Food and Travel

One of the things I love about travelling is the opportunity to sample new food from various locales and countries. Unfortunately sometimes my love of the food and wine takes over and I don't remember to photograph or even take notes. Getting caught up in a culinary moment is not always a bad thing. So I thought I would try and breathe some life into my blog and show a few examples of the gastric delights I have remembered to shoot and my thoughts. 

A trip to Italy last year was definitely a highlight and kick-started my interest in approaching photography from a more commercial aspect (an ongoing struggle for future posts). The start to the Italy adventure was Naples and there is no better spot to get pizza. For almost two days all our meals in Naples were Neapolitan Pizza. 

A short walk through the streets almost anywhere in Italy will show you why the food is so delicious. The fresh produce looks so good and seems so plentiful.

This photo (not the best) was what I think was the best Pizza I had time to sample in Naples. I cannot remember the name of the restaurant and couldn't find it again other than I know it's in an out of the way Piazza called Piazza Portanova. We happened to stumble upon it during the height of the afternoon heat when most places were closed but it was delicious.

Again the Agritourismo we stayed at on the Amalfi Coast besides being Michelin Certified was absolutely fabulous in their preparation of fresh food making simple dishes truly gourmet. 

We had many great meals in this region including restaurants on the island of Capri where fresh Caprese Salad and a Local Seafood salad were highlights. And in the stunning town of Ravello the food matched the views and scenery. 

As we travelled to the Umbria Region in the Medieval City of Perugia one of the most highly rated restaurants was an Argentine one. I don't know wether the food or the service was the star. Located on one of the cities walls this establishment had a stunning view as well. Immediately upon being seated were greeted by two glasses of complimentary champagne and a hot appetizer. An additional order of Prawns and Beef Carpaccio did not disappoint. A cleanse of the pallet with some lemon Sorbet led to this dish of truffled Argentinian Beef. Coupled with a bottle of the Umbrian Sagrantino Montefalco that could be described as one the fullest most robust red wines known this dish was outstanding. 

And no meal is complete without dessert and the plating of this was incredible. This was of course the heart of the Umbria International Jazz festival. For any fan of Jazz the festival in Perugia is not to be missed and the food here is also must. If you ever get the privilege of tasting a Sagrantino vintage letting it decant is a must but the experience is divine. We also had the privilege of joining Mark from Gusto Wine tours who with two other guests took us to some outstanding wineries in the region where we sampled some great Sagrantinos and Pissitos. Lunch at another Agritourismo Mark took us to was simply incredible.

Amore recent bout of travel found me in South America where I had the fortunate surprise of finding Molita restaurant which is in a trendy artsy kind of Bohemian along Calle Lastarria (?). I came in by myself and ordered a greta bottle of 2011 Chilean Malbec. My appetizer was this delicious seafood Carpaccio. It was outstanding in both taste and presentation. Again despite my bad Spanish the service was incredible. 

My entree this day was a Lamb Risotto and the picture does not do it justice. It was perfect match with wine and made the experience unforgettable. It is a place I would definitely return if a stay in Santiago presents itself . 

And again what would a meal be without a great dessert to finish it off. I didn't even read the dessert menu, I saw this beauty travelling to other tables nearby and ordered it immediately. It was the perfect compliment to a great Cappuccino. 

I am looking forward to keeping resurecting my blog from its well intentioned but inconsistent start and experiencing some more amazing food and travel.  I will try to share some more local experiences as well.

If you like my photography please visit www.robertgreatrixphotography.ca for my full portfolio or www.torontophotogrpahs.com if Urban Landscape and street photography is more your thing. I am always looking for subjects for photography and blogs so please contact me with any suggestions. 

Buen Provecho.

Summer Travel Amalfi Coast

July of 2012 found myself and my wife Marie off to Italy for the first time. We joined a G+ adventures group for a week of trekking on the Amalfi Coast. For me, never have visited Europe before, the experience was mind blowing to say the least.

Naples: Our landing place for Italy was the city of Naples. The vibrancy of the streets, the architecture and the history was incredible. Naples was a place one could get lost in photographically but was also a place that seemed in a severe state of decay.

Pizza: Naples is the spot for the unique delicious taste of Neapolitan Pizza. With a stay of just a day and a half we managed to sample pizza from four different spots. We stumbled on this little out of the way pizzeria during the mid afternoon heat and it turned out to be my favourite.

Th first stop of our travels with G+ was the ancient city of Pompei. It was such an interesting place but 40+deg temperatures made it a little uncomfortable. Thankfully our guide was able to give us the highlights without baking us in the sun.

When your residence for the week has a relaxing area like this on a hillside (maybe more mountainside) overlooking the Amalfi Coastline you know you have made the right choice. This Agritourismo, St. Alfonso was excellent. Hats off to G+ for this choice.
Visit http://www.agriturismosantalfonso.it for more.

Our hosts at St Alfonso were incredible. Did I mention they had a Michelin rated kitchen as well.  In the late afternoon after we returned from a day of hiking they shared some of the recipes for the delicious food we enjoyed every evening. Our guide Danilo translates the recipes from Michela one of the proprietors and chefs at St. Alfonso. I must say that our week here was made even more enjoyable by our outstanding guide Danilo.

This is the view greeting you as traverse the hundred some odd stone steps the old Monastery which is St Alfonso.










View from the Terrace, best enjoyed with fantastic house wine and the great new friends we met and travelled with.

                                                   

The hiking on the Amalfi coast was spectacular, and even though some level of fitness is a must especially in summer temperatures, the views from hikes such as the Walk of the Gods shown and the Tre Calle is stunning to say the least. I could include a hundred pictures to show the great coastal towns such as Positano and Amalfi. Not to mention the unique hillside town of Ravello which warrants a post of its own. After an amazing week of superb weather, gourmet food and breath taking scenery of the Amalfi Coast, we boarded the train for a destination that was equally interesting and fun, the medieval city of Perugia in the Umbria region.


If you would like to receive periodic emails about my photography work please click here to subscribe. Sign Up.