 |
|
Going to second base
with Juliet… Sorry Romeo, you snooze, you lose.
|
Verona was our second stop in Italy
and I never knew that it was the birthplace for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I guess the “No Fear”
Shakespeare guidebooks weren’t thick enough to leave an impression on my skull
back in high school. Nonetheless, our
tour guide took us through Juliet’s fabricated estate (it was very touristy)
and I got the chance to win some luck in love by touching Juliet’s bosom on her
statue. What guy could pass that up?
After a long day of
touring the city my friends and I started to get hungry and quickly gathered to
search for a place to eat. We wanted to find a place that was authentic yet
different… and on the water because we knew it would be beautiful but I’ll get
to that later. We ended up finding this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant
called “Trattoria Vecio Mulin” that had only a few tables situated outside in
the back. The tables only had seating for two and we were a party of six; so we
knew what we had to do… DATE NIGHT! We sacrificed our group dinner to dine at
this establishment, and for good reason, because when we stepped out near the
water all we saw was this…
I mean look at that. That’s not something you dine across
from every day. It looked like I was in a museum looking at a painting… BUT IT
WAS REAL. Coincidentally, it was nearing sunset so the light was hitting all
the right places. I was starting to understand what my study abroad friends
have been talking about.
So we dine. We paired up and went on our dates. The menu had
various dishes that were foreign to me… even as an Italian. It had Verona’s
traditional pastas and even horse and donkey meat. As adventurous as I can be
at times, I don’t think I wanted to eat Little Miss Pony today, thank you. However
I did have a taste because Jimmy ended up getting the horse (kind of tasted
like veal). Our professors informed us that Pasta e Fagioli was considered a
traditional dish for the city of Verona… and it was on the menu so I knew I had
to get it. However they had a variation that incorporated shrimps, mussels, and
clams into the soup to add a little depth. I gotta say, it was the best Pasta e
Fagioli I’ve ever had… sorry mom. Not too thick, yet perfectly filling. Freshly
made pasta with hearty beans and paired with some warm, crispy bread. To top it
off, Ally and I shared a local bottle of red wine that washed it all down so
perfectly.
I was actually
somewhat jealous of Ally’s dish. She got what I was going to get, but me being
all chivalry decided she could get that and I got the Pasta e Fagioli instead.
Not that I’m complaining but I gotta say her dish won.
Check it.
She was generous enough to give me a few bites and I couldn’t
believe how fresh it tasted. The pasta tasted like it was made the day of.
Absolutely delicious.
Hours have passed and we are still sitting there, enjoying
the wine and soaking in that beautiful view. I’ll never forget it. We were all
just so awestruck to have the pleasure to share this experience with each
other. It kind of puts into perspective what’s really important: Friends, Love,
and Food. I think people underestimate how powerful food can play into our
daily lives. It can even be the highlight of our day. Just some food for
thought.
After this experience I finally understood what all of my
friends were talking about. While I was sitting there, looking at that view,
dining with some of my good friends, all I could think was, “Wow, I’m so lucky to
have this opportunity.”
Bouna Notte,
Dom
No comments:
Post a Comment