Day II

After few hours of rest, here we start again; at breakfast I was offered some grappa (10 am) which I kindly refused (I guess I'm getting old), but I couldn't refuse the "Spritz", a refreshing cocktail made from prosecco and aperol with some soda and a slice of orange, without being harrassed by the "Nativi." - I would like to say something about that; now, I used to wake up in the early 90's (by my girlfriend at the time) and have a gin and tonic around 10 o clock. This is after I've spun records until 4 am, and before starting work in a local radio station at 12 am until 5 pm. After that, I'd start again with an aperitife, dinner and back to djing until 4 again. This, without mentioning the after work dinners and down time.
So I don't consider my self a lightweight, but I can't do grappa anymore, especially early in the morning, without feeling the Etna in my stomach.
After a few Spritzs, we had lunch under a luminous and warm sun surrounded by pines and grass in a place so quiet that not even cell phones were able to work. Again the wine, a Marzemino, wasn't the star but it was perfect for the situation. Foodwise, I had Salmerino (a river fish smilar to a Trout), some deer ravioli, a salad and some espresso to finish it up.
It was time for me to get on the road again to Verona, where an Alitalia flight was about to take me to Fiumicino.
That night I was expected in Ostia for a fish-based dinner at La Vecchia Pineta, a landmark restaurant, already famous when my father was my age.
The dinner was hosted by Daniel Oliveros in Cipresso's honor and the wines were based on Burgundy; the plates were flowing like the wine in the glasses; the savvy barriqued chardonnays were as distinctive as the raw "tartufo di mare" we had as an appetizer. The wines names were clear at the beginning, but slowly faded into Bacchus hands (and obviously I didn't take notes or pictures... sorry!). What I do remember was the 1996 Salon we had after we were done with the red brother of a white burgundy in a magnum format... I know, I know, I should have taken a picture with my phone, but I was overwhelmed by the company, the wines, and the Jet Lag (and probably by the early Spritzers). I promise you that after the wedding, I got much more professional with pictures and names - but for now, bear with me. So the evening ended with some drunken and deep talk with Fabio Leccisoti, which involved soccer (more specifically Lazio) and a past expirience that we are both glad to be part af the past indeed, and that splendid champagne that is Salon.
Fabio then took me back to my Hotel, the Hilton in the Fiumicino airport, for a few hours of sleep before another plane would take me back to Verona again.
Tomorrow - wedding. Big day, and an even bigger night...
To be continued