#42: Train Ride

In Tuscany.

Arrived to our Ferragamo owned hotel, the Portrait Firenze, to another upgrade. Loyalty rewards are finally paying off. It’s an unreal suite with a million dollar view of the Ponte Vecchio bridge and Arno river.

Our lifestyle specialist (serious, great hotel) alerted us that it is truffle season and the Pitti Cafe has the best of them, so we walked across the bridge….

…and had one of the best lunches of the trip. Beef carpaccio with truffles and tagliatelle with truffles.

After lunch we headed over to the Ferragamo boutique. The hotel explained we had special privileges, so it would be a sin not to take advantage, right?

I picked up these shoes to go with a suit that all of you would have said can’t be pulled off, but it’s the summer suit of the season in Italy and I’m in fashion damn it.

We spent the rest of the evening on the rooftop terrace of the Continental Hotel.

One more full day tomorrow!

 
Just in time for happy hour. 

Bologna has the largest portico in the world so I convinced Sonia to wake up early and walk the length of it. I should have done a little more research, because it was really long and it almost took the life of two unfit Americans. Beginning a mile or so from our hotel, the portico is five miles each way straight up a steep hill. We did however feel less guilt for all of the pasta we’ve been eating.

Our hotel is directly in the historic city center, so we made the most of a short stay.

Arrived in Bologna. Got upgraded to a nice terrace suite beneath the gaze of this fellow.  Peace brother.

#44 Boat Ride.

Venissa is a Michelin star restaurant on this tiny island, but never did I expect to enjoy one of the great meals of my life.

When it comes to blown glass, Murano is the capital of the world. What these artisans can do with glass blew our collective minds.

We couldn’t leave without a piece of this place, so we went with a traditional Venetian wine decanter and a set of wine cups.

Sonia came away with a blown glass necklace.

We moved on to Burano, a small, colorful island know for its handmade lace.

Venice quite down at night and becomes a mostly romantic city with only ambient noice.

A tiny bar where a young man from kazakhstan belted out Elvis and AC/DC despite knowing a lick of english when he wasn’t singing.

This was Casanova’s preferred hang out to pick up chicks. I ordered Sonia the spaghetti and clams with white sauce. Worked liked a charm. 595 years later, it’s obviously doing something right.

#51: Have a drink in a bar over 200 years old.

Legendary local hangout dating from 1462, with a lively atmosphere, no tables & a menu of cicchetti.

The best way to see Venice is by boat, so we booked a guided two hour boat tour to take in this amazing city.

Since we had a guide with us, we actually got got more than enough photos of us together.

Started off with breakfast on the terrace, then hit the alleyways.

Saint Marks Basicilla, Doge’s Palace and the Watch Tower.

Pizza for Lunch

Rialto Bridge

A quick pick me up.

More Shopping

Enjoyed a drink at the world famous Harry’s Bar in Venice. Not only was it a Hemingway favorite, but it was where one of Sonia’s favorite drinks, the Bellini, was created.

What an amazing and crazy city this is. After exiting the train we boarded a water bus to Rialto. We proceeded to spend the next 45 minutes lugging our suitcases through the labyrinth of alleyways until we finally found our hidden hotel, the Palazzino G. Once settled in, we walked a lot and shopped a little.

We visited the Gritti Palace for dinner on the patio.Ernest Hemingway often enjoyed a meal and a bottle of Valpolicella on the Gritti terrace, then wandered one floor up to his suite to put the finishing touches on his novel, Across the River and Into the Trees, which was inspired by his relationship with a young Venetian aristocrat, Adriana Ivancich.

After dinner we decided our feet had had enough and took a water taxi back to the hotel.

We’re skipping the night’s festivities to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Our Venetian terrace office for a coupon of hours.

 
Wishing you a happy bday with a Negroni in hand on the patio of the Gritti Palace overlooking the Grand Canal. 

It’s fashion week and we came to Milan to shop. We woke up relatively early and hit the streets. Milanese enjoy their coffee and pastries while standing at the bar. Burns some of the calories that way.

We started at some vintage designer shops, but quickly found the La Rinascente, a department store that rivals Harrods in London. Sonia did a little damage in the shoe department.

We then took in the Duomo.

We then found an urban oasis for a farm to table lunch. Un Posta a Milano.

As already documented, I did some damage at Armani.

Back to the hotel to freshen up for a drink.

Dinner at Ratana for their signature dish, Risotto a la Milanese.

Armani has always been my favorite designer, so it’s only appropriate that I get a new suit from his flagship store in the city he is from during fashion week that happens to be his fourth anniversary.

Checked into our hotel in the most fashionable neighborhood in town of course. Tried to shake off the jet lag.

So we walked…

We took in one of Italy’s most famous Di Vinci murals, The Last Supper, at the Santa Maria delle Grazie.

We stopped for a drink and a parma and cheese sandwich.

This is what every day Italians think of their financial institution.

Headed out for dinner.

And enjoyed a traditional Italian dinner with an excellent bottle of wine.

After dinner we walked some more.

Thankfully, the shops were closed.

So we finished off the night with a drink at the hotel and hit the sack in hopes of getting on Milan time.

Thanks to cancer, my dad spent his Father’s Day with all five of his children. There’s always a silver lining…. (Faces are blurred because we were doing goofy expressions but they’re just flat out disturbing)

A beautiful night at the ballpark. Posey’s grand slam made it a memorable one.

Hemingway rejects the gun show.

Jurassic World 3D with Brittany. Better than I thought. More of a ride than a movie.

Happy for Sonia and a couple of jag-offs from the South Side.

Whole hog BBQ at a friend’s BDay party. The diet is being accosted from all angles.

One of the stunning photos my Dad and Georgeanne brought back with them from their recent trip to the Serengeti. Even after two years of building up their expectations, Singita exceeded them.

Crazy that I had to custom make this shirt and that it wasn’t readily available. I wear this in honor of my oldest sister who will now wage her third war against cancer. Cancer is a vile disease that requires an equally vile and obscene counter attack, hence the shirt. But, I have no doubt that my sister will make it a reality. The fight will be long and taxing, but she will prevail. SFC.

This was one of my favorite naps in the Serengeti. And one of my favorite quotes. The reminders come often. Sometimes they are beautiful, sometimes they are brutal. But either way, they remind me that time is our greatest currency and we need to keep pushing to make every second count.

Always a great dinner at Jaleo.

 Hope to be apart of horse racing history today. Team American Pharoah.  

A third Louboutin store opening in Vegas. Trouble.

A bartender in Napa turned us onto this Washington wine. Goes great with oysters.

I finally had this framed. A gift from friends, it’s a Venetian 15th century replica of a world map.

Our cutting tables are now fully operational. Hoping the investment pays off.

This is what happens when I go away for awhile.

Napa never disappoints. Back to work.

Began with Snoop. Ended with the Gypsy Kings. An eclectic day of music.