Paris--Nick 'n Becca Style

In honor of my 25th birthday our 2nd wedding anniversary, Nick and I headed to the City of Light, Paris, France. I couldn't have been more excited, as this was my #1 must-see destination upon moving to Europe. After hearing countless stories of Parisian exploits from my sister, Marie, I absolutely could not wait to discover this city on my own...I mean...with Nick. :)

Post-airport we headed straight for our hotel, L'Hotel Academie on Rue de Saint Peres, where we checked in to the world's tiniest hotel room and started mapping out a plan.

We headed to the Notre Dame, just a few blocks from our hotel. This is one massive cathedral! However, I've never really been into the Gothic style, and the scary panther/beasts extended from the cathedrals side reminded me of Nightmare on Elm St. 4, so we didn't stay there too long.

This is me seconds after commencing my 25th year at Georges, a Costes brothers restaurant on the top floor of the Centre Pompidou. You can't see it here, but the Eiffel Tower was glittering in the background. Great moment.

The day of our AnniBirthary we visited the newly-renovated Musee D'Orsay, which is home to Paris's modern art collection.

From the airport to the Polidor

This was our first stop after landing in Paris...a highly recommended brasserie near our hotel in the St. Germain district called Polidor. We immediately fell in love with the cozy vibe in this tiny, crowded restaurant, as lots of large groups and families dined on French staples like poulet avec pommes frites (roasted chicken with fries). The restaurant was fully decorated in an autumn motif, and in honor of my favorite season I enjoyed a big bowl of pumpkin soup. Tres excellente! Nick had confit au canard (duck) avec pommes. It was sooo great! If you are going to Paris looking for an affordable, savory lunch, this is the place to go. Bon appetit!

An entry by Steven.

This weekend I went on my first hike on Mt. Etna with my mom and dad. I discovered my penchant for outdoor adventures and pine cones. Every now and then I needed to stop for a break because the trail is very steep and my legs are still so short, but during my breaks I loved checking out the weird bugs that are on the volcano.

This is my dad and me taking a break.

This is my mom and me stopping to look out over Sicily. I love playing on Mt. Etna!
~Steve

Italy--Wissler style.

My parents recently made the long and arduous trek across the Atlantic to see the most glamorous couple they know. Due to a slight scheduling glitch, they were only able to enjoy our presence for four days, but it was probably the greatest four days of their lives. Rebecca and I loved playing host to my parents and giving them a taste of how we've been spending the last two years of our life together.



My parents got to visit the ruins of Agrigento. Here we are taking a much needed rest. My Dad really thinks that all touristing should come equipped with golf carts as walking is just soooo much work.





You know you have a sports addiction problem when you are visiting the most finely preserved Greek ruins in all of Sicily and you insist on talking about who you want to start at QB on your Fantasy Football squad. But, honestly, that's what my Dad and I were discussing here.


If you are ever in Sicily and want a true taste of how Sicilians dine, you must visit an agriturismo. This one is called Valle di Marge and is located just outside of the town of Mineo. We drank loads of wine with lots of great friends and had an incredible time feasting like true Sicilians.


The beaches of Taormina are just gorgeous, and the town is one of our very favorites in the world. Here we are on Isola Bella soaking up some sun, and listening to my Dad wax poetic about how much he enjoys the splendor of rocky beaches.


The town of Taormina is located on top of a large hill overlooking the Mediterranean. We rode up a gondola with my parents and strolled through the town, watching loads of tourists and a couple of Sicilian weddings while enjoying some pre-dinner drinks. Next, we visited the restaurant Granduca, owner of the best view in all of Sicily. My mom got to pick out her own fish with our colorful maitre d. Granduca has wonderful ambiance, incredible food, and really reasonable prices. Rebecca and I highly recommend making a reservation the next time you're going to Taormina.





Despite having lived over 66 years, Boob (Yes, that's what Becca calls him) still enjoys frolicking in the surf with his son. Here we are in Siracusa, swimming, body surfing, and just generally acting like fools.

Meet Steve Wissler!

My most recent dreams came true last weekend when we adopted Sicilian Steve Wissler, a Yorkshire Terrier who was being sold by a lady out of her car the side of the road (I know...Sicily is unbelievable). Signora Yorkie Seller had three little Yorkie boys, and Steve was most definitely the runt. She wasn't even keeping him in the box with the other two...poor little fella. Anyhoo, after a solid hour of begging Nick, he came with me to see them and he, too, fell prey to the most adorable puppy face either of us has ever seen. Plus, Yorkshires have hair, not fur, so I won't be wheezing or itching my eyes b/c I'm not allergic to this little one, which made him all the more irresistible. So needless to say, about five minutes after Nick met Sicilian Steve, Steve was riding in my little blue Fiat on his way back to our place to live in harmony with the world's two most spoiled cats, Tank and Boo. Integration into the family has been gradual--a decision made by the cats--but is moving right along. Yesterday Steve and Boo even napped together, which made this new mother very, very happy.
Welcome to the family Steve!

This week we took Steve to Taormina with our friends Brian, Allison, Colin, and Brian's mom and stepdad for an amazing meal at Granduca and some quality pet watching (a popular pasttime in Taormina). Steve went on the beach for the first time and was so worn out, he slept all the way through dinner!

Chaos never tasted so good.

The Catania Market is a place I love to go by myself on Saturday mornings, although this crazy shopping extravaganza is held in downtown Catania daily. At the market I can buy the freshest spices and herbs, vegetables, fruit, bread....basically, you name it, and if it's in season, it'll be at the market and it'll be great. There are two sections of the Catania market, one for food and another full of clothes (really cheap) and housewares, but my favorite thing to do is to buy my produce for the next few days, then find a seller with super fresh fish. Usually he'll have the entire fish cut in half and laying on a bed of packed ice. I tell him how many filets I want--the best fish to get at the market, or in Sicily in general, is swordfish--and he butchers the fish for me right there. You can't beat it.
It's a chaotic place, with people screaming at you to buy their apples, shirts, squid...but it's an unbelievable experience that I haven't found outside of unique Catania.

A Day at Gambino

Gambino Winery is a popular Sicilian winery located very high up on Mount Etna and at the end of a treacherous drive, but the food, service, and views are worth it. Marie, Ian, Nick and I went for a leisurely (and huge) Sunday lunch and wine tasting with our friends Trent, Coleen, Currier, Rob, and Gwyn. We had called ahead (which I recommend doing) to ensure a full meal, and we got just what we asked for, plus the added bonus of being the only ones on their terrace that day. We enjoyed a massive antipasti platter with our first two wines, then moved on to a Maccharoni alla norma course, which consists of a long and straight homemade noodle, fried eggplant, and tomatoes--probably the most popular (and tasty) dish in Sicily. We finished the pasta as we moved onto red wines and then began our next course, a mixed grill of Italian sausage and the best pork chop I've ever had. Dessert was a heaping bowl of fresh cherries and a nero d'avola--Gambino Cantari--that Nick and I purchased a case of.

Gambino's wine selection has grown over the past few years, but probably won't really mature and be great for another few. However, a visit to Gambino is the perfect way to spend an lazy Sunday afternoon. ~B

Stair Masters

The nearby hilltop town of Caltagirone is most famous for two things: their boldly decorated ceramics and their "Scalazza," or gigantic stairs. I went to the lighting of the Scalazza with my friends Allison and Jennifer during Caltagirone's festival of their patron saint, the Festa di San Giacomo. It's the only time the Scalazza is illuminated other than Christmas, when a "Natale"-themed design is illuminated along the ginormous stairs.

The design is made of of multi-colored rice-paper luminaries and draws both locals and tourists from all over the island. It was very impressive!

Before the lighting we browsed around the countless ceramics shops and I bought Christmas tree ornaments painted in the signature Caltagirone style.

Etna is an angry lady

Mt. Etna erupted a few weeks ago, and it was one of the most fantastic things I've ever seen. Naturally, we had to get as close to the lava as possible, so we drove with our friend Lenny about 20 minutes up the south side of Etna from our apartment and parked the car. Then, we hiked up from there, on what we thought was going to be about a 25-minute hike, but an hour later, as we climbed over dunes of volcanic ash and the "trail" disappeared, we realized we were wrong. In any case, after about 75 minutes of straight uphill climb, we were about as close as we were going to get without getting covered in spores from Etna's prickly bushes growing in the rock. We found some Italian picnickers (because, again, naturally, the thing to do when a volcano erupts is to have a picnic on it) and sat down beside them to enjoy a bottle of one of our favorite Sicilian wines that we'd brought along for the occasion, Planeta Segreta. It's a Nero D'Avola/Syrah blend that goes down easy, especially at high altitudes.

These pics aren't great, but it's the best we could do at 1am at 12,000 ft.

Consuming Capri

Nick here, while Becca is more of the regaler of family fun and the updater of our infamous exploits, we are HUGE foodies and after hearing so many horror stories about disappointing dinners, I decided to take disappointment out of the equation. How does one do that, you must be asking. RESEARCH. Twenty minutes of your time spent on the absolutely essential Chowhound.com will assure you find a delectable meal in your price range. Chowhound is user-driven and contains none of the high falutin' drivel found in your typical NY Times or Frommers review.
With introductions out of the way, I must tell you about our best dining experience on the isle of Capri. Marie, Ian, Rebecca and I ate in a gorgeous restaurant set in an Italian lemon grove on Marina Grande called Da Paolino. Reservations are absolutely essential as we ate on a Wednesday night and it was packed. Beautiful setting and a really beautiful crowd. From what I read on Chowhound, it is not uncommon to see a celebrity or two, if that's really your bag. It certainly is Becca's. Sadly, we didn't see any celebs but the service there was something to be celebrated indeed. European service, if you haven't already discovered, is very hands off. In fact sometimes one is left wondering if restaurants in Europe even employ waiters. This couldn't be farther from the truth at Da Paolino. All of the waiters are highly knowledgable and highly attentive older gentlemen who will not hesitate to point you in the right direction concerning food and wine. Our waiter suggested we all try the antipasta buffet (we normally HATE buffets) and Marie, Ian and Rebecca all took his advice and returned to the table in minutes will all kinds of mouthwatering delights like eggplant quiche, marinated mushrooms and peppers, buffalo mozzarella, the list (unlike my memory) is endless.
I was truly vexed over my entree decision and once again our handy waiter (name of course forgotten) came to the rescue. I wasn't sure if I wanted the veal or the lamb chop. The waiter shook his head, looked me square in the eye and said, "Definitely the vitello, signore." And of course, the man was right. All of the entrees were incredible, especially Becca's pasta with zucchini flowers. The selection of vino was wide ranging, organized by region (as all lists should be) and included choices from France, Italy, South America, Africa, and the States. We started with a Sicilian wine we know and love called Planeta Segreta and later indulged in a Montepulciano from the North. They were both incredible.
Any dining experience can easily be soured by a less than savory dessert. Da Paolino did not disappoint. They have a desert buffet that is absoultely immense. Chocolates and fruits generally pervade and at this point the wine had already started to fog our collective memory of the specifics. What I will never forget is the best limoncello I have had anywhere in my life. Of course it is homemade and of course it was breathtakingly delicious. We had two more rounds. Surprised? Overall, I would say that Da Paolino is the third best restaurant I've eaten at in Italy. Intrigued to know the other two? You'll have to tune in for our next installment.

Ciao for now,

Nick

This is Becca enjoying a sampler from the dessert buffet at Da Paolino.

At the Grotto

Finally we arrived at the Blue Grotto--a place unlike anywhere I've ever seen. Our gondolier was singing and the acoustics were beautiful. Inside the Grotto Azzuro (as it's known in Capri), we saw a small landing area at the edge of what looked like a cave. This was apparently the private entrance of Tiberius, whose castle sits on the cliff about 400 yards directly above us. Fascinating, si? Aside from visiting the Grotto, the boat ride was fab because we saw all kinds of lidos and restaurants built right into the rock above the water. There are also some incredibly constructed houses along the cliffs that blend right into the rock and flowers. Our 'captain' also stopped the boat for us a few times to take a dip in the water, however, I stayed closer to the boat than Marie did (and she was chided by the captain), because we were in very deep water and Marie and Todd forced me to watch too many gruesome scenes from Jaws when I was merely a toddler.

Take us to the Grotto!

Ian & Marie came home with me to Sicily, where we re-united with Nick and headed up the boot to the breathtaking Amalfi Coast. After a short ferry ride, we were on the exotic Isle of Capri. Here we are taking an unforgettable boat ride around the island. I think our faces hurt from contant smiling.

The Condrons do Dublin

To celebrate Dad's 60th birthday, the Condrons met in Dublin for the tail end of Dad and Todd's golfing adventure through southern Ireland. We toured Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and a few amazing shopping districts. Most importantly our hotel was right across the street from Temple Bar, a bustling restaurant and nightlife district. Tom knows his stuff when it comes to the nighttime hot spots. Thanks for being the hippest, Dad! Todd and I met a likely distant cousin from County Cork and Marie discovered her penchant for Jameson Whiskey. The only thing missing from the trip was Nick, who was still in Sicily, gearing up for our Amalfi Extravaganza. In this pic, we're at the Ian-and-Marie-recommended Roly's Restraurant celebrating the birthdays of both Dad and Marie. It was an amazing dinner. Go there when you're in Dublin. I recommend the sea bass. ~B

Bienvenuti!

Welcome to our new blog, created so our friends and family can keep up with our stories and new discoveries from overseas. Sometimes so much happens over here that it's hard to keep everyone updated, so bookmark our page and find out what craziness we've gotten into recently.