And, while I probably won’t go back again next year, I am in no way done with Italy.

The Traveling Sisterhood has been making annual trips since 2006. In fact, our first group trip in 2006 was the Italian Riviera. In subsequent years, we went to Greece, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and this year we spent a 9 nights in Tuscany. Here we are at the beautiful Verrazzano Winery in Chianti where we toured the grounds and had a wine tasting and fantastic antipasto lunch. L-R: Mary, Joan, Mickey, Carolyn, Maryann, Irene, Dolores, Katie, Glorie, Josie.

We chose the Francia e Quirnale hotel in Montecatini Terme as a home base and made daily day trips from there to other cities. The word ‘home base’ has real significance here because the staff at the hotel truly made us feel at home. They were attentive, helpful and professional with arranging tours, nightly restaurant recommendations/reservations and genuine friendliness. The hotel exudes old world charm with ample and exquisitely-decorated public areas, but also generously provides contemporary touches like free wi-fi throughout and fully renovated and modern bathrooms. It’s family-run and staffed with long-term employees manning the key areas of operation (front desk, dining and bar). In fact, 3 of the 5 of them have already friended me on facebook — so we’ll be friends forever!

If you haven’t been to Tuscany, the countryside is lovely. It’s mountainous and lush with wineries, olive groves, nurseries and farmland. On the other hand, it seems that every city has a medieval center with walls, towers, baptistries, duomos, cathedrals and churches (I still don’t know the difference). History dating back thousands of years is evident at every turn.

We chose to hire a guide and a driver for a day in Chianti, a split day in Siena and San Gimignano, and a morning trip to Pisa.

Other than that, we took the train or hoofed it (a lot!).

Our first experience at the ticket machine for TrenItalia was a lot of laughs.

Off we went every morning to a different city…Lucca, Florence, Pistoia and Montecatini Alto, the medieval town on top of of the town we were staying in which required a funicolare ride up the mountain.

Of course, we ate and drank well (and a lot.) Isn’t that why everyone goes to Tuscany?

Non ti mettere in cammino se la bocca un sa divino.
Don’t start your walking journey if your mouth does not taste like wine.

I was all about trying different things to eat. Tripe made it to the table 3x. Some other interesting meals included boar ragu, amaretto gnocchi, zucchini cream, pappa pomodoro (so good), lots of porcini and truffles galore. They were served with pasta, risotto, pizza and in custards. We even tried a truffle creme brulee appetizer one night. Salads were wonderful and fresh and we ate the BEST tasting tomatoes! Of course, there were gelati (that’s plural) and there’s nothing more delicious to end a meal (for me) than cantucci (almond biscotti) dipped in Vin Santo.

Gi amici son come i fagioli, parlano di dietro.
Friends are like beans, they talk behind your back.

The cooks in the Tuscan kitchen have a gentle hand. I expected the food to be good and fresh, but I was somewhat surprised that it was mildly flavored. With the exception of truffles, which have a distinct  and lingering taste/aroma, no other spice or taste of garlic overpowered any dish (in contrast to the heavily garlicked Italian-American food we’re accustomed to on this side of the Atlantic.) I didn’t miss it…just saying. I think every pasta we ate was ‘fresh’, although I did see dry pasta in the stores. I guess even the Italians take shortcuts on occasions. I must say, though, we missed the salt in the bread. And almost every single dish was finished with a (more-than) drizzle of olive oil. That I liked!

•      •      •

A great way to end an active vacation is spending a few hours at a spa.  Montecatini is a ‘spa town’ and is famed for its thermal springs — so we ‘took the waters’ (drank bad-tasting water that is supposed to be good for you) and had some ‘feel good’ treatments before our long journey home.

Arrivaderci bella Toscana…I hope to see you again soon!

Starting to think about 2012…Joan

Pictured: Debbie D’Ambrosio, Irene D’Ambrosio, Virginia Armstrong, Katie Davis, Carolyn Lupi, Maryann Armstrong, Joan Nova, Josie Massimo, Dolores D’Ambrosio, Mary Catello.

Buenos Aires

As part of our city tour, we went to Recoleta Cemetery and were amazed how much we ‘enjoyed’ it (strange word for a cemetery). The entire cemetery is laid out in sections like city blocks, with wide tree-lined main walkways branching into sidewalks filled with mausoleums.

We visited the colorful San Telmo area.

We heard live music, looked at local art and were entertained by tango dancers in the street.

And…one of us got inspired.

We attended a tango dinner show at the elegant Esquina de Carlos Gardel. 

Our transportation to the included tours was private buses so we were always comfortable.
We also took a couple of boat rides. This one was a 2-hour tour of the El Tigre  (a self-contained community on a delta). No cars. Everything is done by boat, including the supermarket coming to them.

FOOD. Many were surprised to learn that there is a large Italian influence in both Argentina and Brazil where we enjoyed some delicious pizzas, pastas and antipastos.

Recommendations in Buenos Aires
Food court at the Galleria Pacifico: wonderful tortas, many layered with pureed pumpkin, can be found all over the place as well as beautiful salads, grilled meats and all kinds of other choices.

They even have a bar and specialty coffee shops.

And really cute waiters.

Cabaña Las Lilas in Puerto Madero (a popular restaurant noted for raising its own meat) but always crowded.
We went to Happening about a block or two away, Gael Greene’s favorite restaurant in Buenos Aires. It was quite nice, comfortable, service great — and we loved their communal antipasto table!Other recommendations: Las Cholas in Las Canitas specializes in parilladas (grilled variety of Argentine meats presented together) — we also had a parillada of grilled vegetables. [Available everywhere: great appetizers of empanadas and proveleta, a baked provolone cheese.]

Iguazu Falls (from the Argentine Side)

We had the adventure of a lifetime exploring Iguazu National Park and riding the rapids under the waterfalls. This is while we were still dry:

Getting closer
And closer yet…last descent before the water. We walked for hours — up to the top of the falls and through the park to the bottom where we geared up to ride the rapids, boarded a motorized raft and got SOAKED!

There was a whole lot of screaming going on!

We stayed at the Grand Iguazu Resort Spa + Casino and had a lovely dinner in their restaurant our first night. Here’s my gazpacho appetizer and lamb 2-way entree.

The second night we had dinner in a wonderful restaurant in town called Aqua which specializes in local fish and Italian dishes. This was the appetizer platter for 2. The curly white stuff under the avocado is edible palm flowers.

Rio de Janeiro

We ziplined by cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain.

At Corcovado, we posed in front of  the Christ the Redeemer statue.

And later stopped for ‘rodizio’ lunch (BBQ that is carried to your table on skewers until you beg for mercy) at Estrela do Sol Churrascaria. All kinds of beef, pork, chicken and even fish – not to mention a huge salad bar.

And we attended a Samba show.

Our very own Queen of Carnival

On Copacabana Beach.

Rio’s fruit juice are better than Jamba’s…just ask Katie.
Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil. It is only served on Saturdays — and only in the afternoon. (You need the remainder of the day to digest!) Perfect timing for us as we were leaving that evening so we had a wonder farewell brunch at the Caesar Park Hotel in Ipanema. It started with a caiprinha bar, appetizers (all things fried like this) and live bossa nova music by a trio.

Then the big reveal. Feijoada! Nice touch that it was broken out by individual cauldrons of the various meats that had been cooked with black beans so that you could avoid pig trotters if you chose to. Feijoada is generally accompanied by white rice, collard greens, farofa (toasted manioc flour) and orange slices to cut the richness. Of course, there was the ubiquitous salad bar and other specialties like roast suckling pig and chicken.

Here’s the farofa.

A sample plate (I won’t say whose) showing a variety of meats, orange, pumpkin, cassava, collard greens, black beans, rice and farofa.

Yes, we were satiated. And, yes, we had dessert anyway. They were really tiny. Really.

Another recommendation in Rio: Stravaganza in Ipanema for delicious pizzas and salads in a trendy setting. For a non-alcoholic drink, try Guarana Zero, a carbonated soft drink.

OK, gals, where to next???????????????????

3 nights Buenos Aires

2 nights Iguazu Falls

2 nights Rio de Janeiro

Flights and hotels are being reserved. Your credit cards will be debited for the deposit and airfare when everything is confirmed.

The next thing we have to do is apply for Brazil visas. I will give you directions on how to do this soon.

So far, we have 10 passengers signed up.

Leaving from NY: Carolyn Lupi, Katie Davis, Irene D’Ambrosio, Debbie D’Ambrosio, Josephine Massino, Dolores D’Ambrosio, Maryann Armstrong, Virginia Armstrong

JFK (overnight flights)

10/8 AA# 955 leaves 10:15PM and arrives Buenos Aires 9:45AM

10/16 AA #950 leaves Rio 6:05PM, arrives JFK at 6:30AM

Leaving from FL: Joan Nova, Mary Catello

MIA (overnight flights)

10/8 AA #943 leaves 11:20PM and arrives Buenos Aires 9:05AM

10/16 AA #904 leaves Rio 8:20PM, arrives MIA 4:15AM (ugh!)

Questions? Email joan@travelingsisterhood.com

Over brunch — and for 3 hours past, we reviewed and discussed potential trips. I had already researched several destinations and had multiple itineraries to present. We batted around Portugal, a river cruise, a spa in Tuscany, Peru and finally decided.

Drum roll, please…

This year, it’s South America!

The itinerary we selected will give you a taste of Argentina, Brazil, Iguazu Falls and even includes a lunch in Uruguay. We’re looking at an October 6 departure.

I’m going back to the travel companies to see if I can work some group magic. Details will follow.

We visited the Palace of Fine Arts and the scientific Exploratorium Museum where we delighted with some of the exhibits…like the rest of the children there.

Katie had her hair electrified. She also ‘drank from a toilet bowl’ but I don’t have that photo.

Carolyn and I went in small houses and sat in large chairs.

We met up with Mdm. Marie (remember her from our Greece trip?) and took a ferry ride to Sausalito for lunch.

We spent a gorgeous day in Napa and Sonoma…and even made a picnic on the grounds of one of the wineries.

And, of course, we ate. Lots.

These are just a few of our interesting ‘bites’ (whole snapper), a trio of coconut desserts and flan empanada.

For more San Francisco, see FOODalogue posts #1, #2, and #3.

We missed you all and are hoping we can recreate our full group experience in 2010. Trip details and announcement coming soon!

From L-R: Dolores, Irene, Barbara, Joann, Patricia, Josie and Rita.

The group spent 2 nights in Amsterdam, 2 nights Brussels, 2 nights Luxembourg and 3 nights Paris. In Amsterdam and Paris, they met up with our 2 other ‘sisters’, Claudia and Rae (not pictured), who were traveling separately. A little chillier than expected and a little too much movement but everyone had a great time and enjoyed the destinations. Some of the highlights:

• visiting The Battle of the Bulge where General Patton is buried.
• red light district in Amsterdam
• a side trip to Germany for sauerbratten and Reisling wine
• Belgian beer
• and something about a coffee(?) shop in Amsterdam…

Note: Kodak does not allow for digital downloading of the photos so I can’t show them to you here, but you can see Irene’s album and Rita’s. If someone who was on the trip wants to send me a few photos via email, I’ll be happy to put them up.

Forewarning: this narrative is going to be a lot like my original foray into blogging called “Foodalogue: A Gastronomic Travel Memoir” because, frankly, we did a lot of eating and drinking. We never met a meal or wine we didn’t savor…and with mucho gusto! All the restaurants we went to were unique, atmospheric and damn good! So I’m going to include restaurant names where possible for future reference and/or recommendations to friends. 

Let it also be known here, without further repeating, all meals included bread dunked in olive oil while we waited for appetizers (yes, we did that too!) Callos (tripe), pepper salad, croquettes, chorizos, morcillas and baby clams are some pre-meal tapas that come to mind). And we discovered pan con tomate and ate it at every possible opportunity. You might not be surprised to hear that lots of wine was consumed. Winemakers all over Spain are probably rushing to plant new crops. Even the ‘non-drinkers’ were sharing pitchers of Sangria by the end of the trip…and it was very rare that a few desserts weren’t ordered.

The Trip. With squeals and hugs, The Traveling Sisterhood reunited in JFK and welcomed two new members before taking our Iberia flight to Madrid.

To sum it up in advance of the narrative, the arrangements and accommodations did not disappoint. There was someone waiting for us at every point with a sign, our rooms were ready and, with the exception of one excursion, we had full-size luxury buses for just the 11 of us! Of course, the one exception would be the longest excursion — our day trip to Sevilla which was at least a 2.5 hour ride each way.

Once we arrived in Madrid, we were taken on a panoramic bus tour which gave us some orientation for the places we wanted to go back and visit on our own.

The first night’s dinner (which was included in our itinerary) at Las Cuevas del Duque was a great introduction into Spanish cuisine…it was a never-ending parade of Spanish tapas. I remember jamon y queso (Iberico ham & Manchego cheese), shrimps, grilled pulpo (octopus), salomillo (steak), tuna & pimentos with a balsalmic syrup, paella, piquillo pepper stuffed with a bacalao mousse, caponata, tortilla, delicious bread and dessert!! Gladly/sadly that meal set the bar for those to come (and stretched our stomachs to accept them!)

On our first full day in Madrid we had an all day tour which took us to the various important sites in Madrid, including a visit to the Royal Palace which awed us all.

In the afternoon we went to Toledo, a beautiful medieval city, where we visited the Iglesia de Santo Tome and saw El Greco’s famous painting depicting the death of Count Orgaz as well as a a synagogue ironically designed by Muslims (so it looks like a mosque). It was later usurped by Catholics and turned into a church, a true example of the history and culture of the country. That night we went to La Bola for Cocido Madrileno (a two-dish meal consisting of soup and secondly the meats cooked in it – all served in individual crockware).

Sunday was one of the many days we took off and made our own adventure. This day we visited the Reina Sofia Museum, tried to figure out Picasso’s Guernica  (shall I mention that one of our group who shall remain nameless tripped the security alarm in her enthusiasm to get close to the painting?) We spent the afternoon in the beautiful El Retiro park — first stopping at La Mallorquina, a popular bakery that had sweet and savory offerings which we took to the park for a picnic. Afterwards we strolled the park and enjoyed the day. That evening we had dinner at La Compostela, a Galician restaurant close to our hotel. Katie introduced the group to  their first (and not the last) tasting of ‘fried baby green peppers” and Mary and I sold them on Empanada Gallega which we grew up eating. Later Mary and I shared Arroz Negro con Chipirones (black rice with baby squid).

Another day we visited the Atocha Train Station and the memorial to the March 11 victims of a terrorist train bombing in Madrid, I believe the year after our September 11, which was very emotional and yet inspiring.

While in Madrid, we walked literally all day long but made rest stops for afternoon drinks in the Plaza Mayor and on another day at the famous chocolateria San Gines for churros and chocolate…wow! We also tried the Sunday flea market (El Rastro) but quickly retreated. Not recommended by this group…mostly junk and way too many people in tight quarters. That’s the day we opted for the picnic in El Retiro which was heavenly!

Four nights (and some rainy afternoons) in Madrid, a bullfight for some, and a live flamenco show for all — and we’re off to Barcelona. Oh, no…more rain! But it does get progressively better. Side story: when the pilot announced upon our arrival in Madrid the local temperature of 50-something, Mary takes their complimentary(?) blanket as a shawl to keep warm…and wears it more than once!

Our full-day tour in Barcelona took us to the Cathedral, the Barri Gotic (ancient quarters), and Poble Español (site of 1929 World’s Fair) where we had a paella lunch at La Font de Prades.

We also visited the Sant Pau Hospital, a series of ornate buildings in the Catalan modernisme style of architecture much like Antonio Gaudi’s works – the latter being the highlight of the tour…the Sagrada Familia church (120 years in the making), Casa Battlo, La Pedrera and Parc Guell, all of which we revisited when we had more time during our stay in Barcelona. Architecturally brilliant but commercial failures. Genius! What do they say about the fine line between genius and insanity?

We strolled Las Ramblas (Barcelona’s famous pedestrian walk which pulses with people, restaurants, shops, and mimes the like of which you’ve never seen unless you’ve been to Barcelona. They are wildly costumed and wildly entertaining.)

And, of course, we stopped for tapas along the way! When we went to a Basque bar for tapas, Dolores took the prize for eating the most tapas. We know because you had to count the toothpicks on your plate to pay your bill.

One evening we went to Señor Parillada, another very atmospheric restaurant in a beautiful townhouse in the La Ribera district where we feasted on an creative and somewhat different menu and a very interesting way of presenting the food like  bread wrapped in colorful tissue paper, vegetables served in a parchment cone, etc.

From Barcelona we took a train ride to Girona (ancient Jewish quarters). There we found a tourist trolley that took us through the old city and into the narrow streets for a nice little tour of this ancient city.

And, it’s a no brainer. We loved La Boqueria (the huge food market on Las Ramblas that takes food presentation to an art.) Katie and I loved it so much we set our alarms and went for a breakfast crawl on the day we were flying out to Torremolinos. It was really amazing to see that they break down their stands and set up them again daily.

Which brings me to Torremolinos, our last stop. After walking the streets of Madrid and Barcelona for 8 days straight, we were ready for a little RnR at a beach resort and we weren’t disappointed. Torremolinos is a lovely resort city below a mountainous town and our hotel fronted the Mediterranean Sea. Immediately upon arrival, some took advantage of the spa and had massages, others sat by the pool or beach and just relaxed. Dinner the first evening at La Huerta was included in our itinerary. It was yet another cozy, house-like atmosphere that served us tons of food!

Another night we went to La Lonja because they served Fiduea (paella made with vermicelli noodles in place of the rice). While full of flavor, it certainly wasn’t vermicelli…more like Bucatini…and it was wetter than I was anticipating. Some of the gals tried it again in a different restaurant and it was the same. I guess that’s the way they make it there.

Evenings in Torremolinos were much the same…we meet around 8:30PM, stroll the promenade around the big rock, stop at the bag shop (inside joke for those on the trip) and then have dinner.

Our hotel had live music and crowds of local people dancing everything from the waltz to a mambo. We caught a glimpse of it one night but, frankly, most nights we finished dinner around midnight and were too pooped to go to the bar. We were so full from eating and drinking and didn’t have enough energy to watch the dancing, never mind participate (not that we had partners)!

One day we took a bus to visit Mijas (a beautiful white-washed little town, much like Mykonos or Santorini). We walked around the town, found a beautiful cliffside place for lunch and lucked into an International Street Fair where we joined a group dance!

Another afternoon we actually just chilled…in our lounge chairs on the beach and got our feet massaged (1/2 hour 10E, not bad) and it was a real treat for our tootsies and calves after the workout we put them through in Madrid and Barcelona. The one day I wore a pedometer, I clocked our walking in at over 10,000 steps which equates to 5 miles+. And that was repeated pretty much daily in Madrid and Barcelona, less so in Torremolinos.

Our last dinner in Torremolinos was great (o.k., I warned you this was a lot about food but I was impressed with the quality of food throughout). We stumbled on Las Abarizas one night on our way back from another restaurant. It, too, was cozy and atmospheric and their menu was Argentine inspired so we went back the following night to try it out. We had empanadas, provolete (fried provolone) and the highlight was roast suckling pig which the chef carried out and quartered with a dinner plate and then threw the plate to the floor, much to our delight. Here, like in other restaurants, we were offered complimentary after-dinner drinks  or chocolates.

And that about brings us to the end of the trip. While it’s not a blow-by-blow travelogue, it’s pretty close. I decided to make this blog more inclusive so that those of you who weren’t with us could share the experience — and also for those of you who were with us, but suffer from CRS (can’t remember shit).

From this writer’s perspective, though I was a little fearful at the onset that 14 days might prove too long, I could have gone on…though I know for others it is more difficult to be away from home and work for 2 weeks. I also think it was the right mix of included tours and meals versus free time and choices.

While this was my 5th trip to Madrid (spread over more years than I care to admit), I fell in love with the city all over again. It just goes to show you that every trip, even to a familiar place, can be a new experience if you let it be.  I found Madrid to be more beautiful, lush and more pristine clean than I remembered. Barcelona was a first time for me. I was wowed by the modernisme architecture mixed with gothic and romanesque and I’d like to revisit someday and try the cutting edge restaurants offering high Catalan cuisine. And, Torremolinos, fuhgeddaboutit, what’s not to like?!

Por fin (that’s Spanish for ‘in sum’), I think it was unanimous…everyone loved Spain! It’ll be tough to pick the next destination. Would love to hear the plus/minuses from your perspective — and where you’d like to go next.

To Carolyn, Katie, Mary, Joann, Rita and “Charlie’s Angels”…it was great to travel with you again. Each of you adds a different dynamic to the group and yet we all meld together so well. Just think about all the laughs at the dinner table. To Carolyn…I hope you lost the key to the vault! Josie, I’d like to tell you we love your stories….when you weren’t on the phone!! And to Regina and Alma…I hope you enjoyed the trip and felt as comfortable with us as we did with you. Welcome to the Sisterhood!

Joan Nova

The Group Experience

We missed our 2006 “Sisters” who were unable to make this trip and welcomed some new members.

This was our second “organized” Traveling Sisterhood trip and while still a work-in-progress from which we learn and hopefully go forward, it was remarkably successful. Everything provided by Central Holidays met or exceeded expectations. Our flights, accommodations, connections and arrangements worked perfectly (anyone who has any question about that can think back to the journey to the Italian Riviera last year!). I’m happy to say that my two restaurant recommendations in Athens (Filostron & Taverna Stamatopoulos) and our last night at Selene in Santorini were among the food highlights of the trip. Phew! I’d hate to have my reputation as a ‘culinista’ blemished.

When the trip began each of us knew at least several women in the group, but no one knew everyone. What a difference a day makes as the base builds and we start to share the experience. You begin to feel that extra confidence that enables you to joke around. You feel the security of knowing there’s always someone to sit down to breakfast with or take a walk with, and you start to look around to see if everyone is keeping up.

Since the group was large, I thought it might break down into sub-groups which it did at times but, for the most part, we kind of stuck together. And even when we did take off in different directions, we often found ourselves back together. Lots of times, one would start off with one group and then halfway through the excursion join up with another. It’s a testament to all of us that we were open, flexible, welcoming and willing to share.

While this concept of all women group travel was new to several of you, I think the majority agrees the pluses outweigh the minuses. Most specifically for the reasons stated above. You always have a companion, you won’t feel like a fifth wheel, and it can be very rewarding. I can’t speak to the minuses because I don’t see any…unless, of course, the choice was The Traveling Sisterhood or being on a yacht in Mediterranean with George Clooney.

I believe a large part of why our concept works is due to 2 things: no one is a real stranger and we are all basically from the same demographic pool. In the end, we probably share more similarities than differences…and we all have a thirst to travel and see the world!

Carolyn, Katie and I are having what has become our ‘annual trip planning’ meeting in Florida in early December to start the selection process for ‘08. If you have any destination suggestions or comments/observations about the past trip(s) you think we should take into consideration, send ‘em down.

Meantime, I hope this trip met your expectations and maybe even enlightened and empowered you in some way. Just knowing we survived all those hills, steps and cobblestones (up and down) is empowering to me!

I hope you will consider joining us again next year. Life is a journey…you might as well venture out of your backyard and enjoy it.

Stay in touch,

Joan

For more photos, click here and choose ‘slideshow’.