Angri, Italy

My family comes from a very small town in southern Italy called Angri.  My grandmother's cousins still live there and welcomed us to visit anytime.  My inability to speak Italian prevented me from hopping on a plane, so when Giovanna, my Italian AND English speaking relative invited us to come with her, we booked our flights.  I broke my five day rule and decided to stay for seven nights.

Gio and her brother picked us up at the airport and her mother and aunts prepared Sunday dinner.  I wondered when the other dozen guests would arrive to eat all the food.

Angi, Gio's oldest daughter, entertained us. 

After dinner, we walked through the town to see the building where my great-grandmother was born

the Church she attended

and the streets where she spent her youth.

We visited the infamous Uncle Ameal who showed us his art collection.

We ended the day with pizza and Go Fish.

More Madrid (Food)

We spent our second day exploring the Prado and purusing the August sales.  The last day, we enjoyed a market tour in Cervantes' neighborhood

We started in the oldest "general store" in the neighborhood where we sampled honeys, olive oil, and pestoles.

A guy after my own heart - ice cream at 10:00 in the morning.

We watched people make churros.

Then visited several stalls in the main market,

including one which sells the "other" animal parts.

His wife made us lunch

and one last vermouth.

Madrid with Jennifer

I am still catching up from our summer adventures.  Time suddenly switched from an I-95 pace to the Autobahn.

Jennifer spent July taking the kids to the "dinosaur" museum, to Gruneberger Park, and to the couch for reading time.  We escaped one weekend to Madrid for art, shopping, and food tours.

We left the plane and went straight to El Museo de arte Thyssen-Bornemisza, an amazing space which coupled art and Spanish history.  In the evening, we participated in a 5 hour History and Tapas Tour where we learned about Vermouth on tap, the Spanish revolution, and the art of bar hopping.