Travel – Page 3 – Jennifer Michie

January 7, 2014 / 1 Comment

Little Angelo’s Pizza

Now, everyone has their pizza joint. I have a few of my own, one of my absolute favorites is a little place in Clemson, S.C. called Peppino’s. It is a fantastic joint for a good slice of pie and a cold pitcher of beer.

Peppino’s makes a New York style pizza, which is vastly different from the deep dish Chicago style pizza. However, I think they both have their own merits. And as they say, “when in Rome..” or in our case, “when in Chicago…” you do as the locals do.

Little Angelo’s restaurant in Rosemont was recommended to us by a staff member at the hotel and boy were we happy that he did that! This was one of the best pizza’s I/we have ever eaten. We went traditional, got a deep dish with half cheese and half sausage (they make their own)! It was HEAVENLY! Mr. Michie was very, very happy as he is actually “Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago!” (Only a true Ferris Bueller fan will know what I’m talking about here, but seriously, I think he could eat sausage every day!)

Look at the size of that pizza! And that was just a small!

Now, I am sure that there are many Chicagoans who will agree with me and many who will be screaming because there is a better pie in their neighbourhood, but let me tell you this was fantastic!

It was worth getting snowed in, just for a slice of this pizza! It’s the simple things in life, that is what you have to find the joys in.

October 31, 2009 / 0 Comments

Trick-or-Treat!

Happy Halloween! I hope your day is filled with cute little pumpkins, witches and hobgoblins. We are packing up the car this morning and getting ready to leave this enchanting place! I will miss Cornwall and our walks along the coastal path and smelling the fresh sea air.

Yesterday, we went to another Smuggler’s Cottage, this time in Tolverne on the river Fal.

Unfortunately, the pub was closed so I didn’t get to see all the memorabilia that exists inside, but it was one of the sites used by American troops to launch the ships for D-Day. It was moving to think I saw what so many soldiers had seen as they boarded the boats; the same cottage, the same views, drove down the same lane…

There were signs along the road to the pub stating what different areas were used for and what they housed. It was really interesting to see.

We carried on down the road after that for a nice pint and some lunch at a nearby pub, before heading back to Looe for one more walk down the coastal path (and one more chance to wear my green polka dot wellies!). We stood on the beach once more; it is amazing to thing we are standing on the edge of England, the edge of our world! We stopped at Larsson’s Coffee House , named after the Swedish artist Carl Larsson; for wonderful crepes and the most scrumptiously rich hot chocolate oozing with whipped cream, mmm! Perfect for a cold day!

Next, we headed to the bakery to pick up fresh scones on our way home with Cornish cream and strawberry jam, that is our breakfast today, I can’t think of anything better!

We are saddened to leave here, but we hope to come back again to visit this bewitching little slice of heaven.

(Trick-or-Treat image copyright Country Living)

October 29, 2009 / 0 Comments

Shhh! There be Smugglers About, Matey!

We have been off on the smuggler’s trail over the last few days. Yesterday, we drove to Bodmin and visited Jamaica Inn, a complete tourist trap, but I got to see Daphne du Maurier’s writing desk and typewriter in their little museum and that made me smile. Driving along the moors we saw scraggy coated wild horses walking along the rocks and munching away on grass.

The weather changed by the time we got to the Inn, the temperature dropped and it began to rain. It painted quite a picture. You could envision the smugglers carrying their loads in from one of the Looe routes on a dark frosty night the air thick with mist, driving their horse led carriage hard through the moors to the Inn where they hoped to have a drink, do some business and catch a little respite.

We wandered down to the town on Sunday afternoon for lunch and ate at the Smugglers Cott, we had the most deliciously cozy traditional British Sunday roast. The atmosphere inside was charming.

The beams belonged to a ship from the Spanish Armada and the inside of the pub was filled with vintage bottles and ship related paraphernalia. After lunch we took a stroll around the harbour and watched the boats come in and out.

There was still some men in the fish market, finishing up cleaning their day’s catch. There existed in the air a heady smell of the salty sea and warm fish guts.

We walked down into town today along the coastal path and it was the very first day I got to wear my wellies. They were broken in along the sandy beach with the waves crashing against my feet as I hunted for sea glass.

We discovered the most adorable bakery and got the most heavenly cupcakes, Halloween of course! We devoured them like greedy little monsters as we continued to explore the twisty little streets of Looe.

Everything here is adorably decorated for Halloween with pumpkins and paper lanterns hung in windows, mixed with the leaves changing here, you feel truly Autumnal.

We ate fresh fish & chips, burning the roof of our mouths as we munched away on hot salty chips (no vinegar for me) and watched the crowds go by, it was a perfect day, just being.

We will be saddened to leave here at the end of the week. What a magical place Cornwall is.

A Pixie village we passed on our walk down the coast.

October 25, 2009 / 0 Comments

What Could be Better?

This was my view this morning. I watched the sun peek out behind the clouds as I sat on the deck, reading my book with a hot cup of tea in hand! No one else was up yet so it was just peaceful. A nice way to greet the day by just slowly coming in to it. What could be better than this? It took a little bit longer to get here yesterday than expected, with all the holiday traffic heading down to the coast, but, who is in a rush?

We drove through gorgeous countryside, passing little stone farmhouses happily perched on the edge of the road. In the surrounding fields, cows and sheep munched away on grass watching the cars pass by; in one farmyard the cutest pink pigs with black spots were snorting around in the dirt.

We even passed Stonehenge! That was something to marvel at! I had no idea you would be able to see it from the road. We quickly rolled down the window and snapped a picture with the phone. It was drizzling and misty yesterday and as we approached the hill the massive stones began to just slowly appear out of the mist, looming in front of us. It was very Halloween spooky, all we needed were candles and druids marching up the hill in a long procession in the mist to complete the mood.

Today we are off to go exploring, if I can tear myself away from the view at the bottom of our garden. The sunshine, mixed with the breeze and the sounds of waves crashing against the rocks below, is just magical!

October 23, 2009 / 0 Comments

Off to the Cornish Coast

Well, by tomorrow afternoon I will be sitting in sunny Cornwall. How sunny it will be remains to be seen, but that doesn’t matter to me, all I need is the few books I have set aside to read and that big chair at the bottom of the garden overlooking the ocean, add to that some walks along the coastal path with my sweetie pie and I will be as happy as a clam.

This is a true adventure for me. I have yet to go to Cornwall in all my time living here, so I can’t wait to see what the next week brings my way. I am hoping for quaint villages, old little antique stores and interesting places to wander and explore.

I have wanted to travel there, since my husband and I bought an old train advertising poster for Cornwall. A little girl stands on the edge of the bay overlooking all the fishing boats with a grandfatherly looking fisherman in his wellies leaning against a railing nearby; with sailboats and a lighthouse, all beautifully captured in 1930’s colors, it paints quite a picture. This poster alone has made me want to go to Cornwall since we hung it on our wall.

There is a ferry near where we are staying that will take you up the estuary and upon docking, you are met with a house named “Ferryside”, once the home of Daphne du Maurier. I have visions of her writing away at her desk, looking out the windows of “Ferryside” and writing “The House Upon the Strand”, what a book!

I am looking forward to this half term break and taking a real break, working on nothing for the fair (as much as I want too), I think it would be best to just come back refreshed, I have stayed ahead of schedule and only have a few pieces left to finish. So, I plan to just drink in each day in the sea air. I can’t wait for my first taste of fish & chips, scalding our mouths and fingers as we reach for hot salty chips out of the paper cone holder, walking arm and arm along the strand.