Sweet Saadiq turns 17!!!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Maybe Our Life IS a Vacation
Tai, Marissa, Debi, and Tai's god daughter Brittany take a morning bike ride in Santa Monica. An activity they try to do a few times a week. Marissa got a new green sparkle bike. They wish they were "Bikini Bikers" but it's been too cold!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Our Bracelets -- The Final Count...
Alessandra said...
We LOVE Shopping!!!!
We Are Home and This Journey Has Ended but...
...stay tuned for our future travel adventures as well as our Sunday gatherings in Malibu!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tai: Thoughts from My Journey
When I decided to take this trip, I remember talking to my dear friend Elizabeth telling her that I had purchased a round trip ticket to Geneva. I would start and end the trip by visiting my friend Gabriella. I knew a few places I wanted to visit but the rest would be "come as it may." She LOVED the idea – to go where you are led because of people and freedom – not for the sites. And funny enough, just the weekend before I left, a reporter was interviewing me and one of his questions was along the lines of “How much of my life was planned and how much did I just follow the path I was led to?” My response was that none of it was planned – just like my vacation. I knew I wanted to visit Gabriella, Zach, Alessandra, and return to Positano. I also knew I wanted to go to the “concert in the sky” in Ravello (which I have to go back to because rain moved it inside.) Rome, Amalfi, nor Capri were on the top of my list to return to – and Naples not at all. But they all offered gifts that if I hadn’t been open and followed where I was led – I would have missed. I cooked with a four and a five star chef. I cooked with a precious family over an open fire because they choose to live with no electricity. I ate in five star restaurants. I had picnics on the ground with the ants in the open fields as well as on the floor in my Best Western Hotel (making a tablecloth from a towel – eating cherry tomatoes and fruit out of their little plastic baskets and breaking fresh bread slathering it with local cheese.) I got to share time and laughter with my dear friends and meet new ones every step of the journey. I returned to Positano – a place that felt like home from the moment I arrived last year – and saw my friends there. It was a magical month that each step of the journey worked out perfectly. I believe it is how I have lived my life – being open for the best and it always arrives! I am blessed.
The trip, like life, was not without a few bumps. Our first hotel in Cannes didn’t live up to what we thought and we moved as soon as we could. But even our two nights there gave us the gift of eating the best pizza I think I have ever tasted – and allowed us to explore the place finding the perfect hotel in the heart of where we wanted to be (at the perfect price!) And dealing with rain and boats and planes being canceled – we simply discovered new places and stayed loner in places we hadn’t planned – all offering gifts we would have otherwise missed.
With so many monasteries around us, I wondered about the monks who reside there. How they are “missing” so much. I wonder if they couldn’t do more good out in the world making real human contact – touching people. But when you are on top of the mountain open to the wide expanse of sky above and their voices are lifting us all to heaven, I wonder if it is possible that could they could touch us more? It’s as it they are exactly where they need to be…sharing their gift. There’s a whole world they’re missing and yet the beauty of a paradise surrounds them…
If I had to have a theme of this trip it would be "beauty." The beauty of the sea, the food (and presentation of the food), the people, and lifestyle. I will forever cherish the beauty that echoed each day in the sounds of bells ringing from the church bell towers, the cowbells, the monastic choir, birds, children playing by the sea. Talloires, Positano, Capri, Ravello, Rome – all offered such incredible beauty to the eyes with towering rock cliffs, old buildings, historic sites, flowers in bloom, the sea, the people, and the bikinis! People -- whether friends (especially Gabriella, Alessandra & Marissa) or others we met so openly and free -- they all offered beauty in their kindness.
My “bikini journey” with Marissa was a beautiful gift I will treasure forever. And I look forward to MORE!!!
Marissa: Reflects on the Trip
This trip was incredible. I cannot believe at 21, I was given this incredible opportunity to travel the world and experience so many wonderful cultures and places. When Tai and I decided to go on this trip we decided a flight that long (20 hours to Geneva) warranted a long trip—so a month justified the flight and sounded good to us. We bought the airplane ticket to Europe and made sure it was okay if we stayed with Tai’s friend Gabriella for a couple days when we got there; Gabriella was ready for us and that was the only plan we made before we left America.
I truly believe this trip was successful for 2 reasons.
1. We were open to everything. We were influenced by the people and places around us, and that led our travels. If it was warm in Cannes—book a week there. There is a cheap flight to Rome—let’s do it! Tai has a friend there—on our way. This allowed for us to experience so much; everything happened for a reason. The boats to Capri were cancelled for a day; we got to stay in and experience Amalfi! If we couldn’t find exactly what we were looking for it was because we were meant to find something better—sorry Cannes street market, we might make it to you eventually. Best of all, we now have friends all over the world. We met so many people that were kind and fun and demonstrated some of the most selfless hospitality I have ever known.
2. I had a fabulous travel companion. Ever since we got back, people have asked us over and over, “aren’t you sick of each other??” The answer is no! Tai is one of my best friends and a very positive person. We have very similar mentalities and truly believe everything will work out. There is no need to plan ahead, because the best option will present itself undoubtedly if you give it a chance. We both believe there will be new friends wherever we go and value the friendships made along the way. A lot of this trip wouldn’t have been possible without the help of friendships Tai held prior to this trip. It also helped we had similar goals when starting this trip—find new places, visit someplace special, see everything and as much as possible stay close to the beach and get tan.
Finding new places led us to Talloires, Cannes, and St. Tropez. Tai knew Positano was so special and wanted to return there after staying 3 weeks last year; so this led us to Rome, Naples, Capri, Ravello, Amalfi, and of course Positano. While I know we haven’t seen everything, I feel as if we saw an awful lot; we stayed in places long enough to experience the culture through meeting the locals, tried new food (with the eyes still in it), never turned down an aperitif, and strayed from the beaten tourist path, not to mention mastered shopping in economies across Europe (one day I hope we figure out when the French are supposed to get back from lunch). We did manage to find some of the most beautiful beaches in the world in Cannes and the Amalfi Coast and “took some sun” at all of them.
Everything on this trip was entirely new to me—and I am truly grateful for that. I am so grateful for all of our new friends we met along the way. Guilio, you are the best! And, Alessandra, I am so glad I now have an Italian sister with fabulous taste in handbags and shell rings!
Lastly, thank you, Tai for doing this trip with me. You are truly unique and wonderful; I admire your gracious way with people and your ability to adapt—you are comfortable in a mountain cabin with no electricity and at a five star resort cooking in a bikini. Also, you put up with me for a month, while everyone has seen the packing pictures to know I’m not the most organized of travelers or the neatest of roommates, I loved experiencing every minute of this trip with you, and I’m thankful your presence in my life remains now that we are back.
Loving Life -- Loving Friends!
Friends and food are simply life's greatest treasures and pleasures. And this trip blessed us with such an abundance of both. Tai's friends Gabriella and Alessandra both went out of their way to make our trip better. And both of us sharing this time together was a great blessing as well. When we return to towns that we know -- we have "old friends" now. Time and distance are not factors in friendship. In life, in cooking, in friendship -- it is about time shared, a smile, a listening ear, letting loose, trusting, being. We feel so blessed to have so many wonderful friends in our lives including each other.
Special love & thanks to Gabriella & Alessandra!
Bikinis - the Universal Language
Bikinis were first worn in France, so it seems to fit that it is in France that we realize how 'Bikini" is a universal language. When we visited out chef friends at Le Cottage, we shared with them our cooking experience in Capri at Villa Marina. Only one of the chefs, Thibault, speaks fluent English -- but when everyone heard the word bikini - they all perked up giggling. I think next year we will be cooking at Le Cottage in our bikinis!
Le Cottage
With only one day back in Talloires we had to go visit all of our wonderful friends at Le Cottage. We visited Jean Claude Bise and his lovely wife Christine as well as Chef Pascal Noyon, Thibault Casasole, Olivier Suire, Jimmy Heintz, Mickael Marzollie, and Yves Gaudin. Thank all of you again for everything! We had a wonderful lunch and spent the afternoon by the pool. Le Cottage is truly our favorite setting in Talloires.
Speaking of Cooking in Talloires
For a wonderful read and cooking journey, Madeleine Kamman has a book, Savoie: The Land, People, and Food of the French Alps. It's all about the region around Talloires where we were.
Auberge Du Pere Bise Pastries...
We couldn't come back to Talloires without going to the very famous pastry shop Auberge Du Pere Bise. It happens to have a #1 Michelin Star. We even got to meet Frank, the pastry chef. This seems to be a running theme with us -- eating pastries and meeting chefs. For our last day we had chocolat fondants (yes plural) and their famous macaroons.
The Sound of Music...
Our trip has provided such a wide range of lifestyles and experiences in food and living -- but nothing has compared to the charm and simplicity of our evening on Saturday. It was beyond words -- simply a delightful, refreshing and a perfect way to end our journey. Gabriella's friends -- Laure and Francois and their precious children, Roxanne and Felix, live on the edge of paradise and hosted us for a dinner (and sword fight) we could not have imagined. We were blessed! One more reminder that the simplest things are the best things.
Back to Talloires!
Tai's dear friend, Gabriella, once again picked us up from the airport in Geneva. One the way back to Talloires we stopped at Pont De La Caille. So beautiful!
Last Night (and Morning) In Naples
We thought we were going to have dinner with Alessandra and her friends, but our last night in Naples we stayed on the US Naval Base, so once on, we couldn't leave. It was actually wonderful to just rest. All of the travel was starting to catch up with us. And something about knowing you are going home...at the end of the journey...it's all different. Marissa was SO EXCITED to have Subway for dinner. The World Cup was on and the US lost. We had an early flight to Geneva and on our way off the base we heard a horn and then the raising of the American flag. It was so touching...a wonderful way to depart Italy...home...
Thank You Alessandra -- Once Again!
Thank you Alessandra (Amati) for taking such AMAZING care of us our whole time in Italy! Your kindness and graciousness and generosity is a wonderful gift! And thank you for the wonderful bags from your collection! How did you know we needed and extra bag from all our shopping???!!! Your words -- "No more shopping!!!" We love you Alessandra and are grateful for your friendship and we can't wait to host you!
Last Gelato in Naples
...not sure how much weight we gained with our mottos; "A gelato a day -- or two -- cause we're on vacation!"
Alessandra - We're Back!!!
Back in Naples -- Alessandra and her wonderful friends took us out to a delightful dinner on top of Naples. Gorgeous view, divine food, and fun friends!
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