slidergirl

I was looking for that Silk & Spice Red blend you mentioned. It is Portuguese. Even though the one Park City store is also designated as a wine store, the offerings are pretty meager. I've noticed the international offerings are down and more California stuff is there - supply chain issues maybe. Melody - good to hear the fires are getting under control around you. I think any of us near fire-prone areas (my subdivision is surrounded by open space) need to have an evacution list ready of things we must take with us and a "go" bag (I know you have one already). The one thing i remember from earthquake preparedness was to keep a wrench out at your gas main - turn off as you leave to keep explosions from happening. I'm going to our local "Bans Off Our Bodies" rally this afternoon. Anyone else attending where you live? OOTD: overalls, pink Tshirt, hi-tops. It's going to be sunny out today, so maybe one of my hats.

To be honest, you really don't need a guide or a tour for Cinque Terre. there isn't anything that you need someone to interpret or tell you about. it's all about the simplicity and beauty and difference of the villages.

Doing my sink laundry is just part of my getting ready for bed routine. honestly, it doesn't take more than 5 minutes so I'm not missing out on anything. Since my backpacks are clamshell, not top-load, I am not in any different situation than someone with a rollabord. I'm packed and equipped to being able to do what I want to do on my travels without any restrictions. We all travel the way we want and need. Some need less some need more.😉

Never got to the market in Jerusalem as we were staying in Tel Aviv. I went to the Carmel Market there - oh my the smells of all the offerings. I was quizzed about the market by the security officer at the airport: "what did you like best" i guess to see if i was actually there. I replied the strawberries - they were so big, so red, and smelled so good.

my travel backpacks open clamshell-like, not like the old backpacks that i'd use when backpacking up in the mountains. I can pack them just like i pack a roll aboard suitcase. I can carry it like a duffel bag with the handle or pull out the shoulder straps and use them,. Even my one roller bag has shoulder straps should I need to go someplace not conducive to rolling. If you want take a look at one of the bags i have, look at the Cotopaxi allpa line. And, eBags Motherlode bags are backpacks too.

I spoke with my pharmacist about this just a few weeks ago. He said I have to talk to my insurance for an override.

Melody - I went hunting for that Portuguese wine. Not even 1/2 an aisle of Portuguese wine in the 3 stores I checked. 3 bottles of Duoro red and none were the label you gave. I was also looking for a white Unbrian wine but noooooo. I even tried the state wine store down in the valley. Sigh. Since I was down in the Valley and the wine store was a mile from TJ's, I went in. it's the one i didn't go to the other day so i figured they may have some things available that the downtown one didn't have. There were a few more things. i got a baby pork tenderloin to make a faux porchetta for Sunday with Stanley. Picked up a few more salads. Cynthia - they had those Bambas you talked about. puffed corn & peanut butter with a hazelnut filling, they look like those peanut butter-filled pretzel bits. I'll give my opinion on then when I taste them. I did wear my overalls and a long sleeve T - it was perfect for the weather.

I wonder if you had Gramici pants - they had the gusseted crotch. Loved mine. Hey - depending on where you are in Virginia you might be able to try on some Vuori at the nearest REI. I know mine here in UT carries them and they are also in their online store.

Vuori has a nice black wide-leg yoga pant. I wore them all winter long at work. They "dressed up" well. They have 2 'hand pockets'. But they are pull-on. I want to correct my comment yesterday about the rip stop Vuori pants that I have: They do zip up but have a tie waist, so kind of a hybrid, I'd say.

Melody - I didn't realize the fires around you were so dire. That weather is definitely red flag weather! Stay vigilant. I wish we had some rainy weather to send your way, but it seems to go around you. I have a BFF who lives in SoCa - she is about 3 miles from where the Coastal Fire is burning (as of yesterday). She also is ready to evacuate. It's scary for so many people in the West right now - New mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California. I have a feeling that it is going to be a horrible fire season this year. An interesting little tidbit of advertising: I received a Faherty catalog in the mail yesterday. That's the one that has the Ischa dress. Well, cruising through the catalog, I see several cute summer hats. I look at the details and see that one is from Gigi Pip - the brown Isla! OOTD; have to do a prescription run today to 2 places, so I have to get out of my nasty sweats. Cool and a little windy (46 but wind makes it feel 42), so probably a long sleeve T and my overalls.

The inside was still 'in progress' and not yet concecrated when i was there in 2010. I still marveled at imagining what it would look like when finished. The outside well, wow. I dove into all the scenarios that were presented on the outside. I took over 200 photos just of things on the outside. I was really moved by Sagrada Familia. One of my favorite photos:

They only have charcoal now but look at Vuori. The ripstop nylon pants are wonderful. i've got a pair in black and one in army green. i've had them for 3 years. They've been the only pants i've travel with the past 3 years. All their photos show them rolled up to ankle length, but unrolled they are 'normal' pant length.

UPDATE: I ended up buying the dress for the wedding! I just couldn't say no...

Putting my popcorn in the microwave...

First thing that popped into my brain was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Waited in line for quite a while to enter the Aedicule (the tomb shrine). Then, ushered into the very small enclosure 6 people at a time. Then after a few seconds, you have to leave. The whole thing felt rather Disneyland-ish - wait a long time for a short ride. We were there on Good Friday as that was one of the two days my husband's work colleagues did not work so we had that time to wander. I did a "National Lampoon" visit to the Mona Lisa. Too many people hanging around. I took it to be yet another picture hanging in The Louve and moved on.

I'll have my meager interpretation of it with the frozen bag from TJ's 😉 I'm a little too lazy to make the sauce from scratch.

LOVE the hat! So good to hear that the weather is cooperating to give you a wonderful time in Rome! Wine and gelato - the meal of champions!!

bennybear - on the dolomites: It was part of a multi-week trip that the now-ex and I took back in 2007 in the Winter. We worked bobsled and skeleton as officials and we were going to work races in Igls (Innsbruck) and St. Moritz. Flew into Milan, took train to Venice. Picked up a car for the rest of the trip. Drove to Bolzano (another official friend lived there). Drove from there through the Dolomites on the Great Road of the Dolomites to Cortina. From Cortina, up to Igls for the races. Then, across to St. Moritz for more races (and watch the polo on the frozen lake matches). Down from there to Lake Como, and on down to Milan.

Bennybear - I had that problem! I decided to do a little new and a little old. I haven't been to Emila-Romagna so I'm doing some daytrips based out Bologna. Then, on to Florence. For some reason, I always feel at home in Florence, so I'm going to more wandering around the area. Have you been to the Dolomites? It is absolutely beautiful there. I would love to go back there again. But, I've never been south of Rome, and I'd love to explore the Calabria area and maybe go over to Sicily. There are soooooo many choices!!!

The restaurant at the St Regis that I worked at had a good arugula/truffle mini pizza. My manager was the girlfriend of the resturant manager - when we worked the evenings, she'd ask him to make one for us. It was good, maybe because it wasn't loaded with truffle. Cynthia - I had TJ's tomato truffle spaghetti sauce - it was just too earthy for me. Now, cinghiale is another story. I LOVE pig. I'm looking forward to eating my share of porcine goodness on my trip!

I love risotto! I had my first Risotto Milanese at a place we stayed at the night before our flight home (Villa Malpensa) That and a nice glass of Brunello and I was in heaven. When I cook for a girls' weekend, I will always make risotto - ok for my friend with celiac. I like that it is so versatile - you can add in just about anything. Good on you for booking that flight!!! I'm not a truffle fan. I'll eat it if it's on my food, but it's just a little bit too earthy for me.

If you are going to be in Rome on a Thursday, you can be in gnocchi heaven. It is traditional to have gnocchi on Thursdays. If not there on a Thursday, I would recommend da Cesare al Cassaleto. Easy to get to on the #8 tram - the end of the line. A good place to go with at least one other person so you can sample all the goodies. They have a gnocchi in gorgonzola for an appetizer that is to DIE for.

Yay Lois!!!! Time to rock 'n roll!!! Melody - I've not seen that wine. But, not unexpected from my little state store. I see that it's from Portugal, so I'll have to look closely at the 1/2 aisle of Portuguese at the larger store downtown... Sorry 'bout the migraines. Do you get them with the changes in weather? This time of year can't be good for it. I remember someone always bringing Baci candies to the office Christmas party - the little balls of goodness wrapped in the silver paper with blue stars... I'll have to see if I can find ONE somewhere, maybe World Market, as I sure don't want to buy a whole bag!!! I started wondering if I could do a faux Bicerin at work with our coffee machine; first do an espresso shot, then a shot of cocoa (our machine can do that!), then bring in a can of Ready whip and top it! FREAKIN' SNOW!!! I sat outside yesterday afternoon in a Tshirt and leggings, chilling to Postmodern Jukebox. Lovely time. Come last night, during Stanley, it starts to snow!!! Woke up this morning with all my trees covered in snow. Looks like maybe 3 inches sitting on my fence/measureing stick. This time of year is not my favorite. note: if you are into the overalls/coveralls trend, go hit up Faherty (again). That's where I go my faded striped jeans overalls. Well, they now have a pair in linen, perfect for Summer. The color is a little too blue in the stripes for me, but if you like blue, they'd be perfect. OOTD: sweat capris and a Tshirt. not going anywhere today.

My TJ's only had a few containers of the Tomato Feta soup, so I think it may be a nationwide shortage issue. That bowtie salad is good, too. Never had Bamba - what is it? After watching Stanley tonight: I'd take a train from Bologna to Torino for that Bicerin. But a huge NO on the veal testicles. I"ve had Rocky Mt. Oysters, and ox balls, but something about a baby cow... My giadujotto was yummy. The torrone was sublime. I couldn't afford any of the 4 Barolo the state store had, so I settled for a nice little Barbera. Next week is set in Umbria, I think. First thing that came to my mind was the porchetta sandwich that I had in Orvieto. Don't think I'll find that around here, so maybe try a riff on it with a boneless pork chop wrapped in bacon with the herbs between them. As meager as the Piedmont wines were at the state store, I can't imagine anything from Umbria being offered. But, I'll look 😉

Do you have Steampunk sunglasses to go with it? That would be rockin' it!!!