Cyn's Birthday and Easter Weekend

For Cynthia's birthday, she wanted to go to restaurant at Villa Godi Malinverni. This villa was designed by the famous Andrea Palladio in 1542. And when you live in Italy you can have your birthday at 500 year old villa if that strikes your fancy. After all the villa is only 15 minutes drive north of our house (although we still managed to get lost!). Of course we invited our good friends Marlene, Ann and Roland.

The boys enjoy a glass of wine

Marlene, Ann, and Cyn

Roland and Ann

The day after Cyn's Birthday was Easter Sunday, and for our Easter Celebrations we were invited over to Mama Luigina's for Brunch/Lunch/Dinner. These Catholics know how to celebrate the resurrection! This culinary extravaganza is like 3 meals rolled up into one long, lazy afternoon of pasta, carne, vino, and sweets... Mama Mia!

Here in Italia, when you say Lasagna, they think you're talking about just the flat noodles. What we think of Lasagna, they call "lasagna al forno" (lasagna in the oven), or "Pasticcio", Lasagna Pie. And Luigina's everyday run-of-the-mill Pasticcio is over the moon!! I've raved about it before in blogs past, and will do so again short order. Of course all of the pasta is hand-made on her own countertops, and the texture of the noodles is like biting into and italian cloud of love. And the ragu (meat) sauce that she creates from scratch is out of this world. I could just eat Pasticcio for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Well since Easter is such a special day we had not one, but TWO, types of pasticcio, and a white asparagus risotto to boot. That's just the first course people... Stay with me here. After that we had 2 types of lamb (chops and filets), beef filets, a goat meat dish (actually a lot better than it might sound), and a pork dish. All of them made fresh in Mama Luigina's kitchen with fresh herbs and the best olive oil. And if you have any room on your plate, the next round is the contorni, or side dishes, including half a dozen types of sauteed mushrooms, string beans, a salad with fresh-from-the-garden greens, and the most finely cut coleslaw-like cabbage salad that you have ever seen in your life. Of course all of it is washed down with bottle after glorious bottle of red and white wine...

Don't even get me started on the desserts... And I can't figure out why my clothes don't fit!

The Ladies of Easter

Cyn breaks open a Sorpresa Easter Egg!

Enjoying a Great Spring Afternoon after a Great Easter Lunch

Ciao for now!