Che Bella Tours presents The Bella Buzz

Welcome to Che Bella Tours and the Bella Buzz, a monthly quick-read newsletter for those
passionate about small group travel and rich cultural experiences. Not only do we hope you'll enjoy
it, we invite you to help us shape it into a communication that is informative and valuable for you.
What's on YOUR bucket list?
Send us your list and we'll discover new and exciting places together.
DECEMBER 2015
FEATURED TOURS:
THE BUZZ: Wanderlust: Is it in the genes?
La Joie de Vivre en France
WORLDVIEW: Anegada, British Virgin Islands
Italian Dreams
TRAVEL TIPS & TRICKS: Sun & sleep: How to manage jet lag
Custom Itineraries
MAKE IT WITH LOVE: Osso Bucco, veal shank stew
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Wanderlust: Is it in the genes?
Whether it's call wanderlust, a love of travel or regular old curiosity - the fact remains the same: For many of us,
the hunger to explore simply cannot be quenched, no matter how many vacations or journeys we take.
The inherent urge to travel might be traced back to a gene, DRD4, which is associated with the dopamine levels in
the brain. It has been dubbed the “wanderlust gene," according to David Dobbs of National Geographic.
Where does your wanderlust come from? Mine came from my Aunt Dorothy. In 1969, she headed out from
our hometown Chicago in her butter yellow VW bug on a cross-country adventure that ended in San Francisco,
where she lived for 17 years. She gave me my first love beads, yogurt maker, sprout farm, and 150 sets of
chopsticks for my closest friends. She taught me how to stir fry, do yoga and put cool patches on my jeans. And for
my college graduation, she gave me ... the VW bug! But the most important thing she gave me, however, was
inspiration. Our family outings in Chicago often involved going to Customs Viewing at O'Hare airport (remember
when we could do that?) We eagerly waited to spot Aunt Dorothy as she connected from San Francisco to her next
international adventure. I stood nose against the glass, anxiously searching the lines of international travelers until
I found her floppy hat. She would look up, smile and wave at me as she boarded. I scoured the maps and guide
books she sent me to follow her routes, plastered my walls with her postcards and dreamt of the day it would be
me boarding that plane. I knew then who I was going to be, and here I am today: an international tour director.
If you embrace movement, change and adventure, fuel your wanderlust with Che Bella Tours and check out our
current itineraries for 2016. I hope you enjoy future issues of The Bella Buzz. Happy creative travels.
Sandy Serio Gregory
Intrepid Traveler, International Tour Director and Owner of Che Bella Tours
[email protected]
PS: Here's a picture of Aunt Dorothy in her floppy hat
en route to London in 1969.
PSS … Here's a picture of Aunt Dorothy on MY tour in
2011, tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain in Rome
... assuring our return.
WORLDVIEW
Why travel the Caribbean this winter? Anegada, BVI
With a population of about 200 on a coral island 15 square miles small, this pristine BVI paradise is truly
heaven at the end of the world. A stunning preservation of natural island beauty, Anegada is surrounded
by one of the world’s largest coral reefs. The real Pirates of the Caribbean met their fate at the hands of
this reef, and these submerged vessels make for some of the most interesting dive sites in the Caribbean,
brimming with shipwreck treasures and marine life.
Island Rules: Soak up the sun. Walk along the beach. Breathe in the salty air. Feel the breeze. Read.
Snorkel. Build sandcastles. Have a lobster lunch. Have a drink. Play a board game. Kayak. Have another
drink. Rest, relax, reflect. Bare feet encouraged.
Click here for more information about this island paradise and our private air charters from St.
Thomas.
TRAVEL TIPS AND TRICKS
Sunshine and sleep: Managing jet lag
Our body clock is primed to respond to a regular rhythm of daylight and darkness. It is thrown out of sync
when it experiences daylight at what it considers the wrong time, and it can take several days to readjust.
When traveling east to Europe, try to shift yourself to the time zone of your destination 3 days before you
leave and gradually move your bedtime up. When you arrive in country, take a walk and get the morning
sunshine, then take no more than a 1 or 2 hour nap in the afternoon. Exposure to daylight helps you
adapt to the new time zone faster. That first night, try to stay up, go to bed at your regular hour, and get
a minimum of four hour's solid sleep. This is called "anchor sleep" and it helps you adapt to the new time
zone. When preparing to travel west back home, get as much afternoon sunshine as you can on the last
days of your trip and push your bedtime later to begin your shift back to your home time zone.
Check out this website called Jet Lag Rooster. The website has an online tool which creates a sleep
schedule based on your departure and arrival information. Plug in your travel details and the app tells you
when to sleep and wake up and when to expose yourself to sunlight to make your jet lag as short as
possible.
MAKE IT WITH LOVE
Osso Bucco - Veal Shank Stew
This recipe originated in Milan, Italy and is perfect for when the days get shorter and the nights get
colder. My father, Mike Serio, recently passed away and this was his favorite dish. He would go to Italian
restaurants and tell the waiter, "This is not bad, but my daughter makes the best osso bucco in the
world!" As my Grandma Marie would always say, "Just make it with love." This one is for you, Dad.
For 4 people. Serve over saffron risotto.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil and 4 T. butter
Flour
4 veal shanks, 1-1/2 inches thick (about 3 pounds), blotted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 small onion and 1 carrot chopped
2 garlic cloved chopped
1 cup canned plum tomatoes, quartered, with the juice.
3/4 cup each dry white wine and chicken stock
Gremolita: Make a finely minced paste of 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley,
2 tablespoons orange zest (my secret ingredient),
and 1 to 2 cloves garlic.
Preheat oven to 300°. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Salt and
pepper, then lightly flour shanks and brown. Transfer meat to a platter. Add onion and carrot and brown,
then add the garlic and finish by adding the plum tomatoes to the casserole and cook down for 15 minutes
to caramelize. Pour in wine and chicken stock, adjust heat to high and bring liquid to a boil. Return veal to
pan, remove from the heat and cover with the casserole dish with foil and a tight-fitting lid and place in
lower part of oven. Cook until very tender, at least 2 hours.
Transfer the shanks to a heated platter and cover loosely. Skim off fat and reduce the sauce over high
heat until thickened. Put a shank on a bed of risotto then pour on the sauce and garnish with the
gremolita.
Serve with a hearty red wine like a Chianti Classico Riserva or Barolo.
Italian Dreams
La Joie de Vivre en
Venice, Florence,
France
Tuscany, Rome, The
April 30 - May 7, 2016
Amalfi Coast
Fall in love with Old World charm,
May 22 - June 6, 2016
and leave the details to us. We'll
vivid colors and incredible food.
Explore Italy's great cities with
work with you to design the
Close your eyes and breath in
Caribbean radio personality,
perfect itinerary and make all
the fragrance of lavender and
Tony Tee. We'll have a lot of fun
the arrangements.
rosemary wafting through the air.
as we visit the historic sights,
Not sure where to start? Check
Join us for a magical trip to
the great art, the beautiful
out our list of suggested
Provence and the Cote d'Azur this
countryside, the dramatic
itineraries and request our Trip
spring!
coastline ... and of course, the
Planning Guide.
food and wine!
Join Us!
Custom Itineraries
Tell us where you'd like to go
Join Us!
Trip Planning
Guide
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