Foodtopia Moments

 Tonight I dined at a restaurant in Termoli called Mari e Monti. Which loosely refers to the sea and the mountains. Essentially it was a restaurant that served traditional fish and non fish dishes. It was delicious from start to finish. The best thing that I ate, though, was the Insalata di mare (seafood salad). It wasn't loaded with mayonnaise, none to be exact. It was loaded with polpi (octopus) and calamari, carrote (carrots) and cedono (celery). The polpi was very tender and the flavor was outstanding. 

Sunshine at Lido Ritz

 

It's been a few days since I've posted anything, and they've been busy days. Along with my cousins Maryanne and Diane, we've had trips to Torremaggiore (my father's hometown), Termoli twice, and returned to Lido Ritz to start my 2022 beach time. I've even been to the Commune office in town to organize the usual summer business with Zia Carmelita.

Lido Ritz is still a great place to spend the summer. The staff is friendly, the beach is clean, and the umbrellone (big umbrella), lettino (chaise), and sedia (chair) are always there and in good condition. We have beach neighbors nearby who live in my building, and the people next to us will be there until the end of the month. 

We wanted to visit with my Zio Matteo and my cousin Vincenzo and his wife on Monday. So after spending the morning on the beach, we cleaned up and got dressed to head to Torremaggiore. After visiting the town cimitero (cemetery), we walked through town to visit the street where our parents were born, Via 20 Setembre. We don't know the house number, but we found the street where they played. We walked around town, grabbed some pastries, and had a cocktail, then went to visit with my Zio Matteo (Uncle Matteo). He's 94, and still with it mentally, but sadly is confined to the bed. 

After a visit with Zio, we heaed over to see my cousin Vincenzo and his wife Mariella. We felt bad because they were waiting for us to have dinner, and we spent longer than expected with my uncle. Once we got to their place, we hopped in the car and went to a local pizzeria for some antipasti and pizza. 

Today I took Zia to the market and we went to the Commune office to handle some tax stuff. While I was there Maryanne and Diane walked over to Lido Ritz where I joined them for a few hours of sunshine and little waves. We then went off to Termoli tonight for some seafood and people watching. It was beautiful outside, and we had a view of the castle and the stars. 

Foodtopia Moments

The other day I threw together pranzo (lunch) real fast after shopping at the Friday Flea Market. It was a mix of zucchini, pomodori (tomatoes), cippolle (onions), and olio di olive. After making the sauce, I tossed it with some fresh cooked casarece pasta, and topped it with some freshly grated grana padano cheese. It was a perfect pasta made with farm fresh ingredients. 
 

A Family Day

With the sun shining, not a cloud in the sky, and a patio full of family and friends, yesterday was a great day for a party. Along with my cousins Maryanne and Diane, who are traveling from America, we threw Zia Carmelita a surprise birthday party. It was also a great chance to see a lot of family and share great memories. 

When we got up, we began the process of getting everything prepared. Between the three of us, we swept, setup the tables, and cooked a nice gravy with meatballs, veggies, and salad. Once people started arriving, I went with my cousin Valeria and her boyfriend Adi to pickup pollo arrosto (rotisserie chicken) and una torta (a cake). 

The table was filled with happy people. Besides us and Zia, Valeria and Adi, the party also included Zia's friend since childhood Jeanette and her niece Ada, our cousin Vincenzo and his wife Mariella and their daughter Erica, and our cousin Renato and his wife Dorette. We gathered for hours, and shared lots of great stories. 

A Whirlwind of Adveture

Since we arrived in Italy, my cousins Maryanne and Diane and I haven't really stopped for very long. We've been finding interesting ways to fill our days. With some Aperol Spritz, and a lot of laughter, it's been a great time. 

On Tuesday, we woke up in Milan and were ready to hit the road at 9 am to head to Venezia (Venice). The rental car, however was not ready. So we went back to the hotel, had an American breakfast, then went back and got the car. We were on the road by 11:30. The time setback meant less time to explore Venice.

In Venice for only a few hours, we tried to make the most of it. We rode a vaporetto (kind of like a public transit boat) along the Grand Canal. We visited Piazza di San Marco, walked the Rialto Bridge, where we stopped to eat cena (dinner), and shopped til we dropped. I'm not going to list the items, because it may be a surprise for some people. We were dragging tail as we hoofed it back through the winding streets, across little bridges over Venetian water, past gondoliers at work and tourists taking pics for Instagram. It was only a mile, but it felt like more. 

The next morning, Maryanne, Diane and I hopped back into our Fiat 500X, filled halfway with luggage and the other half with people, and set off for Campomarino Lido. The ride along the Adriatic coast was 7 hours, and it was filled with great conversation, laughter, and the purchasing of a new lunch bag. When we stopped for gas, my cousin Maryanne noticed really cute lunch bags. We thought the sign said two bags for ten euros. The woman at the checkout explained to us, literally holding the bag and each item, that it was one bag, a long baguette, and two packs of lunchmeat (either proscuitto, mortadella, or salami). We all three immediately said yes. We were giddy over the deal, especially since there was literally nothing at the house to eat. One of the baguettes and two packs of lunchmeat were our dinner last night.

When we arrived in Campomarino we met with the gardener who was here working, then went up to see Zia Carmelita. She had just arrived earlier in the day. We talked for a while, then went back down to clean. Between Maryanne, Diane, and I, we got the house ready to go in one evening. Windows, floors, bathrooms, and started laundry. 

Today I headed out for a walk for the first time in Campomarino this year. It was a 3.5 miles walk, and I stopped for veggies, pizza, fruit, and croissants. Zia came down in the morning and we all went out to get some food from Ristorante Netti, then off to the Carrefour Market. We used to have a giant Carrefour nearby, but that closed a decade ago. Last year, they opened a smaller market that is less Target and more Aldi. After lunch, we cleaned a little, had a workman come to repair a window, then spent an hour at the Lido Ritz beach club. It was a great day.

After the beach, Maryanne, Diane, and I decided to spend an evening in Termoli, the next town up the coast. We arrived in town just in time to see the tramonte (sunset). We walked through town, visited the castle, and received a guided tour of the church where the remains of San Basso and San Timoteo reside. The church dates back to the 1200s, and they recently excavated some of it, discovering some old mosaics. We then went off to Eattico - Pesci di Strada, a local street food restaurant for some delicious sandwiches featuring octopus and anchovies. I've been there so I knew it was good, but I think everyone was surprised by the flavors of the sandwiches. We ended the night with a gelato from Yo-Go, the best gelatteria I've ever been to, and it was still delicious as usual. 

Arrived and Tired

The Summer of 2022 has started off well. When I booked my ticket to Italy, I thought I was booking a seat with extra legroom. I guess I ended up booking a fancier seat, because I had premier access. A fancy seat and upgraded dining experience. It was a smooth flight with little turbulence. 

This year I'm traveling with my cousins Maryane and Diane. After checking into the hotel early and pausing for a short nap, we trekked into the center of Milan to get my phone and internet hooked up. Should be good to go for the summer on the internet, but I'll need to get one more month of service on the cell phone. 

We toured the Duomo of Milan and the excavated areas underneath. The church is beautiful, with mazing art and stained glass. The archeological digs underneath the basilica were very neat to see. After walking through the Duomo, we stopped in to some of the high end fashion shops like Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent, and Gucci, which essentially seemed purse stores as opposed to clothing stores. Right outside the stores, there are some beautiful sidewalk cafes. We stopped at one and had a delicious meal of pizza, pasta, veal Milanese and Aperol Spritz. 

Tomorrow we're looking to heat to Venice. Hoping the heatwave keeps people off the roads. 

Test Post

 Trying a different computer, so checking that it posts. This was a donut fried chicken sandwich at Epcot during the 2021 Food and Wine Festival. It was messy and tasty.