Shem insists we must go back to the market and I was not about to impose! Today we leave France and head to Italy and our first stop is home sweet Italia home Albenga. My sweet Italian sister Mucci Pucci will be awaiting us at her home which is situated in the Old Village of Albenga which orgins date back to the Roma Era and is between the Mediterranean sea and the mountains. It is a beautiful setting with even more beautiful people. The people are all so kind and love to see a foreign face. I knew we would be in for a treat for the next few days of our visit , spoiled with all the specialties of Albenga and toured around to see all the fascinating surroundings. For the next few days we are going to feel like royalty and be her little new puppies that she has to introduce to all her friends and family and spoil to bits and pieces.
After our visit to the Antibes market to get shems market fix ;p , we head to the train station to head to Italy. And oh ya I run into an old high school friend in this little market... How random is that ?? That was pretty fun and bizarre.
Any way... Our first stop was in Albenga where I spent three weeks last year doing my graduate internship this time last year. We would be staying with the same lady I lived with this time last year. She and I became really close and I remember being like a new puppydog to the neighborhood and being introduced to every second person passing by in her village and it was no different when I arrived with Shem. Italians seem to love their guests and really know how to host. She had her loft all set up with a tray of swiss chocolates of all sorts and sparkling pink wine to great us and of course we could not be rude and we drank up and thought mind as well indulge... Just kidding just kidding! She knew from last time (which was a huge shock to her family) that we did not drink- water with some crazy special rocks sitting in the bottom that made the water a little sweet would be the special drink of the night:).
That night she insisted on treating us out to eat and so she took us to the best pizzeria in her village and it was delicious. When you see pictures of italy and see little cafes and restaurants outside with people drinking wine and eating, chattering amongst each other and there is live music in the background (which I guess you cant see in a picture, but you know) that is exactly what to imagine. Here that feeling is so alive and inviting. She instantly loved Shem and it was a very nice dinner getting acquainted.
After dinner she took us to Allassio which is 7 km away and is a much more alive and bustling city on the Italian Rivera. This is supposedly where all the rich and famous flock to in the summer. Its a pretty cool place because although its a place known for its famous visitors it still has a very cheery and inviting atmosphere.
We walked through the streets where you pass shops that are all glass windows and showcase the stores items in the most fashionable way imaginable and then if you go along the coast it is restaurants back to back for a mile with a peer that jets out into the ocean which is alway nice to visit and have a moment and take a break from the liveliness for a second. And guess who we saw... Leonardo Dicaprio and Micheal Jordan were there on vacation together! It was so bizarre!!
We were all in all filled with excitement to be in a new place and country and visit an old friend that I never thought I would visit again and introduce part of my family (and of course see Leo and MJ). It was all together another great day and we ended it in a great way- Italian gelato (shem's first try). Bonne appettite! And à tout à l'heure.
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