By the Sea

For our friends last full day in Rome, we took off for the beach, and Sunday lunch at La Vecchia Pineta in Ostia Lido.  When the weather is hot, the Italians hit the beach, with gusto.  Each beach seems to charge a fee, but that will get you a lounge chair and a place close to the water.  We took the train from Piramide station to Ostia, and then walked the path to the restaurant.

We had made a reservation and got a table ringside, as our friend Rick would say.  It was a gorgeous day, and there were regattas going on so it was fun to watch the boats, as well as the food that continued to come to our table.

We began with two platters of these---fritte miste---fried, crunchy everything, my faves are the tiny octopus mascardini

Scampi cream ristotto

Pasta alle vongole

Squid Ink pasta with vegetables and scampi

The fish cart is brought to the table, and you choose dinner

And then, hello gorgeous!  Roasted fish with potatoes, olives and lemon

They remove the bones, etc from the fish and serve you a plate

We lingered over the main course, it was exceptional.  Then we were trying to decide what to have for dessert, when our waitress said they had scgropino a delicious concoction of lemon sorbet whipped with vodka and prosecco---so we HAD to have that.

The perfect ending to a perfect day; we had to go back to Prati and pack up our bags for flights the next day, but this is a lovely way to end a trip to Rome.

Ciao for now.  

A Day at the Beach

Italians love their beaches, but they are so governed by the date on the calendar and not the weather, that they don't go to the beach until May.  Today was a perfect day to go to Ostia, a 30 minute train ride from Rome with our friend Rick Breco.  Rick is such a great sport, and wants us to experience everything that Rome has to offer, and this was a special day.  When we left our apartment for the train station, it was about 55 degrees, by the time we left Ostia, it was probably 80 degrees, but gorgeous, with a slight breeze.  Just to show how date/weather centric the Italians are, everyone here is walking around in puffer jackets, scarves, and boots---and the temperatures are in the mid 70's---this is flip flop weather people! 

We got off the train in Ostia centro, and walked around it's tree-lined, wide streets.  That's Rick and Dr. C humoring me!

Italians are fascinated by the old west as well

 

Although there were people on the beach, the beach clubs aren't open for a while.  We had a reservation at La Vecchia Pineta at noon, and we were seated on the patio, ringside, as Rick described it. 

Fish doesn't come fresher, from the prawns and lobsters still wiggling, and the shiny fish that was gorgeous.
We decided on a sauteed baby squid appetizer with fried leeks and balsamic vinegar, then spaghetti alla vongole, and then John Dory grilled, with lemon and carcioffi Romani.  

 

 Moscardini with fried leeks and balsamico

Pasta alla vongele, on the menu it said vongele veraci, which I looked up and it translated into "honest" clam

This fish was awesome, we finished all of it between the 3 of us

Dr. C. enjoying the day

They paddle board here, too

Our guy Rick, so blessed to have you in our lives

Our 3 hour lunch was exquisite, and it was so relaxing to dine, not just rush through a meal.  We could have stayed all day and taken a nap on this beautiful terrace.  

Thank you Rick, you are THE BEST! 

Tomorrow we move into the American Academy in Rome and I'll have lots more to talk about then when I get my bearings and figure out what this next month will look like.  Ciao for now.