Reverb 10: Moment

December 3 Prompt: Moment. 

Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

It is early evening. A sea the colour of wine sparkles beneath the lights of the cruise ships and fishing boats anchored just off Santa Margherita, in Liguria, Italy, where we are spending a magical couple of days on our Italian honeymoon. We navigate a slow, painfully twisting road up a steep hill in a van driven by our Backroads tour guide. When we arrive at our destination, a restaurant called La Stalla dei Frati, we are greeted by beautiful candlelit tables, and a view overlooking the entire Gulf of Tigullio.

Santa Margherita’s elegant buildings are graceful silhouttes in the dark; the snug embrace of the marina wraps big white yachts and dark wooden fishing boats; and, out to sea, the silvery glow of the moon shimmers upon the midnight blue waters. The earthy scents of pine and salt perfume the night and the gentle sounds of laughter and music drift up from the bay.

Lovingly arranged on the table lies a feast for the senses. Tiny, shiny Taggiasca olives, dazzling red and yellow peppers, white anchovies glistening in pale golden olive oil and lemon juice—and that’s just the starters.

Next is real pesto, the aroma of basil billowing in the mouth in a perfect counterpoint to the homemade trofie ( a type of pasta). There follows platters of vegetables and seafood, grilled Ligurian style, drizzled with oil and lemon and couched with olives and potatoes, washed down with a glass of clean, crisp white wine.

We toast to our unbelievable good fortune to be dining on what just might be the most incredible food of our lives in the Italian Riviera, quite possibly the prettiest, most charming place in the world.  We feel so lucky, so in love, and so very alive.

Scenes from an autumn weekend in Louden County, VA

As a joint birthday gift, Jason's parents gave us a gift certificate to The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, in beautiful Louden County, Virginia.  We decided to make a weekend of it by exploring the surrounding area in all its autumn glory.  

Louden County is home to some of Virginia's best wineries, so our first stop was the highly recommended Sunset Hills Vineyard in Purcellville.

(I didn't get a great shot of the vineyard, so the photo above is from the Sunset Hills website.)

We enjoyed a little wine tasting, and picked up a few bottles to give away as holiday gifts.

The winery was housed in a 130-year-old restored barn.  

(You can see some of the barn's interior in this shot of Jason.)

After some vino and a delicious lunch at Magnolia's at the Mill, we hit up The Old Lucketts Store, a sprawling antiques emporium in Leesburg.  I'd heard great things about this place, and I was not disappointed.

Their selection of antique and vintage wares was incredible.  Each room was so artfully arranged...it felt like a museum!

(Image above via the store's website.)

I loved these Parisian-themed tea towels.  Aren't they perfect?

We also stumbled upon a really beautiful rustic-style sunburst mirror.

I snapped a few photos of the grounds surrounding the store, including this one of a wilting rose (I think it's a rose...someone correct me if I'm wrong.)  

There was something about the way the flower was beginning to decay but hanging onto its original beauty that took my breath away.

After checking into our bed and breakfast (more on that in a minute), we enjoyed an incredible meal at The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville, a restaurant that uses fresh (and obviously local) ingredients from the organic farm on which its located.

The restaurant was happy to accommodate my request for a vegetarian tasting menu.  The meal began with a sampling of autumn radishes, and progressed to an ethereal butternut squash "cappucino", a vegetable medley composed of Matsutake mushrooms, parsnip mash, handmade butternut squash tortellini, and swiss chard gelée, and finally, for dessert, a "jelly donut" - a handmade cinnamon donut filled with fresh blackberry preserves and accompanied by dulce de leche ice cream and chestnut sauce. 

(I didn't take photos of the food because I tend to feel a little awkward whipping out my big camera in restaurants, especially nice ones.)

Everything was incredible, made even more so by the freshness of the ingredients and the knowledge that it came from the very land on which we were dining!  It was truly farm-to-table cuisine at its best.

Back to the bed and breakfast....

After reading reviews online, we decided to stay at the Stone Manor Bed and Breakfast, a beautifully restored Civil War-era manor home in Lovetsville.  Upon our arrival, the owners Beth and Spencer greeted us with warm smiles and glasses of wine.  It was just the most wonderful, hospitable experience.  (I prefer staying in bed and breakfasts because they just feels so much more personal than hotels.)

Here's a little video of the charming Blue Delft Suite, where we stayed.

(Video via Stone Manor's website.)

The best part of the bed and breakfast?  The breakfast, of course!  On Sunday morning, we dined on German apple pancakes, white chocolate cherry scones, turnovers featuring veggies from the garden, and the most amazing pineapple-cheddar grits.

Obviously it was a rather decadent weekend, food-wise, but I didn't mind indulging a bit, knowing the dishes were made of high-quality organic and local ingredients.  

Should you ever have the opportunity, beautiful Louden County is definitely worth a visit! 

Colorado recap

I realized today that I hadn't even told you guys about my birthday weekend in Colorado!  

As expected, we had a wonderful time.  We spent quality time with Mira, ate lots of yummy meals, oh..and went hiking in Chautauqua Park in Boulder, which was absolutely gorgeous.

Other highlights included:

green tea, saag paneer, and the best hummus I've ever had at Dushanbe Teahouse

unexpectedly seeing a dear friend from high school

playing with Mira's cute doggie Shadow

vegetarian noodle soup with roasted squash and mustard greens at Bones

the tofu breakfast burrito at Watercourse Foods (an all vegetarian restaurant/bakery in Denver)

beautiful mountain scenery

staying at Mira's cozy and beautifully decorated apartment

(sorry for the dark picture...the black lump in Mira's lap is her dog, Shadow!)

Thanks Mira, for being such a great hostess!

Weekend in Chicago

Why, hello there!  How was your Labor Day weekend?  I realized on Thursday, while sitting on an airplane to Chicago's O'Hare Airport, that I completely forgot to even mention that I'd be in the Windy City for the long weekend.  My parents hosted a mini wedding reception at their place for all the Chicago-based friends and family who couldn't make it to our Annapolis wedding.  Jason's parents and sister joined us, and since they'd never been to Chicago, we had a blast showing them around.

Here are some of my favorite moments from the weekend.

Such a beautiful skyline, no?

Posing next to the reflective jelly bean at Millenium Park

Jason's mom and dad with their reflective alter egos

Here's a better view of the jelly bean itself

We took an architectural boat tour.  Chicago has some amazing architecture, and even though I've taken this tour several times before, it never gets old.

Gorgeous, isn't it?

Here we are, enjoying my parents' beautiful backyard before the guests arrived

There were blondies, brownies, and blueberry tarts...oh my!

Hanging out with Kaitlyn, the daughter of my mom's cousin.  Is she cute or what?

My parents' Italian neighbors have adorable little Italian sons named Luca and Mattheo.  They made me this awesome accordion card.  
It says, "Have a nice marriage!  Analiese + Jason."  How cute is that?!

It was a wonderful weekend, and I was sad to leave!  I'm looking forward to this week though, which I'm dedicating to self-care, i.e. lots of fresh and healthy foods (I'll be posting some recipes this week!), yoga, running, and catching up on sleep!

An outdoor adventure

Guys, I'm so excited!  This weekend, we're joining three other couples for a camping and whitewater rafting adventure in wild and wonderful West Virginia.   (You might remember that whitewater rafting is one of my Mondo Beyondo dreams!)

I have not been camping in a loooong time, but I'm so excited to re-live some of my favorite childhood memories of relaxing around a campfire, toasting marshmallows for s'mores, and immersing myself in the peace and beauty of the natural world.  I've got a cooler filled with veggie burgers, copious amounts of bug spray, several rolls of toilet paper, and enough Larabars to feed a small army.

The river above, by the way, is the New River, where we'll be rafting.  Isn't it gorgeous?

Have any of you been whitewater rafting?  Got any stories or tips to share?

Image via wildwaterwv. 

Italy, Part 3: Chianti, Tuscany

After spending a few days in the Cinque Terre, we hopped a bus to the Chianti region of Tuscany.  I've read Frances Mayes' books and have heard friends and family members wax poetic about this land of surreal beauty.  Still, I was not prepared for how deeply and completely in love I would fall with the Tuscan countryside.

We hiked right through lush vineyards and picturesque olive groves.

I couldn't believe such a divine place existed.  I kept thinking to myself, Wow, this kind of beauty exists right here, on Planet Earth!  How lucky are we humans?

We stayed at the Villa le Barone, one of the many Tuscan villas which dot the landscape.  

This was the view from the window of our room: a small hill town called Radda (and a very large Cypress tree).

One afternoon, I got back from a hike early and decided to take a stroll through the villa's serene little rose garden.

Another stunning view while hiking.

In one of the small hill towns, we came across a farmer selling eggplant, sugar snap peas, and endless varieties of tomato in all different shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Jason leading the charge.

 

The last afternoon, our tour leaders prepared the most incredible Italian picnic lunch. Above, a mixed greens salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salumi, and grapes.  The bottle in the foreground is Vin Santo, a type of sweet dessert wine traditionally paired with cantucci (which we know as biscotti).

Slices of juicy beefsteak tomatoes, paired with fresh basil and ricotta.

The best veggie platter ever: eggplant, roasted red and yellow pepper, sundried tomatoes, peppadew stuffed with fresh tuna and capers, mixed olives and grilled artichokes.

And of course, bread.

I couldn't have asked for a lovelier place to conclude our honeymoon.  I've already decided that a return trip to Italy is really the only proper way to celebrate all of our future anniversaries...  

xo,

Italy, Part 2: Cinque Terre

After our time in Florence, we took a train to La Spezia where we met up with our Backroads tour group for a week of hiking in the Cinque Terre and the Chianti region of Tuscany.  I loved Florence, but the serene hillside trails and stunning vistas of the Cinque Terre were a welcome respite after the hustle and bustle of the big city.    

We hiked between 5 and 10 miles each day, oftentimes on quite hilly terrain.  The physical activity was tiring, but in a really satisfying sort of way.  Hiking in such beautiful surroundings felt almost meditative.  And I'm pretty sure I've never slept better in my entire life! 

Incredible view from the trail

The port at Santa Margarita Ligure, a town near the Cinque Terre

A view of Riomaggiore, one of the pastel-hued towns that comprise the Cinque Terre (which means "Five Lands").

Another view from the trail

We took a boat to dinner at Locanda Lorena, a waterfront restaurant located on a private island across from the town of Portovenere.

Beautiful hydrangea in shades of baby pink and periwinkle

The water is so blue...I was mesmerized.

The view from our table at dinner in Portovenere

The hiking was tough at times (there were some serious hills), but it was well worth it for views like this one, of Vernazza another one of the Cinque Terre villages.

Pretty bushels of lavender for sale in Santa Margarita Ligure.

I'm so glad we decided to do the hiking trip, as there really is no better way to see this region than to walk right through it.  There really aren't words for how beautiful it is, but hopefully I've captured some sense of it in these photos.

Up next...Tuscany!

xo,

Italy, Part 1: Florence

Hello!  After an incredible honeymoon, we're back in the states and already missing our beautiful time in Italy. The scenery, the art, the gorgeous language, the food...oh my, the food.  Let's just say it was a very good thing we did LOTS of hiking on the second leg of our trip!  As promised, I snapped a great many photos, and I'll be sharing highlights over the next couple of days.  (I will also do a little food-centric roundup with descriptions of favorite restaurants/meals...methinks la buona cucina deserves its own dedicated post, no?)  

Let's start with Florence, shall we?  We spent three nights in this beautiful city.

I couldn't get enough of the Florence skyline.  The first photo is a sunset view of the Ponte Vecchio, with the city lights twinkling across the Arno river.

A view of the city from the Piazzale Michelangelo.

Another sunset view of the Arno.

  

And again, from the Piazzale Michelangelo.

The Duomo, as seen from Piazzale Michelangelo, framed by moody blue-gray hills.  Dusk is truly magical in this city.

Strolling along the river, near the Ponte Vecchio.

We loved walking along the river and across the city's numerous bridges.

Husband looking handsome.

Sculpture outside the Museo del Bargello

The perfect picnic lunch: chewy whole grain focaccia and caprese salad from the Mercato Centrale.

We visited all of the major museums as well...the Uffizi, the Accademia (where Michelangelo's David resides), the Palazzo Pitti, etc., but since the museums generally don't allow photography (or flash photography anyway), we're a bit lacking in photos from those places.

Stay tuned for highlights from the Liguria region (Cinque Terre, Santa Margarita Ligure, Portofino) tomorrow!

Ciao (I can't stop saying it yet, so please indulge me for another day or so...),