Gelato twice in one day!

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Ciao!

I did include a photo of Pula last night as well as one of Tina and me at the restaurant (Villa Madau) to get the blog posted, but as we didn’t get back here until 11:30 p.m. I was too tired to write; I just wanted to get to bed!  So…the three of us headed in to Pula about 7:30 last night, but when I was trying to get to the place where I had parked a couple of nights before, the police stopped us. 

R and Tina's shrimp starter

My mozzarella and tomato, this time with chips!

R's beef tenderloin with veggies

Fortunately, Tina is fluent in Italian, and it turns out, there was a marathon taking place, and people were everywhere!  Who knew?!  So, we turned around and headed to another parking area that Tina knew about, and ended up parking on the street, and walking into town.  Again, people were everywhere!  When we went to the restaurant a couple of nights ago, we just walked right there – and it was raining a bit anyway.  But now, we walked right into the heart of town – a small piazza – and there were people lining the marathon route.  We did manage to get through the crowd, as well as see several runners go by.  Tina asked someone when the race had started, and was told 7 p.m. – so a race in the evening?  Whatever!  So, around the folks and into Villa Madau.

Truly lovely dinner!  We had the same waitress from the last time, and she even remembered the dry, white Sardinian wine we had had (at her recommendation); it was excellent this time too!  Tina and Robert ordered his shrimp starter from last time, and I repeated my mozzarella and tomato and pesto salad – yummy. 

Tina's fish

My stuffed pork

R's Strawberry mille feuille

Tina and I both had cheesecake with gelato

For mains, Robert got the tenderloin of beef that came with mixed vegetables.  I did a repeat on my stuffed pork dish; the way I look at it is that I probably won’t be back in the area for some time, so who knows when I will be able to have it again?!  Tina had spigola (sea bass) that came with vegetables, and she said it was very good.  For dessert, Tina and I had their rather odd cheesecake with vanilla gelato, and R repeated his strawberry mille feuille (thousand sheets of pastry). 

Finished up around 11 p.m. and back outside where it seemed that the piazza was more crowded than ever, including, of course, the ever present rock band with amplifiers…UGH!  But it was really a lovely evening, and rather fun to see that many people milling about and enjoying themselves.  We understand from Tina that their real crunch period is July and August, when the place can be mobbed with people, so maybe everyone is enjoying fewer visitors and each other for now, as it may be their last chance!  All in all, a really lovely evening, and we do hope that Tina will pay us a visit to Tucson!

Up this morning around 6 a.m. and we have decided to have a nice, simple day.  Not too much touring.  Some driving along the beach and R has some work to do.  I want to go back into Pula and look into the shops and try some gelato, as we’re leaving for France tomorrow, and this may be my last chance!  I have also done two loads of laundry (with a shorter cycle than the last time; I’m learning!) and everything is up on the drying rack or the clothes line right outside our door.  We need to leave about 5:30 a.m. tomorrow, so I want to get thing dry, ironed and re-packed before we head out for dinner tonight.  Last Sunday, as I recall, we had to go to the airport to find an open place to eat.  Hopefully, Pula will be more hospitable!  So, I will close for now!

m

xxx

Back from bank and lunch in Pula, and GUESS WHO forgot to bring the camera? 

Love our balcony table!

R's spaghetti with pesto and tomatoes

My bresaola salad!

Right!  Robert!!  In its place, (as he had also forgotten his phone) we had my little flip phone, on which I don’t think we’ve ever taken a picture.  At least I certainly haven’t.  So, out a bit after noon to find a bank and a place for lunch, and both were fairly easy (food easier than $$) to find.  We parked the car near city hall, and found that you don’t have to pay to park on Sunday!  Yea!  Then just a few minutes walk brought us back into the square that we walked through last night.  Very fun.  There were many places built around the square that were open for lunch, and we were tempted by the upstairs balcony of Mr. Jingles, so up we went.  Really a beautiful day!  Hope the photos show how nice it was, but I do have my doubts…

R had spaghetti with a pesto and tomato sauce; it was excellent.  I had a bresaola salad with arugula and parmesan cheese.  SO much better than the one we had next to Su Nuraxi, that’s for sure!  And with it, R had a glass of white wine, and I had a wonderful glass of Prosecco.  (Although honestly, can you say Prosecco without saying wonderful?  Heaven in a glass??)  For dessert, we headed across the square to a gelato place that Tina had recommended, and I had a big serving on stracciatella – and it was fabulous!  Then back to the car and back to the flat.  Most of the laundry is now dry (except for the two pairs of blue jeans) and I’ve got some ironing and organizing to do … once I get up from my afternoon nap!  So – more yet again later!

m

xxx

Buffalo on parade

I do like those buffalo; they are HUGE!

Dancers following...

Back from dinner in Pula! 

View of Nora bay

Spanish watch tower on Nora bay

We went out about 7 and drove down to Nora, our first archeological site on the island.  It doesn’t really get dark here until 9:30 p.m. or so, so it was quite nice near the beach.  Lots of people walking, running, jogging, skate boarding, etc. and lots of families; nice to see!  We then drove back into town and managed to find a parking space not too far away.  Then back into the center of things – and "our" balcony table at Mr. Jingles was actually available!  Yeah!  For dinner, R had tagliatelle with shrimp and zucchini, and I had a wonderful dish of rare steak served on a bed of arugula with parmesan and balsamic vinegar.  Wow!  It was great -- and Bob and Stew, expect to see it at a dinner near you soon!

St. Efisio church at Nora beach

View of main piazza from our balcony

R's tagliatelle with shrimp and zucchini

My steak with arugula and parmesan

Start of parade!

Me on balcony!

While we were eating, we actually had some sort of parade or procession right below us.  It included some absolutely HUGE buffalo as well as some dancers and a priest and choir boys!  Not sure exactly what was happening, but it was definitely a colorful and memorable sight!  Finally finished dinner, and one more round of gelato, this time with some chocoloto...I am really going to miss the gelato, that's for sure!  Then back in the car and home to Villa del Piero, as we have an early morning wake up call tomorrow -- Cagliari to Marseille, France.  Wow!
Lots of love,
m
xxx