My venture

First few days in our new home- Dallas TX

2017-06-27T19:55:00.001-07:00

So we have arrived in Texas....yay for us....and we have been doing quite a lot...so yes, we have been keeping busy. We arrived on Friday 23rd June in the afternoon at 2pm....after doing immigration, we went to the hotel, dropped off the luggage, literally, and went to fetch our new car....a white Jeep Cherokee....it is so nice....we are soooo excited to have it...beautiful...have a look....

Sofia in the Jeep

Kim and the Jeep Cherokee

Friday night we had some Sushi take-aways because Sofia was jet lagged, and so were we, so we did not make it to a restaurant with her.

Saturday there was also quite a few admin things to get done...but it was a rainy day....it rained almost the whole day...so we got a bit wet, but it is warm rain......so never mind. We started off by driving past our new home (could not go inside as the current owners were packing up) and then we made our way to McKinney where we have a friend who has been so kind to receive and store all of our post, and yes, there was a pile of post for us....then I wanted to show Kim downtown McKinney. Walter showed it to us last time but Kim was not with us and hence he has not seen it...so off we went...we checked out the various stores...beautiful gift stores and decor stores...really nice, then we went to the mom and pop"corn" shop where we bought a McKinney flavored popcorn (sweet and savoury, spicy and caramel)....yes, it sounds rather odd...but all three of us, including Sofia, could not get enough of it...as we were exploring we saw this HUGE dog.....and of course Sofia was like "Wau Wau" and so Kim and her went and touched the dog...the reason I mention this is because the owner actually has a fb page about his dog and the dog is quite famous...have a look at this...

Sofia, Kim and the dog

We also had lunch in McKinney at this place called Harvest...what a cool place...the setting was amazing...the chairs outside were swings and lazy chairs and it was all done in an "organic farm" style. The waiter then told us that their menu was seasonal because they try to source all their food from their own farm...how amazing. I had a glass of local Texas bubbly to celebrate the occasion. For food we tried the forrest salad, skirt steak with egg and chips and the chicken tenders with chips and homemade ketchup (and it tasted very fresh and homemade)....and guess what, not only was the food beautifully presented, it also tasted amazing...yes, we would definitely go back there...let me share some pics...

The Actual Place

Forrest Salad

Chicken Tenders and Chips

Skirt Steak with Egg and Chips

Saturday night...pic-nic at the hotel because Sofia was sleepy at around 5:30pm....tomorrow the plan was to check out some furniture shops, buy a potty for Sofia, then Home Depot for washing machine and tumble dryer and of course collect my dad from the airport at 4pm. And not to forget....I wanted to have a Starbucks coffee and check out some playgrounds for Sofia.....so in the morning we purchased the washing machine and tumble dryer at Home Depot and then we took Sofia to a park in Southlake which of course she loved. Then it was time for Starbucks...cappuccino and some pumpkin loaf (AMAZING) and then Costco where Sofia and Kim tried all the various goodies and then at the end it was hotdog time....let me share some pics...

Coffee and Pumpkin Loaf

Sofia Drinking Yogi Sip at Costco

Sofia Enjoying Yogi Sip at Costco

Hotdog at Costco

During the time Sofia slept in the car, Kim and I checked out some pull-out sofa beds....after Sofia's nap we decided to check out the playground in the Colleyville park...and we were amazed, the jungle gym was amazing and just around the corner is a mini-acqua park....and of course Sofia wanted to play in it....and she LOVED it....we will definitely come here more often...let me share some pics...

Sofia and I in the Acqua-park

Sofia Enjoying the Acqua-park

That night...after fetching dad at the airpot we decided to do an early dinner just down the road from the hotel...a place called Craft...the men had craft beer and I had a glass of Chardonnay and for food dad had the fish and chips...Sofia had mac & cheese with chips and Kim and I shared the seared Ahi Tuna with a cucumber salad and the pulled pork with tacos....and all the food was actually very good...especially the chips and the Ahi Tuna...have a look at the pics...

Sofia Eating Mac and Cheese with Chips

Seared Ahi Tuna with a Cucumber Salad

Pulled Pork with Tacos

Fish and Chips

So yes, as you can see we have been having a few good days...been managing to get some things done and tomorrow we will go and transfer the money for our new house and then go and sign for the new house...exciting times ahead....ore to come...for now cheers from me.

Finland

2017-06-25T18:12:00.001-07:00

As promised....after returning from Naples, that night (Wednesday) we had a farewell aperitif with all our friends....was nice to say our final good-byes. Thursday for us was some relaxing and some admin things (closing bank accounts, facials etc). Friday we left early to travel to Rome where we had a straight flight to Finland. Here is Sofia in the airplane:

Sofia Ready to Go

In Finland we enjoyed our time seeing Kim's parents, sister and some friends. Of course we went to our favourite coffee places "Coffee House" and "Cafe Rongo", we met some friends and caught up with them.

Friday night dinner, Kim's parents made dinner and invited Katja and her family as well as their friend Gustav...they made Gravlax (salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill), small fried fish, potatoes and salad...for dessert cake...and for congratulating me in being accepted into the university they served Veuve Clicquot, all so delicious.

Saturday evening we were invited to go to Katja's place and they made a warm smoked salmon with roasted cherry tomatoes and mozzarella as well as baked potatoes and cheese....dessert rhubarb crumble served with vanilla cream...all very delicious food....accompanied with prosecco.

Sunday evening Kim, Sofia, Rick and I went down to the river to a place called Kiva and we had a brodi (a hamburger roll served with chips and you can choose the inside...I had the portobello mushroom with pesto), it was damn good...for drinks Kim had a cider and I had a glass of prosecco and drum roll...it was FLAT...we complained and they just shrugged their shoulders....this, I was very shocked about....I felt that we paid quite a bit for a glass and they definitely should have tried it and exchanged it...shocking....Rick had an apple juice and guess who wanted....Sofia...she loved it so much that we had to get a second one...hahaha....would I go back to the place nope...cause I must say the prosecco shocked me...let me share a pic of Sofia and Rick though....

Rick and Sofia

Monday evening we were invited to some friends for dinner who made Finnish sausage and lamb with a couscous salad. Can you believe I tried the lamb and I must say it was not bad...it definitely did not have the strong lamb taste that I am used to from South Africa. Dessert...Rhubarb crumble...I was in heaven, served with ice-cream...Sofia enjoyed her evening and I think her highlight was the two cats. Sofia just seems to have a very soft spot for animals. Let me share a pic of her...

Sofia Showing how Tall She is

The last night we were all invited to go for dinner with Kim's parents at a place called Fryysarinranta. It was such a cool looking place...down by the river and all made from wood inside and outside....we arrived there by "taxi". Rasmus has a summer job to drive a "taxi" and Sofia really wanted to try it....have a look...we arrived in style.

Rasmus, Sofia and I (Kim was taking the pic)

The food at the place was absolutely amazing...presentation and taste....just wow....we ALL loved it. Rick wanted to sit next to Sofia and of course she loved that and they shared hamburger and chips. Kim and I shared local, Porvoo, snails with a garlic and herb butter and also white fish served with egg and for mains I had the salmon with cauliflower puree and Kim had the grilled reindeer burger....let me share some pics....

Snails in Garlic and Herb Butter

White Fish with Egg and Crisps

Salmon with Cauliflower Puree

Grilled Reindeer Burger and Chips

Rick and Sofia

Dessert was a fruit cheese cake served at home. So yes....we have been eating well the past few days...I think I will explode soon. One day we also visited Kim's Godmother in Helsinki and some friends of Kim's. Every day we also went to various playgrounds so Sofia could enjoy the slides, swings and the sandbox...she just loves it...

Sofia in the Swing

Sofia Climbing on the Jungle Gym

Wednesday morning we left early, 5:15, and flew back to Rome. We drove home...had Wednesday afternoon and Thursday in Tuscany, packing all our final things and then Friday morning we woke up at 3am....and left Montisi, our home for 1.5 years. We are ready for our new adventure in the States....Texas here we come. Ciao Bella Italia.

Napoli

2017-06-24T17:01:00.001-07:00

So...we are in Napoli again, but let me share a bit of insight with you.....after leaving the ship (Caribbean) we went home to the Tuscany to pack and then Sofia and I joined Kim for 4 weeks on the ship again....the Fiords and the UK....but I will catch you up on a later time because Kim told me I should be a little bit more up to date with my blog so hence I will skip a little bit forward and at a later stage catch you up from the travelling with the ship.

So, June 11th, Sofia, Kim and I signed off together in Southampton and made our way to Rome where Sofia was fetched by my parents to go home to Tuscany and Kim and I made our way to Napoli for Kim's medical check and his interview at the American Consulate. We arrived after 10pm on Sunday night, so we just crashed in our Air BnB and that was that.

Monday morning we took very easy...slept in, relaxed....went for some cappuccino nearby and then decided to visit a friend who had a baby and lives in Sorrento.....she made us some typical Italian lunch with some Lambrusco and we enjoyed our time catching up, filling each other in on what has been happening...let me share some pics...

Rafaelle

Sheryll and I

After a good lunch and catch up we made our way to center of Sorrento where we strolled the streets a little bit....had a gelato.....and just enjoyed.....Sorrento is very busy with tourists, but it is beautiful....there are lots of places to eat and lots of little shops to explore....I guess a nice spot for holidays. Sheryll told us though that winter is dead and summer is very packed, the best time is the in between seasons....The problem is also that there is only one road going to Napoli and one road going to the Amalfi Coast, so the traffic is very bad....and guess what on our way back, we encountered this traffic...it took us about 1.5hrs to get back to naples which is in fact only 50km...and I know it only gets worse in July and August....so hmmmm...something to think about if you are planning a holiday there. Let me share some pics from Sorrento...

View from Sorrento

Sorrento "Beach"

After a good lunch and ice-cream in Sorrento we decided dinner would be at home, some cold meat, cheese and some red wine....yummie. The next day Kim had his medical in the morning and I joined him, after that I wanted to go to the famous coffee place in Naples called Gambrinus and there I wanted to have their famous coffee....the Gambrinus.....the choice was quite difficult because there were quite a few coffees that tickled my fancy....

Gambrinus Cafe

History

Cafe Gambrinus

Outside Cafe Gambrinus

Dinner we decided to try the same place that we went to last time with the rest of the gang when we did their Greencard interviews...the place was called Donna Margherita.....and again we thoroughly enjoyed the dinner....for anti-pasti we tried the anti-pasti buffet...a variety of things from roasted peppers to octopus in red wine to octopus salad to deep fried artichokes....about 20 dishes to chose from and you can chose yourself what and how much you want. For mains Kim tried the calamari and I tried the octopus...we both loved our dishes and shared 50/50....dessert....nope, we were too full...I had a glass of prosecco while Kim had the house wine...nice dinner and yes, I would recommend the place, I guess that is also why we went back to it.

You are probably wondering whether we had Pizza....and yes, we did manage to have a pizza once....it was for lunch and hence we shared it....but it was damn good...it was from a take-away place...let me share a pic...

Pizza Napoli Style

And....I almost forgot...the night we went for dinner at Donna Margherita, we were early and decided to have an aperitif on the way....Kim a beer and me a prosecco...and the best part for the aperitif instead of chips and nuts there was a buffet....AMAZING....i had some buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes and some olives and ricotta cheese with figs and honey while Kim had some small slices of lasagna, deep fried pizza though, brushetta and buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes....so yes...that was a great place...so worth going for some aperitif...it is just such an atmosphere....

Aperitif

The last day Kim had his interview at 8am and after that we drove home....we arrived in Sinalunga around 2pm and decided before heading home we are going to try out this Pizza place which claims that they have Napoli style Pizza....we ordered two Pizzas....and oh my....they were HUGE....one Capricosa and one with peppers, aubergine and spicy salami. They were very good.....let me share some last pics...

Peppers, Aubergines and Spicy Salami

Capricosa

So yes, Kim and I had a good few days in Naples....now home time...one day home...pack bags and we are off to Finland for a few days before heading to the States....chat soon.

Another cruise in Western Caribbean

2017-06-13T06:27:00.001-07:00

This is the second week....we started the journey in Tampa and this Tampa we decided to take Sofia to the aquarium...I was quite interested to see whether she would be fascinated with the fishes or not....and she was....certain ones...certain ones not too much....but she definitely enjoyed going there. The aquarium had 8 sections: Wetlands Trail, Journey to Madagascar, Bays & Beaches, No Bone Zone, Coral Reefs, Dragons Down Under, Ocean Commotion and Splash Pad. We visited all except for the Splash Pad (that is outside for the kids to play and it was closed at the moment). It was nice also because there were areas where you could touch the sting rays...I enjoyed that, Sofia did not want to touch them, and nor did Kim.

Sofia Enjoying the Aquarium

Sofia in the Playground at the Aquarium

Kim Enjoying the Aquarium

The following day was VIP and unfortunately Sofia and I did not make it as Sofia was just way too tired....but that's ok....the next day we were in Cozumel and we just went for a nice walk...some shopping at Mega....and ice-cream....and then we decided we actually rather go back to the ship and have a nap with Sofia, we were all tired.....that evening we thought we would have a nice dinner at Moderno, the Brasilian restaurant and Sofia decided she did not want to sleep...it was almost like she felt that we were going for dinner and did not want to miss out....have a look...

Sofia at Moderno

Next day....Costa Maya...and again...Sofia and I decided to go and see the parrots (same as last week) and of course feed them....like last week...she enjoyed it....a real animal lover. Last, but definitely not least, was Belize...we stayed out until almost sailing time...first the beach, then the pool area and then of course some deep fried chicken bites with french fries and some nachos...Sofia was loving the french fries and the guacamole....let me share some pics (and note, her swimsuit is the second one that we bought in US)....

Sofia and Kim

Sofia Enjoying Guacamole and Chips

To end this blog....let me share some random pics from the cruise....

Sofia Trying on Kim's New Texas Boots

Sofia Having Breakfast in Her Bathtub

Dinner at La Cucina (Sofia, Kim and I)

Sofia Enjoying Her Lollipop

So yes, we had a good two weeks.....Sofia and I are flying back to Italy now to help pack the things for the container while Kim does the transatlantic. When he has completed the transatlantic in two weeks...Sofia and I will join him in Southampton for some more cruising.....for now though....goodnight.

First week on the cruise

2017-06-10T14:10:00.002-07:00

This route was what Sofia and I had done during Christmas time.....the home port is Tampa...then the ship goes to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan and lastly, the private island in Belize, but we were not coming for the itinerary, we were coming to visit Kim....in fact this cruise was Sofia's 17th cruise....can you imagine...she is not even 2 years old and she has already done 17 cruises....I am doing a log book with itineraries as well as pictures for her...I think that will be a nice memory.

The first night was VIP party and Sofia definitely did not want to miss that one...so off we went to the VIP party...have a look...

Sofia Ready for VIP

The next day was sea day and because it was such nice weather and Sofia loves the water, we decided to try out her bath on the balcony...and she LOVED it...she spent about an hour playing in the water and going out and back in, she was totally in her element....have a look (p.s. the swimsuit is the one we bought for her at the Grapevine Mills Mall).

Sofia Enjoying the Warm Weather on the Balcony

This time when we were in Cozumel, we did not do too much, we went out for some shopping at Mega (cheese, diapers, chocolate and crackers) and some yummie chicken fajitas and some guacamole, no Margarita's as it was only 11, too early for me. I am sorry but we were so busy enjoying that I did not manage to take a pic of the food....I did, however, manage to take a pic of Sofia before we left...

Sofia Before Going out in Cozumel

The next day we were in Costa Maya and Sofia and I decided to leave the ship by ourselves as Kim was busy....and we discovered something new in the tourist village....the parrot path....a wooden, elevated path.....elevated in the air....going from one giant bird cage to the next....and Sofia loved it...I had to pay 10 dollars and then we had about 10 stops and at each station Sofia could feed various parrots...she LOVED it...and in between, she ran on the wooden bridges....sooo cute....let me share some pics...

Parrot

Sofia Feeding the Parrots

Sofia Walking Across the Hanging Bridges

So yes, Sofia was enjoying herself. The next day we were in Roatan...and we did not go out....even for a stroll...there is just too many people and too few shops and no location to having something to drink...the pier area is not so well protected and Sofia could easily fall off the pier into the sea and this I am not too happy about and hence we decided to stay on the ship and enjoy the kids area as well as the kiddies pool...I do not have a pic cause I could not take a pic while she was in the pool...

The last port of call was the private island in Belize....we always love it there, it is just a pity that it is only until 1pm (but I know it is because of the far distance to get back to Tampa)...but we are grateful nevertheless.....we always go out early...enjoy the beach and the after the beach, the large pool area and then a small/ early lunch with a Margarita and a beer....and we all know Sofia just LOVES the water, so we are all very satisfied.....

Sofia in the Lifeboat

Sofia and I in the Pool

Sofia Enjoying the Pool

The last day was a sea day and then we were back in good old Tampa. We had a good week...enjoying time with Kim and enjoying the warm weather....thank you for a good cruise...one more please....next blog...next cruise...chat soon.

Fortworth

2017-06-08T22:08:00.001-07:00

As promised, Fortworth.....this place is awesome....we went to the historic district called Stockyards.....and I guess we chose a popular day because we struggled to find parking...it was the Saturday before Easter Sunday....and this is exactly like a small town in the old Western movies....the shop fronts.....the people walking around and even the typical Long Horn (Cows) were visible...and apparently there are always parades with them...this was not only this Saturday before Easter.....

I guess I need to go there again on a "normal" Saturday to see what it is really like....but I am sure not much different....there are lots of places to eat and there were also food trucks where you could get food...of course because of Easter there were also some Easter bunnies handing out chocolates and there were also Easter-hunts.....let me share some pics...

Stockyards

Long Horns (You Were Allowed to Sit on Them, but Sofia Did Not Want to)

Statue at Stockyards

Long Horn Facts

Of course we also ate something...and we chose the food truck with the longest line...we had time...and we thought...hmmm...might as well see what the big deal is all about...and it was yummie....slices beef with a creamy/ spicy sauce on a bun served with home-made chips...let me share a pic...

Sliced, Saucy Beef

Food-truck

Sofia and I Enjoying Fortworth (Sofia Received A Sherif Star)

After lunch we discovered the petting zoo...which we know...Sofia is a little wary at first but then she warms up to it....and LOVES it....and this time was exactly the same...first mom and I had to feed the goats and towards the end...she wanted to feed the sheep and the goats....its amazing what an animal lover she is....it is just too cute. Sofia was going up to them, feeding them and stroking them.....apparently this petting zoo is always there on a weekend....very nice for kids....let me share some pics....

Sofia and I Feeding the Goat

Sofia Feeding the Goat

So yes...for me Fortworht is totally worth a visit, and only about 30min from where we will live...so yes, we will go again...and next time I also want to explore down-town a little bit...see what is around there...but I definitely want to introduce Kim to Stockyards, he will love it.

Oh yes, I almost forgot, they have one of those old fashioned steam engines that drives from Grapevine to the Stockyards (Fortworth) some weekends....and special occasions (for example at Christmas they call it the Polar Express) and that.....I definitely wanna do...I can only imagine what a vibe they create...and when it arrives, it arrives in the middle of the Stockyards...we actually saw the train arrive...and it looked awesome...something for another time....

Right now though...cheers...next time will be Sofia and me on the ship...we are leaving tomorrow, Easter Sunday, to join Kim for two weeks in the Western Caribbean....some sunny weather....and some family time.

Southlake with Sofia and my parents

2017-06-07T10:54:00.002-07:00

Amazing what US does for kids.....the weekend before Easter Kim sent me this Southlake newsletter which advertised an "Easter Park" (mainly for kids) from 9am to 12pm....so of course I wanted to take Sofia there....amazing...they were handing our Easter mugs, chocolates, pens, drawing books and more. There was an Easter bunny and we could take pics...there was even an Easter-hunt (we missed that) and a petting zoo...which Sofia was a little bit wary at first and when she got into it, she loved it....let me share some pics...

Sofia and I giving the Bottle to a Baby Pig at the Petting Zoo

Sofia Feeding the Goat at the Petting Zoo

Sofia Feeding the Chickens at the Petting Zoo

Easter Bunny, Sofia and I

Sofia and I

It's great to see what is being organized for the kids...there was such a vibe.

During the time we were in Dallas we stayed at an Air BnB in Grapevine...great couple and great location, we were easily able to walk to the historic centre in Grapevine and also there was a playground nearby which Sofia loved. Of course we managed to try a few more restaurants and let me share some pics and give you some thoughts about them.

The first night we tried a place in Southlake called Gloria (Mexican)...it was good, very well priced, child friendly and a large patio. The frozen Margarita was not great (in my opinion) as it was way too thick...it was like a smoothie, so in fact mom and I asked them to switch it for a Margarita on the rocks and that was nice.We shared all our food: ceviche, guacamole with nachos and brisket fajitas. The guacamole was disappointing, I like table-side made, fresh...this seemed like it was bought in.....let me share some pics....

Margarita

Ceviche and brisket fajitas

We also tried another Mexican place called Cristina's, also in Southlake....and this was fabulous....the frozen Margarita unfortunately also had to be exchanged for one on the rocks (I guess I should start ordering on the rocks in the US), the guacamole however, was absolutely amazing...table side and yummie...we also had the beef fajitas (next time I would order the chicken though because they come on a hot plate so they are easily over-cooked).....and the melted cheese pot...wow....if you are a cheese lover...this is a definite must...but very filling...again we did family sharing style and everyone loved the food....time to share some more pics....

Beef Fajitas and Hot Cheese (in the background)

Table-side Guacamole and Margarita on the Rocks

One night dad said he felt like some meat....so off we went to a grill and steakhouse....we tried something in the Southlake square and we managed to sit on the patio upstairs....great....as we love to sit outside. As a starter we ordered the guacamole with nachos....and it was very yummie...although it was not made table-side one could definitely taste and see that it was fresh...For mains mom and I shared a burger and a salad and dad also had a burger...we were all very happy with the choices, it was not an inexpensive place but it was yummie, the name was Del Frisco's.

Guacamole and nachos as a starter

Beef Burger

Blue Cheese Salad and Burger

Sofia Enjoying her Water

Yes....another dinner....this time....Italian food...we again tried a place in Southlake square called Brio Tuscan Grill....and again...food was just amazing...and again, there was a patio....so far all patios and all have been child friendly....we had a carpaccio to start with (it was huge and we definitely had enough by sharing for three)....then dad had some ravioli and mom and I had the steak salad....all of us very satisfied...taste wise and hunger wise...let me share some pics...

Carpaccio

Spinach, Asparagus, Steak and Blue Cheese Salad

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

I guess I also need to tell you a little bit about a more casual place...the main reason we went there is because we actually wanted to go to Torchy's Tacos...but the line was WAY toooooo long (for lunch)...so we ended up in the salad bar next door....you choose either a half salad or a full salad...the amount of greens is the same...but the amount of toppings is different...the half salad has 6 while the full has 10....half was more than enough....I chose my greens and then I chose walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese, tomatoes, jalepenoes and mushrooms....then I could choose whether I wanted a protein (No) and then I could choose my salad dressing where I chose raspberry balsamic....the salad was fabulous...absolutey loved it....let me share some pics....

Salad Bar

My Salad

Last but not least...one night we did take-aways...the same brisket place that I tried with Kim "Meat U Anywhere" and again....we had the briskets, the shredded pork, the coleslaw and the roasted potatoes....yummie.....let me share some pics....

Shredded Pork, Briskets, Coleslaw and Roasted Potatoes....

Now.....we also had two nights at home...one night was a wine and cheese night and one night was a prosecco and sushi night...sushi from Central Market....absolutely amazing....wow....i would definitely go and buy sushi and sashimi there again (in fact this has been the second time and I have not been disappointed)....let me share a pic of our platter....

Sushi and Sashimi night

So yes, food wise we definitely have been having a great time in the Southlake area...and otherwise....DEFINITELY ALSO....we love this place and we definitely cannot wait to move there. I will also tell you about Fortworth (actually same distance from Southlake to Dallas as from Southlake to Fortworth). So yes, we have been enjoying it here...we have been looking at numerous houses and we do believe we have found something amazing....we have also looked at schools for Sofia....and....drum roll.....we have also been successful....I visited a few....and then narrowed it down when Sofia checked out my list of two and was definitely more acknowledged in the one than the other....so yes, we are excited....Carpe Diem School.

One day we also decided to visit the Dallas Zoo....and it was amazing...I am not a Zoo fan...but Sofia loves animals...so I thought why not....and I must say the animals have a good habitat....we walked around the African section...she likes elephants, giraffes etc....and then we also checked out the gorillas.....those I find fascinating....I would love to see them in Africa in their real habitat....one day...maybe....we also had some deep fried chicken and chips for lunch...everyone was happy...let me share some pics...

Dallas Zoo

Deep Fried Chicken and Chips (Sofia could not wait)

Sofia Sitting on the Elephant

Gorilla

Last but not least...the Grapvine mall called Mills....it is something between an outlet mall and a real mall, I loved it when Kim and I explored it, so when my parents and Sofia were here I took them there....and they also loved it...we found an amazing store for Sofia where we managed to buy her quite a few very cute outfits...especially swimming costumes (you will notice them in later blogs, a pink with white dots and a yellow, white and green flower one)...beautiful...and of course a hat....see pic below....

Sofia Showing off her Hat

Sofia Showing Off her Hat

So yes, we have been having a good time....the next blog will be on Fortworth....we went there on a Saturday....before Easter Sunday...and we LOVED it....next blog...you will see why....for now goodnight....

Austin

2017-06-02T14:43:00.001-07:00

Wow....what a cool place....definitely worth visiting if you like good food and love country music....I was in heaven...downtown AUSTIN....I will definitely visit you again. On the way to Austin we noticed all these amazing blue-colored flowers (blue bonnet)...which we were later told are only blooming at this time.....beautiful....let me show you...

Blue bonnet flowers with downtown Austin in the background

When we arrived we met our friends at their house, where we were invited to stay the night...thank you Gabi and Steve, what a nice place you have. Together we made our way to Perry's Steakhouse....apparently the place to be on a Friday at lunch...when our friends found out we were coming to Austin they booked us a table (2 months in advance)...why...because Perry's only does their famous pork chops during Friday lunch....and then EVERYONE wants to go.....so guess what...when we went there of course we did NOT look at the menu...it was a given what we would all eat.....when it arrived it was HUGE...and it looked damn juicy....we were explained by the waiter how to eat it...what parts are what etc......and i must say it did NOT disappoint...it fact I was AMAZED.....wow....but I was damn full after it.....(I did not eat the mash potato...I decided to concentrate on the meat).....let me share a pic...just to get your mouth watering...

Pork Chop with apple sauce and mash potatoes

Close-up

After that we were invited by the General Manager of the Westin in downtown Austin, Chris- also a friend, to have a cocktail on the roof top bar of the Westin overlooking downtown Austin....awesome....and yes....I have a pic...

Rooftop

That night we chilled at home...catching up...telling our friends our plans, hearing their plans etc....it was a great night in...enjoyed by everyone...dinner was a cheese-platter and crackers...substantial for all of us....and of course some yummie wine to go with it.

Saturday morning was relaxed, I managed to get some studying done for my GMAT and then lunch was take-away from another a famous take-out called Torchy's Tacos....and again....we were amazed....I loved them....what a great size...smallish...great size for lunch.....for a man I recommend two...for a woman one is perfect.....let me share some pics....( I will definitely introduce my parents Sofia and Mutti to this).

Democrat Taco: shredded beef, cilantro, avocado, queso fresco, onions and salsa (the picture does not do the food justice)

Towards late afternoon we made our way into downtown Austin to start going to some bars for some country music and drinks (and food)....we started at a place where they served some yummie snacks including pretzels....so guess what, with my cider I decided to try an oversized pretzel served with Dijon mustard and grated cheese...and Kim had a German sausage with a preztel bun, oh my word...again so yummie.....let me share a pic...

Over-Sized Pretzel

German Sausage with Pretzel Bun

Next up was a place that had Margaritas and Country Music....YAY....and in fact after we had ended the evening...I decided out of all the places, this bar, called The Library, was my absolute favourite...why....I loved the music....it was exactly what I had envisioned....loved it....time to share some more pics...

Kim and I

Kim Steering the Ship

Listening to Country Music at the Library

Next up was dinner....and again something very typical...briskets.....and again...this place you also order by the pound (same as Meat U Anywhere)....and again...I loved it....Kim is not the biggest fan...but I am sure he will come around to the idea soonish....hahaha.....a place with quite a vibe.....

Iron BBQ Restaurant

Restaurant Inside

Dinner Time

All these brisket places are nothing fancy....they are very laid back....next up was a cocktail bar in a very different area...in fact it is old houses that have been converted into bars...the area is called Rainey Street....

Rainey Street

The bar we chose

The place we went to has a little bit of Science added to it....you tell the bartender what type of drink you like....what spirit or wine base...what flavors....and then he mixes up something for you...very cool...of course I said I like Prosecco based....so my one is the 4th one you see (the one in the very tall shot glass).....it was delicious.

Our last place was another place in Rainey Street where they played some more country music....but not as good as The Library....but still enjoyable....after that Kim and I called it a night....we were tired and we needed to get going early the next morning as we had some appointments to see some more houses in Southlake/ Colleyville/ Keller. Chris, the General Manager at the Westin, sorted us out with some rooms...so we had a VERY comfortable night's stay....it was a fabulous weekend and you will definitely find us in downtown Austin again....what a great place. Let me share some last pics...

Kim and I at the last bar for the night

Gabi, Steve, Chris, Kim and I

Thank you for making our weekend great...hope to see you guys soon. From me...good-bye for today...next blog....Sofia, mom and dad will be in Dallas...they have their passports back and are eager to join me....Kim will be back on the ship.

Dallas

2017-06-01T12:41:00.003-07:00

Yes...we have arrived in Dallas after a veeeeeeeery long delay....as we arrived in Florence at 7am we were told that our flight had been cancelled and everyone would be re-routed.....we were re-routed to Munich then to Chicago and then landed in Dallas at 2am....instead of a flight from Florence to Frankfurt and then a direct flight from Frankfurt to Dallas arriving at 2PM (a 12hr delay)....anyway...we arrived safe and sound and I guess that is what is most important......

Kim and I chose a hotel in Grapevine as we thought it would be convenient to get to all of our destinations.....the first day we opened a bank account with Wells Fargo in Southlake, very good service, we can only recommend them and then we went to look at a few houses....the places are stunning and I think we will have a hard time making a decision....that is also why my parents will fly over with Sofia as soon as they receive their passports back from Napoli....I guess they also want to give their 50c....hahaha.

While we were in the Grapevine/ Southlake area we tried some yummie food places....one night we ended up going to a wine bar in Grapevine called Umbra, met some nice people and then ended up having dinner with them at the French Bistro across the road.

Deep Fried Calamari and Cheese Platter at the French Bistro

Americans are very open and friendly....they just start chatting to you and either you hit it off with them.....or not.....but we ended up having a good night out and I am sure we will have many more.

During our stay, we also looked at houses on the Timarron golf-course....and hence we thought we would pop into the golf-course and find out about membership (well in fact Kim has had contact with Timarron via email and mentioned that we would pop in). So one afternoon we popped in to see Holly and she showed us the facilities; gym, golf-course, clubhouse and even places where they have events such as Tango night or Easter-hunt....really amazing....at the end she also invited us to have a lunch and of course we took her up on her offer....some delicious food.....I had the ceviche and Kim had the burger....we were both very happy with our choices....let me share some pics....

Ceviche

Burger

The next day we were on our way to Austin (more about that in my next blog)....we were meeting our friends for lunch at some famous steakhouse downtown Austin....so we left early. On our way back from Austin, we decided we had to try this real Texas burger....a fast-food place called "Whataburger".....and I must say Kim and I were impressed...it was much better than we expected and definitely a place that we would go to again.....

Whataburger

Last but not least.....when we were back in Southlake and before Kim departed to go to the ship we also wanted to try briskets in "our" area....and hence we tried a place called Meat U Anywhere....of course we tired the briskets...and then we added some pulled pork, some potato salad and some coleslaw....the food was very yummie...and one orders by the pound...so you can order 1/2 pound or 1/4 pound or whatever you desire....I will most definitely introduce my parents to this place...great food.....fast food....Texas food.....yummie...let me share a pic....(I must say, the pic is not doing justice to the food though)

Meat U Anywhere food

So yes, Kim and I had a few good days in the Southlake area (as well as Austin) and Kim is returning to the ship now and I will wait for mom, dad and Sofia to arrive to show them some houses.....I am so excited....and yes, during the waiting time I will be studying for my MBA GMAT entrance exam...which is bloody difficult.....You might be wondering...hmmm.....why is there only pictures of food....well because we did not do much sight-seeing just eating and looking at houses....and as mentioned...Austin blog is still to come....for now though...cheers from me....we chat soon.....

Bella Napoli

2017-05-31T11:03:00.000-07:00

Bella bella bella........I always say it and I still believe it....but as I mentioned before you either hate it or you love it...there is juts nothing in between.

So we went to Napoli because we are getting ready for our move to the US, and for that, the family (excluding me) needs Greencards. Lucky enough, because I was born in the US I am able to sponsor my husband, child and my parents.....so hence we have been completing all the paperwork...it went for approval in Rome and now they want a medical check up and interview in Napoli, so of course a trip to Napoli was in order. The medical check up needs to be done at 8am, the day before the interview so hence we spent three nights in Napoli and we managed to eat some delicious food.

Of course we had to try the good old Pizza....the buffalo mozzarella and some seafood specialties....I think I need to share some pics just to get your mouth watering....

Octopus Salad

Buffalo Mozzarella and Parma Ham

Rocket and Parma Ham Napoli Style Pizza

More Napoli Style Pizza

And More Napoli Style Pizza

Zucchini Flowers

Mussels

Deep Fried Seafood Anti-Pasta

Spaghetti Vongole

Of course I have some other pics....not just food...here are some pics of all of us at the restaurant...

Ben, Kim and I

Mutti and Mom

Sofia

Kim, Ben and Dad

We also went to do a little bit of sight seeing....we wanted to see the OVO Castle....EGG castle (translated).....why egg.....I am sure you are asking yourself....well here it goes....the legend states that a magical egg was laid into the foundations to support the fortifications. Had this egg been broken, the castle would have been destroyed and a series of disastrous events for Naples would have followed....well the castle is still standing....so I guess the egg was NOT broken....it was quite cool to see.....let me share some pics....

Ovo Castle

Seagull at Ovo Castle

Ovo Castle Views

So yes.....we had a few good days down in Napoli and if you are interested, we were successful with our VISAs.....Sofia, mom and dad have their Greencard....Kim has his interview in June...we are SOOOOO very excited....big change...but a good change. Let me share a last few pics from Napoli...

Sofia Walking The Streets Of Napoli

Napoli

Napoli: Piazza Plebiscito

On The Way Home From Napoli, Sofia Enjoying Some Chocolate

Soon Kim and I are going to Dallas to see some potential houses and then a weekend in Austin with some friends, this is just before Kim returns to the ship for work.....for now though...goodnight...we chat soon.

Ponte di Legno

2017-05-25T10:33:00.001-07:00

I must admit...I have missed writing my blogs and I really am enjoying writing them again and catching you guys up on what has been happening. So after visiting my sister and her family in the Philippines, Kim fetched Ben and we decided to do a family holiday....and guess what, we all love snow (well, two weeks a year) and hence we decided to go on a skiing holiday...and much easier to drive than flying so hence we checked some destinations in Italy. The main reason we chose the Ponte di Legno area was because it is close, it has a glacier and there are slopes really high up...and since we were only going in March we thought we would play it a little bit safer by choosing a destination a little bit higher in altitude.

Kim booked a place through Air BnB and it was a beautiful chalet, two floors, 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It was situated in a near by village called Temu, a short 10min car ride from Ponte di Legno. However, we had ski lifts 5min from the chalet, and from there we could make our way up to the glacier....BUT.....the snow was quite slushy so it was nicer to drive up to Ponte di Legno and start skiing from there. Of course I did not do so much snowboarding because Sofia is still too small....so I rather spent time with her in the snow. Ben and Kim would go off in the morning and then around lunch time we would all meet up. Mom and dad offered to look after Sofia in the afternoon, and twice I actually took them up on their offer and went snowboarding.....Dad wanted to snow but he fell the first day on ice and decided not to ski again. I loved it. It was absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to get Sofia on the skis. My mom, in fact, cannot wait to teach her.

Sofia loved playing in the snow...and there was no fear at all...she was sliding down snow slopes on her bum, going down on her tummy and even backwards and always laughing. My sister told me that Siena would have been crying....looking at some of the falls Sofia was encountering....let me share some pics....

Ben and Kim

Sofia

Views on the slope

Kim and I

Ben and Sofia

Sofia wanting to ski also

Most of the evenings we ate at our chalet as everyone was quite tired. We did, however, go out twice and enjoyed some local cuisine....cold meat and cheese platters...mains included veal and porcini....let me share some pics....

Mushrooms and veggies, parma ham and speck

Pizza

Veal with porcini

One of the highlights was also going up on the glacier....one day we all met up there for lunch and Sofia loved it....we had an informal, typical mountain lunch and after that Kim and I made our way down with our gear while the rest of the family took the gondola down....everyone was happy....of course we also tried the apres ski....and of course we tried the typical egg nog.....yummie.... traditionally made with cream, sugar, egg yolks and topped with cream and also with some spirit...normally with brandy, rum or bourbon.....let me share a pic....

Egg Nog type drink (sorry I already had a few sips)

So yes, we definitely had a good week...something for everyone....somehow I do not have pics of my parents...might be because they did not do skiing and they wanted to take more pics of Sofia and Ben....more interesting...hahaha....anyway...hope you enjoyed my blog and next time.....will be about Naples....finally going for interviews for the Greencard to move to the States.

Sofia visiting her cousins in Manila

2017-05-21T12:21:00.002-07:00

Finally it is Sofia and my time to meet Sofia's new cousin, Lucas. He was born in December and we have not managed to meet him...now February, finally time...and I am also so excited to see Siena and Sofia play together...Siena is just 7 months older than Sofia. Sofia and I would be visiting my sister and her family in Manila for 10 days. We did not have much plans other than going for some coffee or brunch and the main thing, to let the cousins enjoy time together.

And guess what...they loved their time together. Sharing was not always the easiest task for both of them, but I guess that is the age. Sofia was loving kissing Lucas and playing with Siena, copying things from her and of course Sofia also showing her some naughty things....Sofia has a little bit more naughty in herself. Siena was teaching Sofia to eat at the table and try various foods...in fact the first few days, Sofia insisted that she is fed by Siena...no one but Siena could give Sofia food....it was very cute.

While in Manila, we were spoilt every day, breakfast, lunch and dinner is prepared by their cook, and I must say her food was absolutely delicious...I loved her salad at lunch time....every day different ingredients and every day a different dressing....I even had to ask for some recipes......hahaha.

It is time to share some pics from our time there.....

Siena feeding Sofia

Siena and Sofia hugging

Siena and Sofia in their Texas outfits

The girls playing

Sofia kissing Lucas

Sofia's first haircut

The three cousins: Sofia, Siena and Lucas

We had such a great time and the three if them interacting was priceless. My plan was to visit them in July before starting my MBA in August but now I have certain courses that I would like to take in July so that will not happen. I am very happy though, that Fabienne and her family has booked to come and spend Christmas with us in Texas....cannot wait to see you guys. Thank you Fabs for making our time in the Philippines unforgettable.

Saturnia

2017-05-18T11:55:00.001-07:00

Saturnia...no not the planet, Saturn....well that would be quite cool if you could visit that....but no....it was a visit to the natural hot springs..still cool though....let me tell you a little bit more...we had some friends visiting us and they wanted to go and experience the hot springs. We had been to the Bagno Vignio hot springs and hence we thought why not try something different....so Saturnia it was.

The drive was about 1.5hrs but well worth it...we had two small kiddies, Sofia and Zaiden, let me share a pic of the two of them....

Zaiden and Sofia

It was not the warmest day but we thought what the heck...now or never. When we arrived the scene was exactly what we had seen on the internet, it was very beautiful. Various layers of water coming down (like small waterfalls) and of course steam coming off them. It smelt a little bit of sulphur but honestly not too bad at all. Let me share some pics so you know what I am talking about....

Saturnia hot springs

Saturnina hot spings

Close up

Kim took Sofia inside...and oh my word....Sofia did not wanna leave at all, she was like in 7th heaven. David took Zaiden and Kim took Sofia....and it was just a bliss to watch them. Yes, I do have some more pics...let me share...

Kim and Sofia

David, Zaiden, Kim and Sofia

After enjoying the hot spings which I definitely recommend to anyone, we decided to have some late lunch. We were all starving, so we went to the nearest village. In summer they have a small cafe on site but because the season had not started, it was not open yet. We shared some cold meat and cheese platters and some pastas....the typical Italian lunch and of course all of this was topped with a glas sof prosecco....do not ask me where we were...because in all honesty I was sitting way in the back of the 7 seater Landrover and my sense of direction went missing somewhere along the line. Anyway, we had a super day out and that night we decided to take it easy and go to Madonnino for a Pizza....so for now...cheers from me...you will hear from me soon.

Some updates

2017-05-17T11:38:00.001-07:00

Its May...and yes, it has been a while since I have last posted, but a lot has been happening and let me tell you a little bit about it before I start recapping from February...after having been to Verona.

Let's do a quick recap...
-After Verona we had some friends visiting us in Tuscany and we went to Saturnia, hot springs, amazing, we loved it.
-Sofia and I travelled to the Philippines to visit my sister and her family and the cousins loved spending time with each other.
-We also had Ben visiting us and we decided to do a family holiday to Ponte di Legno, north of Verona (northern Italy in the Dolomites) where we spent one week.
-At the end of Kim's 10 weeks (before returning to the ship), Kim and I visited Dallas and Austin, as we have decided to move to Dallas in the summer 2017.
-Sofia, mom and dad then joined me in Dallas to look at the area and of course to search for a house.
-After a week, Sofia and I joined Kim on the cruise ship going out of Tampa for 2 weeks (western Caribbean)
-Sofia and I then returned to Italy to help with the packing of the containers before leaving again for the ship which was now based out of Southampton.
-We embarked the ship on May 14th in Southampton where we were joined by some great friends, Paul and Pamela for a lunch. Paul was also the one that reminded me that I have not written a blog in quite some time and that he was missing it, I took to heart what Paul had said and hence I am devoting some time to catch up. After all it is a passion of mine and I do love doing writing blogs. Now you are probably thinking...enough writing....Sandra, when are you getting to the point.

I am almost there, the reason why I did not have so much time to write was because I was studying for my GMAT exam which is the entrance exam for an MBA. Yes, I have decided to do an MBA and guess what...I have been accepted into one of the top 100 MBA universities of the WORLD...I am exhilarated and I cannot wait to start in the fall of 2017 at SMU.

So yes, you will hear from me again soon....this blog...no pics...next time...definitely pics.....and next blog will be about Saturnia.

So for now...cheers from me...and once again...sorry for taking so long to write.

Random worth while pics of Verona

2017-04-05T18:48:00.002-07:00

Most of the times after a few posts of the same venue there is a random blog because there are just some pictures which do not really fit into any of the themes but I still feel that they are worthwhile to show and share...and hence, often you get my random pics from various parts of the vacation...and as always here they are...this time from Verona....

Our B&B in Verona was right outside the historic centre so a rather convenient location, it included breakfast...but the funny part was that we received a voucher and then we were allowed to go to one of the three bars/ pasticcerias nearby and have a juice, a coffee (or cappuccino) and a pastry...the typical Italian breakfast...so that was quite nice....we tried 2 out of 3 places...let me share some pics...

First place

Second place

The first one had great cappuccino so we thought instead of trying a third place on Friday morning, we would just go back to the first place (also the third place was quite far away)....but please do not ask me the names...I honestly do not remember...It was a light breakfast.

I guess I should also share some pics from the actual vineyard....Masi....I do not have too many because the weather was not allowing me to take many pics (rain and fog)...

Entrance

Estate

Now to the last random bit...the one evening Kim and I managed to actually explore the historic centre of Verona a little bit....although it was quite dark and drizzling, we still enjoyed it...the photos are not the best...but I have some good memories....we also enjoyed an aperitif at a local bar and where we tried a Valpolicella...yummie...the Amarone we actually went to an estate called Santa Sofia and purchased an Amarone wine that we would consume at home (we have by now consumed it and I must say it was outstanding). Let me share some last pics...

Santa Sofia vineyard

Piazza delle Erbe

Piazza delle Erbe church tower

Piazza delle Erbe market

Piazza delle Erbe fountain

Castel Vecchio Bridge

Kim and I infront of Castel Vecchio Bridge

Enjoying aperitif

So yes, we had a good few days in Verona even though the weather was not great...oh well...one day we go back and see Juliet's balcony from Romeo and Juliet and one day I will go and listen to an Opera in the old arena.....for now though...cheers from me....bed time....tomorrow early wake-up...some more studying for my Exam...next blog...let's see...probably another one from good old Italy...probably from Saturnia....sounds intriguing...well make sure you do not miss it...coming up soon....

Antica Bottega del Vino

2017-04-04T19:35:00.002-07:00

As promised...this blog will be all about food...in fact some amazing food....so let's dive right into it.....Kim and I had a romantic evening at Antica Bottega del Vino, we were recommended by one of our class mates and I must say, the recommendation was great.

It is of course a place that is known for its huge selection of wines, over 500 bottles to choose from, quite amazing...and of course also its food is outstanding. When Kim received the wine list I was like....Oh BOY....good luck to you.....let me share a pic (I have to apologise in advance for the pics, the light was very dim inside, hence the pictures are a little strange in colouring).

Kim and the wine list

The candle holders

Interior

Kim and I opted for a Valpolicella wine....of course, we are in the region of Verona, so we definitely had to choose either a Valpolicella or an Amarone....and Amarone is quite intense in flavour and we were not sure what we would have to eat yet, so we opted for something a little bit more subtle. Once we ordered the wine we received some fresh bread (three different varieties) and it was outstanding, really delicious...let me share some pics....

Me enjoying a glass of Valpolicella

Kim enjoying a glass of Valpolicella

Our fresh bread basket

For starters there were quite a few things we were debating among...but in the end we chose the snails in garlic butter (at least we could dip the bread) and anchovies with burrato and caper leaves....the presentation was stunning and the food was great...we definitely enjoyed our starters....let me share some pics...

Anchovies with burrato and caper leaves

Snails

For mains it was an obvious choice for me...the braised beef cheek in Amarone wine (the one at the wine farm we only had the next day, if I would have known that I might have opted for polenta, but nevertheless I was very happy with having it twice). Kim chose the horse fillet with mash potatoes. We were both very happy, in fact the food was phenomenal...yes, I think I have said it enough times how good the food was...but it really was.....I did not want to try the horse, but Kim made me, because he said I always make him try things.....and I must say it was very soft (I would not have it again...and the only reason is because I do not want to eat horse).....time for pics...

Braised beef cheek with Amarone wine and mash potatoes

Horse fillet with mashed potatoes

For dessert we tried the Pandoro cake, a normally typical Christmas cake but served all year long in Verona, it came with custard...again...really delicious....in other words we loved our entire meal...it was great....would we go again...most definitely...but make a reservation (we did and it was full) and I also would recommend it to anyone that visits Verona.....well worth. Oh, before I forget let me share the last two pics...

Pandoro cake

Typical cookies from Verona

The last pic was cookies we received upon asking for the bill....yummie...made with oats and nuts, nuts and me...well, we all know how much I love them...great combination....so yes, we walked out rather full but we had such a great meal....now I am off to bed.....enough about food and next blog will be some random pics from Verona...some exploring....some of the vineyard; Masi...for now though...ciao

Verona- an introduction

2017-04-03T19:15:00.002-07:00

Yes yes......it has been AGAIN a very long time....however...as always there is an explanation....mainly...I am studying at the moment because I am taking my MBA entrance exam this coming Monday....so please bear with me another few days.....so....yes...I think it has been almost 10 weeks that I have not written....I know this because I wrote the last time when my husband was finally home from work and today he departed to work again...and normally that is a 10 week period....so I guess over the next few blogs there will be some catching up of what we have been up to the past 10 weeks....

My husband's 10 week holiday started with a wine course in Verona. In fact we decided to do our WSET Level 2 (Wine and Sprit Education Trust). This course would be three full days and it would be held at a winery in Verona called Masi, one of the largest ones in the area. Our wine course was starting on a Wednesday but we had to leave home on Tuesday because the course started rather early on Wednesday and it was a 4 hour drive......we stayed just outside the historic area of Verona, so very convenient for us in the evening to walk to a bar or restaurant.

Tuesday evening we met some friends in Verona for some drinks and then ended up having dinner together and some Pizzeria called Ca' dei Mercanti.....our friends had their two year old son with them, so we opted for something casual.....the inside of the restaurant looked like a typical, wooden chalet. The food was good....Kim and I both had Pizza and for dessert we shared an apple struddle....let me share some pics....

Pizza with salami, speck and mushrooms

Apple struddle

The next day our course started at 9am....and man....I LOVED the entire course....we tried about 50 different wines from red to white to sparkling and from all over the world....it was phenomenal....at the end of the three days we also wrote an exam (which I can now say I passed with distinction). It was definitely not an easy exam and they are extremely strict when it comes to cheating, books had to be outside the room....during the three days we also received traditional food every day (local to the region). We also received a bottle of red and white wine (their own) every lunch time. The one time it was wine from their vineyard in Argentina, we really enjoyed it. The lunches were really substantial...true Italian style...a pasta, then a meat dish followed by dessert....I think it is time to share some pics....

Table setting at lunch

Ravioli stuffed with local cheese

Amarone risotto

Beef cheek

I guess I need to give a little explanation on the last two....the Amarone risotto....one could say a red wine risotto....Amarone is just the name of the type of wine produced in the Verona area. It was delicious, even my husband, who normally does not like risotto enjoyed it. The beef cheek, I have had before (you might remember my New Year's blog 2015-2016) and it was phenomenal, it just fell apart as soon as you entered the knife...yummie...I would most definitely recommend both dishes.

I will also share a pic of the wines we tasted on the first day.....have a look...

Wine tasting on the first day

Of course we also ate in the evening, and in fact the one night we did a romantic evening at a place called Antica Bottega del Vino...and that was phenomenal...I leave that for the next blog though.....and of course we also explored Verona a little bit (not too much because in all honesty the weather was not great and by the time we ended the wine course in the evening, the touristic sites like Juliet's balcony from Romeo and Juliet was already closed). The arena where the opera is sung of course is only open in summer...so no, it was not a very exploring few days in Verona but rather a few studying/ learning days in Verona...but nevertheless a lot of fun and we did LOVE it.....so next blog I will tell you a little bit more about Antica Bottega del vino...for now...goodnight.

Lunch at La Terrazza in Bagno Vignoni

2017-02-27T05:45:00.000-08:00

All are back home.....it is a beautiful sunny Sunday...what better way to spend it than going for a nice Sunday lunch....we have been wanting to try La Terrazza for quite some time (mom, dad and Mutti raved about it), so we decided to make our way there. We "know" the chef, Manuele Graziani, and I really wanted to taste his food (we did not tell him we were coming). The restaurant has a fabulous setting and inside decoration...let me share some pics....

As you enter the restaurant there is a small Enoteca wine bar

The restaurant

Outside terrace

Chef Manuele

We decided to sit inside, although sunny and quite warm, we would have had to wear our jackets outside, so inside was the better option for us. The wine list was extensive and we opted for a bottle of spumante and a Brunello.

For starters there were quite a lot of items that I was struggling from, in the end I chose the swordfish carpaccio, dad chose the beef carpaccio which was one of the other options I was considering, mom also had the swordfish carpaccio, Kim and Sofia shared with everyone and Mutti had the tortino di pecorino. We ALL loved our choices...oh my word, it was simply delicious...even Sofia was loving both the swordfish as well as the beef carpaccio...time to share some pics....

Swordfish carpaccio on a fennel and orange salad

Beef carpaccio with rocket and parmesan shavings

Tortino di pecorino with honey and balsamic vinegar and pear slices

As you can see the food was also beautifully presented, just amazing....for mains Kim decided to have sweet and sour wildboar stew with red berries which came with polenta (he changed his to roast potatoes), dad had the pici ragu, Mutti the pici pomodoro, mom had the spaghetti vongole and I had the beef fillet with seasonal chicory....the food was outstanding, my meat was perfectly cooked, and so soft...and the pasta was al dente cooked (as it should be), it was a wonderful meal and we will MOST DEFINITELY be back.....Sofia enjoyed the beef fillet and the pici (amazing what she likes to eat)...let me share some pics...

Beef fillet on a bed of red (seasonal) chicory

Sweet and sour wildboar with red berries

Pici ragu

Spaghetti vongole

This time....we all wanted to have some dessert.....so dad and Kim both opted for the tartufo affogato...dad had nero (chocolate) and Kim had bianco (vanilla).....mom and I decided to try the semi-freddo amaretto......Mutti opted for cafe coretto con Grappa (Kim and dad joined her), let me share some pics...

Affogato Bianco

Semi-freddo

The semi-freddo was to die for....outstanding...I would have it again...I would NOT have anything else for dessert and I would even have it, even if I was about to burst, it was just so damn good...the picture does not do it justice....anyway....as you might guess, we had an amazing lunch....great company, great food, great ambience....just perfect...and Sofia was just a star. After our meal we thanked Manuele, who was pleased to see us...we can say....see you soon la Terrzza.

Surrounding areas of Dallas

2017-02-26T00:12:00.002-08:00

Yes, here we go...as promised, the surrounding areas of Dallas...Walter, my parent's friend, collected us from the hotel and drove with us to Southlake City, which is north-west of Dallas. On the way there, about 30 minutes, he was the perfect tour guide, answering all the questions we had, explaining the various areas as we drove etc etc. We really enjoyed it. Once we arrived in Southlake we decided to drive through Southlake City which is the main shopping area....absolutely beautiful....its kind of a mall...but all is outside, so kind of like a strip mall, but not laid out in a strip per say....hard to explain, but I think you might know what I am talking about.....let me share some pics....

Southlake City

Townhall in Southlake City

After that we drove around some of the various little sub-sections of Southlake....very beautiful houses, and a very distinct style, I must say, I loved them. A lot of them are brick on the outside, but so beautifully done, and a very different kind of brick, combined with stones....let me share some pics....

Houses around Southlake

After that we made our way to west Plano where we had some lunch at a place called Cafe Express. It is a franchise and one orders at a counter and receives a buzzer which buzzes when the food is ready...kind of similar to a take-away, however, the food is healthy....and its is VERY yummie...in fact we ate there with Walter and then we ate there another time also for lunch. I had the shrimp and avocado salad (as did dad) and mom and Walter had the grilled chicken salad, they were a very generous portion and I was definitely full...but that being said....very delicious...especially the sauce on mine, the honey-mustard sauce, which is the standard sauce but you can change it if you desire. Let me share some pics...

Prawn and avocado salad with honey-mustard dressing

Grilled chicken salad

After lunch Walter needed to fetch his kids from school, so we made our way to McKinney where he lives, also a very beautiful area, north of Dallas....more north than Southlake, in fact Southlake is probably north-west. We dropped his kids at home and ended our afternoon with a stroll through McKinney old town....very beautiful and quaint...I just loved all the little shops...popcorn shops, barber shops, decorating shops...just very very beautiful...and I definitely wanna go back there and explore these shops a little bit....let me share some pics....

Decorating shop

Barber shop

Inside of the barber shop

Popcorn shop

Popcorn menu

Boots for girls the age of Sofia (but they just did not have her size, otherwise I would have gotten her a pair)

So yes.....quite a few nice little areas around Dallas....we definitely will be back...there are also more restaurants that I would like to try but with Sofia at this age it was not so easy....I would like to taste briskets which apparently is quite famous there.....so next time...definitely....we also drove through the old town of Grapevine on the way to the airport and that also looks worth exploring....so yes, we left plenty to explore. For now I say cheers to Dallas as we make our way back to Italy.

Dallas- Downtown

2017-02-20T10:25:00.002-08:00

So yes...I have shared a little bit about uptown, I think it is time to share a little bit about downtown. First of all, they lie right next to each other, and secondly, well we still decided to take the car in the morning because we thought if we would drive around a little bit we could see a little bit more. But before I start...let me share a pic of our view (I was not very impressed).......

View from our hotel

Drum roll......my opinion (about downtown).....i was sooooo disappointed....it was dead (fair enough it was 9am), I saw no well-known shops, I saw no cafes...saw a few restaurants but nothing much....what the hell.....I am not sure what I was expecting...maybe something like New York...buzzing....many restaurants, coffee shops, retail therapy etc.....well....might as well make the most of the situation.

All that being said, we found a quaint little coffee shop called "Flying Horse", and......the cappuccino was absolutely AMAZING...the coffee was strong, the foam was thick, there was chocolate sprinkles....well, in fact, I could NOT have asked for a better cappuccino...let me share a pic....

Flying horse cappuccino

Of course we also needed some food.....so Sofia and I opted for the banana and nut muffin. WOW...amazing....so delicious. It was moist, there were whole pieces of banana and walnut, it was great, time to share a pic...

Banana and nut muffin

The story of the cafe is also quite nice.....have a squizz.....

Story of "Flying Horse"

Amazing about the building where Flying Horse is, I mean in 1921 to be the first high rising building to have air-con installed and when it opened in 1922 it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi. The coffee is sourced from small coffee farms from around the world...just a few interesting facts...hahaha.

So yes, that was our breakfast, after that my parent's friend, Walter collected us and showed us some areas outside of Dallas....that...more in my next blog. Let me tell you in this blog about one restaurant, Mexican we went to for dinner, called Iron Cactus. Let me share some pics of the outside...

Iron Cactus

When we went inside...it was huge...three stories high...we opted for the downstairs, a little bit more casual as we were with Sofia. I ordered a frozen Margarita (as did mom) and dad ordered a beer.....the frozen Margarita was delicious....let me share a pic....

Frozen Margarita

For food we ordered guacamole (with nachos made at the table), some faijtas and enchilades with smoked briskets....the food was all very delicious...I love the guacamole which they make fresh in front of you...and oh my word...Sofia was just dipping her nacho chips in the guacamole and even taking the spoon and eating the guacamole...loving it....the dinner was excellento and I would definitely go back to it...yummie...let me share some pics....

Guacamole being made

Nacho chips with my Margarita

Nacho chips and guacamole

Faijtas

Enchilades with smoked brisket

I must admit, I kind of changed my opinion a little bit after seeing downtown Dallas at night...there was a vibe, there were a lot of restaurants....the shops...nope I did not spot them....but then again...when I drive around Johannesburg city I also cannot just see the shops...maybe I should have asked a local...then maybe I would have gotten a little bit more information. All in all, in was actually not that bad...yes, it is not a NEW YORK...but then again...New York is something special....something unique.....now finito for today....soon you will hear about the surrounding areas of Dallas....so stay put...chat soon...cheers....

Dallas- Uptown

2017-02-15T10:56:00.000-08:00

Dallas is quite well known for its Mexican cuisine....so we definitely wanted to try it one night.....yes, I should probably go a few steps back...you must be wondering....how did they get to Dallas, were they not just in Naples.....well...yes, we were....but after three days we left Naples and flew to Dallas.

We arrived late afternoon and made our way to the rent-a-car....that was quite a mission there...not the finding of the car or getting the car keys....BUT rather...the issue of the middle-seat....we received a brand new Volvo X90...and the middle-seat of the back-row was down....and we just could not figure out how to put it up (we had two people assisting us). After about 20min they wanted to upgrade us to a Mercedes...BUT none of us WANTED a Mercedes, we ALL wanted to Volvo....so finally my dad helped....and finally we managed to get the seat up....yay...time to make our way to the hotel. Let me share a pic of the number plate...

Volvo number plate

Arrival at the hotel, called W Victory, we pretty much dropped our bags and went for dinner. We decided to eat at the restaurant on-sight because Sofia was exhausted and to start searching for a restaurant was not an option, also that way straight after dinner I would be able to take her to bed. The restaurant was called Cook Hall.

The food was actually quite good...but also quite expensive..but what can you expect from the hotel. Mom and I had some Prosecco and dad tried a glass of red wine.....for food mom and I ordered a Ceasar salad and deep fried chicken strips whilst dad ordered spaghetti with meatballs (I think he was missing Italy, hahaha). Let me share some pics....

Ceasar salad with deep fried cheese ball

Deep fried chicken strips with barbeque sauce

Sofia phoning Papa during dinner

Spaghetti with meatballs

So yes, we had a good first night in Dallas.....the next morning we would check out downtown Dallas for a an easy breakfast and then we would meet my parent's friend who would show us some other areas of Dallas...a bit of a tourist guide...hahaha...looking forward to that. Until then...goodnight from me.

Naples.....Florida

2017-02-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

Nope...NOT Naples Italy, BUT Naples FLORIDA.....in fact it is about a 2.5hr drive from Tampa port. So after having spent six weeks onboard with Kim and Sofia (and the last week mom and dad joined), Kim has one cruise left while the four of us are staying in the States a little bit before retuning home to Italy.

First we were invited my my parents friend, Linda, who lives in Naples. They have been friends since I was born and met each other when my parents lived in New York. Sunday after leaving the ship we made our way to Naples...no rush though....a chilled ride because Sofia is not too keen on her car seat at the moment. We collected our rental car and then we were lucky....it was Sofia's nap time....so we managed to get quite a distance done before having to stop the first time....let me share a pic of the beautiful Skyway bridge (the ship actually goes under it when it leaves Tampa port)....it is incredible.....

Skyway Bridge

Our first stop was at port Charlotte.....we all felt like a cappuccino and were not in a mood to drive around for a coffee shop so when we saw the Starbucks sign we thought....yip....good stop....and we also know there are always some nice goodies to buy....and this time it was Creme Brûlée almonds, a banana and nut loaf and some apple, pecan, cashew and walnut mini squares....all things...delicious (dad also went and bought a hamburger at McDonalds). Let me share some pics....

Banana and nut loaf

Creme Brûlée almonds

Sofia enjoying her water

After our Starbucks stop we made our way to Linda who lives in Bay Colony, Pelican Bay, Naples, Florida. She lives in one of the high-risers and she has an absolutely stunning apartment, with a 360 degree view, amazing. The first night we enjoyed a sunset at the apartment and then Linda invited us to dinner at her golf club (Bay Colony). Let me share a pic of the sunset...

Sunset from Linda's apartment

The food at the golf club was really good...and beautifully presented, quite a large portion but not too bad. Dad had the veal milanese which came with pasta and Linda, mom and I all enjoyed fish of the day which came with spicy rice and roasted tomatoes and olives (Mediterranean style). Let me share some pics of the golf club views as well as our dinner...

View

Dinner

Linda is also situated very close to the beach, about a 15minute walk, and Naples being warm, that was definitely on the to do list, we all know how much Sofia LOVES the beach. And guess what....Sofia was running in the sand, dipping her feet in the ocean (it was a little bit cold) and what she loved...the club pool.....guess why...it is heated...so she did not want to leave that. Beautiful beaches with white sand...really stunning...so yes, we went there on both days.....let me share some pics....

Sofia on Naples beach

Sofia playing

The area where Linda lives is just incredible, the enclosed complex is perfectly manicured. When we were walking to the beach, we saw people in "cranes" cutting the dead leaves of the palm trees, and the palms are sky-scraping in size....amazing. Let me share some pics....

View from Sofia and my room

So....to end this blog....you might wonder...did we only eat out once for dinner...and the answer is yes, main reason, Sofia goes to sleep early and when we take her out for dinner she is such a busy bee (she cannot sit still) that dinner at home is just so much more relaxing, so Lina offered to make the dinners at home...and trust me...we all loved it....by the way let me share a picture of Linda.

Linda and me opening the bubbly

Oh yes, I almost forgot, we did go to the supermarket once in Naples to buy a few goodies and the choices are just incredible, I loved it. It was a strip mall with various shops and after shopping we decided to stop for a cappuccino...at a French cafe. When dad and I ordered I was getting quite excited because all the personnel behind the counter was speaking French, so I was very hopeful that the cappuccino would be a real European cappuccino....how wrong I was....the cappuccino was the size of a soup bowl...weak and bad tasting and the foam almost disappeared before I could have the first sip...so I was very disappointed. In hindsight, I guess I should have expected it...why...because the French have to adjust to the American way....in my opinion still something the Americans can improve on. Let me share a pic...

Cappuccino

So yes, we did enjoy our few days in Naples, relaxing time...enjoying the sun and the beach and enjoying great company, hope to see you soon Naples.

Roatan.....one and only :-)

2017-01-30T02:49:00.000-08:00

No, we have not gone there only once.....BUT we did not do very much at this port and hence there will only be one blog about it. The one time Kim, Sofia and I went out just for a coffee....a typical Honduran coffee.....we decided to take a Frappuccino rather than a cappuccino because it was just too hot. It was called Walala....and guess what, it was delicious....of course sweet...but delicious....let me share a pic....

Coffee Place

Unfortunately I did not take a pic of our Frappuccino because I thought we would go there again...but we did not end up going there again because most of the times we actually stayed on the ship and enjoyed our time there. The time when my parents were onboard we did go out, but dad felt like a beer and that is NOT possible at the coffee place so we decided to take a drink at Monkey La...let me share a pic of the Monkey La....

Monkey La

Dad enjoyed his beer and mom and I both enjoyed a frozen Margarita....and it was damn good...in fact it was one of the best ones we have had...so yes, if you go there and you do not want to venture out of the tourist village...both the Walala is a good option for a yummie coffee or the Monkey La for a cocktail and even something to eat (this time we did not eat but Kim, Sofia and I have eaten there before and we had the fried chicken with fries and it was delicious).

Before going back to the ship we decided to do some photos at the entrance of the tourist village...one time just Sofia and I and once while dad and mom were here....time to share...

Sofia and I

Mom, Sofia and I

So yes, it is not the most exciting port for us...but there are some reasons. First of all, the dolphin encounter is amazing...but Sofia is too young for that. There are some beaches, but many have a lot of insects, now that is not a problem for adults, but with Sofia, we did not really want to exposure her to that unnecessarily...so we opted not to do beaches. That being said, once she is a little bit older, there will be plenty of things to do with her. For now...we just enjoy Walala and Monkey La. From me....cheers....and we chat soon.....

Last Cozumel...at least for a while

2017-01-14T08:39:00.002-08:00

The last Cozumel my parents were onboard with us...and we decided to take them out for some typical Mexican lunch....we made our way to the main village area where we had lunch at the same spot where we also enjoyed my birthday lunch, the place where Sofia was feeding the birds, only this time the birds were not there...oh well, Sofia was still able to run around the square without us having to worry about cars.

For foodies we decided to do family style sharing.....of course nachos with guacamole (we even had to order twice because everyone LOVES guacamole), beef fahita, deep fried octopus and conch ceviche.....of course no meal in Mexico is complete without a frozen margarita for the ladies and a beer for the men. Let me share some pics of the food....

Nacho chips, salsa and guacamole

Beef fahita

Fried octopus

The food was delicious....my favourite was the guacamole and the conch ceviche (of which this time I did not take a picture...if you want to see a picture go to the blog called "Cozumel x3"). Everyone loved the food....even Sofia managed to try some things and actually enjoyed them. The sad part was when the bill came, the price is always in local peso and in US dollars...the rate they give you, an ABSOLUTE RIP OFF, so we said we would like to pay by credit card and in local currency...so the guy put through the card machine....and he put it through in dollars, we only realised once it had gone through....that left a little bit of a sour taste for the place and I must admit, I am not sure whether I would return, there is other places which definitely do not rip you off like this and then I would rather support them. That being sad, margaritas were good and so was the food, and of course the company. Let me share some more pics from lunch....

Sofia cuddling with papa

Kim and Sofia cuddling

Kim, Sofia and I

Mom and dad

After lunch Kim headed back to the ship while the rest of us remained outside a little bit exploring and Sofia wanted to feed the birds. She took out some crackers and suddenly there were 30 birds around her, no longer just two.....some of them even came and sat on her arm, she did not really enjoy that. Later she even played hide and seek with the birds....it was quite a sight....let me share some pics....

Sofia and mom taking out the crackers

Sofia getting ready to open her crackers and share them with the birds

Sofia playing hide and seek with the birds

Sofia

On the way back to the ship, Sofia wanted to carry a 500ml water bottle all by herself...in fact she was drinking and running back the entire way. She was so cute....I think quite a few heads turned...hahaha. It was a great day out and we all enjoyed it....like always Cozumel is just a nice and relaxing port. Now time to relax and read a little bit in the sunshine....so from me cheers....we chat soon.

Harvest Caye

2017-01-13T18:39:00.002-08:00

Two more Harvest Caye...one just the three of us and the last one my parents were onboard, so of course they joined us. The first one with just the three of us we actually managed to explore some areas which we had NOT been to before.

First though we went to the beach where of course Sofia loved playing in the sand and running and swimming in the sea....it is not easy to get her out, we promised to take her to see the butterflies and she somehow thought that might be an okay deal. Off we went to buy a margarita at our favourite spot and then we went to see the parrots, the butterflies, the lizards and the snakes. They have a small area where you can go inside with the butterflies and view the other animals, very cute for the little kids. Sofia enjoyed seeing the insects and birds.

After that we actually went to the pool area, we had seen it before but we never went inside the pool...this time we thought we would explore a little bit. Sofia loved the pool....she could waddle around...then of course it was time to pick her up and go into the deeper side, it was a lot of fun and yes, we all enjoyed it....let me share some pics....

Sofia testing the water fountain

Sofia and Kim

Sofia and I

I just love this place and its great when you get to spend the whole day there....this was an exception for the Christmas and New Year cruise......normally it is only from 7am until 1pm due to the far distance to return to Tampa in time....anyway...when my parents were onboard we went out early....so at 8am....we were on our way. It was quite overcast so it was a little bit chilli, even Sofia was not too keen to go into the water...but by 8:30am all was good...Sofia running in the sea, playing with the kayaks and of course the sand...loving it. I also took the ball with us...so she was kicking that around the beach and the water...let me share some pics...

Sofia playing with her ball

Sofia kicking her ball (no time to look at the camera)

After a while, dad and Kim decided they would go and enjoy a beer and a cigar whilst mom, Sofia and I enjoyed the beach some more. Around 10am we thought....why not enjoy a margarita and some "lunch" with the men....we ordered some nachos and fried chicken strips with chips....as always we went to our usual spot and this time I checked the name...."Laughing Bird". The food was delicious and so was the frozen margarita....let me share a pic......

Yummie foodies at the Laughing Bird

After that...some time at the kiddies acqua park and then some pool time, we also saw two of the bridge girls, Joyce and Luby (who in fact came out especially to spend some water time with Sofia). We spent the rest of the morning in the pool...and Sofia just loved it, when it was time to leave she had tears because she definitely did not want to leave. Back on the ship, she slept within five minutes...busy day.....what a water rat.

It is a beautiful place, and as mentioned before there is definitely something for everyone. In the evening the four of us (Sofia sleeping) had dinner at Moderno, the Brazilian restaurant....yummie starter buffet and delicious meat for mains....my favourite is still the picanha....so damn good...and of course not to forget the caramelised pineapple. Tummy full and satisfied, I think it is time to say goodnight and we chat soon.