Many of you readers agreed it was great advice in my last post about visiting Venice: Forget the map and get lost in those winding, labyrinthine streets, go up and down the foot bridges and endless stairs, and find yourself navigating passageways that will inevitably lead to… a gelateria!

I can’t even guess the number of gelaterias there are in Venice. You’re not likely to see a street without one. And boy do I love those streets with half a dozen!

But… how to choose?

I arrived in Venice ready to do a throw down of the best gelato shops in the city. I had my list of addresses starred on my map (yes the same map that would end up staying in my pocket all day long). I headed straight for La Boutique del Gelato near Campo Santa Maria Formosa (the tiramisu was subtle, not too strong and the stracciatella was like chocolate chips floating in clouds). I then made my way to Il Doge by the Campo Santa Margherita (where the mint was bright green and refreshing). I made sure I had the address for Alaska in Sante Croce, to try the less traditional flavors like avocado, artichoke and fig. And I had the addresses for Clausin, Nico and Paolin too. But you really don’t need to. And I quickly realized I was going to simply go where my feet took me, and try the gelato there!  I even stumbled upon Grom doing that, which has shops all over Italy and is now quite popular in New York City and Paris too.

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Welcome to Venice.  Now, get lost!  Literally, that is…

If I can share one piece of advice about visiting Venice, it would be to forget the map and simply get lost in Venice’s labyrinth of winding streets, foot bridges, stairs going up and down and around, leading you to dead ends or hidden churches, or yet more mysterious passageways to peak through and follow as well. (more…)

Today I wasn’t thinking about where I have just been – Baden-Baden in Germany’s Black Forest and then New York City.  Nor where I’m heading next: Venice, Italy and Croatia’s Istria region.  Today was all about home, and enjoying Zürich.  Especially since the sun was shining with a blue sky behind it; the flowers are growing taller, more vivid and abundant; and the profile of the Alps far in the distance would have stopped you in your tracks, it was so white and clear.  All that, plus the city has gone flag crazy!  All year long, Zürich’s old town has the red and white flag of Switzerland, as well as the blue and white one of the canton Zürich proudly on display.  In my opinion, it adds a unique charm to the area. Coming back today after a week away, an explosion of even more flags could not be missed.

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A trip to New York City?  To me, that usually means City Bakery, William Greenberg, Billy’s Bakery and bagels, of course.  But not this time around.  That will have to wait for the next transatlantic trip when it’s not Passover, the Jewish holiday when we avoid all leavened foods.  Yet if there is but one reason to be in New York right now, it’s simple: my grandfather’s matzoh brei.

Matzoh, those dry, cracker-like squares we resort to instead of bread, get dressed up and disguised in all shapes and forms.  My favorite is matzoh buttercrunch and especially my latest creation, in ice cream sundaes.  My other favorite is soaked in eggs and fried like French toast or scrambled up like the eggs it’s mixed with.  That’s matzoh brei.  Some people like it savory, some sweet.  (You can all guess my preference, I am sure!) From one pan of matzoh brei, you can have a dozen different plates on the table.  My mother is of the salt and pepper camp.  My grandfather eats his with lox (smoked salmon).  My grandmother, plain.  When my sister and I were little, we would make big bowls of cinnamon and sugar and pour (more accurate than sprinkle) that on top. I have since upgraded to pure maple syrup, my father’s first choice as well.  A friend of mine just told me how she had it for breakfast this past weekend, first batch with salt, second with jam. There are no rules.  Just as long as it tastes good!

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I am trying to calm my excitement while I write this post.  Passover begins tonight at sundown, Wednesday April 8th.  This is the Jewish holiday best known for its rule against eating leavened foods.  (Sounds pretty exciting, huh?!)  In their place, we eat paper thin, square sheets of matzoh, made from just flour and water, baked for 18 minutes – and not a second longer.  You can eat just about everything on these matzoh, think of them like crackers – salted butter, cream cheese and lox, fruit jam, etc. I remember, as a child, making grilled cheese matzoh sandwiches and matzoh tuna melts, while my sister’s favorite was matzoh pizza.  There are people who love matzoh and eat it all year round.  I’m part of that group, especially when I’m being served my Grandfather’s matzoh brei – fried matzoh with eggs, pretty much the Passover equivalent of French toast or scrambled eggs and matzoh.  Even more, I’m especially a member of that group when said matzoh is hidden beneath layers of golden butter caramel and creamy dark chocolate.

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Talk about alliteration: my latest adventure was to Baden-Baden in Germany’s Black Forest for the thermal baths, beer, Black Forest cake and bretzels galore !

South Germany’s Black Forest was surprisingly close to Zürich, just an hour and a half north of here.  This deep green woodland area stretches north from Basel in Switzerland for about 160 km up to Pforzheim in Southwest Germany, with its western edge at the Rhine, extending east for about 40 km.  Our main destination was near the northern limits of the forest, in Baden-Baden.  No, not to see Obama, Sarkozy and Merkel; yes, for the thermal baths!  We stayed at family-run Hotel am Markt, a really great find (with a delicious and generous buffet breakfast) on a small, charming square, our window looking down at the Stiftskirche (Baden-Baden?s first parish church) and the Roman baths just a short walk away, along the pedestrian cobblestone streets. Normally a very peaceful spot too.  That is, if there aren’t 500 police officers on the square – Obama happened to be arriving the very day we left, on that very square!  If ever you find yourself in the city of NATO’s 60th anniversary, here’s a word of advice: don’t go anywhere without your passport as well as some paperwork from your hotel.  I will admit feeling rather special though, being escorted to our hotel each time we came and went!  The presence of police officers was truly impressive.  We were almost the only 2 people in the city not in Germany’s green police uniforms.

But back to those baths… Baden-Baden is the ultimate spa town, the name itself, baden meaning bath in German.  People come here to spend hours in the thermal baths, the healing waters coming straight from the mountains - natural springs rising from depths of around 6,500 feet.  In the baths, the water temperature ranges from 32 to 42 degrees Celcius / 90 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit.  Take your pick between the ancient Friedrichsbad (Roman-Irish Bath) and the more modern Baths of Caracalla.  The former opened 120 years ago, in elegant surroundings to pamper the rich and famous. It was my first choice from the photos alone, but take note: nudity is 100% obligatory, men and women together.  And so it was, the modern yet also beautiful Caracalla Therme for us, with its marble columns and turquoise pools, both inside and outside. Also half the price of the other.  What to do first?  Hot and cold rock grotto, bubbling whirlpools, waterfalls, counter-current pool, massaging water jets, aromatherapy rooms, steam rooms, saunas… It’s all mixed, male and female, bathing suits on the main floor, but fully naked upstairs for more saunas, some even outdoors in little log cabins. Sorry, no photos to document all of that.  

All that sweating worked up an appetite.  To the local beer garden it was for a typical – and very seasonal – snack.  Beers in laughably large mugs turned out to be the minimum size you could order, and baskets of soft, doughy pretzels emptied fast.  Best of all, platters of plump white asparagus were on almost every table.  Baden-Baden is not only on the Black Forest Spa Route, but also along the Baden Asparagus Route!  Baden-Wuerttemberg is one of the most productive asparagus regions in Germany, and the harvesting has just begun. You can’t go to a single restaurant during this time of year that’s not offering its special Spargel menu.  Do take advantage.

If you’ll be passing through this region in Germany in the next few months, definitely check out the numerous asparagus festivals, asparagus peeling competitions and fun asparagus-themed events all around.  I’ve already got Asparagus Day on my calendar for May 2010!  Perhaps a stop at the baths on the way…

Hotel am Markt
Markplatz 18
76530 Baden-Baden
Germany
+49.7221.27.04.0
www.hotel-am-markt-baden.de

Tip: this hotel (and many others in town) offers discounted rates for both thermal baths, so buy your tickets when you check in!