Now, England was a bit low key, whereas Italy and my girl Fabrizia .....whew this girl kept me moving! You wonder how it's possible to eat like they do/ I did and not gain a single pound even after all the dessert in ENGLAND? I'll tell you how-WALK YOUR ASS OFF!!! I had no concerns that Fabrizia would make this trip just as memorable as in '03 and she did not let me down one bit! I kept a daily journal and suffice it to say that it was a necessary evil for me to keep track of all we did and saw during my visit. And it all started with a party the minute I got off the plane (just like last time I'd like to add). It was supposed to be a kid's party, but the adults were eating and drinking (myself included) more than any kid present. The host offered me a glass of Prosecco, which I told politely declined and he so lovingly informed me that I WOULD be having a drink, so...when in Rome...Cut to the 2nd glass of Prosecco and I think a glass of Muscato. Let's just say that I've never drank more on this vacation than EVEN Puerto Rico (and that was a lot of drinking). Everyone just kept reminding me that I didn't have to drive. Ha Ha, right. Pour me another will ya? Fabrizia, Baby Leo and myself went off galavanting around North Eastern Italy and Slovenia daily. I'm pretty sure the day we spent in Potoroz and Piran, Slovenia were even tough on her. This girl can walk and along with myself, she was complaining the next day that her legs were hurting her too. I didn't know if I could push through one more day of walking but somehow I found the strength and had another great day exploring. Fabrizia and Gianpi have some of the greatest people for friends I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, from that first party, to the Italy/Germany football match complete with Cevapcici (I love Cevapcici!) and you guessed it more Prosecco that we had to keep drinking to keep Germany from scoring. There was also Elena and Pierro that treated us to a dinner of my also new favorite Tigelle followed by some of that ever so delicious gelato. Elena and Pierro are two of the funniest people ever! Not to be out done by good ole Maurizio and his Germany shirt and Italy underwear...and the forced drinking. There was never a dull moment with this group and I'm am so thankful to have gotten the chance to know them even if just a little bit.
Fabrizia and I went to so many places, like the Sagra event with my very FIRST taste of Cevapcici, Potoroz and Piran, Slovenia for the amazing seaside beaches and nudity to boot (weird at first), I swear we walked for at least 10km that day. We went to Padua (or Padova) a former Venetian city and saw some of the most beautiful churches that literally rivaled any in Venice. St. Michael's was amazing. Saw St. Luke's relics, and St. Anthony's for his tomb (which was incredibly touching). I toured Muggia by myself for half a day while Fabrizia studied and somehow got lost and ended up in a Post Office where one person spoke English...I figured while I was there to play it off and just get some stamps for my postcards! Who does that? ME, that's who! I found the castle and the gelato shop for some of the best gelato I'd had. And even contemplated going to get another scoop while I waited for the ferry to take me back to trieste. That in itself was fun. I literally was laughing to myself as the only thing in my mind was Otis Redding's Sitting on the Dock of the Bay while I waited for my ferry to come. It was hilarious! We went to Grado, Italy, Lubiana-the capital city of Slovenia and Lipiza, Slovenia-where the Lipizzaner horses hail from. Amazingly, every Lipizzaner horse in the world has come from the line of horses at this stud farm! And lastly, Aquiliea for the Roman Gladiator reenactments. Whew! I told you it was busy! I'm so grateful to Fabrizia and Gianpi for being so kind in opening up their home to me and to Leo for letting me use his room and letting me into their lives for a while. Mama Salvi for making that awesome Eggplant Parmesean (and for my lovely journal and pen) and Mama Barbieri for those delicious meatballs too! Yummy!I've decided that Europe is where I want to be as a result of the connections and interactions that I've had this vacation. I can't wait to come back!
No comments:
Post a Comment