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May 20, 2004

May 20

Another lovely recent development to add to our repertoire of apartment experiences. Late last night while I was at my computer, I heard this scraping noise coming from the wall. It was slight at that point and I ushered Adam over who also heard the noise. Pretty soon the noise became lounder, to the point that I thought there was a person behind it (the house we live is being renovated by its new owner and has been under construction for two months now) but when Adam popped his head in the house and asked if anyone was there, no one responded. The noise persisted throughout the night and we had no idea if it was a rat, mouse, squirrel, racoon, or something else. And when I told our landlord about it he had the audacity to condescend me--"Aw, are you worried it would come out of the wall and eat your arm?" He agreed to put glue traps down but I'm not sure what good it will do--we're still hearing the noise again tonight.

Anyhow, here's an interesting article on one of the many obelisks that are peppered throughout Rome.

Posted by Jennifer at 09:36 PM | Comments (1)

May 15, 2004

May 15

So now that we're back from our honeymoon and it's been three weeks since our wedding, I'm ready to post about my wedding finally. The week of our wedding was insane not because of the wedding itself but because of all the work I had to do for my job before I left. I felt like a zombie by the end of each day and instead of taking off that Friday like I had planned on doing, I had to go in for part of that day and, after realizing I couldn't get all the work I felt obligated to get done before the wedding, I went in again for part of Saturday (the day before our wedding). By the time I got back home I had to scramble to pack all I needed to get packed for the wedding. But, despite the hellish week, by week's end, things got better--Friday night I had a bridal shower/bachelorette party, Saturday night our families finally met (a good part of my family lives in L.A.), and Sunday of course was the wedding.

Because our ceremony was at 11:30 and we were taking photographs before the wedding, I had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to get my hair and make-up done. Unfortunately, both weren't finished until later than expected and I was late getting to the location where we were taking our photographs. The most surreal moment of the entire day was the moment I arrived to the section of the park where the rest of our wedding party had already started taking pictures--when I got there a swarm of people came over to get their first glimpse of me and the photographer and videographer ran over and started shooting. It was a weird moment. The whole photography session was surreal. Then we got to our reception hall where I was extremely chagrined about the flowers (I had spent a lot of time picking out the flowers for our arrangements which turned out to be nothing like the ones our florist had created) and we waited for the ceremony to begin.

The nervousness kicked not long after we arrived to the hall and when we were there at the altar before the rabbi and all our wedding guests I was extremely nervous. My face did all kinds of weird movements which I'm sure will be captured in all its video glory and my fiance and I kept looking up and down the whole ceremony (I thought my fiance did so to avoid crying but I later found out he was looking down thinking I would cry otherwise). As soon as the ceremony was over, I relaxed significantly and the rest of the wedding (particularly the reception) was great. My fiance and I danced a lot (we picked out almost all the music for our wedding), a lot of Adam's friends were really able to enjoy the wedding since a # of ska songs were played (Adam used to be big in the ska scene), and it was great having all our friends and family in one room, some of whom we hadn't seen in a long time. I was already tired by the middle of the reception but I kept on dancing and by the end I was thoroughly exhausted and between the bleariness and the contacts I was wearing (I haven't worn contacts in years), I could barely see straight by the end. When we finally retired to our hotel room I took a long needed nap and when I woke up, I felt awful but happy. Like many other couples I'm sure, my fiance and I couldn't stop talking about the wedding until days after and we both agreed that we loved our wedding. Anyway, here are some photos:

Posted by Jennifer at 10:44 PM | Comments (3)

May 14, 2004

May 14

Rome

As soon as we set foot in Rome, we knew we'd like it and by the end of that first day, we knew it was our favorite city in Italy of the places we visited. Rome is similar to NYC in size but the city is also filled with buildings that reflects its ancient and more contemporary past. There's so much to see in the city and historic buildings are everywhere you walk. Unfortunately, we weren't in Rome for very long so much of our time was spent rushing to and through all the main sites and then trying to squeeze in some shopping before we left Italy. But we loved Rome and would love to spend some more time there.

Being the chowhound that I am, I feel compelled to comment on the food in Italy:
Venice--as I mentioned the tourists outnumber the residents significantly and I suspect the local cuisine suffers as a result. The food we ate was decent but in contrast with the rest of Italy was so-so. Venice is also seafood heavy and I can only eat so much seafood so I might be a little biased.
Florence- Yum! We want to go back to Florence just so we can try the Florentine steak along with a bunch of other local specialties.
Cinque Terre- the best dish we had in Italy was in the town we stayed in in CT, a local pasta called trofie with this delectable shrimp sauce. Sadly, this elevated culinary experience was not replicated elsewhere but the food overall in Cinque Terre was very good. Like Venice, seafood heavy.
Amalfi Coast- I was really looking forward to eating in Capri (which I heard good things about) but because of the ferry situation while we were there, I didn't get a chance to. We ate once in Ravello (the food was good but I wasn't crazy about the dishes I had) and the rest of the time in Sorrento. Unfortunately, the restaurants I ended up chosing were pretty bad save for the last one where we ate at the night before we left so I feel like I can't really make a proper evaluation.
Rome- Good but didn't read the stellar highs that we experienced in Vernazza. We didn't spend enough time in Rome though to really gauge.
The shrimps in Italy are weird--more like crawfish than the shrimps we're accustomed to here. Also weren't that impressed by the bread, save for the bread with bacon bits we had in Rome. Wine is cheap and plentiful but not always good, beware the limoncello which we might've made the mistake of drinking warm but it takes like super sweet, super concentrated lemon juice that burns your stomach (it's got a 33% alcohol content).

Happened to come across an article about the Smart car, a tiny car we saw all over Italy and will be introduced to the U.S. later this year. Italy is full of tiny cars, scooters, and bicycles and when I asked our cab driver en route to the airport why, he mentioned in addition to the streets being narrow (which we learned by the time we got to Florence), there is very limited parking in the center city which makes sense since, unlike the U.S., cities in Italy were created centuries before cars came onto the scene.

Posted by Jennifer at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2004

May 12

I knew it was warmer in NYC than in Italy but I didn't realize that I'd be returning to 80+ degree muggy weather. I was disappointed by the cooler than expected weather in Italy but maybe I should see it as a refreshing reprieve from the premature summer weather here in NYC. Will update on the balance of our Italy honeymoon and post pictures from the wedding (hopefully) tomorrow.

In the meantime, I want to post about one of my favorite eateries, Veronica's which is located in the Garment District. I first found out about Veronica's about three years ago in a small write-up in the NY Press. As I mentioned before, I'm a big chowhound and I went to check out Veronica's one day and became a devoteee after that. There was one dish in particular I would go to Veronica's for but the other thing that made you look forward to going there was Andy, the proprieter of the old-school Italian cafeteria-esque eatery. Andy was a super sweet guy who knew the names of all his customers (of which there were many--it's a popular midtown lunch hour destination) and conversed with nearly all on a regular basis, even during the busiest lunch times. All the food is super good too and I had even considered having him cater our wedding.

So, on a rare day off from work I was looking forward to going to Veronica's again and sharing news of the recent wedding and honeymoon with Andy, especially since I hadn't been there in a while (I ate there regularly while during my last job which was p/t and had allowed me to go down to Veronica's before going into work). When I arrived, I noticed a few new faces behind the counter and didn't see Andy though, especially before it gets busy, it isn't uncommon for Andy to be in the kitchen or elsewhere in the restaurant. One of the new faces got my usual dish and heated it and when I didn't see Andy after a few minutes I asked if he was around. "Andy retired." I was informed. Apparently, he had retired only a month ago. After working at Veronica's for thirty years without any vacations, he had decided to sell the restaurant and retire. I was definitely bummed but there wasn't much I could do. My dish still tasted the same save for the substitution of onions for green beans in the sauce. I noticed, however, that there were considerably fewer people and guessed that business dropped off after Andy had left. I'm sure he is sorely missed--he is a rare individual in a city like New York--genuinely and exceptionally nice and friendly and personable. I know I'll miss him..

Posted by Jennifer at 09:24 PM | Comments (0)

May 07, 2004

May 7

Amalfi Coast
After being underwhelmed in Cinque Terre, I was really looking forward to the Amalfi Coast and for the first day, the area seemed to hold some promise. Sorrento, the town we're staying in is definitely a considerably larger place than Vernazza and a refreshing change from the one tiny main street environment of the towns in Cinque Terre. It rained buckets while we slept our first night and I hoped that would be the end of the rain but as we left the next morning, I noticed it was really cloudy and decided against going to the Blue Grotto as I had originally planned, thinking that the illumination effect wouldn't be as strong. We decided to take the bus ride described by two of my three Italy guidebooks as the best cheapest bus ride experiences in the world--the local bus from Sorrento to Amalfi. It is quite an experience and the ocean here is beautiful--all shades of acquamarine. As far as the experience end of it goes, the bus runs along a narrow two-way road which winds along cliffs and sea on the Amalfi Coast. It's quite an experience not only b/c you're not more than inches away from the edge of the cliff but also b/c the road is filled with tour buses, motorcycles, and other vehicles and b/c the road is so narrow two buses passing each other means you're maybe an inch away from the other bus and the bus driver has to pratice extreme dexterity in manuevering past other buses and vehicles. Taking the bus for the first time to your destination is enjoyable but the bus ride is long (about two hrs) so our original plan had been to take the ferry back. Unfortunately, it also rained the entire bus ride so the scenery wasn't quite as beautiful as I'm sure it is under sunnier conditions.

Anyway, we arrive at Amalfi and catch another bus to Ravello which had been raved about in the guidebooks I'd read which turned out to be a disappointment. Had lunch at a highly recommended restaurant which also turned out to be a disappointment and caught a bus back to Amalfi. Upon reaching Amalfi, we inquired about the location of the ferry dock only to find out the ferries weren't running. We resign ourselves to taking the bus back and we waited in this area where we saw all these people waiting. Fifteen minutes pass and the bus doesn't come and leave as scheduled and we wait. Another fifteen minutes pass and I start to wonder what's up with the bus. We ended up walking over to where this couple is standing and it turns out to the spot where you're actually supposed to wait for the bus going back to Sorrento but they point out the bus we had missed had been packed anyway. Unfortunately, the next bus wasn't leaving for another hour and it was cold and rainy and I was pretty frustrated by this point. Finally the bus comes and it's a good thing we were the first ones waiting for it b/c it becomes packed with tourists and locals. But at least I have Capri and the Blue Grotto to look forward to the next day right?

Once again, we get an early start and today it's beautiful out. We walk down to the ferry terminal only to be informed that the ferries aren't running b/c the water's too choppy. When I have my mind set on something, I'm not easily swayed so I decide to call the ferry companies once we return to our hotel to see if they'll be running later. The company I have a # for informs me that their 2:30 ferry will be running. I'm not happy about the lateness of the time (I had really looked fwd to having lunch in Capri or Anacapri since the food in Sorrento had been really disappointing--I'm a big foodie btw) but 2:30 is better than nothing so go back down to the ferry terminal when the ticket office opens. Unfortunately, this ferry line is the only one running and the only ferry returning to Sorrento was leaving at 6:15 so I was anxious to get to Capri as early as possible. The boat leaves Sorrento half an hour late, then the workers spend another half an hour fixing something that breaks once we pull into Capri. With only two hours left and facing another boat ride to get to the grotto, I flee the ship to the nearest information office and ask where I can catch a boat to my long awaited for destination. The grotto is closed today, I'm informed. Defeated, Adam and I take another crowded bus up to Anacapri and go to a villa I'd read about up there. It's nice but not what I'd come to the Amalfi Coast for. Despite the numerous frustrations though, I am sad that we only have a few days left in Italy.

Posted by Jennifer at 03:41 PM | Comments (1)

May 04, 2004

May 4

Venice (and update)
Miss me? I know it's been a long time since I've posted but, for those of you who know me, you know I had good reason. On April 25th, Adam and I got married! Wish I had the pictures on me but, unfortunately, I don't as we are currently honeymooning in Italy. Some of you may find this to be a surprise, but Italy has been nice if a tad bit disappointing, but maybe that's just how I'm feeling right now. Our first stop was Venice. A former co-worker's daughter had gone to Venice last year and my co-worker had shared pictures and I loved the images I saw in the photos. Not to say that Venice isn't beautiful, certainly the first day you spend in Venice you're struck by it's beauty and the first time you see the Grand Canal you gaze down the canal in something like awe but if you allocate more than two days in Venice, it gets to be a little boring and tiresome. I'd initially read that summer in Italy is the worst when it comes to tourists but after perusing one of my guidebooks some more, I read that spring is surpassing summer in terms of popularity for tourists which has been my experience thus far. Not that I have a summer in Venice to compare my recent experience to but Venice was definitely filled with tourists. Adam read somewhere that there's substantially more tourists in Venice than there are residents and I don't disbelieve it for a second. But besides being filled with tourists, Venice is small, the food is so-so, and the city is basically a labryinth of streets with no signs so that trying to use a map to get to places becomes an exercise in futility. By the second day though, I regretted that we hadn't confined our stay in Venice to two days and extended our stay in Florence.

Florence
Save for the narrow streets and the motorcycles, bicycles, and cars whizzing past you on these narrow streets while you try staying on the narrow sidewalks, Florence is more our kind of town. Small but considerably more cosmopolitan, with considerably more to see than Venice, possessing delicious cuisine, and nestled within the the lovely backdrop of Tuscany. The only bad thing was that one of the two and a quarter days we spent in Florence was Labor Day here in Europe which meant that everything save for the churches and most of the restaurants were closed. Unfortunately, I realized that reservations for the Uffizi were strongly recommended too late and we stood in line twice for the museum. The first time, we gave up after about half an hour with the line having only moved once. The second time we actually extended our stay in Florence in part to go to the Uffizi and after waiting in line for ten minutes, we discovered that a strike by the national workers meant that the Uffizi would be closed. But, save for this setback, we really enjoyed our time in Florence--on Labor Day we hit the churches and then hiked up to Piazzele Michelangelo, an elevated part of the city which affords really nice views of Florence and is a pleasant experience to walk to. I wish we could've stayed in Florence longer.

Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre is a series of five towns on the northern coast of Italy and became extremely popular because of Rick Steves (a travel writer and host of a travel show on Europe). It is quite beautiful, but the towns are quite small and there's not a whole lot to do here but eat and hike the trails from town to town (which takes only a day). I suppose if I had allocated less time to this area, I would have been less disapppointed but, again, we spent a little more time than we should have in this area. When you first pull into this area by train, you ooh and ah at the ocean, and then you explore the town you're staying in (again, grumbling about the throngs of tourists if you arrive during the weekend or the summer) and your eyes sparkle as you take in the sun and the sea and the waterfront. Then you eat your first meal and you're impressed by it and you're giddy from the wine and the scrumptious food. But after you've hiked the trails, learn that there's an impending train strike (as we did on our second day), you begin to wonder how you're going to spend your time the evening of the second day or the entire third day. Fortunately, we managed to keep busy but a good part of the day was spent waiting for trains (which still ran despite the strike but less frequently) and cursing the rain. But, tomorrow we leave for the Amalfi Coast which promises more beauty and activity.

Posted by Jennifer at 03:44 PM | Comments (2)