motorbike guy wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 7:49 am So we found ourselves in Cambridge on Friday night. Mary Chungs was a No Go, as they only have takeout, no dining in. So we ate at the Middle East. Food is not great, but not terrible, as always. Joseph was there. They may have painted the place in the 25 years since I was there, but not much else has changed. I showed my son the upstairs room where I spent many many hours both on stage and in the crowd. During dinner we asked the bartender what shows were on for the evening -- she said both upstairs and downstairs were 18+ Hip Hop shows. My son's ears perked up.

So after we ate, and went and walked around Harvard Sq. a while, we came back to central Sq. I was sort of hoping for the Kristen Hersh gig at TT's (Now called "Sonia") but we wound up at the hip hop show downstairs at the Middle East. It kind of sucked but I think my son loved it.

A lot has changed in Cambridge and Boston. Still awesome, though. Glad to see the Metropolitan Rage Warehouse is still Ire Proof. They named the Brookline Ave bridge next to Fenway Park over the Mass Pike after David Ortiz. the whole Fenway/Brookline Ave/Boylston area is completely different from the run down punk rock shithole it used to be. Queensbury street is, like, nice. Change is the only constant. Now he wants to go to school in Boston. Mission Accomplished.

It's so different than it was. Fenway is completely built up. That area around MIT/Lechmere is all big buildings. If you get to the Seaport district sometime that's unrecognizable, and it was the Big Dig that opened up so much of that to development. It's kinda gross because it was essentially a huge gift to developers, but on the other hand, removing the central artery was important to creating continuity through the urban fabric.

I saw Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw at the Mid East in September, which was the first indoor show since the pandemic. It was really a nice, cathartic experience being back there; I'd forgotten how much time I used to spend there!

Just got back from NE Italy. The long haul flights were so empty that anyone who wanted an entire row to themselves got one. It was awesome. My bosses came back yesterday and said their flight was completely booked and 3 hours wait at customs. We got through customs in 15 minutes. Frankfurt layover was a breeze, too. Strange times. I hate that airport, except the pretzels and sausages are pretty great.

Verona was fun, last day we had to ourselves, went to Dischi Volante in the old city and bought a bunch of records. Nice guys at the shop, too. Someone bought a jacket at Benetton.

The rest of the time was in the van at 8am, visiting wineries we import all day, dinner until midnight, back at it the next day. "Death Marches" these are referred to. But I love the wines of Sudtirol/Alto Adige and Friuli so fucking much. Went to Veneto wineries as well. Ate some killer food, obv.

Me and the other LA employee (we're based in SF) were the only ones on the rental car so took turns driving. I love driving in Europe, traffic circles FTW. Fuck we need those here in the US. One night really late though coming down from a restaurant in Bolzano we got stopped at a Carabinieri checkpoint type thing. The other driver didn't bring her driver's license, only had a photo on her phone. Luckily my boss speaks Italian so it wasn't so bad but man the driver was stressed out. I'm sure Carabinieri spoke English, dude was being a dick, telling us that we had to have an int'l license, which is only half-true. I mean they rented us the car without it, fuxache.

I love Italy but have yet to visit the south or the islands. Next year...

Was so good to be someplace else.

I'm going to Iceland in a few days with my fiancee and a few of her cousins. One of them is turning 50, and that's where she wants to be on her birthday. We have our days planned - time in Reykjavik, glacier hike, volcano hike, etc. We hope to see the Northern Lights too.

I've been there before, and am looking forward to going again. I hope the weather isn't too bad, the forecast seems to change from day to day.

Seeing the N Italy and turning 50 in Iceland posts, I forgot to mention I'll be turning 50 on this Spain trip next week. The gf is also turning 47 on this trip.

BUT ALSO, we'll be in the Tuscony region of Italy for a week as well. So if anyone has any recs there, hit me! Specifically we'll be in Florence, Siena, and San Gimgiano. Maybe Pisa.

tommy wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:16 am Seeing the N Italy and turning 50 in Iceland posts, I forgot to mention I'll be turning 50 on this Spain trip next week. The gf is also turning 47 on this trip.

BUT ALSO, we'll be in the Tuscony region of Italy for a week as well. So if anyone has any recs there, hit me! Specifically we'll be in Florence, Siena, and San Gimgiano. Maybe Pisa.

Tuscany is beautiful. I didn't get it until I visited. Visit some old castles, eat good food. Go record shopping if there is a record shop. Buy some clothes you can't get in the US. Drink wine.

They don't do American style coffee except in hotel cafeterias so if you are out and about and need caffeine you order "un doppio espresso per favore." They will make Cafe Americano (espresso and hot water). It will cost you 1.10 euro. Most cafe's will allow you to have 2 doppios but will cut you off after that, so sometimes you go to another cafe across the street to finish your daily caffeine intake.

enframed wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:05 am

tommy wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:16 am Seeing the N Italy and turning 50 in Iceland posts, I forgot to mention I'll be turning 50 on this Spain trip next week. The gf is also turning 47 on this trip.

BUT ALSO, we'll be in the Tuscony region of Italy for a week as well. So if anyone has any recs there, hit me! Specifically we'll be in Florence, Siena, and San Gimgiano. Maybe Pisa.

Tuscany is beautiful. I didn't get it until I visited. Visit some old castles, eat good food. Go record shopping if there is a record shop. Buy some clothes you can't get in the US. Drink wine.

They don't do American style coffee except in hotel cafeterias so if you are out and about and need caffeine you order "un doppio espresso per favore." They will make Cafe Americano (espresso and hot water). It will cost you 1.10 euro. Most cafe's will allow you to have 2 doppios but will cut you off after that, so sometimes you go to another cafe across the street to finish your daily caffeine intake.

My band played some shows in Northern Italy a few years ago. I’ve never felt so underdressed in my life. The food was outstanding, especially in Bra, where there is a major culinary academy and food is held to a high standard everywhere. I’d love to go back and putter around for awhile.

enframed wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:05 am Tuscany is beautiful. I didn't get it until I visited. Visit some old castles, eat good food. Go record shopping if there is a record shop. Buy some clothes you can't get in the US. Drink wine.

They don't do American style coffee except in hotel cafeterias so if you are out and about and need caffeine you order "un doppio espresso per favore." They will make Cafe Americano (espresso and hot water). It will cost you 1.10 euro. Most cafe's will allow you to have 2 doppios but will cut you off after that, so sometimes you go to another cafe across the street to finish your daily caffeine intake.

We'll definitely be eating food and drinking wine. Number one priority. I already always either get a Cafe Americano or a Flat White when in Europe. I'm more of a one cup of coffee guy anyway. I cannot imagine having 3 or 4 double espressos! Yikes. Thanks for the proper way to order it though. Though I'll probably stick to a morning Cappuccino/Caffè latte in Italy. I've already been warned there is no to go option there.

Dave N. wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:15 am My band played some shows in Northern Italy a few years ago. I’ve never felt so underdressed in my life.

Oh great, I'm pretty much underdressed everywhere but the rural US already. This should be interesting.

Reading all these posts about Northern Italy hurt me lol. I lived in Bolzano and Trento for about five years. It's not an easy life there, but well worth it.

enframed wrote: Tue Nov 09, 2021 8:21 pm

I love Italy but have yet to visit the south or the islands. Next year...

Was so good to be someplace else.

I can highly recommend Sardinia. Ii want to go back quite badly.

Getting away to Greece (the Peloponnese, Kythira, Serifos, and Athens) in the early summer was a serious life-saver after 18 months of not leaving the country.

Enframed, if you ever make it to Sicily, I have some recommendations. Also seconding Sardinia. Did you happen to drop in on Angiolino Maule (close to Vicenza, actually) in the Veneto? He and his sons are high on my list of vignerons. And by the way, I am totally the kind of fiend who needs four doppi to get going in the morning, and I've never once been bounced from a cafe!

I had a great time and ate well in Bergamo in Northern Italy. I hope the place has regained its spirit, having been hit so hard early in the pandemic. It's not exactly a huge metropolis.

Tommy, I have not been to Florence since the late 1990s, but Data Records (aka Contempo Records) was a good spot for rare vinyl and probably still is.