We arrived in Siena last Thursday, and spent the evening walking around the medieval Tuscan town. Siena was first occupied by the Etruscans around two and a half millennia ago. In its heyday as the Republic of Siena from the 1000s to 1555, its population swelled and many of its iconic buildings were constructed. After Siena fell to the Duchy of Florence in 1555, it remained under the control of other city-states until the modern nation of Italy was formed in 1861. We stayed in a beautiful Airbnb apartment from the 1200s that had a roof deck with an amazing view, so we went to the market to get fruit, espresso, wine, and cheeses to enjoy during sunset. We ate dinner at Osteria Permalico, a casual outdoor spot serving cacio e pepe with pici pasta (the local noodles are made of just flour and water and are reminiscent of Japanese udon), spinach in olive oil and garlic, local meats and cheeses, and ravioli with sage butter. The next day, we rented a large van and drove around Tuscany, stopping at Greve-in-Chianti to taste some local wines, salumi, cheeses, and truffles. We had a delicious lunch with lots of fresh white truffles at Enoteca Ristorante Gallo Nero, then drove to Castello di Verrazzano, a winery, to learn about San Geovese grapes and the process of Tuscan winemaking. The vineyard has since been sold to another family, but was operated for generations by the Verazzanos. The most famous Verazzono, Giovanni, was an explorer who arrived in New York and charted a lot of the northeastern American coastline. Unfortunately, Giovanni then sailed to the Caribbean, where he was allegedly eaten by cannibals. We drove back to Siena in the evening, and Robert and I went out for a casual outdoor dinner with Michael and my dad at Osteria Il Grattacielo, where we had the house appetizer board and three types of pici pasta. Saturday was Robert’s birthday, so the two of us went out for a nice lunch, then spent the afternoon walking around Siena. Because we couldn’t get a reservation at the place where we wanted to celebrate, we decided to go the next night. We went back to the delicious Osteria Permalkico with the whole family. On our final day in Siena, we went to the Duomo with my parents, then walked all over with my dad. We went out for Robert’s birthday dinner at Ristorante Tar-Tufo, a very nice restaurant overlooking the city, which specializes in Tuscan truffles. The next morning, we took the train to Cinque Terre.
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We left early from Rome on a direct bus to Sorrento, where we stayed for five nights to enjoy the Amalfi Coast, Naples, and ruins of Pompeii. Because of traffic, the journey took nearly 5 hours, so we relaxed that afternoon, walking around town and cooking lemon tart and homemade bruschetta in our Airbnb apartment. The next day, we all took the train to Pompeii, victim to the famous eruption from Mount Vesuvius (Vesuvio) in 79 AD. Buried under volcanic ash and pyroclastic surge (fluidized gas and rock fragments), Pompeii is excellently preserved. The volcano spewed molten rock and hot ash at a rate of 1.5 million tons per second, so one can imagine how terrifying and swift of a fate met the region’s inhabitants. The city had many wealthy, trading inhabitants, evident in the fine mosaics and murals remaining in their homes After lunch, Alexa and I continued to Herculaneum (Ercolano), which is even better preserved because of its closer location to Vesuvius. The city incredibly has original wood, highly unusual after centuries, when wood usually decays completely. Walking through the streets felt a bit eerie, but also connected us to the past because of the palpable sense of daily life, including familiar places, such as takeout lunch counters and decorated living rooms. As we left, we passed by the remains of inhabitants frozen in their last moments. The next day, Alexa and I took a day trip via train to Naples (Napoli), where we of course started with pizza napoletana, which earned UNESCO recognition last year. We waited an hour to sit at L'antica Pizzeria da Michele for our 40-minute meal, and would do so again in a heartbeat. With a menu of marinara and margherita pizza, we decided to try one of each with a Nastro Azzurro beer. Wow, this pizza was good – enough reason to make the trip to Naples. A local sitting next to us shared that the mineral-rich volcanic soil from Mount Vesuvius yields delicious San Marzano tomatoes and hearty flour, while the local water gives the dough its chewy, mouthwatering character. The pizza is baked for 60-90 seconds in a 905°F oven heated by burning oak-wood. After a delicious cappuccino at Anhelo, we visited the Museo Cappella Sansevero to see the incredible veiled Christ statue. Composed of marble in 1753 by Giuseppe Sanmartino, the statue depicts the dead Christ covered in a veil, incredibly lifelike and realistic, with the mind-blowing appearance of a layer of fabric over the body. The photo in the slideshow is from Google Images, as the museum strictly prohibits photos. From the chapel, we headed to the National Archeological Museum, where we saw Roman marble statues, Egyptian artifacts from the collection of Cardinal Stefano Borgia, and modern wooden sculptures by Aron Demetz. The contemporary Demetz figures contrasted beautifully with the classical Roman marble. We set out the next morning with Alexa’s mom, Lynn, for the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) hike along the Amalfi cliffs. After lengthy bus rides to Amalfi, then Bomerano, we set out on the 4.3-mile hike to Positano. Although not a great distance, the hike proceeded along a steep and narrow pathway, with some tough climbs up slippery rocks. We made it to Positano after 3.5 hours, and met with Alexa’s dad and siblings to celebrate her brother Michael’s birthday and high school graduation at Mirage, a restaurant in Hotel Posa Posa overlooking the beautiful harbor and cliffs. Our last day on the Amalfi Coast took us to Capri, the colorful island just a 30-minute ferry ride from Sorrento. A favorite vacation spot of the rich and famous, Capri’s coast is dotted by obscene yachts with helipads. We had lunch in the town of Capri, then rode up the quieter, scenic AnaCapri. The chairlift to Mount Solaro showcased spectacular views of AnaCapri and the Gulf of Naples. At the top, we enjoyed panoramic views of Capri’s sheer cliffs, glowing blue shores, and bright flowers. We had a delicious dinner with the whole family at L’antica Trattoria in Sorrento to celebrate Alexa’s 23rd birthday. We flew back Athens to Houston via Frankfurt last week to celebrate my brother Michael’s high school graduation. My grandma came from California, and we spent a lot of quality time together. In our whirlwind four days at my family’s house, we got together with some friends, and did last minute shopping and packing for our summer in Europe. Last Saturday, we left with my parents, Amanda, and Michael for Rome via Newark. We got to our Airbnb around noon, and Robert and I went with my parents to Roma Sparita for lunch while my siblings rested. We had salad and cacio e pepe (chewy, eggy pasta with pecorino cheese and black pepper) served in a cheese bowl. The cacio was good, but not our favorite (that award still goes to my favorite restaurant: Da Enzo). For dessert, we had some of the most delicious berries with homemade ice cream. We picked up the rest of the family and walked around the city, stopping at Enoteca Ferrara for a glass of prosecco and some complimentary appetizers before our night tour of the Colosseum. Because we have all spent time in Rome and covered the major tourist sites, this was the only place we felt we needed to return. Getting to walk around inside the Colosseum without hordes of other tourists made for a special experience. The next day, we went on a food tour of Rome to learn about the history and cuisine of the region while walking around the city tasting cheeses, cured meats, vegetables, pizza, suppli, cherries, gelato, espresso, and chocolates. In the evening, Michael, Robert, and I went out for mojitos at Freni e Frizioni, an al fresco bar in the picturesque Trastevere neighborhood. We met everyone for dinner at my absolute favorite restaurant: Da Enzo al 29. Da Enzo makes the best cacio e pepe I’ve ever had. They also make the best carbonara in the city (not even a dish I usually like). Their chicory (a dark green, slightly bitter vegetable) with olive oil and garlic is fantastic, and their carciofo alla giudia (fried Roman Jewish artichokes) are addictive. Locals order the house wine, which you can count on to be delicious, cheap, and plentiful. The casual atmosphere and reasonable prices bely the outstanding quality of the food, which Robert and I have been talking about longingly since we first ate there more than three years ago. The meal ended with espresso (as any Roman dinner should), limoncello, tiramisu, and fresh strawberries. On our final day in Rome, Robert and I visited the Biblioteca Casanatense, where we perused a beautifully illustrated 15th century edition of Dante’s Inferno. We had couscous with tomatoes and fresh cheese, watermelon soup with mint, and local cheeses at Cavour 313, then walked home to rest before having dinner at Flavio al Velavevodetto, another of our favorite restaurants that we found during our 2015 trip here. The standout dish is the ravioli, freshly made and cooked perfectly al dente, filled with fresh ricotta and topped a simple sauce made from the freshest, most flavorful tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil. This morning, we took the bus to Sorrento, a city on the Amalfi Coast near Naples that we are excited to explore. On our last evening in Santorini, we went for a swim, then sat on our balcony taking in one last sunset with olives and local white wine. We were dressed up for a 9:30 dinner reservation at La Maison, an upscale Mediterranean restaurant in a stunning setting overlooking the caldera and part of the island – ostensibly to celebrate our last night of the trip. As Robert had suggested the previous two nights, we set our camera up on a chair to take video so we could get screenshots of us on the balcony. Since we’d already done that and gotten nice pictures from the previous nights, I was not at all suspicious. With the video still on, Robert got down on one knee. I was so shocked it took me a while to process what was happening (as you can probably tell from my face). I was faintly aware of the most beautiful diamond ring sparkling brilliantly in a black box, and him saying the words “will you marry me?” I’m so grateful to have the video and pictures because the next few minutes were an incomprehensible blur of hugging and happy tears. We spent the next half hour reveling in our status as a newly engaged couple, and Robert told me the whole story of when and how he told each of our parents what he was planning. He had kept it a secret for over seven months. Once the sun was fully set, we went to our room to call our families with the happy news before walking to our dinner reservation. We departed Crete for Santorini aboard the 8:40am ferry, sailing 70 nautical miles through the sunny, brilliantly blue Aegean Sea. After docking, we took the bus to Thira, and continued on to Imerovigli, a quiet village free of cheesy souvenir shops and overpriced restaurants, spectacularly set on the highest point overlooking the famous Santorini caldera. Imerovigli is known as the “balcony to the Aegean.” We were floored by the panoramic views from our apartment’s balcony, and enjoyed our welcome glass of chilled white wine. We took in the Cycladic whitewashed architecture, passing breezy cave-style apartments and churches with light blue domes. The light colors and cave-style design keeps buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter, while reflecting plenty of natural light. We settled in at 7:30 with local red wine, olives, apricots, walnuts, seeded breadsticks, and cheese to take in the legendary Santorini sunset. Oriented directly west, we had the perfect view. The next day started on the balcony with Greek yogurt topped with honey and walnuts, accompanied by homemade Greek coffee. We enjoyed having a kitchenette and preparing our own breakfasts, beginning our busy days with a leisurely morning. With great views along the entire path, we hiked to and from Oia, about 2 hours each way. The small churches, cobbled walkways, and traces of donkeys evoked all of the charm we expected from Santorini. Returning from a hot, sweaty hike, we took a dip in the hotel’s pool, the perfect way to cool off and get ready for another sunset. Dinner was at Taverna Tasos, where we had dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), smoky baked cheese, coal-grilled chicken souvlaki, and fresh bread. Fun fact: the Greeks translate dolmades to “stuffed wine leaves” – eating the grapes must not be as popular as drinking them. On our last full day, we walked to Thira for delicious gyros and souvlaki at Lucky’s Souvlaki. The gregarious owner insisted that we try the draft Alpha beer, which turned out to be an excellent recommendation. We caught the bus to Akrotiri, where we detoured to get a view of the Red Beach, then returned to the main site: the ruins of the approximately 4,000-year-old port city that traded throughout the Aegean and east Mediterranean. The site was fortunately indoors and temperature controlled, so we cooled down as we walked through the platforms crisscrossing ancient Akrotiri. We returned to our balcony for a very memorable evening, which we will detail in the next blog post. Arrival in ChaniaWe landed in Chania at 8:40am and took the bus into town. Chania is a colorful city with a rich history. Grand Ottoman buildings, a historic Jewish neighborhood, and light-colored churches are interspersed among flower-filled streets leading to the Venetian harbor. We stayed in an Airbnb studio apartment near the harbor, using the kitchenette to make Greek coffee (same as Turkish coffee) and the balcony to enjoy Cretan wine. Because of our early flight, we took it easy, and had a bite at Kormoranos Bakery, took a nap, and walked around town. Elafonissi Beach The next day, we had Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts on our balcony, rented a car, and drove to the stunning Elafonissi Beach, famous for its pink sand. We had a delicious seafood lunch at Kosmos, 10 minutes from the beach, and enjoyed a sunny afternoon of walking and swimming in the crystal-clear Mediterranean. We returned to Chania in the evening, and Alexa had roasted vegetables, while I tried lamb kleftiko (traditional Greek recipe, roasted with lemon, olive oil, and garlic), with complimentary orange pie and raki for dessert. Samaria GorgeWe woke up at 6:50 to take the 7:45 bus to Omalos, where we started our 11-mile hike through the Samaria Gorge, the longest gorge in Europe. After 2 hours of descending through rocky, steep terrain, we spent the next 4 hours crisscrossing the river, passing by tiny churches and village ruins, and taking in the incredible rocky landscape. We arrived in Agia Roumeli, where we stopped for a rest before taking a ferry to Hora Sfakion, where we caught the bus back to Chania. The trip took nearly the entire day, so we had a late dinner at Achilleas Fish Tavern. Wild Cretan greens, fresh calamari, and lemon garlic shrimp with avocado were all excellent. Layover in Heraklion To catch our ferry to Santorini, we took a bus to Heraklion, Crete’s capital, for an overnight layover. Although not as picturesque as Chania, Heraklion is close to Minoan ruins, remnants of the civilization that thrived on Crete 4600-3100 years ago. We had a fantastic Cretan dinner at Peskesi, an innovative restaurant that prepares local dishes using exclusively local ingredients. According to some studies, Crete has the lowest mortality rates from heart disease and cancer in the world, which locals attribute to their diet, rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables, and legume. After a complimentary beetroot yogurt dip with fried garlic, we had a Cretan cheese plate, lamb fricassee, palikaria salad (Minoan recipe for chickpeas, beans, and wheat cooked with onion, parsley, and sour honey), and manarolia (“forgotten” Cretan legume that is now rarely cultivated). The restaurant served some of the best local wine in Greece. We got back to our hotel at a reasonable hour to get some rest before our early ferry to Santorini. We returned our rental car after a fun week driving around the Greek mainland, and flew to Rhodes, a Greek island famous for its medieval old town, and for the legendary Colossus of Rhodes. The Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was a statue of the sun-god Helios about as tall as the Statue of Liberty. It was destroyed in 226 BC by an earthquake. Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands, and is 11 miles from the southwest coast of Turkey. We arrived in the charming medieval town as the sun was setting (around 8pm), and had a delicious dinner at Hermes Grill House, whose friendly owner serves delicious food away from the touristy main street clogged with expensive, low-quality restaurants. Our platters came with grilled pita, tomatoes, onions, tzatziki, and French fries. Robert ordered chicken gyros, and I had grilled halloumi. We had complimentary ouzo (anise-flavored liquor) and watermelon for desert. We slept in and spent our first full day walking around the beautiful old town. We relaxed at the beach for a bit, and had the most delicious Greek yogurt with honey, walnuts, and freshly chopped cherries at Porca Vacca. In the evening, we went to Mevlana, a Turkish coffee shop, which is the oldest in Europe, according to the owner. The next day, after having coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, and olive sesame bread at a local bakery, we rented a car and drove to Lindos, a beautiful, but overcrowded beach town. After having lunch and walking around, we left in search of a more secluded beach, which we found just south in Pefki. We went swimming near a beautiful resort, and drove back to the old town in time for a late, rooftop dinner of vegetarian moussaka, Cretan salad, spicy cheese salad at Ta Kardasia. Dakos, the Cretan salad, is made with chopped tomatoes, tangy cheese a bit ligther than feta, and olive oil tossed with rusks of whole grain bread. We spent the next morning visiting the Suleman Mosque (constructed in 1522); the Hafiz Ahmed Agha Library, a beautiful Ottoman building that was a center of learning in medieval Rhodes; and the Kahal Kadosh Shalom Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Greece. The synagogue was accompanied by a museum chronicling the history of Jews on Rhodes, which dates back 2,300 years. The Jewish community thrived for millennia, particularly under Ottoman rule, and Rhodes was home to six synagogues until the Holocaust, when most of the community was deported to concentration camps in Eastern Europe and murdered. We learned the story of Selahattin Ulkumen, a Turkish diplomat in Rhodes, who managed to save around 50 Jewish Turks (including their Greek spouses and children) by arguing to the Nazis that Turkey was neutral. He stated, “under Turkish law all citizens were equal. We didn’t differentiate between citizens who were Jewish, Christian, or Muslim.” Ulkumen threatened that a failure to release these Jews would cause an international incident, and eventually the Nazis agreed. A few survivors returned to Rhodes after World War II, but the Jewish community never grew to its previous size, and the only operating synagogue holds services on high holidays and for special occasions. We went back to Hermes Grill House for another delicious meal, then spent the afternoon exploring the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, an ancient fortress converted in the 1300s by the Knights Hospitaller, and later occupied by the Ottomans and Italians. It was damaged and repaired several times and features mostly gothic/medieval architecture, which is unusual in Greece. That night, we flew back to Athens for a quick layover, departing early the next morning to fly to Crete. |
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