Gran Sasso National Park | Assergi

We arrived to the L'Aquila province of the Abruzzo Region just in time for dinner as night fell over the mountains. Hard to believe we started our morning in Praiano and visited Pompeii and Ortona dei Marsi on our journey. After the Amalfi Coast and the most famous ancient city, Italy's alpine nature took center stage for this leg of our trip! 

We spent one night at Hotel Nido dell'Aquila in the town of Assergi among the foothills of Parco Nazionale Gran Sasso. We're in a ski town!!

After a fantastic dinner and leisurely breakfast here at "Hotel Eagles Nest" we were checked out and off to explore the Gran Sasso via Funivia. 

Funivia means aerial lift or cable car and yes riding in one is very fun! There was not a soul in the ticket line, what a peaceful place we have happened upon. We rode up with a few mountain bikers, a few hikers. I could not believe how serene our ride was. And those views! 

Cam definitely enjoyed the ride. Somehow this baby is no stranger to cable cars - just last month we took him up the Cannon Tram in NH. 

As we sipped a cappuccino at the peaks alpine bar, it felt so surreal being up here. It was obvious we had stumbled upon another dimension of the country. This is not the Italy of your fellow tourists. 

After exploring Gran Sasso peak we caught a Funivia back down to the base. We were pretty hungry at this point and lucky for us a food truck had set up. Piping hot, rich, crackling pork roasted inside that truck. Porchetta sandwiches for the win. I wish I took a photo! (I think I was holding Camden and planning out where his diaper change would be before we got in the car.) 

Either way, that Porchetta Food Truck was another welcome surprise in Assergi!

As we head to join the masses in for Florence the words below on Abruzzo convey my deep feelings of gratitude perfectly. (source)

It is hard to think of a lovelier corner of Italy. Alpine meadows. Lush mountain valleys, this region is one of Italy's secret treasures. No over-crowding, no heavy industry. Hiding away down its curvy roads are castles, villages and mountains made of stone and memory. Life in the Abruzzo hasn't changed that much over the years, and it's like wandering into a gentler, kinder yesterday. 

Stein Eriksen Lodge | Deer Valley

Another gorgeous bluebird day was spent cruising the slopes at Deer Valley. This majestic mountain is skiers only and quite a refined skiing experience if I do say so myself. We lunched at Stein Eriksen Lodge's Giltretind inside next to a crackling fire. (Although the outdoor dining with tables surrounding fire pits looked equally as inviting!) Timing wise our food service left much to be desired - our appetizers and meals came out together and took for-ev-er. It was incredibly busy. The food was still excellent. 

We shared Green Deviled Avocado Eggs & Ham ($15), I drank a Wasatch Brewing GhostRider White IPA, plus a glass of Rosé. I had an outstanding sandwich: Iberico Pork, Serrano Ham & Egg ($21) layered with grilled shoulder, shaved ham, herbs and pickled mustard seed on ciabatta with an arugula pesto and pumpkin seed quinoa salad. 

The #SafeAsKittens #JonsWapiti Utah 2017 crew! The Treats is not pictured here / taking the photo.

Pho Pasteur

Happy New Year, dear readers! Today I am seeking your advice! Where is your favorite place in Chinatown for Pho? 

Xihn Xihn was my all time favorite so I was pretty devastated when they closed in 2015. In an effort to branch out, I discovered Pho Pasteur is also very good. Once the weather starts to get really cold I find myself craving this comforting Vietnamese noodle soup often. And when that craving strikes, I typically head over to Chinatown for a quick lunch and order the Pho Ga ($7.95) which is chicken noodle and occasionally the Pho Tai ($7.95) which is rare steak. Accompaniments include scallion, onions and cilantro, with bean sprouts, thai basil, limes and hot chili paste on the side. 

This particular visit to Pho Pasture was a late night one - as evidenced by all the food! You can't go wrong with fried egg rolls ($4.50) and pork lo-mein ($9.95) to accompany your Pho!

Pho Pasteur

682 Washington Street

Boston, MA 02111

Hei La Moon | Chinatown

Co-workers and I have been frequenting Hei La Moon for Dim Sum lunches for as long as our company building has been downtown (three years now!) We'll introduce newbies, bid farewell to those moving on, or we'll straight up satisfy a craving for the insanely good Chinese food only those rolling carts can deliver. I've actually never photographed a Dim Sum lunch! But I felt the need to preface my first dinner here with the background for my deep running affections.

Last Friday four of us gathered at my favorite wine bar, Les Zygomates. We lingered over funky glasses of wine, $1 oysters and live Jazz at before wandering over to Chinatown and deciding on Hei La Moon. Dinner at this Dim Sum emporium is just as fantastic as the aforementioned midday feast. There's no carts rolling at the later hours, but they continue to offer the dim sum menu in addition to the classic Chinese dishes you crave. There was crab Rangoon, scallion pancakes, steamed roast pork buns, general Gao's, pork fried rice and sizzling chicken in black bean sauce, washed down with magic tea and TsingTaos. This is what my perfect Friday-after-work evening in Boston looks like.

Hei La Moon

88 Beach Street

Boston, MA 02111