Sunday 3 November 2024

Another warm sunny day. This is getting a bit boring. So, in sunny Sunday weather we went for a drive due west to a little hill top village of Pietragalla. We followed about 60 motocyclists, many two-up on flash new touring bikes.

In Peitragalla we stumbled on a wreath laying ceremony at the local war statue, complete with a band and people in funny hats. There was a long line of schoolchildren, each with a large piece of paper from which they were taking turns to read out something.

Interesting, but knowing it would go on forever, we adjourned to a bar so we could use their facilities.

The restaurant Lady P had chosen was predictably booked out. Not even the old bikers could get a table. So we headed back into Oppido to look at some stone huts. They were huts made of stone! Ho hum.

Back home to the heated up remains of the melanzani parmigiana for lunch. The fridge is now empty apart from some gin. Flashy agrees to help with that little problem. At 7.30 pm we head out to the local restaurant. There are a couple open tonight. Our chosen one has a menu in Italian and English, so at some stage in the year we reckon they get some tourists through the area but clearly, we are the only non locals in the restaurant. 

Of course, there is the ubiquitous antipasti on offer, which we spurn in favour of a shared pasta entree. It says with meat. Visions of Bolognaise spring to mind but we are in Puglia (actually I think we are in Basilicata) in any case in southern Italy and here the pasta comes with two tiny, thumb sized pieces of – we think it is beef – and the very rich tomato sauce. 

It’s OK but we’d like some variation on the theme. The main is much better. Lady P’s ‘lamb chops’ are a plate full of lamb cutlets, beautifully cooked and seasoned. Just the lamb on two small rocket leaves. Flashy’s ‘sausages’ are two bangers. Hand made with no fat or fillers then deep fried. And beautifully presented on two rocket leaves. Interesting. He ate one then secreted the other in Lady P’s handbag for the train trip to Naples tomorrow. 

The vino was the most expensive on the list at €18 and was an aglianico grape from the Vulture area of Basilicata. Young Aglianico wines are known for strikingly savory flavours of leather, white pepper, black fruits and cured meat that when aged, develop soft dusty aromas of dried figs and sun-tanned leather. It was excellent.

Great wine
Looks appetizing eh?
Lamb chops

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Sunday 24 and Monday 25 November 2024 A big couple of travel days on the train from Nice to Paris which was a comfortable six hours on the TGV. Our Paris station, Gare de Lyon was a taxi ride to our overnight two star hotel within walking distance of Gare de Nord, because we are departing there on the Eurostar to London tomorrow.  This was another good train trip at just under 300 kph and 2.5 hours. Alyssa was waiting for us at St Pancras and we had a long and lovely lunch in Searcys Brasserie and Champagne Bar, a very nice and well presented restaurant within the station. Very reasonable bill at the end – until you realise it’s in pounds! The train to London Bridge, then to Marden in Kent was seamless and Johnny collected us for the 20 minute drive to Kilndown, where we will be house sitting with Truffle the naughty dog for a couple of weeks. It has been interesting to reflect on the various train journeys we have taken throughout Italy and France. One of the great advant...
Read more
Image
  Monday 30 th September to Friday 4 th October 2024 A travel day today with a speedy taxi to Madrid Aeroporto and a faultless check in to both Emirates for Andrew and Iberian for Flashy. The Madrid to Oporto trip is 45 minutes and it’s a small jet. And there’s always someone isn’t there? Clearly, all the big cabin bags go in the hold. They take them off you before you board, even at the steps to the plane. Well, here’s this dickhead and his stupid wife refusing to give up their huge “cabin bags” at the foot of the stairs in the hot Spanish sun. Luckily, the hosties were having none of it and they eventually went grumbling up the stairs with their other “cabin bags”. They barely fitted in the overheads. Idiots. The Exe Almada hotel in Porto is very well located in the old city and once arrived, a simple dinner in the restaurant across the road was the go. There were probably 80 pax on the first floor and down stairs with me, were another three single diners. A few backpacks and...
Read more
Image
  Thursday 14 November 2024 We found a wonderful little café today for breakfast with the locals. The cruise ship Americans with the little bloke with the flag on the stick – he gets around, eh? They went elsewhere. Excellent cappuccino, cannolo and ham and cheese roll.  Then a painful hobble around the outside walls of San Gimignano ended with a coffee and the purchase of a shirt in the local market. By this time, it was almost lunch and our mate Kevin, from La Chaine des Rotisseurs in Cairns, now living half the year in Florence, arrived to collect us.  We are now back in three layers and puffer jackets because despite the clear blue sky, the temperature is in single figures and the wind and shadows are, how shall I put this?   Very bloody cold! Lunch was at Bottega Torciano, a 10 minute drive down the road. It specialises in Florentine steak. That is a 1.5 kg T-bone, cooked rare. We shared this and had some healthy grilled vegetables and potatoes – about three...
Read more