2015 ITALY Torino 6 - Touring

We woke refreshed and ready to roll. First things first though. We were hungry. We met L&S in the lobby for a huge breakfast buffet. We ate our fill and then some. Several coffees (caffè in Italian) later we headed to the front desk for our meet up. Chef John had arranged a historic/culinary tour of Torino for 10:00. We were not sure what that was going to be, but we were ready.

Arturo was our guide for a delightful 2-hour walking tour. We learned of Torino's 2,000-year history, Italy's royal Savoy family, and much more. Torino, located along the Po River, became Italy's first capital city in 1861 and is the current capital of the state of Piedmonte.

Today was a pretty drippy day, but fortunately Torino has ten miles of open, arcade "hallways" constructed on the fronts of the buildings. This allows you to walk outside during the rain without the need of umbrellas.

Much of the old city is in Baroque style, very decorated and ornate. It evolved in this direction during Martin Luther's time, when people were turning to the reformed and simpler Protestant religion. In order to lure patrons back to Catholicism, churches were built more elaborately, colorful, fancy woodwork and alters. Much of that architecture still stands today.

But during WWII, 30% of the city was bombed by American troops--the target was industrial areas to halt the production of warfare vehicles and weapons. In the end, Italy was grateful for these actions because it helped to stop the Mussolini and Hitler regimes. But many buildings had to be replaced and were done so in a more modern style.

Two historic churches stand on one end of the Piazza Castello square. Behind them, in a kind of juxtaposition, is a Lictorian tower, also know as the "Finger of Mussolini." That is an Italian architectural style developed during the late Fascist period and inspire by ancient Roman architecture.

It was constructed in 1933, is 19-stories tall (extremely high compared to everything else in the area), was the first building in Italy to be built with a welded steel skeleton, and is stark and modern. This was one of Mussolini's headquarters and he spoke from its balconies. Later this was headquarters to Fiat Motor Company.

We continued browsing this historic square where we saw the side-by-side Savoy Palazzo Reale (palace of the King) with green gate protecting it

and the Palazzo Madama (palace of the Queen) with its imposing towers. Talk about sleeping in separate bedrooms!! In the Madama, the entrance floor was removed and replaced with thick glass to see down into the even older Roman ruins upon which the palace was built. The wide twin staircases were imposing. I can just picture the gowns and military uniforms swooping up and down those steps.

Adjacent to the palace is the private House of Savoy family church, the Church of San Lorenzo. It was built in 1560 and from the outside looks like an ordinary office building. Inside is quite a different story. Very elaborate with eight colors of marble, gold leaf everywhere, many huge and colorful religious paintings and statuary, and windows in a high cupola (some configured as a face to keep the devil out). At another window, the light only shines into the church during the two equinox days. This is classic "baroque" and my description really does not do the place justice. 

A replica of the Shroud of Turin is displayed in a side chapel here. The actual cloth, which is speculated to be the shroud covering Jesus after his crucifixion and on which his face is imprinted, is rarely on display. So this replica, along with other religious artifacts and information, is displayed here for the public to view.

We also saw the Opera House's big artistic metal gates protecting the entrance. Apparently they had to be installed because skate boarders were ruining the façade of the building. Opera season here starts this weekend, so there was a flurry of people about. Aida is first on the ticket.

We also walked past the Italian National Museum of Cinema (wish we could have lingered longer there). Throughout our time in Italy, whenever we told someone we had been in Torino, they asked if we had visited this museum. A definite for next time.

Then we arrived at the fascinating Royal Library. It is now part of the University of Turin. This was a private library owned and used by the royal family. The public was not allowed in as it was not "prudent" for the common man to become educated.

We were only there for a few minutes, but I could feel the knowledge enveloping me. So many ancient books, maps, papers, and artifacts. We even viewed original drawings by Leonardo da Vinci and scripts by Alessandro Manzoni, whose writings led to the development of the modern Italian language. We could not take photos inside, but here is one looking in.


For more info about Turin:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turin
or
www.visitatorino.com/en/turin_history.htm

Read the "History of Mussolini in One Hour" on Kindle. Turns out he was mostly a bad guy AND a little bit of a good guy!

2015 ITALY Torino 5 - The Italian Lodging Experience

Looking back at our hotels, each was unique and wonderful in its own way. Chef John booked all our hotels for us, except the one in Venice. Our neighbors lodged there last year and recommended that one.

Each room had a safe, some bigger than others. We had no problems with any of them except the last. May have been my technique, but instructions did not seem quite clear. Had to call for help twice to get into that one.

Most of the rooms had heated towel racks (if they were turned on). Some hotels had not converted to "winter" settings yet, so the hot water room heat was not set up for the hot water towel heaters. We did take advantage of a few of them though when it came to rinsing out socks and intimates.

EVERY hotel had a bidet in the bathroom. We Americans are just not used to seeing or even using that fixture. To us it is an extravagance, but apparently an expectation for Europeans. 

The Grand Hotel Sitea in Torino (click here to read more) wins for best bathroom, best luggage/closet area (maybe of all time), and best breakfast buffet.

Our view overlooked another apartment or hotel under restoration. It was fun to watch the workers, but will much improve the overall room experience when it is completed.

As I said we were complimentary upgraded to a brand new garret-style suite. We were the first to use this room and it was very nice. It was spacious and well-appointed with a king-size bed, lush linens, seating area, desk, enough plugs for all our tech gear, and a totally complimentary mini-bar for our stay.

The bath was most luxurious with heated white marble floor and vanity, heated towel racks, huge magnifying mirror, and bidet (with bottles of "intimate cleansing" soap). No tub, but it had the biggest shower of the trip, also marble, with deluge shower head. Mike fit in it with much room to spare.

The unbelievably huge closet was the nicest we have ever experienced in a hotel, at least that we can remember. It was basically a huge walk-in closet with more than ample hanging space, drawers, and 5-foot marble bench for a luggage stand. It felt very "Kardashian!"

The breakfast buffet here was sensational, elegant, and nicest of the trip. We were seated at tables in one of three rooms, including a glassed in atrium. There we ordered from a number of Italian coffees (cappuccino all around) and were then invited to choose from the buffet. There were at least four tables of food--numerous varieties of fruit, cereal (hot and cold), homemade breads and rolls, yogurts, hot items (eggs and meat), cheeses, salamis, several cakes, and much more. On Saturday, we discovered pour-yourself mimosas were available. How did we miss that on Friday!! All was displayed beautifully with white linen and silver service.

2015 ITALY 2 - Set-up and the Players

I don't think I talked about how this trip came to be. We live in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. A half-block away is the Radisson Hotel. In the hotel are several great restaurants, one of which is Zazios Italian (our fave). (Click here to read more).

The founding and executive chef there was John Korycki (a Polish name pronounced Kor-iss-ky). Chef John led the team at Zazios for ten years and we often attended his Chef's Table. It is a stadium setting where he entertained, educated, and prepared excellent meals right before your eyes. Each month is a different theme and menu paired with appropriate wines. 

Chef John earned a degree in Culinary Arts from Kendall College in Evanston, Illinois. Among other places he cooked at Spiaggia's in Chicago, as well as "stage-ing" in various restaurants in northern Italy. Stag-ing (from the French word stagiaire and pronounced staag with a soft A and soft G) is working in an unpaid internship briefly in exchange for training, room and board. (Click here to read more about stage.)

Chef John also promoted southwest Michigan produce and meats at a James Beard Foundation dinner in NYC in 2014. Recently, he accepted the position of Director of the brand new Culinary Education Department of Kalamazoo Valley Community College. (Click here to read more about the KVCC Culinary Program.)

And besides that, Chef is just an all-around great guy.

Anyway ... through Chef's Table and numerous recommendations from others that had traveled with John, we decided to join his next culinary tour. I have always been an Italio-phile at heart since we were "adopted" by friends' Joe and Cheryl's Italian family when we moved to San Francisco. Plus Mike was about to turn the Big-Seven-Oh. Sounded like great excuses for a big splurge dream trip of a lifetime.

We also talked our friends Lynn and Sandy into joining us. Mike and Lynn started at Northwest Airlines about the same time and retired from there. The wives, Sandy and I, came along with the package. We have been dear friend for forever and have all always enjoyed and appreciated fine food and spirits.

To wrap up our group of seven, we met two brand new friends, Steve and Karen. They found out about the tour the same way we did, at the Chef's Table. We didn't know them at all until we invited the whole group over to our place for a meet-and-greet a short while before the actual trip. We knew right away that they would fit in well to the party.

2015 ITALY Torino 4 - First Look

We connected onto KLM from Amsterdam to Turin (or Torino), Italy. It was a long trek between gates and a long 3.5-hour layover. There were lots of shops to browse, but we were just too tired for that. So just hung out at the gate reading and people watching.

Our short flight was on a Fokker 7, a small aircraft with only 5 across seating. We left on time (thankfully) at 09:15. We weren't really hungry but had an egg salad sandwich for "breakfast" on board. The view of the snow covered Alps through the clouds was spectacular. We happily landed at Torino-Caselle airport on time at 11:00.

All our bags made it along with us, always a great start to a vacation. Outside immigrations, our driver Stefano was waiting with digital sign in hand stating "Deb." Our vehicle was a shiny black Mercedes mini-van. Stefano was a safe driver, manipulating his way through the crazy Italian maze of traffic and streets. He spoke little English but we figured out he originally came from somewhere in "Arabia."

First impressions of Torino were that of a sooty, working class, manufacturing city. Neighborhoods looked poor and ordinary. Monotone in color. The sky was over cast, so that did not help. Not the romantic Italian vision in our imagination. Population is around 900,000 (about the size of Austin, TX).

As we got deeper into the city center and nearer the hotel, however, things became more interesting. Not that we are big shoppers, but familiar brand name stores (Benetton, Apple, Ralph Lauren, Armani, etc.) appeared. And more impressive were the castles, government buildings, and resident apartments with balcony greenery and flowers overflowing. Little bars and cafes, many with street-side seating, were abundant. 

At the Grand Hotel Sitea (click here to read more), we bid Stefano good-bye (he did not accept a tip!!) and were met by a friendly, uniformed bellhop. And we had a most pleasant surprise waiting for us. The hotel had recently converted two rooms to suites and each couple was upgraded there at no charge. Yahoooo!!!


L&S's room was ready, but we had to wait a half hour for ours. The lobby was large and inviting, including a smaller sitting room with fireplace and period furniture. We opted for the hotel bar, which had just opened for the day, to hang in while we waited. We each had a glass of local red nebbiolo wine (even though this was the only place we saw our fave Myers Rum on the shelf). Along with that our bar tenderess served oiled olives and hazelnuts, cheese, salami, and bread-like crackers. We still did not feel like eating, but could not help ourselves. It simply looked too good to pass up. So we tried a little of each and then could hardly stop. It was delish!

We plunged into the comfy bed for a nap to help us acclimate to Italy time. After a couple of hours, I could not wait a moment longer for a pizza Margarita. Mike would not be rousted and L&S were doing their own thing. I decided to take a walk on my own.

By that time it was raining, but it felt refreshing. Streets and eating establishments were fairly crowded. There were many pizzerias and I did not know, of course, which to chose. Finally I pick Faridina, as it looked filled with locals. I ordered two personal size, each about 6-inches in diameter. Instead of cardboard pizza boxes they wrapped the pizzas in thick paper. Very eco! 

Mike awoke with the smell of the pies when I returned. The first thing he said when I opened the paper wrapping was "where is the basil?" In the U.S., traditional pizza Margarita is green (basil), white (mozzarella cheese), and red (tomato sauce). This had no basil and the crust was thick like Pizza Hut back home. Mike had a couple of bites and went back to bed. I ate mine and the rest of his. Although our expectations were disappointed, I can eat just about any pizza put in front of me. Nuff said. I really don't want to complain about my first  meal in Italy.

2015 ITALY 3 - And Away We Go

Picked up the new iPhone 6 on Monday (it is a beaut in gold-tone), so that was our alarm today. It went off at 07:15, but we were already awake and rarin' to go. Mike showered and then made coffee and bagels with cream cheese while I showered. Finished packing, straightening, and did last cuddles with Bella. She definitely knew something was up. More lovey than usual.

It was hard to leave our baby-cat, but at 09:00 sharp the car motor started and off we went on the 118-mile, 2-hour drive to Dearborn, MI. We each had two bags--a small but stuffed carry-on size to be checked and another actual carry-on with tech stuff and reading material. It was 48F degrees, sunny and crisp. A few trees had just barely started to transform into their fall colors.

In Dearborn we met our long time friends Lynn and Sandy, who are traveling with us. We chatted a bit and then headed to a new (for us) restaurant, La Pita Mediterranean. It was mostly middle eastern cuisine. Mike and I got the veggie combos. It was all very good, but way too much food. Thinking back we really did not know what we were in for. We left feeling a little guilty about the leftovers, but no way to keep them til our return. Anyway, it was tasty, healthy and filling, and a good base to start the trip.

Lynn had arranged for a private taxi with Bruce, the cab driver. He was running a little late but got us to the airport on time. It was smooth sailing through airport security--maybe the easiest ever, no lines, no issues.

We left on Delta 132 to Amsterdam on time at 16:08. The aircraft was an AB330. Mike and I were seated in Economy Plus, meaning a little extra leg room. The trip was a little bumpy, but not too bad. Mike had Bonines on hand for queasiness. We had a window seat and one next to it, so a great view even though the flight was mostly over water. We watched a colorful sun set zip past our window.

Years ago on international flights you got a hot towel to refresh you at the beginning and end of the flight. You still get them, but not quite the same. Back then they were called oshibori towels (a lot more exotic sounding) and were scented with Germany's "4711" cologne. No more, but still refreshing.

Meals (dinner and small breakfast) were generous, but typical airline "cuisine." I won't bother to write details because not much to talk about. Flight crew was pleasant (always nice when you get someone without a chip on their shoulder).

Here are some stats at the halfway point.

On board entertainment these days is abundant. There must have been 20 movies to choose from on my own personal monitor. Plus TV shows, games, and music. I started off with "Pitch Perfect 2," but not nearly as entertaining as the first and on the raunchy side. So soon moved on to "Aloha," with favorites Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone--a bit of a love story with a little tech mystery mixed in. Then needed something really light, so watched "Paul Blart, Mall Cop 2." It was mindless but cute at a moment when I was not really paying attention.

Time flew by and so did we. Due to high tailwinds we arrived at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport about 20 minutes early at 05:35 the next morning. There was an efficient immigration check and we headed to our next gate.
~~~~~
An aside--don't know why this is coming out in two fonts. On my work page it all is in Verdana, but when published it shows several fonts intermixed. I have spent too much time trying to fix. The content is all there, so we will all just have to live with it, even as picky as I am.

2015 ITALY 1 - The Pope's Here; We're There

Well, not quite yet. We leave for Italy tomorrow.

In the meantime:

Last week - 170.0

This week - Actually (truthfully) I forgot to weigh in yesterday. Too busy finishing up a Ladies' Library Association project, cleaning, and getting ready for our trip. Today I really just did not want to weigh in. I'm going with 170.0 from last week.

Had a pedi on Saturday and returned to my fave color, Espresso Your Style. It is a satiny brown with hint of copper. Makes my feet look so tanned and classy. And a nice color for fall. Here I am standing on a map of northern Italy, where our trip takes place.

Here's Bella sleeping on a stack of travel accessories. She is doing her best to blend in and somehow join us on our trip. No such luck, but Aunt Dixie and Uncle Ron will keep her company.

We leave tomorrow and these are the major cities we will visit--Turino, Alba, Parma, Modena, Florence, Varenna, and Venice. Check back day-by-day to read the fun details.

July 4, 2015 USA - Fireworks

Pretty good for a holiday weekend. Had a friend over for her 60th birthday and drank homemade pina coladas (her fave) ala Mikie. Mum good. Then a little 4th of July celebrating, so that meant a few more cocktails under the fireworks show.

1) Thanks to the US Supreme Court recent final decision, LGBT folks can now legally marry and get spousal benefits in every state in the USA. Making progress for many of my friends. Free to be what you want to be. Freedom and acceptance of all in the USA. That's what it is all about, isn't it? The White House was lit up in rainbow colors. Stunning!

2) And YAY to the USA for winning the FIDA Women's World Cup soccer tournament yesterday. I had not watched this sport before, but it is beautiful and brutal at the same time. Playing on artificial turf was the first challenge (just not done in the Men's World Cup) and no protective gear! It was hard to watch the head butts ending in bloody wounds. Just don't know how they do it. And what a workout. Couldn't do that even in my prime. You go, gals!

May 2015 - Been Thinking About B.B.

Going through some old Popular Photography magazines this week and came across one with B.B. King on the cover. It was the October 2013 issue and the pix was so B.B., full of heart and soul.

B.B. King passed away on May 14, 2015. He was 89 years old. His life began as a sharecropper in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. By the end of his life he was famous worldwide as a singer and guitarist. He was admired by several generations of musicians and blues lovers.

All B.B.'s guitars were named Lucille. The story behind that is in 1949 he was playing a gig at a dance hall in Twist, Arkansas. A fire started and he left the hall. He realized he left his $30 Gibson behind and went in to rescue it. Later he learned the fire was started by two men fighting over a woman named Lucille. During the fight they tipped over a fire barrel used to warm the hall. From that time on he named all his guitars Lucille.

In the past Gibson Guitar Company has honored this name. They launched the "B.B. King Lucille" model in 1980. They also had a line call the "Little Lucille," no longer in production. And they produced a special run of "80th Birthday Lucilles" when B.B. turned 80. (An aside: Gibson Guitar Company was located in Kalamazoo from its founding in 1902 until 1984 when it shifted its operation to Nashville, Tennessee.)

Mike and I and some friends saw B.B. play in person at the Konocti Harbor Resort in the 1980's. It is located in the north country of California at Kelseyville. This resort was originally built by U.A. Local 38 Plumbers & Pipefitters Union. As I recall it was originally meant to be a casino, but never got the licensing for that. Instead it became a resort with an entertainment space where the slot machines were to be placed. It was quite an intimate setting and B.B. was up close and personal and fabulous at that concert. The facility is closed now.

I remember driving from our friend's home in Clear Lake to Kelseyville. Along the way we saw mysterious wisps of smoke rising from the ground. We discovered later that it was hydrothermal (hot water) activity. The "smoke" was actually steam venting from natural underground hot pockets to the earth's surface. Read more at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrothermal_vent 

At B.B.'s funeral the eulogizing Reverend Herron said about B.B., "Hands that once picked cotton would someday pick guitar strings on a national and international stage. Amazing." B.B.'s life gives testament to the possibilities of triumphing over difficult circumstances. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.B._King

Peace be to B.B. King

May 2015 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - Falcons in Kazoo

Since 2010 birders have been thrilled with the falcon family in downtown Kalamazoo. I don't pretend to be a birder, but my interest was boosted when the falcons started hanging out just blocks from our home.

Also, my birder friend, Anne, started uploading her excellent bird shots on Project 365. Her photos and dialog educates us neophyte birders in a fun way. Follow her photos at: 365project.org/annepann/365

Two years ago I first spotted the falcons circling the area and landing on the big Gilmore broadcasting tower. On rare occasion they would swoop down the alley by our home looking for pigeon prey or the like.

In 2013, they started scoping out a nest area on one of our tallest buildings in downtown, the 5/3 Bank (originally the American National Bank). The building itself is one of our treasures. It is art deco in style, completed in 1930, and is 15 stories high. See the Gilmore broadcasting tower in the center of this photo.
For some reason they chose the parapet ledge, about two stories down from the top (on the left). They laid their eggs on this precarious spot and, alas, all fell off before they could hatch.

Then the Audobon Society stepped in to build and install a nesting box in that same location. Last year the falcons were back and laid four eggs. All four hatched and grew and flew off at the end of the summer. Later we learned one crashed into a window and died. But the other three made it, as far as we know.

This year four eggs hatched as well. We were able to see this little miracle through two falcon cams and a microphone installed near the nest by the Kalamazoo Audubon Society. Those four babies are growing fast. We thought this is so cool, we just had to share it with all our readers.

General falcon website: www.kalamazoofalcons.com

From there you can see two falcon watch cams--one view of the parapet (landing spot) and one view inside the nest (baby birds). Sometimes you can even see a live stream. There is also a video archive so you can view past progress of the falcon family. There is a lot of material about the Kalamazoo Audubon Society and falcons.

Bella loves watching the falcon watch cam. Glad she doesn't have wings or she would be right up there in the mix!!!

May 2015 MICHIGAN Traverse City 3 - Quick Quake Note

While we were in Traverse City on May 2, we got several texts and calls from friends (some from California) who wondered if we were OK after the earthquake. We had no idea what they were talking about. We haven't lived in San Francisco (earthquake country) for 12 years, so we were confused.

It turns out while we were on vaca there was a significant earthquake in Kalamazoo at 12:23pm on Saturday. We did not feel a thing in T.C., but we were seriously motoring down the wine trail at that moment.

Here's what our upstairs neighbor said -- We definitely felt the earthquake and also heard a really really really loud noise. It sounded like something had crashed into the roof or a vehicle had run into the building. We heard this same description from a number of friends.

We worried about Bella, but our downstairs neighbor texted that she checked the building (even our rickety basement) and could see no damage. When we got home, we did not see any change other than a few knick-knacks in the China cabinet looked slightly out of place.

Later we read that in terms of magnitude, it was 4.2 on the Richter scale. It was among 18 earthquakes in the world that day with a 4.0+ reading. The epicenter was in Scotts, Michigan, about 12 miles away from home. No deaths or major injuries reported.

By Tuesday after the quake 13,656 people in 1,156 zip codes had offered first hand accounts of their experience on a U.S. Geological Survey website questionnaire. Our Ohio relatives did not feel anything though.

Quakes are quite rare in Michigan. The last significant one occurred in 1947 centered near Coldwater, Michigan. The news said after some investigation experts felt this particular event had nothing to do with fracking. Instead scientists surmise that a new fault between Coldwater and Kalamazoo has been discovered and caused the quake. It probably involved a strike-slip fault, a vertical fracture where the blocks move horizontally.

We thought we left all this behind in San Francisco. We lived through a number of quakes there. 1989 was the big one at 6.9 on the San Andreas fault. That occurred during a World Series baseball playoff game at Candlestick Park. Part of the upper level of the Bay Bridge roadway collapsed on the lower level. All in all there were 63 deaths and 3,757 injuries. Now that was a big one.  Mike and I were both working at the airport. In our respective workplaces we felt if quite strongly and it even closed the airport down.

May 2015 MICHIGAN Traverse City 2 - A Wine-ing We Shall Go

First stop of the morning was Minerva's, our hotel restaurant and our fave breakfast spot in T.C. Mike had the double triple--two eggs, two blueberry pancakes, two bacon slices. I had Harvest Hash--a layer of crispy hash browns, then a layer of mixed grilled mushrooms / sun dried tomatoes / artichokes / onions, and topped with two perfectly fried over medium eggs. They even had a pretty good version of sour dough toast (rare in the midwest states). Almost enough to keep you going for the day.

Then off to the Spring Sip and Savor Saturday on the Leelanau Peninsula. Bob had arranged a 12-passenger van (it was either a 7 or a 12 seater). It was a bit big for our party of 8, but at least we were legal and had enough seat belts for everyone. Bob also chauffeured, great tour guide that he is. www.lpwines.com/spring/

The first stop was Aurora Cellars, a new one for us. It has been around for a while, but has new owners and a new name. We picked up our tour tickets there. This boutique winery has an old world charm. It sits on a hill with a nice view of the vineyards. No greenery yet though. They had a Pinot Gris for the sip, and an onion and asparagus quiche for the savor. It was good, but would have been better if warmed up. Also tried Radiance, a red wine blend. www.auroracellars.com

Next was Boathouse Vineyards. Here you can relax on lawn chairs and watch the nearby river meander by. It is a fave from last time we did the Sip and Savor. The wine is good, but we also love the party atmosphere. They have lots of unique picture frames and props sitting around, so you can take cool photos. Here we had a nice Pinot Grigio with tomato topped bruschetta and cracker with Munster cheese and dill pickle.  www.boathousevineyards.com

The next stop was not an official S&S stop. It was the North Latitudes Distillery. They make all kinds of distilled products. At home we had some left over products from our last trip, but we did restock their  Limoncello that we love so much. It is the perfect porch beverage for those hot summer nights. www.northernlatitudesdistillery.com

Next was Blustone Vineyards, quite modern with lots of glass and chrome. We had another Pinot Grigio, this time with Alfredo pasta and peas. The tasting room is perched atop a hill overlooking the vines. On their nice outdoor veranda we savored the sun along with our S&S. www.blustonevineyards.com

Our last official stop was Good Neighbors Farm. They specialize in more fruity wines and they also have a wonderful organic farm. We especially like the field of lavender there. If you come at the right time of year you can buy lavender products of soap, potpourri, oils, etc. Here you had your choice of wine, so I tried the peach. It was delish. The savor was a chicken soft shell taco. goodneighbororganic.com

Our last unofficial wine stop was the Motovino Cellars in Northport, more of a modern Italian trattoria in style. Even though they weren't on the tour, they offered wine tastings and a savor of tiny peppers stuffed with wonderful cheese. www.motovinocellars.com

On our return trip to T.C. we stopped in Sutton's Bay for shopping (lots of little unique boutiques there) and then an early dinner. North Country Grill and Pub had been on the minds of many of us for a while. We have a bunch of lobster and prime rib lovers in the group. We ate here after the last S&S and they do it right here. We could hardly wait for this return trip.

They serve a one lobster dinner for only $23. Some ordered one tail, some ordered two, and Tom ordered three (and ate them all with no trouble). Others had the prime rib (up to 22 oz for $30). All goo-ooo-ood! The four that were celebrating got free deserts of molten lava cake and berry cobbler. They graciously shared with all.  www.boonesnorthcountrygrillandpub.com

After that we stopped at a cheese store. We first tried Raclette (a mild cow's milk cheese) in southern France last fall when we visited the home of our Aunt and Uncle. Auntie boiled potatoes and poured this tasty melted cheese on top. It was served with Corniche pickles, pickled onions and pickled garlic cloves. It was so good we have been trying replicate it at home.

In Kalamazoo we found the American version of this cheese at a local deli. They advised their source was the Leelanau Cheese Company. So, for this trip, one of our goals was to check this store out. We were not disappointed. It was available here for two-thirds the price back home. They age the cheese in a cavern dug out of a hill. Wish we could take a peak inside! www.leelanaucheese.com/index.html 

All in all there are 22 wineries that we could have visited today. We hardly made a dent in the line-up, but we had a fabulous time. Thanks to Bob and Lo for organizing the event.

-----------------

The next and last morning in TC was peaceful and pleasant. After all the good-byes Mike and I took a walk in the neighborhoods. Lovely Victorian style houses with lots of ginger bread decoration. We saw a Little Free Library. I am going to look into this for our neighborhood back home. 

We also saw a huge bent tree that had a sign saying it marked an Indian trail from the pioneer days. 

After that we headed down the trail to our home.

May 2015 MICHIGAN Traverse City 1 - Back to the Bay

Once again we are headed to Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City, Michigan. Just can't stay away. My sister and hubby, my brother (birthday May 4) and wifey (birthday May 2), and friends from Chicago (anniversary May 3) are meeting there to celebrate. It is also the annual Sip and Savor Saturday.

The day was a great one for travel. At departure time (9:09 am), it was sunny, clear and 52 degrees. As we left town we saw many white flowering trees at peak blossom. As we continued north, we saw 50 shades of green with all the trees and plants starting to bud and bloom. By the time we hit Grand Rapids it was already 59 degrees and continuing upward.

I have been trying on every trip up to get a photo of a clump of large heron (I think) nests high up in the trees. I thought they were between mile marker 100 and 110, but did not seem them so I put my camera away. Than at mile marker 113-ish (just past the Pierson exit and big trash mound) I spotted it. Just not in time to get a shot. A goal for next time.

The plan was to meet Tim and Nancy at Crystal Mountain Resort for lunch. They were coming from Saugatuk. Timing was just about perfect. It had been a year since we saw them last, at Put-In-Bay, Ohio. They were a sight for sore eyes.

We ate in the Thistle Pub and Grill. Mike had a pub cheeseburger, Tim had a baby back rib stack, Nancy had a walleye sandwich, and I had a bowl of udon noodles with steamed veggies. The food was good and we recommend it. This was the start of our weekend eating binge.

Next we stopped at the Michigan Legacy Art Park,  about a mile away. It is new as far as we know. It has about 1.5 miles of trails through the woods with works of "yard art" displayed along the way. Much of it was made with materials that melded into the landscape and felt organic in nature. Sometimes we had to really look to find the art.

We laughed at the "dinosaur eggs." There were several foot long rocks painted blue and "layed" in a huge nest of twigs and leaves. The art piece was about 7 feet wide. We would have been shaking in our shoes, if it had been in the real Jurassic Park. We didn't linger long here. Overall, not quite as interesting as we expected.


The four of us got to T.C. before the others. After a little refreshing, we met in T&N's suite. They had a top floor unit with a HUGE balcony. We had always wanted to check one of these suites out and it was impressive. The balcony was about 12x12 feet, much bigger than I ever expected. Yes, actually worth $100 extra on the room rate. 

After oohing and aching at the space and the expansive view, we decided to take a downtown stroll. Tim and Nancy were not so acquainted with the area, so we gave them the ten cent tour. The main street was bustling as usual.

We checked a few stores, bought a few trinkets, and landed at the Mackinaw Brewing Company. We had beers and wines and I ordered a hot artichoke dip. It was the best I've ever had at a restaurant with loads of hearts of chokes.

The plan was to meet the others at about 5pm at the Beacon Lounge (top floor bar at the hotel). It is one of our favorite places in T.C. with a wide and wonderful tenth story view of the area. From this height you can see much of West Grand Traverse Bay, as well as the city.  In March when we were here last, the bay was frozen over and snow everywhere. We've even seen hot air balloons drifting by at our level. Today blue skies and blue water. No matter what the weather, it is always beautiful from this vantage point. 

Bob and Lo were there when we arrived and Tom and Lauren followed shortly. We had a few cocktails and shared appetizers--crab artichoke bake, no bone short ribs, coconut shrimp, roasted potato pizza (the last sounds weird but was delicious). We caught up on old times and old acquaintances. Tim and Nancy feeling as much part of my family as my bro and sis and spouses.

After that we were too stuffed for dinner, so we walked it off with window shopping. We had planned for a Kilwin's dessert (our usual bear claw roll for Mike and caramel apple for me), but they were closed by the time we arrived. Oh well, probably for the best!