VIGNOLA!!

That's right! 

After Cinque Terre, Cloé and I made a pilgrimage to the town of Vignola, in the North betwixt Modena and Bologna. 

While I was somewhat put out by the lack of awe we were shown by the locals, in what is clearly our very own Italian town, I did enjoy the scenery. And we stayed at a delightful b&b that served us the most incredible Italian five course dinner ever - woah nelly! (I say this because they put us in the stable to eat it, though it was decorated with over 100 think candles and no longer smelled of horse)

Guiseppina and I on our way to Vignola!

Vignola - over here!

This is a little street in the 'old' part of town, near our castle. 

Vignola the Espresso - small and strong!

Cloé approves of the Vignola coffee, outside Vignola the church.

Yes, I approve also. 

Vignola the train station!

Relaxin outside fortress. They didn't lock us out or anything, I just didn't CHOOSE to go in at that time. 

Whee!

Vignola the castle. Our Italian summer home.

That's right, we're here to pick up the keys, thank you. 

Vignola the fortress.

Cloé hangin outside our fortress.

This is the land around Vignola - wheat and cherry orchards. The air was lovely, and the walk into town very pleasant.

Once upon a time...

We were in France. It seems ever so long ago now, but there are still photos to be posted from that time, so here we are!

We took a little trip to the Champagne region, for what I hope are glaringly obvious reasons. Here are a few glimpses:

This is Reims Cathedral. Gigantic, amazing, ever so cool. Note the awe with which we are regarding the structure. 

Cloé and Mark, our gracious host in Champagne. He is Gabriel's father, and an extremely nice and knowledgeable fellow. Gabriel is my sister's boyfriend, for those of you keeping track. 

This is where we didn't go for a tour and tasting: Veuve Cliquot, one of my all time favourite champagnes. The place was pretty snotty though, so we went to Pommery instead, which is just as prestigious and delicious a champagnery, and has the additional coolness of having modern art exhibitions inside the tunnels - 30 feet underground!!

The tour of the tunnels under Pommery. The owner in the 1800's, Louise Pommery, was a big fan of 'modern' art, and she was the one who started exhibiting local and famous artists in the tunnels and tasting rooms. The tradition has continued, and the exhibitions change every year or so - it was very cool! 

This is the staircase leading down the 30 or so feet into the champagne tunnels. They have been there for hundreds of years, and are so extensive it would be extremely easy to get lost down there. 

This has been a dream of mine for so long! I'm certain I got my first taste (figurative only, unless I know my mother) at the age of 3 when mum took Cloé (aged 11 at that time) and I into these very same tunnels for the first time. 

This is one of the art installations. One of the corridors we walked through is full of electric guitars hanging flat (strings up) from the cieling and amplifiers, and little tiny Australian birds! They would land on the guitar strings and make cute little strumming sounds through the amps, it was very cool. 

Champagne getting some beauty rest. Each bottle sleeps for two years or so before going to the final stages of preparation. 

Walking through the tunnels.

This was the vintage room. These bottles were from special vintages, and will never be opened, largely due to the fact that champagne doesn't improve with age after the yeast has been extracted (which happens just prior to final corking), so these would likely taste as old as they look. 

Some of them are from the 1800's, during Louise Pommery's time. She was the inventor of Brut, which has now become THE true champagne, so these would be some of the first Brut ever made! 

Brut is a 50/50 blend of pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, and has a very low sugar content, resulting in a dry champagne that is pure beauty and ascension in a glass - before Brut, champagnes were much higher in sugar and quite sweet. 

For this she is one of my personal heros - thank you Louise!!

It's time. 

Woop woop!

AND, they have a round ping pong table!! This is the best place ever, seriously. 

Art on the lawn at Pommery. Yes, those are real shopping trolleys. 

Driving through Champagne. This is a small champagnery that was closed. 

Cloé at a cemetery among the young champagne vines. 

First days in Italy

Here are some randomly disordered gems from my first week in Italy, which was blissfully spent with my dear sister Cloé in Cinque Terre. 

Cinque Terre consists of a collection of five picturesque little towns that dot the cliffs over the ocean on the North West coast of Italy: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. There is a train that goes between the towns, through tunnels, but there is also a footpath which is both lovely and oftentimes treacherous. The terrain is rocky and steep, and the views breathtaking. It takes anywhere from 20min to 2.5 hours to get form one town to the next, so there was lots of walking to be had to work off the gelati that must be consumed every few hours while in Italy. 

Click on photo to enlarge (do it).

OMG, we're going to Cinque Terre - YAY!! 

And still so white and burnable from Paris...

Tal shows the beginnings of a decent gelati tummy.

Tal hangin in the Olive hood.

The best pesto ever, to be found in Corniglia. Just make sure you order water too, or the guy gets upset with you and tries to set you on fire. 

Tal style circa early May. Note the fashionable Soloman hiking shoes and gigantic hideous camera bag - also handy for abducting small toddlers. Camera must be removed first though. 

Does this make my nose look big?

Cloé wonders if this was such a good idea... 

This is how they bury people in Cinque Terre: up, not down. Photo courtesy of Cloé.

Look! Snorkeling. Funny only because this guy screamed like a little girl when he got into the freezing ocean. 

Sipping espresso in Manarola. 

Delightful local white wine, over the ocean in Riomaggiore. 

Sunset in Riomaggiore.

We were in a train, not a boat. 

Yay, we're going to La Spezia you guys! With Guiseppina the monkey. More on her later.

For Jen. W.L.F. 

Hangin by the water in Corniglia, the town we stayed. 

Salad in a bag! On our terrace in Corniglia.

Lemoncino, made and enjoyed in Corniglia. 

Lovely sorella. 

Etc.

Cute!

Cloé eavesdrops on the lovers on the wall. 

Brekkie on our terrace.

Etc.

Riomaggiore. 

Etc.

Riomaggiore wide angle baby!

Note to self: wide angle give you large upper arms. 

The train station at Riomaggiore.

Cloé wears Cinque Terre chic hiking gear. Bag by Venice Fashion. 

How I discovered local olive harvesting techniques. 

Vernazzo, taken from the trail between Monterroso and here.  

Cloé regards Vernazzo. 

Cloé being fabulous. 

Corniglia, from above. 

Yay!

Looking down on the train station and Corniglia. Regard the 400 steps one must climb to get to the actual town from the so-called Corniglia train station!