mmm-yoso!!!

Genoa - Vegia Zena

We enjoyed the nice walk along Porto Antico as we strolled back to our hotel. 

Yes, it was somewhat touristy....check out all the cruise ships.

But, things were still pretty relaxed and mellow. And the ship were already leaving port as we passed.

We checked into our hotel and tried to figure out where to get dinner; I wasn't able to get reservations at my first two choices, so I did the obvious. I strolled down to the front desk and asked the really friendly gentleman working for a recommendation of a place that made good local style cuisine. He told me that when he has friends and family staying nearby, he recommends Vegia Zena. He told me look at what the other tables of locals were getting and not pay attention too much to the English menu. The place was a short two streets away, tucked down one of the atmospheric "caruggi"; the alleyways that weave thru the city.

We found the restaurant and entered. It was very brightly lit in comparison to the caruggi. The place was half full; we were quickly seated.

And two menus; basically placemats were placed on the table; one with the Italian menu; the other with an "English" menu. As you can see; the Italian menu had many more items.

Some bread and foccacia were quickly provided.

The foccacia was quite good; crisp, then soft, light saltiness......I got a hint of why folks had mentioned focaccia Genovese to me!

We placed our orders....this being Genova; home to the world pesto championships, of course I had to get the Trofie al Pesto.

While being perhaps a bit over-sauced; the pesto tasted so fresh; peppery-garlic tones-I could really taste the pine nuts in this! Oh the peppery-anise flavors as well. The pasta was perfectly cooked; the slight "twists" holding the sauce well. This was our fourth Trofie al Pesto in Liguria....I could tell the Missus was getting tired of it; though I could have kept on having it!

One thing the Missus wasn't tired of was the seafood; especially the Mussels. 

This was a huge portion. Sweet, plump, wonderful brininess....no grit to be found!

For our final item; I had noticed a dish that looked quite good on another table; so I discreetly pointed it out to our Server and ordered it.

Not quite sure what the name of the dish was...I'm thinking it's the Misto Mare Vegia Zena? Man, more wonderful mussles; that langostino! The highlight was the stack of pesto enriched seafood in the middle of the plate. It was so delici-yoso!!!!

And the Missus enjoyed Her dessert.

The meal was a pleasant surprise and the nice fellow at the hotel desk earned himself a good tip as well!

Service was a bit on the serious side; except for the woman working who was quite nice. Overall, a very nice meal!

Vegia Zena
Vico del Serriglio 15R
Genova, Italy

After dinner we took a stroll away from the port and down the alleyways into the city.

Getting a first glance at some of the more ornate buildings heading to the historical center of the city.

Until we got to the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata del Vastato.

From here we decided to head on back to the hotel. I'd become quite interested in the cuisine of Liguria; so much like we did in Emilia-Romana, we'd be doing a small group food and history tour the following day.

So it was time to head back to our room and get some rest!

Thanks for stopping by!

Genoa - Antica Friggitoria Carega and Eataly

We were sad to leave the Cinque Terre. We had really enjoyed our stay. My first instinct when planning our trip was to head back to Milan. But while planning things out, I watched Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy and in the episode on Liguria he visited Genoa and basically indicated that it was the "home of pesto". The episode featured a restaurant, Il Genovese, yes I made sure to call Genoa, "Genova" during my time in Italy. Anyway, the owner of the restaurant established the Pesto World Championship. And heck, we'd had pesto almost everyday during our stay in Liguria, so it made sense to stay in the city, right?

It was a mere hour-and-a-half train ride from Monterosso to the main train station in Genoa. We were staying in near the Old Port, Porto Antico. It was an interesting half hour walk from the train station as we got an introduction to the Caruggi di Genova, the narrow alleyways of the city. Our hotel, the Best Western Hotel Porto Antico Genoa was right down one of these side streets. We had arrived too early to check in, so we stored our luggage and went for a walk.

 

There are quite a few things to see in the area. It seemed quite touristy during the days, but quiet during the evenings. We quickly figured out things when we saw two cruise ships in port. Still, in spite of having a population of over a half-million, things seemed so relaxed.

It was interesting to watch folks line up for the Bigo a lift on cranes which give you views of the city.

We decided to just relax, especially after all the walking and hiking we did in the Cinque Terre. Just take our two nights and enjoy things.

While walking down the lovely porticos of the waterfront we noticed this little shop. The smell of frying seafood wafting in the air.

Looking things over, we got a "Misto a Piacere" (mixed seafood), "medio" (medium) for a mere 9,5€! 

The Missus didn't want the calamari, so we got just the Gamberi Fritti (Shrimp) and Fritto di Pesce (Anchovy). Man the shrimp was fried nicely, still crisp, and quite briny-sweet.

I loved the crisp-savory anchovy. Like I said before, the seafood in Liguria!

Nothing like some good fry-o-lated seafood to get started in Genoa!

 

Antica Friggitoria Carega
Via di Sottoripa 113r
Genova, Italy

 

We decided do a bit more exploring before heading back to the hotel. There's quite a bit to do. The Genoa Aquarium is right across...well, across and under highway SS1 which hugs the shoreline, there's Vascello Neptune, a replica of a Spanish Galleon. It was market day at the port.

Part of which ran right under the highway.

We took our time checking things out.

And though we didn't find anything we were interested in; this little one seemed to be happy with its purchase!

We passed this historic building. It's the Palazzo San Giorgio, which is currently the HQ of the Port Authority. This lovely building was built in the 13th Century and the palace was once a prison.

Which housed the one and only Marco Polo. It is said that during his time in the prison, Marco Polo dictated his travels to a fellow prisoner; the writer Rustichello da Pisa. The manuscript which eventually became The Travels of Marco Polo!

A bit further down the port we noticed a location of Eataly.

Well, we'd been to Eataly locations in Copenhagen, Florence, and Bologna, so we thought why not check it out?

As always, there's much to tempt you if you have the $$$$ or in this case the €€€€.

The cheese looked quite enticing, but we were only spending two nights in the city.

And we'd find better ways to spend our Euros.

Still, it was a fun exploring.....

 

Eataly Genova
Edificio Millo, Calata Cattaneo 15
Genova, Italy

 

As we left the shop, we figured it was time to check in and take a break before heading out to dinner.

We were enjoying our time in Genova!

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday Stuffs - Mikami Sushi and Take the Bait Seafood Bar Closes and Mission Valley Farmers Market at Civita Park

Just a couple of quick things for a relaxing pre Super Bowl Saturday

Mikami Sushi and Take the Bait Seafood Bar Closes:

During my takeout visit from Curry Club I had to park a bit further down the parking lot than I usually do. Glancing over at Mikami Sushi, I noticed the brown paper taped to the windows and doors, so I decided to walk on over to take a look.

And yes, Mikami, which Cathy posted on twice and the attached Take the Bait Seafood Bar has closed.

Strange, I didn't even hear a peep about the place closing.

7319 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Mission Valley Farmers Market at Civita Park:

We finished up our Saturday Little Italy shopping and other errands quite early this morning and wanted to take JJ somewhere, but we really couldn't decide on where. Then I thought it might be fun taking JJ to Civita Park which I had done a brief walk thru during my visit to La Clochette Cafe & Bakery. We'd go ahead and get some breakfast croissants and then take JJ to the park to explore. Sadly, La Clochette doesn't have any pastries in stock until after 9am; so we just got some coffee and relaxed. Driving into the development, we had noticed signs for a Saturday Farmers Market. The clock was just striking 9am when we finished our coffees so we decided to take a quick look.

It was quite mellow on this day. Not sure if it was because the Farmers Market had just opened, or perhaps the season, but the busiest businesses were all the food stands at the east end.

We enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and all the vendors were very friendly.

The Missus loved the stuff She bought from the Aglo Oils booth. The woman manning the booth, whom I believe is the business owner was so helpful.

There are only 2-3 produce stands and 4 bread and pastry ones.

Not sure if it was because we had just come from the bustling Little Italy Mercato, but this just seemed so relaxed.

I should have taken more photos, but JJ was having a blast exploring the paved trails, sniffing all the plants, and he especially enjoyed going up and down the stairs???? Go figure. I'm sure we'll return so I'll get more photos then.

We did mange to get a couple of photos of the little monster though!

He loved all the attention he got from folks as well......

Ah yes, a puppy's life.....

Mission Valley Farmers Market at Civita Park
7960 Civita Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92108
Current Hours:
Saturdays 9am - 1pm

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Morro Bay - Giovanni's Fish Market And Galley

JJ seemed to be enjoying Morro Bay. After taking a short break, we decided to head out for dinner.

Like I mentioned in previous post, I had forgotten that it was MLK Day, but during our pre-dinner walk, things didn't seem to busy. Well, when we set out for dinner it was a whole 'nother story. Places were packed; we stopped by the Galley which didn't take reservations hoping that because it was winter folks wouldn't be sitting on the patio...well there was an hour wait for a table! We went down my list and the story was the same.....man, it was busy!

In the end, we decided to check out the place we'd stopped by before Giovanni's Fish Market And Galley, which I recalled had an outdoor dining area to see what was going on.

So, the Missus went to take a look at the market, while went to the walk up window.

And while still waiting in line, the Missus returned with Her bounty. I ordered to supplement what She had bought.

She had gotten the smoked fish, which was mild in flavor.

 It was very moist; though it had a ton of bones. Still it was not bad.

She also got the smoked mussels, which had some "grit" and was on the chewy side, but still retained the oceany-sweetness and a touch of smokiness. Also not bad.

Of course, the important accompaniment was the Pitcher of Modelo.

Our favorite item of the meal were the Garlic Fries, which had been dusted, thus making it quite crisp.

They weren't shy about the amount of garlic or cheese, which made this quite enjoyable.

I also got a Dozen Oysters.

They also strangely gave me some packets of Tapatio....and after tasting the oysters I knew why. I'm always a fan of the "finish" when having oysters; these were on the chewier side and really mild in flavor. The Missus lamented the lack of a Mignonette, which cracked me up....as this was just a food stand of sorts.

It wasn't quite the dinner we had in mind.

Giovanni's Fish Market And Galley
1001 Front St.
Morro Bay, CA 93442

Though JJ wasn't complaining about things.

In fact, I think he offered to catch dinner for us; but I quickly pointed out the "No Fishing" sign......

And our after dinner walk was quite lovely!

Thanks for stopping by!

Liquria - Visiting Levanto, a Pesto Class at Cinque Sensi, and dinner at Taverna del Capitano (Vernazza)

We were at the train station in Corniglia, wondering what to do. Well, we had already been to all five villages of the Cinque Terre, but I had an idea. The Northernmost stop on the train route is the town of  Levanto, known for the beaches, surfing, and resorts. Getting there from Corniglia took less than 15 minutes!

It was about a fifteen minute walk from the train station into the Old Town. There's a daily market in the covered market hall, but it had already closed when we arrived.

We walked into the Old Town on Via Garibaldi where a gate dating from the 1700's marks the start of a charming pedestrian only street.

It was so calm on this day....which was a Saturday!

Via Dante Alighieri is one of the streets that go to the beach.

Interestingly, there's a "promenade" that rises above the shore, you need to cross thru one of passages under the promenade or go up cross the street, then back down the other side to access the beach.

It was quite a lovely winter day and not very crowded. We loved watching this pooch enjoying his "back scratch" moment!

There were folks enjoying a winter days at the beach and a couple of surfers as well.

I was told Levanto is a nice option to the busy Cinque Terre as it is still a short train ride from the villages, has beaches, is cheaper, and a bit more laid back.

I've also read that there's quite a bit to see and do beyond the beach as well.

And lots of history as well.

As for us, well we just did a quick hour or so walk before heading back to Vernazza.

Well, in contrast to Levanto, Vernazza was buzzing on this Saturday afternoon.

The Missus wanted to do some shopping then relax. So, I decided to take a pesto class, wine and olive oil tasting at one of the wine bars right past the train station.

I had noticed that Cinque Sensi had pesto classes three times a day; the 3pm and 530 pm classes also did a wine and olive oil tasting. Not cheap at 50 Euros, but this ended up being a lot of fun.

I learned that there are over 60 varieties of basil in Liguria! Also, you should never use a food processor; heat is the enemy of basil, so the colder the temp the better.

And of course, we had to pick the basil leaves by hand!

First crush the garlic; then the pine nuts. You add salt to the mortar, then the basil leaves and crush. To types of cheese are used Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Sardo.

This is what my final product looked like.

Of course, just as we were about to taste guess who showed up? Yep, so the Missus got a chance to taste the pesto, which She said was delicious and could not believe I made. And also some wine and olive oil.

This was a fun hour-and-a-half class.

Cinque Sensi Vernazza
Via Roma 71
Vernazza, Italy

We took another stroll down to the piazza and harbor.

It was much calmer on this afternoon.

We then headed back to the flat and took a break. And since I know, no post in Vernazza is complete without a photo of stairs.....

This was the view from the living room as the sun went down.

We decided to head on down to the harbor and piazza for our last meal in Vernazza. This being the winter season, not all the restaurant are open. The only other place we hadn't tried was next to Ananasso Bar, a place specializing is seafood named Taverna del Capitano. We had been forewarned that the service here was awful, but we decided to go ahead and try it out. A big plus was that it was a decent evening and we had a table outside.

And our experience with the service was fine. A bit slow, but of course a Negroni makes everything better right?

The bread offered was terrible; sorry to say I forgot to take a photo. Our strategy stayed the same; go for local seafood, don't order anything too fancy, keep it simple. Which worked out for us again.

The smoked swordfish was quite meaty; though not as "smoky" in flavor as we like. The Balsamic did add some personality to the dish which would have been pretty bland otherwise.

The house preparation of Anchovy - three ways was a winnah!

We were told that these came from Monterosso; the fried version was crisp and salty; so umami. The version with lemon was tart and rich, the soaked in olive oil on the potent oily-rich scale. All different, all enjoyable in their own way.

Of course we got the Mussels.

Plump, sweet, this version had more butter and a more pronounced acidity, which really added to the flavors. We polished it off in no time.

Not a bad last dinner at all!

Taverna del Capitano
Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 21
Vernazza, Italy

Now here's were it gets a bit interesting. Remember how I mentioned that being in a little village during the slow season means you'll notice things? Well, while we were eating, we noticed this woman having a drink at Taverna del Capitano.

Well, we had seen her the night before having a drink at Ananasso Bar and then at the bar at Gianni Franzi and on our first night at the bar across from 5 Terre Bistrot. Always alone; always wearing the white jacket. 

We went to have a drink to mark our last evening in Vernazza at Ananasso Bar.

And guess who was getting another drink there?

By this time we'd gotten to know one of the Servers at Ananasso Bar and we mentioned the woman to him. He looked at us and smiled saying "ah yes, mystery woman, she showed up a few weeks back by herself and has been here since!" Mystery woman?!??!

Oh the stories that must ride the tides in the Cinque Terre!

Well, for us it was getting late, it was time to head on back to finish packing and hopefully get a good night sleep before heading out the next day.

The next morning we did the typical espresso routine, took a last stroll around the town, packed, then dropped off the keys to the flat at one of the restaurants. We caught our train to Monterosso for our transfer to Genoa.

There's a nice bar/cafe at the train station, Bar Della Stazione, which has a nice view.

The Missus and I got a caffeine fix and shared a panini for a light lunch.

And soon we were off to our next stop; Genoa! It was going to be interesting to see how we'd deal with a big city after enjoying the relaxed confines of winter in the Cinque Terre!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cinque Terre - Back to Monterosso al Mare, Aperitivo at Ananasso Bar, and Dinner at Gambero Rosso (Vernazza)

After enjoying our time in Riomaggiore and Manarola, the Missus decided She wanted to revisit Monterosso. Which was not a big deal since it was just a 12 minute train ride to Monterosso and boy was I happy we weren't hiking there! My knees were still stiff from that one! Like before, we got out at the station in the New Town and walked thru the tunnel to the Old Town. This time we went further up the main street, Via Roma.

Along the way, we came across something that kinda reminded us of Japan in a way. A vending machine. This one is like a portable pharmacy!

We enjoyed doing the "Flâneur" thing. After a busy morning, just wandering in the largest village of the Cinque Terre with a "massive" population of 1,300, away from the major tourist stops was relaxing.

It gave us time to really appreciate the beautiful colors of the Cinque Terre.

As we got closer to the train tracks and the shoreline more businesses appeared, but because this was the winter season, things seemed quite sedate.

Sometimes, just meandering around can be more fun then having to see all  the required sights.

As we headed back to the New Town and the train station, the Missus decided She wanted another gelato from Gelateria La Scogliera. And of course we needed to sit and have that view of the bay as well.

Gelateria La Scogliera
Via Fegina 20
Monterosso al Mare, Italy

Back in Vernazza, we climbed those stairs back to the apartment and relaxed, before heading back out. We strolled down Via Visconti toward the breakwater to get that "typical" view of Vernazza Harbor and Piazza Guglielmo Marconi.

It seems that more than a few folks had the same idea in mind.

Then it was time for something I'd really taken to during our stay in Milan; aperitivo time. And the lovely Piazza Guglielmo Marconi seemed like the perfect place.

So, we were back at Ananasso Bar, where we'd had our morning espresso. We actually sat at the two top right out the door of the shop. And guess who decided to take a "break" below my seat?

Yep, it was the ferocious feline we saw earlier in the day! Of course, I wasn't going to try to make it move, nor even bother it at all!

As for our aperotivo.

The Missus ordered the "non si sa", the "bartender's choice"! In this case an interesting aperol with tequila and mezcal, which was right down the Missus's alley. I got the  Negroni Basilico; made with Cinque Terre Basil and Cocchi Americano which added a nice bitter-sweet tone; the basil added some interesting peppery-anise flavors.

Ananasso Bar
Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 30
Vernazza, Italy

We also got some free entertainment, courtesy of this fellow.

I guess he's one of the caretakers of the piazza. He came on down singing, greeting everyone, playing "air guitar" on his broom!

Such a nice and friendly fellow.

By this time, the waves started picking up.

Quite dramatically.

At one point, the first couple of tables nearest the beach on the piazza got splashed. I'm glad we sat where we did!

For dinner, we picked a spot next to Gianni Franzi where we'd had dinner the previous night. We were told that Gambero Rosso was the "finest" restaurant in the area, so we had to check it out, right?

It had started drizzling and the waves were pounding the shore, so we dined in the warm, stone walled dining room.

The service was a bit rushed, but the place was pretty busy. Prices were a bit more than on the previous night. Sticking with local seafood/products and uncomplicated dishes had served us well thus far so we weren't going to deviate.

First up was the Misto de Acciughe alla Gambero Rosso. The house style anchovies. Basically both fried and filet of anchovies.

These were fine; the fried version crisp and savory, the salted filets fine, though not as full of umami as we'd had the night before.

The Trofie al Pesto was better than we'd had the previous night, though not as enjoyable as what we'd had at 5 Terre Bistrot.

The real "winnah" of the evening were the Mussels. Oh my, so plump, mildly sweet - oceany, not a bit of grit to be found!

 Cooked simply and perfectly. We plowed thru this in no time!

Like I said, simple and local.......

Ristorante Il Gambero Rosso
Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 7
Vernazza, Italy

Things were quite damp when we left the restaurant. And not all of it due to the mild drizzle.

Looking between the buildings you could see what the waves had brought ashore. In fact, waves were hitting the window of the living room of the apartment! I wish I had taken a photo of that!

We were really enjoying ourselves. The charming and colorful villages, the views, the wildness of the sea....but, to be honest, it was those little special moments that really made our stay memorable!

Cinque Terre - Passo del Termine, Monterosso, Gelateria La Scogliera, and Trattoria Gianni Franzi

So, on our first morning, the Missus was rarin' to go. She wanted to do the typical hike from Vernazza to Monterosso. Unfortunately, due to some landslides that oceanside hike was not available. So, instead it was decided to do the Via Passo del Termine route, which is over 4 miles long and considered at challenging route, sigh.

Instead of starting where the Alltrails hike starts, we went up to the beginning of Via Brigate Partigiane, like we did the previous day.

Because frankly, the views are fabulous.

And also because of the lovely, serene cemetery that resides on a hilltop.

Those "residing" here have one of the most beautiful views of the village. You can read more about it in this post by Rick Steves. Cemeteries were located outside of town by law for hygenic reasons in the early 19th century.

And then we were back on the trail again.

Sometimes you'd get a peak at Vernazza below.

And soon we ended up in a clearing and this church.

This is the Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio. And right on the other side is a road that leads to Highway 51.

It was fairly easy to find our way as you'll look for the "signs".....

We started walking among the terraces; grapes were grown along the steep hills. There were often these devices on rails that went up and down the terraces so folks could maintain and harvest the grapes.

From here we walked along the highway, until we saw the signs indicating the way to Monterosso. At that point we got back onto the trail. This would be the last view of Vernazza on the trail.

And of course, what goes up, must come down.

And soon enough we could see Monterosso in the distance.

And then it was really "downhill all the way". Alltrails says the elevation gain is 1,771 feet and my knees could feel every foot as we descended. Said joints didn't recover until we were in Paris later on during the trip.

Somehow, we ended up in Centro Storico, the Old Town of Monterosso. Monterosso al Mare is made up of two distinct "towns" which are separated by a pedestrian tunnel. One of the first buildings we saw was the Oratorio di Santa Croce o dei Bianchi. 

In need of a break, we decided to take a look inside.

The Oratory was built in the 15th century as is named for the brotherhood, who ran the hospital and dressed in white (Bianchi) robes.

From here we headed toward the shore on the main street in the Old Town, Via Roma.

Taking time to stop at a few more churches; the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista....

And the Oratorio Mortis et Orationis - Confraternita dei Neri.

Basically, the Oratory of the Dead.

So, we'd seen the "White Brotherhood"; this was the home of the "Black Brotherhood" who took care of burials for those who could not afford it. The interior is adorned with skeletons and skulls.

Eventually, you get to the railroad tracks....the actual station is in the New Town and right past the tracks is the beach.

Monterosso is the "resort" town of the Cinque Terre with hotels and beaches.

We took the pedestrian tunnel over to the New Town. And took a stroll along the Fegina, the waterfront of the New Town. This being winter, things were quite peaceful and relaxed. That's the distinctive "Eden Rock" in the photo below.

At about this time, I wanted a break. It was indeed winter, but I thought some gelato would be nice. And this shop is right along Via Fegina.

And the tables with a view of the beach across from the shop were unoccupied. It was a nice and refreshing stop.

And the view was wonderful as well.

Gelateria La Scogliera
Via Fegina 20
Monterosso al Mare, Italy

After a nice break, we strolled, or in my case "lurched" our way to the Monterosso Train Station.... I'm kinda glad the Blue Trail back to Vernazza was closed due to blockage because there ain't no way I'd make it back.

Needless to say, it was nice to be able to rest my aching knees back at the apartment. When dinner time came around we picked a spot that had been recommended to us; Trattoria Gianni Franzi, which was located right on Piazza Guglielmo Marconi. 

The waves were riding high on this day and it had started drizzling so there would be no al fresco dining on this winter evening. The warm and cozy interior of the restaurant was quite busy on this evening, yet we were able to get a table.

The menu is quite large and there was a section of "typico" dishes, which is where we made our selections. The prices were 4-5 Euros more per dish than on the previous evening. The service was a bit rushed, but professional.

We ordered two Antipasti and two Primi. First up was the Pulpo con Patate, yes octopus and potatoes.

Sometimes simple is best, like in this case, the pulpo was just the perfect texture, firm, but not chewy, with a mild "oceany" flavor highlighted by the olive oil. The potatoes brought a bit of starchiness to the dish.

Now, if you wanted an umami boost, well, the Accinghe Salate, salted anchovies had that in spades.

The textures of the anchovies were almost buttery, the flavor was very salty-briny and umami....while I wouldn't call it fishy at all. Just a plain umami bomb.

Of course I got the Trofie al Pesto.

I didn't enjoy this as much as what I'd had the previous evening. The flavors seemed watered down. And indeed, there was a pool of thin liquid at the bottom of the bowl as if the pasta had not been drained properly. I would have also enjoyed a bit more pesto on this as well.

The Mussels in the Spaghetti ai Muscoli might have been the highlight of the meal.

I enjoy my pasta to be nicely coated, not overly drowned in sauce like many places do in the states, so this version perfectly al dente, coated in peppery-fruity olive oil, with a hint of garlic and hidden red peppers did fine. Those mussels were very good, sweet, tender, and without any grit. This got us ordering mussels when we'd see it on the menu from this point forward. And though we'd have even better mussels a day later, this paved the way for our future ordering.

Even though we were eating in touristy type restaurants; we were enjoying our meals

Trattoria Gianni Franzi
Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 1
Vernazza, Italy

When we got back to the apartment, I took a quick look at my walking distance for the day.

Whoa....164 floors! No wonder my knees were screaming for mercy!

Vernazza - Exploring the Town and Dinner at 5 Terre Bistrot

We had really enjoyed exploring Milan, but it was time for us to head to our next stop. The Cinque Terre, five towns that hug the Ligurian coast had been on the Missus's "list" for years. In doing a bit research, I found that trains from Milan took only three hours to get to Monterosso, the largest and northernmost village. From there the local train service runs every 15-20 minutes or so to each village. The Cinque Terre is a very popular tourist destination, so I thought visiting during the early winter....after all, if we wanted beaches and such, we'd just head "home", right? I figured...quite correctly that the villages wouldn't be swamped.

Our train left Milano Centrale right on time at noon and we got into Monterosso a bit after three. From there, we found the local train which took 4 minutes to get to Vernazza, where we were staying. I decided on Vernazza after looking at all the wonderful photos, it just seemed like the right place. There basically one main street, Via Roma which heads downhill from the train stop.

As you can see, it was pretty quiet when we arrived. Our AirBnb was wonderful, the kitchen, the awesome bedroom, the views. But first, you needed to climb up a good amount of winding stairs...huff...huff...

And the flat was actually two floors with a kitchen on the bottom and the bedroom, bathroom, and a sitting room above. 

All the stairs were worth it....just for the views.

You see the couple in the photo below? Well, they were from Australia. We'd end up seeing them almost 5-6 times during our stay. They were so nice and inspired us to travel "down under".

Later during our stay there would be a rather stormy evening and the waves would actually crash against our window.

Of course once settled, the Missus wanted to head on out. So now, it was back down those stairs. It seemed much busier as we headed to the main piazza and the harbor.

Vernazza is known for having the only natural harbor of the 5 villages, there's a breakwater and the waves were indeed breaking!

We would actually see waves breaking on the piazza later on! Folks sitting having drinks got soaked!

The pastel toned buildings, the green mountains....which house vineyards, make for a lovely backdrop.

Right past the waterfront buildings on the Piazza is the Church of St. Margaret.

Which was built in 1318! We took a quick look inside. Saint Margaret is the Patron Saint of Vernazza. And for an even more interesting story, check out this page.

The Missus really wanted to see a bit more of the town, so we, you got it, took more stairs from behind the church.

Where the views start getting really nice.

Then more stairs....

And somehow ended up at the beginning of Via Brigate Partigiane, where the walk begins to the cemetery, which we'd see the next day.

We decided on taking a walk part of the way up anyway.

Where we could see the vineyards on terraces along the hillside. And get a good view of Doria Castle, which used to protect the village from pirates.

Another place we'd visit a bit later on during our stay.

It was so lovely. There were simple things, like this parked scooter that just seemed to be posed for a photograph.....like a two wheeled, Instagram ready, Vernazza "influencer".

And the cats, which seemed totally unafraid of anything.

We'd see one scaring the crap out of a huge mutt in the Piazza the next evening! I guess you don't fool around with the felines here!

Of course all good things must come to an end....so it was back down all those steps. My poor knees!

We headed back to the flat and took a nice rest.

When dinner time came along, instead of heading down to the harbor and piazza, we decided on a place on Via Roma named 5 Terre Bistrot. While the street seemed fairly sedate.

The al fresco tables of the restaurant, which overlooked the pedestrian street were busy.

The menu is small, with a total of maybe 12 items, but I still needed a Negroni to help me make a decision. Plus, we hadn't done Aperitivo time on this day! Yikes, a mortal sin!

In end we had one antipasti, one primi, and one secondi.

We started with the Pulpo e Patate con Bottarga. I'd read that the combination of octopus and potatoes is a Ligurian specialty, so I thought we'd try it here. This version also featured  cured mullet roe.

This version is in the form of a Tortino e Patate, a potato based pie. The pulpo was so tender, the potatoes nice and starchy, the cured mullet roe was very savory....an umami blast. 

Of course this is Liguria, so I had to have the Trofie al Pesto.

My goodness, what's up with Ligurian Basil?!? This was bright and peppery, nice garlic, the pasta a bit over cooked, but still that pesto. I enjoyed the pesto so much, we had it I think the first 5 straight days in Liguria?

The secondi was Calamari. This version came with a Garbanzo cream, nice and nutty, dots of nice sour lemon jelly, and sweet and sour pickled onions.

The calamari was surprisingly tender, the breading added a nice textural contrast. 

This was a nice meal to start our stay in Vernazza. From this point on, we'd be having seafood and pesto all the time! The service was friendly and relaxed; perhaps too much so. But we really enjoyed our meal.

5 Terre Bistrot
Via Roma 44
Vernazza, Italy

After dinner we took a stroll down to the busy, but not crowded harbor.

It was so relaxed....well compared to Milan where we'd been the night before, that it felt like we were on a different planet.

I was looking forward to a nice restful night. Especially since the Missus had a hike in mind for the next day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Where is the world are we - part 2

It was quite obvious from my previous post that we were in Australia.

We're headed home today from HNL, but I thought I'd do a quick post.

We spent our last couple of days "Down Under" in Sydney. For a change of pace we stayed in the Chippendale area. Which was quite bustling, but the main reason for staying in the area was....

Yes, Chinatown. When doing some research, it became obvious that there was not only Chinese cuisine here, but Thai Town and Korea Town abut the area. It is so culturally diverse!

The area also houses several Universities and the population near Chippendale really skewed to the younger crowd.

We did two wonderful activities during our three days.

The first being a morning kayak journey in Sydney Harbor. 

The Missus and I were the only two people on this tour, so we had the guide, "Sam" all to ourselves. It was so much fun!

Like Sam said, "this is like paddling in a postcard!"

The second was an all-day adventure. This was a private tour, with a local and it was amazing! It was customized to our desires and we got to see wonderful views.....

Where tour groups don't venture.

We got to learn about the plants in the region.

We stopped at an area with Aboriginal drawings. It's kind of hidden off the side of the road. We were the only folks there. And I guess the site is not visited by many non-Aboriginal folks because a ranger came over to check. And it was great listening to him.

We stopped at seaside village where it's mostly locals since transit doesn't go here.

But the highlite was a stop at a Wildlife Sanctuary/Rehab where we got to meet the wonderful inhabitants of Australia up close.

And we got to spend some "Koala-ty" time with this fella!

His name is Arnold!

One of the great benefits about staying in the Asian district was enjoying the diversity of food! Sydney has such a great variety....and some of the items were delici-yoso!

We spent our free time wandering down streets and alleys.

That's not to say that the Missus didn't get Her share of Barramundi....

Anyway, we're leaving for our flight in a few minutes.

Hopefully, my next post will be done from San Diego!

Thanks for stopping by!

Rubios, Home of the Fish Taco

mmm-yoso!!! welcomes you back to another post from Cathy; Kirk and His Missus are elsewhere.

Rubios opened its first location in 1983 in the Mission Bay area of San Diego, primarily serving Baja style fish tacos.  Locations have expanded throughout California, Arizona and Nevada.  Serving sustainable seafood as well as chicken and vegetarian dishes, Rubios is a walk up, order and pay and your food is brought to your table type of restaurant.

My usual order is the two fish taco plate ($8.99), part of the "Five under $10" menu.  Beer battered wild caught Alaska pollock topped with cabbage, salsa fresca, a 'secret sauce' (it is mild and white) and served on a warm corn tortilla along with tortilla chips and "no fried" pinto beans, this is a tasty filling meal.

Similarly, the Signature Fish Burrito ($12.99) is a very filling meal.  It kind of looks small but the cross section cut shows the flour tortilla is packed full.  There are three pieces of beer battered crisp fried wild caught Alaskan pollock, guacamole, black beans, white sauce, mild salsa, cabbage, onions and cilantro.  This comes with a side of tortilla chips.  An easy way to eat and there is flavor in every bite.  I do like the black beans a bit more than the pinto beans, but both are good. 

The Mango Avocado Salad with grilled Mahi-Mahi ($15.49) was The Mister's choice this day.  Brown rice and quinoa, a mango salsa and slices of Hass avocadoes over Romaine and topped with squared tortilla chips.  The 'normal' salad dressing is a lemon agave white balsamic vinaigrette.  You can choose other proteins (langostino lobster, grilled shrimp, chicken, blackened Mahi, grilled steak, grilled salmon or blackened salmon as well as grilled veggies)(prices of proteins vary).  This salad is protein packed and tastes so good.  The variety of textures as well as the contrast of warm fresh grilled fish is unexpectedly nice. 

I must say that the grilled veggies option is exceptional; there are grilled poblanos, cauliflower, red bell pepper, marinated red onions, and roasted corn.

Always fresh and essentially a local (not nationwide anyhow) spot. Choices for everyone.

Rubios Coastal Grill Website Many locations Opens at 10:30 a.m. daily

It looks like a re-branding might occur soon.