Travels: Lido di Jesolo, Italy

The most relaxing portion of our european vacation was definitely the beach part. We spent many days on the beaches of Lido di Jesolo in Italy.



Jumping in and out of the salty waters of the Adriatic Sea....

frolicking up and down the sandy beaches....



sunbathing in the wonderful warmth of the sun...

eating the biggest slices of pizza made with "00 flour" everyday (*I highly recommend Spicchi Pizza - voted #1 pizza for a reason!) and eating gelato twice a day (I'm not kidding you, twice a day!)...



back to the beaches....

to walk along the many piers...



and spend the evening walking on the sand and water.

AND to start all over again the next day!!! Thank you Italy, you and all your people were so warm, welcoming and so very good to us.

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(If you are looking for a nice place to stay, I can recommend Hotel Panorama. Friendly staff, clean modern hotel with an amazing spread for breakfast and one block from the beach. We would stay there again.)

Travels: Konditorei Kaplan am Kurpark, Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria

(Kaplan am Kurpark house torte)

Konditorei Kaplan am Kurpark, a gem located in the village of Bad Tatzmannsdorf, in the beautiful burgenland region of Austria. Just under 1.5 hours south of Vienna or 1 hour northeast of the town Graz, Kaplan am Kurpark is a bed and breakfast, confectionary and coffee house, in this relaxing thermal spa village.


(stunning, modern shop with plenty of seating indoors and out)

A "konditorei" which roughly translates to confectionary in english (or a patisserie in french) is a common shop found in Austria and Germany. A wide assortment of cakes and pastries are available to enjoy alongside your favorite beverage.

(Mozart cake and owner Christian at work)

Some of most mouth-watering and visually appealing eats I have ever laid my eyes upon will have you scrabbling to pick just one. Christian Kaplan, is the owner and talented "konditor" (the confectionary shop's baker) who masterminds the wide assortment of delectable cakes, chocolates, ice creams and more.


(where all the magic happens)

I had the pleasure of a tour through his modern and pristine konditorei. Everything is fresh, made from scratch and with the utmost care and expertise. Don't forget to bring back some gift-wrapped cookies, jams and other goodies after your visit.

A must-see and stay on your next trip in beautiful Burgenland before AND after a dip in the thermal spa baths.

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Konditorei Kaplan am Kurpark
Kirchenstraße 8
Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria

Website: Kaplan am Kurpark

Photo Friday: Apple Pie

Apple season is here and I am looking for all sorts of ways to incorporate apples into my cooking and baking.

Instead of making a typical circular apple pie, I used a long rectangular tart pan. I also arranged the apple slices instead of piling them randomly into the baking pan. It does take a bit longer but the end product is so pretty that it is worth the extra effort.

Have a great long weekend!