Honeymoon Part V - Naples

On a crazy whim, we decided last minute, that we would take an hour long high speed train from Rome to Naples, just for some pizza. We rationalized that we couldn't be that close to the birthplace of pizza and not stop in. In Naples, pizza ingredients are strongly regulated by the government, ensuring that the Neapolitan Pizza is of the highest quality and made by strict standards and we just had to see what that was all about. We traveled to Naples on our second to last day in Italy and not only had we gotten up extra early to take a train down there (we wanted to beat the lunch crowd lines which we heard could get very lengthy), we were thoroughly exhausted from traveling for two weeks.

When we arrived in Naples, we got off the train and exchanged glances at each other that questioned what we had gotten ourselves into. The city itself was pure chaos with people everywhere aggressively selling things, scooters and cars flying past wide lane roads without much regard to traffic rules or crossing pedestrians. Bedlam aside, the city had such a grittiness and we found ourselves stepping over large piles of garbage and filth. We were a little unnerved by all the commotion but we stayed focused. After all, we only had a brief couple of hours to scout out some of the city's best pizza, try as much as we could stomach (all in the name of research, of course) before jumping back on the train and heading back to Rome. We had a lot to accomplish.

Double Mozzarella Pizza at Pizzeria da Michele

One at a time..

The "grumpy glarer"

Food Paparazzi 

Luckily for us, the main pizza shops that are most popular and historic are not far from the train station and within minutes, we were in the doorway of Pizzeria da Michele, which is referred to as the best pizza shop in the world (and yes, featured in the Julia Robert's movie, Eat, Pray, Love). After a bit of a communication struggle, we were early enough to get a seat and all we had to do was wait for of four employees to take our order. The room full of people was eerily quiet, everyone focusing on the action - one man rolling out the dough and topping it, another slinging the pies one by one into the oven, and another seemingly glaring at everyone. Like a page from the "Soup Nazi" playbook, everyone knew better than to speak up and we patiently waited (40 minutes!) for one of the men to finally come over and take our order. There was never a rush or sense of urgency, just a grumpy, "You'll get it when you get it" attitude. Once they had our order, it was only minutes until we had a still steaming, double mozzarella pizza in front of us.

Our second stop

What happened next can only be described as the best pizza moment of my life. As I tore into the crust, adorned with dots of smoky char, it was crunchy, hot and perfectly doughy. The sauce had a balance of tart and sweet that accented the incredibly stretchy and milky cheese that was melted on top in artistically arranged splotches. With each component bearing it's own distinctive flavor and coming together in the most delightful of ways, I'm not sure I will ever find a pizza as good as this.

After leaving Pizzeria da Michele, we visited two more pizza spots, one a more new age pizza with a thicker dough that rose boldly above the rest of the pizza, framing the bright red sauce and pure white cheese, this pizza was exceptional, but still couldn't touch the experience we had just had. Lastly, we stopped into Pizzeria Trianon da Ciro, which is often compared to being on par with our beloved Pizzeria da Michele. The atmosphere was exactly what you'd want it to be, a couple of guys in the corner, almost on display, making the pizza by hand and expertly cooking them in a beautiful tile decorated oven. Here, we ordered the Pizza di Bufala, which is a white pie with Buffalo mozzarella cheese and slivers of fresh sliced tomatoes on top and embellished with fragrant basil. The cheese was the star here, intensely flavored, it was like no other cheese I've ever had.

We left Naples full and so happy that we had taken the time to get there. It was a little scary, but more exciting than anything else to race to a foreign city with only a few hours time, just for some (of the best we've ever had) pizza. Totally worth it and the perfect ending to two unforgettable weeks in Italy.

Honeymoon Part IV - Bologna

Our first meal in Bologna

After all of the excitement of Rome and Venice, Bologna was an excellent change of pace. Where Venice was breathtakingly beautiful in an obvious way and the scenery was the big draw, Bologna was more rustic and the allure of the city lied exactly where we wanted it to be, in the food.

When we first arrived in Bologna in late afternoon, we were starving. We had just checked into our hotel (which, to our surprise, ended up being a one bedroom apartment, complete with a full kitchen!) we stopped at the very first place that looked like it could be good. Lucky for us, it was incredible - two simple plates. One, a tomato-basil risotto, ripe with bright tomato flavor and vibrant peppery basil it was surprisingly light and delicate while maintaining intense flavors. The second dish was a classic Bolognese with a hearty sauce of meat lightly coating wide and flat noodles. We felt instantly at home.

Beautiful Bologna

Bologna's famous leaning towers 

Our days in Bologna were spent much differently than in our other cities that we visited. Because the city isn't very large, once we felt that we had walked its streets enough and explored it thoroughly, we found intimate spots to relax with a book and just take in the atmosphere of the city. Later on in the afternoon, we'd return to our hotel and freshen up before heading out for the night where we'd drink carafes of house wine and enjoy classic Italian dishes. One of our favorite meals was at a quaint little family run restaurant tucked away down a quiet side street. There, we feasted on a multi-course meal of various pastas, rabbit, veal and finished with a square of creamy, coffee spiked tiramisu. It was so prefect, it almost seemed surreal.

Tucked away and taking it all in

Applying cheese, naturally

Because we had a kitchen all to ourselves, we couldn't help but use it. We also couldn't stop ourselves from regularly visiting the many produce markets, cheese shops, butchers and bakeries so, we frequently found ourselves cooking. The quality of the ingredients that we picked up were just so stunning. Richard made steak with Italian Peach and Basil Salsa and I used some fresh San Marzano tomatoes, garlic and olive oil to make a sauce that would coat handmade ravioli. I finished with a healthy scoop of Stracciatella Cheese, an extra soft and very decadent version of Mozzarella cheese.

Our apartment kitchen with fresh San Marzano tomatoes simmering away

Richard's Steak Dish -  Garlic and Olive Oil Seared Steak with Italian Basil-Peach Salsa

My dish - Fresh Ravioli with Homemade Basil San Marzano tomato sauce and Stracciatella Cheese

Bologna is where we also discovered Limoncello. We each ordered a shot priced at 4 euros after dinner one night and, to our surprise, a full bottle arrived at our table. We weren't sure what to do so we promised ourselves one shot each because we assumed that they were going to charge us by the shot. Instantly upon tasting it in its ice cold, citrusy-sweet glory, we were hooked and before we knew it, three quarters of the bottle was gone. It took all of our strength not to finish the bottle and we assumed our bill would be hefty but it turns out, we didn't get charged at all. An oversight or a Limoncello miracle, we'll never know but we've started making our own at home and we can't stop!

Classic Bolognese 

Salumi Plate 

Tortellini en Brodo 

Food aside, one of the best parts about Bologna were the streets. We loved just walking along them, popping into shops and restaurants but the best part was the music. It seemed almost on every corner there was a small band and the music just carried through the streets and because people passing by would get so into it, dancing and singing, it made it seem like a party on every corner. One band played all classic American movie theme songs (think Indiana Jones) while another a couple blocks down was blasting Beatles hits. We were sad to leave Bologna because we had enjoyed ourselves so much and it also meant that our honeymoon was coming to a close. We were headed back to Rome before our trip back across the ocean, but not before a quick stop in Naples...

Bologna City Center at Night

Honeymoon Part III - Venice

Gondolas floating in the Canal

The first thing I saw when we exited the train station in Venice were the canals. They were dotted with water taxis and Gondolas that gracefully glided past and the restaurants that hugged the waterways were bustling with people enjoying lunch. The music from an accordion hung heavily in the air making everything seem so enchanting. I was a goner and totally in love with this city at first glance. While we snaked our way around the island's windy and narrow walkways to our hotel, our luggage clamored up and down the steep bridges that sit above the canals, we couldn't help but get caught up in the city's beauty and it had a strong hold. It seemed that every corner we turned, the view was straight out of a postcard - lapping water, brightly colored barbershop poles sticking out of the water and bridges so dramatically stunning with their steep slopes, it was hard to stay focused on getting to our hotel and not trip along the way. 

San Marco Square

Late afternoon walk along the water behind San Marco Square

Dusk in Venice

Our hotel was just on the other side of San Marco Square, the major area in Venice that most people think of when they imagine the city. The square itself was stunning in the daytime with the clock tower hanging grandly above. As the night wares on, the square gets even more majestic as smooth music begins to rise from the orchestra pits that are situated in front of most restaurants. Everything is beautifully illuminated by the soft light from the buildings in the square and a stroll in the hazy blue dusk along the Adriatic Sea offers such a feeling of total relaxation that I thought to myself, this is exactly what a honeymoon should be like. To add to our admiration of the city, while we may have stayed in one of the world's smallest hotel rooms, we were fortunate enough to be in an outward facing room right next to a canal and we could hear the water gently lapping against the side of the building as well as the alluring sound of accordions and Gondoliers passionately singing as they rowed past. 

Gondoliers and a Gondola

Waiting for a client

Traffic Jam

The Rialto Bridge is impressive, pure white and dramatically lifting above the canal. We climbed its very steep steps to get a better view of the canal and the city itself and then stopped by one of the many restaurants near the foot of the bridge for a Bellini, which is a mix of peach puree and Prosecco that was invented in the city. While we did not take a Gondola ride (they are very expensive) just looking at them was fascinating because they were so elegantly elaborate with plush couches and intricate decorations. 

The Rialto Bridge 

A quiet alleyway 

One of the many bridges 

More beautiful Bridges

Our love affair with Venice did dip slightly when it came to food as the fare in this Italian city couldn't come close to competing with the other places we visited. By comparison, the food was significantly more expensive and the quality very poor (most places would make certain dishes to display to patrons and then simply microwave them to reheat them just before serving). The only exception to this rule that we found lied in the Apertivo - a stretch of a couple of hours in the early evening where bars offer substantial little bites for very cheap. It's sort of like a happy hour, only better because you can enjoy a couple of little specialty bites and a good, cool glass of Persecco for a mere couple of Euros. On our last night in Venice, we made a meal out of bouncing around to different bars dining on little cured meat sliders, bruschetta of all different kinds and various fried vegetables. 

Apertivo

Outdoor bar turned party

The best part about the bars in Venice (and in most of Italy for that matter) is that they let you take your drink and walk around for a bit and come back. One of my most memorable Venetian moments was sitting at the edge of the canal, slowly sipping Prosecco and taking in the Gondolas as they go by. Isn't that the way life should be? 

A glass of Prosecco 

Our two days stay in Venice is something I will never forget. The city itself is like no other place I've ever been to and I can't imagine any place will ever come close to matching the beauty that city has. It's one of my favorite places that I've ever been and had the food been better, I would have been happy to stay much (much!) longer. Maybe that's why the food is so underwhelming. If it was incredible, they'd never get people to leave, because why would you? I know we wouldn't..

Honeymoon Part II - Florence

One of the most striking things about Italy is just how different each city was. They all had their own distinct personality with only language and currency being the common thread. While Rome had a certain grandeur and shine to it, Florence was a little more humble and special in it's own way. Much smaller in size and nestled firmly in the Tuscan region of the country, Florence felt more like a large town and we quickly felt very comfortable navigating around its windy streets. 

The Duomo

The most impressive thing that we saw, arguable throughout the entirety of our trip, was The Duomo. We hadn't specifically planned when we'd see it but we just sort of happened on it during our first walk on the day we arrived. We rounded the corner and there it was, totally catching us by surprise, standing tall with its ornately detailed emerald marble exterior and brick red dome, it can only be described as breathtaking. It's much larger than I imagined it to be and is smack in the middle of this open space in the center of the city surrounded by restaurants and shops. We were so enamored by The Duomo that we even had dinner right next to it, where we enjoyed a lengthy meal consisting of various courses and dined on the most incredibly flavorful Florentine Steak, cooked simply with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper and served very rare. 

Ponte Vecchio

Aside from the Duomo, one of my favorite parts of the city was the area around the Ponte Vecchio (which literally means "Old Bridge"). The bridge itself is quite unique as it hosts numerous shops (mainly of the jewelry and souvenir variety) and when the stores are closed, they are neatly packaged up in what almost looks like treasure chest boxes lined up. The area surrounding the bridge is out of a European fairy tale with colorful clapboard shutters adorning charming and historic buildings and you can see far into the Tuscan countryside when you cross the bridge. Rumor has it that the bridge was one of the only ones in Florence that was not destroyed during World War II, mainly because Hitler also fell subject to the bridge's beauty and spared it, but heavily bombed everything else right around it, just to make his point. 

The view from Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio shops all closed up

The food of Florence was slightly better then Rome in that it felt a little more homey and had that "Italian grandmother in the kitchen" sort of feel to it. It was also a little cheaper as well. We ate well in Florence, enjoying standard Italian classics like Gnocchi, made delicately and coated with thin layer of bright red marinara sauce. This Tuscan city was also home to one of my favorite dishes that I had- a simple square of Lasagna. Carefully stacked and lightly layered with several pasta sheets, cheese, Bechamel and dotted with bits of ground beef, it was topped with snowy Parmesan and a tangy tomato sauce that balanced the richness of the meats and cheese. The thing that made this dish really memorable was the fact that it changed the way I thought about lasagna - instead of being about the meats and cheeses, it was really about the pasta. Fresh layers were delightfully crispy on the sides and bottom and the fillings though very present in flavor, didn't overshadow the pasta, but instead, complimented it. It was outstanding to put it mildly. 

One of the best things I ate on our trip - Lasagna

 Florence also introduced us to characteristic European markets with numerous butcher shops and bakeries that just felt like they've been there hundreds of years, and they probably have. As a whole, we had to work a little harder to communicate here, which we liked as we fumbled around on some broken Italian. At one point we popped into a salumi shop and asked a grumpy butcher to shave us off a couple of slices of Prosciutto di Parma and cut us a wedge of cheese that we took back to our hotel along with some crusty bakery bread and a bottle of wine. The prosciutto was unlike any I've ever had before and it just melted on my tongue releasing its intense meaty, salty flavor. While in Florence, we had the worst weather, drizzly and overcast, but despite that, it was hard not get a crush. While I didn't fall head over heels for it like I did for Rome, the more relaxed vibe and old world charm left us happy, content (and full!) after our couple days stay. 

And then there was an Italian Honeymoon..

Sneaking in a kiss at the Colosseum

It was hard to leave Italy after our two week honeymoon was up. From the moment we touched down at Leonardo da Vinci Airport (best name for an airport ever, by the way) in Rome, I felt right at home and was totally smitten. When we arrived after our lengthy flight (and Dublin layover), we bellied right up to the espresso bar to energize ourselves enough to get to our hotel. In Italy, ordering espresso seems like a mess. There's the continuous clanks of the porcelain cups as they hit the marble counter while people shout their requests and stand with their beverage. (It costs only about one euro to stand and drink your caffeinated beverage of choice and in most places, it can cost up to ten times that much for the luxury of getting table service. So in most cafes, there's a disorganized mob of people standing around the bar. I loved the instant loud, chaotic atmosphere it created.) From the start, Italy had this energy that was tough to resist getting caught up in. 

The Colosseum

Brushing up on our Italian over some cocktails

Pasta near the Colosseum

I'm going to pause right there before I get any further into my post, just for a moment, so that I can tell you that I've decided, instead of trying to sum up two incredible weeks in Italy, that I will dedicate a post to each city that we visited. After all, it seemed like the only way I could attempt to do these beautiful cities justice. Since our trip started off in Rome, lets begin there, shall we?

Pretty early on into our trip, I claimed Rome my favorite European city that I've ever visited. It's stunningly clean, rich in deep routed culture and alive in the way I wish every city could be. It's truly amazing to walk through the city and see how they've preserved their history while carefully building up around it. It's the perfect balance of being old and modern at the same time. We often found ourselves enjoying just getting lost walking the streets and coming up to places and we settled into the relaxed Roman way of living very easily. While on our walks, we explored the Colosseum, Pantheon and Vatican, including the Sistine Chapel. We stood in awe at the Trevi Fountain, climbed the Spanish Steps and dined in Piazza Navona, which ended up being one of our favorite spots. 

The Pantheon

Espresso Break

One of the ceilings in the Vatican

The people of Rome fascinated me. They all exuded such a strikingly strong confidence, it made me feel like they were living life so deliberately and not caring who was watching. Men and women of all ages as well as children and babies were superbly clean-cut and dressed to the nines at all hours. Women nearly three times my age were walking past in 3-inch stilettos with such grace, I could help but feel frumpy in my cotton dress and flip flops. At one point, I even saw a woman that had to be in her mid-80's, wearing a very revealing belly shirt, embarrassingly short skirt, stilt-like heels and gobs of flashy jewelry. She was totally owning her look in a way that made you not question her outfit choice, but made you admire her confidence. 

Piazza Navona at Night

The top of the Spanish Steps at night

The Carbonara...

The Trevi Fountain at Night

More Carbonara

Last but most certainly not least, the food in Rome really is outstanding if you avoid the tourist traps. It wasn't too long before we developed our own method of picking restaurants: we'd stick to the side streets, look for restaurants that were on the crowded side and we'd take a peek at people's plates. If the food looked good and the prices seemed fair, we'd go in. This method worked really well for us and I can say that we didn't eat a bad meal throughout the entirety of our trip. One of my favorite dishes in Rome was the Carbonara. The pasta itself was delicate but had a texture and perfect chew that stood up to the lusciously eggy sauce and let you know it was there. Studded with thick, salty bits of bacon, when it was finished with a Parmesan shower, the whole dish really was a stand out. 

Rome, what can I say? You left me totally crazy for you.