Trani, Puglia and Tiramisu Iced Coffee

I was meeting up with some friends from the UK who were in Puglia for a holiday, staying in Bari, and Trani was a wonderful compromise! We decided to mix in a little sightseeing with our sunbathing, though in hindsight, we should have done the sightseeing first as we were quite hot afterwards.

You might recognize the Trani cathedral from the recent New York Times article, The Heel is Rising. The weather was definitely cooperating for my trip to Trani.

Like I mentioned in my “About” page, I rarely touch up my photos – but even if I did, I couldn’t create these blues with a computer!

I really liked the facade of the cathedral – look at the elephants!

The 12th century Templar Knight Chiesa d’Ognissanti (Every Saint) reminded me of the medieval church Santa Eufemia I saw while in Spoleto. I like the windows on these churches – only later did the architects learn that light could be powerfully used to evoke images and influence a worshipper’s experience.

There were two newlywed couples taking pictures in the harbor – they had an amazing backdrop and I couldn’t help myself as I snapped a few pictures of them as well. Wedding pictures in Italy are a big deal – besides the extraordinarily high prices, the photographers are constantly asking the couples to get silly – to jump in someone’s arms, to pose over a gelato cart (yes!) or to even let pigeons sit on their heads in full wedding gear. If you’re ever walking around a small town in Italy, be sure to look at a photographer’s display windows for some entertainment.

We weren’t too impressed with the beaches we saw in the city of Trani – the “sandy” beach south of the historic center had a lot of algae and what I called “mushy” sand that reminded me of a lake, and it was quite crowded (I guess I was spoiled after being at the nice beach in Mattinatella) Afterward, we found a stone beach closer to the center which looked cleaner and less crowded. I believe further out of the town there are nicer beaches, especially heading north, towards Barletta as we saw them from the car.

Before leaving for the day, we sat down at one of the many cafes lining the lungomare in Trani and enjoyed my favorite summer coffee drink, the Caffe Shakerato. Only this time, it was version 3.0 (2.0 being flavored with Baileys). My friend, being an Italian chef in London, ordered his “al Tiramisu” and proceeded to instruct the bartender how to make it. His was so good, we all then ordered a round for the table.

Tiramisu Iced Coffee – Caffe Shakerato al Tiramisu

1 shot espresso, cooled
Mascarpone/Tiramisu/Vanilla ice cream, softened (or fresh whipped cream)
Cocoa powder, unsweetened
Liquor, Amaretto or Cognac (optional)

Ice cubes
Cocktail Shaker

Make espresso and set aside to cool. In a metal cocktail shaker, add ice cubes and pour over espresso and a small splash of liquor if desired. Add one scoop of softened ice cream and shake quickly until frothy. Strain liquid into tumbler and top with unsweetened cocoa powder.

This isn’t an “everyday” drink, but it’s definitely a nice treat after a hot day of sunbathing and sightseeing!

Blog Day 2007

It’s also Blog Day 2007 – (I also participated in 2006) – a day when you pick 5 “new to you” blogs and share them with others.

In no particular order….

• Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen – Though she’s not a newbie to the web, she is a recent RSS add for me. I found myself clicking on her photos via Tastespotting so often that I was almost a regular and thought it was time to commit. Funny, practical entries that always have a recipe and an interesting backstory!
• Dessert First – another site I always clicked to through the photos!!
• Paris Breakfast – artists fall into that category of supreme envy for me – as we’ve seen previously, I am not a very good artist. I love that she combines food + painting! What a life!
• Apartment Therapy – I enjoy their Kitchen and Tech sections.
• I Can Has Cheeseburger? – If you’re not familiar with LOLCats, it’s time you are! Cats speaking pidgeon and riding invisible bicycles. Worth a giggle…kthxbye.

Happy Blog Day 2007!