Hey Soupers,

No need to salt and pepper me–I am officially a “seasoned” traveler! (Some culinary humor for you). My 5 1/2 months living and working in a French kitchen were some of the best of my life. But for the last half of September, I finally got the chance to spread my wings and see more of Europe. What a trip!

I began my travels in London to visit a friend that I met in Lyon. I didn’t realize how used to being immersed in the French culture I was until we began touring London. The sound of  spoken-English was almost deafening to my newly bilingual ears. I was unimpressed by the English food, but I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. My palate has been spoiled by carefully-crafted French dishes.

My next stop on my mini-European tour was Innsbruck, Austria, where I met up with the “Dining on a Dime” ladies, Julie and Emily (they are also my schoolmates), and two other schoolmates, Kolby and Jeremy. Julie, Emily, Jeremy, and Kolby all happened to be in Innsbruck for a cooking competition (The Big Cooking Contest) in which they were competing, so when I found out about this a few months ago, I booked a flight to support my friends! Of course, the competition may have been the focus of their trip, but I have to admit that it wasn’t mine. Innsbruck is a picturesque little city nestled at the base of the Alps. The buildings are very old and beautiful, the river that runs through the center of the city is lined with walking and bike paths, and public parks and gardens can be found around almost every corner. As if the scenery wasn’t enough reason to visit, the food is pretty darn good: Sausages, Schnitzel, and Beer cheaper than water? Yes, please.

The day after the competition, my friends decided to take a day-trip to Bolzano, Italy to reward themselves for a job well-done (Kolby and Jeremy placed second and won 1800 Euro!). Naturally, I went along, you know, in case they needed me for my French-skills…

I believe Julie was the most excited out of all of us. After all, it was her idea. I think it was about a 2 hour drive and it was beautiful! None of us could put our cameras down. Once we arrived, we found a really nice restaurant called Blue Moon. It was one of my favorite meals here in Europe. We ordered a few appetizers to share–beef tartare, veal carpaccio, and some smoked fish. For our main course I had the rack of lamb served with a pan sauce, potatoes and some veggies. It was delicious, but it didn’t end there (thank goodness). To top it all off,  we ordered every dessert on the menu. We had the strawberry-tiramisu, creme caramel, creme brulee, chocolate and white chocolate mousse, and some kind of puff pastry that seemed to be stuffed with marshmallow crème and covered in chocolate.

Once we finished our lunch we walked around the outdoor market. Emily learned that you are not allowed to touch the food there when she was scolded by a not-so-friendly Italian vendor for picking up an apple. I guess in some parts of Europe, shopping is really a hit or miss activity! That night I said goodbye to everyone and wished them all a safe flight back to the states. It was a bittersweet farewell because it was nice to see them, but I was going to Parma, Italy next!

Another culinary school-friend of mine is currently working on her Master’s degree in the study  of slow food. I can’t tell you much about that, but Natalie does blog about it (see bottom of page for link) so you can learn more about what she is doing there.

Natalie  is obviously a foodie, so she took me to the local joints with the best “eats.” I had some great espresso and hot chocolate there! The hot chocolate was so thick it was almost pudding! Natalie  introduced me  to some of her Italian and school-friends, but very few spoke English. Luckily, one did and she explained to me that people in Parma don’t really speak any other language. The “Parmesanos (?)” are very proud Italians and a bit isolated from what I gather. I understand their pride, though. The town is beautiful and the people are genuine.

I know you are just waiting for me to say it, but OF COURSE I had the cheese! On my last night in Parma,  I dined in a wonderful restaurant where I had tortellini filled with spinach, pumpkin and potato served with plenty of PARMesan Cheese, and need I even say  it? I had  gelato for dessert. Words just can’t express my love affair with this gelato…

And that my friends, is really where my story ends…for now. My last days in Europe consisted of the drudgery of gathering my things and departing from Paris. Now, I must return to the States for a few short months to finish my degree, but there is no question in my mind that I will be scheduling my return flight to Lyon soon after my plane hits the tarmac in Arizona.

Bon voyage et Au revoir!

Coty

To read more about Natalie’s studies of “slow food” (no, we don’t mean escargot) go to http://eatslow.wordpress.com