Category: AFV2022

Anderson Family Vacation 2022

Happy 82nd Birthday Dad, We miss you

It is Dad’s birthday today… Would have been 82. For those that know me (or have been following my posts here), know that we lost Dad Oct 23rd 2022, Legionella and Covid complications.
Dad was my hero. The most solid man I have ever known, and someone I aspire to live up too. He set the standard. Pure and simple.

The loss of Dad is massive, more than I can explain. It has affected me in ways I could not anticipate. My now ex, RS, even mentioned that at one point.
I think what it was is that I hyper focused on Life, and what I wanted, how I wanted to live, and brought into focus that life is not forever… it is finite and any minute it could end.
That I need to go get what I want!
How that affected me and RS, that is a different post. Much more lengthy, and not just Dad focused. RS and I are a book in and of itself.

Happy Birthday Dad. We miss you and love you. You are my hero. I strive daily to be everything you were as a Man.


AFV2022: Italy so far…

So I am WAY behind where I wanted to be on posts, but it has been a WHIRLWIND so far in Italy. Milan, Venice, Florence, San Gimignano, Bologna and now on the train to Rome (and then to Sorrento).

I figure most of the detailed posts will have to wait until I am home and then will gather thoughts and notes and pictures over the next few weeks.

So far the trip has been amazing, Food, food and more food, wine flowing pretty free also. Prices in Italy for many things are significantly cheaper than I remembered, the EUR and USD are about even, which helps a lot as well. Dinner is usually about $15-$25 a person, for two, if not three courses and wine. And this is not Olive Garden italian food… this is real food.
Your average pizza, about the size of a medium from Domino’s, $10-$12.
Bottle of wine $8-$20 ($20 is extreme, usually $12-$16), a glass $4-$6, maybe $8 if you go top end.

Quick thoughts on cities we have stayed in:
Milan – not a lot to see, food is so-so, likely a good party city, as it is the most modern city in Italy.
Venice – I am not a fan. Have been twice now. The history of Venice is amazing but the actual place leaves something to be desired.
Florence – amazing sites, great food. A lot of our group did not like it, but I do. I especially like the surrounding countryside
San Gimignano – Tuscan Hill Town, but very touristy. It is the visual representation of Tuscany, but is not the intimate, individualistic, Hill Town experience. Worth the visit, but not a long stay.
Bologna – Still confused by this place, just leaving the city right now.

The trip on the whole is amazing. Even if parts of it have not hit the spot for me, something in every place is has been someone else’s favourite. Just being here in Italy is fantastic.

We had quite a few side trips, wineries, restaurants, cheese prosciutto and basalmic makers. Details on those things and more coming.


AFV2022: Milano, Italy – The Food

Milano, or Milan, is located in the Lombardy region in northern Italy. It is the financial hub for Italy. It is also a fashion and design capital, arguably for the World and is Italy’s most “modern” city. Home to about 1.4 million people, and about 4.4million in the greater Milan area.

Personally, I found food in Milan to be so-so. But they do have some very notable dishes.

Costoletta alla Milanese
A veal cutlet, dredged in bread crumbs and pan fried to golden perfection. My father had this at the restaurant we went to in Milan, it was very good.

Risotto alla Milanese
This was the dish I was most excited for, as I love Risotto and make it often. Given its golden yellow colour from the saffron, it should be velvety and refined. Now maybe it was the restaurant we were at, but it was slightly undercooked and not velvety at all.
Flavour was spot on, texture was not.

Ossobuc
Maybe the best known dish from Milan, though I do not know if anyone knows it is from MIlan, the Risotto alla Milanese is the most recognized from Milan is my guess. Ossobuco means “marrowbone”, and is usually served with Risotto alla Milanese. This is made with a slice of shin on the bone, veal, pan fried and then stewed for a bit in broth, and topped with “gremolada” (a paste of garlic, lemon peal and parsely). Done right and this savory dish will blow your mind.
Very good and well prepared. This bailed the Risotto out and saved dinner for me, I had it with potatoes (dry and chewy), as I had just eaten a while plate of the Risotto.

RS had the Caprese Salad (tomato, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil), and a very good filet with roasted tomato and eggplant. Maybe the best meal of every one on the trip. Amazing flavour.

While not what I hoped for in Milan, it was still good and Milan has some great things to see, which we will get into in the next post.