Charcuterie…Long Island-style–

  YES!  We are hanging here in Greenport, Long Island, and we stumble upon a place called ‘Basso’ serving up wonderful cured meats and tasty glasses of Chianti. . .mmmm, aaaahh–we are happy once again.  Above you see the proprietor posing next to his brand new real-deal slicing machine–all ten grand worth or so–and a sampling of what you can gobble here: prosciutto, cotto, speck, lardo, salumi, etc.. . .all high quality stuff and extremely tasty.  Plus, he had a Sicilian cheese on hand, the name of which I cannot remember–sorry!, that was extremely pungent and delicious. . .perfect with our meats and red wine.  Please visit Basso if you ever find yerself hangin’ in Greenport. . .you will be totally satisfied–I gar-ron-taaaay!!

I send you soothing vibes from Basso in Greenport. . .feel them. . .they are good for your constitution.

To see more fabulous images from around planet Earth simply click on a location in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

The Pantheon ROCKS!

KABOOMY!  It’s the Pantheon, now known as the Church of Santa Maria or some such thing, and it absolutely positively still ROCKS and ROLLS after sitting here for two thousand years. . .mmmm, aaaahh!!  This is without a doubt one of my top-five favorite structures of all time and quite possibly my supreme favorite.  It was built by a dude called Agrippa during the time of Augustus, say around the year zero or so!!. . .then a dude called Hadrian completed the present structure that we see today in around the year 126 c.e. or so, and it is as magnificent today as I am sure it was way back when.  In fact, it is even more magnificent today on some level just because it has survived nearly totally intact for two millennia. . .a drippy-drop in universal time but totally substantial and impressive in human time.

Since Augustus, everyone has been here or contemplated being here. . .Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Constantine, Charlemagne, Pope Gregory–nearly every pope probably, Galileo, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael–he’s entombed here, Goethe, Keats, Garibaldi, Mussolini, The Rolling Stones, me, etc. and so on. . .tons of history, tons of cul-chah, tons of powerful and lively human vibes, and on top of it all–literally–still to this day, the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome sits prominently on the Roman landscape welcoming all who want to gaze upon its magnificence.  One of my favorite things to do on planet Earth is sip espresso, sip aperitivos, snack, and eat dinner in the square in front of this building. . .I could do these things every day for the rest of my life and die a happy fellow for having done so.  Please, come here and visit this baby some time in your life. . .you will love it, I gar-ron-taaay!!

I send you enduring vibes from the Pantheon in Rome. . .feel them. . .they are the best we got on Earth.

To see more spectacular images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and sooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 aperitivo spot…Palermo–

BAM!  Here we are checkin’ out the aperitivo scene at a place called ‘Q-VIVI’ in Palermo, Sicily, and I gotta tell you, this is the number one spot in town for lovely aperitivos, fabulous snacks, and an extremely chilled-out and welcoming atmosphere. . .right in the heart of Old Town Palermo. . .jaaa!  Q-VIVI is located in Revolution Square. . .you can’t miss it, just look for all of the folks sitting outside, gobbling multiple plates of antipasti, and sipping on spritzes, negronis, margaritas, wine, beer, etc. and so on.  You will love Q-VIVI. . .I gar-ron-taaay!

I send you thirst-quenching vibes from Q-VIVI in Palermo, Sicily. . .feel them. . .they will help you get yer party started.

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Drink, eat, enjoy…Palermo-style–

POW!  It’s the Kursaal Kalhesa here in Palermo, Sicily. . .folks love doing aperitivos here, they love eating dinner here, and they love doing late night drinking here because this place is massive, the setting is ancient and other-worldly, and the staff is helpful and welcoming. . .plus, we are right down on the waterfront so there is always the possibility of a light sea breeze to keep one cool or a late-night walk with the stars glistening off the Tyrrhenian Sea. . .mmm, aaaahh!

We popped in early for our aperitivo–early here being about 8:00 p.m.–and folks were only just starting to arrive. . .soooo plan accordingly, nothing really substantial starts to happen drinking and eating-wise until about 9-ish. . .then it can go all night long, if you want it to.

I send you cavernous vibes from Kursaal Kalhesa in Palermo. . .feel them. . .they will set you straight.

To see more fascinating images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 B & B…Palermo, Sicily–

  BAM!  Here it is…the number one-rated B and B in all of Palermo, Sicily: BB 22.  This place is located right in the heart of Old Town Palermo. . .the Palermo Cathedral, San Domenico Church, Ballaro Market, the Boat Cove known as ‘La Cala’, the Tyrrhenian Sea, Teatro Massimo, great restaurants, great drinking spots, etc. are all just minutes away by foot.  We have been told that Palermo doesn’t have much to offer, that there is not much to see here, not much to eat here, etc., and to all of that we say, “Hooey!”

Palermo is a great town and totally worthy of exploration–though you have to work a bit to find her charms–bellissimo!! to those of you who do.  I recommend that you book a room in BB 22, have a quick meal at Mangia e Bevi just downstairs, head over to Q-VIVI in Revolution Square for a drink or three, and then wander around and get lost.  You will love it here. . .I gar-ron-taaaay!

I send you gritty and tough vibes from Palermo. . .feel them. . .they are most-worthy of your attention.

To see more wonderful images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.