Full Bellies and Happy Hearts

When I last left you, I was heading off to our 6th annual Girl's Weekend.  "What happens at Girl's Weekend, stays at Girl's Weekend," isn't generally a motto we follow (although it may at times apply!), so there are plenty of stories to share! We began with our traditional dinner at Biaggis, with no shortage of fancy cocktails and decadent desserts.  I tried the cucumber spa martini (with gin of course) to remedy my seemingly endless week at work. I wouldn't recommend ordering it with dinner (especially a pasta) entree, but it did quench my thirst while we waited for our meals to arrive. Dinner was perfect, as usual, and dessert was splendid.  My favorite part of the meal was the bombonoli, basically an Italian donut, complemented by a cappuccino for dessert.

After dinner, it was back to my Aunt's house for sweatpants and movies. Together, we laughed and we cried while watching The Fault in our Stars, it is a fantastic film, you should all watch it. Saturday was spent as I had expected, sore calves and empty wallets were the feelings as we left the Mall of America with arms held down by heavy shopping bags.  It's very evident we've grown up since the start of our annual Girl's Weekend, well Kelsey and I at least (our mothers obviously stopped aging years ago!), as our tastes have definitely matured.  The Michael Kors bag I've been drooling over for at least a year now is finally resting happily on my arm.  Our Saturday night tradition remained the same, delivery pizza and another movie.  Sunday was a new adventure though, our first trip to the new outlet mall in Eagan. Kelsey and I decided we were perfectly content with our designer handbags that were purchased directly from the retail store versus the outlet, I think my Uncle would credit that attitude of ours to "TCtude" as he likes to call it.  That's Twin Cities attitude, for those unaware.  I guess that means I really have become a city girl!

Last year, my Mom and I had also begun our own new tradition, too.  That is, extending Girl's Weekend one more night to have some mother/daughter time.  Last year was Annie's for burgers and shakes, but this year I wanted to try something new and also be able to cross another "must-try" restaurant off my list!  Since we are definitely a "beef, it's what's for dinner" kind of family, I thought it would be fitting for us to try the Red Cow in Linden Hills.  A couple of my co-workers have recommended and even praised their unique menu.  We decided to order two different burgers and share.  Mom tried the French Onion, with white cheddar, French onions, chive sour cream and homemade potato chips, while I went with the Manhattan 2.0 piled high with bacon confit, gruyere cheese, arugula, and a dried cherry-red wine reduction on a pretzel bun.  As if the burgers aren't enough, the French fries and house-made ketchup are also a must-try!

I know it's only a few days after Thanksgiving and everyone is probably still full on turkey, and I've already shared two delicious meals with you, but looking back on the past few weeks, the only photos in my album are food!  It's been getting pretty chilly in Minneapolis, so I guess I am just working on developing an extra layer of warmth for winter perhaps?!  Well, my jeans still fit normally, so I guess its more likely due to the 15+ hours of overtime that appeared on my last paycheck!  So, this blog will just be dedicated to the foodie in me, I don't think any of you will complain.

So, let me continue with another fantastic dining experience Mitch and I had at Spill the Wine in Uptown.  I'd been to Spill the Wine once before when they were still in their Downtown location and recalled a delicious experience with simple items paired perfectly with one another and a well-chosen wine flight. Mitch has known I wanted to return since we both moved out of Uptown, and he found a Groupon for the chef's tasting experience for two.  So, we bundled up and ventured out on one of the first snowy nights in November and made our way back to the place we still called home just three months ago.  Let me tell you, I surely do not miss the lack of decent street parking as the snow gets packed down in those narrow streets!  With the Groupon, we had limited choices for a reservation so we arrived at 5:00pm and were the first guests of the evening. We had a spectacular waitress who accurately described the three different wine flight options and was attentive to checking in on us and explaining the various elements of our tasting menu. 

We started with a meat and cheese plate accompanied by crusty bread, and I was instantly taken back to a similar starter dish I had while soaking up the sun on the piazza in Siena.  After my little spurt of wanderlust memories, we dived in to the various cheeses, nuts, pickled zucchini, cured meats and jams. We almost cleared the plate, but the spicy mustard didn't really speak strongly to either of our palettes. Our second course was a local squash soup with creme fraiche and chives, followed by a crisp autumn salad. The farmers chopped salad was one of the highlights of the meal for me, with bacon, chicken confit, squash, apples, pickled cranberries, pecans, bleu cheese and a smoked maple vinaigrette. Our main course was braised Berkshire pork served in its juices with aioli and toast.  This dish speaks to my earlier comment on simplicity, it was the most moist and delicious, break-apart pork I have ever had.  I think we soaked up every last ounce of the juices with our toast, too!  Our meal was wrapped up with made-to-order personal apple crisp pots with homemade salted caramel ice cream.  It a was a splendid dining experience indeed, and I sincerely thank Mitch for remembering just how much I wanted to go back to Spill the Wine. 

I do love trying new restaurants and having unique dining experiences but I also love to cook and host.  So, this year, Mitch and I decided to host Thanksgiving for our two immediate families. Although not everyone was necessarily seated at the table, we were thankfully able to Skype with my sister and brother-in-law, who live in England.  I did have a cup of my favorite PG Tips tea (from England) for breakfast, in honor of my relatives across the pond, too! It was a surprisingly relaxing day, and everything went very smoothly.  The food was delicious, Mitch did a fantastic job on the turkey - it was perfectly moist and juicy! We stuck with traditional sides like mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing,  homemade cranberry sauce, roasted squash and brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, scalloped corn and of course green bean casserole! For dessert, we had pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie and pumpkin bars. Mitch's sister also brought the "pink fluff," a delicious raspberry jello salad to top it all off - because, is it really a holiday without jello?! As Mitch gave me a big hug and we toasted our glasses to a job well done, I felt a very strong sense of accomplishment and I'm thankful we were able to share such a great day with family! Oh, and how could I forget - one of my favorite parts of it all was arranging the centerpiece! 

As soon as the leftovers were packed up and the dishes were put away, it was on to Christmas decorations! We won't be at our place for Christmas Day, so I didn't feel much pressure to decorate to the standards of my Mom.  No, she doesn't actually have standards, but if you've ever seen my parent's house at Christmas, you would know it's a lot to live up to! I only had one minor breakdown in the whole decorating process - poor Mitch, so excited that he already had a tree for us and I nearly burst into tears when I found out it was pre-lit with colored lights. Well, I guess I am my mother's daughter after all! I've always adored our tree at home with clear lights and silver/blue accents, it's so classy and elegant. As a child, I recall begging to get colored lights on the tree and it never happened, but oh how the tables have turned!  But, I do realize compromise is part of every good relationship, so here I sit in the family room admiring our colored Christmas tree! It's growing on me, and I am especially fond of our "first Christmas in our new home" ornament from my Mom!  

I can't complain too much, because we do have a smaller tree in the living room with clear lights and similar silver/blue ornaments as my parent's tree!  Besides the trees, we've got a few other small touches and arrangements that I made. My favorite arrangement is the outdoor container which is sitting on our front step.  I must thank my Dad for trudging through the woods to get me a variety of greenery, red osier, and birch logs to satisfy my passion for floral design and horticulture. 

    

Christmas is by far my favorite holiday and I'm really looking forward to a nice relaxing break and getting home to the woods to spend time with family.  A lot has happened since last Christmas and I have a lot to be grateful for this holiday.  It is going to be tough this year though, as we battle for our family Christmas game trophy, one chair will be empty.  Grandma asked that we still leave a chair for her, so we will all be reminded that we have a special angel looking down on us this Christmas. 

As the holidays are quickly approaching, I am not even going to pretend that I can get another blog post done before then. So, I'm going to wish you and your families a happy holiday season and I look forward to catching up with you in 2015! 

Crisp Air & Rosy Cheeks

As the saying goes, home is where the heart is. For me, home is where the trees grow in abundance, the stars shine bright and the night is silent and still.  It's been over three months since I was last at the place I will always call home, far too long for my liking.  This past weekend, I was finally able to head north for a few relaxing, rejuvenating days in the woods. 

On Saturday morning, as I laid on the massage table and a woman kneaded my tense, knotted shoulders like a lump of bread dough, I realized it had yet again been a few weeks since I'd last sat down to scribble my thoughts. So, as I tried to relax and actually enjoy my Lake Superior hot stone massage, my mind raced to make mental notes of the recent happenings in my life.  And by the way, I highly recommend The Pebble Spa Company (locations in Ely & Virginia) - it was a top-notch experience and I left feeling pampered! 

After my massage, I met my mom for lunch at Jue's, a Chinese restaurant in Virginia.  I've been thinking about and craving their small lunch buffet for the past few months.  I live in the metro, yet I've never, ever found a Chinese restaurant than compares to my hometown favorite. Shocking, I know! No, it probably wasn't the best idea to consume copious amounts of fried rice, oyster wings, cream cheese wontons and other salty dishes right after a stress-relieving massage, but I promise it was completely worth it! 

I always know I'll be eating good when I go home, and this weekend was no exception. That usually includes one meal out at one of my hometown favorites, and always a good home cooked meal. This weekend did not disappoint, as my dad prepared a delicious farm to table meal for us.  I always enjoy getting to spend time in the kitchen with my family, it's a great bonding experience.  It's great to listen to my dad talk about their garden and see his face light up with excitement as he tells me a little fact about how each vegetable I'm preparing was planted, maintained or harvested.  And, how can I forget, how each was protected from the various pests around the farm. He's got quite the fence rigged up to keep out the creatures!  Our meal consisted of grilled venison steak strips, baked potatoes, grilled squash, pickled beets and a kale salad.

A weekend at home is always good for the soul, but that's not to say we haven't had plenty of other fun weekends that kept me away from my computer! Most recently, we hosted our housewarming party while also both celebrating turning another year older.  We both rang in the next chapters of our lives with juicy (or jucy, depending on which side of the jucy Lucy debate you're on) Lucy's.  Mitch originally chose Matt's Bar, but the long line and the fact they don't accept credit cards sent us back to the vehicle and down the road to the 5-8 Club.  For me, it was the Blue Door Pub in St. Paul. Both were exceptionally delicious, and highly recommended, however, I can't form my opinion on who has the best burger (really only a debate between 5-8 and Matt's) until I've had the chance to try one from Matt's - so stay tuned!  For my birthday, we also had dinner at Trattoria Tosca, next to Turtle Bread in Linden Hills. Mmmm, it was elegant, simple and delicious. Mitch had some sort of rustic italian sausage pasta while I enjoyed scallops with fingerling potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts and cauliflower purée paired nicely with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. 

  I don't think I could ever become a discerning food critic, because I find myself always praising the delicious eats of new places with little to no criticism!  Anyway, enough of my foodie adventures (for now at least!), and on to the beauty of Mother Nature. She has blessed us with an incredible fall filled with bursting colors and perfect tailgating weather. No, I'm not the biggest football fan, and I'm quite excited the puck has already dropped for Gopher and Wild hockey, but I do enjoy tailgating.  In fact, Mitch is probably the first one who can attest to that when he reminds me I missed most of the Gopher football game because I was still in the Ski-U-Mah lot catching up with college friends over hot dogs and cheap beer.  Nonetheless, I still saw the end and loved watching the Gophers as they secured their first Homecoming victory in as long as I can remember. Mother Nature must have a had a clue, because earlier that morning, our front yard was picture perfect for one of those iconic "Even Mother Nature Loves Maroon & Gold" posters. 

The other fall weekends, with equally as beautiful weather, were spent celebrating love and toasting to two new happy couples.  First, we spent a weekend in Plainview, MN celebrating with a dear friend and roommate of mine from college.  In the midst of harvest time, her wedding was festively adorned with pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, burlap and lace, and all other things fall.  I was her personal attendant and loved getting to help decorate and transform their reception space into something magical.  Happy tears were had as I realized we are all growing up so fast!  We spent the next weekend on the shores of Lake Minnetonka to celebrate two more friends of ours.  This time, Mitch was a groomsman and we were delighted to a stunning sunset cruise around the lake for the groom's dinner.  It was a blessing to be a part of both beautiful days!

More recently, I've found myself stacking up the overtime and practicing stress reduction in my life.  I've taken on even more responsibility at work and obviously have not taken as much time for the other pleasures in life, like writing.  But, with the longer hours and the growing number of take out dinners, when you hear your relatively older boss use the phrase "you're killing it!" in reference to your performance, it all suddenly seems worth it.  They don't lie when they say hardwork and persistence pay off.  I find myself thanking my mom and dad quite often for the values they taught us and what an impact it's had on my life and career.   

Along with my regular workload, I also have the role of campaign chair for our office's United Way campaign.  It can be taxing at times, but I just keep reminding myself of the positive effects it will have. I was really excited to plan our kickoff event this year, an ice cream sundae bar!  Of course, my first task was a visit to Pinterest for some fun ideas!

I think it was a success! I also used this idea (wrapping the table in butcher paper and writing the names of toppings on it) for our housewarming party.  It's creative and fun but best of all, easy cleanup. Just roll up the paper and toss it in the trash! I love doing fun parties and events like this and hopefully, someday, I'll find myself doing it a lot more often...and maybe even getting paid for my creative talents! 

Well, I think that sums up my fall, which all happened so fast. The days have already been getting shorter and soon the first snow will gently fall from the sky. Hopefully it can hold off at least one more weekend though.  It's finally girl's weekend, which is practically a holiday in our family. Already in its sixth year, it's a tradition we started when I was a freshman in college, where the girls have a weekend of shopping and relaxation in the cities, and the guys are up North freezing their buns off waiting for "the big one!"  Now, I've spent some time in a deer stand with my dad, and I don't think he'll ever see the big one while his eyes are closed and he's snoring! But, since I know he's probably reading this, I'll admit the only reason he doesn't see deer when I'm with him is because I can't contain my excitement and keep my mouth shut long enough for one to even get close! So best of luck to the guys during hunting and to my own will power against my credit card as we visit the new Twin Cities Premium Outlets in Eagan! 

Where has the time gone?!

Well friends, I'd like to begin this post with an apology.  I am apologizing for my recent hiastus, as the end of summer seriously flew by, and the familiar click of my keyboard, as I knocked out another blog, was not heard once during the month of August or most of September.  It's not that I had nothing to write about, in fact, there were plenty of noteworthy moments, but there was not enough time for me to sit down and translate my thoughts into sentences.  I've been to Florida, seen Sir Paul McCartney in concert, and moved a few miles down the road.  Yes, that's right, I am no longer a smalltown girl living in an Uptown world.  I knew it was only a matter of time before my blog title (and spin off of lyrics from one of Journey's greatest hits) would no longer apply.  And that time has come! So, I hope you can understand my recent absence, as I had been occupying the majority of my time packing, contemplating wall colors, and draining my bank account with new home décor and furniture purchases!

Before I dive into the details of our new house, I'm going to backtrack to the end of July.  When I last wrote, I was sharing with you my first experience camping in the Boundary Waters.  Shortly after, Mitch and I boarded a plane to Orlando for the American Society for Horticultural Science's Annual Conference. I was invited to attend and be recognized for winning the "Best Educational Publication for 2013" award.  During my final semester at the U of M, I had co-authored an article with Dr. Neil Anderson, one of my most influential professors, called "Marketing GMO Carnations by Future Floral Designers: Student-designated Policy Formation," which was published in HortTechnology, and selected for this award.  It was an honor to be invited and a privilege to be able to attend! I attended the conference, accepted our award during the opening session, and was able to see my paper on display. 

Since we were already in Orlando, why not spend a day at the most magical place on Earth, too?!  Well, I've been fortunate enough to travel a bit of the world, and despite how much I enjoyed feeling like a kid again, I would not classify Walt Disney World as the most magical of places. I'm more partial to breathtaking landscapes, incredible architecture, and ancient history than the modern day amusement park.  Mitch does however deserve credit for managing to not only get me in line for rides like Splash Mountain and Space Mountian, but also actually getting me to ride on them.  Not my favorite, but at least I can say I've tried.  And, I feel he had to suffer just as much as me when he was chosen to partake in story time with Belle! It was an eventful day, and a magical evening as we sat and watched the fireworks erupting around Cinderella's castle.

Unfortunately, it was a only a short trip then it was back to the real world for us.  We only had about a month left before move in day and I was ready!  If any of you knew me in my younger years, you probably knew that I was a little obsessive when it came to packing.  I would be packed for summer camp (at the great Trout Lake!) at least a month before I needed to be.  I would live out of my suitcase, in my own house, for those few weeks.  I was always just so excited, that I wanted to be ready!  Well, I have gotten a little better since then - partially because I spend over 40 hours a week at work, and I just couldn't force myself to pack every day when I got home. 

Amongst the packing, we still took some time for fun, too.  In the beginning of August, we spent a Saturday night at Target field listening to some of the classics, like Hey Jude, Maybe I'm Amazed, and Eight Days A Week.  At 72 years of age, Sir Paul McCartney still knows how to put on a show.  In fact, it's near the top of my list for live performances.  He played for almost three straight hours, keeping the crowd captivated the entire time.  It was spectacular. 

We made the official move over Labor Day weekend and we both owe a huge thank you to our parents.  If it weren't for them, we might still be moving boxes and furniture!  Not to mention, how great it is to move your stuff into a sparkling clean house.  At one point, my mom was scrubbing away in all of the nooks and crannies with a toothbrush while my dad was outside with a razor blade scraping old paint spatter off our windows - that's dedication! 

It's been a few weeks since we moved, and our place is really starting to feel like a home.  We've crossed quite a few projects off our list including painting the bedrooms, working in the yard, upgrading our furniture, and finishing unpacking.  My organization has taken over, and unfortunately Mitch can't always find where I've 'hidden' things!

We have had beautiful weather too and I have been trying to make the most of it by spending lots of time outside.  I even made a trip to Bachman's (which is even closer to me now) to pick up some plants to create the fall container shown above.  It's my favorite time of year and I am so excited to be able to enjoy it from our new home!   

It's been fun getting settled in, but I am excited to be able to take a break from projects over the next few weeks as we enjoy fall and celebrate the marriages of two beautiful couples.  It's going to be a fun few weeks and I can't wait to report back with all of the excitement!  Until then, enjoy this glorious time of year and remember to take a minute to be thankful for everything in your life.  I've been reminded many times in the last month how thankful I am for everything and everyone who has been and is apart of my life. 

BWCA: Nature's Finest

I spent eighteen, almost nineteen, years of my life going to bed at night under the stars and waking up to peaceful quiet mornings and the sound of birds chirping.  However, in the last five years, I've found myself falling asleep to the sound of bar close stragglers and sirens, with the glow of street lamps, and waking up to the sound of the garbage truck rattling while emptying the dumpster.  I have grown accustomed to this lifestyle, and it seems like second nature to me.  That is, until I realize how peaceful it is to fall asleep to only the sounds of nature at work.  I'm very thankful I had that opportunity last weekend, with a one-night trip into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area & Wilderness.

We've been planning this trip for a few weeks, and I must admit I had a rude awakening when my Dad asked me if I was interested in joining them and my very first thought was "what if my cell phone dies?!"  I instantly felt spoiled and disgusted at how attached to technology I am.  So, I eagerly accepted my invitation to join my parents and my Aunt who would be visiting from Maryland.  I will admit I did bring my iPhone with me and it even had its own flotation device, but it was only used for taking photos.  I could hardly sleep on Friday, the excitement built as I anticipated an early Saturday morning.  I jumped right out of bed when my Dad knocked on the door at 6am, and I gathered all of my gear before having a nice breakfast of yogurt, granola and berries.  We finished loading up the truck and snapped a 'before' photo of our four smiling faces before hitting the road.  

The drive seemed to go by relatively quick, with only one stop at T. Pattenn's Cafe in Orr for their famous, monster donuts.  Before long, we were pulling into the Moose River landing parking lot and I must admit, I was thoroughly shocked by the number of cars.  In fact, I was slightly disappointed.  I had imagined my first experience in the BWCA would be complete seclusion, like we wouldn't even see any other people the whole time we were there.  My parents reminded me the BWCA is quite vast, and it's not like all of these people will be on the same lake....they were right. 

We unloaded the truck and immediately doused ourselves in bug spray before hoisting the packs, which really weren't as heavy as I had anticipated,  onto each other's backs.  My poor Dad, stuck with three ladies for the weekend, had to do the grunt work and carry both canoes as well as the heaviest pack.  As usual, he was trooper and did it all with a smile.  We hiked 160 rods, which thanks to the Internet, I learned was similar to 1/2 mile, before getting to the river and finally embarking on our journey. 

Team NJW, as we branded ourselves, took to the water first.  It was a bit of a rough time at first, but by the third portage we had figured out our rhythm and stayed out of the bushes, well for the most part!  Another thing I wasn't anticipating were the number of portages on the river - I had always assumed portages were only between the lakes and not necessarily on the rivers.  A few of them were new since my parents had last been up there, mostly caused by downed trees.  We passed a few folks who were coming out, on our way in, who either delighted us with polite chatter about the weather, bugs, etc. or flashed a snide smile along with sarcastic comments toward Auntie Norma and me.  Most of the time, we were probably far enough behind my parents, that we appeared to be travelling on our own, but I still found it quite unnecessary for the big macho men to treat us that way.  Oh well, I was very proud of us!

 

After a couple of hours, many winding turns and me repeatedly humming "Just Around the Riverbend" to myself, we finally reached the mouth of Moose River at the point where it meets Nina Moose Lake.  It was such a relief to know that we were on the last leg of our first day.  We immediately set our sights on a campsite directly across the lake and headed that direction.  We arrived and dragged the canoes to shore, hauled the packs up to the site and began to unload.  Dad went right to work organizing everything and getting the tent set up, while I sat there for a few minutes to take it all in.  It was absolutely perfect and serene.  We were the only people on the lake, situated on a point where the breeze kept the bugs at bay, with a beautiful view.

 

 After getting everything set up and resting for a bit, we decided to head across the lake to Lamb Portage in hopes of finding blueberries and maybe seeing some wildlife.  We only succeeded in one of our goals, but it was quite rewarding when we were able to have blueberry pancakes on Sunday morning!  Our hike of Lamb portage was quite primitive, it was obvious that wasn't the choice route to get to Lamb Lake and hadn't been used much.  The bugs were atrocious and sweat was dripping by the time we got back to the canoes, so all we could focus on was getting back and jumping in the lake.  Unfortunately, we got a little side-tracked when Dad suggested I take the back and practice steering.  He reminded me that "the shortest distance between two points is a straight line," and after a few words (in slightly raised voices), we realized that does not necessarily work so well when the person in front is heavier than the person in back!

 

Within a matter of minutes after returning to the campsite, we were all in our swimsuits and in the water. It was so incredibly refreshing!  It reminded me of Elbow Lake and swimming as a kid, in the root beer colored water with a mucky, muddy bottom.  After our swim, I changed into dry clothes and we started to get dinner ready.  We had fajitas, which we prepared the evening before, so we just had to warm them up.  It was quick and simple, and they were delicious.  We each found a log or rock to lean against and enjoyed our dinner as the sun began heading further west and the breeze died down bringing a sort of calm, coolness across the lake.  Dad cleaned everything up and hoisted the food pack into a tree while us ladies sat around and chatted.  As dusk drew near, the wilderness seemed to come to life.  We saw a total of three beavers swimming along their merry way, heard the familiar call of a loon as it flew over the water, and we even saw the peering eyes of a massive snapping turtle right where we had been swimming only a few hours earlier.  I spotted the turtle with its head peeking out just above the surface of the water and we all watched him as he stretched his long claws to take a step closer on the rocks while his neck elongated to get a better look at us.  He was a monster, and a late night skinny dip definitely wasn't happening after that sight!

 The sun hit the trees and quickly sank on the horizon bringing on the stars.  I sat by the fire for a bit, but my heavy eyes and the hungry mosquitoes sent me into the tent pretty early.  Plus, I wanted to be up in time to watch the sunrise, so I called it an early night.  I was proud of myself for falling asleep so easily and not staying awake scaring myself at every little sound, instead I focused on the crunch of pine beetles and fell right asleep.  I slept as well as one can while on the ground in a tent with snoring travel companions, but I am not complaining.  I awoke to the familiar sound of chickadees announcing a new day.  The chickadee always reminds me of our many trips to the Shack, it's one of those sounds that  will always take me back to Elbow Lake.  I was the first awake and I got Dad up to go watch the sunrise and it was well worth it.  It was so tranquil watching the sun climb into the sky as the mist lifted off the surface of the water.  It was so perfectly still and peaceful.  We captured some beautiful photos, and I must credit him on the one below - he's becoming quite the nature photographer!

 

He started the fire and got his coffee made, while I went back to bed.  It was still a little early to be awake on the weekend!  After a short little rest, I was ready for the day again.  We began cooking breakfast - blueberry pancakes, bacon and sausage, it was so yummy!  We also sang a little campfire song to wish our chef extraordinaire, my Dad, a happy birthday.  We did feel bad that he had to enjoy his breakfast last because we were devouring the hot cakes immediately after he took them after the griddle.  There is something so delicious about the primitive nature of food freshly cooked over a campfire.  I can't even explain it, but if you've never enjoyed this little pleasure, I suggest you add it your bucket list.

 

After breakfast, we began to pack everything up in preparation for our trip out.  We made a very efficient team and we were all set to go by 10am.  The trip across the lake was quite a bit rougher than the day before.  We were going against the wind, my shoulders were aching, and I was feeling slightly dehydrated.  I had a hard time drinking the 'bug juice' that Dad had for us.  Really, I'm sure it was just fine because the water was filtered but I preferred the taste of cold, Britt well water from home!  We finally made it to the mouth of the river once again and started the all so familiar trek with what seemed like never-ending turns.  We hit a few more obstacles, apparently there had been some busy beavers the night before (ah, so punny!) who were attempting to complete their dam.  Thanks to our courageous leader and his strength, Team NJW and my Mom never had to get out of our canoe for these small obstacles, because he just pulled us right over!

 

It seemed to pass much faster this time, perhaps because Auntie Norma and I had really nailed down our rhythm or because we had already seen the scenery once.  Either way, I was happy that it was going smoothly because I was anxious to be home.  We finally reached the first portage, and I really felt a sense of accomplishment.  There was, what appeared to be a city boy scout troop, who were obviously struggling with the portage.  And, when one of the young campers (with his massive mosquito net hat) exclaimed "oh my gosh, is that snow?!"  I really felt like a strong woman.  We believe he was confused by the foam at the bottom of the small rapids, but it still made me feel good that I hadn't lost touch with nature that much in my last few years as a city girl.

 

We even skipped a couple of the last portages, when Dad realized it was more efficient to navigate the rocks and get out to drag the canoe across downed trees, it saved us quite a bit of time.  And before long, we were back at the start.  Norma and I had arrived back at the portage first and we hopped out of the canoe and immediately gave each other a high five - we did it!  We then walked a ways up the trail to snap some photos of the rapids before starting our trek back to the truck.

 

This was probably the toughest part of the whole trip.  That last 160 rods seemed to take forever.  And I am so grateful for my Dad, and his strength.  He was such a trooper, taking one load and turning right back around to get the second canoe.  Working in the city, I don't see that every day and I forget how much of a valuable asset that is.  Plus, my Mom was a great motivator and went to meet him halfway back down the trail.  We guzzled the ice cold water, which we had saved in a cooler in the truck.  It's never tasted so good as it did in that moment!  Shortly after, it was back in the truck and on the road home.  We did take one pit stop, at the Dam for ice cream cones to celebrate Dad's birthday.  Once we got back home, I took a quick shower before collapsing on the couch.  I was exhausted, but in a good way.  So, despite it being a very short trip, it was the perfect start for me (and team NJW) and I am definitely looking forward to doing it again!

Up North: 4th of July in the Sticks

It's hard to believe its come and gone, the weekend I've anticipated since it ended last summer, has already come to an end.  Now, it's back to the daily grind - 72 unread emails requiring immediate attention, the seemingly nonstop clicking of keyboards, and the distant beeps from the copier keep me concentrated on the tasks at hand.  That is, until I pause for just a moment, glance at my ankles speckled with mosquito bites, close my eyes and instantly feel like I'm still bouncing around in the boat getting tossed by the waves.  It's a very distinct feeling, like no other, serving as a reminder of a weekend well spent with family and friends.

Last week, as I sped down the freeway with the Minneapolis skyline in my rear view mirror, I made it up North in record time.  I rolled into Virginia just in time to grab a cherry slicker from the Freeze and stop to spend a few minutes with my grandpa, before pulling into mom & dad's driveway and finally feeling the relief of being home.  I spent Wednesday evening barefoot in the backyard on the badminton court with one of my best friends.  Just like in high school, we volleyed the birdie back and forth while exchanging the latest scoop.  I called it an early night, so I could rest up for the remaining weekend activities, I think I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow. 

 On Thursday morning, I woke up to my alarm clock while at home, my dad, and started packing up the car to head even further North than usual to Pelican Lake in Orr.  My heart was thumping with excitement as I drove around the curves and down the dirt road into Richardson's Shangri-La Resort to meet Mitch and his family.  Ironically, they have been vacationing 40 minutes from my house for the last 20 years!  The first thing I heard when I got out of my car was the distinct slam of an old screen door, and I knew I was finally at the lake. We spent a few minutes lounging on the dock before getting into the boat and going out in hopes of catching dinner.

 

Mitch promised me that I would catch something, and he delivered on his promise.  I was very successful, catching a couple 15.5" smallmouth and largemouth bass, which were both protected in the slot limit.  I may not have been able to take the hooks out myself, but they did make me hold the fish all by myself to pose for photos!  I also caught a couple more fish that we saved for dinner later that evening.  After a successful morning fishing the reef, we headed back in for lunch and an afternoon on the dock and swimming.  It was a bit chilly jumping in, but oh so refreshing!   

After our swim, it was time to get ready for dinner.  But first, I got a lesson in filleting fish.  I watched as Mitch did one, but my attention span was short-lived as I breathed through my mouth to avoid to stinky scent of fish guts.  Our fresh-caught dinner was delicious, and I'm glad I was able to contribute.  Afterwards, we walked down to the dock to watch the sunset.  There are no words to even describe the joy I felt sitting there on the water's edge in the adirondack chairs as the sun sank below the pine trees on the distant shore.  I had been waiting for that moment for a very, very long time.

Later that evening, we went into Orr for the fireworks and street dance.  Being a iron ranger at heart, although I never claim it, I've been to a street dance or two, and it was entertaining to watch it all unfold.  On Friday morning, we canoed out to and around a couple of the islands on Pelican.  It started out as a pleasant paddle, but once we got out of the protected bay, it began to get a little choppy.  I was getting nervous, but Mitch assured me everything was just fine.  It actually turned out to be a perfect practice session for my upcoming one night trip to the Boundary Waters. 

Once we got back to shore and I realized how sore my shoulders were, we opted to spend some time inside playing board games.  We switched off between backgammon, which I learned to play the night before, and cribbage until I couldn't handle to lose any more.  Well, I must admit I did skunk him a couple of games, but overall he takes the cake.  Outside, the clouds darkened and storms began to roll in, so we hurried to get ready and snap a few photos before heading to the Dam Supper Club for dinner.  Oddly enough, in all my years spent up North, I had never been to the Dam, so it was a delightful first for me!

Later that evening, we left Pelican Lake and headed a bit south to Lake Vermilion, where we met my parents to watch the 4th of July fireworks.  The fireworks were at Polley's Resort, not your typical resort I'd recommend vacationing at, if any of you have seen or heard of the place, but I must admit they do know how to put on a show.  It's become one of my favorite traditions of the weekend, and this year was especially spectacular.  The weather can be credited for that, as the storms were rolling in and the show sped up, we were delighted to an intense fireworks display while lightning striked in the distance.  Thankfully, the raindrops didn't start hitting the water until the finale. 

We went to bed on Friday night hoping for Saturday's forecast to clear up.  To my surprise, I woke up to dad knocking on the door and exclaiming the sun was shining and the radar was clear.  I rolled out of bed and saw he already had the boat almost loaded up in the driveway.  I kicked it into high gear and we were on the road within the hour.  We put the boat in at Peterson's landing and it fired right up.  The ride towards our destination was a bit rough, very choppy and by the time we reached "our island" we were drenched.  Now, it's only a public picnic site, but we've come to deem it as ours since it's been the site of many Walker family afternoons on the lake. 

We dropped off the coolers to lighten our load before doing a little morning fishing.  Much to my surprise, and don't take offense to this, dad was a wonderful guide!  Mom and Ally will understand that statement, but for all of you, it stems from our younger years at the Shack on Elbow Lake.  Anyway, minus one minor mishap of running into a underwater rock pile, we were quite successful.  I caught a couple of keepers and Mitch caught a 20" smallmouth bass!  Unfortunately neither of us caught "Wally" but I am glad we both had great success!  Plus, we had some cool nature sightings like eagles, loons and two deer swimming.

After fishing, it was back to the island to start preparing lunch.  Dad left us in charge to keep the fire burning while he went back to shore to pick up Mom, who had been working in the morning.  We savored delicious venison steak strips and fresh caught bass, both cooked over the open flame, alongside potato salad, watermelon and chips with salsa.  Primitive, yet delectable.  After a quick dip in the lake, well for me and dad at least, we dried off by the campfire while roasting marshmallows and making s'mores.  I added some fresh strawberries to my s'more for a sweet twist - yum!  We ended our evening on the lake with a boat ride to Moosebirds for ice cream, an absolute must-do in my book!

Sunday came all too quickly, but we didn't let it get us down.  We went to church in the morning and I really enjoyed getting to hear my dad sing.  The day continued with a stop at the Vermilion Club for lunch.  Although there were only four of us, we still decided to order the Bamboozler, a famed 24" pizza, to share.  It's a classic at the VC, and I definitely recommend it.  I am positive we could have finished the monster between the four of us, but I like leftovers and none of us wanted to be too full for mini golfing.  I had already mentioned I was excited to mini golf at Pier 77 in a prior post, following a slightly disappointing round at MaltTees in Richfield, and it did not let me down.  We had tons of fun, even with the massive downpour that sent us running inside from the 14th hole for a few minutes!

I highly recommend Pier 77 for a fun afternoon activity to anyone that is visiting the Lake Vermilion area.  With hole names like Soudan Mine, Giant's Ridge and the Laurentian Divide, it's a highly unique and creative course highlighting the area's attractions.  My favorite hole was Split Rock Lighthouse because it has a striking similarity to a History Day project of mine from almost 10 years ago.  The course is very well-kept too.  We had an absolute blast, in fact, by the end my mom was already saying how excited she was to go again. 

After mini golf, we made a few stops to visit both grandpas and check out my dad's garden on the farm before heading South.  Before long, the Minneapolis skyline was back in sight and the weekend officially drew to an end.  It wasn't a typical Sunday evening though, instead of laying awake and restless anticipating the week to come like normal, I fell calmly asleep with a smile on my face after the perfect weekend. 

The Countdown is On!

Well, to begin, I am slightly disappointed in myself for going over three weeks without a post.  Mostly, work has been keeping me quite busy and increasing my stress levels.  Throw that in with my increasing excitement to get out of the city and back home, and you've got the perfect recipe for distraction.  Anyway, I've finally got my inspiration to sit down at the table and get writing, after all it's one of the things that soothes me the most.

Not that I need excuses, but it has also been an extremely rainy and wet June, so I have been limited to a lot of inside activities lately, too.  My favorite walking route, around Lake of the Isles, is still flooded forcing me to walk on the bike path and dodge the intense bikers who fail to obey the newly added "Share the path" signs!  The river is also raging.  Just last weekend, my parents were in town for the weekend and we spent Saturday morning at the Mill City Farmer's Market and along the Mississippi River at the Stone Arch bridge.  I always enjoy the farmer's market, between admiring the stacks of fresh produce, the savory scents and the people watching, I could sit there all morning and be perfectly content.  And, to no surprise, my favorite site was that of the blooming peonies. 

I absolutely love this photo I took.  It reminds me of all the little stands and shops throughout Europe with their chalkboard price lists and stunning, fresh-picked blooms.  From the farmer's market we walked on towards the Stone Arch Bridge to capture the wonder of the rushing river.  As we stood there in awe of the sheer power and force, we were refreshed by the mist hitting our warm faces. As incredible as the site was, I do hope the rain will soon subside. 

 

The rain was not, however, an excuse to hold me back from experiencing new foodie adventures and crossing off new restaurants from my checklist.  From sushi to savory waffles, I've been quite busy over the past few weeks (my bank account can unfortunately attest to it, too!).  Being an uptown girl, with a desire to consistently try new things, taste a variety of foods, and simply experience all there that the area offers can be a little bit taxing on the wallet.  On the bright side, it's actually led me to start a budget and be more responsible about my spending and more importantly about my savings.  Anyway, back to the good stuff, I don't even know where to start.  I'd love to post photos of all the delicious tastes, but I think that would be a bit excessive.  So, here's my favorite.  An out of the box creation for sure, this savory asparagus, parmesan and quinoa waffle from Birchwood Cafe was topped with rhubarb jalapeno marmalade, lemon pepita butter, pepitas, bacon lardoons, a sunny-side up egg, maple syrup, powdered sugar.

 

Not only was it picture-worthy (I joked with my two best girl friends that I had to order it simply for the photo), but it was also unexpectedly delicious.  Mitch and I also checked out Amore Victoria a couple of weeks back and shared an app and entrée.  It was a bit of a chaotic, unorganized experience with the wait staff, likely due to the bike race happening that evening, but none the less the food was still delicious, even if it came to us out of order.  The Tortellacci alla Panna was phenomenal, highly recommended, but my favorite was the free chocolate cake we received for dessert!  Another notable new restaurant to recommend is Kiku Bistro, formerly Mt. Fuji Sushi, on Hennepin Avenue.  They had a fantastic happy hour, I enjoyed a delicious sake sangria, along with excellent prices on rolls allowing me to try an assortment of their unique menu.  And of course, I've enjoyed a few rooftop drinks this summer, too.  My favorite was the mojito at Stella's, mostly because it was sipped over great conversation catching up with an old college roommate.  Those times are truly the best, it reminds me of how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life!

 

As the title may have indicated, I am beyond excited to get home for the 4th of July holiday!  I've been a bit overwhelmed in the last few weeks, but I know the second I breathe in the fresh air of home, a huge weight will be lifted off my shoulders.  Only three more sleeps, as my mom puts it, until I am on the lake, with family & friends, appreciating the glorious place I call home.  I can't wait to sleep in absolute darkness and quiet, and to enjoy the picturesque beauty of the North where I am continually reminded to be grateful for all that I have.  My small town roots will always prevail, but I've learned that living in the big city can sometimes distract me from the important things in life, especially when I get wrapped up in all the things to do and see.  I'm mostly looking forward to getting back into balance and remembering what things are truly the most important in life. 

 

Hopefully I haven't ranted on too much about my need to get out of the city, but I promise my next post will be coming much sooner.  By this time next week, I will be ready to write so that I can relive all of the fantastic moments of my trip home.  I hope you all have a fantastic holiday weekend!

Kicking Off: Summertime in the City

And just like that we have moved from spring to summer, or did we actually even see spring at all?  Welcome to Minnesota.  The weather has warmed up, but unfortunately with that came a lot of rain and humidity.  I succumbed quickly to the stickiness and I've already had my AC window unit installed. I also chose to get six inches of my hair chopped off in efforts to have a low-maintenance summer hairstyle.  Needless to say, I am ready for summertime in the city. 

Being a working girl, my summer plans are far less extravagant than in years past, but I'm looking forward to the spontaneity which will inevitably ensue.  Whether it be unplanned trips to the beach, catching an unexpected show at the Harriet bandshell, or running into friends on Stella's rooftop, I'm anxious to see what's in store.  Plus, there are so many different festivals, shows and activities right at my fingertips, I doubt I will ever find myself bored.  In fact, I've  already checked out two local festivals.  A couple of weekends ago, we braved the rain showers to sample a few brews at the City Pages Beer Festival.  The rain  didn't hold us back from bopping from tent to tent tasting an interesting array of craft beers.  

I am always fond of a decent porter or stout, but I enjoyed some of the refreshing flavor combinations and lighter varieties for summer, too. One of my favorites was a grapefruit variety, perfectly light, all it was missing was an afternoon out on the lake!  We finished off our beer tasting experience with some delicious pulled pork and carnitas tacos from the Rusty Taco food truck. 

This past weekend, I was out for lunch with a close friend and we happened to stumble upon another summer festival, the Edina Art Fair.  We planned for lunch at Turtle Bread in the Linden Hills neighborhood, where I had a delicious Turkey and Brie panini, which really hit the spot on a somewhat chilly Saturday afternoon. After checking out the bakery and eyeing up the red velvet cupcakes, we decided we'd scope out the neighborhood first, before returning for dessert. 

We first stepped into Brown & Greene Floral and I was instantly drawn back into my dreams of owning my own floral shop.  I got a chance to speak with the owner of the adorable, high end shop and she assured me that I was wise in waiting to tackle this dream.  She reminded me of the competitive nature of the industry and advised that I continue to take opportunities to grow my experience level.  She also offered up some dessert samples, salted caramel brownie bites from France 44, which unfortunately altered our plans of returning to Turtle Bread for cupcakes, but were oh so rich, chocolately and delectable! 

I realized we weren't too far from 50th and France, a fun boutique-y area in Edina, so I suggested that we walk that direction to mosey through some of the shops.  Much to my surprise, the streets were lined with tents and people...turns out it was the Edina Art Fair.  We were in no hurry at all, so we spent the rest of our afternoon ogling at decor and fine jewelry that we could only dream of one day owning. 

Some of my favorite works at the festival were the various unique pottery pieces, especially the creative floral containers and vases.  With my background in floral design, it's neat to see different containers that may not typically be used in conventional arrangements.  I also fell in love with all of the photography exhibits with their frames and canvases of various European destination cities and landmarks.  I wanted to take it all home with me to adorn my apartment walls and act as a constant reminder of my days in Italy.  Then there was the sea glass jewelry, I am always a sucker for sea glass.  That's one of my favorite parts of visiting the North Shore, combing the beaches for agates and sea glass to add to my collection.  Trying on the unique jewelry also brought me instantly back to the "Wine and Walleye Festival" in Ashtabula, OH a couple of summers ago.  It always amazes me how the little things like a simple necklace, can really strike up the memory and bring you back to another time in an instant, complete with the vivid details.  I guess I'm thankful for that ability because that recollection put a little smile on my face.

Sunday was spent in preparation for one of my first big events with my job, working a golf tournament. Mitch suggested we get 18 holes in, so we headed to MaltTees Mini Golf & Malt Shop.  Ok, ok...I was being slightly sarcastic saying "Sunday was spent in preparation," it was more or less ironic that we chose to mini golf on the day before the tournament.  MaltTees was ok, not the highest quality course, but it was fun for a Sunday afternoon.  And now I've just added another activity to my list of things to do when I'm home - mini golfing at Pier 77 on Lake Vermilion.

I've still got a few weeks before I head North, and I'm getting more and more anxious for some time away from the city.  My dad has been fueling my excitement by sending me some snaps of the great outdoors, sites that will likely never be seen in my uptown neighborhood.  Although I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of nature surrounding the lakes, especially Lake of the Isles, but that still doesn't compare to the heartwarming site of a spotted fawn snuggled up in the weeds.  My parents have also had another visitor lately, a thief in the night, a black bear has been spending a lot of time foraging for bird seed at the feeder just off our deck.  I suggested that dad take out his trail cam and put it to good use, and sure enough he captured some neat photos of the creature pawing at the feeder at 2:00am.  When I glanced at the photos, I was honestly more scared of the fact that the temperature read 39 degrees over the fact that a bear is becoming a frequent visitor to our backyard!

The summer has has already been enjoyable and I'm looking forward to all of the exciting things to come.  In just three shorts weeks, I will be northbound for a long 4th of Juy weekend filled with my favorite traditions while also making new memories, too! 

Spring has finally sprung!

As the old saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers," except when you're from Northern Minnesota and April means a chance of snow while May is spent in anticipation of that one breakthrough day when temps finally rise above 50 degrees. 

To be fair to our great state, we've already had more than a handful of beautiful days, my bronzed shoulders and awkward first tan lines are proof.  And when I say bronzed, I mean finally showing a little bit of tan after several aloe applications. Even if it stings, the first sunburn of the year is always a milestone for me, it symbolizes the start of careless sunny afternoons floating on the lake, windswept hair from boat rides, and cool, smoky bonfire evenings with friends. That's the small-town girl in me, referring to some of my favorite activities in Northern Minnesota.  But, now I'm a city girl, so I'm looking forward to happy hours and late nights on one of the many patios throughout the city, bike rides and walks around the chain of lakes, and Saturday mornings wandering through the farmer's market. 

I've already been to both the Minneapolis and St. Paul Farmer's markets this spring. I prefer the St. Paul market because it's smaller and the vendors are local so I trust all of my purchases are in season, fresh and also supporting a local farmer. On the other hand, I do enjoy the Thursday afternoon "Market on the Mall" when vendors from the Minneapolis Farmer's Market setup on Nicollet Mall, allowing me the perfect excuse for an outdoor lunch.  I recently took advantage of the fresh rhubarb available, spending an afternoon filling my apartment with the aromas of strawberry-rhubarb crisp.

The bright sunshine and longer days have also been advantageous for my indoor herb garden. Some of my herbs are thriving more than others, mostly because I'm situated with Eastern facing windows, but they're all showing signs of new growth. My sweet basil is especially vigorous, allowing me to get creative in the kitchen. My most recent creation were caprese grilled sandwiches.  I began with a demi-baguette and rubbed both sides of the sliced baguette with some raw garlic, to add flavor, and drizzled the bread with olive oil. I then laid down slices of fresh mozzarella, roma tomato, and fresh-picked basil followed by a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of black pepper, kosher salt, and dried rosemary (dried from the rosemary in my herb garden). I then used my cast iron skillet to warm the sandwich, melt the mozzarella cheese and slightly toast the bread. It was full of flavor and an easy weeknight meal, plus I got to utilize my own garden! Living in uptown may restrict me from a big garden, but sometimes you just need to be resourceful and try other methods of gardening.  There are so many neat things out there, why not give one or two a try?!

Now that it is warming up (the temperatures right now are actually resembling summer with the humidity), I'm anxious to create some refreshing cocktails and fresh summer dishes with some of my other herbs, like mint and rosemary. A mojito would really hit the spot right about now! 

Another activity I'm looking forward to as an Uptown girl is bike rides around the Chain of Lakes.  This past weekend, we rented some of the NiceRide bikes,a non-profit bike rental system in the Twin Cities, and peddled our way around Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet. About 7 miles total, we started by the Tin Fish on Lake Calhoun and followed the bike path up to William Barry parkway, across to Lake Harriet and around, then back to finish up the loop around Lake Cahoun. We stopped to check out the Lake Harriet Bandshell and grab some refreshments at Bread & Pickle. The weather was fantastic with slight cloud cover and a decent breeze for a pleasant cruise. I'm definitely looking forward to taking advantage of this opportunity again in the near future. The NiceRide system is quite affordable and they have over 170 stations where you can rent and return your bike.  

Our next trip is going to be more extensive, we plan to further explore the Grand Rounds and the beautiful bike trails, traveling from Lake Calhoun over to Minnehaha Falls.  And I know there will be at least one stop along the way at either the Tin Fish or Sea Salt Eatery too! I love that Minneapolis offers the bike trails, it gives those who are less avid bikers the chance to still get out and enjoy without having to worry about navigating busy streets and cars whizzing by. As we rode along Lake Calhoun, I took a few mental notes and added a couple more activities to my summer to do list - I definitely want to check out Wheel Fun Rentals and spend an afternoon on the stand up paddle boards or kayaking around Lake of the Isles. 

As mentioned earlier, another thing I cannot wait for this summer is bonfires.  When I think of bonfires, my mind is immediately drawn to fires on the shore of Lake Vermilion, but once again, I can't have that luxury as readily as I used to and I'm growing to accept that.  And it really isn't so terrible.  We spent last Sunday evening with friends surrounding a small, tame fire in their backyard, roasting marshmallows and indulging in ooey-gooey s'mores.  I must admit, it was rather pleasant not having to swat at ferocious mosquitoes every few minutes. 

I loved waking up the next morning to find my hair still scented with smoke, it was a sure sign that summer is here.  Yes, this summer will be different than my previous summers because I'm working full time, but I'm definitely looking forward to exploring and getting to know my city much more.  Just the same, I am also counting down the days until I can get back home and spend a few days on the lake catching up with family and friends, too! 

Looking back: Under the Tuscan Sun

As promised, this blog is dedicated to one year ago when I embarked on a two week journey through the Tuscan countryside. Post-graduation and pre-real world, this was my last opportunity to take advantage of traveling without having to save up vacation days, well at least for awhile!  This trip taught me that  I definitely possess characteristics of both of my travel companions, mom and dad. For instance, I was always up early with dad writing in my journal and prepping for the day by paging through guidebooks and mapping out our daily itineraries. And from mom, I got a small attention span for in-depth history and a love for nature and beautiful landscapes, especially a fascination for water. Another lesson learned was patience. Mostly, it was patience while navigating our way through foreign freeways and winding country roads.  As I recall, mom found herself sitting quietly in the backseat of our Fiat 500, on more than one occasion, as voices were raised in the front seat. At the end of the day though, we made a pretty great team.

After landing in Rome, we made our way deep into the heart of Tuscany to Agriturismo Banditella. La Banditella was an Italian version of a cottage set on a working vineyard and olive oil farm. To be considered an agriturismo, the family must make more in farm revenue than hospitality revenue, a unique experience I learned about while staying in Switzerland.  We settled into our cottage, Il Roseto, and familiarized ourselves with the family that owned Banditella. The head of the house and chef extraordinaire, Paolo, immediately stole our hearts with his smile, warm greeting, and genuine hospitality. 

Our first full day began in the nearest town (more like a village) of Cinigiano (pronounced chin-e-gee-on-o) at the local market.  The town was bustling was little, old Italian women demanding which bunch of carrots they wanted while all the men sat watching and smoking their cigars. We joined in, selected some porketta, a baguette and a milder tasting fromage (cheese) for a fresh, farmers market lunch. 

After a delicious, rustic lunch, we made our way through the winding roads and switchbacks up to Monte Amiata, the largest lava dome in Southern Tuscany.  We continued on in search of one of the many hot springs sprinkled through the area. Our noses, filled with a strong sulphur scent indicated we had arrived, but it took the guidance of some local teens to get us directly to Saturnia.  The mineral pools, with their warm, pounding water and steam, made me feel as if I were receiving a sophisticated spa treatment. 

In the next couple of days, we familiarized ourselves with the area and put many kilometers on our Fiat 500. We ventured to the sea, driving through the Maremma nature preserve and up the coast. We also visited a local farm, Vegni e Medaglino, a producer of wine and olive oil. We were treated to a personalized tour and tasting session with each of their wines, grape jelly, and olive oil.  After taking a "Vines and Wines" course at the U of M, I appreciated the opportunity to interact and have an intelligent conversation with an authentic Italian wine producer. Following our tasting and a bit of a walk around Castel Porrona, we settled on a lazy afternoon by the pool. 

We continued our tour of Tuscany and it's hillside villages with a day trip to Siena. As we found ourselves suddenly upon the Piazza il Campo, I was in awe. I had to take a minute to gather my thoughts and appreciate the stunning architecture, rich history and vastness. We grabbed a bite to eat on the piazza before heading up into one of the 17 different contrade (city wards all stemming off the piazza, each with it's own symbol). We mosied through shops, stood in wonder at that Romanesque-Gothic Duomo, and found ourselves ending the afternoon with a gelato back at piazza looking out towards the Palazzo Pubblico. 

Firenze, or Florence, was next up on the agenda.  We'd planned ahead and this was day one of a split two day excursion.  It was a rather quick drive with limited curvy roads and mostly freeways. We parked the Fiat 500 on the outskirts of town and rode the bus into the heart of Firenze. The first sight as we stepped off the bus was the Ponte Vecchio, an inconic sight on the Arno River. We walked along the river into the city center, taking a stop at the Galleria Uffizi to purchase reserved tickets for tours on our next visit, I'd recommend this to anyone planning a visit as it saved us a ton of time and we avoided long queues. 

We wandered through the streets coming across Plaza Vecchio (original site of "the David"), Piazza del Republic and finally reached the Duomo and Baptistery. Both structures were astonishing works of art and architecture with their intricate carvings, marble facade, gold plated doors and the stunning dome on the cathedral. Dad climbed the top of the clock tower for some stunning aerial views of the city, while mom and I grabbed lunch. We continued on to cross the Ponte Vecchio, stopping to admire each of the gold and silver shops that line the bridge, on our way to Pitti Palace, home to the 16th century dukes of Tuscany and Florence, the Medici family. Behind the palace sat the Boboli Gardens, a collection of formal Italian gardens and sculptures.  We wandered through the maze of hedges and soaked up the sun until the gardens closed and we realized our first day in Florence was nearing an end, so back to Banditella for a late night meal. 

Rome, which was not built in a day was also tough to squeeze into one day, but we tried.  It was an early morning train ride into the city, and the slightly unreliable transit system already caused us to be delayed, but we managed to make our way to the Vatican before the line grew too long. We toured the Vatican Museum seeing wonders from across the world (my favorite, the Hall of Maps), stood in silent awe and wonder at Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, and watched as St. Peter's Basilica was prepped for an address by Pope (Papa as the Italians referred to him) Francis. 

We then wandered the Via Contraddi, a line of high end shops, each with a well-dressed tall, dark and handsome Italian man standing ready to greet you, on our way to the Spanish Steps.  We spent a few minutes on the steps sampling some roasted chestnuts (a delicacy the Italians work hard to pick before the wild boars snag them in the fall) and people watching while allowing our feet a quick rest. A few minutes later, we pulled the map out and guided ourselves in the direction of Trevi Fountain, something I've longed to see since seeing photos from my sister's first trip to Rome. I posed for photos and also tossed a coin over my shoulder, as all tourists do. I only threw one, which legend claims is a hope for coming back to Rome, while two is the hope to find love. At that time, I had one thing on my mind, going back to Italy. I guess I lucked out though, because I found someone who loves to travel just as much as I do!

As if we hadn't crammed enough of Rome in yet, we continued on towards the Colosseum.  Yet again, another fascinating and impressive exhibit of Roman architecture.  Due to time constraints and still hoping to walk the via Appia, we opted to skip the inside, however, that just gives me all the more reason to go back!  The via Appia, or Appian Way, was the earliest and most strategic of Roman roads (also where the phrase "all roads lead to Rome" stemmed from), and is notably said to have been the location of where Jesus appeared to St. Peter. Of course, as the one thing that dad wanted to see most, the dwindling sunlight and confusing directions prevented us from landing on the exact spot. As consolation, we did find some of the orginial stones outside the colosseum.  Finally, after some major travel delays (again as a result of the poor transit system in Rome) and being gone for nearly 24 hours, we were back at a Banditella and spent the next day sleeping.

Back at Banditella, we were nearing the end of our two weeks, and Paolo had a farewell meal planned for us.  As I mentioned earlier, hospitality is top rate and this is a custom for all guests. Paolo, a renowned chef, loved to cook but loved to share his cooking even more. I wished we would have been able to take a cooking class with him, but maybe next time! Our meal began with a special labelled Banditella red wine and a platter of antipasto (assortment of pickled vegetables), salami, prosciutto and bread. Next was homemade pizza, we sampled both mozzarella as well as sausage and broccoli rabe, both delizioso of course! We paused for a mid-meal shot of grappa, the leftover skins from winemaking fermented into alcohol, with some other guests at the table. We continued on with a small salad dressed in a white wine vinaigrette accompanied by a grilled pork sausage.  And last, definitely not least, our dessert was a cream puff drowning in a sea of rich chocolate sauce complete with an after dinner cup of espresso.  And not to forget, the limoncello, homemade with lemons from Capri, was passed around two or three times at least! 

Our final days were drawing near and we had one last excursion to Florence plus a trip to the sea on the agenda. We had pre-purchased our tickets for both the Uffizi and Accademia galleries, so thankfully we didn't waste any time in queue.  Both galleries were wonderful, I'm glad I've seen them, however, I grew tired of seeing the same scene depicted in different ways over and over. I've definitely had my fair share of "Madonna and Baby Jesus" portraits, and I much prefer depictions on landscapes, like those of Monet and Renoir that I was delighted to at Musee d'Orsay in Paris. However, I could not take my eyes of Micheangelo's famed piece, "David."  Standing 17 feet in the air, his timid eyes and rock hard abs had me continually wandering back for another look.  Another noteworthy place to mention from our final day in Florence was Cafe Nerbone in the Market Centrale. I highly recommend the porchetta sandwich to anyone who may find themselves in Firenze for the day. Delizioso! 

Hopefully I haven't lost your attention just yet, because our last day was my favorite. We hopped in the Fiat 500 for one last exploration, this time selecting the Tyrrhenian Sea as our destination. We arrived in the coastal town of Porto San Stefano, which to our surprise was quite empty, tourist season had not yet begun. We seated ourselves at a little cafe with a seaside view, and shared a couple of pasta and fish dishes. After lunch, we meandered through the quiet town and snapped ample photos of the sea.  However, no photo could truly capture it's beauty, like a box of azul crayons spilled out, exhibiting its turquoise, seafoam and cobalt hues in the water. After a quick stop for gelato, we opted for a dip into the sea. It was surprisingly warm, as we bobbed up and down, allowing the surf to toss us around. 

We spent our last evening back in Rome at a hotel right on the sea and prepped for our trip home. I'm so thankful I was able to have this experience and I'm excited that I am able to share it, one year later, with you. And by the way, I already have a new list of things to see when I return!