Recently returned from a long (for us) European trip. Milan (via London, including having to deal with re-working the start of the trip as the day we were scheduled to leave was the day Heathrow cancelled thousands of flights, yay), Lake Garda, Cinque Terre, London, and Amsterdam.
Milan started with Il Salumaio di Montenapoleone. A friend with a very long Milan list recommended it for the courtyard and the people watching. The people watching was something else: very rich people spending far too much on a mediocre lunch. So I guess it delivered on that front.
That night we scrapped a planned dinner because the concierge at the Excelsior Gallia sent us to Moebius, a mostly locals concept that mixes chefâs table options with high quality tapas and a very lively, inventive bar scene. It was very much Jenâs preferred vibe, and it had the best carpaccio Iâve had in a while. We had a great time, and met some locals who gave us their own tips for the rest of the trip. They were finishing the night with whisky, and in a moment of friendly interaction one of the guys offered me a taste. I sniffed it and called it as Talisker, blind (just a lucky guess). That made me a bit of a circus act, so the other guy offered his, which I didnât get right, other than the region (Highlands).
Then came a shorter day trip to Lake Garda (after the adjustments needed for the missed day), which I had written off and which ended up happening as a half day out of Milan. It was gorgeous. Perfect weather, and a private boat around the Sirmione peninsula (the group tour Iâd originally booked wouldnât refund, so I upgraded to a private tour). We brought a bottle of Caâ del Bosco CuvĂ©e Prestige to drink on the water. Is there a better way to see Sirmione than from a boat with that in your glass? I loved the history there: the ancient Roman Grotte di Catullo (a former patrician villa), Maria Callasâ former villa, and simply riding on the largest lake in Italy (and coming from the Midwest, I know big lakes!). It fascinates me that all these castles were built on the lake as defense against fierce medieval and Renaissance water battlesâŠon a lake! wut.
Back in Milan that night we had Langosteria (their flagship/OG location), the one I was most excited about, a foodie friend having recommended it highly. It was middling at best. The wine list is enormous, so extensive it made me a little anxious, and I had a 2023 Rosso di Montalcino from Biondi-Santi that I think was 160EUR. A nice bottle, relatively well priced. The kitchen was another story. The carpaccio came in three types (red tuna, albacore, shrimp) and only the tuna was any good. My pasta, a mixed seafood dish in a creamy red sauce over a long wide noodle, was delicious but nothing extraordinary. Jenâs pasta with a zucchini green sauce was bland and honestly gross, so she swapped to the gnocchini with shrimp, which was better but nothing special. They also hold you to your reservation window, so thereâs a low hum of stress all night. So far my food experiences in Italy were not meeting expectations, thatâs for certain. Meh.
Then we hit the high speed train network to Cinque Terre (I often marvel, when traveling to countries with a legitimate mass transit system, that I grew up in the Midwest and then lived 30+ years in California, where no such thing exists or ever willâŠit works!). Cinque Terre was the expected highlight, and even with high expectations it over-delivered.
We rented what turned out to be one of the best views in all of Manarola: two balconies, high on the hillside. The bustle of big-city Milan was countered with simple, hearty country life, and even with all the tourists, that feel permeated the place. The water is simply out of this world beautiful, and when you dare look inland there are gorgeously terraced vineyards everywhere. (WarningâŠmany photos forthcoming, and youâll see why.)
The first night we went to one of the few local restaurants in Manarola, and I ordered both stuffed and regular mussels (when in Rome!). The regular ones came in a tomato based broth, and with Jenâs more traditional pasta order we found a steal on the insanely small wine list, a 2019 Tenuta La Fuga Brunello di Montalcino. A perfect bottle, priced (I recall) around 65EUR. The food was lovely and the wine was wonderful, and I do believe both were elevated by the location, which is to be expected. A solid start, to be sure.
(above views from our rental balconies)
The next day was for exploring Manarola and Riomaggiore by the local trains, mostly to walk Via dellâAmore, the âloversâ walkâ along the cliffside between the two towns. Nearly every visitor does it, it has a reputation for being super touristy, and itâs worth it anyway. They keep a sensible cap on the number of people, the flow works, and with the Ligurian Sea open on one side it never feels crowded. Just gorgeous views. We spent the rest of the day wandering the streets of both towns.
In Manarola we came across a cantina pouring almost exclusively local wines, and after all that walking through beautiful old coastal towns, we obviously needed wine. I went in expecting very little. Iâd never heard of a single wine from Cinque Terre, and Iâve done enough tastings to be wary of a pretty room with a pretty view. The wines were quite delicious, the hostess was entertaining and seriously knowledgeable, and she walked us through the Cinque Terre DOC white blend, how farming works on those terraces, and wines from other parts of Italy too. The wines themselves were truly delicious, and we happily bought 5 bottles to drink on our balcony.
The next day was built around a longer boat tour, covering each of the cinque terre from the water. A small group of 10 people from a variety of countries boarded, so the conversations were fun and insightful, and fortunately the weather was perfect once again. I highly recommend this boat tour company (reach out via PM for details if you need it), because itâs well run and the food was exceptionalâŠeven if it wasnât âboat food.â The crew was two people, and one of them was fishing with a long line while we cruised along. They caught several tuna, cleaned them, and added them to the pasta. The Vermentino was poured freely, and even Jen (who typically doesnât enjoy crisp, fruity white wines) enjoyed it. Again, so much of this comes down to experience and surroundings, and one couldnât help but enjoy this trip. We finished the evening watching a beautiful sunset from our balcony.
On the final full day we stayed put at the rental, partly because Iâd given myself a level 2 sprained ankle the day before (perfect for cobblestone streets and cliffside walkwaysâŠ) and partly because the rain started falling on and off. We read books and sipped wine on the balcony. Dinner that evening was at Belforte, which was delicious. Fortuitously we sat next to a Brazilian family, so Jen had to chat with them. The setting, a former castle built on the cliffâs edge, added to the magic (and the view was gorgeous), and yet another beautiful bottle of Brunello came with dinner.
Sadly, we had to leave Cinque Terre, and this is one of those vacations where, while there, you vow to return. I repeated this over and over, and this photo Jen finally captured is a pose I was making over and over, at random, as I simply adored this region of the world, and felt so very fortunate to be there.
London was next, doing the touristy stuff (Tower of London, Tower Bridge, etc) and, for me, National Gallery, as the 2nd half of the trip, for me, was centered around museum visits (something Jen has little to no interest in, typically). National Gallery was exceptional, truly, as was Victoria and Albert museum, though WOW is that building extensive and confusing to navigate. Similarly when we went to Amsterdam, where I had targeted my visit simply because I love the Dutch Masters, and so I did what all doctors recommend with a level 2 sprained ankle and walked extensively on cobblestone streets and stood for extended periods of time on museum marble floors. Of note on Amsterdam, we did have dinner at forum-favorite (particularly @Blake_Brown ) Cafe de Klepel, as my waitlist was picked up and we were able to have a table there. Delicious food, great wine list, including a couple that I had no prior knowledge of (the Tempier was a vineyard I hadnât previously known of).
I took dozens and dozens of photos of the incredible artwork that most inspired me, including several discoveries, but no need to fill the WB serversâŠ
