Cibi! Cibi! Cibi!

I can truthfully say that everything I have eaten in Italy has tasted amazing!  Here are some the most memorable dishes I’ve had thus far. Most were eaten in Siena, Italy, which is a city of about 55,000 in southern Tuscany.

Pizza (of course!) I’ve tried everything from a simple margherita pizza (cheese and tomatoes) to a pizza with fish on it (my least favorite).

Gelato is my favorite dessert thus far.  I’ve had crema, vanilla, tiramisu, panna cotta, and caffe. Yum!

My second favorite dessert is a local Sienese specialità, panforte, which is a delicious version of a fruit cake. I love it! This dessert is usually filled with nuts and other fruits and comes in a  variety of flavors.

The pastries of Siena are also a speciality and are spectacular. I’ve discovered the most delicious bakery called Savini that sells a prosciutto pastry that is to die for.

Some pasta dishes I've enjoyed:

Penne with sausage and tomatoes.

Tortellini panna e prosciutto (tortellini in a cream sauce with ham)

Gnocchi con 4 formaggi (gnocchi with four cheeses)

My favorite dish so far is a local specialty: egg noodles and wild boar. Wow!

Espresso is the most common type of coffee drink here. I also like the “American coffee,” which actually tastes better than real American coffee.

Thank goodness for all these cobblestone hills!

A presto,
Sarah

London at a Glance

At first, London doesn’t seem much different than the U.S., but you soon notice that the cars are smaller, there are more motor-cycles cutting in front of you, and the grass looks too green for winter. Not to mention that the men actually have a style sense.  For fashion, men wear pea coats and leather shoes and women dress like polished Americans…flats, pea coats, leggings, and even (unfortunately) Uggs.

               

 I only had two days in London before I left for Italy. What I visited was:

-Kensington Gardens

-Hyde Park

-A Spanish café

-Harrods

-Natural History Museum

-St. Paul’s Cathedral

-London Bridge

-“Chicago” the musical

-Various British pubs to get fish and chips and hard cider. Yum!

Not bad for one hour of bad sleep and no idea where to go!

Cheers!

Sarah