New Hong Kong Wine Shop Goes Natural – NYTimes.com.

Grand Canal just before Sunrise

Unlike the Italian Job where the mobsters used high level expertise in safe cracking, code cracking, robbing, and technology, to gain access to some of the most wealthy homes in Venice, we arrived by bus via Austria and were just one of the many other tourists in this grand city.

While we did enjoy picking out the places featured in that movie, we didn’t have quite the exhilarating experience that the characters did. Nonetheless, we loved this charming city of canals just as much as the next tourist and were able to get away from the crowds to shape a unique trip.

We started off with the big sights- St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge, and the Grand Canal. Winding through the narrow pathways, we quickly understood why every other person stood turning a map this way and that. Not having a map ourselves, we winged it and got lost like the rest of them but didn’t worry about where we had to be or get to and just let the days unfold.

Gondolas seeing the first glimpse of sun

Upon our first visit to St. Mark’s Square we realized why it was recommended with some trepidation- full of tourists, it was hard to walk through the square at all. But the beautiful and unique architecture of the buildings was unforgettable and a must see. Wanting to get some people free pictures, we awoke one morning at 5:30am to make our way to the square. We weren’t the only ones but luckily only a few other people braved the streets that early. The sunrise was breathtaking and well worth the early morning wake up call.

A lone street sweeper

While there were plenty of restaurants to pick from, you had to hunt for the ones that locals went to or that weren’t overpriced. Using a recommendation from a couple of Italians we met, we happened upon a quiet little trattoria close to our hotel. With only 4 tables in the small room on a side street, we filled one of them and were served an abundance of food that came on the prix fixe menu. Paired with a house wine, we were sitting pretty. Another awesome find in Venice was when we stumbled upon what turned out to be a dinner fundraiser for the Italian Communist Party. Picnic tables filled a little plaza and a tent manned by mothers, grandmothers, fathers, and sons turned out some of the best food we had during our travels in Italy. A 2 euro bottle of not so great wine was just fine to go along with this one of a kind experience.

While Venice is a tourist hotspot with people visiting from all over the world, it is a city that can be enjoyed away from the crowds and hype. You just have to work a little bit harder to get that experience!

Kehlsteinhaus Sign

Kehlsteinhaus aka the Eagles Nest achieved infamy during World War II as Hitler’s private chalet at the top of the Kehlstein alps peak.  Built by the Nazis as part of the Obersalzberg complex in the mountains above Berchtesgaden, the Eagles Nest served as a private retreat for Hitler and a place to entertain diplomats.

The chalet, now owned by a charitable trust, is an engineering marvel.  Constructed in large part by Italian stonemasons and laborers, the construction occurred quickly over a 13 month period so the chalet could be presented at Hitler’s 50th birthday. To reach the Eagles Nest you must first take a half hour drive that includes switchback after switchback before you are dropped off at the entrance.

Hailey overlooking the Eagle's Nest

The entrance, a thirteen foot wide tunnel through the mountain, serves as the first effort by the architects to portray the Third Reich as larger than life. A visiting diplomat or other guest would not even have had to exit their car as they were driven through the heated tunnel and deposited at the elevator antechamber.

Another impressive construction feat, the elevator travels 407 feet up to the chalet on the mountain top and the elevator car interior is covered in polished brass, venetian mirrors and green leather. Apparently the design is due to Hitler’s claustrophobia, as the effect of the brass and mirrors makes the elevator car appear larger.

Entering the Eagles Nest immediately to your right is the main banquet hall, which contains an expansive red marble fireplace presented by Mussolini. As you walk through the house the remnants of graffiti from Allied soldiers in the woodwork also draws your attention. However, as you exit the house to the rear courtyard the views of the encircling mountains prove the most impressive. Hundreds of miles of land are visible in nearly any direction, and it is easy to forget where you are as you take in that beauty.

Walking around the grounds it becomes even more apparent how the structure holds on right to the cliff edge.  Trails take you another fifty feet up behind the house to a larger than life cross, as well as around the front of the house for views of the valley below. The grounds today include visitors from all parts of the globe such as Americans, Japanese, Canadians, British, Germans and Austrians. Talking with all the different visitors everyone shares an appreciation for the natural beauty of the surrounding land.

Tunnel leading to and from the Eagle's Nest

As we walked back through the mansion to return to the valley below, you can’t help but think upon the history of the place from its construction under the Third Reich to its capture by the Allied Forces and use asa military base until 1960 when it was handed back to the state of Bavaria. However, through all of its storied history you can’t help but think the mountains have remained nearly unchanged and the biggest wonders of the area.

Rhone River and Lyon

Stopping off in Lyon for just a couple of nights on our way to Austria, we were pleasantly surprised by this quiet city. Enjoying summer vacations like the rest of France and Spain, we found many shops to be closed in Lyon. That just added to the quiet appeal. After arriving and finally settling in at our Air B&B apartment at 9pm, we were famished and ready for a big meal. Our host recommended Le Comptoir du Vin, a restaurant just around the corner, but was apprehensive on how well we’d do without knowing any French since it was a local hot spot run by an older French man. We decided to take our chances knowing a few French food terms.

Mouth water aromas of garlic, butter, bread and spices let us know we were getting close as we walked down the block. Entering, we took stock of the modest restaurant- a short bar, a handful of tables and chalkboard menu. The lively crowd and and friendly jeers let us know this was a local favorite. We sat int the corner next to an older gentleman eating alone. Struggling with the menu we looked at the plates on the tables and politely asked the gentleman what he was having and what was on the plates of some of our neighbors. To our delight, the man replied in perfect, albeit quiet, English. After helping us order the two specials of the day- liver with potatoes and chicken with cream, he explained that he was an interpreter and translator. Perfect for us as the waiter didn’t speak any English.

We were in heaven upon tasting our first bites of each dish. Both classic Lyonnais cuisine, we could see why this restaurant was so popular. Huge portions of delicious food was half the price of most restaurants and so perfectly cooked and seasoned that it melted in your mouth. We stuffed ourselves silly as there were no doggie bags to take leftovers home and we couldn’t give up any unfinished bites. Washed down with the house Burgundy wine, happy and full. We practically rolled ourselves back to our apartment and happily fell asleep dreaming of the incredible meal. Definitely in our top three thus far.

Les Vins Des Cotes du Rhone Wall Map

As you have no doubt noticed in the theme of our posts, our trip has had a large focus on wine and food. Being the foodies we are, it’s only natural that this be the case. As we found ourselves back in France, we were excited to continue the wine exploring especially as we traveled through some of France’s most celebrated wine regions.

Having heard and studied places such as the Cotes du Rhone and Burgundy and their famous appellations including Chateauneuf du Pape, Cotes du Beaune, and Cotes du Nuits, I was particularly excited to visit these towns and start tasting! Our first stop was Chateauneuf du Pape just outside Avignon in the southern most part of the Cotes du Rhone. Joined by Nate’s cousin once removed and her husband (they live in London but summer in Southern France) we were on our way to the quaint wine town of Chateauneuf du Pape.

Most of the wine tasting visits I have experienced in the past have been in tasting rooms on the property where the vineyard and winery are also located – often having a tour first of the facilities and then tasting. It was not so in the places we visited in France. Most tasting rooms are located in town while the production is outside and not as often visited. Another interesting difference was how the tastings were conducted. Instead of paying for a sampling of wines as we do in places like Napa or Virginia, we were invited to taste anything but with the hope/expectation that we would purchase a bottle or more at the end. Having the minimal budgets that travelers always do, we had a couple awkward goodbyes after tasting but not purchasing.

Cellar Tasting at Marche aux Vins

One of our stops in Chateauneuf was at a small store run by a woman of about 60 and dressed as if she were 20. She invited us in and started pouring wine after wine. Whites, reds and dessert wines all made at vineyards in the region owned and operated by various family members. She was the matriarch of the family and in charge of the store. Soon cheese was presented to match the exquisite wines. When we were finally able to see the price list, we realized this woman had shared some of her best bottles with us! As the wines were so delicious and the company so entertaining, we happily purchased one of the more modest bottles of wine.

Couvent des Cordeliers

In the city of Beaune in the heart of Burgundy, we had quite a different experience again. Still tasting at shops and tasting rooms, we could see that these places were geared towards the tourist taster. We paid for tastings here and did not feel obligated to buy a bottle or bad when we didn’t. Each place we visited was also housed in a building of historical significance. The first tasting room named Marche aux Vins was housed in a 13th century church. We were given instructions to taste on our own and explore the cellars below where the wine is kept. It was a setting unlike we had ever enjoyed before. For our next tasting we visited Couvent de Cordeliers, a centuries old abbey where they have been making wine from the beginning. Here too we were able to tour parts of the abbey and then taste a sampling of wines.

For a wine enthusiast these places are not to be passed up. While I’m sure we could have had more intimate tours had we let them know I was in the industry or if I had arranged through my acquaintances, but it was fun to learn about and explore these tasting rooms and towns on our own. I can’t wait to return!

Nate outside Palais du Papes

Arriving into Villeneuve-les-Avignon, dubbed Avignon’s little sister due to its location across the river from Avignon, we immediately began to see how the arrival of the Pope affected the area. Nearly every attraction seemed related to the city’s new role as a religious center or just happened to be built earlier. Given its prominence we made our first stop to the Palace of the Pope. The size of at least two or three ‘ordinary’ mansions the palace seems to dwarf you. Your first stop as you enter is the courtyard of honor, which surrounds you with six large stories on all sides. As you continue the tour you are deposited in increasingly larger banquet halls and then extravagant papal chambers. While much of the original furniture no longer resides in the palace, the architecture itself is truly impressive. With one hundred foot tall dining rooms and massive churches with three naves on floor after floor you can begin to imagine the scale of the Pope’s lifestyle. A couple particularly interesting features we came across included a kitchen large enough to prepare a seventy course meal for hundreds of guests and hidden compartments throughout the palace to hide bags of money or other treasure. All in all a fascinating place.

Collapesed Nave at La Chartreuse

Even across the river in Villeneuve the religious theme continues with a sprawling monastery, La Chartreuse. Founded in the 14th century by the fifth Avignon Pope, Innocent VI, the Carthusian Monastery is one of the largest in Europe. No longer in active use as a monastery the site has been restored as a museum and also houses a dramatic artist group. In fact, the temporary exhibit during our visit followed a supposed journalist who was recreating absurd miracles such as the miracle of levitation and the miracle of dolphin riding. It proved quite an interesting juxtaposition with the gothic structure it is housed in. One of the more interesting features of the monastery is the collapsed Nave of the site’s main church, which lets those praying view Fort Saint Andre on the hill overlooking the monastery.

Towers at Fort Saint Andre

One of our favorite attractions in the area, Fort Saint Andre provides the best view of Avignon. Built by French kings in the 14th century it surprisingly was constructed to protect the French from the remnants of the Roman empire. Later the fort protected the Belvezet Chapel built on its grounds. The fort’s well maintained tower and ramparts, not to mention murder holes, made it a great visit.

For those with an interest in the Romans, one must see site about a half hour outside of Avignon is the Pont du Gard, a combined Roman aqueduct and road that has survived in excellent condition. Occupying over 165 hectares of land it is an amazing engineering feat and a beautiful outdoor attraction. During our visit we spotted a number of kayakers on the river below and loved the hiking trails around the area.

Pont du Garde

While the Pope may have solidified Avignon’s place on the map, the area has much to offer anyone with an interest in history be it Catholic, Medieval or Roman.

Nate on the steps at Le Bistrot

Just north of Barcelona, deep in the heart of Catalonia is the small city of Girona. Rich with history, it also has a few surprises that you may not hear about until arriving. One such surprise,a and my favorite part about our three days there, was the abundance of great restaurants. Having just left Barcelona where we had our fare share of good food and wine, we couldn’t imagine Girona offering more, but it did. With recommendations from Olga, the owner of the bed and breakfast we stayed at, we discovered foods from Catalonia, Galicia, Basque territories and more.

For our first dinner we went to a place called Curcuma. Arriving at 8:45, we knew we were early… Apparently early enough to open the restaurant! We were the only there the whole evening actually as Tuesday wasn’t there busy night. At Curcuma we enjoyed the most innovative foods we had eaten so far. With a Catalan nouveau twist, the dishes consisted of local ingredients – goat cheese, lamb, pork, mixed greens, marmalade, and apples – delicately prepared and beautifully presented. For dessert we tried the Dracula which included mixed berries of the forest over house made vanilla ice cream and a reduction of coca cola – quite a good finish to an already superb meal!

La Bodega Wine Shop

Another highlight was a tiny wine store/bar owned and operated by two Gironan brothers. Having walked pass this wine bar a couple times, we decided to check it out on our last evening. Scuttling through the rain from our B&B tom the wine store, we received a warm welcome inside. No bigger than a college dorm room, bottles of wine from all over Spain lined the right side of the wall. Opposite these bottles was a pyramid of barrels with various labels. I asked one of the brothers where these wines came from and he told me they blend and age them right there. Using grapes from nearby vineyards, the store makes about 9 of there own wines each year. Indeed, each bar ell was tapped and ready for tasting. We tasted two different reds made from tempranillo grapes. It was quite a cool experience sipping from glasses, chatting with the owners and watching the rain come down outside. After several full cups, we made our way just across the street to a Basque restaurant.

We could immediately tell this was the place to be as music pumped, people jostled at the bar, and plates of tapas were passed around. We snuck into a corner table and began pouring over the menu. Ordering several types of

Yummy cheese tart

tapas including baked goat cheese with candied figs, duck brochettes, moroccan chicken, and patatas bravas, we happily tasted and enjoyed it all especially when washed down by a Rioja wine with aromas and flavors of dark ripe berries, chocolate, and spices. It was quite the perfect meal to celebrate Nate’s birthday and our time in Spain.

Girona is not to be missed by history buffs and foodies alike.

Old Wall in Girona

After enjoying Barcelona’s urban playground, Girona provides a complete about-face. Girona holds a reputation as a city bursting with historic, well preserved architecture and a rich Catalan culture. As we came to know the city it did not disappoint.

Arriving into our bed and breakfast at Bells Oficis, a five bedroom B&B with extremely helpful hosts, we took our hosts’ advice and decided to view the city from its medieval wall.  Girona’s medieval wall rings the old city and provides perhaps the best views of all of Girona and the mountains beyond. Walking along the wall you get a picture of how the city has expanded and can spot a number of the city’s key landmarks such as the Cathedral of Girona, the city’s main church situated on top of a hill overlooking Girona, and the river Onyar that splits the old city.

Nate in Streets of Girona

Looking out from the wall you can see how the city got its reputation as one of the more beautiful spots in Catalan. This feeling is reinforced as you walk through the old city where medium to high end shopping is intermingled with historic landmarks andmuseums.  No one in the city appears rushed, in fact almost everywhere you turn outdoor cafes allow tourists and residents alike to enjoy the leisurely pace of the city. Perhaps the best way to do Girona justice is to take a more leisurely pace while sightseeing and enjoy your extra time in one of these numerous outdoor cafes.

However, when choosing sightseeing spots Girona provides plenty of options. Our top four historic attractions from the

Hailey and Girona Cathedral

visit provide a look into the diversity of the city. The most famous site is the Cathedral of Girona built in the 11th century and dramatically expanded up until the 16th century. It contains one of the most impressive entry facades we have seen throughout our trip, and houses a rich treasury on display within the church.

Girona contains another unique attraction in the oldest and best preserved Jewish quarter in Spain.  The best way to experience the quarter is through a trip to the Jewish History Museum, which explains the history of the area dubbed ‘el Call’ and what to look for while exploring it. A more eclectic attraction can be found at the Museum of the Cinema, which contains a wonderful collection of film artifacts.  The museum will surprise you with some of its more unusual pieces and provides wonderful documentation on the evolution of film.  For those interested in even more ancient artifacts be sure to make time for the Archaeological Museum, as it contains items dating from the prehistoric period in Spain through to the first appearance of Romans in the area.

Nate at Jewish Museum

In many ways Girona appears to have weathered the advance of time superbly, and there is no end to the hidden gems you can stumble upon in the city.  All you need is the time to look.