.  The apartment we rented in Florence was a bit of a disappointment and between Venice and Florence, I still haven't been had much of an escape from city life so I'm so glad we escaped to Tuscany.  I was finally able to unwind.  Our friends Briana and Dhruv, who are living in London right now, met up with us in Tuscany.

By the time we got to the countryside it was their "siesta" time and all the restaurants were closed.  We drove for almost an hour in circles trying to follow signs for the grocery store but never found it.  Luckily, I'm a food hoarder and we has some decent snacks.

We stayed at the B&B called I Melograni.  The owners were so friendly and really helpful with directions and suggestions of things to do in the area.  Briana and her family rented the connecting villa a couple years ago and they remembered a B&B on the opposite end of the villa.  Maybe next time we can rent the villa. 

Dhruv and Janet - what a beautiful view behind us! I was particularly impressed with our choice of color.

Since Dhruv and Briana stayed here a couple years ago, Dhruv wanted to go back to a restaurant he remembered.  I think it was called "Grandpa's" in Turbone.  The food was so good we ate there the three nights we stayed in Tuscany.  The waiter was a lot of fun and didn't speak a word of English. These photos are a bit blurred since I took them after a bit of wine.

I believe this is the name of the restuarant

Pasta with boar meat

Gnocchi with butter  and basil

Osso Buco with the best tasting peas ever!

Pork

Cannellini Beans

Panna Cotta with berries