FISH LUNCH at Silvana and Vincenzo's!

When we were invited to Silvana and Vincenzo's house for lunch, they asked us if we like fish. YES! SI!

Vincenzo said that the entire lunch would fish(es)... and he was right. Amazing. We had six different types of fish made a variety of ways. This is truly one of the best meals I've ever eaten.

Primo (first) course - pasta with fish:

Secondi (second) course - four different plates of fish:

These stuffed prawns (shrimp) were absolutely amazing, mmmmmm:

Cold salmon with onions, tomatoes, and a juice sauce... amazing!

Angela, Christopher, Denis, Gina, Silvana:

I was already stuffed and then Vincenzo brings out a huge platter piled with aluminum foil packets. I asked what was inside and he said 'a surprise' - haha. Inside was a breaded fish... teeth and all! I felt like I was back in Vietnam but without chopsticks. This was awesome. We basically picked at the fish to get forkfuls... so soft and flavorful.

Aaaaand, of course, rounding off the meal with a caffe!

San Benedetto del Tronto - mercatino!

Returning to Gina's house after a morning at the beach with Elisa and lunch at Maria's house... Angela, Gina, and I walked over to the pizzeria. I pretty much love that we can walk a few blocks and be at the family pizzeria. Truly. This could be a television series... I love it. The parents - Silvana and Vincenzo - are there helping... and the two sons - Christopher and Denis - run the place. We went each afternoon to just sit and hang out... spend some family time together... perrrfect.

While there our third day in town, Christopher invited Angela and I out with him that night to San Benedetto del Tronto - a nearby town... on the beach, bigger than Alba Adriatica. I was pretty tired from the night before in Teramo and an early morning at the beach... but Christopher said that we could go to a mercatino (flea market) and get gelato... OK! Both of those things sound right up my alley.   : )

Angela and I met Christopher back at the pizzeria around 10:30pm, when they closed, and went out from there. San Benedetto is really cute. Many people were vacationing there and out for the evening. We walked through the town, then through the mercatino, and THEN went to the oldest gelateria in the town... yes, please!

The gelateria was packed with people. Christopher asked for a table for 3 people... and the guy said something about facciamo - meaning, we make. I laughed and said to Christopher that it would be awesome if they really made us a table... I'm picturing a hammer and nails! Funny enough... the guy comes walking over, carrying a table and three folding chairs. Hilarious. Even without a hammer and nails involved, he did make us a table... and set it in an open spot. Ready to go! I loved it.

On a walk through San Benedetto with Christopher:

A favorite photo/moment of mine... which one is not like the others??...

Angela ordered a coffee instead of gelatoooooo! (And ours were fancy, giant gelatos at that!) 

Angela and I left by train the next day - early evening. Vincenzo, Silvana, and Gina drove us to the train station in San Benedetto - and stopped by the pier on the way to the station since we hadn't been able to see it when it was dark while we were there with Christopher the night before. It was a really pretty spot:

Gina, me, Angela, Silvana:

at the beach - Villa Rosa, Abruzzo

The morning after going to the festival in Teramo, Angela and I got up early to go to the beach with Elisa and her daughter.

This was the first time I met Elisa. She is the daughter of another cousin of my grandpa's. I have met and spent time with her mom -Maria- and her aunt -Italia- both other times I've visited Abruzzo with my parents and brothers. (Maria and Italia are also cousins of Mario... Gina's late husband.)

About a week or so before going to Abruzzo, I called Italia to let her know that I was coming. I was extremely pleased when I put the phone down... as I understood the entire conversation AND she seemed to understand me! (Especially with a full summer without speaking any Italian.)

A day or so later, I received a phone call from Elisa - Maria's daughter... Maria, being Italia's sister. Italia had called them to let them know that I was coming and Elisa called me, on her mother's behalf, to invite Angela and I over for lunch one day! Very sweet!

So... before lunch, Elisa took Angela and I to the beach in her area - Villa Rosa (next to Alba Adriatica). It was a great morning - a lovely walk on the beach... and I really appreciated how good Elisa was at speaking slowly and clearly for me... as well as re-wording some sentences when she could tell that I did not understand.

At the beach with Elisa...

With Maria - at her house for lunch!

The family!

Elisa's husband, son, me, Elisa, Maria, Elisa's daughter, Kimberly (Italia's granddaughter), and Italia:

a Teramo night out

Arrosticini is the main, traditional food item of the festival... aaaaaand absolutely delicious.

Similar to kebabs, arrosticini are flavorful yet simple... and I ate way more than I thought I would! Wow.

Giacomo and Jacqueline:

Me, Angela, and arrosticinis!

Ylenia (Giacomo and Jacqueline's daughter) dates a guy from Teramo... and his family owns a well-known bakery in the town. His dad brought us a plateful of sweets AND (2 photos down) croissants with crema and nutella inside! WHOA... 

I found it awesome that he also took the empty wine bottle from the table at one point... went into the bakery... came out a minute later... and set the bottle back on the table - full. I love that they basically have wine out of taps in the wall here!! 

Dalila, me, Giacomo

(Dalila is Fabio's girlfriend - lovely girl, going to school in Milano!)

after lunch happenings in Abruzzo

I love the way they have their onions and garlic!

(Behind is a large garden.)

After lunch we were shown Giacomo's collection of birds - including two babies! He is hand feeding them with a little dropper...

While Gina lives right by the sea, Jacqueline and Giacomo's house is set in the countryside and has a gorgeous view of the sea and the surrounding hilly landscape:

The guys then got out the go cart... 

 Fabio and Denis raced along the road - Fabio in the go cart and Denis on his brand new motorcycle...

lunch for 20 ...totally normal

Angela and I lounged and people-watched on the beach for the morning of our first full day in Alba Adriatica.

Then we headed to Jacqueline and Giacomo's house for lunch. We showed up and found a table set for 20 people! - TWENTY!

Lunch was AWESOME. The courses kept coming from the kitchen. I appreciated Giacomo warning me that after the rabbit, there was also going to be cutlets and olive ascolane (stuffed olives) - a specialty from this area and one of my (and my family's!) favorites.

Before the meat courses, however, was the timballo. Mmmmmm. Similar to lasagna but, again, a specialty of Abruzzo - timballo is made with egg noodles and seems lighter than lasagna... not as much cheese but absolutely deeeelicious.

Timballo: 

A moment caught... Angela and I each laughing/smiling at different things.

What a GREAT experience!

Giacomo with the rabbit(s)...

Just a normal family lunch in Italy!

And, of course, ending the meal with homemade tiramisu!

Alba Adriatica's beach stroll

After a delicious trip to the pizzeria, Angela and I dropped our bags off at Gina's house (Mario, Gina's husband, passed away about a year ago - he was my grandpa's cousin...). Silvana then took us on a nice walk along the beach - Alba Adriatica has a great path that runs along the beach - many walkers, runners, and bicyclists use the path.

Silvana and me...

This was our turnaround point - gorgeous!

A view of the other direction (and the hills!)

Me and Angela - the two ASM Librarians!   : )

Back at Gina's house  : )

I surely don't understand all that she says (being fluent in Italian would be a dream! ...one that I'm slowly working towards)... but we were definitely both happy to see each other and spend time together. And there were numerous laughs and stories told over the next few days.

Alba Adriatica - the sea!

I haven't posted in a while. School is starting back up and everything is busy - a good busy!

My time in Alba Adriatica, Abruzzo was fantastic. My friend, Angela, and I had a great time with my cousins... they are incredibly accommodating, generous, and fun to be around.

The very first thing that we did after arriving at the train station was to go to Christopher and Denis' pizzeria!! They told us that they were planning to open one when I was there last Christmas with my family... and they have... and it's great!

Denis and his dad, Vincenzo

Silvana

Christopher

The pizza is delicious! We went here a few times... sometimes just to hang out in the afternoon. The pizzeria is just a few blocks from Gina's house (where we stayed), so Gina would walk over with us and hang out for a while.

If you look at the sign for the pizzeria in the first photo above, you can see that half is a sunrise and the other half is a pizza. Alba (from the town's name, Alba Adriatica) means sunrise... and the town is located on the Adriatic Sea. They worked that into the pizzeria's name too, which I love. Christopher designed the sign.   : )

The Drive: Opera, Milano to Alba Adriatica, Abruzzo

Below are pictures from our 5-hour drive to see my dad's cousins! They live in Alba Adriatica, Abruzzo... a small beach town. The drive was pretty... especially since it was a nice day and not as foggy as it had recently been.

Lots of farmland, vineyards, then mountains in the distance, and finally... Alba Adriatica!