It's still Christmas in Italy...

After that great dinner at noon, I had a couple of mandarin oranges at about 21:00, and that's it... I walked from Rapallo to S. Margherita at about 16:00, returning to Rapallo at 18:00. Still felt full:) I walked through town and there were some shops and bars open, and a few restaurants on the main street along the bay, and many people out walking.

I made a reservation (talked on the phone with a fellow who spoke no english!) in Firenze for tomorrow for 4 nights at the Hotel Costantini--right across the street from the Duomo (thanks for the tip, Gina!). Got the train schedule on line and will leave Rapallo at 10:27, change in Pisa, and arrive in Firenze at 13:33. One of the trains is a rapid, IC train... the train system is so great here, and even the regional trains run on time. It is such a great system. I have learned to look at the list of stops so that I know the 1 or 2 stops before my destination--I still get nervous, afraid that I will miss my stop! Not so on a route that I have traveled before, though. Buona notte, tutti!

Christmas dinner in Rapallo

From start to finish--Christmas dinner with my cousin Rina, her husband Angelo, and my aunt Elisa today in Rapallo... antipasti: assorted sliced meats (salami, prosciutto crudo, mortadella, prosciutto cotto) and pane (foccacia, pane, breadsticks). Primo piatto: home made ravioli di vedura (spinach and other vegetables) con ragu (meat sauce). Secondo piatto: insalata (leaves of butter lettuce, radiccio, and tomatoes), olio d'oliva (olvie oil). roasted pork, roasted potatoes, small roasted onions (cippoli) served with a bottled red wine (I didn't look at the label) and Angelo's brother's wine in a small fiasco. When I asked about the wine and was told it was his brother's, Rina got up and brought in another bottle of wine in a large water bottle, saying that it was this year's. i asked how it can be stored in a plastic water bottle, and she said that it is from a large fiasco, and this is just a small bottle to use today, but not to store. I didn't get a chance to try this year's, but the wine from the fiasco (last year's?)was yummy--dry, but with a pronounced taste of the local fruit--it tasted like fruit from the local hills...

Then dessert... Rina unwrapped a great, tall pannetone from Milano--I think the local pannetone is short, not big like Milano's but am not sure... plus a local pannetone, and a sweet bread with raisins that I brought yesterday. When I bought it at the store, I thought it was pane with eggs, but it turns out it was bread with raisins (uovo vs. uva... tricky, tricky...), and a basket with packages of figs (fica), dates Arabo, nougat, chocolates, and more that we (thankfully!) did not open. Bowls of freshly sliced fruit. Rina brought two bottles of prosecco--one that I brought yesterday from the same shop where I bought the bread. Angelo opened one, and Rina brought out new glasses. One whole wall is covered by a large buffet/china cabinet (un armardio) that holds all of the plates and glasses and china--typical for italian dining rooms and kitchens to have free-standing furniture instead of built in cabinets... ok, back to the food and drink:) We grazed on all the yummy sweets, and Rina asked if we would like caffe, and made a pot of espresso, then poured small glasses of home made limoncello. Allora, basta! I'm proud to say that I was full but not uncomfortably so, having declined seconds of ravioli and of pork and potatoes.

Ciao, tutti... it's clear now--if you aren't interested in food, you will be bored by my blog... if you love food, and family, and travel, then come along to Firenze domani!
ciao e auguri!