Anyways, while we held out for a few months, we knew it was inevitable, so we just went for it. So, without further ado, I present to you our Italy date night.
"Italy, a European country with a long Mediterranean coastline, has left a powerful mark on Western culture and cuisine. Its capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican as well as landmark art and ancient ruins. Other major cities include Florence, with Renaissance masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s "David" and Brunelleschi's Duomo; Venice, the city of canals; and Milan, Italy’s fashion capital."
Currency: Euro
Capital and largest city: Rome; 41°54′N 12°29′E / 41.900°N 12.483°E
Official language: Italian
Due to a Gypsy crime wave, city officials in Milan authorized police to set up an undercover operation that used hidden cameras and telephone taps to make arrests. The investigation found some children were generating up to $15,000 to $20,000 a month from their criminal activities.
In Rome, the ancient temple where Julius Caesar was murdered is now a sanctuary for hundreds of cats.
In Ancient Rome, women used opium-soaked tampons to relieve pain.
Every year tourists throw approximately 1.1 million euros into the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
Rome’s population peaked at one million people during the reign of Augustus. When the empire fell, this number declined and Rome did not reach one million until the early 1930’s.
Rome has an artificial hill consisting of 80 million ancient, used, olive oil amphorae. Monte Testaccio was in use by the Romans from 140 to 250 A.D. for disposing of these terracotta pots.
Venice Island was built on a foundation of tree trunks. About 1200 years later, those same trunks still support almost all of central Venice.
The word quarantine is derived from the days of the Black Plague when ships entering Venice were forced to anchor offshore for 40 (or quaranta in Italian) days before being permitted to unload.
Only 3 to 4 Gondolier licenses are issued in Venice annually. To qualify, applicants must be able to finish an extensive training after passing a rigorous exam. There are only 400 licensed Gondolas operating in Venice today.
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| These wine sticks were just a very basic, very thin bread stick. The super hard kind you see on TV. I'd never had them. They weren't too bad, but nothing I'd buy again. |
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| Pinot Grigio from Italy, caprese skewer appetizers, wine sticks, and olives. Not a bad little appetizer. |
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| To satisfy our sweet tooth come snack time: Baci Chocolates: Baci® Perugina® has a delightful love story that starts in 1922 in Perugia, a medieval city in the heart of Italy. Baci® Perugina®, hazelnuts wed to chocolate, let millions of people express their love. It all began when a young chocolate maker created a special bonbon for his beloved. The confection, originally called cazzotto (punch) because its shape evokes a fist, was wrapped in a billet-doux, the Love Note that still today makes Baci® Perugina® unique. Everything about it was perfect but the name. It was as exquisite and sweet as a kiss, a bacio, in Italian. And so Bacio® Perugina® became its name. This romantic and very Italian story is the origin of Baci® Perugina®, icon of quality and symbol of excellence and passion., |
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| caprese skewers: grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic. |
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| Rolling out the dough for either the crostata or the cannelloni. Yup, I made my own pasta and it was super delicious. |
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| the marscapone cream took this to the next level. |
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