Brooklyn Fat Stuff

I like food.

I like Traveling.

I like traveling, while eating food.

My guide through New York City to Milan and elsewhere...

Things I must do when I go back to NYC:

1. Road trip to Niagara Falls
2. Go to the Museum of Art and Design
3. See more Broadway!
4. Try another 3 star Michelin Restaurant
5. Have a weekend up at Catskills
6. Ice skate at Rockerfeller  

nevermoreabiggirl asked: I randomly found your blog... It's beautiful and it mades me so melancholic! :') I'm italian, from Parma (the ham and cheese's city lol) but I'm living in France for one year as an erasmus student. I love France but seeing your posts reminds me of my home and my country and I miss them sooo much! I hope you enjoy my beautiful country :) Have a good day xoxo

Grazie Mille! So nice of you. Amo Italia - tantissimo!! You’re very lucky to be from this amazing country. Unfortunately, I’ve run out of time to visit your city and a lot of other cities that I hope to come back and see.   Enjoy France!! 

Shiro

I found some more good Japanese food, and it was close to my apartment! Shiro and it’s sister store Poporoya are owned by Japanese. Still not as good as my fave restaurant back home in Australia, but I was happy. Tempura prawn sushi, salmon temaki and Green Tea mochi ice cream for dessert. Unfortunately, they did over charge us. So now not too sure what to think of them…? Surely just a human error? They refunded us, but weren’t as apologetic as would be expected.

EWW! Yes that is a huge giant rat with a guinea pig face, orange teeth and duck feet.  It’s called a Nutria or Coypu.  It’s body is sometimes a foot long, not including the tail. We spotted the pest in our neighbourhood park, but you can find them anywhere near the canals.  Apparently they were introduced to Italy for fur farming, however, when the farms became non profitable, they just.. let them all go. They eat everything, but nothing eats them, so they breed and breed and destroy hectares of land.   I even read their meat is actually really healthy, low in cholesterol and lean, and is considered a delicacy in some countries.  And people think our Platypus is weird?!?

EWW!

Yes that is a huge giant rat with a guinea pig face, orange teeth and duck feet.  It’s called a Nutria or Coypu.  It’s body is sometimes a foot long, not including the tail. We spotted the pest in our neighbourhood park, but you can find them anywhere near the canals. 

Apparently they were introduced to Italy for fur farming, however, when the farms became non profitable, they just.. let them all go. They eat everything, but nothing eats them, so they breed and breed and destroy hectares of land.   I even read their meat is actually really healthy, low in cholesterol and lean, and is considered a delicacy in some countries. 

And people think our Platypus is weird?!?

Fear of Heights… Cinque Terre was a struggle for me. I suffer a severe case of a fear of heights. To the point where I won’t even lean on a second floor balcony railing.  The view was so beautiful, I persevered. The trail was sometimes a foot wide, and of course there where people (and dogs) coming the other way.  This is also when I realised that driving on the left side of the road is FAR BETTER if you are SCARED OF HEIGHTS, and the CLIFF is to your RIGHT.  At one point, we walked through someone’s front yard (see photo above). Most of the time you walk in between vineyards and terrace farming.

Fear of Heights…

Cinque Terre was a struggle for me. I suffer a severe case of a fear of heights. To the point where I won’t even lean on a second floor balcony railing.  The view was so beautiful, I persevered. The trail was sometimes a foot wide, and of course there where people (and dogs) coming the other way.  This is also when I realised that driving on the left side of the road is FAR BETTER if you are SCARED OF HEIGHTS, and the CLIFF is to your RIGHT.  At one point, we walked through someone’s front yard (see photo above). Most of the time you walk in between vineyards and terrace farming.

Views from the Ferry

We took the ferry from Riomaggiore north up to Monterosso. Monterosso is no where near as nice as all the other towns. Very commercial and touristy. Unfortunately, it was also the worst hit by the landslides. If you can see, in the last photo, the stripes of dirt going down the mountain show the landslide damage.

I do not recommend staying in Monterosso, its expensive, and it’s cheesy, and although its got the only beach of Cinque Terre - its not a nice beach.  Unfortunately due to the strike, we didn’t have enough time to go to Vernazza. I hear this is the most beautiful of the towns in Cinque Terre.  Also, take note, when the trail reopens, everyone says the view is best walking from North to South. This way you also get the hardest part over with first.

Cinque Terre

Am I the unlucky charm? Two problems - I encounter yet another strike (ground strike this time), and the majority of the Cinque Terre path is closed due to a terrible landslide that happened 5 months ago.  Only option, wake up super early, take the last train leaving and get off at Corniglia and do an inland 3 hour hike instead, finishing back in Riomaggiore, then catch the ferry north for some town hopping.

Am I the unlucky charm?

Two problems - I encounter yet another strike (ground strike this time), and the majority of the Cinque Terre path is closed due to a terrible landslide that happened 5 months ago. 

Only option, wake up super early, take the last train leaving and get off at Corniglia and do an inland 3 hour hike instead, finishing back in Riomaggiore, then catch the ferry north for some town hopping.

Riomaggiore

I had been waiting for the weather to be a little warmer so I could do the Cinque Terre hike.  The weather was perfect, and since we were going all the way to Pisa, might as well detour and stay a few nights in Riomaggiore, one of the small towns on the Cinque Terre Coast. As you can see it had absolute Italian charm and a damn good view.

Gelateria De’ Coltelli Rated 6th best place to eat in Pisa on Tripadvisor.  I do like a good gelato, and I’m always looking for a competitor for GROM (particularly the Crema Di Grom flavour).  This place did not disappoint, all natural flavouring.   I chose pear and kiwi, but the Almond Granita on the right, was mind blowing.

Gelateria De’ Coltelli

Rated 6th best place to eat in Pisa on Tripadvisor.  I do like a good gelato, and I’m always looking for a competitor for GROM (particularly the Crema Di Grom flavour).  This place did not disappoint, all natural flavouring.  

I chose pear and kiwi, but the Almond Granita on the right, was mind blowing.

Photos of Pisa

Roman Ruins, the Canal and the Keith Haring Mural.  This was Keith’s last public work in 1989 before he died. It’s called ‘tuttomondo’.  Apparently he painted it in a week with no prelim sketches etc. It represents peace and harmony on earth.

Pisa! One day rest after Spain, and I couldn’t keep still! I only had one month left in Italia, so off to Pisa I go!  Pisa is a very beautiful, very clean city. Tiny. You really only need a few hours to walk around the town. However, if you want to climb the tower, it is timed entry. But you can book online ahead of time.

Pisa!

One day rest after Spain, and I couldn’t keep still! I only had one month left in Italia, so off to Pisa I go! 

Pisa is a very beautiful, very clean city. Tiny. You really only need a few hours to walk around the town. However, if you want to climb the tower, it is timed entry. But you can book online ahead of time.

Protestors -  Barcelona, Spain.

“Drop your napkins on the floor, that’s how they do it in the dirty south”