I love traveling to Italy. One of the reasons is it has so much history, beauty, architecture, really good wine and excellent cuisine. The second time that I traveled to Italy, I was on a 10 day trip with a very good friend. We flew to Rome from the United States, stayed a few days, then took a train to Florence, then went to Venice and then back to Rome. We ended our trip by taking another train to Milan and then to Munich, Germany where we flew back home.
My friend is a history lover so she had prepared notes, and brought a guide so that we wouldn't miss a lot on our quick trip. At the time that we traveled, the Euro was up and the dollar was down. Food was reasonably priced and so was transportation, but we found out very quickly that buying house wine was cheaper than buying water! The wine was what I would call "new" wine and it was absolutely delicious.
We also had many wonderful fresh pasta dishes made with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and a few spices. I am not a "foodie" but I really enjoyed the meals. No matter where we went to eat, the food was outstanding. Many small mom and pop restaurants would rival some of the best 5 star restaurants in the states. I remember having a large bowl of steamed mussels in a marinara sauce that was so good, that I wanted to eat the sauce left over with the freshly baked bread and I am not really a bread eater.
My friend loved the Italian cuisine as well, but she was more impressed with all of the ancient architecture styles in the old buildings. I thought that they were interesting, complex and amazing, . . . but the food, wine and people made the biggest impression on me.
I love traveling to Italy, but when I can't go there physically, I sometimes like to go to an authentic Italian restaurant. The sights, smells and food remind me of a time when I walked the streets of Rome, Venice and Florence with my friend.
Yesterday, I went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. I ordered a mixed green salad that had a wonderfully fragrant balsamic vinegar dressing, and some grilled jumbo scallops with pancetta risotto. The meal was served with hot fresh bread that had been brushed with a garlic infused olive oil and a saucer of fresh herbs in extra virgin olive oil. Oh my goodness! I ate a small loaf of bread with my salad before my entree was even served. I knew that I would have to take food home because I would not be able to finish the meal, but it was worth it.
I sat in front of the huge fire burning pizza oven and chatted with the guy making the pizza while I ate. He was a hoot and kept me entertained along with the server who brought out my food.
I will be traveling to Spain next month and I hope to make some wonderful memories that will last a long time as well. It is good to expand our horizons and live for just a few days the way that other people live in the world. I know that it is about more than just food and drink, but that is something that is common to all of us, no matter where you live. We all have to eat something. 😊
Bon Appetit!