February 10, 2009
Welcome to our February issue of
" Slow Travel for Women " Newsletter
Happy New Year to all of you!
The
Directors of Slow Travel for Women,
Ann Marinelli and Muriel Theriault, wish you all health, happiness and a wonderful 2009 brimming with new, exciting Slow Travel destinations.
Our membership continues to soar and we would like to thank all our faithful readers for spreading the word.
We are pleased to inform you that we have now completed the itineraries for many of our 2009 tours. Please contact us for a detailed day-by-day itinerary including prices. Be sure to complete our
New 2009 Survey
form so that we can have all of your preferred destinations.
Here is a sample of some of our Upcoming Tours
We have a new Chocolate & Wine weekend scheduled for April 3rd to April 6th in Umbria, Italy. Enjoy seeing the spring bloom in the rolling hills of Umbria while relaxing in the hotel spa, tasting wine at two famous local wineries as well as participating in a hands-on cooking lesson.
Don’t miss the wonderful opportunity of joining us in our Gourmet Tour of Ireland from April 26th to May 4th. This is a very special tour which has been organized especially for Slow Travel for Women. Enjoy the Irish mazes, local specialties, visit the “Marble City”, the best preserved of the medieval Irish cities. You will visit the picturesque little town of Kinsale – the gourmet capital of Ireland. Meet the internationally known chef, Darian Allen, who will give a private cooking demonstration at the famous Ballymaloe cookery school. We have made sure to include a Saturday in this tour so that you can enjoy strolling through the legendary Galway market.
Experience the charm of old romantic European cities as you are entertained, pampered and dined on this one-of-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the Golden Triangle: Vienna, Budapest and Prague from May 18th to May 27th. In Vienna, home of the famous composers Johanne Strauss Sr. and Jr., a special Mozart/Strauss concert awaits you in one of Vienna’s most famous palaces. Enjoy a typical Hungarian dinner in a Budapest restaurant with music and a folklore show. The clou of your visit in Budapest will be an extraordinary nighttime Danube River cruise. On your first day in Prague you will be pampered with a relaxing wellness treatment at the hotel’s spa. You will also assist a concert in one of Prague’s most famed churches. The tour ends in Vienna where you will surely experience an urge to return again to the very elegant, sophisticated Golden Triangle of Europe.
"Come to Cape Cod to feel inspired. Come to Cape Cod to walk the pristine beaches, to revel in the arts and culture, to reclaim childhood memories of seashells, sandcastles and salt water taffy. Come to Cape Cod to let yourself go and let it capture your heart....” Join us from June 7th – 16th for our Summer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Explore the Cape’s oldest village of Sandwich, a town that exudes “New England seaside charm”, a renowned destination that provides a glimpse into Colonial history. Visit the John F. Kennedy Hyannis museum designed to open a window to the days JFK spent on Cape Cod, “the Cape was his oasis”. Learn why he valued his ties to the Cape so deeply. We embark on a fast ferry to the island of Nantucket, in the past, considered the whaling capital of the world. A visit to the Whaling Museum has been included in the itinerary. The town of Nantucket hugs the yacht filled harbor and features sophisticated gray shingled homes with white picket fences, shops, cobblestone streets, world-renown restaurants, art-filled galleries, quaint historic captain whalers' homes. It is also the birth location of the first woman astronomer, Maria Mitchell, who was the first woman to discover a comet. Returning to the mainland, discover the old Cape Cod as you journey along the scenic Old King’s highway as you approach your final Cape Cod destination, Provincetown. Provincetown is a lovely village that has a rich heritage combining a love of the sea and the arts. It is truly a “ one of a kind “ destination.
Remember, all our tours have been designed to include the best possible deluxe accommodations and transport, services, local guides and sightseeing, as well as very “special” spa treatments for your well-being and relaxation. Wherever possible, a member of the Slow Travel Team will be present on arrival to greet you.
SLOW TRAVEL COOKBOOKS
We are proud to inform you that our “Slow Travel Holiday Cookbook” and a mini-version called “ Slow Travel Mini-Cookbook”. are now on sale on our Storefront .
SITE BUILD IT Story
As a continuation of our “Who We Are” page, we thought we would give you some more background about us. In fact, we had never thought that we would be developing and designing our own website. Read our story Build Your Passion to find out how it is possible for YOU to build your own website.
For those of you who haven’t yet done it, we invite you to sign up for our monthly Newsletter.
Ann & Muriel
Slow-Travel-for-Women
Slow Cooking Recipe No. 7
PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROASTED FENNEL WEDGES
Submitted by Luisa Moretti, USA
The combination of fennel and roast pork is a Mediterranean classic. Fennel bulbs become a tender and almost silky partner for pork. This delicious, easy to make recipe is low in calories and health-wise is a winner!
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 pound pork tenderloin
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, reserving fronds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Crush fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle or rolling pin.
Pat pork dry and sprinkle with crushed fennel seeds. Salt and pepper. Cut fennel bulbs lengthwise into wedges.
Heat oil in a 12-inch oven-proof heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown pork on all sides, and transfer to a plate. Sauté garlic and fennel wedges in skillet until fennel is golden brown. Add wine, stirring and scraping up brown bits, then stir in broth and butter. Put pork on top of fennel and transfer skillet to oven. Roast for about 15 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, transfer skillet to stovetop (handle will be hot) and boil, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated. Stir in lemon juice and 1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds. Thinly slice pork and serve over fennel with sauce.
Wine Pairing
For a safe bet, most people stick to red wine with pork. If you go for a fruity Grenache or a rich Burgundy you will be invariably delighted. A good strong red wine with pork will rarely disappoint anybody. However, the rules can and should be broken. If you fancy being more adventurous, then a white Semillon or Sauvignon Blanc can go well. The apple taste of a dry Sauvignon goes well with roast pork.