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Italy for 30 years had war, terror, and murder under the Borgias, but in that time produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance; Switzerland had 500 years of peace and democracy—and produced the cuckoo clock.

Orson Welles – http://www.economist.com/news/21566430-where-be-born-2013-lottery-life

Facciamo l’aperitivo?

Posted in Culture, Foodgasms by

What’s so great about the Italian aperitivo?  Um, everything.  It makes the American happy hour look like a sad, starved, alcoholic mess.

Aperitivo time is my favorite time of day in Italy.  Served from around 6-9pm, it’s the pre-dinner practice that’s the trendiest part of the typical daily Italian food ritual.

Cool, chic, and ever-evolving, you never know what you’ll get from one place to the next.  Originally intended to merely entice the appetite with a refreshment (either alcoholic or non) and light snack before dinner, establishments are now doing their best to out-do the competition.

So, when a friend asks,  ”Facciamo l’aperitivo?”, it can mean anything from grabbing a quick drink, like the infamous “Spritz” cocktail (prosecco and Aperol):

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To a drink plus snack, like this:

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Or, an all-out buffet:

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The craziest part about the aperitivo is that the food is actually included in the price of the drink.  So, essentially for €10 or €15, you have the chance to (once again) eat like a king on a pauper’s budget.  Plus, many locales have live entertainment or a DJ in the later hours, so you can literally hang out all evening and make a night of it with friends.

What’s not to love?

Travel highlight: Giardino di Ninfa

Travel Highlight: Giardino di Ninfa

*click photos to enlarge

These beautiful gardens were the perfect Saturday afternoon getaway with friends. Classified as a natural historic monument, they’re located about an hour and half from Rome in the province of Latina. An oasis of exotic plant life, these English-style gardens are home to the remains of the ancient city of Ninfa, which was a rich community on the Appian Way during the Middle Ages.

The nearby town of Sermoneta is the definition of classic medieval charm and well worth a walk-through, regardless of whether a visit the gardens is on the agenda. We’ll certainly be back when we have more time than just for a quick lunch. And apparently it’s not all that well kept of a secret, judging from the generous amount of fancy Nikons snapping away… As usual in Italy, there’s always another unique town around the corner worth discovering.