Despite his dream of building a capital city along the banks of the Potomac River and unlike the real estate cliché “George Washington slept here,” America’s first president never once laid his head down on a pillow within the District of Columbia, aka Washington, DC. The closest he ever got was a good night’s sleep at his homestead in nearby Mount Vernon, VA.

Some 228 years later, our nation’s capital welcomes more than 22 million visitors a year. A world-class city embedded with a vibrant history, spectacular monuments, outstanding museums, plentiful parks, lush gardens and exceptional chef-driven cuisine, Washington, DC is well worth a visit. But, don’t just take my word for it, join me as I take the lens cap off and document this monumental city originally planned by Pierre L’Enfant.

For starters, there’s the Smithsonian Institution, a collection of 19 massive, artifacts-filled museums and galleries and the National Zoo, many standing shoulder-to-shoulder on either side of the two-mile long National Mall, “America’s front yard.” Art, history — natural and chronicled — science, and red-white-and-blue ingenuity to rocket into space, are all on display inside these titanic buildings. And, the best part? Entry is absolutely free for we, the people.

Bookending the Mall is the Capitol Building at the eastern end, where the legislative branches of government apply their checks and balances atop old Jenkins’ Hill, and the awe-inspiring Lincoln Memorial, where Honest Abe sits in deep contemplation at the western edge along the banks of the Potomac. And, smack dab in the middle of it all stands the Washington Monument, a 555-foot marble obelisk — the tallest structure in the District — honoring the “Father of His Country” that’s encircled by 56 American flags, one for each state along with the five territories and the District of Columbia.

Our historical walk around the Mall also includes a bevy of memorials: Jefferson, Vietnam and Korean War Veterans, Martin Luther King, Jr., FDR and World War II. Join the lengthy queue to get inside the National Archives to view John Hancock’s John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. Book way in advance for access to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the newest venue on the Mall. Spend an entire day exploring the myriad of exhibitions at the National Galleries of Art and Portrait. Reach for the sky and the stars beyond at the National Air and Space Museum. And, stop long enough to smell the plant life inside the US Botanic Garden.

The United States is a cultural melting pot and its capital reflects the nation’s sea-to-shining-sea international roots. Heavily influenced by Egyptian, Greek, Roman, medieval European and 19th-century French architecture, wherever you look, especially up, you’ll see an abundance of tall columns, massive domes and the occasional flying buttress. From the White House to the U.S. Capitol, from the Washington Monument to the Library of Congress, from Union Station to the National Cathedral, a simple stroll around architecturally impressive DC alone is well worth the airfare. Right?

The District’s a showcase of American performance arts and is home to such iconic venues as the National Theatre and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

In the early 20^th century, jazz music had a dizzying effect here as DC natives, like Duke Ellington, played the night away on stages up and down famed U Street. Years later, homegrown go-go, a blend of funk, R&B and hip-hop set the beat around clubs and out on the street.

And, let’s not forget that John Philip Souza came marching down Pennsylvania Avenue at the dawn of the 1900s leading the Marine Corps Band, the oldest musical group in the US. Today, Souza’s iconic march music is one of the highlights at the annual A Capitol Fourth, the national Independence Day celebration that unfolds at twilight on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill.

The White House, Congress and the Supreme Court, the three pillars of the US government, all punch their clocks here, while the Pentagon, the State Department, the World Bank and embassies from almost every corner of the globe float around their orbit. Power, those that carry it and those eager to wrestle it away, is why DC emits such a 24/7/365 buzz. Can you feel it?

Washingtonians, all 700,000+ of them, know full well the difference between the city itself and the District of Columbia, aka “inside the beltway.”

Beyond the high profile attractions, the politics, the leaks, the lobbying and the “fake news,” the city, all 68 square miles of it, is made up of small, distinctive neighborhoods where normal folk live and breathe. Here, restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs are hopping; Ubers are hailed and bicycles and electric scooters are shared via smartphone apps, and one of the cleanest metro systems in the world moves the populace quickly; and, where friends share a laugh, like my DC-based fam, on colorful row-house front porches or on terraces atop apartment complexes with fab views of their fair city spread out below.

While we’re here, let’s grab some cutlery and tuck in to one of the country’s hottest food scenes. The District is a can’t-miss epicurean destination touted by the likes of Bon Appétit, the Michelin Guide and Zagat, and where celebrity chefs like José Andrés, Tim Ma and Marjorie Meek-Bradley conjure up their culinary wizardry.

From food magazine-worthy dishes created and plated at coveted tables around Penn Quarter, to local favorite half-smokes served at a 24-hour diner up in Adams Morgan, to one-stop grazing at foodie mecca Union Market, just about every kitchen on the planet is represented within DC.

Regardless of your crave, one thing’s for certain: it’s all delectable no matter where you dine. Uh, I’ll have the Maryland crab cake sandwich topped with crispy bacon, please.

With loads of attractions and activities for every visitor, budget-minded and value-added, Washington, DC is teeming with a good-time vibe. Affording unmatched free access to museums, monuments and memorials and one-of-a-kind events, like the National Cherry Blossom Festival, not to mention five pro sports teams — Redskins, Nationals, Wizards, Capitals and DC United — the District is in a class all by itself.

Washington, DC, America’s monumental city that our first commander-in-chief envisioned, is all grown up now. I’m just happy that you let me show you around.

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EUREKA!

No, this is not 1849, and I haven’t struck gold at Sutter’s Mill in Old California; but, what I’ve “discovered” is worth its weight in that global monetary standard.

It’s a sauce that’s so radiant and delicious, you’ll think you hit the mother lode right there in your own kitchen.

“California Gold Diggers: Mining Operations on the Western Shore of the Sacramento River” – lithograph published by Kellogg & Comstock, New York and Hartford – Courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut – In the public domain via Wikipedia

I didn’t need a brigade of “forty-niners” to assist, just a little pre-planning and a bit more time on the hourglass than usual. Armed with a few simple ingredients that I actually purchased in advance – yes, IN ADVANCE – and I was good to go to stake my claim to the Lazy Person’s Golden Rush Bell Pepper Sauce. LPGRBPS for short.

This is a terrific topper for pasta – penne or fusilli would work well – coat it over a Piadina Romagna in place of the standard tomato sauce for a killer flatbread pizza, or use it as a dipping sauce with beef fondue, or alongside grilled steak, chicken, pork or fish.

The LPGRBPS is the tasty, go-to, creamy liquid when you’re looking to strike gold in la cucina.

What do you say we head into the galley and get this little culinary “rush” underway?

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LAZY PERSON’S GOLDEN RUSH BELL PEPPER SAUCE

Ingredients (to yield approximately 24 oz/710 ml)

• 6 medium size Bell peppers ( 2 ea. red, yellow and orange)
• 3 tbsp Virgin Olive Oil
• 3-4 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 can (400 gr/) Peeled Tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp Dried Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 Chicken Broth Bullion Cube

Prep & cooking time: 60-min.

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Step-1: Rinse off Bell Peppers; cut in half; remove stems, white pith and seeds. Cut into cubes.

Step-2: Coat the bottom of a medium size pot with Virgin Olive Oil.

Step-3: Flatten Garlic Cloves, place in pot and cook on MEDIUM heat until slightly brown (1-1.5 min.).

Step-4: Add the Bell Peppers, stir and let mixture cook down on MEDIUM heat (approximately 15-min.).

Step-5: Add Peeled Tomatoes, stirring to merge well.

Step-6: Add Dried Red Pepper Flakes and stir.

Step-7: Add Chicken Stock Bullion Cube, or similar, to mixture and stir.

Step-8: Partially cover pot and let the mixture stew on MEDIUM-LOW heat (approximately 20-min.).

Step-9: Uncover, let the mixture continue cooking on LOW heat until it thickens (approximately 10-min.).

Step-10: Turn off heat and begin pureeing mixture until it reaches a thick and creamy consistency.

Step-11: Let the new sauce cool, then transfer to storage containers and freeze for later use.

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Now, you know how to make the Lazy Person’s Golden Rush Bell Pepper Sauce, too. Keep the recipe handy as I’ll be showing you soon how to put it to good use. In the meantime, here are a couple of sneak previews.

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Centuries ago, when the Lion of St. Mark roared and the known world listened, the doges and aristocrats of La Serenissima built their sprawling warm-weather estates in the countryside  that enhanced the coffers of the money-mad merchants of Venice.

When the last column was placed and the final fresco unveiled, there were over 4,300 bespoke villas and country homes peppering the landscape, monumental agricultural centers of architectural fame filled with great art that collectively became known as Cività delle Ville Venete (Civilization of the Venetian Villas).  

Today, the general public has a wonderful opportunity to stroll into the past and admire the trappings of those noble families that rose to the very top of society around The Most Serene Republic of Venice. Like, Villa Molin.

This late 16th century landmark estate, standing proudly above the banks of a canal flowing by the small town of Madria, just outside Padova in the region of the Veneto, was the creation of Vincenzo Scamozzi, a disciple of Andrea Palladio, the celebrated “Father of Western Architecture.”

Upon the death of il Maestro (the Master) in 1580, it was young Scamozzi who rolled up his sleeves and completed two of Palladio’s capolavori (masterpieces): Villa La Rotonda and the Teatro Olimpico, both in Vicenza.

Filling the giant void left behind by Palladio’s departure, Scamozzi added his own vision to the celebrated neoclassical symmetrical design style and soon became the most sought-after architect of the rich and famous, including Niccolò Molin, a nobleman, the son-in-law of a doge and the Venetian Republic’s ambassador to the Court of King James I of England.

Commissioned by Ambassador Molin to honor his family name, Scamozzi erected, to much fanfare, in 1597 an elegant summer villa overlooking the Battaglia Canal, the “river highway” linking Padova with the Euganean Hills for the transport of commerce and people.

The interior of Villa Molin is simply magnificent. The two-story manor house features shiny, continuous-flow, hand-laid Venetian terrazzo flooring throughout, a 12m-high ceiling topped with a stunning fresco-covered cupolo painted by Pietro Antonio Cerva, aka il Bolognese, a six collonade external loggia, an articulated reception space in the form of a Greek cross, double ballrooms and an array of vestibules and private rooms that give way to more intimate spaces via a series of cubes and double cubes.

Outside is a well-manicured and spacious parkland, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful Italian historical parks. With its fantastic colors and scents, surrounded by centuries-old trees and accented with ancient statuary, streams and foot bridges, the gardens of villa Molin extend over 33,000 square meters and once served as an extraordinary backdrop for invited guests during the High Renaissance.

And, adjacent to the villa’s gated entryway, a well-kept scuderia (stables) remains in place where horses once stood and gazed out.

Today, Villa Molin hosts a variety of special events and weddings, and opens its doors for both self and group-guided tours.

Villa Molin, the perfect union of design, art and nature, created by Scamozzi for Ambassador Molin.

For complete tourist information, just CLICK HERE.

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The late stand-up comedian-slash-social critic George Carlin once observed, “The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity.”

You know, George was right. The poor lumbering caterpillar did all of the heavy lifting, actually lots of eating, just so he/she could eventually go into total isolation encased in a silky cocoon awaiting his/her rebirth as a butterfly, then flutter away with a whole new identity – kinda like entering the witness protection program.

My alter ego short-order cook, Lazy Person (LP), a big fan of Carlin’s by the way, has a metamorphosis of his own going on in the galley involving butterflies of a different sort.

What LP has captured in his culinary net is what you may know as bow-tie pasta; but here in Italy, where they come from, they’re known as farfalle (butterflies). And some of the very best you can consume are readily available in the pasta section of your grocery store. They’re from the pasta house of Garofalo, a landmark brand from Gragnano in the province of Naples, that’s been making exquisite strands and other shapes – like the farfalle – from semola di grano duro (durum wheat flour) since 1789.

By adding some frozen baby spring peas and pancetta (bacon) into our pasta-based chrysalis, these golden-yellow butterflies will explode out of their metamorphosis, dripping wet in a very tasty way.

If you’ll grab an apron AND a net, we can head into the kitchen and give LP a hand with this fluttering dish. It should take us less that 30 min. to “capture” or YOU DON’T PAY.

Step-1: Fill a medium size pot with water, cover, fire up to HIGH and bring to a boil.

Step-2: In a skillet, add the olive oil and butter and fire up to MEDIUM to melt and merge.

Step-3: Add 2-3 peeled onion sections to the skillet, brown to a paper-bag color then remove.

Step-4: Add the pancetta to the skillet and let it cook until it browns.

Step-5: Add the peas and 1/3 glass of white wine to the skillet and continue cooking for 10 min.

Step-6: Pasta water is now boiling, uncover the pot, add 1 tbsp. of sea salt to the water drop the pasta down. Let it cook for 10 min.

Step-7: Pasta is now al dente. Drain and place back into the skillet with the peas and pancetta mixture.

Step-8: Add 2 tbsp. of grated cheese and sauté for 1 min.

Step-9: Plate, topping each dish with 1 tbsp. of the remaining grated cheese and serve with crunchy artisan nut bread.

Step-10: BUON APETITO!

Recommended Wine Pairing: Kalterer See Weinland DOC – Ritterhof Winery – Lago di Caldaro/Kalterer See (BZ), Italy

Situated in the village of Kaltern (Caldaro), in the heart of the South Tyrol of Italy’s northernmost region of the Alto Adige, you’ll find the small Ritterhof Winery run by the Roner family. One of many wineries that dot the famous Weinstrasse (Wine Road), Ritterhof produces and markets three separate lines of bottled grape: Ritterhof, Crescendo and Kalterer See (Lago di Caldaro). It is the later line’s namesake blend that we find our wine pairing.

The Kalterer See Weinland DOC is a blend of Vernatsch with subtle additions of Lagrein and Pinot Nero. Ruby red to dark garnet in color, this wine has a pleasant, distinct fruity bouquet. On the palate, it’s dry, mild and harmonious with hints of bitter almonds.

The Kalterer See Weinland DOC is a remarkably versatile, any time wine that pairs well with a variety of light meals, red meats and poultry. It did well complimenting our farfalle pasta dish and has sampled well alongside one of LP’s signature flatbread pizzas.

SALUTE!

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Embraced by the verdant Euganean Hills, an archipelago of conical-shaped peaks dating back some 35-million years, the thermal baths of Abano Terme, just 54 km southwest of Venice, form the oldest and largest benessere (wellness) center in Europe and, arguably, the world. Specializing in fango-balneotherapy, La Città Termale (The Thermal City) has an ancient, mythical past.

A blend of marshland and forest, sulfulreous waters sprang spontaneous millennium ago in bubbling, cauldron-like springs, creating a lake that covered the near earth as far as the eye could see. A phenomenon of extraordinary proportions, this à ponus (Greek for relieving pain) reservoir, considered divine in origin, played host to cult ceremonies, complete with sacrifices offered up to Aponus, the god of thermal and curative water, and from whom Abano Terme derives its name.

Legend also has it that Hercules himself and his warriors soothed their battle-weary bodies in the miraculous waters in the land of Aponus. Many late-antiquity literary sources confirmed the fame of the fons Aponi during the imperial period of the Roman Empire, including Claudius Claudian, a 4th century AD poet, who waxed:

“…The soft soil sighs, and closed beneath the boiling pumice the wave digs flaky roads. In its midst, like a widespread boiling sea, a blue lake extends, spinning greatly, covering an enormous area.”

Geologically and geothermically speaking, these deep, underground spa waters originate some 80 km north up in the Lower Dolomites, seeping into the subsoil through the limestone. Reaching a depth of 3,000 m, where temperatures rise and the pressure increases dramatically, the mercurial water begins its slow — 25-30 years — flow until it bubbles up, at 87°C, in the Euganean spa basin. Rich in geothermal energy, dissolved substances and minerals make the spa water of Abano a truly unique thermal resource. Scientifically classified as hyperthermal bromo-iodine-salt water, these spa springs are just what the doctor ordered to treat a plethora of ailments, from skin conditions to osteoarthritis.

With over 75 spa-wellness hotels, 120 swimming pools, 50 tennis courts, a golf training center, an equestrian center and riding school, leafy residential streets, historical villas, loads of parks and gardens, haute cuisine and couture, and access to a network of cycling-walking-trekking paths and hiking and horseback trails, Abano is able to attract more than 250,000 overnight guests a year with an additional 2 million visitors stopping long enough during a calendar year to be statistically counted.

Thermal waters and therapeutic mud aside, what else attracts the curious to the city limits of this 20k+ person town?

For starters, its array of accommodations. Each of Abano Terme’s benessere hotels — from three-star comfort to five-star luxury, with half and full-pension options — taps directly into the rare, underground spa source, providing its guests with medically and professionally-monitored therapies and aesthetic treatments: from balneotherapy to fangotherapy, from hydrokinesitherapy to inhalation treatments, along with an array of beauty and relaxation programs. All fully recognized spa-wellness resorts are classified with the “I Super” qualification issued by the Italian Ministry of Health, guaranteeing your peace of mind.

The care and concern go even further at the Pietro d’Abano Spa Study Center — named in honor of Abano’s revered late 13th, early 14th century physician, philosopher, astrologer and alchemist — as experts continuously analyze and monitor the spa water and carry out systematic research into spa water medicines and the effects of fangotherapy.

After a full day of lounging around in your swimsuit and the hotel-provided white, Turkish towel dressing gown and slippers — pampering yourself with long soaks in tubs and pools of hot, ozone-enriched spa water; listening to calming music overhead while encased in an Euganean mud wrap; and, having your body turned every which way but lose by a masseuse — take that new-found glow out for a stroll along Via delle Terme, Abano’s high street.

Enjoy a bit of window shopping then stop for an aperitivo — bubbly prosecco or an Aperol spritz — at one of the many, lively outdoor cafés and just people watch until the ice in your glass melts away. Now, head back to your hotel, or out to one of Abano’s white tablecloth restaurants (I highly recommend Ristorante Verbena on Via Monteortone) for a gourmet dinner accompanied with a bottle of chilled Ca’ de Frate Lugana. When that first yawn appears, call it a night, turn in and sleep well, dreaming about doing the same regime all over again.

Any visit to Abano Terme should begin at the monumental entrance to Sorgente Montirone, the little park on Montirone Hill where the history of La Città Termale began. Located at the start of the pedonale (pedestrian-only walkway), at the corner of Via Augure and Via d’Abano, the Corinthian colonnaded gate leads you back in time to the very source from which the underground spa waters first bubbled to the surface.

It stands to reason that a town built solely around thermal-fired H2O would have plenty of fountains dotting the urbanscape, and you’d be correct. Along with just about every one of the town’s spa-wellness hotels sporting a water feature of some sort near their entryway, Greater Abano’s water features stand out and are open to the public. Two of the most popular are the circular Fontana di Arlecchino (Harlequin Fountain), the centerpiece along the pedonale, and Columbus Fountain in Piazza Cristoforo Colombo, the largest sculpture in all of Europe dedicated to the Genovese explorer-navigator.

Meander with the aponese through the Parco Termale Urbano (Thermal Urban Park), a master-planned, elegant green space — designed by the late Paolo Portoghesi, the world-famous, post-modern architect — with spacious apartment living in various complexes strategically placed above, and shops, outdoor cafés, tree-lined serpentine walkways, a cycling path, a kiddie playground and countless park benches below, that magically merge together down the middle of town, like tributaries forming up in a flowing green river. Host to many of the town’s festivals and celebrations, step out at the large fountain in Piazza dei Todeschini and end your passeggiata (walk) at its identical twin fountain in Piazza Dondi dall’Orologio.

Founded in 1989, the Parco Regionale dei Colli Euganei (Regional Park of the Euganean Hills) is the very first regional park of the Veneto and the protected home to 81 prehistoric-looking peaks of volcanic origin, that rise above flat, fertile agricultural land inside an elliptical perimeter covering approximately 19k hectares and enclosing 15 towns, including Abano Terme, one of its gateway communities.

Cyclists, runners and trekkers alike take to the E2 anello, a 68 km ring that circumnavigates the regional park and passes by undulating vineyards, olive groves, wheat and corn fields, irrigation waterways, castles, noble villas of the old Venetian Republic, religious sanctuaries and monasteries of historical significance. Add to that, 31 well-marked rustic trails that meander off the ring for bumpy off-road thrills and heart-pounding uphill climbs. It’s the perfect tonic if you’re looking to explore the great outdoors. Ask your hotel concierge for the use of one of their complimentary two wheelers, a map of the E2 circuit and then start pedaling.

Osterias, trattorias and farm-to-fork agri-restaurants (al Peraretto in Faedo comes to mind) await you at the end of a long walk, a strenuous hike or a vigorous bike ride; or, spend some time traveling along the Strada del Vino Colli Euganei (Wine Road) to sample some of the prized DOC-rated varietals harvested and bottled in the hills — bubbly serprino, dry moscato, fior d’arancio, cabernet, carmenere and merlot to name but a few — and cold-pressed extra virgin olive oils, on offer at numerous cantine (wineries) and frantoi (olive mills) that dot the route.

Be Herculean, come to La Città Termale and soothe your body, mind and nasal passages. Aponos will thank you.

Getting here

Abano Terme is conveniently located to four international airports, two major train stations and Italy’s vast autostrada (motorway) network. By air, choose between Venice’s Marco Polo Airport (55 km), Treviso’s Sant’Angelo Airport (70 km), Verona’s Catullo Airport (90 km) or Bologna’s Marconi Airport (110 km).

By train, the Terme Euganee station, in nearby Montegrotto Terme, is less than a ten-minute taxi ride from Abano Terme and serves as your hop-on/hop-off point for connections to/from Padova (10 min), Venice (45 min) or Bologna (70 min).

By car, driving the A13 Padova-Bologna motorway, take the “Terme Euganee” exit. Motoring in on the A4 Milano-Venezia motorway, exit at “Padova Ovest”.

For added convenience, private car or passenger van transfer service to any of the airports or train stations listed, or to plan day-trip excursions with a knowledgeable driver, can be arranged directly with A.R.T.E. Taxi Service, Tel. +39 049 667842. A one-way transfer from/to Marco Polo Airport in Venice, for example, costs €110.

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