Restaurant with a view -- Simon Pearce, Vermont

By GAIL LOWE

The Simon Pearce Restaurant — a place to relax, enjoy fine food and purchase exquisite glassware designed by none other than Simon Pearce himself — is only two hours from where my husband and I live in Massachusetts.

Located in Quechee, Vermont, it's a perfect destination for a day trip from the Boston area.

We invited another couple to join us for brunch at Simon Pearce on a recent Sunday morning, and on arrival found that there were plenty of empty tables. Our host, Bruce, led

us to a table for four that overlooks a waterfall that rushes out of the Ottauquechee River and spills past a rare, historical covered bridge. (Actually, Vermont has 114 of these covered bridges.)

Like Simon Pearce glassware, the falls sparkle in the sunlight. Even on a cloudy day, they can't help but draw the eye. To be seated right next to these gorgeous falls is a bonus.

The brunch menu is extensive and includes items like caramelized broccoli and poached egg; house made granola and a Vermont cheese plate that includes scones, macron almonds, honey and quince paste.

Entrees even more ambitious include creme brûlée french toast, ricotta and sea salt omelette, crispy chicken and a biscuit and Tamarack Farms lamb burger. For four people, our bill came to about $120, including beverages and tip.

Lisa, our server, was pleasant, friendly and patient while we pored over the menu. We finally settled on a special of the day — Tuscan kale, blood orange and olive salad, house made corned beef hash and the crispy chicken. The Vermont cheddar soup (cup size) also beckoned. To say it was delicious is an understatement. Creamy and smooth, the cheddar wasn't just sharp and flavorful. It was heaven melting in our mouths. We all declared Executive Chef Brian Gazda and his team worthy of a fine European restaurant.

A visit to the Simon Pearce restaurant is well worth the drive, but so is browsing the beautiful handblown glassware. Pearce is known around the world for his glassblowing and pottery, trades he learned in Kilkenny, Ireland. The New York Times described him as a "prominent designer of glassware," one whose works have been given as gifts to foreign dignitaries and to presenters at the Academy Awards.

Simon Pearce selections include barware, vases, bowls, platters and cake plates, and that's the short list. If you plan to shop and buy, make sure your checking account is flush. A single wineglass will set you back $70.

The glass is blown by artisans in a studio just below the restaurant. People interested in seeing how it's done are invited to watch as a piece is molded and placed into a blazing furnace. Just outside the glassblowing studio is a patio where you can stand close to the falls and take pictures. 

After brunch, take a short ride to the indoor flea market where you'll find antiques of every kind on several floors. Jewelry, dishware, toys from the 1950s and 1960s and all kinds of collectibles are on display, and everything is for sale. Truly, it's like poking around Grandma's attic.

A little over a half hour away is the Vermont Country Store in Bellows Falls. This emporium also sells items from the past, but unlike the flea market, the items for sale are all new. Think Lifebuoy soap, muumuus and toys and games Baby Boomers played with 50 years ago. These are the things you'll come across on your trip down Memory Lane.

Not ready to go home yet? Then how about heading back toward Quechee and stopping in nearby Woodstock to see if they have any rooms available at the Woodstock Inn and Resort.

Typical of old New England, the elegant Inn is a sprawling white building with black

shutters, and right inside the front door is a massive fireplace with a furniture grouping that invites conversation with your travel companion and fellow travelers. The Inn has a gift shop, and here you'll find genuine maple syrup, a byproduct of Vermont. 

The Inn is an expensive option for lodging —most rooms are well over $300 per night, and one drawback is that the pool and fitness center is only accessible if you're willing to walk two miles, take a free shuttle or drive by car.

But once you're there, it's well worth the visit, as it has a gorgeous pool and whirlpool in a glass-walled structure looking out over the green grounds and beautiful hills. There's also a sauna, steam room and changing area. 

This is a four-season inn just as Vermont is — no matter what season, there's something to do, from swimming to skiing.

Brunch at Simon Pearce is served from 10 a.m to 2:45 p.m. on Sundays; the dinner hour begins at 5. On other days, including Saturday, lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., and the dinner hour begins at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m.

For more information at the Woodstock Inn, call toll free 855-421-0178 or 802-232-6853 or visit www.woodstockinn.com.

When in Rome ... or in Tuscany

By GAIL LOWE

Had I not known the two men walking arm in arm 20 feet ahead of me, I might have thought they were a gay couple. But we were in Cecina, Italy, and one of the men was my husband. The other was the husband of a cousin he had not seen in more than 30 years.

The scene ahead of me was sweet and typical of European culture. I now wish I had captured the scene on film, but I was too busy talking to the cousin's wife Graziella as we, too, walked along arm in arm.

We reserved Sunday, March 29, to visit Darwin and Graziella at their condo in Cecina. Tears flooded Graziella's face at the sight of my husband. Over the years, she and Darwin had visited the U.S. just as Tony had visited them, and they knew this might be the last time they would ever see each other. 

They honored our visit the best way Italians know how — with a feast that included champagne and Chianti wine.

We had been looking forward to a week in Tuscany — including the visit with Darwin and Graziella — for the past year after booking a Fly and Drive trip to Tuscany offered by friendlyplanet.com. 

We had first heard about friendlyplanet, an online travel site, from a couple who booked a trip to China with them. Their trip included airfare, hotel, breakfast daily, tour guide and all tips, surcharges and taxes. All of this for well under $2,000 for both of them, or less than $1,000 per person to walk the Great Wall of China and tour Shanghai and Beijing.

When we saw the Tuscany trip for $1,099 per person, which also included airfare, hotel, rental car, breakfast and other charges, we booked right away. But because we decided to go the last week in March when the weather would be a little warmer, the cost was bumped to $1,199. Still, it was a bargain.

Our flight was from JFK in New York to Milan, so we opted to leave our car in a long-term parking lot only a mile from the airport. (The only issue was that our return flight landed at 9:45 p.m., which meant a five-hour drive home to Massachusetts.)

We flew to and from with Emirates, and I must say this airline has it all over the major U.S. airlines, except maybe Jet Blue. Flight attendants were classy, flyers were given hot, wet towels to wash hands and face and two meals were served in-flight. Every seat featured individual screens for movie and TV viewing or for listening to music. Flights to and from Italy were without incident, and we slept as much as possible so we wouldn't be worn out for the drive to our hotel in San Gimignano.

We arrived on time, picked up our Fiat 500 and took the long route along the Italian coast that eventually brought us to Cecina. From there, we turned northeast to get to Hotel Sovestro in San Gimignano. We arrived about an hour later, exhausted and hungry. Fortunately for us, the family-run hotel has its own restaurant, and we feasted on wild boar, an exquisite thick bean soup and wonderful fresh spring spring greens salad. 

Hotel Sovestro is a short walk from San Gimignano, so after a good night's sleep and complimentary breakfast (coffee, assorted cheeses and meats, to-die-for pastries and croissants and juice), we had a look around. The medieval town is walled and features 14 towers and winding, hilly lanes that take visitors past shops where everything from fig cakes to lemon soap and purses to scarves are sold. When in Italy, it's an unspoken requirement that you wear a scarf. Everyone does. 

There are unlimited photo ops in charming San Gimignano. Some lanes lead to the greatest heights where you can view all of Tuscany — acres upon acres of green land sectioned off into vineyards and olive groves. The sun that day was hot, and only then did I understood the significance of Frances Mayes' book title "Under the Tuscan Sun."

We also encountered strolling musicians, including an accordionist who thrilled us with favorite Italian songs.

We made good use of our week, and that included taking the public bus to Florence from Pongibossi, a little town only 20 minutes east of San Gimignano. This proved to be the best option, since parking in Florence is next to impossible. The buses run right on schedule, and the ride was about an hour each way. No sooner did we get off the bus and begin wandering than we found ourselves at the edge of the leather market. It was there that we found a few bargains — spring leather gloves, a leather purse for a family member's birthday and, of course, scarves. We later discovered the purse we bought is similar to a Michael Kors design that sells in the U.S. for $350. 

Weighted down with a few bags did not stop us from walking the distance to Gallery Academia where the original "David" stands in all its royal splendor. We gazed upon this sculpted marble wonder, 14 feet tall, from base to the top of David's head. Beautiful churches housing world-famous art by Michelangelo also beckoned, as did the gelato stands.

Back at the hotel later in the day, we noticed a sign at the front desk announcing a performance of favorite opera arias, so we bought tickets for about $25 U.S. for Saturday night. The drive to and from Siena was under an hour, and parking was a breeze. The performance featured soprano Chiara Panacci and pianist Iliara Posarelli with arias that included those from Turandot, La Boheme, Gianni Schicchi and Madame Butterfly, among others. What could be better than an encore featuring O Sole Mio and Come Back to Sorrento. That's what we got. The venue, Santo Stefano alla Lizza, was an old church whose space was intimate and acoustics good for this wonderful concert. A restaurant called Guido, practically around the corner from the church, was a great place to dine on squash stuffed ravioli and steak.

Our final day was reserved for a long drive through the Chianti region of Tuscany. Again, we encountered those serpentine roads and small villages throughout where you could shop for olive oil, regional art, sticks of salami and, of course, Chianti wine. 

Friendlyplanet.com is currently offering Italy by Rail ($1,649 per person) and Italy Fly and Drive ($1,449). There's also a $3,449 package called Incredible Italy.

If you want to go, sign up soon. Trips close out fast.