Life altering moments...for some.

Fresh spices and herbs from the market outside Eze, France



We have arrived in Albisola Capa located on the Italian coast in between Savona and Genoa. We are only 2 hours away from our previous destination in Cannes, France yet it is a seems a world away. The sea, the landscape,the architecture, the language...the local flavor, are all vastly different. It is a refreshing change and feels very real.

We are on our second home exchange with a family from Navarro, just outside of Milan. The villa is their second home/vacation home and was built by Francesca's father. It is a very large home on 4 levels perched up on a windy hill overlooking the town and the sea. The view is a mixture of everything this town has to offer. I can view the sea and cliffs, the port and harbour of Savona, the clay tiled rooftops of the town and the surrounding fields of the local farmers. The house itself is what I would describe as old Italian. Lots of chandeliers and antique furniture, very colorful, intricately tiled floors and wall throughout and spacious terraces outside of every room . The view is ever-changing.There is something different to see at every angle.




What I think impressed us the most upon our arrival was the fully stocked fridge!(this is not customary for a house exchange..) Beautiful bunches of fresh herbs,mounds of in season asparagus, eggs, milk, a big hunk of parmesan cheese, buffalo mozzarella,ripe melon and pear, homemade pasta and ricotta ravioli and about 5 lbs of ripe cherry red tomatoes...a chockerblock full of fine smells and flavor. Did I mention the homemade bread and unsalted butter?

Carlos whipped us up a fabulous dinner of fresh pasta with tomato, basil and parmesan, followed by grilled swordfish and asparagus. It was simple, easy to prepare and very enjoyable sitting around the kitchen chatting and eating over the course of the evening.Unfortunately, Carlos is going home tomorrow despite my pleas for him to stay.He obviously does not understand my Italian. I am thankful he did not understand Max when after his first bite of swordfish questioned "Is this rooster?"


a typical breakfast


Mike cooking....a life altering moment for me...




I hate to say this, but Mike and I haven't been thoroughly impressed with "dining out" to date.We had high hopes for Paris and Cannes, but unfortunately we didn't have the opportunity to experience some of the fine restaurants that we know exist.We have both decided that it is easier and more enjoyable to feed the kids at home. We have been very good at preparing flavorful, healthy meals with lots of fresh herbs and vegetables from the market. We are loving the markets, but tend to get a wee bit carried away at them. We have both agreed that our style of eating is definitely 5 ingredients max.



Once again, I find I am in need of the internet... this time for new recipes and ideas.The display of all things edible at the market is inspiration enough. I wish I had some of my Donna Hay cookbooks with me!


The food is very fresh at the market!