S U S H I I W A

First post by Janice, Yay!!

While Daisan Harumi was a pretty satisfying first sushi meal in Tokyo, we were really excited and couldn't wait to go try out Sushi Iwa. Prior to the trip, we had done quite a bit of research and came across a blog post on this one Michelin star restaurant. We were quite lucky in getting a dinner booking despite calling maybe only a week or two in advance. Since there are only about 6 seats available, reservations are a must.

Sushi Iwa
Tokyo , Chuo-ku, Ginza 8-5-25 second Sanyu Building 1F

Located in stylish and high-end Ginza area, Sushi Iwa was not the easiest to find but we managed (nothing was going to get in our way of this meal!). Once we sat down, we ordered some warm sake and the chef began to serve us the sashimi. After the first few slices, both Kelven and I already knew that this was quite a bit better than what we had a Daisan Harumi. It's amazing how for a pretty similar price range, that Sushi Iwa was miles ahead in terms of freshness and taste. Ironically enough, Daisan Harumi was actually ranked higher on Tabelog than Sushi Iwa was - it goes to show you that taste in food can be subjective.


After the sashimi, the chef began proceeded to prepare the sushi for us. We were both mesmerized by how precise he was, from dabbing exactly two drops of soya sauce to only two quick shavings of lemon zest for specific pieces. Kelven has never quite enjoyed ikura (salmon roe), uni (sea urchin) or any kind of fish liver. Lucky for us, they served us all three during the meal and I must say they were the highlights of the meal. Even Kelven had to agree this was pretty good because it tasted so fresh. The uni was so sweet and creamy that it melted in your mouth without that bitter taste that we sometimes taste in uni back home. We thoroughly enjoyed each item offered and were quite full by the time the tamago came around. I will let the pictures speak for themselves :)~ .


The other best part of the meal was the amount of good sake we had. We had originally ordered only one small bottle between the two of us. But within minutes of us sitting down, an older Japanese gentleman who was dining alone on Kelven's right began talking to us and offering us some of his sake. His reason for offering us his sake was that he believed this sake to be one of the best in Japan and that he wanted to welcome us to this beautiful country (how nice of him!!). You could tell he was really enjoying his meal and despite dining alone, he was having a lot of fun talking to us. When he left, the chef actually told us that we probably wouldn't want to know how much that sake cost. That got us really curious so he finally told us that the bottle of sake could easily go for $150USD a bottle.

Whilst Kelven was talking to the Japanese gentleman on his right and we were trying the sake, the gentleman on my left began to talk to me. I could hear from his conversations with his daughter and his wife earlier that they were on vacation from Hong Kong, so I quickly introduced myself in Chinese. They were delighted to find out that I can speak Cantonese and within seconds, he too offered us some sake from the bottle they brought to dinner (which also happens to be about $150 a bottle).

With the amount of good food and sake we had, this was easily one of the most memorable meals of our trip. I also rank this above any of the sushi restaurants we have tried to date (including Sushi Yasuda in New York and any in North America). A picture with the master chef was a must!

D A I S A N H A R U M I

When we were planning for our trip to Japan, the key thing that we had in mind was food. Where were we going to get some great food and how do we get it. That was the key question. Me and Janice are sushi lovers so naturally, when we were planning to go to Japan, we were at a loss as to which sushi-ya to try. While we would have loved to give Saito, Sawada, Mizutani or Jiro a try, we could only afford to eat at that level so many times before we went way over our budget. We read about Daisan Harumi as a cheaper and easier to book alternative so we thought we would give it a try. This place was no slouch either, being ranked the 19th best sushi restaurant in Tokyo by Tabelog (Japanese review site) in October 2013.

Daisan Harumi
Tokyo, Minato-ku, Shinbashi 1-17-7

This was our first taste of Japan as we arrived in Narita at 5pm and our reservation was at 7:30pm – let’s just say it was a mad rush to get there on time. We did not even have the time to go to the hotel to drop our bags off so unfortunately we carried our two big luggages with us into the restaurant – they were nice enough to accommodate though I would not recommend doing that (restaurants in Japan are typically very, very small). We went with the omakase (chef’s specialty/choice) as we often do at any good sushi restaurant. We started with sashimi which included Ika, Red Snapper, and Flounder. We then feasted on an assortment of nigiri to get an idea of the amazing variety that Japan is privy to. One of my favourite dishes surprisingly was the grilled unagi however. Small bite size pieces which just melted in your mouth. The smokiness from the grilled char marks was delicious! Daisan Harumi is a fairly foreigner friendly intro to high end sushi – the chef’s assistant even brought out cards which explained the types of fish that we were eating in English! The chef himself though, did not speak very much English at all so conversation during the meal was a bit difficult.

The meal was a good one to get us started in our culinary journey in Japan but over the course of our trip, we started to realize that we did not enjoy Daisan Harumi as much as we did other restaurants. The price per person was about $185 USD and for that amount, while we were relatively full, we did not get blown away by the food. Perhaps we are sushi snobs and had very high expectations and therefore we left a bit underwhelmed. Still, compared to Shiro’s in Seattle and Sushi Sam’s in San Francisco, Daisan Harumi ranks right up there with the two of them. Sushi Yasuda in New York served sushi that was more to our liking however. We went to five different sushi restaurants on our trip and here’s how I would rank them:

1. Sushi Iwa (by a country mile)
2. Sushi Dai
3. Daisan Harumi
4. Sushi Midori
5. Sushi Zanmai

O V E R V I E W O F J A P A N

It has been a while since my last post. Christmas and New Year's Eve has passed by while we were on holidays in Japan and Taiwan - but let me tell you, it was a trip to remember. Japan has long since been a place that I have wanted to go - ever since I was a little kid, watching Dragon Ball, reading manga and playing the original Street Fighter on the Nintendo. I have always been fascinated with the culture and from my teen years onwards, I have been infatuated with their food. So when we moved to Australia, we thought hey, if we are going to have a chance to visit some more Asian countries, Japan better be one of our first.

We will have individual posts for the places and the restaurants we visited but this is to give a birds eye view of our impressions from our visit to one of the most impressive countries we have ever been to.

Why Japan?
Those who have been to Japan know it as a place that is abundant in history, culture, and food. If you want temples, serenity, and diversity from your everyday life, Japan has it. From temples to monkeys, to shrines, to areas as rich as Ginza and as vibrant as Shinjuku and Shibuya, there is no reason not to get lost in the city and just take it all in. The pictures below will give a glimpse of what we saw.


Temples, shrines, and history. Though there were more in Kyoto, Tokyo did not have a shortage either.



The streets of Japan are so different from what I have seen anywhere else that I have been to. So many advertisements and so much going on. It made finding specific restaurants very hard at times but it was a feast for the eyes.



Metro stations, TRA's, JR, Shinkansen, Japan has their transportation system down pat. It made travelling around the country a synch! Kind of.



The Tsukiji fish market is world famous and rightfully so. We were there at 4am in the morning to lineup for Sushi Dai but sticking around afterwards to explore the market was a blast.



We even saw a Geisha! Janice was very excited about this.



If you wanted to catch a glimpse of nature in Japan, you could too.

Japan is the birth place of sushi and many other great eats and boy, do they know how to do it right. We both love food and we have been lucky enough to have lived in and visited places with amazing and diverse cuisine but if we had to choose one type of cuisine, it would be Japanese. With that bias in mind, read on, but we can say safely that we had some of the best meals of our lives on this trip.

Top 10 Restaurants we visited
1/ Sushi Iwa (Tokyo) - We have had some great sushi in Vancouver, San Fran and New York but nothing came close to this. Sushi Iwa was our version of transcendent sushi. Each piece was perfectly crafted and the flavors melded together harmoniously. Compared to Shiro's and Sushi Yasuda, Sushi Iwa was on a different level and have set the bar for our future sushi meals. We are so screwed. Luckily we can't afford to eat at this level too often yet I suppose ($200+ USD per person). While not considered to be the pinnacle of sushi in Japan, Sushi Iwa does an amazing job... to the point where I cannot imagine it could be much better than this.


2/ Sushi Dai (Tokyo) - Waited 3 hours and had to line up at 4am in the morning for this but this was surprisingly delicious. Located in the Tsukiji Market, this restaurant is famous amongst tourists all over the world (as evidenced by their extraordinary lineups at such an ungodly hour). Honestly, this was better sushi than at Shiro's in Seattle and we thought that was amazing. All for $39 USD per head. Just... be prepared to be freezing and grumpy at 4am in the morning.


3/ Yamamoto Menzo (Kyoto) - Kyoto is known for its culture and food. Yamamoto Menzo is a perfect example of that. We went on Christmas day only to find that the restaurant was closed but we were lucky enough to fit it into our schedule before we left. Trying to be clever, we arrived at 10:50am hoping to beat out any line... well we were outsmarted... by about 30 people. We were in the queue for over an hour before we got in and it was freezing that day. Maybe it was cold or maybe it was the hunger, but this bowl of udon was the best that I have ever had. The broth was so flavorful and the noodles perfectly cooked. Paired with the amazing chicken tempura and you have an outstanding meal for about $15 USD per person. Honestly worth the hype and the wait and we drool everytime we see the photos again.


4/ Shorain (Kyoto) - When I heard that we could experience gourmet tofu in Kyoto, I originally thought, gourmet tofu... what is that? But we were so glad we went. We were given two warnings about this restaurant: 1) it would be hard to find and 2) it will exceed any tofu you've ever eaten. The second warning was enough for us to go. We settled for the $46 per person meal for lunch and... wow. I'll leave it at that.


5/ Yoroniku (Tokyo) - Our quest for food in Japan was not only for sushi, udon, or tofu. It was also for great beef. I have always been a fan of steak and when we read the reviews for Yoroniku, we realized that we had an opportunity to try an example of Japan's outstanding variety. On the day that we wanted to go, the only open reservation was at 10:35pm ... So we accepted! The room was smoke filled but holy mother of cow, that beef was amazing. The beef slices were so thin and fatty, the cook called it "silk". This restaurant might rank as my second favorite restaurant on our whole trip but Janice is more of a fish lover :)


6/ Okakita (Kyoto) - On Christmas day, we wanted to visit Yamamoto Menzo for their much talked about udon so we lined up in the queue. We only found out later that we had lined up not for Yamamoto Menzo, but for a mysterious restaurant next door called Okakita. While we were disappointed that the restaurant we wanted to was closed, we thought, what the heck, if it has this long a lineup, the food must be good. It was. This place specializes in udon and they do it masterfully. The broth was so pure and "refreshing" (weird word to describe udon broth but in this case, it was true). The udon was so smooth, light, and of perfect texture - it was clearly freshly made in house. This udon shop has been in business for many years and their experience shows through. Okakita and Yamamoto Menzo are both in a class of their own. Yamamoto Menzo was just outright incredible but in more of a casual, every day style while Okakita was more refined and classic. Both were fantastic and would blow every udon shop out of the water in Vancouver.


7/ Katsukura (Kyoto) - Tonkatsu in Japan is a very popular dish which involves certain cuts of pork, deep fried with a light breaded batter and served with sauce, rice, and thinly shredded cabbage. Doesn't sound like much but if you find good tonkatsu, you'll be craving it again and again. Katsukura is a place we visited at the Kyoto station one evening and it blew us away. I had the premium cut of pork tenderloin but it wasn't just the meat that was impressive. It was the crusty layer which was light, crispy, and deliciously tasty as well. We also made our own sauce by grinding sesame seeds to give the sauce a beautifully fragrant smell. I am drooling just thinking about this. Yet another, "best meal we have ever had" in Japan. This is a chain restaurant but don't let the stigma of the restaurant's ownership structure fool you - it serves great tonkatsu.


8/ Daisan Harumi (Tokyo) - On the evening of our first night in Tokyo, I booked a reservation for Daisan Harumi. Reading up on reviews, Daisan Harumi was not in the class of Jiro's, Saito's, or Sawada but it was still on another level compared to most restaurants you could find in North America. When we finally found the restaurant, we had just survived over 15 hours of travel and we were sleep deprived. Still, we were excited to try high level sushi in Japan for the first time. How did we find it? Well... it was good but not outstanding. No where near Sushi Iwa's level unfortunately. It was better than anything you could find in Vancouver and Melbourne for sure but at $185 per person, it should be. Sushi Yasuda in New York was more impressive to us honestly... It was a great experience regardless but I think this was a bit of a disappointment for us.


9/ Keiseki at Ohanobo (Kyoto) - When we stayed at our ryokan in Kyoto, we opted to stay in for dinner one night. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn with all your basic amenities but also with those traditional Japanese qualities to it. The ryokan served a traditional keiseki meal right in your own room so we thought, great food, traditional setting, and all in our own room? Score. We were served over 10 varieties of foods with an abundance of different flavors including thin and extremely fatty slices of kobe beef, yutofu, different varities of sashimi, and other items that I am unsure about but loved the flavor. Safe to say that we were absolutely stuffed after the meal. Definitely a must do in Japan is to have a keiseki meal and we were glad that we got a chance to do it here.


10/ Sushi Midori (Tokyo) - One night, we were wandering around the neighborhood close to our hotel when we noticed a queue that was longer than usual. It turned out that it was for a sushi restaurant (part of a chain) that had been receiving rave reviews on Trip Advisor so we originally thought, oh well, it's probably just tourist hype. The lineup was easily 2 hours long and we weren't about to wait in line on a freezing cold night for sushi that was not in the higher class (we had unknowingly become sushi snobs). On New Year's Eve however, we were looking for dinner and thought we had run out of luck as most restaurants and establishments close in Japan early for NYE as it is a traditional, family oriented holiday and not the party-party one that North America and the rest of the world is known for. We got lucky that evening as we waited in line for only 5 minutes that night. For $30 per person, we feasted until we were ready to roll over. The quality was fantastic for the price we paid too. Sure it was not Sushi Yasuda level but it was not far off of what you could get at Sushi Sam's in San Francisco or Shiro's in Seattle. Definitely worth going to!



Honorable Mentions: Wako Tonkatsu, Udon-tei, Ippudo Ramen, Rokurinsha Ramen



What are things we have learned about this amazing country?
1/ How polite people are - Honestly, we have heard about how people in this country conduct themselves and even then, we were amazed how polite and courteous most people are. On our first night in Tokyo, we asked the taxi driver where Daisan Harumi was. He not only took us to our location but got out of the car, walked around the street with us and pointed us in the right direction - all without speaking any english. When we went to Sushi Iwa, a lone diner poured us several glasses of aged, premium sake because he wanted to welcome us to his country and to see what this beautiful country has to offer. We loved Japan and the people are a huge aspect why.
2/ Bikes are left unlocked - We saw many bicycles in Tokyo as this is a common form of transportation. But what surprised us is that the vast majority were left unlocked. Think what would happen in Vancouver or Melbourne if someone left their bike unlocked. They would almost certainly have to find a different form of transportation home! People seemed very trusting and honest here.
3/ Rimowa luggages are everywhere - Not normally is this a strange observation but when any Rimowa luggage over 25 inches is worth over $800 you would understand why we were so surprised. Japanese people love to travel in style and would happily pay the premium for a very nice suitcase!
4/ Garbage bins, where are they? - You walk around the city, eating snacks to keep up your energy and then you wonder, "Where can I throw away my garbage?" It was not easy to find a garbage bin at times but what is amazing is how clean the streets of Tokyo are despite having rubbish bins hidden away! Shibuya is chalk full of people as one of the busiest intersections in the world and yet the streets look clean. How do they keep this up?
5/ Calming sounds in the train stations - When you start taking the metro in Tokyo or the train from Kyoto station, you may notice a hymn or the sound of birds chirping. No, that isn't a huge bird in the metro station (at 10pm at night). Janice is convinced that this is by design to serve as a calming mechanism or as a guidance for people who are visually impaired. My mind was blown. Having a hard time proving this theory through Google search though?
6/ We love the shinkansen - 300km per hour in a ride that feels smoother than a car being driven on a straight road with no traffic and zero road imperfections. Who would not love this? Then I thought, Formula 1 drivers drive this fast around curves on a race track...
7/ I want a Japanese toilet seat installed in my future house - It warms your butt as you sit on it on a cold cold day. Enough said.
8/ We love Japan - To the person who poured us sake that evening at Sushi Iwa, we do love your country. The food, the people, the culture, everything. We will definitely be back.

M E L B O U R N E

Or "Melbun" as they like to call it. This is over a month overdue but this is finally a blog post on Melbourne. We both packed our bags and moved over to Melbourne, Australia in August this year as we both had that itch to see the world from another perspective. Vancouver is a place I will ALWAYS, proudly call my home but when you get a chance to move and live in the city that has been named the world’s most liveable city for three years in a row, you take that chance. It helps that everyone that I have ever met from Australia seem to be such down to earth, cool people too. We heard a lot about Melbourne before we moved over here, the most paramount of here say being that the food and coffee is out of this world. Having been here for over a month, it’s safe to say they were right about that. We have really enjoyed this city so far but some of the highlights has to be the following:


D E G U S T A T I O N
This city is well known and rightfully so, for its food, wine, and coffee. Being so multicultural, Melbourne is a city where you can find food from cultures all over the world. The Asian food here is actually better than what I had in Vancouver and that is saying a lot. Australia is also home to some of the best big red wine regions in the world. Being a big and bold red wine drinker, I have loved the varietals of shiraz’s and blends that I have had the opportunity of trying. The best thing though? Being able to buy a very, very decent bottle of shiraz for about $15 (back home in Vancouver, you’d have to be really looking to get something good for under $20-25 after tax). As for coffee… well I think that’s self-explanatory given the only two posts I have made about Australia thus far have been of coffee shops that I have visited (and I still have about 3 – 4 more places that I have yet to blog about). The only danger related to food in this city is the risk of being overly self-indulgent.


C R E A T I V I T Y
Melbourne is a place where artistic perspectives are appreciated. At least that is my impression upon exploring the city. From Hosier Lane to the quirky decors of the restaurants and coffee shops that we have been to, you get the distinct feeling that being different here is a good thing. It is a stark difference from most of North America where, while some appreciate the quirky and the new, most prefer to be comfortable and roam to the nearest Starbucks or Tim Hortons. I guess one way of describing it is… most places look roughly similar in North America, not so much for Melbourne. Some examples of what I am talking about can be seen in any of the multitudes of coffee shops in town. From broken down old chairs that date back to my elementary school days to wooden chairs hanging off the ceiling for décor, to exposed brick and concrete, the one word to describe the designs that we have seen here is, unique. And you know that feeling you get when you find a good hangout/bar/restaurant in a hole in the wall or an unassuming place that no one else knows about? Well, the best restaurants, bars, and coffee shops are all in laneways (narrow alley ways with cobblestone) and not on main roads. I still love my home all the same but it goes to show that we have a long ways to go in being unique and different.


S U M M A R Y
There is a lot to like about this city and I’m sure I haven’t seen all of it. We look forward to spending a little bit of time here. Who knows, we may like it so much we could stay here for 5-10-15 years. At the end of the day we’re just going to enjoy this and make the most of the opportunity to live here.

P L O W

One of the places I always recommend people to come to when they pass by San Francisco is Plow. Located somewhere in Potrero, San Francisco, this little (and by little I mean seats maybe 50 people) spot servers some great breakfast/brunch. I think I may have come here about 3 times now and I have never been disappointed. Pro's of coming here? House made sausages, amazing light, great flavors, awesome potatoes, and more amazing light. What more could a photographer... I mean foodie look for? No but seriously, come here and come here early. Line ups start by 10:30am on a weekday.

C I N Q U E T E R R E

Preface: Now, this is a posting from April 2011 but since I have moved my blog over here, it only makes sense to repost it properly. Some pictures have been re-processed with some new techniques, some were left the same but at the end of the day, Cinque Terre is probably where my fondest memories of Italy are so far. Enjoy!


Because of the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, us people in the UK received an extra day’s holiday this past week. With another 4 day weekend on the horizon, I decided that I had to go somewhere nice. I already had a destination in mind. Cinque Terre would be the place this holiday.

Flying into Pisa is the easiest way if you are going to come from Europe and can get a direct flight. From there, approximately a 1 hour and 45 minute journey by train (will include 1 change) will get you into any of the 5 villages within Cinque Terre. If you are flying in from North America, the best bet might be to fly into Milan where a longer train journey awaits but Milan is generally a more direct route for those flying from overseas.

Cinque Terre is a combination of natural beauty (with it’s mountains, cliffs, and clear coastal waters) and rustic culture (the architecture is very old, but colorful and full of character). As you can tell by the name, the relation to 5 is that there are 5 main towns that comprise of the Cinque Terre region: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manorola, and Riomaggiore. While it may not be well known, to those that know about Cinque Terre, many cannot wait to come here on vacation. To get to each village, you have the train, the boat, and you can trek by foot. Many who come to Cinque Terre will know about the hike along the trails, which connect all 5 towns.

Being from Vancouver, I’m big on being out doors (though I am not the go backpacking for weeks while camping type) and I enjoy hiking. Naturally, Cinque Terre was the perfect location for that. The total hike would take approximately 5 hours but keep in mind that it will take much longer if you choose to take your time and visit each village. I based myself out of Monterosso (known as the town that is most touristy as it has its own sandy beaches) and it is the furthest village North along the coast. Wondering what the views from the hike look like?


M O N T E R O S S O

Monterosso has pretty much everything you need really. Great restaurants (see below) and a beautiful coast line. It helped that I had a room in a B&B that overlooked the ocean though :D The hike from Monterosso to Vernazza would take approximately 1.5 hours. This may be the most difficult part of the entire hike as there are a lot of narrow sections with no railings (can be dangerous if you’re not being careful) and there are a lot of uphill sections (you only start going downhill a bit as you reach the next town). Coastal views are available at most stop points though!


V E R N A Z Z A

At the end of the path was Vernazza. This was the town I wanted to stay in but the hotels and B&B’s were all sold out. It is probably the most picturesque out of the five. There were rocks that extended out into the bay and people just sat atop each one, reading a book or drawing. Right along the bay were several restaurants where you could sit, have a drink and a meal while looking out into the water. The bay actually acts as an inlet into the village, giving the city great views out into the water from as much as 180 degrees. I stayed here on a narrow ledge during sunset just so I could catch the town in the light I wanted to see it in. The hike from Vernazza to Corniglia would take another 1.5 hours or so and has many ups and downs. The paths are not as narrow though.


C O R N I G L I A

Corniglia is unique in that it is situated atop a cliff and therefore has no harbor for the boats to stop along (for public transportation purposes). There is a look out point that gives panoramic views from this height, which was worth seeing – you just need to go into the village center and follow the signs. I also had some great gelato here (see below). Relatively small compared to Vernazza and Monterosso, once you’re done seeing the sights, it’s time to move along to Manorola. Unfortunately there was a landslide along the path so it was closed off. We had to take the train instead so I can’t speak of the hike from here to Manorola. It is not supposed to be as long (I don’t think it would take longer than 1 hour and there are not as many steep ups or downs).


M A N O R O L A

Manorola was particularly tiny I thought. The architecture and the color theme were consistent for the most part with all other towns. It also had a bit of a church/cathedral which I thought were neat but I probably spent the least amount of time here. There are no beaches here so if that is what you are looking for, Manorola is not the place. The path was open from here to Riomaggiore but this one had a special name – Via dell’Amore (Path of Love). It is a path that has meaning to many that pass through. People left locks along the path and inscribed love notes on the rocks. It made me wonder how many of those relationships lasted (I just realized how pessimistic that made me sound haha). The hike from here to Riomaggiore is an easy one (all paved) but it is not without great views.


R I O M A G G I O R E

The last town of the five on my trek, Riomaggiore was also the place where I finally had my “lunch” at 4:30pm. It gave me… 1 hour before I had to get on the boat ride back to Vernazza (I had to get back there for the sunset lighting… the things we do as photographers haha). I highly recommend taking the boat ride back, it gives you a view of the towns from the water and it is a great way to relax after an 8 hour trek.


A C C O M M O D A T I O N S

While I originally wanted to stay in Vernazza, the alternative was Monterosso. I couldn’t find anything on Booking.com for the first little while, everything was a train ride away from the main towns so I was hooped. But then I emailed a few places and got some recommendations and found Il Parco in Monterosso. It is only a 10 minute walk from train station but it is uphill so I recommend you take the taxi up the first day if you are carrying loads. My room was modern and very clean but the best part yet was that as soon as I open my door, I see the ocean in front of me. There were also chairs and a table directly in front of my door too so I could sit there with a view of the sea. In fact.. that is exactly where I am as I type this. Cup of wine in hand, prosciutto and cheese at the ready, this is a nice break from the crowded beach just 10 minutes below. Overall, I highly recommend this accommodation. The breakfast is great as well and is included in the rent. Great location and quiet.. I am not sure you could ask for more!

F O O D

Overall I had some great food while I was in Cinque Terre. Most people who think about Italy probably think pasta synonymously. I had some great pasta (pasta, despite what some may think, is hard to cook properly. A lot of restaurants under or overcook their pasta) while I was here and I also indulged on some of their very fresh sea food (them being by the ocean and all). While I found almost all places I went to were very good in terms of taste, I highly suggest you ask your fellow local (ie. The person who owns the B&B or someone at the front desk). I was recommended to a couple of restaurants in Monterosso including Miky and Monerosso in old Monterosso (there is both a section of the town that is dubbed new and another, old).


I ate at Miky on the first night I arrived. For starters, I had the warm seafood salad. Minimal greens but a nice mixture of clam, muscles, octopus and parsley. Very simply done, there was no sauce. The seafood was simply steamed. It really showed how fresh the seafood was! For the entrée, I had the seabass ravioli with pine nuts. Mmm… Kind of light but the portions were actually very decent.

The second restaurant I went to was called Ristorante Il Moretto. It is located in old Monterosso and it is located within a plaza that has about 2-3 other restaurants in the area. I had the seafood salad again to compare to Miky and oh boy was I ever glad I did. This seafood salad was much better (fresher tasting seafood does wonders!) and for the entrée I had seafood linguine. More clams, mussels, and prawns… but oh so good. I think I was seafood-ed out after this meal though lol.

O V E R A L L

Anyone who is not a resort person like me but enjoys culture and great food and doesn’t mind a little beach, should heavily consider visiting Cinque Terre. The five villages all have incredible character, a boat of great restaurants, and lots of beautiful coastlines and views. People who enjoy hiking (albeit an easy hike) will really enjoy this area of the Italian coast. I think I went at a good time though, it being May and just before the tourist season. If you come from June – September, be prepared for big crowds and hot temperatures! Anyway, I had an amazing time. It strikes me that I really enjoy traveling on my own. I got to meet some great people along the way (tons of Aussies on vacation!) as well.

T U S C A N Y

When I first started getting into landscape photography through my travelling, I became infatuated with going to places not because of the shopping, the modern buildings, the streets, or the cars. Instead, my longing to explore the quiet countryside grew. Anyone who has done some travelling through Europe will tell you that there are unbelievable landscapes to be found. Having travelled through Ireland, the next must-do destination for me was Tuscany.

Florence is considered to be part of “Tuscany” because it is quite a large area. But through suggestions and through the many amazing pictures that I saw of the area, that was the place that I knew that this was a place I wanted to see. Renting a car is the most practical way of getting to Val d’Orcia. If you start in Florence, driving from there down south will get you there within 1.5 hours. For those afraid of driving the Italian roads, it really is not that bad. Drivers are fast and fairly aggressive but I wouldn’t consider many of them to be reckless. Having said that, in the city you do have to be aware of the scooters and the bicycles that are running about. Just refrain from driving within the City centers. If you are driving to a town in the country side, DO NOT drive into the City. Instead, park in one of the parking lots just outside the City center walls and walk in. Our GPS told us to foolishly go into the city and we found ourselves cornered… by streets that were far too tight to turn into. We ended up having to go against one way traffic to get ourselves out. The moral of the story? Stay outside of the City center if you are driving!

L A N D S C A P E S

If you are a person who appreciates the visual aspects of a place you visit, Val d’Orcia’s highlight is just that. Rolling hills, picture perfect sunsets, winding roads, isolated buildings, you will find all of that in this region. The only thing is? You do have to drive around in order to find these landscapes. The other thing? You might need to drive off the beaten path in order to get there. This means driving along roads that look like a car should not drive on. Often times we found ourselves on sketchy paths that looked like only four wheel drive cars and farming vehicles should drive along. But some of the landscapes were worth it! The landscape was extremely dry however and this is typical of the region during this time of year. The green doesn’t appear until Spring. So if you want some more color and don’t mind the cold, come during May/June and you might see a different landscape altogether! Anyway, enough with the wordiness, the pictures will do the talking.


M O N T E P U L C I A N O

On the next day after I arrived, I took a look at the surrounding area and decided that Montepulciano will be the place to visit. They are well known for some of their wines and the landscape along the way was bound to be interesting. It is a relatively small town that you can easily walk around in about 3-4 hours. There are a number of cathedrals here worth seeing. Most of them are unassuming, quiet, and gives you that calm that a church should provide. This is different than in Florence as the hordes of people typically make a cathedral into more of a tourist attraction. I love walking through small towns. The people are warm and welcoming, the food is fantastic (if you find the right place), and it is a great place to wander aimlessly. Learn to appreciate the good things, big and small. Strive to see it in a different way. It is funny how such a simple perspective can result in such great things. Montepulciano is a beautiful small town and is well worth visiting. It is also one of the places where I had one of the more enjoyable meals (Osteria Acquacheta) in my entire Tuscan trip. See below for more.


P I E N Z A

Similar to Montepulciano, Pienza was another small town within the area. It was a town that was very small in size and took maybe 2-3 hours to walk through. There was another great restaurant (Latte di Luna) that I visited here for lunch as well which you can read about briefly below. One of the best aspects of small town Italy are the older buildings in the City center. They are aged, rustic in color, and the other great thing? The roads very commonly wrap around one another and they also incline and decline. For a photographer, this is something we miss out on in North America… as a lot of our roads are straight and for a lack of a better word, boring.


S I E N A

Siena is due just south of Florence and is the next biggest city in the Tuscan region. In the past, Siena and Florence fought many wars but it is now a second must see if you are to come to this area. In terms of attractions that I think you have to see, there is the Piazza del Campo which is at the center of the City. Here you have a large piazza where people gather, you can’t miss it as you will see loads of tourists snapping photos of the enormous clock tower (the Palazzo Comunale) which dwarfs the people and the pigeons chilling out in the square. An overhead view of the City can be taken in if you get a ticket to the Museo Civico in the square as you will get the chance to climb the clock tower and snap photos from there.

The highlight for me though, had to be the Duomo. This cathedral may be smaller than Florence’s version but it is certainly nothing to scoff at. The inside is primarily marble and as typical with the Italian grand cathedrals, the detail of the architecture and the art is astounding. The colors and the light that leaks into the church left me in awe.

Outside of the Duomo is the Museo dell’Opera. Religious artwork and sculptures are in abundance here and very interesting to see. The masterpiece known as the Maesta is housed here though it was originally in the Duomo. The great thing about going to this Museum? You can also line up to go up on top of the Facciatone where you can get an overhead view of the city with the Duomo directly in your sights. This alone made the trip to this museum worth it.

Since I only had one day and quite honestly, I was getting a little tired, I decided to head back to the Piazza and sit in the square in the last little bit of light for the day.

I would say Siena is a City you should definitely visit if you have a few days extra in Italy. It is worth the 1-2 days that you could spend here.


M O N T A L C I N O

The other small town that I visited was Montalcino. It was east of the Val d’Orcia region but it is known for it’s red wine, the Brunello (you might find these in liquor stores in North America but you are likely to pay anywhere between $70+ for even the lowest end bottle). The Brunello is made only within the Montalcino municipality so the goal of this trip: to try the various types of Brunello’s available. Many wineries and tastings are available. Be aware however! The wineries here generally require you to call in advance and make a reservation. The only winery that I tried was called Banfi. They are an American owned estate but they are HUGE. The 1995 Brunello was incredible but unfortunately it was also 96 EURO’s per bottle. Having never bought a bottle over $50 CAD, it was too much of a pill to swallow so I didn’t bite the bullet on that one.

A C C O M M O D A T I O N S

Recommended by my talented friend, Kirstin, I looked into staying directly in the Val d’Orcia area in an estate called La Foce. You really just need to look at the photos on the website to be sold on this place. They rent private apartments and residences that can house anywhere from 2-10+ people. It is not in the City so you will need a car to reach it. The advantage of overlooking the famous Tuscan landscape of the zig-zag road (picture is above in the landscape section), the intensely bright star lit sky at night and the privacy is enough to convince me that I would stay here again next time I venture into this area.

F O O D

If you are a fan of Italian food, of pasta, grilled meats, simple ingredients, home cooking, and great flavor, you will love the food in Tuscany. I visited several standout restaurants during my stay here that I would visit again without question.

Dopolavoro La Foce - Located basically next to La Foce, this restaurant was probably my favorite during my time in the entire Tuscan region. The food is simple yet the flavors were complex. The food is incredibly tasty and despite being in the heart of Val d'Orcia's country side, the decor was quite modern but in a country style. In all, I went back here about 5 times in a week. In addition to the heart warmingly good pastas (primi's), delicious steak and roast chicken (secondi's), the customer service makes this place special. I will be doing a separate review of this restaurant in a different post. Easily one of my favorite restaurants in the world to date.

Osteria Acquacheta - This restaurant came as a recommendation from La Foce and is located in the municipality of Montepulciano. When I got there, there was already a huge lineup outside even before it opened. This is usually a good sign of a highly anticipated restaurant. The funny thing? There was a sign at the door that said, "No reservations? No luck" Giving it a chance, I got in after about 30 minutes as a couple did not show up on time for their reso. This place is known for their Florentine steak so do give it a try if you go (it might have been the best steak I had in Tuscany). Just make sure you make a reservation before you go. Montepulciano might be small but this restaurant is well known. The owner even signed a book for me haha.

Latte di Luna - Located in the town of Pienza, this is a place that I went for lunch. The thing to have here is the slow roast pig. It was delicious and the prices were modest. Another popular destination, I would think that making a reservation for dinner would be a good idea.

All in all, there are some amazing eats located in Tuscany. Take advantage of it if you are in the region because as soon as you go to a place like Rome, Cinque Terre, or the Amalfi Coast, you will see a huge spike in prices. For example, glasses of great wine in Tuscany were about 3-5 Euro. In the Amalfi Coast where I headed after this trip? 12 Euro. Not even joking.

O V E R A L L

The trip to Tuscany is one that I have been wanting to make since I first got into photography and wine. The region is gorgeous and it certainly delivered in a lot of aspects. The terrain is very dry however so if you do want to see more green, come during Spring instead. I know I will be back. Again, for other reasons ;) And perhaps when the terrain is a bit more colorful.

F L O R E N C E

Well, it's about time to move some of the travel posts from my old blog to this one so here it goes!

I have always thought that I would love Italy for numerous reasons such as passion for good food, good wine, great culture, and amazing landscapes. Having said that, I have only been to Rome, Pisa, and Cinque Terre. That was enough to give me enough motivation to head on over there again though and Florence was at the very top of my list.

I have had several friends say that their favorite Italian city to visit was Florence. With such glowing reviews, it was hard not to be excited about going here. They were not wrong, the City was gorgeous to photograph and amazing to walk through. Such dedication to the arts and religion, it was unlike any other city in the world that I have visited to date. Just an FYI though, for those people flying in from London, it should be cheaper to fly to Pisa and then take a train to Florence. It might take a little while longer but it will save you close to 30-50% of the cost of a direct flight!



M U S T S E E ‘ S
There are a number of museo’s and galleries in Florence that are well worth seeing. I am the type that enjoys visiting the museums but in moderation. Being a wannabe photographer, I enjoy walking the streets and taking it in first hand. However, galleries and museums such as the Uffizi Gallery (houses the original “Birth of Venus” as well as an abundance of religious paintings and sculptures), the Museo dell’ Opera (includes the original “Gates of Paradise” as well as a smaller collection of sculptures and blue prints for the Duomo and associated cathedral), and the Galleria dell’ Accademia (hosts the original “David”) are all worth seeing. For the Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria dell’ Accademia however, you should strongly consider booking tickets online as the queues could take upwards of an hour otherwise.


In terms of other attractions to look at, the Duomo and its associated Piazza are definitely one of the highlights to look at. The Duomo is considered one of Italy’s most prominent architectural and religiously meaningful structures and one can easily see why when they see it in person. The scale is incredible! Be sure to climb up to the top to get a great view of the city. While you are there you should visit the Baptistery and the Giotto’s Bell Tower (you can also climb to the top of this tower to get an overtop view of the City) since it is in the same piazza.


Now, most of the attractions mentioned above the river Arno, but one of Florence’s main attractions is definitely the Piazzale Michaelangiolo. It is not a long hike up, but the view from here is outstanding. I’ll let the panorama below tell the story. Get up here for sunset, the sights are definitely something to be in awe of.

T H E A C C O M O D A T I O N S
I stayed at the hostel Greci for the duration of my stay. The room itself was clean enough but it was bare bones. The washroom was shared but we were lucky enough to not have to share with any other visitors so it felt like a private bathroom for us. We weren’t provided with internet access outside of the lobby/reception however and it also turned off from 10pm – 8am every day. It is sad to say but that is a pet peeve and it certainly wasn’t convenient. It is located in a great location but I would not want to stay here again.

T H E I N D U L G E N C E S
We had a variety of food while we were in Florence. Having an appreciation of food, I couldn’t wait to try some of the local cuisine and see how it compared to the Italian food that we have at home. I have to tell you, I love my coffee in the morning (or as needed throughout the day) and Florence was a great place for that. Starting the day at a café with an espresso and a pastry was just what I wanted. The coffee in Italy is amazing, definitely give it a try if you like your kick in the morning (or as needed ;))

As a meat eater, I love my steak so, having heard good things about the Florentine steak, I had to give that a try. In total, we tried two different places for steak dinner in the 3 nights that we had in Florence. l'parione provided us with a 1.6kg T-Bone steak cooked just about rare along with some rosemary potatoes which looked like they had been boiled before being thrown into the oven. The steak was butter tender but it was a little under seasoned. I usually order my medium rare but this was definitely on the rare side (it was easily 2 inches thick) but you could tell it was high quality meat. What was lacking though was proper seasoning (aside from the char flavor, it was a little bland).

The other location that we went to for steak was Trattoria Marione in the same area. The steak this time was also served with potatoes which were not nearly as tasty but the steak was better seasoned. It was a bit of a toss up but I think Parione’s served a better steak as the meat was better quality. Keep in mind that when ordering the steak, it is typically meant for 2 people and will cost upwards of 40-60 Euros alone.

Other locations that we really enjoyed for food included Gusta Osteria (I had a simple primi pasta) and Gusta Pizzaria (located within a block from Gusta Osteria). For an amazing panino, visit All’Antico Vinaio (located just outside of the exit of the Uffizi Gallery). I came back here twice but I really enjoyed the prosciutto with fresh mozza on foccace bread. The restaurant is tiny so you will have to eat on the sidewalk or whilst walking but that isn’t a bad thing – you can have alcohol outside :).

Anyone who goes to Italy knows that gelato is a specialty. In Florence, there are a couple of places that I can definitely recommend. One is Vivoli and the other is Santa Trinata. Santa Trinita has some fantastic selection but on top of that, they also give ample amounts of gelato. Who can complain about that?

T H E S H O P P I N G
I normally wouldn’t have a shopping section but it is worth mentioning because Florence is known for their leather products. There are a number of markets within the City but be aware that the markets will sell cheap leather products but there is a chance that they are imported leathers. For authentic Italian leather products such as jackets, wallets, etc, you can have the peace of mind by going to an actual store. I bought a lamb skin leather jacket which was tailored to fit me exactly for only 310 euros. Have fun finding that kind of deal in North America. There are a number of outlet malls just outside of Florence. You can organize shuttle buses to drop you off and pick you back up. The deals on Italian designers such as Prada, Gucci, Armani, Bottega, Cavalli, and Valentino are amazing and worth browsing through.

O V E R A L L
Florence was an amazing city and it is easy to see why it might have been identified by many to be THE Italian city to visit. I have only named off some of the places to see but you could easily fill in 4-5 days here. I would suggest at least 3 though (if you don’t include a day for shopping) if you want to make the most of your time here. Definitely going to be coming back, for other reasons :)