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.   : )

Robert's birthday - Cinque Terre!

Happy birthday to Robert! One of my favorite people and a dear friend. I feel pretty lucky to be able to write that after just a year in Italy with him and Mary. There was a great group of friends from school that went to Manarola to help celebrate with this amazing guy. We all went to dinner at Trattoria dal Billy. Everyone has told me that this is the best restaurant in Manarola... with amazing seafood. The food was amazing and just never stopped! We were served family style and I cannot even begin to count how many different dishes we had. It was all pretty delicious.

Jesye, me, Robert-the-birthday-man...

Sunday morning was Robert's true birthday. We enjoyed some time by the water and then grabbed coffees before climbing back into the Birthday Bus to head back to Milan...

(I mean, really... how is this even real?!)

"Cappuccinos! Capp- capp- uccinos!"

The great weekend wasn't finished yet! We arrived back to Milan... grabbed some birthday gelatos (because dinner the night before apparently wasn't enough - HA!)... and met up again later for pizza at Lo Chalet right in Opera. 

Birthday candle pizza!

Happy birthday to Robert   : )

Pizza hearts!

The pizza in Italy really is fantastic... whether it originated here or not! I love the fresh-yet-simple ingredients and toppings.

My favorite pizza place in Milan is at the Vigentino bus/tram stop! There's nothing else around... and it seems kind of sketchy... but this place is the best. Jesye and I go quite often. I don't even know the name... but it's a medieval-themed pizzeria... you even have to cross a moat to get inside!

AND... best part? Not only are the pizzas delicious... but they come heart-shaped.  :D

Jesye and Julia

My favorite is the mozzarella di bufala!

Jesye and Victoria

Julie! ...her first night in town...

Angela!

Always... great pizza, great company, great laughs.   : )

homemade PIZZA!

My adventures in the kitchen continue. ...And, thankfully, Italy seems to be on my side!

I've never been much of a cook (...some of you have probably heard a couple of my disaster stories from the kitchen! Haha.)

Today's challenge for myself was pretty easy... but I am still very proud that it came out DELICIOUS!

Homemade pizza. Nonny-and-Mom style. My brothers and I grew up having my mom make us awesome homemade pizza every now and then. We loved these nights. Mom would even fry up the extra dough and we dunked it in sugar for dessert. Definitely a treat!

I didn't try the fried dough tonight... but the pizza was a success!   : D

I bought dough at the local CoOp store for less than 1.50 euro!

Into the oven... about 1/2-way through the pizzas' time in the oven, I came out from my bedroom area and smelled the pizzas baking. Ahhhhhhh so so good. Definitely comfort food.

I kept it simple tonight... one pizza had cheese and red peppers - the other was just cheese.

...And both were gloriously delicious.   : D

my 1st pizza in Italy (this time around)

I have traveled to Italy twice before now... and now I'm (still can't fully believe it) living in Italy!

I've had my share of pizzas in Italy... and last weekend had my first pizza since moving here.

Harris, another new teacher to ASM, and I met at a cafe/restaurant in Opera. Le Centrale is probably going to become a usual of mine! I'm happy that there are a few good cafes in Opera that I am happy to walk to on the weekend.

We each had a cappuccino and then decided to split a pizza. We ordered uno pizza margherita... and I thought that the waiter confirmed with a due pizza but I wasn't sure... so we said, Si, si and continued chatting.

Well... two pizzas DID arrive! Whoops! Not a problem though... we enjoyed and then each had leftovers  : P