Travel – Page 3 – Sara Noonan

Vienna (Day 5 – New Year’s Eve)

The whole reason for our trip was here! New Year’s Eve. We started the day by visiting the Belvedere, an art museum that is made up of multiple palaces in the city. The palaces were built in the 1700s and were the summer residences of Prince Eugene of Savoy (late 17th century, early 18th century). This is also the home of Gustav Klimt’s famous “The Kiss.”

This isn't the original (the have a dedicated selfie room) — This isn’t the original (the have a dedicated selfie room)

We arrived around 10 am and started in the Upper Belvedere. Unlike a lot of museums we have been to, these were a series of bite size exhibits, which made it quite enjoyable to walk through and prevented “museum fatigue.” We made our way through many Klimts, as well as plenty of impressionist pieces and of course your typical medieval art. The palace is breathtaking and we were not disappointed!

These were exercise balls covered in VELVET!

Following, we headed to the museum cafe in the Upper Belvedere and were pleasantly surprised by how tasty the salmon prosecco risotto was. It was a good thing we did the Upper gallery first because by the time we left two hours later, it was jam packed. We headed over to the Lower Belvedere, which houses temporary exhibits. Currently, Hubert Scheibl’s exhibit “Fly” is up in the Orangery. I’m not alway a huge fan of modern art, but this exhibit was breathtaking. Massive pieces with thoughtful color and techniques used throughout. I highly recommend checking the artist out, and if you have a change to see the exhibit (in Vienna or wherever it goes next), definitely do so!

The final stop of the museum was the Winter Palace, which is about a 15 minute walk from the Upper and Lower Belvedere museums. Here we walked through an exhibit featuring work from the sculptor Johann Pinsel. Pinsel worked in wood and produced pieces during the Baroque period for churches. Up until very recently, art historians did not even know his name and can only guess his approximate birth/death years as limited information exists.

Our final stop before heading back to the AirBnb was SPAR gourmet, a Whole Foods-esque type grocery store, to stock up on chocolates and other goodies you can only find in Austria/Germany. At the AirBnb we packed, made dinner and finally started getting ready for the Silvester Ball.

The Silvester Ball was absolutely magical. The people watching is superb, and the Hofburg Palace is opened up to attendees to roam. Each room held a different activity or musical performance. There was a DJ in the Disco room, a blues band in the Lounge, performances throughout (ballet, singing, dancing) and of course, a ballroom to dance the evening away.

To start, we gathered around the grand staircase and enjoyed glasses of champagne (I did, James simply held my second one for me!). The staircase opens with a ballet/dance performance, and then everyone walks up to where they spend the rest of the evening.

We roamed around for the first 45 minutes or so, taking in performances, listening to music, and watching partners do the Austrian Waltz. The Austrians are so serious about their waltz that you can actually be asked to stop dancing if you can’t do it incorrectly! We luckily avoided that, though we used the massive crowds to help hide our horribleness.

The rest of the evening we spent on the ball room floor, dancing, people watching and counting down to midnight. At the stroke of 12, silver streamers came flowing down from the ceiling and the bell of St. Stephen’s cathedral is broadcasted indoors. It was an incredibly unique and wonderful experience, and I am so glad that we were able to make this happen. I told James it was on my bucket list, but now I might have to convince him we go back a few more times in our lifetime.

Happy New Year!

Vienna (Day 3 & 4)

Our flight from Dublin to Vienna was at 7 am. While not ideal, it did provide the maximum amount of time in a new city, and so when our alarms woke us up at 4:15, James and I trudged downstairs to be greeted by a tiny Irish man cab driver (he self proclaimed himself a leprechaun) who told us all his travel hacks to fly to Bangkok for $365 (okay, Euros but finding that shortcut on my keyboard was too difficult and the dollars almost matches it right now!).

We arrived at the airport around 5 am, checked our bag (I know, I know, we never check, but carrying ballgowns and tuxedos around has made us compromise a few things), and sat down to a full Irish breakfast. Our plane boarded via the tarmac, so our super early arrival ended up working in our favor, since the time spent at our gate was about five minutes. The trip was painless and quick, and we landed in Vienna around 11 am, picked up our baggage and were on the 11:45 train into the city.

We opted to stay in an AirBnb during Vienna, and I’m really glad we did. The apartment is beautifully light, spacious and perfect for our few day stay in the city. We immediately made our first home cooked meal since we hit the road on December 26, and then spent the rest of the afternoon running errands, grocery shopping and doing a little bit of exploring.

For dinner, I made reservations at Gauthaus Nestroy, which is known in the gluten free world for their gluten free schnitzel. We walked in to a massive cloud of cigarette smoke. I gagged, almost turned around, but made multiple inquiries about a non-smoking section. They had one, but if you were around in the 90s, you remember the “non-smoking” sections of restaurants. It’s a bit of a stretch. I had of course, the gluten free pork schnitzel (James had the same, but not gluten free) as well as a gluten free beer.

When we arrived back at our AirBnb I was notified by Aer Lingus that we were upgraded to Business class and I proceeded to do a happy dance throughout the entire apartment. Pro tip: want to fly business on Aer Lingus? If they have seats open, they offer you the opportunity to bid for them. I put in the lowest bid possible, and because no one else actually bid for these, I scored seats for James and I. (This makes our tickets home about $600 each, vs. the normal $2,500+ you pay for business class).

The following morning we booked a walking tour for 11 am. Learning from our past travel experiences, we decided to take it easy beforehand and relax in the AirBnb before picking up our tickets to the New Year’s Eve ball at Hofburg Palace.

The walking tour was booked through Prime Tours. Our tour guide, Wolfgang, expertly brought us around the city, with stops at the Opera, Crypt, Hofburg palace, Spanish Riding school, Imperial residences and more. Highly, highly recommend as you will learn a significant amount about Viennese culture and history in about 90 minutes. My only complaint was the cold, which is just unavoidable in late December.

Following our tour guide’s recommendation, James and I headed to Cafe Tirolerhof to warm up and for some lunch. I had the Maria Therersia coffee (Viennese coffee with orange liquor and whipped cream) and the farmer’s omelet (hoping to get some vegetables but it was really just frozen carrots and peas!). James had a pot of tea, the apple strudel and sausage. Finally being able to feel our feet again, we headed to St. Stephen’s cathedral to see the inside. St. Stephen’s is beautiful, filled with candles and stained glass windows.

Afterwards, we decided to go to the Albertina museum to check out their Still Film gallery (photographs taken on set during movies from 1901 – 1970s). The museum also happened to have an entire exhibit of pointillism, which I find fascinating technique. This exhibit included pieces from Matisse, Van Gogh, Picasso and many, many more. There are also contemporary galleries, as well as impressionism (of course). It was small enough to conquer in under two hours, and an audio tour would have likely been doable, but we were itching to take a quick rest before our evening at the Spanish Riding School performance.

The Spanish Riding School is definitely something that you will never see anywhere but Vienna. The horses are trained for 5 – 8 years to perform the utmost fantastical and ridiculous steps (prances?!) you will ever witness. They unfortunately don’t allow photographs or videos, so we didn’t capture any footage, but if you’re in the city, it is definitely worth going. We purchased the standing room only seats, and I’m glad we did, because unless you dropped 150+ euros on a first row seat, you stood anyway.

Dublin (Day 1 & 2)

We didn't go into Guinness, but we passed it! — We didn’t go into Guinness, but we passed it!

Here is what I have learned about Dublin:

They are incredibly proud of earning their Independence from England
Beer is really everywhere
Donuts are the new cupcakes

Okay, and plenty more too, but I think those nicely sum up our two days in Ireland’s capital city.

To start off our whirlwind trip of Dublin, I booked James and I a walking tour for our first activity. We landed on Tuesday at 8:30 am, arrived at the hotel by 10 am and proceeded to take a two hour nap. Once again, we were on a plane with a SCREAMING toddler who did not at any point take a breath of air or pass out from the exertion of full on temper tantrum in the six hours we flew. It was only ear plugs, noise canceling headphones and Beach Houses’ Depression Cherry that made a few light hours of sleep possible.

James was not into taking this picture, but it is the only proof of his massive burger.

Following our nap, we made our way to Avoca, a store filled with wool sweaters, blankets and scarves, as well as a quaint cafe. We headed to eat first. I had Avoca’s take on the Irish breakfast (scrambled eggs, leek pork sausage, bacon, roasted tomato and roasted mushrooms). It was amazing. James ordered a massive burger with Irish cheddar, cabbage and an aioli. We then proceeded to purchase our weight in sweaters, scarves and blankets (oops!) before heading on our walking tour.

We booked the tour with Sandemans New Dublin and were taken on a three hour trek of the city – starting with Dublin Castle, weaving our way through the temple bar (an area, not an actual place, though plenty of places call themselves that because tourist trap), Trinity College and more. We learned a significant amount about Irish history, including Viking rule for a few hundred years, English rule for more than 700 years and eventually the rebellion that brought about Ireland’s independence – the Easter Rebellion of 1916 (it’s also the 100 year anniversary). The 1916 rebellion was a failure but considered the starting point of Ireland’s path to independent in the early 1920s.

Midway through the tour, we stopped at House of Cha, a tea and coffee shop, for a black spicy chai (recommend!). A few folks on the tour opted to drink a Guinness in fifteen minutes instead.

For dinner that evening James and I made reservations at Gallagher Boxty, a potato inspired restaurant. The majority of the menu is gluten free – and it’s a good thing they list allergens everywhere because I would have been super skeptical otherwise! James and I split potato pancakes with syrup and bacon. For dinner I had steak wrapped in a potato pancake with a cream sauce. James had potato dumplings. We split vanilla ice cream with toasted almonds and honey figs for dessert.

Because I’m in Europe, and I have a plethora of delicious wine available, I picked up a bottle of pinot grigio rose to enjoy back at the hotel room. Being crafty, I stored said one in the window sill to keep it chilled. The maid luckily left it there!

The following morning we made our way to Kilmainham Gaol, the famous jail that housed many of the political rebels from 1916 (and then subsequent rebellions until Ireland was granted freedom). We opted to walk versus taking one of the city’s buses, which proved to be an enjoyable adventure. Breakfast however proved to be a bit difficult to track down. Disgusted by the options at my hotel (the usual cold cuts, hard boiled eggs and bread I can’t eat), we stopped at Kaph for lattes. Sadly their only food was pastries, so I ventured on until I found a small grocery store, and to James’ disgust, I proceeded to eat a cold paella in a cup dish.

For seven euros, Kilmainham Gaol includes a guided tour, and we learned about how the jail was a reformist prison (similar to Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania) in which prisoners were subjected to complete silence and solitary confinement. As I mentioned, this is the jail with the political rebels, but the majority of the prisoners committed petty crimes, or more “run of the mill” crimes such as assault, murder, etc. During the potato famine, the jail housed more than 9,000 inmates over the course of one year, vastly over capacity.

The tour lasts about an hour, and there is a well thought out museum that follows, allowing you to view some of the prisoner artifacts, as well as letters, jewelry and clothing from the rebels. Definitely worth a visit, and is conveniently across the street from the National Museum of Modern Art (free but we had plans so weren’t able to go).

Our next stop was Hatch & Sons, an Irish bakery and cafe that boasted to have some solid Irish food (including a very good Irish breakfast). I ordered beef stew and a flourless almond and orange cake. James had smoked salmon on brown bread and a piece of carrot cake. Full to the brim, we headed upstairs to The Little Museum of Dublin which also includes a guided tour of a few rooms filled with Irish artifacts from 1900s – 1990s. It was most definitely a nice summary of Irish history (both political and pop culture), though at this point we didn’t want to hear one more peep about the 1916 rebellion. So we headed over to the National Museum of Ireland Archaeology. Here is where the bog people live (persons who had the unfortunate event of being killed and then thrown into a peet bog, preserving them for thousands of years). I of course found this fascinating while James could have probably gone without seeing this exhibit.

We meandered through the streets of Dublin back to tour hotel, popping into shops and finalizing our journey by a trip to a gourmet grocery store to pick up some goodies one can only find here. The gluten free biscuits are my jam (pun intended?). We cozied up at the hotel in what looks like an Irish grandmother’s living room for a few hours before our dinner at the Pig’s Ear.

The Pig’s Ear is fabulous. Michelin star rated (which doesn’t always mean delicious, but this time it did). The restaurant was cozy, made up of multiple floors and covered with stuffed bunnies and statues of pigs (don’t worry, not stuffed). I had celeriac soup to start, with salmon and cauliflower and a buttermilk custard. James had a lobster crab salad to start, Shepard’s pie made from venison and cheesecake in a jar. I sadly was glutenized – it wasn’t the restaurant’s fault, it was definitely my own and I should have been more wary of something, but sometimes I play chicken with my stomach. And even this didn’t sour my overall opinion of the restaurant. That’s how good it is. I highly recommend it – reservations definitely required!

The remainder of the evening we spent packing our suitcases and preparing for our 4:15 am wake up call.

Chicago

Throughout my adulthood, every time I went to Chicago it was for work. It always seemed to be in the winter, and I never left my hotel, or was whisked away to a suburb of the city (“Chicago”). When a wedding took us to the Windy City, I jumped at the opportunity to stay an extra day, and ensure that my trip included a stop at the bean. Our trip was equal parts spending time with friends, and exploring on our own. I loved it.

Eat

Roister

We only had one evening to enjoy dinner on our own, so a little digging and I found Roister – a highly acclaimed restaurant with an interesting menu and great waitstaff. I had the beet, endive and bleu cheese salad for my starter and a maple poached salmon on top of creamed spinach, mashed potatoes and topped with homemade curried potato chips. The food was delicious and fresh. James had chicken noodle udon soup and shrimp and grits (which he was unable to finish, meaning I had awesome leftovers for breakfast!). Highly recommend and encourage reservations. We went on a Sunday and the place was packed – and completely out of the way, so this is a gem off the beaten path with a reputation.

Eataly

I could have spent days in Eataly. My first trip was before a blow out appointment around the corner, and James and I rushed through the two floors of goodies – picking up gluten free pasta, torrone and polenta crisps. Our second trip (because how could we not go back?!) was for a light snack which turned into a mini meal before we went to Roister. The upstairs of Eataly is made up of many food stations. Some you can simply walk up to, sit at and order off of the various menus. Others you had to put your name in for a table. We sat down at the Il Pesce Le Verdure station and ordered the grilled octopus, a cheese plate and stracciatella – a pulled mozzarella with roasted butternut squash, grilled radicchio, apples and toasted walnuts. This was DIVINE.

Revival Food Hall

In search of a quick, but good lunch, James and I stopped by Revival Food Hall to check out their offerings. We ended up at Union Squared Pizza which produces Detroit style pizza. While not deep dish, this was extremely tasty and they had a gluten free version for me. I had artichokes and tomatoes and James had pepperoni.

Sawada

Want to go to an overly hip coffee bar? Head to Sawada Coffee in Chicago (near the famous Girl and Goat and Little Goat). The cafe is a great little nook inside of a larger BBQ restaurant (the seating is open during the AM to coffee sippers, which makes for a sprawling crowd). James and I both had matcha green tea lattes (James had espresso in his unknowingly and was definitely wired after that). Great place to spend a morning, and I would definitely be a regular if it was in Boston.

Stay

We stayed at the Virgin Hotels in Chicago. This hotel is worth every single penny. The staff took excellent care of us, the bed was a knock out (we are even toying with purchasing the mattress for home it was that good!) and the best part? 24-hour check in and flexible (no fee) late checkout. Highly, highly recommend, and trust me, if you’re going to stay downtown, you’re going to pay a pretty penny, so you might as well spend a little more for a fantastic experience.

Architecture Boat Tour

While a bit on the pricey side, we decide to spring for an architecture tour along the river. For two hours we weaved through the city center, taking in the amazing buildings, learning some history and marveling over how quickly Chicago built up after it’s famed fired. We booked through the Chicago Architecture Foundation. You can find more info here.

Goose Island

Our friends got married at Goose Island – which was entirely fitting – but it also meant we got to go on an abbreviated tour of the brewery! James and I learned about the history, where the company makes its “funky” and “experimental” beers before testing them out on the crowds and got to wear some cool safety goggles. If you’re in town, and like beer (or even if you don’t), worth a visit.

Millennium Park

Oh the bean! How I was so happy to see her in all her glory. And then never returned after my first visit. Be warned, you will fight crowds for the perfect (or not so perfect) picture, but this iconic landmark isn’t to be missed.

Field Museum

What an absolutely amazing, awe inspiring museum. James and I forgot our MOS card in Boston so had to pay entry – though I talked us down from $30 each to a bare bones of $22 each. With only a few hours, we opted not to do any of the traveling/special exhibitions. My favorite part of the entire museum was walking through a reconstructed Egyptian tomb – but then I am always partial to Egyptian artifacts. We wandered through the hall of evolution (also very cool) and gazed upon extremely old dinosaur fossils and bones. There was even a miniature exhibit about the weird fungus moss that grows on plants, metal, pretty much everything. You could easily spend a day here and wish we could have.

Sky Deck at Willis (formerly Sears) Tower

Want a sprawling massive view of Illinois and the Great Lakes? Head on up to the 103 floor of the Willis Tower. The Sky Deck provides you with 360 degree views of the city, and you will definitely spend most of your time there in line waiting to go up. But it was fun, and worth going if you have the time.

Cologne, Germany

Over the summer, I learned I would need to go to Cologne, Germany for a conference in October. I texted Cory and asked if he wanted to join me. To my pleasant surprise, he said yes. And so we embarked on what we later realized, would be our last grown up adventure together (just the two of us) for some time.

Cologne is a small, beautiful, hip city bursting with hidden gems (like record stores, thrift stores and coffee shops) once you leave the city center. Completely demolished in World War II, the city rebuilt itself in the decades after. All that remained after the war was its amazingly impressive cathedral, which started construction in the 1200s, and continues to even this day. It is the tallest twin spired church in the world, and pictures can’t even begin to touch on its incredible height.

For our time in Cologne, the plan was that Cory would explore, and meet me for mini-adventures when I had a break from work (on days that went from 9 – 9 this was a bit tricky, but we managed!). If you want to know all the facts, hidden gems and how to navigate the city, ask Cory. He would meet me at the conference center, or later at the hotel, and would share everything he learned that day. And so, with that, here are our recommendations, tips and tricks for enjoying your time in Cologne.

Food

We anticipated eating might be tricky (me being gluten free, Cory vegetarian), and boy were we right to assume that! If you have allergies, do some research ahead of time! English translations are not always perfect, and not all hard copy menus list allergens (though they often do online).

Bring cash because many restaurants will not accept anything but a German bank card, even if you have a chip & pin. We learned the hard way once. Also, German restaurants actually give you a time limit on how long you can stay at the table, and as you approach the end of this limit, they are very efficient at getting you out. Be aware in case you were hoping to linger.

In terms of tipping, it’s about 10% of the check. When the waiter comes over to give you the bill (tip: learn how to ask for this in German!), you let them know how much change you want or how much to charge to the card. There is no leaving coins behind on the table.

With our restrictive diets, we did find a few great places to eat, supplemented by trips to the grocery store for staples such as gluten free bread, avocados, peppers, carrots, beet hummus and cheese. I was thoroughly impressed with the German grocery options – and even brought back some of their gluten free brown bread, which I brought just about everywhere with me.

Dean & David

A juice and salad/curry chain, Dean & David was a gluten free, vegetarian dream. We enjoyed carrot ginger juice and vegan tofu yellow curry on our first afternoon in Cologne. The food was surprisingly good, and perfect for a cold dreary day. There are multiple locations throughout the city, including one in the train station. Prices are pretty fair (a large portion of curry was about seven euros).

Mongo’s

An Asian fusion restaurant with tons of gluten free and vegetarian options. You build your own stir fry by going up to the counter, filling your bowl with vegetables and proteins and passing it off to be cooked. There are a few different options, where you can pay by weight or an all you can eat. Unless you are able to eat two giant bowls of stir fry, I recommend going the weight route.

TIP: Go to the location in the Koln Triangle, and then take the elevator up before or after to see panorama views of the city. More on that later!

Wellbeing

Wellbeing was some of the best food we had in Germany. The restaurant was inside someone’s home (the kitchen was parsed out to be standalone with a few tables inside). Everything was vegan and there were even raw options. I had summer rolls and a rice noodle udon soup in a spicy coconut milk broth. It was divine. Cash only!

Gaffel am Dom

A cozy beer house by the Cathedral, Gaffel was our only true German food experience – but was quite good! Cory ordered creamed spinach with fried eggs and boiled potatoes (without their jackets!) and I had roast beef with fried potatoes and bacon. It was absolutely delicious, and definitely a great last night in Germany meal. The restaurant itself was massive and filled with patrons, even late on a Monday night. The wait staff will automatically bring you beer unless you tell them otherwise, so hint hint to anyone who doesn’t drink beer.

KaffeSapien

This ultra hip, amazingly good coffee house was around the corner from our hotel in a former jail that used to imprison anti-Nazi officials (including the mayor of Cologne). Cory enjoyed many pour-overs, and I favored the latte, but switched it up for a black tonic (espresso + tonic) on my last day. Great atmosphere, seating inside and out, and friendly baristas.

Kasehause Wingenfeld

Cheese lovers unite! This little shop is tucked away at the end of the main shopping area of Cologne, with a cheese counter boasting products from all over Europe. I bought a comte and brie from France because both of these are “black market” in the US and because they are amazing. They also proved to be a great lunch with my brown bread on one of the many occasions that there were no or limited gluten free options for lunch during the conference.

Things to Do

Cologne Cathedral

The cathedral is massive and can’t be missed. In addition to a place to visit, it’s also a great landmark so that you can find your way around the city. The outside is so incredibly ornate, and its history is rich (as I mentioned above).

Look closely, Cory is standing in front! This thing is massive.

Inside boasts amazing stained glass, and if you’re lucky to go on a sunny afternoon, you’ll be greeted by a fabulously colored lights reflecting off the interior. One of the windows was installed as an art piece (not religious, so it’s a bit controversial) and the most amazing squares of colored light decorate the inside.

Ludwig Museum

Even if you aren’t a modern art fan, the Ludwig museum is still a treat. Plenty of videos, mixed medium, paintings and photography dot the walls and floors. We went during an exhibition of Karl Schenker, a photographer from the early 1900s who was known for retouching his photographers. Think Instagram worthy pictures, but done in 1910. It was very cool (he even took photographs of mannequins and waxed figures that looked eerily real).

Tip: If you bring a backpack, you will need to check it in their complementary coat room. You can bring food and also enjoy it in the lobby.

For more views of the Cathedral, you can go outside Museum Ludwig.

Chocolate Museum

We went to the Chocolate museum on our first day (literally hours after we landed). I think I would have appreciate it more had I not been so jet lagged, but nonetheless it was fun to learn about chocolate, how quality was instilled in the 1870s after people started using fillers in bars (chocolate and suet? yuck!) and even witness a chocolate bar making and wrapping factory. There are plenty of samples throughout.

Bike Tour

Cory went on a three hour bike tour of Cologne through Colonia Activ. He toured all parts of the city, learned about its history and architecture and some fun facts (there are 16 tons of locks on the Hohenzollern Bridge). He highly recommended it – though keep in mind if you go in the fall, bundle up! And be prepared to have the tour given in German and English.

Get “Lost”

Walk through Cologne, get lost, find your way back (using the Cathedral or river as a landmark) and learn the streets. We spent many hours wandering and absorbing.

Sometimes you turn a corner and there is a creepy puppet staring at you. Sometimes there are many creepy puppets.

Koln Triangle

The barista at KaffeSapien told us about the Koln Triangle and recommended this over the dome (which we could not find, nor figure out what she meant by that!). For 3 euros, you can take an elevator to the top for panoramic views of the city. Definitely worth the fee, and I would advise you to go on a clear day.

Stay

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency on the Rhine. Apparently this is the hotel that Justin Bieber and other famous individuals stay at (I am assuming in the nice, suite rooms). Our room had its quirks – such as flickering lights, TVs that turned on randomly, noisy fans and a shower that was basically a firehose – but overall it was nice. The breakfast was definitely better than many of the continental breakfasts I’ve had in European hotels before – and I am happy to report I didn’t have a visceral reaction when eating there every morning.

The facilities have a nice spa on the first floor, with a steam room, sauna, hot tub and pool, as well as a gym – all complementary to hotel guests. They provide bath robes, locks for the locker and towels.

It was the perfect location to walk into the city center, and to take a morning run along the Rhine.

Vermont

Did you know that there is a website that highlights every single cheese monger, shop, barn, road shack and store in the state of Vermont? You’re welcome.

As a lover of all things cheese, I had to at least start making my way through the list of 49 “cheeseries.” My friend Meghann is also a lover of all things cheese, and so we embarked on a leaf peeping, cheese eating, wine seeking, maple consuming adventure through the southern part of the state.

First stop? Brattleboro, VT for a very quick stroll through the town. We made a lightening speed detour in Twice Upon a Time, a store filled with “everyone’s grandmother’s things in one place” according to Meghann. We debated whether or not to buy 1980s ball gowns to wear for the rest of the trip, but opted to keep things real with our fall gear instead. I sadly did not see the beloved tea shop that sells the best chai (we’ll just have to go back!).

Afterwards, we drove down the road to the Grafton Village Cheese Company. I have attended plenty of cheese classes – but never a cheese tasting. I have found my mecca. Bowls and plates of cut up cheese are everywhere, and it is essentially a grand cheese party free for all. We sampled a range of cheeses from cheddars (aged 1, 2, 3 years and “old timey”). We sampled parmesans. Smoked maple. Basically heaven. In the center of the store is the case of extra awesome cheese. The goat cheese covered in ash that I so loved in Paris was calling my name. And after a quick sample, we snatched up a tiny wheel to enjoy.

Grafton Village is also on a farm. The petting zoo portion was sadly closed, but we still hung out with goats.

The best part about hanging out with goats in Vermont? You don’t have to claim that this was an activity you did on your customs form when entering the US.

Next stop was Putney Mountain Winery in Putney, VT. The tasting room was inside a giant basket store. I’m pretty sure there was a basket Reptar, among sharks, deer, moose and other creatures that lined the ceiling.

Putney Mountain Winery makes fruit wines and cordials. We tried Rhubarb Blush, Simply Cranberry, Simply Blueberry, a black currant after dinner wine, ginger cordial and maple cordial. Needless to say, I left with a bottle of the ginger cordial because in addition to loving all things cheese, I also love all things ginger.

We intended to find a place to picnic near the winery, and enjoy some of our new cheese treats. A Black Sabbath cover band was playing in the middle of town and essentially that was about all you could hear. Interested in a different type of ambiance, we looked at Google Maps and decided to drive to some green spaces. First green space? A cemetery. Second green space? The creepiest baseball field with a shack in the middle of the property and ripped up living room furniture outside. We sat in the car crying laughing for five minutes outside the shack before deciding to continue on our way.

Then we stumbled across Hidden Springs Maple – a very cute maple sugar shop with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs! Score. We stepped inside first and left with maple drinks, maple syrup and maple ice cream. Lunch was enjoyed, safely.

Stuffed to the brim (at least me, Meghann seemed to do a better job pacing herself with cheese!), we headed back to the car to drive about an hour North towards Woodstock. Our third stop was the Cabot Quechee Store. It was also an antique fair and flea market, and an alpaca exhibit. It was amazing.

Somehow, more cheese was consumed. This time, there was probably 30 varieties ranging from every cheddar under the sun, to bacon to garlic to Tuscany themed and more. I tried the spreadable port wine cheese and regretted it.

With just 90 minutes to spare, we made it to our final destination – Billing’s Farm and Museum (where they also have cheese!). Back in the 1890s, the farmer made 5,000 pounds of butter a year to distribute from Vermont to New York. Today it’s just an awesome museum with a few too many mannequin figures. We strolled the property taking fabulous pictures, watched them milk dairy cows (it is sadly done by machine and no longer done by hand these days – I guess this is more sanitary!) and visited the baby calves. Fresh apple cider was available, and we ended the visit with a quick stop to buy some of their butter cheddar cheese.

It was time to make our way back home – but since the Quechee Gorge was on the way, we stopped. And climbed to the bottom, which was fabulous, until we had to climb back up the mountain to the top. But in retrospect, this was probably good after the amount of cheese we had consumed. “Working off that cheese business.”

Italy (Amalfi Coast) Travel Tips

Sharing travel tips from my week on the Amalfi Coast.

Bring Cash (i.e. Euros)

The tax rate is 52% in Italy (!!!). Almost every single activity we participated in either requested cash as preferred payment method, or only took cash. From classes to adventures to drivers/cabs to hotel tax, it is all about the cash. There are plenty of ATMs along the coast, but beware that you will have to pay a transaction fee.

Also – hotels will charge a city tax. It’s not much – ours was only 15 euros – but they only accept cash. The rest of the balance can be paid on the card. Be smart, don’t be like us, running to the ATM when we were already running late during check out.

Activities

The Amalfi coast is a great place to relax, but if you can’t handle the beach or pool every day, all day, plan some activities. Hands down my favorite thing I did on this trip (and maybe ever!) was Mamma Agata’s cooking class. It was an incredible experience and still allowed me to soak in some sun rays in her beautiful mountainside garden and learn about Italian cooking. If do you this, do not make dinner reservations. You will eat a lot, all day long.

The yacht tour and the kayak tour were also a lot of fun. The yacht tour gave us an opportunity to see the entire coastline and also visit Capri. The island of Capri is filled with shops, but it’s definitely not something you want to do for a full day (especially because none of it is affordable!). The yacht tour gave us a few hours on Capri, and also gave us the chance to see the different grottos, go swimming in the Mediterranean and we didn’t have to worry about making ferries and waiting in line.

Kayaking also gave us the chance to see parts of the coast we wouldn’t be able to on foot or in car (including a stop at a beach only accessible by water). Free activities? Go hiking! There are tons of trails that lead into quaint towns. You’ll discover breathtaking views.

Hiking Tips

If you do go hiking on the Amalfi coast, I highly recommend buying a guide book. We used “Sorrento, Amalfi Coast & Capri: Car Tours and Walks” which provided helpful instructions such as “when you get to the mural of the immaculate conception, go up the stairs to the right of it.” You’ll also save your phone battery and have a bit more bearings on where you are (maps aren’t that helpful!). Bring lots of water, a hat, sunscreen and BUG SPRAY. I have never been bit by so many mosquitoes before. I used a ton of bug spray and I’m not sure it even made a difference. I probably needed heavier duty stuff.

Some trails have helpful signs to guide you along the way. These are not always the easiest paths! Hence the guidebook…

In the summer, it’s hot, and you’ll drink a lot. But don’t worry, there are spigots along the paths and the water is safe to drink. We refilled our bottle every time we found one (some paths have more than others).

A good pair of sneakers will do – but if you want to bring hiking boots, go for it. Gym clothes will also be more comfortable (I don’t know how people hiked in denim shorts and blouses, but hey, to each their own).

Getting Around

The coastal towns are connected by the Travelmar ferry. We found this to be the easiest way to move between the towns, as well as the quickest. It’s a bit more than the SITA bus, but worth it, as you get spectacular views from the seat that you wouldn’t get otherwise. We took it frequently between Amalfi and Minori.

The SITA bus is affordable, and definitely preferable to driving. I was not a huge fan of being on a bus, overlooking a cliff, on a winding road with a lot of crazy drivers. But, it is the most cost effective other than walking.

Do not take cabs! The prices are OUTRAGEOUS. They charge a tax plus an astronomical fee that goes up depending on the time of the day. A 20 minute cab ride from Ravello to Minori could cost upwards of 60 euros or more. If you want to take a car, ask your hotel to call you a private driver. The prices are still ridiculous, but in bad weather, or late evenings, they are worth it. We paid between 40 and 55 euros for a 20-25 minute drive. And the driver guarantees to pick us up at the end of the evening.

Walking is a great way to get around, but don’t expect to walk between towns unless you are hiking or planning to sweat a lot. Everything has an incline and decline and there are a lot of stairs. There are no sidewalks on the main road unless you are in a town. Between? Nothing. And you may die (I’m being serious!) if you decide to try and walk.

Driving

Take it from me – don’t rent a car. It was nice to have, because it did dictate my arrival and departure time, and we were able to make a day trip to Pompeii, but it was an unnecessary expense. The car itself was cheap to rent (less than $100 for the week), but garaging it was very pricey (20 euros a day). Plus, anytime we wanted to use it, we had to give the hotel an hour to get it out of a very jam packed lot. This is pretty much the case with all lots on the coast. If you park the car on the street, someone is likely going to hit it. We saw may mirrorless cars and big dents on sides.

The roads are the size of a one way street with two way traffic. Add steep inclines, incredible curves and very fast drivers, and you may have a heart attack. Even the driver we hired made a lot of exasperated and fearful sounds as other drivers careened towards us. Driving in the mountains is a bit easier because there aren’t any cars parked alongside the road (making the roads slightly wider). All in all, we probably spent the same amount renting the car and garaging it as a private driver would have cost to take us to and from the airport – but I’m not sure it was worth the headache. We luckily made it out unscathed.

Food & Wine

Gluten free diners, rejoice! Italy is fabulous with gluten free meals. I emailed most restaurants before going, but for those that were last minute decisions, I didn’t have that opportunity. “Senza glutine” will take you very far, and almost everyone has gluten free pasta available. They were also surprisingly accommodating of vegetarian diets, with numerous options on menus.

The best wine I had was homemade wine (at Mamma Agata’s and at Agriturismo Villa Maria). It was sulfate free, lower alcohol and amazingly refreshing. At restaurants without this option, I stuck with the house wine. It tended to be significantly cheaper than all other glasses on the menu, and tasted great (5-6 euros per glass vs. 8 – 9 euros).

Mozzarella, lemons, limoncello, seafood and pizza are big in Southern Italy. Pasta transpires throughout the country of course, but not risotto. Learn the food that the area is famous for and stick with that. And the tomatoes? To die for. Seriously.

Pastries & Gelato

Unlike the U.S., if you want a pastry or ice cream, you must pay for it first, then go up to the counter with your receipt. We would check out the dessert case first, then make our way up to the cashier, pay, and return to order the treat. It’s just how it is. Gelato comes in cups or cones and in three sizes. You can get two flavors in a small, so don’t feel pressured to order bigger (unless you want it!).

Italy Day 6

Our last day in Italy – how bittersweet! We decided to take advantage of the sunshine and… hike! (no, no beach). There are a few trails that connect Minori to Amalfi, if you are willing to climb a mountain. We started the morning by taking a ferry from Minori to Amalfi, and made our way through the main street. I bought a hiking guide that provides landmarks to look for instead of actual maps (actually helpful!) and so once we made it to the traffic light on the main drag, we were off.

View of Amalfi after hiking up about halfway

We climbed (according to my phone), more than 120 flights of stairs, weaving our way to Minuta, a small town nestled in the Italian mountains. From Minuta, we walked to Ravello, this time taking the main road as it was a bit more direct and would take about half the amount of time as continuing through the mountain.

I had one goal in Ravello (okay two goals!): buy myself a pair of custom made Italian sandals and eat at Villa Maria because their garden looked spectacular after passing it on our first day here. We went to the sandal shop and I picked out the sandal style and the colors. And then the woman made them, customizing them to my feet and ensuring that they were comfortable. I’ve never had a pair of sandals, or any shoes for that matter, that have not gone through a break in period. They fit like gloves. Perfect. Even better? They were only 60 euros.

Gleeful with my new purchase, we headed off to Villa Maria for lunch. The views were amazing. I wasn’t even expecting that! The food was also spectacular. James had pizza and I had smoked mozzarella with garden vegetables. It was positively delightful. We rested our aching feet and took in the views. Shortly before we left, a couple we met at the previous nights dinner sat down next to us. Funny how the world really is “so small.”

We finished our hike by descending the rest of the way to Minori. If you ever want a challenge, walk down 80 flights of stairs. Our legs were shaking by the bottom, but it didn’t stop us from grabbing our final cups of gelato at Sal Del Riso. (For 2 euros, you can get two flavors of delectable gelato). I had pistachio and crema and James had stracciatella and strawberry. The pistachio tasted as though I had just deshelled some and popped them into my mouth. Amazing.

With the sun still out, we changed into our bathing suits and spent a final afternoon at the pool before packing (always more difficult than I anticipate). We had dinner reservations at Ristorante Eolo in Amalfi that evening – somewhere I was very excited to try. The restaurant is situated in the cliffs, overlooking the town and ocean. The views were stunning – especially as the sun set.

This might be the most beautiful place on earth.

Our next door tablemates were slightly ridiculous (a mom and daughter celebrating a birthday and arguing for a good portion of the evening) but once we started eating it was easy to forget that they were there. For my first course I had octopus and veal tongue served with lemon mashed potatoes and a red sauce. For my pasta course, the most amazing risotto with a sundried tomato powder and for my meat course, fresh grilled fish, served with grilled vegetables and a lemon. James had lobster for his first course, a beautiful seaweed pasta with rabbit and oysters for his pasta course and for his meat, the sucking pig. Everything was wonderfully delicious.

For our last adventures, we had to figure out how to use the SITA bus system to get back to Minori (because calling Ambrosio just wasn’t going to happen again). We luckily did, and I’m happy to share this ride back cost us less than 3 euros together.

Italy Day 5

I must have been in fourth or fifth grade when I learned about Pompeii. I was entranced by the story and history. All those lives lost – a city buried and rediscovered. I yearned to visit the archeological site, and even sat through a painfully boring “slide show” my mom’s boss shared with us about his trip there (it was only boring because he shared nothing about Pompeii and everything about the tour group he went with…). When we booked our trip to the Amalfi coast, I hadn’t realized how close Pompeii was to Naples and Amalfi.

We hadn’t driven since arriving on Saturday – but we had planned to go on a day trip to Pompeii today, and that was going to require use of the car. We woke up early to call the front desk and ask them to bring it around the front by 8:15. We ate a quick breakfast (I found a stand that sells avocados so I am the weirdo pealing them at the continental breakfast to mash on my gluten free pitas – and top with the delicious sun ripened tomatoes they serve here!) and then hit the road. We opted to take the mountain route over the seaside route – mostly to see if it was as terrifying and just to do something different.

The mountain route was amazing. The curves are crazy, and the drivers are still maniacs, but there are less of them on the road and no one just parking on the side. No pedestrians, no tourists, just locals. Potentially a sleeping dog (we hoped!). When we reached the top, we were absolutely amazed by the view of Vesuvius and the city below. It was truly breathtaking and welcomed after a very green drive up.

After figuring out the parking situation, we skipped the lines to pick up our tickets (will call people!) and entered the park. Pompeii is massive. We wandered for more than three hours and still missed entire sections. Because September is the tail end of high season, we enjoyed significantly less people and tour groups (though there was a fair share of them). The ruins are really something special.

Fun facts we learned along the way –

There are holes in the sidewalk curb – these were to tie your horse or donkey to (the original parking spot)
Most people in Pompeii didn’t have kitchens, so there were fast food restaurants EVERYWHERE.
The city boasted three amphitheaters. The largest one could hold 20,000 people and cheering from the stadium upset a neighboring city so much, there was an all out brawl that caused the Roman “government” to shut it down for ten years (but that only lasted for three due to an earthquake that hit).
We saw the laundromat where clothing was washed in urine to remove stains.
The lower class worshipped Egyptian gods in hopes of life after death. Mozart visited the site in the late 1760s and was inspired to write The Magic Flute.
One of the conspirators that murdered Julius Caesar owned a home in Pompeii. It was impressive.
A few homes took up entire city blocks – one of them had a swimming pool inside.

We left the park around lunchtime (splitting a granola bar and banana to make it back to Minori because we had leftover fish waiting!). The drive back was mostly uneventful. We did get on the wrong highway but Google faithfully turned us around. This time we opted to take the sea route back. It was not nearly has horrible as the first time around. I was relieved. James was relieved. I think arriving on a Saturday afternoon on one of the last summer weekends did not work in our favor. I could see driving here in October being rather pleasant and almost fun!

It had started raining on our drive home. We had originally planned to do a walking tour of Naples but it was cancelled due to low interest. So we returned the car to the garage, and wandered around Minori for a bit (using our umbrellas, and not getting flooded out this time). We stopped by the Antiquarium – Villa Maritima – an ancient Roman villa that was two thousand years old. The structure was well preserved due to floods and debris that covered it until the 1930s when it was excavated. Very cool, and free of charge!

Afterwards, we stopped by a different bakery so James could pick up some cookies, and I could get an espresso. I had it Italian style, standing at the counter, quickly drinking it, and relishing how much better it was than the hotel coffee. I wish I knew that a few days ago!

Given the change in our afternoon plans, we decided to try another restaurant in Minori. There is a little farm in the hillside of Minori that had rave reviews and also a gluten free menu called Agriturismo Villa Maria. We made the trek upwards (this was once again, many stairs) to be greeted by beautiful views of Minori and Ravello. Once we made it to the top, we had to climb a steep driveway and even more stairs to get to the villa!

There is no menu. The family cooks what is caught fresh or harvested from their garden. After multiple tries they finally understood “senza glutine” and we were off to a marathon of food. We started with an antipasto plate – all homemade cured meats, cheeses and vegetables from the garden. Our pasta course had eggplant, tomato sauce and mozzarella (mine was gluten free). Our main course was swordfish – it was amazingly fresh and once again, they served it with the most potent lemon. For dessert, they brought James a homemade cake and me fruit. The wine was made onsite, and refreshing and delicious. Our total bill for a bottle of wine and all the plates of food was 70 euros.

We made our descent back down the mountain and feel fast asleep.

Italy Day 4

The forecast predicted rain ALL day. We were pretty sure that we’d be washed out – or at least that our kayak tour would be cancelled. I am pleased to say that neither was the case (and yet, the forecast continued to remain rain all day… hmm… Italian weather is like Italian time?)

This morning James and I hopped on the 8:45 am ferry to Amalfi. Once we arrived, we desperately tried to figure out how to get to Duoglio beach – about a mile from the city center. Eventually we realized we had to walk on the highway – something I was not pleased with at all. Italians here drive like maniacs, but I am slowly getting used to it, and starting to understand. After about 40 minutes, we made it to the steepest set of stairs I’ve ever laid eyes on, and made our decent down to the beach.

We booked our kayak tour through Amalfi Coast Sea Kayak. After a brief lesson on sea kayaking, we were on our way to Furore Fjord. Our guides were comical, and gave us an overview of the history of the different cities, pointed out spots where the road was exceptionally perilous with not much sandstone beneath the pavement and even gave an explanation of the cave that was above the five-star hotel our yacht captain told us about. In case you’re wondering, it’s just a cave, but rocks keep eroding away. Time will tell how long that property sits there…

We kayaked through arches, into a sea cave and eventually made it to the fjord. The water was pleasantly warm, which helped make up for the amount of it that ended up on my clothes and in the boat!

At the fjord, we had a quick snack, tried to swim (the water here was less warm) and watched dare devils jump from the rock formations. After about a half an hour, we loaded back into the kayaks and experienced super tired arm syndrome. At this point, we’d been kayaking for about two hours! We eventually returned to the hidden beach, and opted to enjoy a late lunch at the restaurant on shore. I had the freshest fish – grilled and served with a potent lemon. James had pasta with mussels.

The restaurant then drove us back on their inflatable dingy boat to the center of Amalfi, where we proceeded to walk around the town for 45 minutes before the ferry took us back to Minori. Amalfi is cute – and has numerous shops and a lot of tourists. We enjoyed gelato (ricotta and pear, niccotella and stratatella) and made a few purchases (my favorite wine is 9 euros here – a bottle at home runs me around $40!). We hopped back on the 4:30 ferry and relaxed at the hotel before dinner.

Dinner was again in Ravello. We could have walked but we were beyond tired after kayaking all morning. So… we called… Ambrosio. He raised his price too. Same drive, 55 euros each way. I know, I know. But if you were here, you would understand.

We had dinner at Ristoro del Moro – a Michelin star rated restaurant on a cliff overlooking Minori and Maiori. The views are AMAZING. I couldn’t get enough of them. And even though the temperature had dropped significantly, we opted to sit outside because when else will we get a chance to enjoy this?

The restaurant earned extra bonus points because they also had a completely gluten free menu which included pasta (and not just pasta from a box, we’re talking raviolis and gnocchi). James and I both had the octopus salad for our antipasto course – which was served with a green bean sauce and tiny diced potatoes. For the pasta course, I had the gluten free agnolotti stuffed with ricotta and spinach with basil pesto and pistachios. Oh my god. James had pasta with prawns and tomatoes. We both had red tuna for our meat course. It was served with this delicious balsamic vinegar and honey sauce. Neither of us could make it through even half our fish. Our waiter took pity and wrapped it up in lots of tinfoil for us to take home (luckily our hotel has a mini fridge!).

Following dinner, we had booked tickets for a piano recital in the Annunziata Historic Building (luckily the concert was indoors because we were both frozen!). The music was beautiful (mostly Chopin I believe). We left the recital to see that Ambrosio had called us seven times (you know, Italians can get away with this stuff – that’s borderline crazy girlfriend in America!). He just wanted to make sure we still needed a ride. And we did…

PS: They serve limoncello during the intermission.