Category Archives: New Zealand

Flying High with Emirates

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Thank you Emirates. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in your business class cabin on route to Rome. It felt like the golden age of flying when it was more than just a way to get from A to B, but rather was an experience in it’s own right.

There was room to spread out, great food and drink, and service that was unmatched. Nothing was too much trouble for your wonderful staff and how you managed to produce my pan-fried beef tenderloin served with thyme jus, mashed potatoes and blanched broccoli in an aeroplane at 40,000 feet is a mystery to me.

Emirates pride themselves on their diversity of crew and our cabin was served by a team brought together from all corners of the globe. All with a single-minded focus to ensure our trip was as relaxed and enjoyable as possible.

And to top off the experience, there is the cocktail bar at the rear of their cabin. The ideal place to stretch you legs, meet fellow travellers, enjoy a quiet drink and, in Jean’s case, make new friends.

I said previously that we were Premium Economy travellers – and while that is a great experience, this was special. The chance to upgrade was well worth the extra cost and has made us rethink how we will travel in future.

And yes Emirates, this post is a shameless attempt to get the offer of an upgrade when we return home in September.

Jean making friends at 40,000 feet
There’s even a place for your hat
Champagne seemed to feature large in our trip
Me trying to look cool but failing dismally

Back to Italy

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Florence from Piazza Michaelangelo

We weren’t planning to visit Italy this year. Last year’s trip was on such a scale and the credit card bills were so large that we were genuinely planning a “stay at home” year.

But last year, on a whim, we had pencil booked a two week stay at Casetta Arienzo in Positano for August this year.

We ignored the time late last year when we usually book the early bird flights to Europe. We were mentally not going, we had checked out, so to speak.

Until an email arrived in May from the lovely people at Eden Roc Hotel asking us to confirm or cancel the booking for Casetta Arienzo. That changed things.

Or more accurately, we came to our senses.

Within a fortnight in May we arranged everything – flights (thank you Petra our lovely travel agent of 25 years), hotels (some old favourites and some new experiences), train trips, rental cars in Italy and all that goes along with a holiday.

We are going for a month, staying in Positano for two weeks, spending a week or so catching up with friends in Tuscany and making up the remaining time in Rome.

Time has flown and it’s now mid August and we’re flying out in a couple of days. We can’t wait.

Photos and more photos

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We’ve been home from Italy for just over a month. Time for us to settle back into home life, sort through all the photographs we’ve taken, and load a selection into a holiday gallery on SmugMug.

If you’d like to see some shots from the blog and some new ones you won’t have seen, click here.

All the photos were taken using iPhones – as opposed to the usual Nikon camera back and lenses I have lugged to Europe in the past. All in all, apart from not having any real control over the depth of field, they look pretty good.

Food glorious food

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We left Rome on a high note – from a culinary viewpoint. Our two last nights were dining out – at Aroma next to the colosseum and then at La Pergola in Hotel Cavalieri.

Aroma has one Michelin star and La Pergola has three – so we were expecting fireworks. And we got them.

Aroma offers a range of degustation menus to choose from, excellent service and a view from your table that is quite spectacular. La Pergola offers both degustation and al la carte menus, immaculate service and views across Rome.

The staff at Hotel Barocco were interested in our comparison between the two as one of the front desk staff is the cousin of the chef at Aroma.

it’s fair to say that both provide exquisite food and a fine wine list. And both delight with small surprises as the meal progresses.

There is a formality at La Pergola which comes with three Michelin stars – there’s someone to escort you to the toilets, just to make sure you don’t get lost and while you’re gone a fresh napkin is provided at the table for no reason other than your old one was wrinkled. Their mineral water list is longer than almost any other restaurant’s wine list and your meal is timed to perfection – they know how long to leave between courses – so all you need to do is concentrate on the food.

Aroma feels younger and slightly edgier. There is a fraction less precision but that comes across as less formality. Given their menu approach, food and wines are matched which is a real treat and we lingered longer there to chat with the staff.

Which one is better – we couldn’t call it. So the question we posed ourselves was – if we were taking someone out to dinner in Rome and wanted to surprise and delight them which would we choose?

It would be Aroma, but only by a wafer thin margin.

The view from Aroma
Chef’s start at Aroma
Watermelon, oyster and sea lettuce
Raw red prawn veils, warm Provolone del Monaco cheese and truffle
Mezzi naccheri pasta, marinated scorpion fish, lemon gel and black garlic
Sweet surprises
Apricot, caramel and elderberry
Cheers Aroma
The terrace at La Pergola
Turbot, marinated sweet pepper and Mediterranean flavours
Fillet of veal on tomato and basil textures
A filing cabinet of sweet treats
The terrace at La Pergola in Rome
The view across Rome from La Pergola
Drawers of sweet treats at La Pergola

And now we are home

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After 7 weeks away, we landed in Wellington a few days ago. As you get older the jet lag becomes harder to recover from. I’ve been waking early in the morning with an overwhelming desire for dinner and then falling asleep again mid afternoon. Quite normal some might say.

On the way home we stopped in Dubai for 10 hours. Our lovely travel agent Petra, had organised a room at the Dubai International Hotel so we could shower and grab a few hours sleep. It was brilliant. Because the hotel was air-side we were met at our arrival gate and taken to the hotel with no need to enter Dubai. The hotel operates 24/7 – so we were able to have dinner at 1am before grabbing some much needed sleep.

In the room was an electric massage chair which one of us couldn’t resist trying – even when jet lagged and tired.

Tired Jean in the massage chair

Hard Rock – there’s nothing better

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It was our first night in Rome. Big decision – where to eat dinner? We sat at the bar outside the hotel and were discussing this weighty problem when we saw someone walking past carrying a doggie bag from the Hard Rock Cafe. We had gone there in 1999 when we were in Rome – not sure why – and we still have the branded glasses and t shirt in the attic at home.

A few minutes later we saw another bag go by. This got us to thinking.

To be honest I thought Hard Rock place didn’t exist any more. In my mind it was an icon of the 90s which went broke along with Planet Hollywood and other themed restaurants of the era.

A quick google proved me wrong – it was alive and well and about 200 metres up the road on Via Veneto. At that point the Prosecco and Aperol Spritz kicked in and we found ourselves heading there for dinner – a blast from the past.

I was amazed, the place was thumping. And after a diet of fine Italian food we were looking forward to burgers and fries. And yes Josh, buffalo wings so hot they meant I couldn’t taste anything much after the starter.

We had a blast and ended up in the souvenir shop – and have another Hard Rock t-shirt.

Rock on.

The last breakfast

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Today we had our last breakfast at Eden Roc before we leave tomorrow hosted by the lovely Tony. It involved everything from Prosecco to poached eggs with Tiramisu and sweet treats added in there as well.

What a great way to start the day.

Superyacht spotting 2

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Important update – Nero has a slide!

Suddenly that 525,000 Euro is looking much better value.

Superyacht spotting

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No visit to Positano would be complete without some mention of superyachts.

When we arrived the bay was peppered wth these toys of the rich and famous but in the last few days the numbers have dwindled. Apparently they aren’t fans of rainy weather.

However, one turned up today which looked pretty special. It had wonderful retro lines reminiscent of the 50s and 60s.

Its name is Nero, it is 90m long and it can accommodate 12 guests in 6 cabins looked after by 20 crew. It is available for charter for 525,000 Euro a week – which is quite a lot of money.

But if you can find 12 people to split the cost it’s only 43,750 Euro per person or 6,250 Euro per day – which is still quite a lot.

Nero – available for charter from Burgess Yachts.

Casa e Bottega

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Today the rain stopped and the sun came out. The bonus was the temperature was lower than last week. So we set off at midday for the village to do some final shopping and have lunch at Casa e Bottega.

Casa e Bottega is a small cafe that also sells homewares made by local artists. Jugs, pots, bowls, table cloths, prints. We had lunch there last week and were keen to visit again before we leave this coming weekend.

The food was great and the staff were friendly, recognising us from our previous visit. This time we had the chance to talk to the owner – who also owns Palazzo Murat hotel and another restaurant in Positano. It was interesting that all the issues we have with tourism and hospitality in New Zealand they are grappling with here as well.

Our visit also gave Jean the chance to buy some things for the house as well as both of us having a great pranzo (lunch) – helped by the bottle of wine we managed to consume.

Casa e Bottega
Salmon Salad
Chicken Cutlets
Casa e Bottega store
Casa e Bottega fresh produce

Rainy days in Positano

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After two weeks of sun and heat the weather in Positano has changed. It’s rained since Monday. Yesterday on and off and today pretty much continually so far.

The temperature has also dropped from mid to late 30s to mid 20s. And the humidity has gone.

Life is more comfortable but also, there’s less to do. We made a trip to the village yesterday for provisions, dodging the showers. On the way home we called into Galli Bar for a drink (sitting inside). There was a discussion with the staff about the weather and the fact that their business effectively stops when it rains – but also that in Positano there is little to do on wet days except stay inside, drink and watch Netflix.

Which they were doing yesterday and we will be doing today.

Distant rain
Coming closer
And here it is

Recovering

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Saturday’s dinner at the hotel was a big night out. Sunday was a really quiet day – spent largely in bed recovering from matching his and hers hangovers.

Jean has discovered that her nemesis is Limoncello. Last night it was in the form of a Limoncello Spritz. Two of them after dinner made for a rowdy ride home (thank you Pascal for organising this) and a quiet day to follow.

We managed to get out of bed and to the local store for supplies around 7:30 – that evening.

It reminded me of something similar from our stay in 2011. It was late in the year – around the end of November – and the hotel was shutting. We had gone along for dinner but after that the lovely Carlo explained that all the opened wine stock had to be either drunk or thrown away. You can guess how that went – it was epic.

The next day no one felt great – hence the family photo taken mid-afternoon.

Positano – November 2011. Jean recovering from the hotel closing – Daisy and Poppy in support.

Walking to Positano

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On our regular walk from Casetta Arienzo to Positano we see some spectacular views. This one is a bit different – it’s the Positano cemetery which you can see at the top of the picture – located on a hill high above the village.

A day at the beach

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Yesterday we visited Fornillo Beach and the Pupetto Beach Club. Fornillo Beach is one bay around from the main Positano beach and, as a result, a lot quieter. It’s quite a hike to get there as you walk around the coast on a path that rises and falls with the terrain and in today’s 39 degrees it tested our stamina but we made it and settled in for the day.

Beach clubs are common in Italy – a relaxed restaurant at the back of the beach and rows of umbrellas and loungers in front going right to the waters edge. There are staff constantly patrolling the loungers taking orders for drink and food – or lunch can be had in the restaurant if desired.

The Pupetto Beach Club is part of the Pupetto Hotel which is partly set in the cliff and partly hanging off the cliff above Fornillo Beach. The hotel looks great – we got an unofficial tour as we walked through it to get to the beach club looking at bit out of place in our beach attire.

Lunch was the least Italian meal we have had – cheeseburger and fries and a chicken salad. It tasted great and we needed that.

Walking home

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Casetta Arienzo is about 800m from Eden Roc hotel and the intersection where the road through Positano village meets the main road to Amalfi. From here we can walk down to the village or stop at the hotel for breakfast, a day by the pool or dinner – or all three.

We do this walk pretty much every day so we forget how spectacular it is – with cliffs on both sides, the ones above us reaching skyward and the ones on the other side falling down to the sea. This afternoon I grabbed a shot of the cliff above the road as we walked back to Casetta Arienzo. Behind Jean the view to the ocean is equally spectacular.

Walking home this evening
The view behind Jean