FOOD and TRAVEL

 

 

A birthday dinner for two

 

 

“In heaven, after antipasti, the first course will be pasta.”

-Steve Albini, Singer Songwriter

 

The birthday cards came down today.

And I’m reflecting on my birthday trip. Again we felt thankful that we found ourselves in a place where travel was possible.

And so we ventured to Puglia; six trains, four buses, three hotel bookings, two travellers. We waited in the countryside for the bus to arrive. A fine old lady, in her eighties, was taking her ‘constitutional walk’. She stopped to chat, socially distanced of course. And when we explained that we were travelling for my birthday celebrations, she stood blowing me multiple kisses with arms flapping. It was a good start to the trip.

The buses were easy; every driver wears a mask and their area is cordoned off for their protection from passengers, just in case. We got on board. There were two other people travelling. Hand gel was provided, in the aisle.

The train journeys were even better, Multiple seats were blocked off and again there was hand gel provided. But we were the only ones in the carriage anyway.

We changed trains at Guilianova. Our temperatures were checked on the platform. From Guilianova to Bari there was seating for about 30 passengers, but there were no more than three others, at any one time. So few people are travelling. A cleaner passed through the carriage and disinfected surfaces three times during a 90 minute journey.

On our arrival in Bari we were surprised to find a very visible police and army presence. They were there to ensure that people were wearing face masks outside as well as in bars, restaurants and shops. And who doesn’t love the Carabinieri? The most stylish officers on the globe, in their figure hugging pants and Wayfarers, were on hand to keep a close eye on us all.

But the authorities can’t be everywhere. We were irritated at times by the number of people who continue to wear the mask around their chin, predominantly old men in their 70s and 80s, beyond being told anything, because they know best, right?

We weaved on walkways, giving the idiots a wide berth.

Hotel number 1 was for three nights. We requested no housekeeping after check in, and I whizzed around the room with disinfectant wipes, just as I’d done before on trips in Norway and Umbria earlier this year. A breakfast tray was delivered to our door, accompanied by a little knock. This was preferable to going to the dining room. And we consumed the contents of our breakfast tray on our private balcony, watching the bustle of Bari below us.

We went to two theatres in Bari. The first was the stunning Teatro Petruzelli. There were 15 of us there. And the second was the Teatro Margherita, which was hosting the World Press Photo exhibition. It was easy to be socially distanced from others, a handful of people, in a large gallery space.

In Lecce we enjoyed the luxury of an enormous suite at Torre del Parco, beautiful accommodation at a medieval fortress, which dates back to the 15th century. Again we requested no housekeeping after check in. Breakfast was served in a courtyard garden filled with cacti and succulents. We wore our masks as a courtesy, every time our waiter approached us. He wore his mask all the time.

My birthday eve lunch was a fabulous wine pairing meal at Vino e Cucina, mentioned in the Salento Peninsula post. And for my actual birthday we asked if we could book a table for dinner. The staff informed us that there was no restaurant, but that they could make arrangements for a private dinner.

A menu was devised that day and the chef went out to source ingredients. And our breakfast waiter was asked to work the evening shift. We looked forward to the meal a lot. The staff prepared a function room, usually used for weddings, with a table for two, linens, flowers and candles. We skipped lunch to be sure to be hungry. But nothing could have prepared us for the numerous piquant plates that the chef had prepared.

 

BIRTHDAY MENU

Hors d’oeuvres

Vegetable tempura

Amuse-bouche

Appetizers

Vegetable tempura

Yellow pumpkin flan with Ameretto di Saronno on a Pecorino bed

Canooloo made of phyllo pastry with spinach, pine nuts and fennel

Potato fritter on a pea cream

Cardoncelli mushrooms stew with crunchy bread

Cheese selection with homemade jam

Melted scarmoza with truffle

Primo piatto

Smoked ravioli on cherry tomato sauce and stracciatella cheese

Secondo piattto

Aubergine stuffed with seasonal greens on a potato and turmeric cream

Dolce

Fresh fruit

All served with Apuglian wines

 

Is there anywhere in the world that does food like Italia?!

We were both completely full after the appetisers but we munched on slowly. Every single dish was exquisite, brilliantly prepared with fresh, local ingredients. It was the perfect, super indulgent birthday dinner.

At the end of the meal we were shifting a little in our seats and thinking about retreating to our suite. And in that moment our waiter returned with a full birthday cake, a rich chocolate torta, big enough for at least 12 people and a bottle of bubbles on ice.

The dinner took us three hours to eat and a further three hours to digest! The cake travelled on with us the next day.

We look back on that meal now and see it as something extra special. It was like having a private chef. The meal was so delicious and decadent. But what resonates with us now, is how lucky we were to have had the chance to experience all of this. Just a few days after our trip, everything changed. New Coronavirus case numbers in Italy began to rise and the government took quick action.

High school and University students have returned to online lessons from their homes. Everyone is encouraged to stay at home as much as possible. Gyms, theatres and cinemas are closed. A visit to Teatro Petruzelli or Teatro Margherita is not possible now. Tormaresca’s Vino e Cucina has closed its doors for the next month. And all other cafes and restaurants across Italy are now only open until  6 pm. We would miss out on all that Apuglian food, if we were taking that trip now. In fact, without all these delicious dishes, there would be little point in visiting. The food was a highlight. My blow out birthday banquet now feels a bit like ‘the last supper’. We won’t be eating like that again for a long while.

So we are happy that we took the chance to travel when we did.

What’s changing where you are? Are new restrictions being introduced? Is travel still possible?

 

© Maggie M / Mother City Time