Best. Week. Ever.

After flying into Venice – Frank and I soon realized the airport was literally on an island. We took a water taxi to the mainland of Venice. The entire boat ride, I couldn’t stop taking pictures. It was so unbelievable that a city could exist in such a bizarre way. There were no cars, trains or buses – boats and walking were the only modes of transportation. There were gondolas everywhere too, which made it seem, as this city was “fake”. The entire day I felt that Frank and I were in a movie because everything was so perfect, especially when we went on a gondola ride because of the hopeless romantic sap that I am. 

  Workers carried items in carts to lug them from place to place. The smell of fish and freshness filled the air. Frank has a more sensitive sense of smell…so he’d debate with me if that smell was actually as good as I’m making it sound.  This might sound stupid, but Venice just smelled – happy. Maybe because it was 65 and sunny or maybe because we were drinking spritz (the drink Venice is known for) all day.. regardless Venice was unbelievable and experiencing it with Frank made it that much better.

The next morning we flew to Naples. We flew through an English owned airline, so I got Starbucks on the flight – I immediately knew it was going to be a good day.  After landing in Naples we waited in the hot sun (I’m not complaining, I’m a sun goddess) for the bus to Sorrento. The bus ride lasted a little over the hour and since I think I’m a little narcoleptic, I slept the entire ride. Once I opened my eyes, the view was breathtaking. Looking around, there were palm trees, orange trees and curvy roads carved into the sides of mountains. Looking down, there was the bright blue, crystal clear Tyrrhenian Sea. Looking past the water was an image of Mt. Vesuvius with a backdrop of white puffy clouds. I grabbed Frank’s hand to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

Our bed & breakfast in Sorrento was adorable. We were greeted by the sweetest Italian Nonna ever. She showed us all in in’s and out’s of her four bedroom b&b. She even taught Frank and me how to make cappuccino. Since we were feeling ultra Italian now that we knew how to make our own café, we decided to rent a vespa. Coolest experience ever, I can officially cross that off my bucketlist – I rode on a scooter.. around Italy! So much fun!

 The next day we took a boat to Capri. Frank & I both wore tanks because it was going to be around 68 & sunny – our kind of weather. Capri was breathtaking; the boat dropped us off by a little beach surrounded by local shops and restaurants. After following a sign that said “il centro” for about an hour, we realized we climbed about 20 stories high and that Capri’s center was on top of a mountain.  We ate our prosciutto sandwiches & drank plenty of prosecco while soaking in the sun and the view.

people i love, in the country i love

My family. Mike. Sheila. Angela. 

roma.

My boyfriend. Frank.

 roma.

 venice.

 sorrento.

capri.

5 star meals

My family was in Rome this week! It was awesome getting to see them and show them everything around Rome. It was also great because we went to amazing restaurants and I ate delicious meals. Here are some of my favorite:

Trattoria 4 Leoni

Florence, Italy (we took a day trip!) 

I've had cheese platters before, but never have I gotten one as good as this. The name of the antipasti is Carpaccio di porcini. Not only was each cheese distinctively different from each other, but after tasting it was obvious that each was aged properly. And adding a side sauce of honey was interesting and a perfect compliment.  

Ravioli, Pears, Cheese and Asparagus seem like a gross combo. But, that's exactly what this dish was. Fiocchetti di pera in salsa di taleggio e asparagi was the best meal I have ever had. My mother (who also ordered this) and I both ate so slow because of how amazing this dish was. I would eat this every day for the rest of my life... for real.

Taverna Flavia

Rome, Italy

I eat pasta on the reg, so when I have an opportunity to get some meat I tots will. So, I ordered veal! I was nervous because I thought veal was a baby lamb.. well i guess its a baby cow. So either way I still feel bad that I ate some animal's baby. But, I don't feel thaaaat bad because it was sooo good. The meat was soaked in a teriyaki sauce then grilled. It's skin was burnt from the grill in certain places which gave it that crunchy taste, which is my favorite. Sorry mom lamb or mom cow.. whatever you are.

Ristorante Da Fortunato

Rome, Italy

Fresh, Sweet, Savory = Prosciutto e Melon. The combination of the sweet cantaloup and the salty prosciutto is the perfect blend of every taste combination. Sooo good! 

Fiesta!

I love taco bell. But, since there are no fast food mexican chains in Italy..  I needed to make my own burrito to get my fiesta fix. I went to Simply Market, the grocery store down the street. I go so often, I think they know my name. Unfortunately, there was no mexican food aisle at Simply- minor issue. It then became a hunt to find mexican food. Three grocery stores later, I found the beautiful "Old El Paso" label. I found my taco kit.. SUCCESS! I then bought some ground beef, lettuce and tomatoes. I didn't buy any cheese because as much as Italians love their cheese, they don't have grated packaged cheese in the store like we do in 'Merica. And I wasn't going to put chunks of mozzarella on my taco.. so here is my master piece minus the formaggio!

vino rosa

best wine i've had while being in rome, thanks dad :)

Oui Oui!

This past weekend we went to Paris. I fell in love with the eiffel tower because at night it sparkled.. and I love sparkly things. But, I also fell in love with Parisian cuisine. Don't get me wrong, I love my Italian pasta and pizza - Paris was just a nice little break. As soon as we got situated into our hotel, I needed breakfast. Partly because I had been up since 5am and also because I was dying to try a baguette. I got a raisin one, the bread was so fresh and toasty. There were only a few raisins, so it didn't take away from the wheaty taste - it was delicious. 

I had to get a crepe. I guess they're like world famous. Normal Gina would have just gotten a nutella one, (i love chocolate) but i decided to be all "cultured" and try their favorite.. ham and cheese. It doesn't look like much, but my stomach was full for hours after demolishing the sandwich-y thing. 

Then... it was time for dinner. My roommate Maggie's cousin lived in Paris for a couple of years. He recommended this amazing restaurant called, "le bistrot d'henri". On the guide he gave Maggie, his description for this restaurant was "you'll want to rub your face in the mustard sauce". I don't know about you.. but I would never do that because I would break out and get pimples. But, if anyone was willing to rub their face in a sauce, it had to be great- and it was. I ordered pork tenderloin which came with pasta and mustard sauce was spread over both the meat and the noodles. I can't believe how good it was. Not only did the pork melt in my mouth with a hint of spicy mustard, but it tasted amazing with pasta too. I don't get how the gravy tasted so good on two totally different food items, but it did. To the guy who created this sauce, all I have to say is bon travail!(good job!)

Penne, Pansotti...Penis?

There is such a large variety of pasta. Actually, there are 50. Each have their own unique texture that trap in sauces or gravy in different ways, which make them taste different. I've tried the typical spaghetti, ravioli, and tortellini. So, when I saw penis shaped pasta - it was a must have. Besides that it's hilarious that some company would even produce these noodles, it was also valentines day. Duh, could it get more perfect? I figured the noodles would taste bad and didn't mind just because it was funny. But, they were actually delicious... the way it held in the sauce was perfect. The combination of sauce and noodle was flawless. Who would have guessed? Maybe they should make all pasta in the shapes of penises..