Charleston: Month 1

Posted on June 2, 2012 by clairerhoads

Hi y’all. Today marks one month since we moved here to Charleston, South Carolina from San Francisco, California. Do you like the ‘y’all’? I have to admit, there is something so easy and efficient about that word. I find myself saying it occasionally now.

Well, it’s a miracle we ever made it on the plane a month ago. I came down with the flu the day before the movers came (naturally) and had to lie on the unfurnished floors in a half conscious stupor while Matt stepped on a bee and could hardly walk. Thank God my mom nursed us at her house before we flew out two days later! We crawled onto the plane (after checking 3 guns of course). I honestly don’t think I had the constitution for any emotion which was probably best! Goodbyes are no bueno. No senor.

My sister-in-law, bro-in-law and kids welcomed us with that southern hospitality to their house in the burbs and soon the whole clan descended for my husband’s birthday. Including one of The Twins! We had a great time and sadness/homesickness really only crept in for a few fleeting moments.

Look at this adorable “welcome bag” that my SIL and MIL made for us! Love it.

Fishing off the docks.

We also had a very fine derby party of our own making. My husband’s horse won, to the chagrin of the rest of the family.

Take Charge Trudy & Rousing Sermon.

Even uncle Leonard donned a derby hat…

We’ve played some corn hole. We’ve lost a lot of corn hole. New games? Anyone? How about a different game??

So, down to the really good stuff- our new apartment. In a word, miracle. Old. Charming. Location. Downtown. Those are just a few. We live smack dab in the heart of the old historic French Quarter in Charleston, in an old converted brick cotton warehouse built in 1855. Uhh…yes, you heard that right. Pre-Civil War. We are living in history, you could say. We LOVE it.

Every day, I wake up, look out my window (my two story double long window in my two story exposed brick wall..!!!) and see antiquity. I hear the clipclop of horse (excuse me, mule, per Matt) drawn carriage tours, I step out (and after getting smacked with the moist, humid wall of weather) walk a block to any restaurant, the harbor front, or in the other direction, cobblestone streets, the first theatre in America, and a church founded in 1680.

St Philip’s church’s graveyard is the resting place of some important folk. Buried there are revolutionaries, politicians, confederates and artists. Among them are Col. William Rhett, known as the “Scourge of the Pirates,” charged with bringing the murderous Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet to justice. Gen. Moultrie, the great defender of Charleston against the British, is there. Edward Rutledge, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Charles Pinckney, a signer of the Constitution, and John C. Calhoun, a US senator and vice president of the US also are buried there.

Beware of carriage crossing.

So, when friends and family ask “how are you liking it?” I say “I’m loving it!” Because we are. It feels like England, but with better weather and friendlier people (hey, my Brits – you know I love you!).

I will, however, briefly mention the main thing that thwarts this idyllic experience (aside from missing my family and friends!). BUGS. The bain of my existence. By the third day here, I had 20+ bug bites. Apparently, I’m the 1-in-10 that is highly attractive to mosquitos. Go figure that this attraction is for bugs. Uhhhh…where was this phenomenon in my dating years?? To add fuel to the fire, I also, evidently, suffer from “Skeeter Syndrome” or allergy to mosquitos. “Sounds pretty redneck,” said my California-bred boss. But that’s what it’s called, apparently. So, I look like a leper straight out of Bible times, but there’s NO CURE. I’ve spent over $100 on various pharmaceutical paraphernalia: Off, natural sprays, a thermacell, salves, lotions, essential oils, vitamin B1 supplements. I’m coming to terms with the fact that I have to wear something at all times, or suffer the histamine consequences.

Then there’s the palmetto bugs. That’s southernese for giant flying cockroaches that sound like military helicopters when approaching your head. More posts coming about those behemoths, but I will leave you with this lovely image of our toilet last week. Bye, y’all!

Tuscany: Hill town homesteads, leather goods and twihards

Posted on October 11, 2011 by clairerhoads

Tuscany is a delightful place. Driving in Tuscany is not delightful. I find myself at extremes constantly, screaming with fear or giggling with nervousness. Matt does not favor either reactions. The thing is, the italians are absolutely the most ridiculous drivers – they ride your butt as a rule and there is no such thing as a lane. They ONLY pass you on a blind curve, I promise. That said, when we are not automotively fighting for our lives, the countryside provides the most beautiful landscapes.

We left orvieto and traveled north to Montalcino, an old hill town halfway to San Gimignano. We loved it. It is peaceful, a wine lovers paradise, and clearly THE place to come if you are a wealthy yuppy who can rent a fancy old car topless (the car of course). Montalcino is famous for their Brunello di Montalcino, a rich reddish brown wine ( Brunello means “brunette”). We had a fab lunch of pasta, bruschetta and the brunette and then strolled around, heading on to San gimignano after.

We stayed at an agriturismo just outside of San Gim (il castagnolino). We must pause here to say that if you come to Italy, you must stay in these as much as possible. They are a great value, have a peaceful natural setting, and,…they feed you. We half loved the meal we had, but figure that if we had eaten another night, it would have been better. All the food you eat comes from their farm. I love this slow food approach. We realized that there is a reason that we never see big trucks here – they don’t need to haul massive amounts of food around because they eat locally. We’ve vowed to find a produce co-op when we get home.

We hit Volterra, Rick steves’ favorite town in Tuscany and we have to admit – we felt “eh” about it. Perhaps it’s because we hit it around siesta time. Oops. Interestingly, we learned that it has recently earned international attention for it’s connection to the Twilight series (being the home of the ancient italian vampire family, the Volturri). They had funny exhibits at the TI center and even had a New Moon tour. Calling all Twihards! :)

San Gimignano is sweet albeit empty of any attractions aside from shopping, views and food. Most of our memories of the town will be of my haggling (both with Matt AND the vendor) for a gorgeous handmade leather traveling bag. Double stitching, cognac leather, old fashioned buckles. “I’ll have it forever!” I exclaimed. Meanwhile, I won’t be getting any Christmas presents this year. ;)

We had a D-lish cliffside dinner overlooking the whole Tuscan valley where we devoured the most amazing truffle gnocchi, wild boar (regional specialty) and white wine. This is an appropriate time to mention that one of the highlights of our trip has been our mass consumption of all things truffle ( it’s in season here). We have developed a love affair with that scrumptious fungi. The other highlight is listening to Matt try to pronounce the Italian word for truffle – tartufo. Tarfuti, tufarto, tarfito, tufarti, tarfarti. Anything but the actual word. We die laughing every time.

Here, we get mistaken for the Germans by the French. It is an interesting phenomenon. And in turn, we’ve found that we love the Germans we meet. Perhaps a trip is looming in our future?

Next was Florence. There are two things that can be said – there is something magical about Florence and our hotel room was a dump.

More pics to come!

Orvieto: Mystery Meat

Posted on October 7, 2011 by clairerhoads

Our first night in Umbria was quite the experience. We were all aglow after our amazing exploration of Civita. We checked into our fancy spa like agriturismo in the hills of Orvieto and got a little R&R. The hot tub was broken (i feel like most things are in italy) but we convinced them to crank up the “winter” indoor spa and steam room. This was, in a word, heaven. After the grime and rush of Rome, we were, finally, relaxed. We took a nap and walked down the driveway to the agri’s fancy restaurant, where we decided to go with the Meat Tasting Menu. How exciting! 4+ courses with custom wine pairings. Here is where it gets interesting.

I saw that the antipasti was “calf sweetbreads”. Huh…I’ve never heard of that, I thought. I asked Matt who said in an off hand manner, “oh that’s the little ultra tender center of the tenderloin.” Wow, count me in. So after the aspertivo, they set down our sweetbread plate with mushrooms, and I eagerly cut a small piece and popped it in. Hmph..this…does not taste like filet mignon. It’s… really irony tasting. It kind of made me sick. Matt clearly was coming to a conclusion and looked at me sheepishly. “I don’t think this is what I thought it was.” A small panic was rising in me. What the heck am I eating??

“Claire, don’t kill me, but…. I think this is calf testicles.” He was suppressing laughter.

“WHAAAT?!?!” I almost died and threw up, simultaneously.

We had had some wine already and were relaxed, so all of the sudden, the whole situation was immensely funny and even I couldn’t help but break down laughing. I laughed so hard I cried and every time the fancy waitress came, we would have tears streaming down our faces, to the chagrin of the other (fancy) diners.

The whole meal (catalogued below) was fantastic and we left guts busting, happy and relaxed. When we got back to the room, we did a little research ( thank God for Wikipedia) and discovered that while sweetbread is occasionally of the testicular nature, it is usually the brainstem/thymus. Awesome, we ate a baby cow’s immune system center OR brain, I thought. We are the ultimate monsters.

Beware the sweetbreads.

Menu:

Appertivo – smoked salmon (champagne)
Antipasti – calf brainstem/sweetbread porcini mushroom (Cabernet franc)
Primi – rabbit ragu tagliatelle (cab-merlot)
Secondi – filet mignon with rosemary and porcini demi glaze and fingerling potato (merlot)
Pre pre-dolci – three pecorino cheeses and honey
Pre-dolci – little cookie cake things (sherry)
Dolci – orange torte, orange mousse, chocolate liquor ice cream

Roma: Day 2 in the Eternal City

Posted on October 1, 2011 by clairerhoads

We are simply having an absolutely amazing time already. Our 16 hour journey, while long, was blissfully uneventful and full of sleeping (mostly for Matt, who can sleep ANyWHERE. Drives me crazy) with a refreshing respite in London Heathrow to tide us over until our longer visit later.

We arrived in Rome in the evening and found our B&B, located in the ancient Jewish Ghetto neighborhood, right in the heart of the city. Our room is great for Rome standards and perhaps the most exciting feature for Matt is the bidet. “I want to use it but it scares me.”

We got in and felt some new found energy and so decided to walk around the quaint, narrow neighborhood streets in search of a late dinner (typical for Italians). As we strolled down the cobbled streets, hand in hand, warm summer breeze blowing through the ancient, tall buildings, I couldn’t help but feel that life on this earth can’t get much better. And then we tasted the made-to-order tiramisu at our outdoor cafe. I almost died. Amazing stuff, and I don’t even LIKE tiramisu usually.

Yesterday was our marathon sightseeing day. We’re still in bed recovering, in fact (Matt is, as usual, sleeping). In the morning, we walked the 2 miles to the Vatican City to start our day-long private tour with Mr. Giancarlo Alu. My parents got a private tour with him 3 years ago and recommended him highly. Giancarlo is a delightful and passionate 70 year old archeologist and art historian. He has spoken around the world (Princeton, Oxford) and owns multiple historic properties in Italy (which he invited us to stay at but our schedule didn’t work – gahh!). We shared that we were most interested in early Christian history and amazingly, that is his specialty! He was very excited about that and actually stayed with us longer than planned because “you both have beautiful positive auras around you and I am having fun.” ( ok, so a little quirky. Aura? Jet lag? Who knows)

Giancarlo took us through the early christian museum where we saw marble sarcophagi from the Christian catacombs. The engravings depicted beloved scenes from the bible, including Jesus healing people, etc. Everything had the early symbol for Christians on it – the Che-Rho. The Chi-Rho (pronounced “KEE-roe”) is a symbol consisting of the intersection of the capital Greek letters Chi (Χ) and Rho (Ρ), which are the first two letters of “Christ” in Greek (ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, Christos). The cross was not used until later, as it was still a “sensitive” image for early Christians. A particularly somber sight was a capstone for a young boy that translated – here is XX, may he rest in peace with christos, he was 8 years old, a martyr. These artifacts were from the height of persecution for Christians in Rome, around 280 AD. What struck us is that because they had to remain so secret about their worship, they took every opportunity to express their faith outwardly in simple things like cups, oil lamps, and silverware. We even saw the first ever Christian accessories – a chi-Rho ring and ichthus(fish) necklace!

These were such a stark contrast to the ornateness of the later popes’ treasures. Let me just put it this way – the pope has got a lotta bling in his crib, ok? St. Peter’s Basilica is….whoa. It is so grandiose that it takes your breath away. Scale is the big wow factor there- it is just so huge. The tiny-looking gold lettering toward the ceiling is actually 6 feet tall.

The Sistine chapel was, of course, breathtaking. Hopefully my pics will appear below. This wordpress for iPad app is kinda sketchy!

After visiting the Coloseum and roman forum, we hit the gelateria (drool) and then a ristorante near our place featuring traditional roman jewish dishes ( fried artichoke, etc). Our young, virile waiter insisted that we order the ossobucco and wouldn’t take the dish away until Matt ate the bone marrow, which he says his father told him to eat lots of – “It make-a you strong-a for the ladies” (!)

Because yesterday’s miles and stairs made our butts and feet scream out in pain, we’re taking it easy today to enjoy a little dolce vita (sweet life).

Ciao for now!

Euro Adventure: Come with us to Italy/England!

Posted on September 27, 2011 by clairerhoads

Well, I am beside myself with excitement. Things have been a little quiet around Open R(h)oads because we Rhoadses have been planning/preparing for an epic Euro adventure. Tomorrow, we depart for Italy, where we will be for almost two weeks before a jaunty trip to London, my old stomping grounds, and then back home to the SF Bay Area.

We have 3 main missions for this trip:

1) Fall more in love.

(Wow, how did they dig up that old pic of my Southern Gentleman and I in front of the Trevi Fountain??)

2) Stuff our faces with drool-worthy cuisine.

3.) Learn stuff about God’s creation and people.

What can I say? We’re simple folk.

We so wish you all could come with us. So… we thought it would be fun to blog about our adventures in each city as we go from my trusty new iPad! So, kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride. The good news is you won’t get your wallet stolen. ;)

Ciao for now,

Claire

Fall Treats: Sweet Potato Muffins

Posted on September 9, 2011 by clairerhoads

Ok, I’ve been sensing (despite the hot weather here in California) that Fall is on its way. Darker mornings and evenings, etc. THEN I saw my good friend Stephanie’s post over at She Inspired today – a post about her accidental creative recipe for “Serendipitous Sweet Potato Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting”.

This is where I drool so much that I slip in the puddle on the floor. At this moment in time (granted, close to dinner time without an earlier lunch) all I can think about is leaves falling and me stuffing my face with those muffins. I can’t wait to try the recipe out myself soon!

What started out as a trip to the grocery store to gather the ingredients for pumpkin muffins, turned into a serendipitous sweet potato adventure. Read her story, her recipe and her drool-worthy pics here.

Here’s to the onslaught of autumnal treats coming our way!

Open R(h)oads

A city girl. A country boy. Hitting the open r(h)oads of life.

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