I’ve dreamed of visiting Italy since I was very young, as my Italian roots have been a large influence on me. Italian food is, for me, at the top of the list. There are so many various types and regional specialties that inspire a certain mood and experience. When I’m grilling outside I imagine a stone patio in Tuscany, and when cooking for a big group of friends I can’t help but imagine myself in a Sicilian kitchen anxiously watching Bolognese simmer. Needless to say the food was something I was looking forward to the most, but what I didn’t expect was how much I would love the people.
Ventimiglia is a small Ligurian town in the North of Italy and for us it was a perfect first trip because it’s actually the final stop on the train that runs throughout our region in France. The trip is only an hour and a half and is traveled almost exclusively on the coast so the views are incredible. When we first arrived we decided to find a good scenic spot for a cappuccino and soak in the surroundings. Afterwards we walked through the overwhelming market where there are numerous stalls selling fruits and vegetables, cured meats and cheeses, flowers and fine oils and vinegars. It took all of my will power not to buy a massive bottle of fresh unfiltered olive oil, but it will make for a good reason to go back. We ended up buying a fist sized hunk of fresh Mozzarella and a container of Caper Berries to eat by the beach. For anyone not familiar with Caper Berries but familiar with Capers in dishes, Capers are the pickled flower buds from the bush where Caper Berries are the fruit. Very similar in flavor but a different texture and experience altogether, and highly recommended. We fashioned a utensil by tearing apart the container and ate both on the beach for an experience I won’t soon forget.
We then walked around the outdoor market by the beach where everything from old watches and coins, to vinyl records and clothes, were being sold on little fold out tables. We both bought a vintage ring to remember the trip and exhausted the rest of our willpower not to buy more amazing wares (they had a David Bowie record in Italian, I'll never forgive myself). Since we had some time before the restaurant we were most interested in was open for dinner, we stopped to get a carafe of wine at a local bar. They really do not mess around with hospitality in Italy. After ordering the carafe for 11 euros they then brought out a bowl of nuts, a bowl of rice crackers, a bowl of potato chips, some tuna sandwiches cut up into little bites and a freshly pressed panini cut up into small bites as well. Considering we were about to eat dinner it was an unexpected, but welcome, surprise.
Our restaurant was a small bistro with a chalkboard menu entirely of daily specials. Our hostess was a young girl from the south of Italy who had moved there only a few months ago and went out of her way to make it a wonderful experience. We had a great local specialty that was a cake made of potato and stockfish in broth, baked fresh macaroni, Penne Arrabiata with the most perfect pasta and a full rabbit with a tart sauce. I have to mention that I had perhaps the best bottle of wine I’ve ever tasted in my life, one that you take the tiniest sips of because you don’t want it to ever end. After dinner we knew we didn’t have enough room for dessert but our hostess brought out a full bottle of Limoncello on the house for us as an after dinner digestif. I don’t think she realized that in America you can’t just put a free bottle of liquor in front of two twenty somethings and expect us not to drink damn near all of it. It made for a very fun and relaxing ride home on the train I have to say.
The funniest moment came on the ride home, because since we were leaving one country to another there was a great deal of security on the train and we had our passports and visas checked twice before even leaving Italy. Thinking we were done with security I went to use the bathroom in between stops, due to our excess in the liquor department, only to have to door opened by two military police just a few moments later. Caught off guard I asked ‘Do you need to see my passport?’ and they nodded, so we walked back to my seat and showed them our papers and once they saw we were american they didn’t really care. Then as they were leaving I asked in the most earnest way possible, ‘Can I finish my pee?’ and they burst out laughing and looked at me like I was every bit the stereotype of a young libertine. The close second to this moment in hilarity was the baby who cried mercilessly until their mother gave them a cell phone and played Kelly Clarkson videos much to the joy of the tired child. In the end it was a truly exceptional experience, and my love for Italy was rekindled in the most delightful way.