MacK Goes to Italy: Week 3 Round Up

This past weekend was what I was looking forward to most during my trip to Italy. Bernardo's family has a seaside home about 2 hours north of Pisa and over the course of our relationship, the small hilltop town of Campiglia Marittima has become our escape. No television, no internet, a massive back yard and the best view in Italy was the perfect way to spend our last weekend together. {Did I mention the backyard wall doubles as a medieval fortress atop the hill? I couldn't make this stuff up. And that horizon line is the Mediterranean Sea.} 

On our way there, we stopped for a late dinner and I happily destroyed another pizza. Why don't our addresses look like this?!

The house was built God knows how long ago, but Bernardo's parents bought it from a Swedish couple in the early '70s. Needless to say, the furniture has yet to change. I adore everything about the house, down to the faded and worn floral couch. 

Saturday greeted us with wind and clouds, so it wasn't the best beach day. We laid low and had a slow day together. The orange tree in the backyard was ripe for picking. The winter logs were beautifully stacked in their off-season location at the top of the garden. Lunch consisted of caprese salad, pecorino cheese and prosciutto crudo.  

Sunday was the perfect beach day. Being the responsible, fair skinned gal that I am, I set up camp under the umbrella and my current page turner, Loving Frank. The weather was perfect—hot enough to feel like summer, but enough cloud cover to cool you off once the sun got too strong. The water was smooth {albeit rather chilly}. We went in up to our waists and allowed the early summer sun to dry us. One of my favorite panino places in Italy is a seasonal O.G. {yes, original gangster} food truck. The converted 1980s RV has been here for as long as Bernardo can remember and serves up the best sandwiches. My go-to is wild boar mortadella, pecorino cheese with pistachio and fresh tomatoes. 

After the sun had worn us out, we threw our sandy towels into the car and headed home. We passed a gorgeous artichoke field and pulled over. I had never seen one before and was in awe of this tasty veggie's strange beginnings. One of our favorite Campiglia dinners is fresh cozze {mussels}. Nothing but garlic, parsley and chili peppers. So simple and so divine. 

June and July are the peak months for papaveri {wild poppies}. These flowers are synonymous with Tuscany and its obvious why—red dots sprinkle the roadside and hills as far as the eye can see. 

One thing I love most about Florence is the craftsmanship and artisan work that defines the city. There are stores that are devoted to one item, specializing in a single craft. A perfect example of this is a small puppet store. When I walked in, the owner was ironing the fabric for her latest collection of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. Everything is fatto a mano {made by hand}. I bought the pirate {far right corner} for my niece.

And of course, my final Italian meal. I enjoyed a prosciutto crudo and stracchino panino somewhere over the Atlantic. 

I've settled back in Sonoma, struggling to recover from jetlag and dreaming of pizza, cheese and pasta. I will be started my strict Paleo diet any day now.

Baci-MacK 

*Stay tuned next Friday for an extensive Italian shopping recap!*