outdoor cafes | schwingeninswitzerland

Although we saw some cool stuff in Milan, one of the main reasons to go to Italy is for the food and drink. They are an attraction in and of themselves and did not disappoint.

We had at least two cappuccino for breakfast every day. Italians only order cappuchinos until 10:00. Although italians only drink cappuccino until 10:00 a.m., they pop in for expressos all day long. If you run into a friend in the street, it is customary to pop into a café for a quick espresso at the bar while you catch up. Ten minutes later, you’re back on your way. Perfect for caffeine addicts like us who don’t always like to linger at a table.

Before dinner, Italian tradition is to have an aperitivo. It is a pre-meal drink meant to stimulate appetite, but seems to be an excuse to go out for a drink, relax and chat with friends. When in Rome, or Milan…

I loved the Antipasti, the appetizer course, because I usually hadn’t gorged myself yet so I could eat while I was actually hungry. The food was so good that I did a good amount of eating when I wasn’t actually hungry. It was so tasty that I just had to eat it. Who knows when I’d have another chance to taste something like that?

One of his favorites was a cheese plate that included burrata, a fresh artisanal cheese made from mozzarella and cream. Although people eat cheeses that are older than some of our nieces and nephews, you are supposed to eat burrata within 24 hours after it is made. Ours came on a plate with fresh buffalo mozzarella and ricotta. De-lish-us!

In Italy, pasta is usually the next course, known as Primo Patti. Although they sometimes serve soup, rice, polenta, etc., it’s usually a rich pasta dish. Carbalicious.

Secondo, the main course, usually consists of chicken, meat, or fish. With so many courses, thankfully the portions aren’t too large. Most Italians don’t eat an antipasto, primo, secondo and dolce at every meal, but the selections are always on the menu. Just because we pigged out doesn’t mean you are required to.

The dolce (Italian for sweet), dessert, ends the meal. People often order an espresso to help digestion and to finish off a meal. Plus it gives them more time to sit and talk over food and drink.

Sorry, we couldn’t wait to take a picture before taking a bite out of our daily gelato. We weren’t the only ones who liked gelato, just check out this cute little guy. He was going to town on his gelato. Notice how he is inside the restaurant.

Remember, friends don’t let friends serve each other packaged food. Viva l’Italia.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)

We brought visitors from the US on a whirlwind trip to France where we to see as much as possible in a weekend. The first day, we saw Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Orange. On the second day, we saw the Pont d’Avignon, the Palais des Papes and the nearby Pont du Gard before returning home. It was a full weekend, but worth it. Francophiles, don’t worry, this is the first of more trips to the south of France. We’re actually headed back tomorrow. On our whirlwind tour of Provence, we managed a quick stroll through Avignon. It is a charming town. While it is best known for the Papal Palace, it’s backstreets are worth a stroll.

The Place de l’Horloge, one of Avignon’s main squares is exactly how you’d imagine a square in the south of France. The only thing I didn’t see was the petanque (boules/bocce ball) court. It had grand buildings, a ferris wheel and was lined with outdoor cafes. Avignon has many squares, but part of its charm is that it is old enough to have narrow alleys leading off of them.

Signs of Avignon past as a religious center are everywhere.

The riverfront (of the Rhone River), parks and gardens of the Palais des Papes, provide welcome open and green space.

The gardens of the Palais des Papes even had a grotto…just like another mansion in California.

Oh yeah, the enormous city walls and ramparts are pretty cool too. Just make sure to avoid falling stones. The sign below translates to “Pedestrians do not walk along the ramparts risk of falling rocks.”