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#Reverb10 Day 22: Travel

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Note: This is the twenty-second in a month-long exercise called Reverb10, where bloggers reflect on the year before and think towards the year ahead. The idea is to post daily, based on the day’s prompts; let’s see how well I do.

Prompt: Travel. How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?

Last year, I was lucky enough to go to San Francisco for the first time, for Drupalcon. I met a bunch of great people, learned a ton, and (of course) had amazing food. I also got to travel to Philadelphia again this year, for a conference with my husband. We go down to Philly every other year or so, and I generally spend my time wandering around Rittenhouse Square drinking coffee and writing while Nick learns about voice quality.

Then, of course, there’s Brooklyn. Every year, I head down to NYC for the Fancy Food Show, and hang out with my buddy Tricia Okin of Papercut. Not only do we get to wander around during the show, trying amazing food and talking to the folks who make it, she takes me on a new culinary tour of Brooklyn every time I’m there – for which I am eternally grateful.

In 2011, I’m looking forward to visiting Chicago for the first time (again, for Drupalcon – hopefully as a speaker!), and visiting DC again for this year’s Fancy Food Show. Eventually, I’m also going to head back to the Berkshires to finish up my yoga teacher training at Kripalu – something I unfortunately wasn’t able to pay attention to this year.

IMPORTANT EDIT: I totally forgot, somehow, about ITALY! I went to ITALY THIS YEAR! For my honeymoon! Yep. Pictures below, in fact.

<p>On our second to last day, one of the other guests (the only other American, from San Francisco) decided to accompany us on a wander up the hill through Sora, to the farm`s other estate, Via Piana. It`s a bunch of old barns that are in the process of being renovated into B&B rooms, but there are also people who live in the nearby units. In one of the units, an old man is nearing death - and spends his days singing Italian hymns, which you can hear as you near the buildings. It`s incredibly beautiful, if a bit creepy.</p>

Wandering up to Via Piana - 25

On our second to last day, one of the other guests (the only other American, from San Francisco) decided to accompany us on a wander up the hill through Sora, to the farm`s other estate, Via Piana. It`s a bunch of old barns that are in the process of being renovated into B&B rooms, but there are also people who live in the nearby units. In one of the units, an old man is nearing death - and spends his days singing Italian hymns, which you can hear as you near the buildings. It`s incredibly beautiful, if a bit creepy.

<p>The Cheesemaking Shephard (who walks his sheep by the farm every afternoon) lives just up the hill from the farm. At 5am, we got up on a very chilly day to visit him, and sit by the fire as he made his cheese.<br /> <br /> After milking the goats and sheep, he heats the milk in a large iron kettle on the fire. Once it gets to about body temperature, he adds a bit of rennet (taken from a lamb`s stomach) to the milk and takes it off the heat. After a little while spent stirring it with a big stick, the curds separate from the whey in this huge clump, which he puts into a mold and starts squeezing and shaping, getting out all of the whey that`s left, until it`s packed tightly into a mold. Then he covers it with salt and lets it age for a few months, after which it becomes Pecorino (like you`d put on your pasta!)<br /> <br /> After the Pecorino is done, he puts the rest of the whey onto the fire again and brings it up to a boil - which is how he makes Ricotta (re-cooked) cheese. This he scoops into another mold and lets age for a while, sometimes over the fire to make smoked ricotta.<br /> <br /> We grabbed a small wheel of pecorino to take home for only 10 Euros, and another big piece of smoked ricotta, which we ate at the farm. I`m not joking when I say it was damn good cheese.</p>

Visiting the Cheesemaking Shephard - 10

The Cheesemaking Shephard (who walks his sheep by the farm every afternoon) lives just up the hill from the farm. At 5am, we got up on a very chilly day to visit him, and sit by the fire as he made his cheese.

After milking the goats and sheep, he heats the milk in a large iron kettle on the fire. Once it gets to about body temperature, he adds a bit of rennet (taken from a lamb`s stomach) to the milk and takes it off the heat. After a little while spent stirring it with a big stick, the curds separate from the whey in this huge clump, which he puts into a mold and starts squeezing and shaping, getting out all of the whey that`s left, until it`s packed tightly into a mold. Then he covers it with salt and lets it age for a few months, after which it becomes Pecorino (like you`d put on your pasta!)

After the Pecorino is done, he puts the rest of the whey onto the fire again and brings it up to a boil - which is how he makes Ricotta (re-cooked) cheese. This he scoops into another mold and lets age for a while, sometimes over the fire to make smoked ricotta.

We grabbed a small wheel of pecorino to take home for only 10 Euros, and another big piece of smoked ricotta, which we ate at the farm. I`m not joking when I say it was damn good cheese.

<p>The Cheesemaking Shephard (who walks his sheep by the farm every afternoon) lives just up the hill from the farm. At 5am, we got up on a very chilly day to visit him, and sit by the fire as he made his cheese.<br /> <br /> After milking the goats and sheep, he heats the milk in a large iron kettle on the fire. Once it gets to about body temperature, he adds a bit of rennet (taken from a lamb`s stomach) to the milk and takes it off the heat. After a little while spent stirring it with a big stick, the curds separate from the whey in this huge clump, which he puts into a mold and starts squeezing and shaping, getting out all of the whey that`s left, until it`s packed tightly into a mold. Then he covers it with salt and lets it age for a few months, after which it becomes Pecorino (like you`d put on your pasta!)<br /> <br /> After the Pecorino is done, he puts the rest of the whey onto the fire again and brings it up to a boil - which is how he makes Ricotta (re-cooked) cheese. This he scoops into another mold and lets age for a while, sometimes over the fire to make smoked ricotta.<br /> <br /> We grabbed a small wheel of pecorino to take home for only 10 Euros, and another big piece of smoked ricotta, which we ate at the farm. I`m not joking when I say it was damn good cheese.</p>

Visiting the Cheesemaking Shephard - 06

The Cheesemaking Shephard (who walks his sheep by the farm every afternoon) lives just up the hill from the farm. At 5am, we got up on a very chilly day to visit him, and sit by the fire as he made his cheese.

After milking the goats and sheep, he heats the milk in a large iron kettle on the fire. Once it gets to about body temperature, he adds a bit of rennet (taken from a lamb`s stomach) to the milk and takes it off the heat. After a little while spent stirring it with a big stick, the curds separate from the whey in this huge clump, which he puts into a mold and starts squeezing and shaping, getting out all of the whey that`s left, until it`s packed tightly into a mold. Then he covers it with salt and lets it age for a few months, after which it becomes Pecorino (like you`d put on your pasta!)

After the Pecorino is done, he puts the rest of the whey onto the fire again and brings it up to a boil - which is how he makes Ricotta (re-cooked) cheese. This he scoops into another mold and lets age for a while, sometimes over the fire to make smoked ricotta.

We grabbed a small wheel of pecorino to take home for only 10 Euros, and another big piece of smoked ricotta, which we ate at the farm. I`m not joking when I say it was damn good cheese.

<p>The Cheesemaking Shephard (who walks his sheep by the farm every afternoon) lives just up the hill from the farm. At 5am, we got up on a very chilly day to visit him, and sit by the fire as he made his cheese.<br /> <br /> After milking the goats and sheep, he heats the milk in a large iron kettle on the fire. Once it gets to about body temperature, he adds a bit of rennet (taken from a lamb`s stomach) to the milk and takes it off the heat. After a little while spent stirring it with a big stick, the curds separate from the whey in this huge clump, which he puts into a mold and starts squeezing and shaping, getting out all of the whey that`s left, until it`s packed tightly into a mold. Then he covers it with salt and lets it age for a few months, after which it becomes Pecorino (like you`d put on your pasta!)<br /> <br /> After the Pecorino is done, he puts the rest of the whey onto the fire again and brings it up to a boil - which is how he makes Ricotta (re-cooked) cheese. This he scoops into another mold and lets age for a while, sometimes over the fire to make smoked ricotta.<br /> <br /> We grabbed a small wheel of pecorino to take home for only 10 Euros, and another big piece of smoked ricotta, which we ate at the farm. I`m not joking when I say it was damn good cheese.</p>

Visiting the Cheesemaking Shephard - 02

The Cheesemaking Shephard (who walks his sheep by the farm every afternoon) lives just up the hill from the farm. At 5am, we got up on a very chilly day to visit him, and sit by the fire as he made his cheese.

After milking the goats and sheep, he heats the milk in a large iron kettle on the fire. Once it gets to about body temperature, he adds a bit of rennet (taken from a lamb`s stomach) to the milk and takes it off the heat. After a little while spent stirring it with a big stick, the curds separate from the whey in this huge clump, which he puts into a mold and starts squeezing and shaping, getting out all of the whey that`s left, until it`s packed tightly into a mold. Then he covers it with salt and lets it age for a few months, after which it becomes Pecorino (like you`d put on your pasta!)

After the Pecorino is done, he puts the rest of the whey onto the fire again and brings it up to a boil - which is how he makes Ricotta (re-cooked) cheese. This he scoops into another mold and lets age for a while, sometimes over the fire to make smoked ricotta.

We grabbed a small wheel of pecorino to take home for only 10 Euros, and another big piece of smoked ricotta, which we ate at the farm. I`m not joking when I say it was damn good cheese.

<p>The Cheesemaking Shephard (who walks his sheep by the farm every afternoon) lives just up the hill from the farm. At 5am, we got up on a very chilly day to visit him, and sit by the fire as he made his cheese.<br /> <br /> After milking the goats and sheep, he heats the milk in a large iron kettle on the fire. Once it gets to about body temperature, he adds a bit of rennet (taken from a lamb`s stomach) to the milk and takes it off the heat. After a little while spent stirring it with a big stick, the curds separate from the whey in this huge clump, which he puts into a mold and starts squeezing and shaping, getting out all of the whey that`s left, until it`s packed tightly into a mold. Then he covers it with salt and lets it age for a few months, after which it becomes Pecorino (like you`d put on your pasta!)<br /> <br /> After the Pecorino is done, he puts the rest of the whey onto the fire again and brings it up to a boil - which is how he makes Ricotta (re-cooked) cheese. This he scoops into another mold and lets age for a while, sometimes over the fire to make smoked ricotta.<br /> <br /> We grabbed a small wheel of pecorino to take home for only 10 Euros, and another big piece of smoked ricotta, which we ate at the farm. I`m not joking when I say it was damn good cheese.</p>

Visiting the Cheesemaking Shephard - 01

The Cheesemaking Shephard (who walks his sheep by the farm every afternoon) lives just up the hill from the farm. At 5am, we got up on a very chilly day to visit him, and sit by the fire as he made his cheese.

After milking the goats and sheep, he heats the milk in a large iron kettle on the fire. Once it gets to about body temperature, he adds a bit of rennet (taken from a lamb`s stomach) to the milk and takes it off the heat. After a little while spent stirring it with a big stick, the curds separate from the whey in this huge clump, which he puts into a mold and starts squeezing and shaping, getting out all of the whey that`s left, until it`s packed tightly into a mold. Then he covers it with salt and lets it age for a few months, after which it becomes Pecorino (like you`d put on your pasta!)

After the Pecorino is done, he puts the rest of the whey onto the fire again and brings it up to a boil - which is how he makes Ricotta (re-cooked) cheese. This he scoops into another mold and lets age for a while, sometimes over the fire to make smoked ricotta.

We grabbed a small wheel of pecorino to take home for only 10 Euros, and another big piece of smoked ricotta, which we ate at the farm. I`m not joking when I say it was damn good cheese.

<p>We were lucky enough to visit the Farmstay during the grape harvest, which meant that we ended up getting to watch them making the wine in the late afternoon. The farm makes both white and red wine, and they also help the entire town make their wine for the season. First the juice gets pressed, and then poured directly into huge bottles that are left open in the garage for about a week or three. Fermentation happens almost immediately, and nothing is added to it; as Giussepe says, "zucchero naturale!"<br /> <br /> The winemaking process is pretty wacky, actually; basically, the whole thing starts foaming, and the foam starts spilling over the top of the bottle. That`s the fermented, nasty bits, which Giussepe removes by hand until the mixture is ready to cap. Once about a week or two has past, he covers the top of the bottle with a cut plastic bottle to keep bad things out of the wine and the wine ferments naturally for a few more months.</p>

Making the Wine - 07

We were lucky enough to visit the Farmstay during the grape harvest, which meant that we ended up getting to watch them making the wine in the late afternoon. The farm makes both white and red wine, and they also help the entire town make their wine for the season. First the juice gets pressed, and then poured directly into huge bottles that are left open in the garage for about a week or three. Fermentation happens almost immediately, and nothing is added to it; as Giussepe says, "zucchero naturale!"

The winemaking process is pretty wacky, actually; basically, the whole thing starts foaming, and the foam starts spilling over the top of the bottle. That`s the fermented, nasty bits, which Giussepe removes by hand until the mixture is ready to cap. Once about a week or two has past, he covers the top of the bottle with a cut plastic bottle to keep bad things out of the wine and the wine ferments naturally for a few more months.

#Reverb10 Day 9 – Party

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Note: This is the ninth in a month-long exercise called Reverb10, where bloggers reflect on the year before and think towards the year ahead. The idea is to post daily, based on the day’s prompts; let’s see how well I do.

December 9 – Party Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)

It’s interesting to me that the social gatherings that most impressed me over 2010 almost all involved the Drupal community.

Back in April, I went to Drupalcon in San Francisco. Not only was it my first time at Drupalcon, but it was my first time in San Francisco – in fact, my first time on the West Coast at all. I fell in love with the weather, the environment, and all the amazing people I was meeting. Additionally, I’m enough of a nerd that any opportunity to learn something makes me overly giddy, and there was so much to learn at DrupalCon that I was a kid in a candy store for most of the week.

As it was my first time in San Francisco, I decided to stay for a few days outside the conference, and spend time with local friends in my off time. I had amazing Ethiopian food with a friend who’d moved there from Boston the previous August; and got together for an amazing dinner and drinks festival not once, but *twice*, with friend and West Coast Twin Jess Sand, who I don’t get to hang out with nearly often enough.

As often happens, most of my best memories about San Francisco involved food, restaurants and beer. Can’t say I’m not predictable. Particularly memorable:

  • Homemade bacon tater tots at Urban Tavern;
  • Violet Cassis macarons at Paulette (oh. my. lord.)
  • Racer 5 beer at Bruno’s;
  • The macaroni and cheese at Bruno’s;
  • Just about everything at Bruno’s;
  • Hanging out at a random punk bar with Jess, throwing peanuts on the floor and drinking great beer;
  • Engaging in more of the same with Jess and Sean from Design ICU (another Drupalcon attendee) at another random punk bar after a long dinner at Bruno’s, and getting into a passionate discussion on the use of “feminine wiles” to get what you want (if you can’t guess, I’m in the pro-wiles camp).

All told, I have to get back to San Francisco. I also need to get my Drupalcon tickets for Chicago.