San Gimignano & Ristorante Dorando

The weather gods were extremely unkind to us while we were in Tuscany. Those beautiful hills were completely obscured by a relentless rain; sometimes pouring but always at least a drizzle.

Its impossible for me to expound on the beauty of San Gimignano as so many travelers are apt to do. It was cold, wet and gray when we were there, so in essence it was if we had on blinders that hid much of its beauty. We did, however, find a place of refuge just off the Piazza Duomo at the Ristorante Dorando. Although their lunch service was nearly over, they were kind enough to warmly welcome us. And they were gifted enough not to disappoint three weary and hungry travelers.

Ristorante Dorando promotes itself as "Art in Slow Food." You can find reviews at Slow Travel in Italy. I had not read those reviews, but nevertheless, they did not disappoint. I had the trio of soups and there are no words to describe their cream of pumpkin with truffles. OMG may come close. The anchovy in the spaghetti did not work for Caroline and they happily accommodated. The Chianti Reserva was wonderful and we hope the photos convey their incredible devotion to the "art of slow food."

French Riveria

On our last night on the Riveria, we had a better than expected meal at a restaurant on the beach. Of course, the girls were a bit put off by a whole fish complete with the head but managed to not only endure it, but proclaim it blog worthy by the end of the meal. Perhaps it is the sound and smell of the ocean, but there's just something beyond compare about seafood so close to its origin. Restaurants throughout the mid-US can promote freshness and proclaim that their fish was just flown in, but I have yet to taste a a mid-continent dish to compare to those I've had in quality restaurants along the seacoast. There was no room for dessert but we had ample entertainment for the finale. We discussed the possibility that a fellow diner was in fact a famous model and we've posted her photo below. You be the judge. ;)