2021 Year In Review

*check out last year's Year In Review here!*

My year started, as most years do, at midnight on January 1^st, but this one was quite unlike any other years had started. I was standing in the middle of a deserted street wearing Grumpy Cat pajamas, listening to the sounds of illegal fireworks going off in a city that I had unexpectedly found myself living in. That unexpected start to the year, alone, cold, but feeling more alive than I had since the pandemic began, ushered in the start of what would become a very unexpected year.

 

The first unexpected thing was being offered a prime time radio slot on UK Country Radio. Towards the end of 2020, I’d begun presenting a show on the station, and in early January was promoted to ‘Friday primetime’ – three hours of country music and a bit of chat from me which I have continued to host throughout 2021. (You can tune in every Friday from 5-8pm on www.ukcountryradio.com!)

 

It’s been great fun, and not only have I been able to share my favourite songs with whoever’s tuning in (and will be getting my own additional one hour special this coming year to do just that), but I also had the opportunity to interview loads of great artists over Zoom, including Seaforth, SixForty1, Chase Bryant, and many more. These are artists who, in normal times, I might not have had the chance to sit down with, had I still been in Australia, or if they had been too busy touring to take my calls, but here we were, me in my ‘office’ in the Netherlands chatting to them in Nashville, Texas, Canada and beyond.  

 

The next unexpected surprise came in February, when we got some pretty significant snowfall, making for pretty walks in fresh snow, watching hardy Dutch locals ice skate on the frozen canals, and even taking a step on one myself (and not falling in). Such cold weather simply called for comfort food, so I continued my explorations around all of the local bakeries, testing out the best cakes they had on offer and even getting one to celebrate my (unexpected) one year anniversary of living in the Netherlands in March.

 

The weather improved in April, bringing with it gorgeous spring blossoms, baby lambs, and a fresh batch of cygnets to spot on my daily walks around the waterways. This time was obviously a new beginning for nature, but also for me too, as I was offered a job teaching online in Riga, Latvia. Along with the teaching I was already doing for students in China, I spent the next few months finishing up courses and running summer programmes teaching kids, teens and adults. I met some truly lovely people, and I can only hope I’ll get to meet some of them in person a bit further down the line.

 

As the blossoms faded, May heralded the start of tulip season, and with covid not as bad(?) as it had been the year prior, we were finally able to get out and see them. We took two weeks to explore the tulip trails, travelling around the country to see the best and the brightest tulip fields that stretched for miles and miles, with gorgeous flowers of every colour. I get why people like it in the Netherlands now.

 

June saw the tulips give way to rhododendrons and roses, the weather get warm enough for long cycles, and even more cake for me, including one which I baked for my birthday – whipped cream sponge with salted caramel buttercream and caramel drip, decorated to look like a tropical island (i.e. where I’d rather be during the pandemic!) It was yet another unusual birthday, but these were unusual times.

 

We took advantage of sunny days in July to get out and explore the Netherlands, visiting beautiful cities like Delft, Rotterdam, Maastricht and Amsterdam, including seeing Girl With A Pearl Earring in the flesh. I also made a new friend around this time in the form of Bob, the cat from across the road who I got to cat-sit on occasion. This was the time when I saw a lot of my friends in other countries start to get vaccinated and begin to meet up again, so going over to pet him for half an hour was the perfect excuse for a much-needed serotonin boost when I was feeling low that I couldn’t yet meet up with friends safely.

 

Alas, the end of the social isolation tunnel was in sight, and I received my second vaccine in mid-August, just in time for me to finally leave the country for the first time in over a year. We headed to Ireland to catch up with family at long last and celebrate my cousin’s wedding in Ballinasloe, County Galway. It was so nice to see each other again after so long, as well as do a bit of planning for another wedding coming up later in the year…

 

But first, we had to get through September, and were finally feeling comfortable enough to spread our wings a bit. There seemed no better way to do this than with a European roadtrip. The first stop was back to my birthplace near Heidelberg, where we went castle chasing and visited the town I spent the first few months of my life in. 

Next, to beautiful Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Meersburg, on the shores of Lake Constance, where we wandered through Disney-like villages and soaked up insanely beautiful sunsets. Onwards to Liechtenstein to see the juxtaposition of the old and the new, and Strasbourg, to eat and admire the views from the Cathedral. Finally, Luxembourg and it’s winding streets, and the ‘smallest city in the world’ of Durbuy in Belgium. A much-needed break away from the Netherlands, and a great way to see so many stunning places in Europe. (You can find posts about all of these places on my blog!)

 

We made it to another stunning place in Europe in October – County Kerry, Ireland. Whilst we had only been in Ireland a few months prior, this time, we were joined by my brother and his fiancée to explore the Wild Atlantic Way, beaches and bays, and reconnect after so long. This was essentially a ‘pre-honeymoon’ for the two, as they were then married in a lovely ceremony near my Dad’s hometown. It was a small wedding, but so long as you’ve got those who matter most around you, what more do you need? Very happy to be ending 2021 with a happy brother and brand new sister-in-law!

 

I also took the time in Ireland to donate my hair to the Little Princess Trust for the third time – covid may not have been good for many, many reasons, but at least not being able to go to the hairdressers meant I had 14 inches of hair that I was able to donate!

 

No sooner had I arrived back in the Netherlands that the most unexpected change happened, and I moved to Italy. I had received a job offer to work in Como, and after a year and a half of teaching online in the Netherlands, I was more than ready for a change. I arrived in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and jumped right into a busy working schedule teaching adults, teens and children at school in Como and across Lombardy.

 

I started exploring further afield in November, visiting some of the towns around Lake Como including Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio, as well as taking a long weekend to visit Verona and Bologna (you can check them out on my blog too!). I learnt the power of aperitivo, ate so many amazing things, and even tried my hand at cooking too.

 

And here we are in December. My Italian travels have continued with snowy trips to Milan, and food-filled ones to Bergamo. During the short time I’ve been here, I’ve made the most incredible friends, eaten spectacular food, and visited stunning places. There’s so much still to explore in 2022, and I can’t wait!

Thanks for reading about my 2021 adventures! What did you get up to this year? Drop me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry, along with what your plans are for 2022! 

Travel: BERGAMO, ITALY

*check out my last Italian travel adventure (to Verona, home of Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet) here!*

One thing that I love about Italy is how much Italians love it too - the number of times I've asked Italian people what their favourite place in the world is, only to have them answer somewhere in Italy, is truly testament to how beautiful this country is. 

I got a glimpse of it's beauty upon visiting Verona - wandering along the river and admiring the views from up high, but even that was nothing compared to the most recent destination I've visited, Bergamo, which proved it's beauty both in it's landscapes and it's food too. 

The good decisions began first thing, when we purchased day travel tickets for 16.50 Euro, allowing us to travel to Bergamo from Como and back, and would prove their worth even more once we'd arrived there. Being close to two hours long, the journey to Bergamo wasn't short, so I'd worked up quite the appetite by the time we arrived. First stop on the agenda: food.

I was glad I didn't let myself be sucked into the first cafe we passed, as it was when we reached Tresoldi La Boutique Del Pane that we found heaven. I opted for a pear and chocolate cake, but had to stop myself halfway through when I saw the slice of pizza my friends brought over. This Margherita was cooked to perfection with just the right balance of tomato and cheese, and the slice of Quattro Formaggi I bought afterwards was just as delightful. We'd been in Bergamo for less than ten minutes, and I was already happy. 

We carried on up the main street to the funicular which would take us to Citta Alta, the old town. This area was utterly gorgeous - narrow streets flanked by high buildings, Christmas decorations strung above our heads, and welcoming shop windows selling clothes, gifts, and oh so much food. We passed artisan gingerbread makers, fresh pasta, and patisseries. I physically couldn't help myself from going in to one and buying a 'polenta e osei', a traditional Bergamasque sponge cake covered with yellow almond paste and decorated with chocolate or marzipan birds.

We admired the pretty checkerboard church before continuing on our way, although we didn't make it very far before we got distracted. There, on our right, were the most stunning focaccias we'd ever laid eyes on, and dozens of them. You want mortadella and cheese? You got it. Burrata and tomatoes? Sure. Prawns and rose marie sauce? Of course. Grilled vegetables? No problem. Every kind of topping you could imagine was stacked high onto these soft pieces of focaccia, so of course we had to try them. 

The queue was long, but worth it, although I must warn you that the servers are VERY generous (it's pay by weight), so you might want to get just one slice between two. We opted for an aubergine and burrata option, and tomato, burrata, and salad. Divine, although I struggled to eat much at all given how full I was already! 

On we went, wandering slowly through the streets and stopping occasionally to pop into one of the little shops. We ended up at another funicular (told you that day travel pass would prove it's worth) which took us up to Torre Castello San Vigilio. When I tell you that the views from the top were some of the best I'd seen in a long time, it was no word of a lie. 

We walked up to the castle, and were greeted with 360' views as far as the eye could see. The horizon stretched on for miles, towns down in the valley and great mountains stretching up behind them. It really was breath-taking. This seemed like the perfect place to rest for a while, so we stayed, taking photos and chatting to other visitors, before the sun started to set. 

This made for a visually spectacular wait for the funicular as the sky lit up with yellows, oranges, purples and blues. You know I'm a sucker for sunsets, and this one didn't disappoint. This was quickly turning into my favourite day in Italy so far, and it wasn't even over yet. 

Back in Citta Alta, we cruised back through the streets as darkness set in, pausing at Piazza Vecchia to stand under the lights, snowflakes and baubles that had been erected outside the Biblioteca Civica Angelo Mai. I'd been wanting to see an Italian Christmas town, and this one seemed to do the trick. 

Still feeling full from the day's eating didn't stop me from picking up one last culinary delight that I'd admired on the way up - a slice of Torta Trentina al Cioccolata at the Nessi bakery. It was even better than I'd imagined - soft and squishy, like a mix of chocolate mixed with dates, and topped and tailed with a thin layer of biscuit. I truly regret not buying a whole block of it after I got home and discovered I couldn't find anything called 'Torta Trentina' anywhere on the internet! Readers, if you know this recipe, or anything like it, I need you to send it to me! 

It seemed like everyone had the same idea to leave Bergamo around that time, as we had to queue a while for the funicular back down, and quick march our way past the city Christmas lights in order to catch the train home. Worth every minute. 

Fear not though - our day was not quite over, as we were bringing a special surprise back home with us - fresh scarpinocc, a type of ravioli made with cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, and amaretto that had been recommended to me by an Italian colleague (I love having local friends!) We cooked it at home, it's freshness meaning that it was ready within minutes, and served with butter and a generous helping of parmesan. A genuinely perfect way to end a perfect day. 

Tip for visiting Bergamo:

- I cannot stress this enough: do. I know I still have plenty of Italian cities yet to visit, but I think this might be my favourite yet. The landscapes change rapidly between one part of the city and the next, and I don't even have to tell you that it's worth it just for the...

- ...food. Oh my gosh, I have never been so satisfied. Everything I ate was not just good, it was excellent. I would go back just for exactly the same food as I had this time, and that's without even having tried the plethora of eateries that this beautiful city has to offer. My stomach and I will certainly be back. 

I hope you enjoyed today's blog post on Bergamo! If you did, do let me know on Twitter @CiarasCountry or in the comments below, as well as giving me suggestions for where else in Italy I ought to visit! I'd love to hear all about your travel adventures too... More Italy blog posts coming soon, thanks so much for reading!