TravelswithCharie

View video: Photos by Rosario Charie Albar

I know you're wondering why I would eat at a McDonald's after I've given you a list of fine restaurants where I had the pleasure of dining. Let me explain. I had just come back to Assisi at the end of a long day climbing one of those "mountain villages". I was tired, cold and was looking for a clean restroom. McDonald's was just down the corner from the train station so I ran over there and on my way to the clean Ladies Room, I passed by the display of tortas (cakes) and stopped to check out the goodies. There were cupcakes, doughnuts, croissants, and a selection of tortas. I was deliriously bewildered from the overabundance of choices. I finally settled for the Torta della Nonna (Grandma's Cake) which is filled with ricotta cheese and egg yolks and topped with confectioner's sugar and almonds. I could have had the Torta di Noci (walnut cake) or Torta Macao or Torta Caprese. Of course they offered cappuccino, latte, and café americano among other be

Traveling by train from one hilltown to another in Umbria, I was privy to amorous displays by couples saying goodbye to one another. If the lingering kisses were an indication of how long or how far the girlfriend, husband, or lover is traveling, then I can surmise that the separation would be for a prolonged period. I can't say that the traveler was going very far because the train ride from Florence to Rome is only 2 hours. I didn't see any tears but lots of intense kisses and caresses which brought a smile to my face. I even saw a young man keep holding back his girlfriend as she tried to board the train. In the end, he went up to the train with her and delivered her to her seat. It was touching to watch from my window seat the show of affection unfolding live and in color. How wonderful to see that love is alive and well. It made me realize that parting is really "such sweet sorrow". But I disagree with Shakespeare that "I shan't say goodbye till it be mo

Umbria Assisi * Ristorante Bar Metastasio - Via Metastasio, 9 Bruschetta al Tartufo (Norcia truffles sprinkled over bruschetta) Love the Braciola Erbe (grilled in aromatic herbs) House Wine Panoramic view of the valley from the terrace or eat indoors on a cold day in their rustic cavelike dining room. Gubbio ***Taverna de Lupo, Via Ansidei 6 Prima Piatti - Sfogliantina al legere salsa bianca with tartufo, ham Contorno - Timbale de asparagi e patate Seconda Piatti - Trota in lemon sauce Dolci - Assortment of biscotti Wine: Prosecco Perugia *Osteria de Gambero (Ubu Re) - behind the Duomo Antipasto - Bruschetta al tartufo Entrée - Umbrichelli al persico del Lago Trasimeno Dolci - Dolcetti delle Umbrie with Vin Santo Dining room wall is filled with modern paintings. Tuscany **Kome - Via dei Benci, 41/R, Firenze Sushi and BBQ restaurant near Santa Croce Choose from the array of sushi, gamberi or chicken fry, noodles from color plates rotating around the bar. Or you can order the fixed menu

It was an overcast day when I visited Gubbio. After sunny days, the cold November winter air claimed its due and it was reason enough to take shelter at a trattoria for some truffles and prosecco. For prima piatti I chose the sfogliantina al tartufo (Norcia truffles that are heaven). This was followed by trout from Lake Trasimeno with a timbale of asparagus and potatoes. The waiter, who lived in New York for a good many years, made sure my glass was always filled with prosecco. I had to say no to dolci (dessert) but he gave me a plateful of local cantuccini (biscotti). How could I refuse? After all that climbing to the top of the hill to see the Duomo, I thought I could afford to eat and not worry about the calories. Anyway, those hilltowns are really mountain villages. The climb is steep and the descent is as much a workout as it pulls the knees, not to mention the cobblestones that are the bane of flat feet. * * * Photo by Rosario Charie Albar

I have an ambitious plan to see as many places in Umbria and Tuscany. I made Assisi my base to explore Perugia, Gubbio, and Spoleto. But after days of climbing uphill, my feet now feel like lead. At the end of the day, I sleep for long hours to rest my body and prepare it for another day of physical training. Today I'm off to one more hilltown, Orvieto. It's a late start but now I've accepted the fact that I can't possibly see everything. Unless I stay overnight in each town, I can only cover so much. And perhaps have some time to savor the Norcia truffles which are the black gold of Italian cuisine. There was a train strike yesterday so I spent the day exploring Firenze. As many times as I've visited this city, there are still more places I haven't yet seen. I chose to return to Santa Croce to see the Pazzi Chapel by Brunelleschi and was treated to a fresco of St. Francis by Giotto and a Crucifix by Cimabue. It was bitterly cold and luckily I found KOME, a Japa

For more on Cinque Terre click here: http://www.travellady.com/Issues/June05/1523FindingAmore.htm * * * Images by Rosario Charie Albar

To write about Venice is to tell only half the story. For Venice is a sensory feast. It is not easy to convey in words all that it offers. Rather it must be experienced. How do I explain what I felt on seeing it for the first time? I heard the bora fiercely making its way across the islands drowning the alto voce of the gondolier. I hungrily followed the scent of freshly baked pastries in the early morning hours when the locals were still dreaming in bed. And I got hopelessly lost in the labyrinthine alleys only to find myself in a quiet piazza only a stone's throw from the hordes of visitors in Piazza San Marco. Venice seeps through the bones leaving an indelible impression.

Italian Riviera by Mario Borgoni* Memories of my first visit to Portofino linger like a favorite scent. We were driving from the south of France and across the border to Italy, ducking in and out of tunnels which stretches on for miles, when we got stuck inside one due to an accident that snarled traffic  along the coast of Genoa. It was a big relief when the line of cars finally started moving and we could breathe fresh air again. Today it’s different. I’m taking a public bus for the short ride to Portofino from Santa Margherita Ligure. Along the way, the driver honks the horn just before a blind curve and he repeats this at every bend to warn oncoming cars of our approach. It’s important that he sounds the horn often on these hairpin turns so drivers can stick to their side of this pencil-thin road. After the driver deposits us behind the Piazetta, I walk to the dock to get a good view of the sheltered cove. It is as I remember it. Waterfront cafés and restaurants, boats bobbing in t

We are in Rome because of my mother's long standing dream to see the Pope. Her parish priest has arranged for us to attend an audience with John Paul II. We pick up our tickets at the North American College near the Trevi Fountain on  Tuesday afternoon for the papal audience the following day at which approximately 15,000 people are expected. On Wednesday morning, we get up early and dress in our Sunday best. There are people already queued up to enter the temporarily enclosed square when we arrive at St. Peter's. We have to pass through a detector machine since the current pope was the target of an assassination attempt. It's early so we find good seats and while waiting, we let our eyes roam and admire the beautiful colonnades by Bernini, the dome of St. Peter's originally designed by Michaelangelo and the Swiss Guards in their striped uniform and beret. Gian Lorenzo Bernini's symmetrical colonnades consists of four rows of 300 Doric columns. Built during the papa

A trail with a name like Via dell'Amore is an overt invitation to savor the pleasures that amore promises. So without trepidation, I plunged headlong to discover what so many visitors to the Cinque Terre (Five Lands) have been exclaiming about. But before I could set out, a couple asked me to take their photo at the entrance to the trail. I happily obliged and as I clicked away, I caught them kissing each other on film. What a romantic beginning! The Via dell'Amore starts at the hilltop village of Riomagiorre. All is peaceful in autumn primarily because the summer crowds have come and gone and this town, which sits at the southern tip of the Cinque Terre, is often skipped by day-trippers in favor of Vernazza to the north. The trail hugs the cliff as it meanders along the coast. The walkway is wide and well paved and there are benches for those who wish to pause and gaze at views of multi-hued waters and pastel painted villages peeking through the hills. Like a stolen kiss, the