Sunday Soul is all about getting lost by yourself, finding that bit of space that moment of time when bliss reigns supreme in your corner of the world. For guest writer Robin Locker, that moment comes closest to home in upstate New York, despite her travels near and far.
It is no secret that my two favorite countries on earth are France and Italy. There is nothing that I like better than spending time wandering the banks of the Seine in Paris or sipping espresso at a cafe in an Italian piazza, while watching life in Italy go by.
However, since I can’t be in these magical places often enough, one of the things I try to do is pretend that I am there by infusing as much French and Italian influence into my life as possible. So, I would like to bring you along on a perfect Sunday, spent trying to soak up some of that French and Italian flavor, in my hometown in New York’s historic Hudson Valley.
Starting the day early, I hop in the car and head to the tiny Italian section in Poughkeepsie, near Mount Carmel Square. Breakfast starts at my favorite Italian pastry shop, La Deliziosa. I’d purchase some fresh sfogliatelle, five or 100 biscotti and some pignoli cookies, all baked on the premises.
With my sweets in hand, I’d move along to Rossi’s Italian Deli, grab my cafe table on the sidewalk and enjoy my sweet treats with an espresso, pretending of course that I was sitting at a piazza in Italy. After enjoying a long and leisurely breakfast, it would be time to go inside and chat up the owners, who are originally from Calabria and really enjoy reminiscing about un bel paese. I’d leave with bags full of picnic fare – cheese, bocconcini, focaccia bread, marinated vegetables, olives, pasta salad, salami and prosciutto.
For my picnic, I would drive up to the lovely, lush and secluded Valkill. It’s the former, little known cottage of Eleanor Roosevelt, located in Hyde Park. Here I would spread my blanket on the cool green grass, near the running stream while dreaming that I was in the Buttes Chaumont Park in Paris. I’d snack on my goodies, sip some cold rosé wine and follow it all up with some book reading and of course, a nice nap.
Soulful serenity awaits visitors to Valkill in New York's historic Hudson Valley
The day wouldn’t be complete without dinner at my favorite local French Bistro, Le Canard Enchainé in nearby Kingston. The owner and his family are French natives and every time I visit, the combination of the dark, traditional bistro decor, spot-on classic French cuisine and French music and language wafting through the air transports me back to Paris in an instant. In fact – it rivals the best bistros in France.
Nothing about this perfect day could be better for my soul. …other than a trip across the pond that is.
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Robin Locker is a France and Italy travel consultant, freelance travel writer and photographer who hopes to one day realize her dream of living la dolce vita in her beloved Italy. She writes about travel for MNUI Insurance and on her own site, My Melange.
There are a multitude of amazing restaurants in the Hudson Valley, enough to satisfy a foodie for a lifetime!
My all-time favorite is the Village TeaRoom Restaurant and Bake Shop in New Paltz. They offer delicious and eclectic farm-to-table fares within their seasonal menu. Everything (and I mean everything) is made on premises, from scratch, wtih the best ingredients possible. The results are truly astounding.
Whatever you eat there, always leave a bit of room for their to-die-for desserts – never too sweet, nor too tart, just perfectly balanced.