vip in the city

Spagna e Italia via Jersey City

Back to Jersey City for a vicarious trip through the Italian countryside, courtesy of M and LW’s vacation slideshow.

But first, a real-life stroll through the picturesque Van Vorst Historial District.

In front of City Hall, a model of Oviedo Cathedral a.k.a. Catedral de San Salvador de Oviedo — a gift from the citizens of Jersey City’s sister city, Oviedo, in northeastern Spain.

The Victorian-era, brownstone-lined Van Vorst Park features formal gardens, a wooden gazebo, an ornate fountain, playgrounds, a sandbox and a dog run – all neatly segmented along paved pathways. On Saturdays through the harvest season (June 16-November 24), the Friends of Van Vorst Park host a farmers market; in the summer, Van Vorst Park has its own bi-weekly outdoor film series, which this year includes movies as varied as Young Frankenstein, Tootsie, and March of the Penguins, but in what feels like a missed opportunity, not the 2006 film of the same name.

I noted quite a few changes in the apartment since I was last there: new furniture, new construction, new art. Our globe-trekking hosts put out a generous spread of homemade dips, artisanal breads and cheeses. (Early that morning, I was treated to a brief lecture at the Fairway fromagerie on the different flavor profiles of aged, hard pecorino — with which I was more familiar — and the soft and mild, young variety.) Don Julio palomas in hand, we gathered around to view all 800+ stunning, iPhone-worthy trip photographs. The travelogue made me long for a vacation in Tuscany — if only I could find a house for rent.