Burgerbach's, Sanford *Italy Travel Notes

I tried this food stall at Tuffy's on Myrtle and 2nd yesterday at lunch. They are owned by the Hollerbach people. Opened this month. You order and pay on a touch screen. Burgers, chicken sandwich, crinkle cut fries and a few fried sides. I had a double smash cheeseburger with onions and a French dressing type of sauce for $15. It came with fries. Not bad at all. Not dry. Good bun. Large flat patty. Salty. Fries were underdone. I just passed on a ($) similar burger from Shake Shack at JFK. I think that was $12 plus $4+ for the fries. I'm not sure what a normal Shake Shack charges now. I've also seen recently that Five Guys is over $10 for their cheapest. So, I guess it is ok. I was expecting that they were a sit down place. I thought they replaced Tully's. Glad both are here.

*Travel Notes - Italy: I flew to Naples (one way) on Easy Jet (one and a half day lead time) for $127. Slightly delayed. No issues with web site, pdf ticket or getting a free boarding pass at the airport. I took the 5E Alibus to Piazza Garibaldi/Train Station. It also goes on to the port. Stop was a few hundred yards up the exiting road in front of the terminal. Ticket machine was semi-broken. Wouldn't process credit cards. You needed exact change. Had to buy water to get it. Ride was short. I stayed at the Hotel Eden (Expedia 6.8) one block away for $55 a night (2). On a Friday and Saturday! It was better than a 6.8 (had a balcony) and about $100 less than anything in Switzerland would have been. Plus a train just to Zurich would have been 92CH plus 78CH to St Moritz. I got in late, so, I just found a Conad on the far side of the station and got some dinner (Rustico Scambato Salpi, break apart-able Grissini (breadsticks) and Sarah Jessica Parker wine). 

In the morning, I walked down Umberto I (the street to the port) to Antica Pizzeria da Michele. I got a Margherita for (6E). It was great. Enough for two people. It's pizza, so, the process can be mastered (by all). I've had similar quality ones in almost every civilized country. I forget how I knew about this place. It is highly rated. Had a line. My question to local purveyors who charge around $20 for the same thing. WTF? There is also another around the corner (more sit down) called Trianon that is supposed to be good. I then walked down Umberto I a bit and made a right. Up to the Duomo. Farther to (I was wandering with no map) the next big street and left to the Archeological Museum. Then left to Port d'Alba. I totally lucked into this. Had no idea where I was. Here is the first pizzeria in the world (Antica Pizzeria Port Alba). It was next on my list. I grabbed a smaller/thicker Margherita (good enough) to go from their ready made cart for 2E. Again. WTF! A pizza from the OG! In Naples Italy! 2E! WTF America! I should say that neither of these pizzas had that football shape that I thought all Naples pizza did. It was hot as shit and I didn't want to walk around with a pizza all day, so, back to the hotel. Saw Emiciclo Carolino and Piazza Dante and then several churches going down Tribunali. I cooled off and sacked up and took a street at the end of Piazza Garibaldi left to the port. That was a mistake. That port area is shit. I should have taken Umberto I (or done that while I was already down there had I known) to its end at the good port area. I walked along the water where I was, gave up, walked inland, found Umberto I and was walking home when something told me to turn around and go down Umberto I. Good thing. As I said, it ends at the cruise ship port. I found a castle (Castel Nuovo), a street food festival, port and the fortress on a hill (Castel Sant Elmo) that I had hoped to get a photo of. I have since learned there is a funicular to it. I'll come back and do that some day. It seems like the coolest spot in town. I was too worn out. Bought my ticket to Rome (52E) and crashed. I should say at this point that I had been here two times on bus tours (slept elsewhere) and have seen Vesuvius and Pompeii. Naples wasn't dangerous. Some African/Arab homelessness/squalor. The girls were hot.

In the morning, I took the fast train to Rome. BTW - almost every train except the fast ones were canceled or delayed. It was a Sunday. There always seems to be problems with travel in Italy on Sunday. The situation was worse in Rome. Poor suckers. Plus while I was there, they had a bus and taxi strike. More on that later. I stayed two nights at the Hotel Corot (Expedia 7.6) aside the station for $90 per. I walked to San Giovanni in Laterno. I had been, but, not in. I have also been led to believe since then that beyond having the old Senate doors, it houses the skulls of St Peter and Paul and was the first "Vatican". I walked from there towards the Colosseum. Passed the Basilica Quattro Coronati. Walked around the Forum. They have opened up so much of it now to be viewed from the exterior (free). Walked by Basilica di Massenzio, Foro di Nerva, Foro di Cesare and behind the VE Monument to the Piazza del Campodoglio (Michaelangelo design) to a great overlook into the meat of the Forum. Walked to the Tiber and tried to find Piazza Farnese (in the wrong direction). Got lost. No map again. A "helper" misread his Google Maps. Stumbled onto the place where they killed Julius Caesar. Always thought in was in the Forum. Nope. Burned him there. Killed at Sacra di Largo Argentina. An umbrella pine marks the spot. Walked by it multiple times. As my friend says, "Gotta love Rome"! Back to the hotel. Some Mortadella di Chinghiale from Tigre. 

The next day I grabbed lasagna at Coop in the station. I was set to take bus from Circus Maximus to Baths of Caracalla, Appian Way, etc when I learned of the strike. Then it started to pour for an hour. Got caught up in that. Soaked. It's funny now. Learned that my new Pumas dry out quickly. I was back in the Sacra area because I had searched for the proper route the night before to Piazza Farnese. Ate a ravioili di fichi (fig pastry) at Il Fornaio. Saw the nearby Galleria al Palazzo Spada and Palazzo della Cancelleria. Tried to see Hadrian's Masoleum (again) at Castel Sant Angelo. It is closed on Monday. Was getting pissed at plans a and b getting thwarted and sloshy shoes. So, I walked back on Vittorio Emmanuele to Nazionale (found some new side streets and a park near the Quirinale) to the hotel. Half a roast chicken and mortadella from Coop. Bought my ticket to Bologna (all my tickets were fast trains - Frecciarosso) for 67E. Was going to try to do Orvieto. It seemed like it would interfere with easy access to Bologna. Will do it as a day trip from Rome (1H) next time.

The next day I went to Bologna. Stayed at the sagging Hotel Palace right near the Piazza Maggiore (Expedia 7.0) for $126. Not much available. FYI - seen most of the "big" items here before. I walked past Palazzo della Communale and Piazza Maggiore. Saw this restaurant (Sfoglia Rina) with a line that I remembered from last time. Found out they had a to go window. Got tagliatelle al ragu (where they created it) with a roll. They say spaghetti is too thin to absorb the sauce. Didn't seem like this absorbed any. Plus the strands stuck together more. I prefer cream in my Bolognese. I'm sure that is a sacrilege. Onto Castiglione. Over to Palazzo di Giustizia, Piazza/Chiesa San Domenico, Piazza Galvani. Out the southeast corner to Palazzo Albergati, Giardino di Villa Caesarini and Porta Saragozza. I tried to find a route to some building on top of the hill. Couldn't. It probably has great photo op ops. I walked from the Porta to the hotel. Grabbed Burratina Fume, Burrata, Bresaoloa della Vatelli, Mortadella (it is Bologna) and two bottles of wine. Got wet in the hotel with the windows open and a sunset view. Walked the city like a poet. Watched some dancing at Piazza Maggiore.

The next day I tried to find a restaurant that was open. Bologna has fewer restaurants than one would expect. Saw most of the towers. A park near the station. Walked Independenza back to the station. Found a little shop called Mortadella and got a mortadella sandwich. Bought a ticket to Milan for 52E. Stayed at the 43 Station Hotel (Expedia 8.6) aside the station for $130. I think they lied about free breakfast. It seemed like it was going to rain and I was uncertain what my next steps were and I had been there twice before, so, I just walked around the station to where the new skyscrapers are. Came back and got on the internet. Had to eat KFC and what snacks I had left in my bag because no true supermarkets anywhere near the station. Bought a ticket to Como for 5E.

The next day I went to Como. Stayed at the great Hotel Engadina (Booking 8.0) near the stadium/lake for $125. Walked to the right side of the lake. They are repairing the middle. FYI- done this before. Walked up a hill to the main road in and out and down to the Funiculore Como Brunate. Took it up to Brunate. 6.60E RT. Best money spent (other than the pizzas) all trip. Incredible views. You can see Milan! I did f up one trail and miss the lighthouse. Too late to go for it twice. There is a fountain (Pissarotino) and church (San Andrea) and hotels and other things up there. I believe you can walk down too. I grabbed sushi, prosecco, beer, caprini soft cheese and prosciutto at a nearby Carrefour. Got wet and walked the other side of the lake in the moonlight. 

I had purchased my ticket to Zurich when I got to Como (77E). The next day I waited two+ hours for my train. A freight train overturned in Milan. Screwed up the whole system. Of course the either gave no info or lied. Hopped a random train to Basel that stopped at one town north. They kicked us off there. The train left with no passengers. Hopped on a local train to Lugano after I was warned not to wait for the Swiss one that everyone else was depending on. Waited 45 minutes there and hopped one that went to Zurich. Quite an ordeal. Lugano (SWZ) looked nice. But, I could never find a cheap enough hotel close enough to the station.

And that's all I have to say about that. I don't think I sampled any things that I didn't already mention. I would have done another day in Como with a day trip to Lugano. One more in Naples. Because it was so cheap. Exchange rate was 1.10 USD to a Euro. Had to fight hard to get reasonable hotel rates after Rome. Venice and Florence were ridiculous. How has 4 Restauranti with Alessandro Borghese not been ripped off over here? Pretty good results for an audible. 

Sizzling Korean BBQ and Hot Pot, Winter Park *Switzerland Travel Notes

I tried this Korean BBQ and Hot Pot (more of a hodge podge) spot at the intersection of Aloma/Fairbanks and 436 yesterday at lunch. Faces Friendly Confines. Open for two years. I believe it was a crab place last. Was a Denny's at one point. It looks like it could be abandoned. They need more signs (literal and figurative) that they are open. I had assumed that they were not all this time. I only found out they were open when I tried that cheese place down the road a few months ago and popped in here to see if there was anything new. FYI - my list of untried (non-pain in the ass) places is almost exhausted. I was surprised how ok it was. Since the lunch special tempura chicken over rice with bok choy, mixed veg and beans was only $9, I sampled the dumplings ($4) and the spring rolls ($3) as well. The spring rolls and dumplings were obviously the store bought ones they all buy. However, the steamed then pan fried pork dumplings (5) were prepared less sloppily than most are. Pretty damn good. Ok plating. Soy based dipping sauce. Scallions. Nice fry. Not tough or soft and watery. The spring rolls (6) were similarly cared after. Orange dipping sauce. I was full after these. The chicken (seven slices of white meat) was tender. Perfect fry of the tempura batter. No nasty oil flavors. The huge mound (took half home) of rice was mostly steamed correctly. Some hard kernels. Some mushy. Probably a night old. One fresh bok choy sliced in half. It could do without the frozen carrot, peas and corn mix. Ok black beans. I am imagining that they are included because a portion of their client base is Latino. Which brings me to the pricing. It isn't onerous. Kind of what I had grown used to before the inflation from the "opportunity economy" of the past four years. At least the non-AYCE part. That is a crazy $38. Only for dinner. It does have a mix of seafood (even frogs legs) and land animals (I saw the freezer with all the beef and chicken slices). Ramen (part of the hodge podge) started around $12. I forget the rest. The menu prices are from 2020. I was the only customer. It has a bar, a private area and a main room. That has around a dozen or so large tables with heating elements on top. The buffet area is on the back left. Not a total shambles. A bit worn. Tv at the bar. One server/host. He still wheeled out the meal on a cart for me. I'm not sure if it is ever busy or if the quality diminishes if so. Most people will be doing their own cooking I suppose, so, it doesn't matter. I expected food poisoning and I hate hot pot pricing, but, I had a decent meal at a fair price here. Obviously not a destination spot. It doesn't have to be avoided either.

*Travel Notes - Switzerland and Italy: I will break this into two sections. I'll start with Switzerland. I bugged out of there (prices) after two days and came back for the final five. I flew Delta (via JFK) to Geneva for $366. I used a $150 credit I wrangled out of them for delaying me on the same flight last year. No real issues this time. Some cargo loading delays out of MCO. Both flights were not full. The return was 3/4 empty. Exchange rate was 1.17 USD to the CH. This is getting crazy! 

I stayed the first two nights at the Hotel Geneve (Expedia 8.4) for $88 a night. By far the cheapest game in town. I had stayed there before. The hotels were playing games the whole week before. I think you get the best rates by waiting them out. It's what I do anyway because I want flexibility and control and anti-jinx mojo. 3CH train to Geneva. The ATMs were all quoting bullshit conversion rates and fees. I finally sucked it up and took the pain in town. I walked down the Rhone to a bridge by a fork in the river and walked the opposite way back to the old town and on to the lake. Saw some new territory. The next day it rained. Not enough to keep me in. I walked to Rousseau Island and into old town to Le Corbusier's L'Immeuble Clarte and John Clavin's St Pierre Cathedral. Walked down the beaches and back. Tried to eat at a restaurant on the lake, but, they were only serving drinks. It was some stupid town holiday. Most things were closed. I walked through the left side (from station) of town. It was African and Arab. Saw some real life streetwalkers near the Ibis. Haven't seen those in a while. They looked 60. I went back to the hotel and booked my way elsewhere (I only really flew here because it was the cheapest city I found). Nice and Naples were the cheapest. I decided to do my projected trip to Italy now. See next post. The plane didn't leave until 4pm, so, I walked the other side of the lake to the botanical garden and back and took a 3CH train to the airport. Didn't need to go through customs. Flight was slightly delayed.

(Italy interlude)

 

I returned to Switzerland on the Gotthard Panorama Express (it's not just the expensive route they market) from Lugano (south central) for 77E (bought in Como). A freight train overturned in Milan, so, every train was canceled or delayed. It took alot of effort to get to Lugano and on. The train route had been out of service for a while. It had just reopened. Sadly, it goes underground through much of the middle of the route. You miss the Gotthard Pass, etc. It was also raining, so, all those lake views towards the end (Arth Goldau) were obscured. Lugano looked nice. It terminated in Zurich. I found the one reasonable hotel near the station the night before. $138 at the Hotel Montana (Expedia 7.8). I was only finding capsule hotels or hostels for under $200 here or Lucerne all week. I think Zurich is a business city and rates may fall a bit during the weekends. They don't really have to when you cater to money launderers. It was cold and rainy here and I was hours late, so, I got some dinner and stayed in. Not much to see in Zurich anyway. 

I bought a ticket to Lausanne the next day (all these purchased at kiosks) for 77CH. It went through Neuchatel. Nice lake, winery views. I stayed at the Hotel Continental (Expedia 8.6) right across from the station for $162. I should point out here that the hotels here and in Italy add in a tax you (usually) must pay them in cash. I have added that in. I walked to the lakefront and back. I went to the Mudoc (cost) and Beaux Arts de Lausanne museums just to the side of the station. Up a ramp aside the Mudoc and back. Then down the curved decline around the station to the Parc de Milan. It was a good find. You can take a path up to a great overlook. 

The next day I took the train (13.50CH) to Montreux. I should say at this point that I eschewed the multiple day pass that I bought last year. I did the math and if you don't travel an extreme distance or stop at multiple towns, it isn't a savings. I stayed at the Hotel Splendid (Booking 8.2) right on the lake for $136. The room wasn't ready, so, I took a train to Gstaad and back for 56CH. I hadn't been since 2021. I spent a few Christmas and Spring Breaks there as a boy. It's a great train ride. In Montreux, I walked to the old town and around the upper part of town and back at the lake. 

The next day I took the train (13.50CH) back to Lausanne (because hotel rates in Geneva were crazy) and stayed at the great Alpha Palmiers by Fassbind (Expedia 8.4) for $142. They gave me a balcony room overlooking the lake. It is just behind the Continental. Quieter. The room wasn't ready so I grabbed some chorizo and a roll and ate it at the overlook at Parc de Milan. Then walked through the other side of it (field and botanical garden) and down to the lake. It was another damn regional holiday. I took the ferry (38CH) to Evian, France and back. Got some wine and enjoyed my last few hours on the balcony. Took a 29CH train to the airport in the morning. 

I had brie and tomme and Etivaz (near Gstaad) cheese. Pain d'Epices Brun. No other Swiss stuff. Ate at markets. McD's twice (6CH for a shrinkflated McNothin and the same for a DCB). Getting rid of currency and desperation. I had to time my return to avoid rain. Only needed my sweater towards the end. I think it was more crowded than August (last year). It seemed like a pain to get back from Italy via St Moritz. Things here still cost twice as much as everywhere else that is not Swiss-stainable. But you eco-warriors are down with that. You just have to get you Mommy to up your allowance.

Aloha, OIA Area

I tried this Hawaiian Kitchen in the strip mall on the left after Hoffner on 436 near the airport last Tuesday at lunch. I grabbed a Mochiko Chicken sandwich to go for $9. It was ok. A thigh. Not boneless. You can choose a kimchi butter or one other sauce. I had kimchi. Sweet roll. Some veg. They also sell the usual items. I also had an ok spam musubi for $3.50.  Prices leveled off in high teens. Order at a counter. Four tables. Narrow floor plan. It's a smarter choice than airport priced slop. They said they are not a chain. Open for three months.

Joint at West End, Sanford

I tried this snack bar in this bar in the afternoon on Saturday. I had tots for $6. They were ok. They also sell a few other items. Like a $9 hot dog. Not worth it. I had tried to try them twice before during the week around lunch. No one there. You order at a kiosk. Not a destination. While there, I also found two places I haven't tried - Capitol Room and The Sullivan. On the main street. Zorba's has closed.

Grub Crawl - Winter Park and Audubon Park: Graze Craze and Grazie *CO Travel Notes

I tried these spots Friday at lunch. The first is in a strip mall on South Orlando (south of Fairbanks) across from Chicken Guy. The second is next to the East End market on Corrine.

Graze Craze - As stupid, enabling and overpriced as I imagined. Charcuterie. I "escaped" (cheapest thing) with a $9 cutie cup that consisted of two thin slices of "soppressata" and salami (average quality), three blueberries, two blackberries, two cherry tomatoes, one strawberry, one thin slice of manchego and a thin slice of another cheese (cheddar?). Probably a dollar's worth of product. I asked for a keto. I'm not sure if that is what they gave me. They do boxes and boards. S/M/L. They name their options with clumsy word play (ie cutie cup - cuterie). Vegegrazian, grazey for keto, sweets and grazey, gone grazey classic. I think they started at $20. A chain from Massachusetts. No seating. Please tell me that society isn't at a point where we are willing to pay a 900% mark up to avoid slicing cheese? I guess you can't complain about taxes being too high or not being paid enough unless you are. Craze? More like Crazy! Open for a week or so.

Grazie - A modern Italian kitchen. More mediocre than modern. I can't really cite a "modern" component. It has posters of some woman and Sinatra (always a red flag) on the wall. Molto moderno. I had an AVG chicken pesto sandwich with fries for $16. They had a placard outside stating it was the best in town. I hadn't realized no other restaurants offered that dish. The chicken was sliced in half to make it look like more. The mozz was ok. Red pepper and tomato. Pesto was ok. Nice "bun". Tiny. The fries were "pringles" fries. Those machine made (probably from dried potato mix) imposters. They have apps, salads, pizza, sandwiches, pasta and secondi. The online menu was a little different than the printed. I had come in for the chicken parm sandwich. They only had it with mixed veg that I didn't want ($2 extra for pasta). The apps were things like calamari, bruschetta and meatballs. Priced near main prices. The pastas were spaghetti (and with meatballs), tagliatelle Bolognese, cacio e pepe. The most expensive category. The mains were things like chicken marsala. Around $20. Pizza (around $16) looked like ok. Didn't see the underside. Only one server/bartender. One cook (seemed Mexican). Had to wait for attention at points. Food came out pretty quick though. Parking was limited. Patio. Maybe ten tables and a bar inside. Gray and black interior. Low ceiling. Poor ac. The type of place that has a neon sign with one of those cat lady/wine mom pillow quotes on it. About ten other customers there. They run some other restaurant that I forget. Opened in the Spring, I think. Used to be dinner only. Now lunch too. I think they are struggling.

*Travel Notes - Colorado: I went to knock another stadium of my list. Flew Frontier (9p/10a) for $98. Two hours late getting there. Used a coupon for the four day rental (would have been $303) with Budget. They only had trucks. It turned out to be a busy weekend to come in on. Stayed the first night at the grubby airport Econolodge (Expedia 7.4) for $105. Everything else was more than usual and I was in at 1am. Drove the next day to Colorado Springs (on 225 to 25, I think). I tried to go the PGA event in Castle Rock that I learned about the day before. They were such dicks about buying tickets and parking and getting to the course (no shuttle buses) that I told them to fuck themselves and left. In CS, I mistook their new USL stadium for a minor league baseball stadium and booked a shit hole nearby (Expedia 6.6 Nevada Flats Motel for $96) so I could walk to the game. I ended up getting out of the reservation (because they weren't there for three times when I tried to check in and I didn't need to be in the area any longer). I finally got a $96 rack rate shit hole La Quinta Inn one exit north. But before then, I parked at the motel and had four great cachetes (beef cheek tacos) with a side of kernel corn at Tepex inside the Avenue 19 Food Hall in town. And had great beer, cider, mead and a few shots of local-ish whiskey at Bell Brothers Brewery. Ask for the Black Hole. The minor league team (Vibes turned out to have been dropped by the Brewers) played a few miles northeast. A home plate ticket cost $18. Parking $5. Had I known ahead of time that they were dfa'd, I wouldn't have wasted the time and money. I only went to begin with because I needed to do something. Dinner of an Ultimate Wrap (fal/ch/gyro) at House of Jerusalem. Turned out to be same people as our Winter Springs location. I saw a billboard they put up on the highway. The next day I drove to Denver and went to the Broncos v Cardinals. Parking was $60. Tickets at the 50 in the nose bleeds was $60. They print out tickets on game days. Ate 1/2lb of good brisket from the Woodhill Small Batch BBQ food truck. Stayed the next two nights at the Quality Inn at the airport (Expedia 8.4) for $100 a night. By far the best deal. The next day I was lazy and just went to a local brewery (Danico) and had a Korean hot dog and fried pot stickers from a Cupbop food truck outside. Tried to see the Gaylord property. Wanted payment for parking. No issues flying back. Airport was empty. If you fly Frontier, there is a "bridge" gate entry point to their gates that is always less frequented. Try and find it. Weather was in mid-eighties. Weathermen wiffed on rain warnings. Crowded. Gas was around $3. Ate fast food for missing meals.