http://www.sitebits.com/ree/ Ree en Copyright &copy; 1999-2008 Gromco, Inc. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:18:22 EDT Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EDT info@sitebits.com info@sitebits.com Perhaps because it's more out of the way, smaller, and slightly less spectacular than the <b>Mercato Centrale</b>, the <b>Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio</b> is frequented mostly by genuine Florentines and their wannabe compatriots. <br/><br/> However, since it's only a 15-20 minute walk from the <b>Duomo</b>, it can't really be considered off-the-beaten track, and certainly such a convenient yet relatively uncrowded market deserves a gastronomic visit... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2008/mercato-di-sant-ambrogio-08.html Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EDT The Trattoria da Rocco, inside the Mercato Sant' Ambrogio is one of the rare places in Florence where you will still hear more Italian than English at mealtime. Everyone eats lunch here, from the occasional bewildered tourist to businessmen to construction workers. It's open for lunch, from about 11 to whenever they run out of food. <br><br> The market itself is wonderful and deserves a review of its own, so suffice it to say that the trattoria is the same size as the regular stalls in the market but it's the one that looks more like a greenhouse. Don't be concerned if you can't find the door, there isn't any. Simply open one of the windows/walls and slide into a booth and prepare for a cheap, simple, and simply good meal... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2008/trattoria-da-rocco-08.html Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:50:00 EST The title makes it sound as though you are about to view some B-movie about a perverted Dr. Frankenstein who gives life to zombies on other planets, but in actuality it was named by a German scientist who pioneered the process of plastination, which essentially means turning corpses and body parts into something more permanent. So basically, not too far off from my initial impression. <br><br> This exhibition at the museum of science in <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/usa/boston/">Boston</a> is not something i would have gone to a few years ago. I've never had a strong stomach and I am a sympathetic barfer. I even threw up at the alter during my own wedding! In recent years I've toughened up, to the point where I can clean up after the dog, bandage a wound, and scare away wild animals (well, at least the odd moth or two). And so I thought I was ready for Body Worlds... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/boston_body_worlds_2.html Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:55:00 EST Café Holt in Montreal serves suprisingly good food and coffee in a stylish atmosphere. Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/cafe_holt_montreal.html Thu, 09 Nov 2006 08:15:00 EST Don't be fooled by the easy access to Roses, Catalonia - there are better places in the province. Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/nothing_is_coming_up_roses.html Thu, 19 Oct 2006 12:52:00 EDT Traditionally considered to be a classic "outing with the kids," apple picking is fun for really big kids, too (I happen to fall into the second category). The perfect place is only a half hour drive from Montreal, right next to Oka Park (for those of you who are familiar with its pristine beaches). <br><br> Saint Joseph-du-Lac is a town completely devoted to planting, growing, cultivating, juicing, and baking apples. In short, everything to do with apples except picking them - that you have to do yourself... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/saint_joseph_du_lac_the_big_apple.html Sat, 14 Oct 2006 16:00:00 EDT Visit Cadaqués in Catalonia and discover your inner Dalí. Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/dallying_with_dali_in_cadaques.html Sat, 07 Oct 2006 17:15:00 EDT <img ALT="Saranda Bad Boys (Waterfront)" WIDTH="117" HEIGHT="83" class="rightill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/imgsmallphoto/saranda-badboys-waterfront_small.jpg"> With $300 in our collective pocket, my future husband, his little brother, and I chased down the dawn bus from Tirana to Saranda, the southernmost city in Albania. <br><br> After traveling 40 miles in 8 hours (which tells you something about Albanian roads), I finally realized the strange noises coming from the back of the bus were coming from a (live) duck in a plastic bag carried by a respectable looking gentleman (which tells you something about Albanian buses). I took this in stride, in part because I have the blessed talent of being able to sleep on public transport and because, after all, the best way to travel in Albania is with an Albanian watching over you. Or two. <br><br> For the next 10 days we alternated between staring at the sea and staring at the sky, taking a break for a well-earned lunch... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/sun_and_sea_in_saranda.html Thu, 28 Sep 2006 12:15:00 EDT L'Entrecôte St. Jean is an establishment that has been there approximately forever, in part because of its prime location in downtown Montreal (the corner of Peel St. and Maisonneuve) and in part because its formula just works. Mix one part indecision, two parts repetition, a dash of hospitality, a slab of steak, a sprinkling of chocolate and a glass of red wine. That simple formula could be a critic's worst nightmare, but that's only because they would be going there with the wrong attitude... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/comfort_food_for_carnivores_entrecote_st_jean.html Mon, 25 Sep 2006 12:10:00 EDT <img ALT="View from Hostal Cristina" WIDTH="117" HEIGHT="88" class="rightill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/imgsmallphoto/hostal-christina-balcony_small.jpg"> When I am at the beach, things that would usually irritate me - communal showers, peeling paint, strange creatures found bedside- take on a certain charm. All I want after a day in the sun is be lulled to sleep by the surf and feel a slight sprinkling of sand between the sheets. And so I like the Hostal Cristina, a simple but adequate hotel by the water's edge in Cadaqués (a small town on Spain's Costa Brava). Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/hostal_christina_cadaques.html Sun, 17 Sep 2006 23:11:00 EDT Italy is known for its coffee. Here's how to order it properly. Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/how_to_order_drink_coffee_in_italy.html Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:00:00 EDT When we asked around in Sainte-Rose, someone told us about the springs at Sofaia, a half-hour drive outside the city. So away we went, along a steep road that got progressively narrower, and eventually wasn't even paved... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/hot_springs_sofaia.html Tue, 29 Aug 2006 07:10:00 EDT <img ALT="Jacques Cousteau Underwater Reserve" WIDTH="117" HEIGHT="77" class="rightill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/imgsmallphoto/guadeloupe-reserve-jacques_small.jpg"> Moments that should be documented photographically throughout one's life: birth, kindergarten graduation, prom, marriage, first ride in a glass-bottomed boat. Of all the days to forget the frickin' camera....I did. So, this time you're just going to have to rely on distant views and verbal images of the Jacques Cousteau nature preserve, off Guadeloupe's western coast. Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/jacques_cousteau_reserve.html Mon, 14 Aug 2006 00:40:00 EDT <img ALT="Chutes du Carbet" WIDTH="117" HEIGHT="78" class="rightill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/imgsmallphoto/chutes-du-carbet-1_small.jpg"> The second waterfall at Carbet is the most accessible, a fact made obvious by the tour buses parked by the side of the road. The waterfall is visible even from the parking lot, if you're just there for a photo oportunity. Otherwise, there are a few kilometers of well-maintained boardwalk through the forest, down a valley and up the other side.  Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/les_chutes_du_carbet.html Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:00:00 EDT <img ALT="Rome Zoo: Monkey Pit" WIDTH="117" HEIGHT="77" class="leftill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/imgsmallphoto/rome-zoo-monkey-pit_small.jpg"> When (or if) you ever get sick of all those remnants of the Roman Empire and that over-rated Michelangelo and you really want to forget where you are, check yourself into the Zoo in Rome. It's also one place in Rome where you probably won't run into your neighbors from Nebraska, your roommate from the hostel, or anyone other than Roman grandpas with little kids in tow. <br><br> The entire Zoo is in a gentle state of decay, and the reptile room was vaguely "under construction" when we visited (that is to say, Not Open). A few peacocks wandering around adds to the general mêlée, and the surrealistic atmosphere is sad but pretty... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/monkeying_around_in_rome.html Fri, 28 Jul 2006 02:30:00 EDT <img ALT="Forest Cloud" WIDTH="117" HEIGHT="80" class="leftill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/imgsmallphoto/cloud-forest-guadeloupe_small.jpg"> I've always wondered what it would be like to walk around inside a cloud. I thought it would be fluffier, and somehow softer. More like a cartoon, really. I didn't think it would be so...damp. Anyhoo, if you want to find out for yourself, the best way is to go to a cloud forest, not stick your head out an airplane window... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/postcard_from_the_cloud.html Wed, 19 Jul 2006 20:30:00 EDT <img ALT="Monteriggioni Doorway" WIDTH="117" HEIGHT="80" class="rightill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/imgsmallphoto/monteriggioni-doorway_small.jpg"> Monteriggioni is a thirteenth century fortified town on a hilltop in Tuscany. It was founded to defend the city of Siena against invaders from neighboring <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/italy/florence/">Florence</a>, hence the high walls interspersed with towers and only two entry gates. Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/postcard_from_monteriggioni.html Thu, 06 Jul 2006 19:50:00 EDT <img ALT="Sunset in Marie Galante" WIDTH="117" HEIGHT="78" class="leftill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/imgsmallphoto/marie-galante-sunset_small.jpg"> If the pace of Guadeloupe becomes too frantic for you then it is time to visit Marie Galante, a smaller offshore-offshore island where you will find even quieter beaches and towns, reminiscent of Guadeloupe as it might have been fifty years ago... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/marie-galante.html Thu, 08 Jun 2006 00:00:00 EDT <img ALT="Whale Watching B.C." class="leftill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2006/whale-watching-bc-teaser.jpg"> Whale watching in British Columbia was not what I imagined. My reverie of Free Willy frolicking in the sun was replaced by a freezing reality as we set off from the harbor. Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/whale-watching-british-columbia.html Fri, 19 May 2006 00:00:00 EDT <img ALT="Fairmont Empress, Victoria" class="leftill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2006/fairmont-teaser.jpg"> This very civilized hotel cannot escape from the wild island on which it stands. <br><br> The Fairmont Empress, a landmark hotel in Victoria B.C., stands beside the city's inner harbor. It is a restored turn-of-the century hotel, complete with rose gardens and a special lobby where high tea is served every afternoon. Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/fairmont-empress-victoria.html Wed, 03 May 2006 10:16:19 EDT <img ALT="Korca" class="rightill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2006/korca-teaser.jpg"> The Resurrection of Christ Orthodox cathedral in Korca wasn't consecrated until 2004, which just goes to show how slow the growth of organized religion in Albania has been since the 50-year dry of Communism-as-religion, when churches were converted to things like laundry facilities or simply destroyed. Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/postcard-from-korca.html Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 EDT <img ALT="Entry Island" class="leftill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2006/entry-island-teaser.jpg"> Before going to Entry Island, I thought that the Magdelene Islands were remote. Entry Island is <s>20</s> 9 miles off the coast of the Magdelene Islands, which are in turn many miles away from <span class="correction">Prince Edward Island and</span> Nova Scotia. <br><br> You might be a little vague on Canadian geography (as am I), so allow me to explain more clearly: this place is <i>really</i> far away <span class="correction"> from wherever you are. (unless, dear reader, you are an Islander yourself). </span> Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/entry-island-quebec.html Mon, 24 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EDT <img ALT="Punta Cana Airport" class="fullill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2006/punta-cana-airport-teaser.jpg"> <br> This is the welcoming facade of the first all-palm airport I have ever seen. It is a private airport in Punta Cana, with many charter flights full of passengers arriving daily to stay at the many resorts in Punta Cana. With direct flights to many locations in North America as well as Europe it is certainly a busy place, especially on weekends! Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/punta-cana-airport-much-admiration.html Fri, 24 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST <img ALT="MoMA" class="leftill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2006/moma-02.jpg"> Did you know that every Friday night at the MOMA (New York, of course) "Target" sponsors an event known as "Free Friday" from 4-8 p.m.? Yep, neither did I, when I showed up to explore the collection's new digs in midtown Manhattan, and to visit my favorites in the painting/sculpture galleries before heading out for a night on the town. <br><br> It seems as though le tout New York had the same idea, along with a few outsiders such as myself (and several thousand other tourists). As it turned out, this became more of a social visit than a serious conversation with the paintings, but it was an opportunity to see the new building in action - not just housing art, but welcoming people (and as mentioned before, it was a LOT of people). Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/free-for-all-at-the-moma-new-york.html Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST <img ALT="Butterflies" class="rightill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2006/butterflies-alban-misha.jpg"> One of my favorite words to learn in any language is butterfly - or papillon, flutur, smetterling, farfalla, mariposa.....the onomatopoeic list goes on. The names are as pretty as the butterflies are, so I was intrigued when I heard that one of the greenhouses at the Botanical Gardens in Montreal becomes home for thousands of butterflies during the early spring. Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2006/the_butterflies_are_back.html Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST