on saturday my school took a trip to the medieval town of todi in the wine producing region of umbria, italy. stepping into todi is like stepping back in time. the town itself is surrounded by walls and situated atop a HUGE hill, at least it seemed that way after taking approximately a million uneven stone stairs to the top. it was absolutely worth it, though for the breathtaking views of wine country. the streets were made of uneven stone and the storefronts boasted seemingly outdated shops such as apothecaries.
after exploring todi, we headed up more windy mountain roads until we reached an estate where i would be fed the biggest meal of my life. immediately we were herded in and served wine that was grown on the property (!!). twe were fed a traditional wedding banquet which consisted of more courses than i could count, but highlights included: crostinis, pizza, fried zucchini blossoms, quiche (which in italy means pastry puff with creamy cheese inside?), salami, prosciutto, asparagus risotto, wild boar ragu, stewed lamb, venison, chicken and rosemary potatoes, a simple salad, tiramisu, biscotti with dessert wine for dipping, and to finish, espresso. YES i tried all of the meat and NO i didn't like it very much but my last worry was being underfed. it was a memorable dining experience to say the least.
ciao for now, i will be back to post about more of my adventures soon!
