I'm finally posting about our first excursion! I would have sooner, but we had our first composition and the midterm in Italian this week. Getting back in the school groove, especially so early in September, is an interesting experience. But now, after midnight, I am getting around to showing you last weekend.
We have been offered three optional excursions lead by our school, so naturally, I signed up for all of them. At 50 euro apiece, it seems like I am dropping serious bank, but if this first excursion taught me anything, it's that I could have never done this by myself - and certainly not for that price.
Last Saturday, the trip was a tour of a vineyard in Colonna and lunch at Lake Albano. A brief background: both are comunes in the region of Latium and located on the Alban Hills. Colonna is the smallest of the Castelli Romani, frequented by the noble families of Rome, and occupies an ancient, fertile volcanic area which allows flourishing agriculture. It is particularly known for its production of the white wine Frascati. Albano, of course, houses Lake Albano, and the summer residence of the pope.
Detail of Fountain of the Naiads at Piazza della Repubblica, where we met to catch our bus
lovely ladies early in the morning!
Mauro, our guide and sommelier extraordinaire, was full of information and great facial expressions
wondering if someone will pay me to use this as a postcard because it is beautiful and also how else will I pay for nights at the Trastevere bars?
this is what I assume the waiting room of heaven looks like
finally, a picture of me graces this blog! just hanging out next to some barrels, you know, the usual
(photo credit: Mac Witmer)
not quite ripe for the picking yet!
after the tour, we were cordially invited to a tasting of a white and red of the vineyard
we were told often to eat lots of bread - this was a tasting not a drinking excessively
our selections, red and white respectively; the red is a rare - only 4,000 out of their 600,000 bottle yearly production are one of these!
the restaurant right along the lake where we ate lunch
got the ball rolling with bruschetta, which I loved, especially because I was super hungry and a little sleepy from the wine
antipasto plate which always seems to be my favorite course
pasta all'amatriciata - a little spicy, noodles al dente, just the way I like it!
panna cotta topped with berries - an easy dessert to finish with
We spent the rest of our time around the lake dipping our feet in and wandering down the street, eventually settling on a grassy beach where we took it easy until we had to get back on the bus for home. This Saturday is our second excursion; we're off to Abruzzo for cheese tasting, a tour of a farm (with sheep!), and what I'm sure will be a delicious lunch as always. I'm trying not to eat my body weight every time I go out, but these chefs are making it molto difficile.
In Vino Veritas, Latin: In wine [there is] the truth
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