Wedding Favors

Just when you've got a handle on planning a wedding, you're thrown for a loop...for me, its the wedding favors.  I've been to many a-weddings where you receive a wedding favor and you really don't know what to do with them.  A bookmark...add that to my collection.  I mean, really, it's so much easier to fold the corners.  I've tricked myself into buying bookmarks, but lets face it...I lose them, they never stay in the book, and eventually make their way into the nether regions of my couch. 

I know there are a lot of favors that are actually quite useful (candles, soaps, etc.), but I guess I just want something else.  I don't know what that is and who knows, I might never have the slightest idea of what it is.  And I probably won't have it at my wedding.

But here I am, hour after hour (as with no job, I'm have the time to do a lot of wedding thinking), pondering many ideas. 

 I just want to give something that young or old, male or female; everyone will be able to enjoy it.  I think that's why I love edible wedding favors.  I mean, who doesn't like a sweet indulgence of cookies, chocolate or candies.  And I'm leaning more towards that direction.  I'm 98% positive I'll do it.

I'm really into do-it-yourself projects.  I've actually planned a few of them:  ceremony programs, thank you cards, rehearsal dinner invitations, guest book and yes, wedding favors (including the tag and ribbons....or maybe no ribbons).  I think it'll be a big endeavor, but I'm going to try and do a few on these on my own.  One, to save some money (or not, as I  have calculated that a lot of money it still takes!) and second, to be a little creative.   

I figured I have 31/2 months for my projects.  It'll be enough time.  We'll see....

Sunbathing and Sailing Weekend

Chuck's co-worker, Christian, recently took up sailing and invited us to go sailing at Comacchio, in the province of Ferrara and region of Emilia Romanga.  There are seven lidos, or beach resorts, in Comacchio and we stayed at Lido degli Estensi's marina where we rented a sailboat.  Not only were we sailing around on this boat, but were going to sleep in it as well.  Luckily two boats were available that evening and we got our own boat for the night or else it would of been very cramped sleeping quarters!   

We left early Saturday morning to beat the weekend traffic.  Even at 7:30 a.m. there was congestion on the roadways.  We arrived at the marina at 10 a.m. and after our morning cafe and pastry, we were out on the boat.  Earlier in the morning, there were strong winds and the marina wasn't allowing any sailboats out on the water.  Before we headed out on the boat, Christian with staff members went out on an inflatable boat to check out the weather condition.  Though a mild wind was a-blowing, it wasn't nearly as gusty, so we hopped on the boat and went out on the waters.  The wind and the seas didn't help ease the blazing sun's hotness.  Coupled with the choppy waters and a slight headache, I wasn't feeling too good and the only solution was being horizontal!  But I caught a few snoozes and made for a relaxing day.  

After a day's worth of sailing, we cleaned up and went to dinner.  Christian took us to this very popular and delicious seafood restaurant.  For an appetizer, we each had a big bowl of mini-clams with a lemon-garlic sauce.  Yummy!  Fresh fresh seafood as we're right by the sea.  For dinner, I ordered a seafood (shrimp, mini-clams, and pasta filled with sea bass) pasta with a garlic cream sauce and zucchini.  And for dessert, I had homemade mascarpone with strawberries.  I slept good that night!

Chuck's and Christian's fellow co-worker, Pinot, joined us on Sunday for another day of sailing.  The waters were calmer, but the weather was still hot hot hot!  I felt better today and was not feeling seasick as yesterday.  We spent a total of nine hours lounging on the sailboat and took a brake from the blazing sun rays by swimming.  Oh and it felt so good!  I'm not a very good swimmer or wader, so I held onto the boat.    By the day's end, I'd had enough sailing to last me at least through the new year!  Though it was fun, I'm still more of a mountain girl or a shore girl where I can see the water's floor and have feet planted on the ground.  Not to say that I wouldn't do it again because I probably will!

Most Serene Republic of San Marino

The weekend before this one, Chuck, his co-worker Zenin and I drove to the Republic of San Marino.  It's a self-governing state within Italy that has remained independent for 1,700 years.  It would of been faster if we'd taken the train as traffic on the autostrade (highway) was horrendous.  And I guess it'll be like this every weekend of the summer as everyone is headed somewhere, especially to the coastline, where we were headed.  It took us about an hour and a half to get to Bologna, which normally takes 40 minutes.  It is worse than Seattle traffic, more of a stop and go-a-little than a constant movement!  Also making the traffic unbearable was the unbelievably hot weather, luckily we had the comforts of an air conditioner.

San Marino is in the eastern part of Italy, close by the coastline.  It is in the Apennine Mountains and thus a climb up to the republic.  It has a beautiful view of the hilltops, coastline and Adriatic Sea.  Unfortunately, our camera's battery ran out of charge and we didn't take any pictures of our own.  Zenin took many pictures of San Marino as well as of us and I hope to get a copy of them soon.  

One of three towers.

Palazzo Pubblico.

There are a lot of stores dedicated to the sale of weapons, liquor, and jewelry.  Probably because it's duty-free.  We bought four varieties of their local (and tasty) beer Amarcord, a bottle of Sangiovese grappa, and absinthe. 

San Marino Facts:

1.  Population aproximately 29,000

2.  Claims to be Europe's oldest existing state.

3.  Has the 3rd highest GDP per capita in the world.

4.  Its constitution, dating back to 1600, is the world's oldest written constitution still in effect.

5.  Not a European Union member.

6.  The long climb up to the top of San Marino has become a mecca for road cyclists.  

Colors for the Bridal Party

I like the style as well as the color.  It has more purple hues.  Would you say that it goes well with green?

More of a reddish hues, a cranberry.  It may be a bit bright.  But does it also goes well with green?

I'm loving this shade of red.  It goes well with a deep red-purple floral arrangement.  Annie, my florist, was thinking of eggplant-colored and deep red flowers (mini-calla lilies, roses, and gerber daises).  She liked the idea of the green orchids.

Colors

Too Many Color Combinations!

It's driving me crazy!  There's so many color variations and combinations that it's difficult to pick a few colors for a wedding theme.  Lake Union Cafe is mostly copper, golds, and black.  They decorate for the holidays with golds, coppers, and greens.  For my wedding colors, I've been thinking of a burgundy and gold.  But green would be a great color as well, especially with copper.  Burgundy, gold, and black?  Burgundy, gold, and cream?  Burgundy, gold, and green?  Green, copper, and cream?  Or just green and copper?  Oh, so many decisions!

I love the reds and golds together.  Don't forget the gerber daises!

Too bright red.  

I like this centerpiece.  It would look good with green orchids.

I love this green.  I like the bouquet with the copper tie.

Soon-to-Be 'An American Girl in Seattle'

My favorite by Melissa Sweet.  It's pretty embellished, but so adorable!

I booked my flight back to Seattle and should be returning home August 3rd.  I'm excited as I'm homesick, but then again I'm leaving my honey once again in Italy.  But hopefully he'll be able to return to Seattle once before the wedding to process his visa. Plus, it'll be like a "traditional" wedding, not seeing one another; actually, it'll be like not living with one another.  It'll be more exciting and refreshing.  I mean, how married are we now.  We've lived together for four years, bought a house together; I'm surprised we haven't had a kid yet! 

 Now my blog will be more of a wedding blog.  So, why not start now?  I'm having a bunch of ideas and what better place to store it than this blog.  Here it goes.  

I'm loving the knee-length and tea-length wedding dresses.  What a great way to show off those shoes, especially if you're buying Manolo's, Jimmy Choo's, or Miu Miu's!  So, here's a few of my favorites.

Cinque Terre

Chuck took three days off work and we went to the Cinque Terre.  The Cinque Terre is the equivalent to the French Riveria and is popular for its hiking, swimming, lounging in the warm sun, savoring local wine and cuisine.  It's very touristy, a lot of Americans, and the locals understand a lot of English.  The name Cinque Terre comes from the sea towns of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore (from north to south, respectively).  The landscape is beautiful with thousands of kilometers of dry-stone walls enclosing the terraces where vineyards are cultivated and the water is amazingly blue and clear.  We stayed at Vernazza, the second-most northern town.  Vernazza has no car traffic, so we parked the rental car in the long-term parking lot.  They have a short-term parking lot as well as a residential lot, but I recommend taking a train as it goes through all five towns.  To take the train from Modena, you would have to transfer either two or three times but the trains appear to come pretty frequently.  Plus, it costs a lot less as gas is expensive (approximately 8 euros/gallon) as well as the tolls to use the autostrade (highway).

Vernazza's action is at the harbor, where you'll find outdoor restaurants, bars, and a wonderful view.  There's a small sandy beach where people sunbathe, play soccer, and swim.  

Vernazza.  

Our room is at the fifth building on the left at the corner.  We didn't have a view of the water, but of hikers making the ascent to Monterosso as the trail ran through guesthouse's alley.

The locals must be in really good shape as there are many steps to climb.  Elevators are scarce and we made a steep (four floors) ascent/descent to our room.  Most residents' houses are on the hillside and there's no way around climbing any stairs.  

Chuck demonstrating the narrowness of the alleys.

Enjoying a few beers and complimentary bruschetta at a restaurant on the harbor.  It was fun just relaxing and enjoying the warm sun and relaxing atmosphere.

Vernazza at night. 

 We walked around the town at night and took a parital picture of the town and castle.

Luckily we hiked to Monterosso first and early in the morning as it was the most challenging of the five towns.  The weather surprised me and I didn't expect it to be so hot! Or else,  I'd pack shorts, summer dresses, and tank tops.  I guess I'm not used to this type of weather in June with Seattle being chilly and cloudy at this time.  I also forgot my bathing suit so couldn't enjoy the crystal clear water and break from the sweltering sun.   The hike starts and ends in the town center, through one of its narrow alley.  To find the trail's path, you have to look for the red and white striped paint on a rock wall, rock, and/or tree.  

The first part of the hike to Monterosso and to Vernazza is really steep and there's a lot of stairs.  Also, there are parts of the trail that's really narrow and can be dangerous if you aren't aware of your footing or if there's rain as there are a lot of stone paths on the trail.

The view of Vernazza on the trail to Monterosso.  

We had a much needed rest after the trek up this cliff.  Luckily, it was earlier in the morning and it wasn't sweltering hot yet.

We finally made it to Monterosso al Mare, the northern most town of the Cinque Terre.  Monterosso is the more touristy of the towns with cars, hotels, rentable beach umbrellas, and a thriving late-night scene.  From its waterfront, you can pick out each of the Cinque Terre towns on the coast.  This town is most enjoyable for the younger travelers for its late-night scene and its resort-like feel.  Even so, its not a full-blown Portofino-style resort and locals appreciate quiet and sensitive guests.

 

I'm heading back down from Monterosso to Vernazza with the blazing sun beating down on my sweating skin.  I got a really nice tan!

 

After fueling up with much needed calories at Vernazza with a Caprese Insalata (tomato and mozzarella salad) and pizza, we begin our trek to Corniglia.  Here's a view of Vernazza on our way there.  

 

Pictures of Corniglia on the trail.  The hike there was definitely more mellow than to Monterosso.  It was a relief for our calves to enjoy more leveled surfaces.  

Corniglia is the only town of the five that is not on the water.  It's definitely a lot more quieter than Monterosso and Vernazza with fewer tourists, cooler temperatures (much needed after being in the beating sun!), and fewer restaurants.

We finally had our first gelato in Italy!  At least not store bought.  Chuck had a combination of chocolate and coffee while I enjoyed a lemon and berry gelato.  Delicious!!

On our way from Corniglia to Manarola.  

The view of Corniglia on our way to Riomaggiore, the last town and most southern Cinque Terre town.  

There are tons of cacti around this area.  I was surprised to see them as I didn't realize there were cacti outside of the southwest of America. 

We're almost to the last of the Cinque Terre towns, Riomaggiore!  My calves are waiting the much needed rest by taking the train back to Vernazza.  

At last!  We made it to all five towns by foot.  My goal was to do a round-trip hike, but I was too tired and hot to walk back to Vernazza.  The only round-trip hike we did was from Vernazza to Monterosso and back, the hardest part of the trail!

We finally make it back to Vernazza and immediately head to dinner as we were famished from our hike.  We eat at Ristorante Belforte where there had a beautiful view from their terrace.  Unfortunately, we had to climb more stairs but it was worth the view as well as the food.  We dined on Caprese salad (our favorite), shared a plate of pesto pasta, and a plateful of fresh seafood (fish, mussels, prawns, squid).

Before we headed back home, we stopped by Porto Venere.  This is where Chuck's co-worker Christian and his wife got married.  They actually married at the church pictured below.

The Church of St. Peter is on a promontory overlooking the Ligurian Coast.  

The view from the Church.

The insides of the Church.  

We didn't spend a lot of time in Porto Venere sight-seeing as I was too tired to do much of it.  I think I was much tired of the heat and ready for the comforts of an air conditioner and the cooler weather of Maranello.  Not surprising as it has been for the last two weeks, we got home to big droplets of rain.