PokeyMindy
100+ Posts
Friuli May 22-28, 2018
I enjoy planning my own adventures to Italy but there are times when a small group tour works best for me. I’d wanted to visit the Friuli region for a few years. I’d read that this region was “a dream come true” for white wine lovers which definitely “sparked joy” for me!
I reached out to my dear friends Marcello and Raffaella who own an extraordinary small food and wine tour company https://www.bluone.com/. They are members of https://slowtraveltours.com/
I’ve been fortunate to have been on 4 previous tours with them and I had no doubt their Friuli Venezia Giulia would be fabulous! They seek out like minded people/producers who share their passion for locally sourced food and wine.
I reached out to friends of mine in early July 2017 who’ve been on tours with Marcello and Raffa and asked if they’d want to join in on the fun! I also asked a few other travel friends who I thought would really love a Friuli adventure. Before we knew it we had a wonderful group of friends ready to go! We reached out to Marcello and Raffa and told them the dates we’d prefer and also that we’d like to add an extra day onto their itinerary.
With our travel dates set it was time to go. I flew Boston to Zurich which was uneventful. I do love SwissAir. I don’t mind paying an extra $100.00 for extra leg room and no one in front of me for the long haul flights. At my age it’s a much needed “perk”. I find the airport easy to navigate and the best part is the piped in “yodeling, mooing, and cowbells” you hear on the transfer tram!
I was to meet up with my friend Freda at the airport in Venice where Marcello had arranged for a driver to take us to our hotel in Udine where we would be based for the tour.
The flight on Swiss Air to Venice was going well until about 20 minutes into the flight it was announced that the plane had to turn around and return to the Zurich airport due to a BIRD STRIKE! (nothing worse than protesting birds, haha). We returned to Zurich and the planes engines were inspected and we got the “all clear” to head on back to Venice. Fortunately the passengers could stay on the plane while the inspection took place.
Of course, now I know that I’ll be arriving late and I had no way to let Freda know. When I arrived in Venice I was happy to be able to get WiFi and had tons of messages from both Freda and Marcello! The driver wouldn’t wait and so Freda had a solo van ride to Udine. I knew my other friend Beth was arriving around 5:30PM so I just hung out and met up with her driver. Beth and I rode together to Udine.
We arrived one day before the tour started and Marcello arranged for our extra night. We checked into our rooms at the Hotel Astoria in the charming town of Udine.
Did I mention it was hot hot hot and humid humid humid?? And….due to crazy Italian local laws the air conditioning was not turned on. I get grumpy when I’m sweaty so this was not a great start!
After we relaxed a bit in our rooms we decided to explore the neighborhood. We were lucky and ran into our friends, the wonderful mother/daughter duo of Arlyne and Marcy! We headed out and found a nearby place where we sat outside. We asked for the local Friulian wine and a platter of meats and cheeses. The food and wine was delicious and we toasted to our upcoming experience of everything “Friuli”. This made up for no AC.
TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2019.
In the morning we enjoyed breakfast which had a lot to offer but I needed macchiato doppio more than anything else. Freda, Beth and I met later in the lobby and ventured out to explore the shops and restaurants near the hotel. Marcy had to pick up her TIM SIM card so I tagged along and bought a SIM card for my iPad. There was also a WIND and Vodaphone store in the area. The TIM store transaction was smooth and the staff friendly. (and curious as to why we, as Americans, were staying in Udine).
We parted ways with Marcy and as our tummies were growling we went to find food! I’d heard many wonderful things about https://www.enotecagiardinetto.com/ At first we didn’t think it was open but I tried the door and voila! We absolutely loved this place! We each ordered a glass of Friuliano and raved about the food and service. There were so many wines to choose from….you could buy a glass of whatever you wanted. Each glass I chose was only about $4.00! We were lucky to return later in the week for dinner as part of our tour.
At the arranged time our entire group met in the lobby. Finally, I got to hug Marcello and Raffa!
It was wonderful to see my dear friends Rob and Jeff (aka “Carmine”). I met them years ago on Marcello and Raffa’s Le Marche tour….we became instant friends and I consider them part of my “family”.
After hugs and kisses we asked about the Air Conditioning situation! Marcello asked at the front desk but no luck. Rob and Jeff found a “dollar type store” down the block where they each bought table side fans. Beth, Freda and I marched over there and each bought fans too! They definitely helped and we were giggling amongst ourselves what the housekeeping crew must have thought seeing fans in so many rooms. WHY DID I NOT TAKE A FAN PHOTO?
We met our wonderful local guide Simonetta for a brief introduction to this region of Italy. Udine is a very walkable town. We walked to the main Piazza della Libertà. It’s like a mini Piazza San Marco. Winged Lions and all! We hiked up to the Cathedral (stopping in the shade to escape from the heat). Afterwards we stopped for a much needed aperitif at a bar sitting outside in Piazza Matteotti.
Back to our hotel (still no AC) to relax and freshen up before our first meal in Udine.
Our first dinner in Udine is at https://www.trattoriaaifrati.it/ We were led upstairs and sat outside under a canopy. Down below was a canal which reminded me of Venice. We were able to choose off the menu. I really like this option. The menu was filled with so many choices, all being typical dishes representing this area of Italy. Of course I had to try “Frico”, fried local (Montasio) cheese along with polenta and sausage. Deliziosa! For the “second piatti” I enjoyed a scrumptious plate of “guancetta di maiale con polenta”. For dessert a typical apple strudel pastry. There were a lot of laughs and plenty of Friuliano wine flowing. A wonderful first day with a crazy group of friends! What could be better? AIR CONDITIONING.
I enjoy planning my own adventures to Italy but there are times when a small group tour works best for me. I’d wanted to visit the Friuli region for a few years. I’d read that this region was “a dream come true” for white wine lovers which definitely “sparked joy” for me!
I reached out to my dear friends Marcello and Raffaella who own an extraordinary small food and wine tour company https://www.bluone.com/. They are members of https://slowtraveltours.com/
I’ve been fortunate to have been on 4 previous tours with them and I had no doubt their Friuli Venezia Giulia would be fabulous! They seek out like minded people/producers who share their passion for locally sourced food and wine.
I reached out to friends of mine in early July 2017 who’ve been on tours with Marcello and Raffa and asked if they’d want to join in on the fun! I also asked a few other travel friends who I thought would really love a Friuli adventure. Before we knew it we had a wonderful group of friends ready to go! We reached out to Marcello and Raffa and told them the dates we’d prefer and also that we’d like to add an extra day onto their itinerary.
With our travel dates set it was time to go. I flew Boston to Zurich which was uneventful. I do love SwissAir. I don’t mind paying an extra $100.00 for extra leg room and no one in front of me for the long haul flights. At my age it’s a much needed “perk”. I find the airport easy to navigate and the best part is the piped in “yodeling, mooing, and cowbells” you hear on the transfer tram!
I was to meet up with my friend Freda at the airport in Venice where Marcello had arranged for a driver to take us to our hotel in Udine where we would be based for the tour.
The flight on Swiss Air to Venice was going well until about 20 minutes into the flight it was announced that the plane had to turn around and return to the Zurich airport due to a BIRD STRIKE! (nothing worse than protesting birds, haha). We returned to Zurich and the planes engines were inspected and we got the “all clear” to head on back to Venice. Fortunately the passengers could stay on the plane while the inspection took place.
Of course, now I know that I’ll be arriving late and I had no way to let Freda know. When I arrived in Venice I was happy to be able to get WiFi and had tons of messages from both Freda and Marcello! The driver wouldn’t wait and so Freda had a solo van ride to Udine. I knew my other friend Beth was arriving around 5:30PM so I just hung out and met up with her driver. Beth and I rode together to Udine.
We arrived one day before the tour started and Marcello arranged for our extra night. We checked into our rooms at the Hotel Astoria in the charming town of Udine.
Did I mention it was hot hot hot and humid humid humid?? And….due to crazy Italian local laws the air conditioning was not turned on. I get grumpy when I’m sweaty so this was not a great start!
After we relaxed a bit in our rooms we decided to explore the neighborhood. We were lucky and ran into our friends, the wonderful mother/daughter duo of Arlyne and Marcy! We headed out and found a nearby place where we sat outside. We asked for the local Friulian wine and a platter of meats and cheeses. The food and wine was delicious and we toasted to our upcoming experience of everything “Friuli”. This made up for no AC.
TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2019.
In the morning we enjoyed breakfast which had a lot to offer but I needed macchiato doppio more than anything else. Freda, Beth and I met later in the lobby and ventured out to explore the shops and restaurants near the hotel. Marcy had to pick up her TIM SIM card so I tagged along and bought a SIM card for my iPad. There was also a WIND and Vodaphone store in the area. The TIM store transaction was smooth and the staff friendly. (and curious as to why we, as Americans, were staying in Udine).
We parted ways with Marcy and as our tummies were growling we went to find food! I’d heard many wonderful things about https://www.enotecagiardinetto.com/ At first we didn’t think it was open but I tried the door and voila! We absolutely loved this place! We each ordered a glass of Friuliano and raved about the food and service. There were so many wines to choose from….you could buy a glass of whatever you wanted. Each glass I chose was only about $4.00! We were lucky to return later in the week for dinner as part of our tour.
At the arranged time our entire group met in the lobby. Finally, I got to hug Marcello and Raffa!
It was wonderful to see my dear friends Rob and Jeff (aka “Carmine”). I met them years ago on Marcello and Raffa’s Le Marche tour….we became instant friends and I consider them part of my “family”.
After hugs and kisses we asked about the Air Conditioning situation! Marcello asked at the front desk but no luck. Rob and Jeff found a “dollar type store” down the block where they each bought table side fans. Beth, Freda and I marched over there and each bought fans too! They definitely helped and we were giggling amongst ourselves what the housekeeping crew must have thought seeing fans in so many rooms. WHY DID I NOT TAKE A FAN PHOTO?
We met our wonderful local guide Simonetta for a brief introduction to this region of Italy. Udine is a very walkable town. We walked to the main Piazza della Libertà. It’s like a mini Piazza San Marco. Winged Lions and all! We hiked up to the Cathedral (stopping in the shade to escape from the heat). Afterwards we stopped for a much needed aperitif at a bar sitting outside in Piazza Matteotti.
Back to our hotel (still no AC) to relax and freshen up before our first meal in Udine.
Our first dinner in Udine is at https://www.trattoriaaifrati.it/ We were led upstairs and sat outside under a canopy. Down below was a canal which reminded me of Venice. We were able to choose off the menu. I really like this option. The menu was filled with so many choices, all being typical dishes representing this area of Italy. Of course I had to try “Frico”, fried local (Montasio) cheese along with polenta and sausage. Deliziosa! For the “second piatti” I enjoyed a scrumptious plate of “guancetta di maiale con polenta”. For dessert a typical apple strudel pastry. There were a lot of laughs and plenty of Friuliano wine flowing. A wonderful first day with a crazy group of friends! What could be better? AIR CONDITIONING.
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