European outings should not be taken too lightly or embarked upon without some sort of objective and purpose.
And so ours was excitedly decided upon while riding the train full speed toward our destination.
Our goal would be to taste something delicious in every village.
We would eat our way through Cinque Terre.
And ate our way through we did!
Pesto focaccia Pizza in Riomaggiore.
Pesto lasagna & spaghetti in Manarola.
Margarita pizzette and ciabatta in Vernazza.
Gelato in Monterosso.
Panini (& more gelato) in Milano.
Ryan even tasted a hand full of the salty water of the Mediterranean Sea long before we went swimming in it just to be sure of it's saltiness.
And a few other tasties were thrown in there for good measure.
Here's proof - as if you needed any.
And a few other tasties were thrown in there for good measure.
Here's proof - as if you needed any.
best thing I ate there for sure. I was thinking of you, you would have been in heaven.
Look Mom, all the pizza is square. Turns out you were doing it right all along and didn't even know it!
second best thing I ate. can you see how crispy the broiled pesto top is? and the brown stuff isn't chocolate, it's a balsamic reduction. I'm salivating.
Pesto anything was hands down my favorite.
The pesto from this region was to die for.
I don't know what exactly they do differently but it puts all other pesto (which I love) to miserable shame.
It was a delightful way to experience these coastal villages.
Not just because it was delicious (which it most definitely was) or because it added another dimension to our sightseeing (which it most definitely did) or because it was a lovely way to meet and speak with locals (which it most definitely was) but because these pizza and bread making artisans were up and baking at 3:30 in the morning to stock their shops.
So it seemed only appropriate to reward their dedication to their craft with our recurring solicitation.
Amazing! I would have been in heaven. I will just live vicariously through you and your pictures. :) I'm just delighted that you are having such an amazing time.
ReplyDeleteYou really truly would have been. The pesto is unreal here. I'm still trying to get to the bottom of the secret to it's goodness so I can recreate it at home, but as of yet no luck. I still have a month to figure it out...
DeleteWait, wait, wait.... was the pesto better than Taylor's???? If so, I will need you to bring some home so I can taste it for myself, because I almost can't even believe that would be possible. Oh Leah, I just love you! I love reading all about your adventures. I LOVED your last post about castles. I laughed, I reflected, I was shocked (bathrooms, moats), and I drank in the beauty. Thank you for taking me along with you. We miss you guys, we think about you all of the time and we are counting down the days until you are home; but until then, I'm loving the updates!
ReplyDeleteI don't want to answer this question Crystal for fear that we will never again be invited to feast on Taylors delicious pesto again. So far I have not seen the really good stuff bottled anywhere, but we are still on the lookout so we can let you guys taste it when we get home. We seriously miss you guys so much, and although Switzerland is amazing there are days when we are just downright excited that this is not a permanent move. Can you imagine the fun we would have if you guys were here with us? Can we please plan a trip somewhere awesome together in the near future?
DeleteOh, I love Italy! Looks like you are doing it right! When we went, I think our unspoken goal was Gelato in each city, accompanied by other delicious morsels. I'm pretty sure we met our goal. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is an incredible goal. All Italian goals should involve food I say! I remember not so long ago when you were here and I would seriously ache when I saw your fun pictures I wanted to go so bad. It definitely lives up to the anticipation.
DeleteOkay, I am dying again. This is amazing. Everything looks perfect. I just feel like I would pick this place for you! I always see stuff and think, "Leah would LOVE this." (I may sound creepy, but let's be honest... Mom #2? We just are creepy. ha ha ha.) But seriously, EVERY picture you post, I think, "OF COURSE she loves it there!" Switzerland (etc) was made for you! Just come home, though. It was only made for you to vacation there. Not live there. I already asked.
ReplyDeleteIt is beyond words Mindy, truly. And you could never sound creepy to me, not after everything we have been through. Not after co-parenting our daughter together. Never after that! It seriously is perfection and I love it to death, but I am getting to the point where I am no longer wishing we could live here forever but instead am a little relieved to be lucky enough to come home at the end of this. We miss you guys and we miss Lo-town. It's kind of a sweet little reminder of that cheesy (but true) "there's no place like home" thing.
Delete