Got a little more in Napa than expected...

I know it's been a few weeks since my last post teasing about our trip to Napa but when I said I was "breaking away" I didn't think it would take on such a literal meaning.

Prior to sustaining a broken tibia, we had a lovely time! In between crutching around and elevating my foot, I am working on a post of the trip. Until that time, I'll leave you with this little teaser...

Chef Chiarello & Tom

Breaking Away

It's the last day of April and I'm still lugging around my ever-faithful puffy, pulling on my winter boots and brushing snow off my car....It's spring everywhere else and I'm still running to warm myself by the fireplace and using Elliot to toast my toes...and it's going to continue for a least another week. 

So this weekend I am getting off this hill, away from this snow and running into the arms of the Napa Valley...  

Thanks to the generosity of Jeff and Carolyn Smith, we'll be settling into their guest house at Hourglass Wine Company. Nestled in St. Helena, Hourglass is  a boutique winery that solely produces Cabernet. And what a Cabernet it is as their wine has quite a cult following.

Though I'm sure it will be hard to leave the Smith's property, we will force ourselves to sip and nibble our way down the 2 lane roads of Napa. On the agenda is a stop at Oxbow Public Market to visit the Fatted Calf and to sample some goodies at Hog Island Oyster Company. Jess has a few vineyards in mind to visit (but I think it's a secret). She's also teased about a fried chicken lunch and dinner at Michael Chiarello's Bottega.

I'm not quite sure what else the weekend will bring but I'm sure we'll be "ahh"ing, laughing and lapping up the warmth the whole time. It's just the break away we all need before another week of wind and wet. 

Wishing you a weekend of warmth and welcomed relaxation!

Come sail away...

Along the Nile with me aboard the Assouan. Christine sent me an article from Marie Claire Maison on this fantasy travel excursion and I have been dreaming about it ever since.

The text from the NourElNil website does little to stifle my passion to sail:

Surely you have dreamed of sailing the Nile like the nineteenth century travelers Flaubert, Amelia Edwards, Pierre Loti, Nerval and so many others.

We provide you with this extraordinary opportunity to explore the river of myth and legend aboard our dahabiyah, the Assouan.

Propelled by the gentle Nile winds, you will discover the many archaeological treasures, magnificent deserts and breathtaking vistas Egypt has to offer.

Removed from the rush and crowds of typical Egyptian tours, you will find yourself traveling to Egypt's finest destinations at your own leisurely pace, while we provide you with all the comforts and amenities other Nile tours can only claim to offer.

Come join us--a wonderful journey awaits you...

I'm on my way!

Eating our way around SF...

After a howlin' good time at Chans & Laura's Halloween party, C, Tom & I hightailed through torrential downpours to San Francisco for a couple days of eating. My blog time is running out so here are the highlights...

The beds at the Hyatt

Combo sandwich from Mario's

(we proceeded this by Black & Tans, curry, samosa and naan at Kennedy's)

Oysters, scallops, mussels, house-cured sardines and carpaccio at Foreign Cinema

A Sunday morning Irish Coffee courtesy of friendly Larry at The Buena Vista that left us all stumbling the streets a little.

We followed this up with the two words we've been saying for weeks now: DIM SUM! Thank you, Yank Sing for the hours of steamed joy!

Ahhh, good times! Thanks T, C, and SF :)

Santa please bring me more Santorini!

I’ve put aside the Sudafed and Puffs Plus, unpacked and washed my travel clothes, spent some time with friends (furry and non) and played catch up at work. I guess all that’s left to do is to stop procrastinating and update my blog…

I’ve spoken about Nice and would rather not speak about it again. While the locals were rude and unfriendly, I am not writing off the country as a whole. I just don’t want to relive a day spent hopping around train stations with no idea where we were. Fortunately, we were only there for a day before heading to friendly locations. Next stop Florence, Rome & Naples, Italy which I’ve recapped for you lovelies…

Our next destination was the highlight of the entire trip for me. I’ve always gazed at pictures of Santorini and wondered how a place so beautiful can actually exist.

The images seemed like a set created in Hollywood or in a painter’s vivid imagination. Then you look out your window and its right in front of you…then you landing on its shores and are taking a cable car up to its streets, and standing in front of its white buildings and then you are…smelling its donkeys??? Yeah, the one you thing you don’t expect from the pristine images of the isle of Santorini are the donkeys. See, the only way to the port city of Fira from the shore is cable car, walking up 400+ steps or donkey. Now, while the steps don’t seem all that bad, you must remember that you are sharing the path with the transporting donkeys. We opted for the cable car though I was tempted to donkey it back down. (hey, at least I could say I rode a donkey but not like the girls in Tijuana) Having so many of these beasts clonking down the streets of Fira gives it a particular aroma that made meandering through the town a little uncomfortable albiet still amazingly beautiful to behold.

Before the day started to heat up, we hopped into a cab and headed to the north part of the island, Oia. (Note: This was the cheapest cab ride of the entire cruise! ~20 min ride for €15!)

Oia is the place! All those blue domes that are so representative this area are in Oia.

The row and rows white buildings perched precariously along volcanic cliffs are in Oia.

The food, the people, the everything! Mom and I strolled about taking pictures, smiling at the stray dogs, allowing our hair to blow in the breeze and taking more pictures.

All the posing and smiling made us hungry so we decided to refer to the list of restaurants recommended by Tom at CBD. As soon as I saw the exterior of the Red Bicycle, I knew it was the place for us.

We positioned our overheated bodies on the shaded balcony...

and ordered up two beers and a sampling of their lighter fares. For the first time on my trip, sitting there with my mom drinking a cold beer and taking in the vistas, I finally felt that I was on vacation. Then the food came and I was transported to heaven. Mom and I were speechless…lost in the world of flavors and textures. A simple look at the other was all it took to communicate our joy. We took our time and savored every bite…

The harmony of cheese, toasted almonds and honey...

the salad with salty feta cheese, briny capers and fresh vegetables...

that instantly indentifiable texture and fragrant taste of stuffed vine leaves...

and the flaky, delicate paradise found in a slice of spanikopita...

It was an experience we had hoped to have on the ship or in Italy or even in France but we had struck out at all 3. Being a fan(atic) of Greek food since the first “Opa!” I heard being shouted in a restaurant, I knew it wouldn’t let me down. I just had no idea it would be this amazing. I wanted to wait there, up in the hills, nestled on a perch off of one of the hundreds of white buildings until I was hungry again. Allow the delights in my belly to digest in order for me to indulge in more. However, the day was winding down and I needed to search out a gyro stand before heading back to the ship. Plus, Tom had mentioned something about an Irish bar...

Roaming Recap

We've survived our marathon visits to Barcelona, Florence, Rome & Naples and are currently at sea heading towards Santorini. With all this rest and spare time I've decided to be blog productive. So, here are some highlights of our last few days...


I know, the format and layout is all hosed and I can't believe my perfectionist self is publishing anyway. I will definitely make it all pretty when I get home. For now, just be happy I posted pictures!