Tuscan Wine Tasting Anyone??

The FINE people at Plus Florence Hostel decided to host a wine tasting tour to the wine country region of Chianti. I had been planning on leaving the city early in the day to get a full day at my next stop (Sorry, kids. You're going to have check back at a later time to figure out where that next stop was.), but I figured it could wait for a day of wine tasting.

As it happened, I was very lucky to go on the tour in the first place. I saw the sign posted in the lobby of the hostel and waited patiently in line to inquire as to the status of the tour. There was a group of 3 in front of me, who just by chance, were in line for the same reason. They had the following conversation, as I sat idly by:

"Excuse me. We were wondering if there are any spots remaining for the tour tomorrow."
"Sorry. There isn't enough room for the 3 of you. There's only 1 remaining spot left."

NIIIIIIIICE.

Making sure there was no one lurking behind, I immediately grabbed pen and paper and signed my name next to the only vacant line on the sign-up sheet.

The next morning, the 10 of us met in the hostel lobby and headed towards our day of fun.

A charter bus picked us up and road towards the Tuscan hills and the beautiful countryside. (You don't believe me? Go ahead, check for yourself.) After our tourguide described our itinerary for the day, we learned our first stop was a Tuscan streetmarket.


After driving within the hills for about 20 minutes, we arrived. We were given 45 minutes to wander the streets, perusing the novelty item booths, checking out the meat and cheese specialty shops and sampling some of the best delicacies Tuscany has to offer. A particular meat shop was recommended to us, so we made sure to pay them a visit before anyone else. Inside were all types of precured meats and sliced cheeses, but these were overshadowed by the shop's side room, or more importantly, their sampling room. I definitely overspent my welcome, trying everything from pecorino cheese (a delicious Tuscan specialty), to Genoa Salami, to yummy bread dipped in Italian olive oil, to a fantasticly delicious spicy sausage.





After likely offending the woman cutting and presenting the samples for quite some time, my friends recommended it was probably best we leave. I reluctantly gave in, but not before yoinking another salami and bread sample once they had turned their backs.



We got back on the bus and headed towards the countryside, where our wine tasting lay ahead. We were greeted by an ordable Italian woman, whose English was quite impressive. She gave us a tour of the factory and described the process by which wine is bottled. After 20 minutes or so of walking the premises, we were shown to our tasting tables.

We sampled three wines - 2 reds and a white - all of which were delicious. I made sure to make friends with the woman when she was pouring the wines, asking questions, showing interest and sweet-talking her. Call me manipulative, (probably because that's what I was doing) but the result was her leaving all of the bottles on our table.

After a few glasses of the wines, we were all in a better places than we had been 15 minutes prior. The final sampling (I use the word very liberally in this instance) was of grappa, a liquor made from fermented grapes. It certainly wasn't good, but it definitely did the trick.



And yes, I made sure she left that bottle on the table, too.

Everyone seemed to be in a much better mood by the time we climbed back onboard the bus. Next on the agenda was lunch.



We arrived at a restaurant that overlooks the water and were greeted to a table full of endless caraffes of red wine, bread and olive oil. We sat down, and without seeing a menu, were each handed a huge plate of appetizers consisting of prosscioto, bruchetta, grilled veggies and liver. (i know what you are thinking. trust me, it was good.) After I ate my plate of food, I began to work on the remains my friends had left behind. I was rudely interrupted by the waitstaff, however, who were apparently on a schedule to continue feeding us. I reluctantly accepted their intervening when I realized their next trip to the table would yield more food. About 5 minutes later, these glorious people brought out family style portions of penne arrabiata and cheese ravioli soaked in meat sauce. After a few portions of food and a few more healthy pours of red wine, I was satisfied.

Now that lunch was over it, it was play time. We were given an hour to roam the premises and enjoy ourselves in any fashion we desired. Swimming, running, video games and weight lifting were all options for us; I went with swimming. I love swimming at home and try to do it as much as possible, but Europe has afforded me very few opportunities to take advantage of the pasttime. I figured now was a better time than any to jump right in. And so I did.

45 minutes later, after a refreshing swim (and maybe another glass of wine) we were called back to the bus. We drove the countryside again, only this time around the crowd was somehow a little subdued. All I know is that by the time I woke up, we were back at Plus Florence Hostel.



...Oh, I forgot to mention that this entire day was free. F-R-E-E. Gratis. Libre (No, wait. That's a different "free". Anyway, you get the point.)

No, it's true though. Plus Florence had opened up just 3 weeks prior, and decided to hold their Grand Opening the weekend I was there. While Saturday night would be a night full of Plus Florence-led partying with music and booze (a party which would begin while I was en route to my next stop), Saturday was dedicated to the wine tasting trip. There were only 10 available spots for hostel guests on the tour because of the rest of the bus was allocated for representatives of famous travel publications. Employees of hostelworld.com, hostels.com, hostelbookers.com, Backpacker Magazine and a number of other companies came from all walks of European life to attend the affair. The result was a day of wining and dining to impress the top dogs of the industry...with me just along for the ride.

Beautiful Florence

Florence is one of the most romantic places I have visited in Europe. All of the main streets are designed for pedestrians, cobblestone adorns the city everywhere you turn and there are enough cute shops to make my mother's head spin.

The night I arrived, I paid a visit to Piazza Michalengelo, known for its amazing sunsets with 2 friends I had met in Rome.

Shortly after embarking, we decided to pick up a couple beers for the 25 minute ascent up to the square. After walking through the most heavily-trafficked streets of the city, we turned at the Arno River and headed up a number of flights of stairs. We arrived just in time for one of the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen.


We sat up there for a while and enjoyed the Tuscan view that lay before us. Once it got dark, we headed back to town. The walk back actually ended up being just as enjoyable as the piazza itself. We walked along the river, which was even prettier at night than it had been at dusk. As we turned towards the streets, we heard music playing and eagerly ventured onwards. The singing and guitar-playing became increasingly loud until we found ourselves among a group of 100 or so people enjoying a night concert in the middle of town. A 30s something guy was performing by himself covers of popular tunes of everyone from Bob Dylan, to Dave Matthews to Oasis (everyone knows and loves Oasis in Europe). We sat for a good 20 minutes until we continued towards our hostel.



Later, we walked along the famous street which sells nothing but gold. On both sides of us were store upon store offering jewelry that would have made Danny Ocean's crew giddy.

About 5 minutes later, we came upon one of the coolest things I have seen in all of Europe. A Japanese college student, studying in Florence was on the ground creating a chalk-based rendering of the Mona Lisa. The work was utterly impressive. He said he had only been working on it since late that morning, and would actually have to completely erase it by sun-up to avoid getting into trouble with the Italian police. He wasn't doing this for money or fame; he was doing what he loved to do because he loved to do. And he was damn good.



I found myself walking away from the scene feeling upbeat and optimistic about life in general. It was a weird, but an undeniably good feeling.

It's Nice Knowing People In High Places...

When I was in Barcelona, I met a girl named Taylor who is a USD student currently studying in Rome. As soon as she heard I was going to Rome, she offered to show me around town. As soon as I heard her offer, I accepted.



We met at Piazza Venezia and took off from there to see the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. The Spanish Steps were fun, but I will let Let's Go describe them, as I found the following sentence one of the coolest from my entire guidebook:

Designed by an Italian, funded by the French, named for the Spainards, occupied by the British, and now under the sway of the American Ambassador-at-large Ronald McDonald, the Scalinata di Spagna exude internationalism.

On our way to Trevi Fountain, Taylor took me for gelato. This is where it came in handy knowing a someone familiar with the city. If I had searched for gelato, I would have probably stopped at the first cheap, decent-lookiing place I saw. Nope. Not with Taylor. She knew she was taking me to Della Palma. Somehow this place had evaded my guidebook. Shame on you, Let's Go. You'd think that a gelateria that serves ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY (yes, ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY) flavors would find its way onto a list of must-see places in Rome.

I want you to appreciate this place, so I have decided to post a picture of all of their flavors. (yes, ONE HUNRDRED AND FORTY)









They had a case dedicated to soy flavors. They had a case dedicated to mousse flavors. They had 2 cases dedicated to fruit flavors. They had a case dedicated chocolate flavors. They had ONE HUNRDRED AND FORTY flavors!

I knew it was going to take a while for me to deliberate as to what to order, so I apologized to my friend ahead of time, even before my mulling my options.

After careful thought, I decided to go with the following:

Chili Pepper Chocolate
Mango
Bailey's Irish Cream



25 minutes later, I went with the following:

Banana Split
Cappuccino Chip
Cocunut


We had intended to have gelato while sitting at Trevi Fountain, but um, the gelato didn't make it to Trevi Fountain.

Trevi Fountain is a really pretty, really cool place where a lot of money is wasted. The story goes that if you throw a coin into the fountain, you ensure a speedy return to Rome. Two coins yields your finding love in Rome. Money is tight for me these days, so I settled for a speedy return.



From there, we took to the streets of Rome. This was the first time I found myself apart from the touristy, heavily trafficked areas of the city, and it turned out I loved the neighborhoods just as much as I did the popular sites. The one thing that stood out to me was that Rome is a very green city. There are tall, lush trees all over the place, which is a nice change from virtually all other capital cities I have visited. The local streets have a warm vibe about them, and you can find friendly butchers doling out fresh off the bone meats and soft, rich cheeses to locals wherever you turn. In many ways, I found the local Roman streets very reminscent of an Autumn day in New York. Overall, Rome was arguably my favorite city in all of Europe (and yes, I often argue with myself).

After walking around the city, Taylor and I went to dinner at place I again would never have found without her. Located, next to her apartment, Mapi is a quaint, small, family-owned restaurant. When Taylor was welcomed with open arms as we walked through the door, I knew it was going to be a fantabulous meal. After ordering two pasta dishes, we chowed down on the best bread I have ever been served in a restaurant. It was soft, flaky and doughy foccaccia. They brought a lot to the table, but it didn't matter how much they brought - none would remain by the time the pastas arrived.

We decided to split two dishes: penne vodka and homemade pasta with tomatoes, tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. I'll let you ponder a guess how they tasted.




...Just another day in Paradise.

Visiting the House Maximus Built

I woke up early the next morning in hopes of beating the famously long lines to get into the Roman Colliseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. Fortunately, I received outstanding advice from the staff at Yellow Hostel, who told me that I should buy my ticket at the Forum and not the Colliseum. One ticket earns admittance into all three sites and you are allowed to buy a ticket at any of them. The Colliseum is the most famous of the three, and with most people not knowing the ins and outs of the process, the lines at the Colliseum are hours long. Instead, I waited in line at the Forum for about 5 minutes and later walked into the Colliseum without interference from annoying, loud, camera-toting tourists.



The Forum was really cool, especially because I was lucky enough to stumble upon a free walking tour shortly after arriving there. We heard stories of chariot races and emperors killing their brothers. You know, just the typical Roman affairs. The best story, however, answered the age-old question:

Why is it impossible to find a free public bathroom in Italy?

Back in The Day, the wealthy would have their servants wash their clothes. But at the time, the only disinfectant that existed happened to be urine. As a result, the workers would take the clothing to the bathrooms and urinate on them. Seeing a lucrative opportunity present itself, the emperors levied a bathroom tax within the entire country. Apparently Italy's economy hasn't improved much since then, so the policy has yet to be overturned.

Note: The above is not even close to being the craziest Italian bathroom fact. Look for a later of The Blog to hear that little nugget.








After the walking tour, I perused Palatine Hill, but didn't spend too much time exploring because I was so excited for the Colliseum. I made the walk across the street and entered the house Maximus built. I circled the rim of the arena, taking in the museum aspect of it. After about half an hour of examinig artifacts and admiring sculptures, it was time to step into the light. I had been told by my friend Brandon that seeing the Colliseum makes you want to see Gladiator, and quite frankly, he was right. I walked around, and finally sat down and just enjoyed the view for a while. I even imagined myself shackled to other slaves, while fending off tigers and potential slayers.







I would have stayed longer than I did, but it began to rain, which quelled my fantasy to the point that I was ready to go. Regardless, the Colliseum (both during the day and at night) was one of the coolest touristy sights I visited in Europe.

When In Rome...

Rome is one of the coolest cities ever. I spent 4 nights there, but easily could have seen myself spending another week roaming (haha, I'm so funny.) the city if I hadn't already booked elsewhere.

The first day I was there was spent walking around, exploring rather aimlessly. I had wanted to visit all the touristy sights, but the lines are extruciatingly long everywhere in Rome, and having woken up a little too late to beat them, I decided to take to the streets instead. I met up with a number of people I had met the previous night at my hostel, and we made our way towards the Sunday Market along the Tiber River. The market is one long street that goes on for days. No, seriously. We were there for about 2 hours, and I had to eventually turn back before I got anywhere near the end. They had everything you thought you didn't need in life - from tube socks, to costume jewelery, to fake purses and sunglasses to dress shirts. As it turned out, I actually did need some of that stuff, as I ended up walking away with a long-sleeved collared shirt. Hey, for 5 euros, you would have bought it, too.




As we walked along the river, we decided to stop for gelato. At a tiny little stand, I ordered what turned out to the best gelato I would have in 3 weeks of traveling up and down Italy. I ordered chocolate and cocunut and was rewarded with deliciousness. I love it when the coconut gelatos come with strands of real coconut mixed in. These are things I think about when traveling.



And yes, I went back to the same gelato stand. And yes, I returned later that day. I can't leave you in suspense any longer, so I will tell you that I ordered chocolate and coffee this time around. And yes, it was fantastic.

Next, we ventured towards Campo di Fiori, which is a cooler, but not as famous square as the Spanish Steps. By day, the square hosts a meat and produce market, but by day is a popular hangout for partygoers. The square is lined with bars along three sides of it, which are frequented by both tourists and Italian locals. The other side of the square is marked by restaurants. Not too shabby of a square.



After enjoying some people-watching and some sun for a little bit, we left for the Jewish Quarter. Unfortunately all the stores and restaurants were closed by the time we got there because the city was on a siesta, but we were still able to enjoy the few sights and monuments in its center.





Realizing we could gain admittance to few places at this hour, we decided to check out Tiber Island, which believe it or not, is island located along the Tiber River. The island visit was really fun because it was full of locals laying out in the sun, reading and playing weird Italian slapping games that I failed to comprehend after 40minutes of close inspection.

We had walked all over. The sun was on the precipice of setting. Siesta was about to end. It was time to eat. I know, how about the best pizza in all of Rome? Yeah, let's do that.

Pizzeria San Callisto is located within the Trestevere District, which is known as the cheap, delicious food haven of Rome. The restaurant didn't open until seven, so we we happened to be the first people served. My friend and I ordered two pizzas - a potato and sausage pizza and a vegetarian one with a tomato sauce base. As we waited (me, impatiently) for our food, we debated whether the restaurant knew Let's Go touted them as the best in all of the city. I maintained that there was NO doubt they knew, while others were skeptical. After some discussion (and for me, pondering where the hell my pizza was), we went straight to the source and asked the man who seated us.

He scoffed, and replied, "Yeah, we know about that. We were only open 5 hours last night and sold 325 pizzas."



As annoying as this guy was, I probably would have been just as arrogant if I made pizza the way his restaurant did. The potato and sausage were extremely high quality, and the only thing holding the pizza from being the best in all of Italy (that prize is still held by Restaurant da Michele for its Margherita Doble) was its lack of tomato sauce. The veggie was phenomenal as well. And the pizza was oh so cheap! God, do I love Italian pizza. It's always big. It's always delicious. It's always cheap.

After dinner we decided to walk up a ways to a hill that overlooks the entire city. We barely missed the sunset, but it was beautiful nonetheless.



Feeling unsatisfied, we hiked down to the Colliseum, which I heard is fabulous at night (Thank you, Clint.*). On our way, we picked up a bottle of wine, which made the night stroll that much more pleasant. By the time we arrived, the night sky was in full force and we were able to enjoy the Colliseum in all its glory. I sat for half an hour and took it all in, making me even more excited to enter the following morning.






*Yes, this is Mediterranean Clint.

Cliff Jumping in Ischia

Before having gone, I knew next to nothing about Ischia, which is Italian island an hour ferry away from the Amalfi Coast. My good friend Ashton and his family went last summer and have been raving about it ever since. I now know why.

I figured my two nights on the island would be laid back and quiet because I assumed I was going to be on a tiny island by myself. Wrong and wrong again.

First of all, Ischia is a huge island. Looking back, I wish I had scheduled more
than two nights there because there is plenty to keep you occupied for the upwards of a week.

I was even more off on my 'being alone' assumption. About an hour after I checked into my hostel, a group of 21 Boston College study-abroad students marched in. So much for peace and calm.



The hostel is owned by three brothers, and every night they take the entire hostel to their mother's restaurant in town for delicious food and homemade wine....at a great discount. Because the hostel was so packed due to the herd of Eagles, we had to shuttle back and forth in a van. Somehow I got the back (I mean THE BACK) of the van to myself, which I thought was a blessing until I began to feel really lightheaded from inhaling exhaust fumes. Regardless, I felt pretty good by the time I set foot on ground once the van arrived at the restaurant.

Because there were so many of us, the restaurant was completely unprepared to serve us in a timely manner. As a result, the meal ended up lasting roughly 3 hours. Don't feel toooooo bad for me though, because they kept an ever-flowing caraffe of red wine coming to the table (for a mere 2 euro/person!). Regardless, I felt pretty good by the time my food arrived in front of me.

After dinner, we went to a couple bars and clubs and partied in town.

The next day was Beach Day. We made the long trek down to the beach, and were treated to relatively warm Mediterranean waters and perfect weather. There was a really cool rock in the middle of sea, so my friend Shae and I swam out to it. Once we were there, it was like we were on our own little island in the middle of nowhere. I felt like Tom Hanks in Castaway. Except I didn't befriend any sporting equipment.

After a pleasant lunch and some more sun, we headed back towards the hostel. On the way, we came across a spot that is known for cliff-jumping. Standing between 30 and 40 feet above the waters, there was a small cliff that could be climbed by jumping from rock to rock. A number of the guys were interested, and so was I, but I was a little apprehensive at first. I debated with myself whether I wanted to go, and went through a thought process I have often found myself going through on my European Extravaganza.

I asked myself, "Will I regret it if I do not jump?"

"Yes, yes I will."

About 4 minutes later....




About 4 minutes, 6 seconds later....





The jump was awesome. I was in the air long enough to actually think about what it wsa going to feel like to land, which was an experience unlike any other. The water was cold, but it didn't even come close to mattering. All I felt was adreniline rushing through me, which soon morphed into excitement and euphoria.

After jumping a little more, we went back to the hostel and showered and changed for dinner. We found a delicious restaurant along the water, where my friend and I shared mussels and clams and a pizza which was sliced into quarters with different topppings on each section. Freaking delicious.






Our after dinner plans were a replica of the night before, and were somehow even better this time around.

By the time I woke up the next morning, it was time to head to Rome...

Positano and the Amalfi Coast

Naples was a pitstop for me on the way to the gorgeous Amalfi Coast in Italy. I spent two nights in Positano (thanks, Jessica) at a Hostel named Hotel Birkette. The hostel was really cute and the staff was extremely accommodating. There wasn't too much to do in town besides enjoying some R&R. So enjoy I did.

I met up with a friend I had originally met in Naples, and she I spent the majority of my two days in Positano together. Robin, who also happens to be from San Diego, is a fashion student currently studying in Milan. The first day we made the trek from our hostel all the way down to the beach and were greeted to perfect weather and scorching, sandy sand. After soaking up the sun, exploring the town and making sure to make a gelato stop, we were ready for dinner.



Il Grottino was one of, if not the best meal of my entire European trip. Robin and I shared two two homemade pasta dishes and a caraffe of the best house red wine I have ever had. The first dish was homemade fettucine-like pasta with fresh mussels and clams in an olive oil base. As amazing as that dish was, the other dwarfed it. On a single plate, they served us pasta misto, or mixed pasta:

- Cheese ravioli
- Potato Gnochi
- Meat Canneloni


....in an amazing tomato sauce.

It was insanely good.

This happened to be my first Italian pasta experience, and it somehow EXCEEDED my excpectations. To say it was the best pasta I had ever eaten would be a fair statement.

The next day, we made took a bus to the city of Amalfi, which is much bigger, cuter and touristy than Positano. We watched the sun set, got some more pizza (and of course gelato) before heading back to Positano for dinner.





We went to another place recommended by our hostel (I lost their business card and cannot remember their name for the life of me. Sorry.) that was just down the street. We shared bruschette, which was yummy, a bottle of wine which was good, but paled in comparison to the wine from the night before, and an amazing strawberries and ice cream dessert.



As for the entrees, Robin felt like fried fish and asked if I wanted to share that and another dish. I knew there was no chance on this earth I was going to get fried fish in Italy, so I pleasantly replied, "No, thanks." Instead, I ordered another homemade pasta dish with eggplant in tomato sauce. Remember how I said the dish from the night before was the best pasta I had ever had? Well now it's second best. The pasta was perfectly cooked and absolutely extraordinary. The eggplant was tender and full of flavor. The tomato sauce was a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. The only thing I could utter during the meal was, "I never want this pasta to end....I never want this pasta to end."

Naples: Filth, Rudeness, Pizza

After virtually 30 consecutive hours of traveling...

- Left Ios on a ferry for Athens at 4pm
- Arrived in Athens at 7 am
- Flew from Athens at 12pm
- Arrived in Bari (Italy) at 1:30pm
- Left Bari for Naples via train at 4:30pm
- Arrived in Naples at 7:30 pm
- Left Naples for neighboring Portici via train at 8:30pm
- Arrived in Portici at 9:15pm
- Arrived at hostel at 9:30pm


....I was tired.

I went to bed shortly after checking in to my hostel and woke up the next morning to explore the city just a tad before heading to Naples. Portici is a small town south of Naples, and is really cool. There's not much to see, but the weather was great and givien that it was a Sunday afternoon, there were plenty of locals roaming the town's beautiful gardens and parks. On my way I picked up my first (of thousands) Italian gelato. I decided to play it safe the first time and ordered chocolate and coffee. It was really good, but a little too melty and a little too sweet. Still, it was yummy.





After devouring my gelato, I decided to read in a park for a few hours and take in the Portici sun. It felt good. So good, that I began to doze off. When I awoke, I decided it was time for Naples.


Upon my arrival, I quickly learned Naples has 2 redeeming qualities:

1) Phenomenal pizza
2) Proximity to fun places

I was in Naples for 2 nights, and was rather underwhelmed with both its people and its scenery. The town is an absolute trash dump (I actually read an article in The Economist on the flight from Athens - at approximately hour 9 of 30 - how Naples has a huge trash problem that is affecting the city's economy.) I figured it would be bad, but what took me by surprise was the attitude and lack of concern by its residents. A saw a number of locals simply throw their trash on the ground when there were ample garbage cans around. You just don't see that kind of behavior in the US, and not really in the rest of Europe either. Get it together, Naples.

The people are also really crappy. The drivers are out of control and are not familiar with the policy of pedestrians getting the right of way. Drivers are also not fans of crosswalks. Or traffic lights.

Beyond that, the crowds were packed with locals who were nothing short of rude to me. They often stared me down until we were out of eyesight and gave me rude looks when I walked into stores or restaurants. I felt like I was an alien when I was Naples. It was quite a surreal experience.

Enough of that. Let's get to the pizza.

Naples is the home of pizza. I made sure to go to the best before anything else. Restaurant da Michele is considered to be the best pizza in all of Naples. It certainly did not disappoint. Da Michele is a tiny place on a side street in the center of town and is notorious for serving only two types of pies - margarita and marinara. Where I come from a margarita pizza comes with slices of tomatoes rather than tomato sauce, so I ordered marinara. That was an amateur move. It turns out marinara has much less sauce than its counterpart and isnt served with basil.



Despite my oversight, it was one of the best pizzas I had ever had. Not the best (that title belongs to Grimaldi's in Brooklyn), but still phenomenal.

The pizza in Italy is served quite differently than it is in the US.

- Restaurants never serve slices
- Pies only come in 1 size
- There are never toppings to add (you can order pizzas with different toppings, but you never have the option of adding individual toppings to a cheese pizza)
- Pizzas are invariably served unsliced and come with a fork and knife

Because of the last factor, pizza is rarely crispy. This happened to be the only bad thing about da Michele. I love the taste of pizza, but part of the fun of eating it is folding it in half. You simply cannot do this with most Italian pizzas, especially the ones served at da Michelle.

My dislike for Naples led me to relegate one day for exploring the city and one day to the nearby city of Pompei. I walked around Naples and enjoyed walking the streets along the water and took in the sights the city had to offer. I don't have much more to add to that. Oh, except I got pizza 3 other times in the next 36 hours. Includinng once more at da Michele. This time I ordered a margarita doble (extra mozzarella) and it probably would have been the best pizza I have ever eaten, but I decided to get it right before I headed out of town, and by the time I had a chance to eat it, it had cooled to room temp. Even still, it was definitely a top 5 pizza of all-time.

Below: my first Italian pizza, at a pizza stand in Bari. It was delicious. They always serve slices at the over-the-counter places, but never at restaurants. Can't you feel the excitement? I can, too.