Day 11

Anniversary Dinner

We woke up early at our beach hotel with the sun streaming through our windows. We were so excited to finally have sun. After-all, it has rained at least part of every day we have been in Italy. Guests came down for breakfast wearing shorts and swimming suits, but before we left for our next destination, the storm clouds formed and there was no sun. 

We drove the 90-min. drive in the rain to Imola, our next destination. This is where we had the most wonderful meal two years ago, and we came here to experience this meal again in honor of our 43rd wedding anniversary.  

After checking into our hotel in the old part of town, the simple kind of hotel we seek out, we put on our best clothes and walked to the restaurant. We were the first people there, and as before, we had two men waiting on us. Plus, the owner was walking around making sure all six courses of food and the four courses of wine arrived at just the right time. 

We had three appetizer courses. The first was goose liver with wine jelly and cooked apple. This went with wonderful champagne.  We discovered goose liver is excellent! 

The second appetizer was red mullet fish with potato. The third appetizer was a dish that’s difficult to explain. It was an egg with the most orange yolk that was boiled for 4 1/2 mins., then shelled and rolled in bread crumbs with more egg and fried for 30 seconds in sunflower oil. Our waiter said this is the best oil for frying. This egg was still in it’s oval shape when presented to us on a layer of potato and a bottom layer of sour cream.  This is a dish we would like to have again and share with others.  During the second and third appetizer, we were served an excellent Sauvignon Blanc.

The next course was pasta gnocchi made with red potato and added peas, tomato, and black truffle. 

The main course was pigeon breast, pigeon leg, and asparagus wrapped in bacon (but not like our bacon) served with a very delicious red wine. After learning about pigeons in Orvieto (Days 4-5) and being told it’s a popular item to eat, we were excited to finally try it....and we both loved it.  

Our dessert was various chocolate delicacies and a dessert wine. After 2 1/2 hours, we were finally finished!

We love this small town. Our hotel gives us bikes to ride, but the weather isn’t conducive to riding bikes. It’s flat with sidewalks and bikes lanes. Drivers drive sanely, so you don’t feel like you are going to get run over.  Although we have a car but taking a train here is easy.   We did find a dry window of time and walked to the fort designed by Leonardo da Vinci.  A 2 1/2 hour meal requires a lot of walking.