Roman Holiday part 3

All about food and some things I forgot....

Let's talk about Italian food. It is perfect.  If you don't like Italian food we can't be friends.  In Rome I had the best coffee, pizza and tiramisu I've ever had.  First the coffee.

It's espresso and cappuccino in Italy and both are equally lovely.  I don't consider myself a coffee snob, but after being in Rome I might have to buy and Italian espresso maker.  It was almost buttery.  There was nothing bitter about it.  Just smooth.  Then they put it over gelato and my brain exploded!

That's right it is chocolate gelato, espresso, a little hot chocolate for good measure and whipped cream and called affogato chocolatto.  It tasted like magic and rainbows and unicorns!  Then there was pasta, a baked goods, and fresh made mozzarella covered in prosciutto....heaven!

Let's get serious now....the pizza....oh the pizza!

Something came over me when I ate pizza in Rome.  Normally I consider myself a polite person.  I take a bite of food, chew it, and then move on.  When eating pizza in Rome I could not stop shoving the pizza in my mouth at such a rate it would make an Italian grandmother blush.  It was perfect.  Above was my favorite.  It was a white pizza with thinly sliced pears, gorgonzola, mozzarella and parmesan.  I still dream about that pizza...perhaps one day we will meet again...sigh...

Finally tiramisu

The restaurant found out it was my birthday and brought me tiramisu.  It was sweet.  I'm not the person who would normally order tiramisu in a restaurant, but I was thankful for their sweet gesture.  It was in a simple bowl and was the best thing I had in Rome - well that and the pizza, and the affogato ....it was all really good. I've heard this from chefs on TV, but they are right.  Quality ingredients treated simply is the best food.  That's what I learned from Rome. 

There were a few details I left out in my earlier posts that I wanted to include.  First was that the Rome weekend started out right with a little prosecco on the plane.  I thought of Egla as I sipped.  She has taught me many things, one of which is never pass up prosecco. 

Also look at these gorgeous tapestries from the Vatican.  The detail was incredible and I have no idea how one would even begin to create such a thing.  There was an entire hall with walls covered in these large tapestries. 

This is an ancient Roman sculpture and is what Michelangelo used as inspiration for Jesus' body on the cross in the Sistine Chapel.  He said the agony of the body's position emulated the agony of Christ.  Every artist needs inspiration.  

I love you Rome and I will miss you, but for now on to the next adventure...