Simply Italy Part 3

In Venice, we were in for another Italian feast, starting with a platter of cured meats and pizza base...



followed by a vegetarian lasagne and pesto linguine...


beef stew with beans and potatoes...


and tiramisu (although, not the best we've had on the trip).


In San Marino we couldn't go past the pizza/pasta restaurant perched on top of the city.


Did I mention that Italians love their Nutella? We saw this 5 kg tub in San Marino (so not technically in Italy, but still...).


And of course every holiday is not complete without a trip to Maccas.


We were warned to stay away from restaurants with a "tourist menu" but we didn't listen did we? This place near St Peters wasn't expensive but lets just say food wasn't too crash hot. The tuna salad was alright (how can you stuff up salad?) but the lasagne was this big dense lump of cheese and pasta... never again!



To finish off my foodie experience of Italy, I had to go snappy happy in one of their supermarkets. The thing that struck me was the vast majority of the aisles contained what I refer to as pasta ingredients, including tomato sauce...


olive oil...


dried pasta...


fresh pasta...


and cheese...


...cheese...


... and more cheese...


Did I mention cheese?



And also a (not so) tiny cured meat/salami section.


Towards the end of the trip, we were a little Italiano-ed out and went to Planet Kebab for something a little different.


Last meal at the airport was half a pizza and some fritto's. Hmm... overpriced airport food...


So is Italy all pizza, pasta and gelato? Well... yes...but its also so much more!

Simply Italy Part 2

As we were on a tour, some of the meals were included, although these were quite "basic". This particular dinner consisted of salad, pasta (choice of tomato or pesto), chicken and chips and a nectarine.

Pasta with pesto

Chicken and chips (Can you find the chicken?)

There was also the obligatory snacking while travelling so we tested out some of the "Italian" junk food... Paprika flavoured chips...

Lemon filled cookies...

Chocolate with hazelnuts...


and Grisbi biscuits with a Nutella-like filling.


Being, the middle of the Italian summer, we had gelato practically everyday. This one of guava and passionfruit was soo refreshing and really hit the spot.


In Sirmione, we were pressed for time and picked up a quick bite from this pizza place. Not bad for take away!




Something we spotted everywhere was these giant lemons which they use to make limoncello.


One night while we were in Venice we were too lazy to venture out for dinner so we tried out the 12 euro buffet at our hotel. There was a selection of antipasti, salads, pasta, veggies and seafood-gotta love a good buffet! :)

Simply Italy Part 1

Prior to my whirlwind three week trip to Italy, my ideas about Italian food consisted mainly of pizza, pasta and gelato. Do I still think this?

Well... here is a quick run down of some of the food highlights of the trip.

My first "meal" in Italy was at Roma Termini, the major train station in Rome. It consisted of a toasted baguette with ham, mozzarella, tomato and lettuce - simple but tasty.


For the duration of the conference we frequently visited a local pasta/pizza restaurant - not because the food was particularly good but because we were in Tirrenia and the "town" was just that little bit too far to get to by foot. They served your typical selection of pizza, pasta and mains.

Fettucine with "porky" mushrooms was the English translation on the menu

When we did manage to muster up the effort to walk into town, we visited this pizza place where I had my first experience of Italian pizza. The base was quite thin and crispy (not like what you get at Pizza Hut or Dominos) and overall was light on the toppings. Surprisingly I was able to finish most of this!

Capricciosa pizza

Back in Rome, we sampled some gelato at a cafe near the Trevi fountain. This place also had a mouth watering selection of tarts, biscuits and cakes (please excuse the reflections!).

Ice cream cone display

In Capri, was Le Grottelle, a restaurant on the side of a cliff with stunning views - but also incredibly effortsome to get to. The food was fresh and delicious!

Linguine with shrimp and zucchini

Spaghetti with scampi

My first experience of a full Italian meal was in Sorrento. First up was the antipasti...

followed by the prima piatti (pasta)...


then the second piatti (usually some sort of meat)...


and finished off with dessert...


and a spectacular view of Mount Vesuvius!


Once again we feasted in Florence, sampling local produce including the olive oil...



and featuring our main as bonus entertainment!