Jewels of Northern California and Cyprus

Narrow and winding roads, green hills, virgin farmlands, and countless animals - cows, goats, sheep, and gorgeous horses - grazing everywhere make magnificent scenery. All these lead us to the little village of Plymouth in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Plymouth is located in Amador County, next to the Shenandoah Valley, a beautiful wine country. Most people are familiar with the Napa and Sonoma wine countries but many are not aware of the Amador County where some of the best American wines are produced. Apart from that, it is also an utterly beautiful area, not commercialized nor saturated with small wineries. Along historic Highway 49 which leads to Plymouth, one can experience the serenity and laid back atmosphere of many pleasant and strikingly old-fashioned small towns - all from the gold-rush era. Many of these little western towns were established as mining camps when prospectors came to find gold and other precious metals in the 1800s. We are so fortunate to continue enjoying them today!

 Most towns offer leisurely strolls along antique shops, old bars and quaint small restaurants. In the winter, they are surrounded by the busy ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range where locals and tourists converge to enjoy their winter sports. I am among the crowd that fills the cozy and warm ski rescue areas where they serve coffee and food.  I think snow is beautiful as long as I can simply look at it and not play in it!

Folsom, California

 As I am traveling on these serpentine, shoestring country roads, my mind is 8,000 miles away on one of the main roads that take me to Famagusta – a narrow bi-directional road in my homeland of Cyprus. I am 10 years old traveling with my parents and sister to my father’s village near the town of Famagusta, very close to the ancient city of Salamis. Spring is my favorite time of the year to go there. I see the green fields of Amador County and, at the same time, I see the flax and wheat fields of Mesaoria, the largest valley in Cyprus. Along the road there are many villages with numerous farms. To this day, I can name most of the villages along the main Famagusta road. Flax is in full bloom and the lilac color covers acres of fertile land. My mind travels in and out of both continents. I cannot stop it. I don’t tell my daughter – my co-driver - that I am in two places simultaneously. I fear that she may not understand.

Part of me has a deep bond with the farmlands of the world and the earth that bears our food. This is why, on my birthday, I want to be in the countryside with my loving daughter while adding some style to it! What a better way to celebrate one’s birthday than sharing a meal and strengthening a loving bond over food? On my birthday, I always have two strong feelings – happiness because I am alive and healthy, and shock that another year has gone by so quickly!  It’s my birthday and I want to share my happiness with my beautiful daughter so off we go to a very nice restaurant in the countryside. My careful local culinary research leads us to “Taste”. Drive up the short main street in Plymouth and you will easily discover this lovely dining establishment. Walk into this beautiful restaurant for either lunch or dinner and you will not forget the dining experience. It will be a treat!

Taste Restaurant, Plymouth, California

 I decide to have this special treat with my daughter. I start my culinary experience with a glass of local merlot wine and share an appetizer with my date - lobster Americaine – puff pastry filled with lobster in a light creamy sauce accompanied by root vegetables and locally grown greens. It is simply delicious. My main course is Grimaud Farms Duck Confit.  My gorgeous date decides to splurge on Creekstone Farms filet mignon with German butterball potato cake, asparagus tempura with some green garlic aioli. I have a bite of her steak and, I must admit, it is one of the best steaks I have ever tasted – tender and not chewy. I could tell the quality of meat is different. The taste of the meat is different. It comes from farms where animals are not confined in small cages but allowed to roam free range in their natural environment grazing and enjoying the sun. The fact that I give the steak a very high rating is a compliment because it comes from a non-steak lover!

 I love duck meat so I try it in every restaurant that has it on their menus. Hence, I’ve tried many different styles of cooking duck. Well, in so many years, this is the second time I have duck prepared in a way that I love. I thoroughly capture the moment with every tasty bite! It is Duck Confit – duck fat pound cake, pain perdue, strawberry kejap, tat soi (salad greens), and local strawberry crème fraiche. All in all, it is a treat to my palette!

We finish my birthday celebration with chocolate desserts. They arrive at our table on beautifully decorated white plates with wishes written in calligraphy using dark chocolate! Designs made with caramelized sugar make the desserts even more inviting!  My written wish is “Happy 25th Birthday” and I love it! I can’t believe they know my exact age!  (I actually had told our lovely waiter, Michael, a few minutes earlier.) Our entire dining experience is exquisite because the food is delicious, the presentation of the dishes unmistakably appetizing, the service so very smooth and no rush to eat quickly to turn our table over. From the service, to the food, to the overall ambiance, I give it a 10 out of 10!

Story Winery, Plymouth, California

 I leave Plymouth content. I have read that “contentment is a form of happiness that goes beyond the senses of taste, smell, sound, and vision.”  Yes, I feel content. Every taste has a feeling. My lovely companion shares the same feelings, and that makes me even happier!

Milan

 Milan, here I come! I am finally visiting Milano, as it is called in Italian. The business epicenter of Italy and one of the most important and well-respected European business hubs. It is the heart of fashion and is recognized across the world where all the fashion trends and designs are set!  Milan is the second most populated city in Italy and the capital of the Lombardy region.

 I arrive at the small airport of Orio al Serio where I easily take the bus that awaits right outside of the main airport area to take me to the main train and bus station in Milan – stazione centrale . The bus ride is comfortable and affordable for anyone who rides. It takes us approximately 40 minutes to meet our destination. Unlike many other train stations I have seen, this one is utterly beautiful. The architecture of the building is gorgeous. I capture the moment by taking lots of pictures then off I go to meet up with my loyal, beloved local guide. I have to remind myself that while I am in Italy, I will constantly be surrounded by beautiful art and impeccable architectural designs.  I am on the land where the old meets the contemporary harmoniously. All around me, the centuries of creativity blend. Once again I am reminded that this is the territory that art has reached its highest peak and beautiful architectural designs are born. It’s a gorgeous day with clear skies, and I am ready to explore this world-renowned city of Milan.  For me, it is a new territory ready to quench my thirst for exploration.

Prada Store, Milan Fashion District

 The first afternoon is spent by strolling the streets of Milan.  Via Monte Napoleone is the first stop. Everyone needs to see this street and take a stroll on this high end road where beautiful boutiques display couture clothes and shoes. I know I can’t afford all this merchandise, but I can look, and I stop and marvel at every window and take lots of photos. They are so nicely decorated with so much finesse. My excitement builds up as I see elegant women passing by dressed to the “T”! I love what I see. This street is the most important street of the Milan Fashion District – Quadrilatero della Moda. The most exclusive designers in the world display their creations here and I am able to see it all! I’m like a little girl in a candy store wanting everything and having a difficult time choosing. I am content looking at everything and every single detail.  Many beautiful shops are tagged in courtyards of old, yet, well maintained buildings. We leave Via Monte Napoleone and continue walking to other nearby quaint and beautiful streets. We walk by La Scala. The full official name in Italian is Teatro alla Scala. One day, I want to come back to La Scala and attend an opera performance. It’s been a world renowned opera house for the past few centuries. 

 We continue to walk until we reach Il Duomo! What a view! I am stunned by the mere size of the cathedral as we walk inside and capture some of the daylight. I am in awe by such a grandiose and beautiful structure! By the time we come out it is early evening and the Piazza di Duomo is full of lights. Lots of people are flooding the square; locals along with many tourists. There is plenty of activity well into the very late hours of the night. We are standing outside the cathedral right across from La Rinascente. La Rinascente (derives from Rinascita - means "rebirth" in Italian) is an upscale set of department stores. Here, you can easily get lost in beautiful stores selling clothing, household and beauty products. La Rinascente was founded in Milan in 1865 by Luigi and Ferdinando Bocconi. It is unlike any other department store I have seen so far. I can’t stop taking photos of the building. The unique, imposing architecture simply amazes me. There is so much beauty around me. I am happy!

 We continue to walk until we reach Il Duomo! What a view! I am stunned by the mere size of the cathedral as we walk inside and capture some of the daylight. I am in awe by such a grandiose and beautiful structure! By the time we come out it is early evening and the Piazza di Duomo is full of lights. Lots of people are flooding the square; locals along with many tourists. There is plenty of activity well into the very late hours of the night. We are standing outside the cathedral right across from La Rinascente. La Rinascente (derives from Rinascita - means "rebirth" in Italian) is an upscale set of department stores. Here, you can easily get lost in beautiful stores selling clothing, household and beauty products. La Rinascente was founded in Milan in 1865 by Luigi and Ferdinando Bocconi. It is unlike any other department store I have seen so far. I can’t stop taking photos of the building. The unique, imposing architecture simply amazes me. There is so much beauty around me. I am happy!

  Dinner is at the trattoria ~ pizzeria, ‘Mozzarella e Basilico’ where pizza is made by a Naples native. I don’t believe that the pizza is made like the ones in Naples, so one of the owners brings the pizza maker to our table to convince me. He is a charming young man from Naples -the capital of pizza, and this is where he learned to make his pizza! I quickly tell him that my hometown where I was born and lived till the age of 12 was also called Neapoli – Naples in Greek. At the moment, it’s in the occupied area of Cyprus, and it bears a Turkish name but not for me. To me it still is a new town – as the name Neapolis implies in Greek. I am convinced that he is from Naples, and I order my pizza with a big smile on my face. Needless to say, it is the best pizza I have ever had in my life. The crust around is thick, crunchy on top but soft inside.  My partner and I stay away from the tomato sauce. I opt to have pizza with porcini ham and grana cheese while Gianluca has one with radicchio di Treviso and grana cheese. My eyes are lit up as I see all these pizzas with all these different toppings! I am drooling! I can’t help it! My pizza is so delicious that I simply can’t put it down, so I finish the whole thing. All Italians are able to finish an individual pizza which is approximately 10 inches in width in one seating. Incredible! 

 The second day we take the metro from our hotel, and we end up at Piazza Castello. We walk to Castello Sforzesco – Sforzesco Castle. The castle was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan.  Today, one can visit several of the city's museums as well as art collections right in the castle. 

  We have lunch at one of the many local beautiful bakery cafes which also operate as full blown restaurants - Van Bol & Feste bakery café. Whatever I eat in Milan is delicious and beautifully presented and so is our lunch. The waiter is chatty but not overbearing. We enjoy our walks so much that after lunch we stroll a bit more in the surrounding streets. 

  Dinner is at Trattoria Pizzeria Tradizionale ai Navigli. The navigli was a system of five canals that were used to transport commercial goods. Today, the five canals are used for irrigation. Along the canals many of restaurants are open offering live music along with delicious local food.

Maio Restaurant, Milan

  On Wednesday, I am at the Maio restaurant for an elegant dinner. The menu is superb. I have to admit that the superb and elegant cuisine does not match the simple ambiance. The view of Il Duomo adds a beautiful and elegant tone to the restaurant surroundings. Dinner menu for me is Fritelle di baccala, cod fritters, chickpea puree and caramelized red onion for the appetizer. The first courses are Risotto mantecato allo zafferano, Milanese style yellowed risotto with marrow and crispy parmesan, AND Risotto con filetti disgombro, risotto with mackerel fillets, burrata cheese, capers and black olives. My main dish is Trancio di rombo arrostito, roasted turbot, rutting, asparagus and seafood. Dessert is Charlotte di frutta fresca e crema di pistachio, a fresh fruit charlotte and pistachio cream. To me this is a lucullan meal and gets 10 out of 10 for taste and presentation! Lucullan meals are known to be lavish, and gourmet. Indeed! My superb dining experience at Maio restaurant is just that!

  The fourth day is filled with walking all over Milan and getting lost in all the quaint local roads. This is not hard for me to do since I get easily lost by nature. My sense of direction is nothing to be desired! But it does come handy on days like these when I am in a beautiful city like Milan, and I want to learn every single street and bridge and experience the ambiance of walking under the old fashion street lights. Dinner is at Obika. Having dinner with the view of Le Duomo is an extraordinary experience. Le Duomo which is the cathedral church of Milan, dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente (Saint Mary Nascent), and also serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the fifth largest cathedral in the world and the largest in Italy.  

The following day we can’t help it but go back to picturesque Navigli. I walk straight to a restaurant I spotted a couple of nights before - Joe Cipolla ai Navigli The restaurant is packed with chatty customers. Some tables are taken up large families while others by lovely couples. Everyone is talking and, like any other Italian restaurant, the feeling I get when entering is very energizing. There are lots of black and white photos all over the walls and huge pieces of cured meat hang from the ceiling by the entrance adjacent to the serving counter. The red and white tablecloths add to the whole happy feeling. 

  We start our dinner with an appetizer that is new to me. It is mousse of gorgonzola cheese whipped with moscato wine and pistachios. On the side, we have some speck, typical from the north of Italy. Speck in German means bacon but this meat is smoky and seasoned for 6 months. The appetizer is a meal in itself, but I am brave enough to proceed with a main dish as well.

  Since the restaurant’s specialty is steak, we order a grilled filet mignon along with fried chips and grilled green long bell-peppers. Local wine and beer accompany our delicious dinner. I know that every taste has a feeling. While leaving this family owned eating establishment, I feel empowered and ready for another travel escape to another part of Italy I have not visited before. 

 My last dinner in Milan is at Le Stagioni at the mall across from the airport at Orio al Serio. The food is remarkably well prepared and priced very reasonably. As soon as one leaves the metropolitan Milan, the prices drop!

   I visit many of the stores in the mall. I can’t believe what I find. Great stylish clothes at lower prices than what I can get in northern California, so I splurge. Everything I try on is stylish and fits me well! So, I dress up, and I leave Milan in grand style. Spending a few days in Milan is like getting a crash course on high end fashion and with luxurious dining experience.

 I “take off” knowing that I will be back.