Corniglia

So, to steal a line from my friend and fellow blogger Lauren, I am declaring myself "back from sabbatical," because that sounds considerably better than "I've been too busy this December to blog."  Sadly I somehow managed to completely forget to take pictures of all the food I've made over the past few weeks, including homemade tomato-bacon bisque soup, a Christmas trifle, and dozens upon dozens of cookies.  As a result, we're picking up with the travel photos.

These photos are all from Corniglia, the middle town of the Cinque Terre, and the only one without even a tiny beach -- Corniglia is truly perched on the face of a cliff, with a sheer drop to the sea below.  It's tiny and quiet, even in comparison to the other tiny, quiet Cinque Terre towns -- and just as lovely.  The hike down to Corniglia from Vernazza was not too arduous.  Unfortunately, rock slides have closed the normal walking path between Corniglia and the next town, Manarola, so your only options are to take the (looong) inland path or the train between them.  Suffice to say, we considered both but opted for the train.

A glimpse of Corniglia as you approach on the trail from Vernazza.

Vineyards and terraces surrounding Corniglia.

Inside the town.

Stairs -- 360+ stairs, to be exact -- leading from the village of Corniglia to the train station, from which we went to Manarola.  We were very glad to be going down.

Oreo Truffles

One of the easiest and yet most delicious desserts in my arsenal are these Oreo truffles, which definitely came in handy last night when it was very late and I had yet to start making something for today's holiday potluck at work.  I've made these before with regular Oreos, and used Trader Joe's candy cane Joe-Jos this time to be extra festive (and because that's what I had).

Instructions as follows: crush a box of Oreos (with a food processor if you have one; mine is currently on loan and fortunately I found a combination of a rolling pin and a hammer works great, too).  Mix in a brick of room temperature cream cheese.  Roll into balls; dip the balls into melted semisweet chocolate.  Set to dry on parchment paper and sprinkle if desired.  Cool in the fridge to set.

In a hurry, I took these pictures with my iPhone, so they're not mind-blowing but you get the idea.  Warning: they are very dense and sweet, so just a small bite and you might be running for milk, but you'll be back for another bite right away! 

Monterosso al Mare

These pictures also were taken in Cinque Terre, specifically on the hike from Vernazza to the northernmost town, Monterosso al Mare.  The walk going this direction is quite pleasant, not least because of the amazing views, but also because you enjoy a long downward slope right before the town.  In contrast, the people coming the other direction (towards Vernazza) looked exhausted just a short distance into their trip; we didn't have the heart to explain just how much farther they had to go.

On a side note, Monterosso and Vernazza were both devastated by terrible storms and resulting mudslides this fall, shortly after we left.  I sincerely hope they're able to clean and rebuild, and welcome tourists again, since--for better or for worse--tourism now seems to be the lifeblood of these towns.  If you are ever able to go, I think it's well worth the time to visit and stay awhile.  And, if you ever have an opportunity to eat dinner in Monterosso, look for Ristorante Via Venti and try the fish ravioli.  My tastebuds are still dreaming of it, three months after the fact.

Looking back on Vernazza from the path to Monterosso.

You can just see the shore and buildings of Monterosso in the distance--tantalizing, and it seems close, but there's still a long way to walk.

Now you're almost there.

Monterosso is the only "flat" town among the Cinque Terre, and hence the only one with a true beach--a lovely one, at that.

Homes, restaurants, and shops stretch back from the shore into the town.

Hot Chocolate 15K

Also this past weekend, DC hosted its first Hot Chocolate 15K, an event that has been put on by RAM Racing in Chicago for several years, and they're trying to expand.  It felt wonderful to be out running--this was the longest race I've ever done!--but I have to agree with the consensus that the race was terribly organized.  An inadequate venue, traffic issues, poor communication on race day, a course that had us running the first five miles right along a highway--you name it.  The race was held at National Harbor, which I think was where the organizers went so wrong.

Fortunately, we had a great day regardless.  There was chocolate fondue and hot chocolate waiting for us at the end--that part was actually very well organized, suggesting to me that the race organizers simply have their priorities set on food.  And, really, why argue with that?

I feel a bit like I'm cheating by posting this photo, since I obviously didn't take it, nor was it even taken with my camera.  That said, it's such a fun shot of my friends Evan, Maureen, and I that I figure it ought be shared.  :)

Eastern Market

This past weekend I got a bit of Christmas shopping -- and a lot of window-shopping -- done at Eastern Market, which is one of those places that just makes me love Washington, DC.  My favorite aspect of Eastern Market is actually the open air vendors and stalls, plus the flea market across the way.  I could while away hours there, browsing random jewelry, vintage ads, photos, and housewares.  The Christmas trees and wreaths for sale in early December only add to the festive spirit.

If you have to differentiate yourself from the other vegetable vendors somehow, why not a giant rainbow umbrella?

A brisk morning didn't keep the crowds away.

Vernazza

As luck would have it, after wrapping up the language course in Nice, I was able to take a week of "real" vacation, and spent it in Italy -- pretty much my favorite country in the world, at least if you are there purely to eat and explore.  I had previously flown through most of Italy's major cities during a college backpacking trip, so this time was grateful to take a more relaxed approach and focus on seeing the Cinque Terre -- five beautiful, tiny towns terraced into the earth by the coast of the Ligurian Sea.

We used Vernazza as a home base, which we felt was a great decision.  All the towns have outrageous charm and beauty, but I'd argue Vernazza is the most picturesque, and it cleared out for quiet, lovely evenings despite the hordes of day-trippers that poured in each morning by train.  Eating dinner down by the harbor each night was a delight -- no doubt helped by amazing company ... and the ability to split a bottle of wine without a care in the world about driving home or waking up at any appointed hour the next day!

This was the view from the window of our room, with the morning sky.  I have to pinch myself to remember it was real.

The entire town, stretching out towards the sea.  Vernazza is the only town among the five to have a natural, protected harbor, which you can see on the right.

Looking back on the town and the terraced hill sides behind it.

From the top of Vernazza's castle, looking south along the sea.