Era un buon natale!

Just when I thought I couldn't have eaten any more, Christmas in abruzzo, italia happens. This christmas was an experience I will appreciate for all the years of my life. Here, christmas seems like a span of 3 days. In lanciano, which is the most dearest town i've ever seen, there is a tradition called "squilla" which is when a bell rings for and hour to call all the towns people together. yeah so that didn't really happen, i just read about it in one the tourist books Lorenza's mother helped me get. So, for "squilla" we went over to Lorenza's nonna's house for dinner and exchange of gifts. it was a beautiful time with plenty of good food:
fagioli, pane fritte, some other fritte, pepperz?

I enjoyed every second of it. and this was only the beginning there was more to come. Upon the morning, I could not get out of bed. Yes, the impending doom of the fever has fallen over me. I was faced with the cold hard reality that perhaps i will not get to celebrate christmas eve, which is the best part! So, with this knowledge, i was determined to get out of the fever and stay in bed all day. After passing the day in bed, i checked my temp and it read to be 37, which i believe is the normal. and this news was good, and proceeded onto the most beautiful house in all of abruzzo. i wish i took more pictures of it:it was a huge house. When we arrived we went down stairs, or upstairs? both yes. and there lorenza made the nice menus with her wonderful design skills. while this was happening two large people, a man and a woman, came in through a back entrance of the kitchen. they claimed to be the babbo natales (santas). I just stood there and watched them throw on the outfits grab a large bag and bagpipe and go back out the back door. Lorenza told me to go downs stairs so i dont miss the show.



it was something like this. Hands down the best santa experience i've had in my life.

and so, following this was the never ending coming of food. the menu with some items missing:

so much goodness. so much beauty. I think I exploded. I'm pretty sure i did. that isn't all. though christmas day comes. and Lorenza visits the ER for her ear again. she has to stay behind for 10 days at home on antibiotics. Not so wonderful at all. so we proceed on to Vasto, Italy, which is probably 30 minutes or more away from lanciano, where i was, near the sea where there was more beauty and goodness:appetizers; finallly got to experience, prosciutto and melon. mmmm.

This blog is making me hungry. are you hungry? we ended christmas with a walk around vasto:



it was beautiful. I felt like I was walking through disneyland with the piazzas and castle:



and we returned to the fill the rest of the evening with games, and headed back on home.

I returned to Milan on the 27th. I turned 24 yesterday and had a lovely day around Milan, and now i'm here thinking up what is next!

martin was right, this seems a lot like a food blog than anything else...although it was my homework to take pictures of food. That was no problem, i was going to take them anyway. hahaha.