Italy-Part 1 Cesena

...Cesena has a great historical urban center, with narrow cobble stone streets made from lava rocks from the volcanoes of the south, bright color exteriors, and dense mixed-use buildings surrounded by gorgeous countryside with hills covered in a variety of crop including grapes, olives, artichokes, herbs, and a bunch of other foods that I have not seen up close. For dinner we went out for pizza, which is the best pizza I have ever had of course. Everywhere in Italy has their own style of pizza, with different shapes and types of crust. Even plain dough cooked with olive oil on top is considered pizza, pizza bianca. Someone told me that Italians do not know how to cook anything that is not Italian and I must agree. Whether you stay in or go out you will likely eat the same thing, pasta, pizza, meat, or my case simple grilled veggies. They eat a lot of dairy, so much that I had to cut it out because it was performing a number on my sinuses.

Ceci’s apartment is in the historic center in an old building that has been extremely well maintained and modernized. The next day we went to her parent’s for homemade lunch and I was surprised with an amazing mascarpone birthday dish, which was covered in the best sweet whipped cream I have ever had in my life made from Ricotta. Michele, Ceci’s younger brother jokes that his mom will make anything as long as she can use ricotta. The milk comes from the sheep of the local hills. Ceci’s mom said that if you buy in the market that day, it was made that morning at about 4am. Talk about a freshness so wonderful. I spent the rest of the day pool side, then Ceci, her brother, two of his friends, and myself went out to dinner at a great restaurant about 10 minutes outside Cesena located on a hilltop where you can see the cities on both sides ending at the Adriatic Sea.

Ceci and I have gone the beach a few times in Pinarella, which is about 20 minutes away. They have an interesting privatized system of renting out lounge chairs and umbrellas, very different from the idea of public beaches in the States. So, if you lay your towel on the sand, they will just kick you off. Each rental business is equipped with a restaurant; showers, bathrooms, covered outdoor seating, racket and volleyball nets, and child play structures. The beach is dotted with different color umbrellas marking each business’s territory. It is quite a site. This late in the season, the water it quite clear and chilly, still not nearly as cold as my beloved Pacific Ocean off the central coast of Cali...