Our Mediterranean Summer tour would not be complete without a side trip to the Island of Sardinia. Sardinia sits between the Meditteranean and the Tyrrhenian Sea and enjoys warm climate all year round and today on our visit it is not exception - 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Olbia is our arrival point and that of many Italian Holidaymakers. We drive north in the direction of the Costa Smeralda, one of the most beautiful stretches of coast on the Mediterranean. This island is wild and rocky and caters to not only the more active holidaymaker who like to hike and climb but also the beautiful sandy beaches are ideal for long lazy days by the sea. Mario and Mary Kay decide to take the route of lazy day by the sea and we find them a private beach in Olbia. Stephano, Josephine, Giacomo and I want to visit Porto Cervo and see the culture of Sardinia. The people of Sardinia know how to celebrate with music festivals happening almost every week of the year. We are a day early of a big festival in Porto Cervo with a big Designer fashion show by Fendi. I would love to stay for the festivites but we must stay on schedule. Once in Porto Cervo it is easy to see how the locals of Sardinia live well past 100. The lifestyle is very relaxed and laid back. But if shopping is on your agenda you will find many expensive boutiques mixed in with some island specialties such as art, carpets, ceramics and jewlery. We wander through the village and it seems very quite. We find that many Italians on Holiday are still on there yatchs or sleeping and do not come into the village until after 2pm. We head to the Marina and find a picture perfect resturant named Cafe' du Port. We sit facing the Marina and blue waters of the sea, the owner comes to our table to welcome us. Giacomo and I would love Pizza but the owner recommends his homemade pasta and we would not want to offend him. The pasta is so fresh it is amazing. There is something about the tomatoes used to make the pasta sauce here in Italy that can't be reproduced. Giacomo gets pasta with seafood and I go for a simple marinara with fresh basil. I don't know if it this perfect setting but I think this has been my favorite bowl of pasta. The rest of the group agrees. We would recommend Cafe du Port at Vecchio Molo if you ever get to Porto Cervo and the beautiful Island of Sardinia.

Our time in Italy is almost over, tomarrow we visit Portifino on the Italian Riviera.Ciao' till then, Giacomo & Laurie
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Good Evening (It is almost midnight in Italy) but I am so excited to tell you about my exciting day. My hotel is in the Centro area of Rome, which is inside the old Roman Walls. Here there are the most beautiful treasures in all the world. I will not be stopping at any famous churches or the Vatican or St. Peters Basilica or where the mighty gladiators fought till their death or even the steps that Caesar stood on. Because I have seen the History of Rome many times on past visits I want to see a part of Italy that only the locals see.

Today I am not a tourist but a local. So I think to myself... Where would a local go first thing in the morning? Yes it is too early to talk about Pizza so I start at IL Caffe' Piu' Buono in Campo de Fiori. I order a Cappuccino and a Cornetto (an Italian pastry filled with Chocolate). I sit and watch as the vendors set up for the daily market. It is here the locals go for their daily provisions.

Rome does not have super markets where you would go to purchase your groceries - so no Frozen Pizza Aisles here. The tradition still holds true for the Italians ... You buy only what you need for the day and only what is in the stalls of the market. You can get all your meat from the butcher, your fish from the fisherman, your produce that was just picked yesterday and all types of dried fruits, nuts and spices. It is the spices that I am going crazy for. I fill my tote with bags of spices... there is a spice to add to each and every pasta dish you would ever dream of making.

What really caught my attention were the Pizza spices. I know you can find our Palermo's spice topper in your local super market but I'm impressed with the quality and freshness of these spices. Dried garlic seems to be the major ingredient in each of these Pizza spice mixes and it smells so fresh I can't wait to get it home and experiment. All this shopping at this market makes me hungry for… Yes, you guessed it Pizza.

I heard of a popular Pizzeria in Rome called L'Insalata Ricca so I had to try it. I sat outside listening to the locals talk about Football (which USA calls Soccer) and the tourists talking about the amazing food in Italy. I got lost between these conversations until the waiter came to take my order. The Pizza menu was overwhelming so I decided to try a Rossa Pizza (with Red Sauce) and a Pizza Biancha (with White Sauce). It was too early for the house table wine so I asked for a Diet Coke. The waiter informed me that he will bring me "Coke Light" Senze (no) Calorie and Senza Zuccheri. It arrived warm and no ice. In the future I need to remember to ask for a cold soda and ice - something I take for granted in the States. When the Pizzas arrived I studied them both for a long time - should I rate them or just eat them and enjoy them, I decided to rate them. My Pizza Margherias crust was very thin and crackery. I think it should have been cooked a little longer and I missed the fresh basil. Next was the Pizza with Arugala, plain tasting until I added some oil and fresh parmesan. Overall I prefer a more fermented crust that adds great taste and cell structure to the pizza.

Not quite satisfied I decided to search for more great Italian Gelatto. My search takes me to a neighborhood only locals know about. Great shops, artists’ studios and really old antiques (Via Giulia is the place to shop for antiques not only 200 years old but 1000 years old.) I just follow the local Italians to Frigidari - Gelateria. I think this Gelatto is better than Tre Scalini. In addition to my quest to find the best pizza I will add Gelaterias to my search. My quest has grown from Pizza to Italian shoes to Gelatto. I better get some sleep so I can keep up my strength for shopping and eating.

Ciao' until Domani, Laurie
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I feel I am finally on Italian time and decide to get up early and do some serious shopping and eating. I've done a lot of shopping today and have become very hungry. This leads me right into my purpose of the day; besides the great Gucci Belt my friend Josephine and I have our eyes on. I am on a quest for the best Italian Pizza I can find.

Each and every street around the Spanish Steps--Piazzia Spangna is filled with the words Pizzeria. My mouth starts to water as I see I have many options for a Real Italian Pizza. Is it really too much to be eating pizza for both Lunch and Dinner--I think not. I find a great Ristorante called Santa Lucia, which is located at Largo Febo, 12 in the area around Piazza Novana.

Italians are very clever when it comes to eating and take there meals very serious. Since it is summer all the Ristorantes have set up temporary outdoor cafes--this is very important because part of eating in Italy is watching the people and having people watch you. As Fashion is so important to Italians they like to show off. A nightly event is born from this need to be seen, it is called the Passigatta. My traveling friends say it reminds them of a parade of sorts. All the chairs face out into the street so everyone has a Primo view. It seems as it is not about who you brought to Dinner but what you can see and who can see you. The Italians have their cell phones plastered to their ears, they would hate to miss a call or an opportunity to go somewhere else where there is more action.

But back to my Dinner...I start with an Insalata di Polipeti (Octopus salad with green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and black olives). Even food sounds better in Italian. My Primi Piatti is Paccheri Con Funghi Porcini e Bottargo (Paccheri pasta with Porchini mushrooms and bottarga). The plate comes and I'm concerned I will not be able to finish this and my Secondi Piatti. Italians always have a Primo (first course) and a Secondi (second course). This may not seem like a lot of food to you but I have already ate a basket of fresh baked bread with that fresh olive oil I told you about and an appetizer. As I am enjoying my view and time with friends, waiters come out together to present me and my friends with huge plates piled high with our Secondi Piatti. I have ordered Mazzancolle alla Griglia (grilled king prawns) per my waiter’s request. He told me to order 200 grams and that would satisfy me. At market price I guess it satisfied him more than me, but they were wonderful. After dinner my friends and I walked to Pizzia Novana for the best Gelatto in Italy at Tres Scallini. A perfect ending to a wonderful day. We sit and become part of the daily Passigatta.

Ciao' from Italy - Giacomo and Laurie
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Hello fellow foodies,

Today is June 15th and this is my first blog from Italy. I will be adding to this blog daily. Watch as Giacomo and I sample the flavors of the Mediterranean on our two-week tour of some of the most famous food regions in the world.

Day 1 - Rome, Italy

I am flying to Rome and spill a little bottle of olive oil all over my new skirt. I should take this as a sign of good things to come. Even on the plane the olive oil is amazing. It is so fresh it is nothing like olive oil back home. So now smelling like olive oil I arrive at the Rome airport ready to take in the sights and sounds. There is no time to sleep so I freshen up and head towards the Spanish Steps. The Hotel is in Rome's historic district so my walk to the Spanish steps was short.

It is already 11:00am and I am starving. I use great restraint when I pass by every Italian designer you can dream of. But my mind is on food so I travel down to a small ristorante. Problem is they do not open till noon. The man tells me Italians do not eat until between 1 & 3 o'clock. I can't wait that long so I just grab some Italian pastries. Now I am satisfied and I return to the man who is sitting outside his ristorante waiting to open. I ask him what time the shops close and he tells me around 1pm. They stay closed right through their lunches and naps. I decide a nap sounds good after being up for 28 hours.

Well it is now one o'clock and we return to the man at the ristorante and he welcomes us. It is beautiful inside but my group and I decide to eat outside so we can enjoy the view of the passionate Italians. Le Grotte Ristorante on Via Della Vite 37 has beautiful old world design and is right in the middle of Rome's best shopping: Via Del Corso. My group sat down to eat a wonderful meal that consisted of Bufala Pomodor pizza. The day old Bufala mozzarella came in fresh from Naples this morning. That explains the wonderful taste. I also splurge and have a pasta dish--Lo Chef Consiglia is what the waiter says I should have. My pasta Orecchiette Vongole e Funghi Porcini was wonderful and consisted of simple, quality ingredients. The fresh mushrooms and tasty pasta was a perfect pair. Now I am thirsty after a long day so I had a Coke Light. It is a mild version Diet Coke, so I will have to get used to it. But I would enjoy a bottle of Italian wine anytime--the bottle I drank was gone quickly and we all became exhausted. Time for my nap... Please check out tomorrow's blog: Day 2 Rome.

Ciao from Italy,
Laurie
VP of Marketing
Palermo Villa Inc
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