Tag: Europe

In Vino Veritas – San Pier Wine Bar Cafe (Mdina, Malta)

Leave a comment
My husband and I happened upon the San Pier Wine Bar Café, tucked away in one of the ancient bastions of the city wall of Mdina, Malta during our honeymoon… and I’m so glad we did.
San Pier Wine Bar Cafe
Entrance – photo courtesy of the San Pier Wine Bar Café Facebook Page – Used with permission
Joanna Stellini, the daughter in the Stellini family, who own and operate the place, greeted us cheerfully and plopped down what was a very reasonably priced drink list on our high-top cocktail table, as well as a food menu, just in case we felt peckish.  After reviewing the offerings on the list, we enlisted Joanna’s help picking the perfect glasses of wine to enjoy before dinner.
Since we indicated we would like to try a local offering, she recommended a delicious Maltese red. Aptly named Medina, the young 2013 blend (Syrah, Carignan and Grenache) usually popular in the French Languedoc region and in Catalonia in Spain (where Grenache is, of course, known as Garnacha…those pesky Spanish with their special Spanish grape names!) is made by the Emmanuel Delicata Family winery. It was a beautiful Continue reading →

Pic of the Day – Gozo, Malta

Leave a comment

We signed up for a boat tour on the island of Malta during our honeymoon, which included stops for snorkeling off the coast of Gozo (one of the other islands of the nation of Malta), a stop at the Blue Lagoon, and some lunch onboard. We really enjoyed the tour, even though we ditched the boat and took an amazing speedboat ride back to the Sliema Harbor (more on that later). Here’s one of the shots from that day, from my iPhone:

Gozo, Malta

Date Taken: October 17, 2014
Location: Somewhere off the coast of Gozo, Malta

With highs in the 40’s Fahrenheit this week, you could say I’ve got Malta on my mind.

The Doorknobs and Doorways of Mdina, Malta

Leave a comment

We spent an afternoon wandering the streets of the Silent City (Mdina, Malta) between our day of sightseeing and our evening dinner, just getting lost in the winding, narrow medieval streets.

Here are some of my favorite shots of the beautiful, mostly religion-themed and marine-themed door décor in the beautiful hilltop medieval city of Mdina.

 

 

What are YOUR favorite doorknobs and doorways of Mdina, Malta? Tell me/show me in a comment!

A Night in Rome – Wandering Trastevere

Leave a comment
One of my favorite things to do when in Rome is wander the ancient neighborhood of Trastevere.
My husband and I went to Rome back in September 2010 and tried to eat at a particular restaurant in the neighborhood of Trastevere (Le Mani in Pasta – see my post about it here) after I’d done some research online and figured out that some of the best pasta places in the city were concentrated in that ‘hood. We’d already eaten at one of the best pizza places (Dar Poeta – amazing… but also super cramped and loud – see my post about it here) in the neighborhood, and fell in love with the awkwardly narrow, cobbled streets, piazzas filled with locals drinking beer and wine, dining al fresco, countless scooters whizzing by thisclose to where we were walking. It was magical. It feels exactly the way you would expect Rome to feel.
We had arrived at said restaurant and the harried waiter asked us how many, and assured us that we’d have a table in 20 minutes. Twenty minutes later, it was another 20 minutes. This continued for about an hour (we were patient!) until another waiter dropped an entire tray of food on his way to a table, and we finally realized: We are not going to sit anytime soon. Luckily, another couple had just been walking by and suggested that we check out the restaurant around the corner. We set off in search of our consolation dinner immediately, stomachs rumbling and hanger building with each step.
After navigating a small maze of streets we found ourselves in Piazza dei Mercanti, standing in front of Continue reading →

Dar Poeta Pizza and Gelato in Trastevere, Rome

Leave a comment
The Trastevere neighborhood of Rome, Italy is jam-packed with cool cafes and restaurants, as well as locals and tourists roaming the street in search of food, drink and reverie.

IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT PIZZA

Back in 2010, I had my first encounter with this Roman neighborhood, as my boyfriend (at the time – now husband) and I had done some research on the best pizza places in Rome. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Rome isn’t known for pizza; that’s Naples. And yes, I know that. But it was his first trip to Italy and I had a hankering for some crispy dough piled with tomato sauce and cheese. So, I did my research and found Dar Poeta. We took our chances and headed over to this popular spot located at Vicolo del Bologna, 45. There are two locations now, apparently, according to Dar Poeta’s website.

After waiting a bit for a table (surprisingly not THAT long, given how famous this place is), we were practically wedged in to the corner of the place next to a French couple. And by wedged I mean they had to get up, move their table, and basically play Tetris (yeah, I went there) in order to have us sit down.

But, the pizza? Continue reading →

Pic of the Day – Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

Leave a comment

I’m on a roll, folks.  Two days in a row counts as a roll, right? I think so.

Today’s pic of the day is from our New Year’s Eve jaunt to the Emerald Isle (that’s Ireland… in case you’re living under a rock), during a stroll around the south side of the Liffey.

Date Taken: January 4, 2015
Location: Trinity College Campus, Dublin, Ireland
I’ve been to Trinity College maybe 6 times or so out of the dozen or so times I’ve visited Dublin, and it never gets old. I can never help but be envious of the students who actually attend school there. Lucky. But, I guess the Irish are known for luck?