Italy... what a trip- Literally!

We had an amazing time in Italy. The weather was perfect, the people were great and the food was remarkable. We stayed in Venice, Cinque Terre, Siena and Rome.

This was the first time I took a backpack to Europe instead of a suitcase, and it was a real treat to ride the train to all our destinations. Traveling with a backpack is so much nicer for me because I always have both hands free... to eat (LOL!)

Venice:

Cinque Terre:

Siena:

Rome:

The Pope (on Easter):

I feel like I could write so much about our trip. There are so many stories about the people we met, the sites we saw, the statues, the art, the butcher... oh yes... the butcher. You could write a whole book about the butcher in Siena. What a character (in a great way). Normally I like to cook when I’m on vacation, but this trip was a little different. We ate just about every meal in a restaurant, on the train or at the butcher’s place in Siena. Just so you know the name of the butcher shop was Pizzicheria de Miccoli. Do yourself a favor and visit there if you are ever in Italy.

We ate everything you can imagine from raw pork on crustini and Coquilles St. Jacques to salt-crusted baked fish and fried artichokes. We made sure to always have dessert and follow up just about every meal with gelato. Dessert and gelato??? LOL! It’s sounds crazy, but that’s what happened. You'd do it too!

I want to tell you about the best meal I had in Italy, and when I say the best... I mean the best overall meal I’ve ever had in Italy in a restaurant the half dozen times I’ve visited. This includes the food, service, atmosphere... the whole package! It was at Ristorante Miky - Via Fegina 104 Monterosso al Mare, Italy. Our meal was unbelievable and the service was just as impressive.

The video below is just one of the many wonderful courses we ate that night. We didn’t want to leave. The chef came out and chatted with us for a while and then gave me a tour through his kitchen while Mitzi and her mom chatted with the owners daughter. Thank you to the whole staff for a great memory! If Italy is on your bucket list, Ristorante Miky will sure be the icing on the cake.

Our fish course prepared at Miky: