Over-indulging in Montepulciano

I am feeling a little under the weather today - mostly due to too much food and wine last night! I found that you cannot buy "aspirini" in the supermarket here. You need to go to the "farmaci", so I will be heading there soon.

Yesterday was Fiorella's son's birthday so she make a great feast for everyone. Her son is (I think) 37. He and his girlfriend came over and Paulina and I were also there. So much food!! We started off with something that tasted like rice casserole, then went on to a rolled pork in onion dish, and cubed potatoes. I must say that their potatoes don't look like ours. They are more yellow, but maybe they aren't potatoes - I don't know how to ask!

The next course was a pear and cheese dish that I think we poured honey over. Then she made a custard that she said was a Spanish dish. On top of that, we had to have the local wine and I did have a few glasses. The wine here is called Nobile and there are MANY places that sell it and that you can taste it. My wine loving friends ( and I'm not calling you winos) would love it here. I am actually getting a bit tired of wine. I bought a beer at the supermarket that I have chilling in Fiorella's refrigerator - but my stomach is not quite ready for it yet.

This morning my head and stomach hurt and I only had coffee for breakfast. Luckily, she made me a grande coffee this time. It is now after class - about 1:30 and I still can't think of eating. I did purchase a ready made salad at the supermarket that I might eat later tonight. And I always have cookies in my bedroom . . . so I will not starve.

Staple food here is pasta, of course, cheese, prosciotto, bread and pizza. One of the students from Israel said they don't like the bread because it tastes like it is day old. I actually love it. I can buy a large piece of crusty bread for about 36 cents (which is about 50 cents in dollars) and about 4 pieces of some kind of cheese for about 1.9 euros and that makes most of a meal. Fiorella does make some kind of salad for dinner also, but I don't eat with them very often since I didn't pay for 2 meals a day.

There are little bars/cafes all over the city. Within one block, there are probably 6 or more. Most have outside seating but some only have tables inside so I probably have missed counting those. I have gotten friendly with staff at 2 restaurants at the piazza grande, so it is nice that they remember me - or at least remember Seymour.

Now that I am writing about food, I am starting to get hungry :) I have to say that I have not had better pasta than the dishes Fiorella makes. No restaurant has compared as yet. Maybe I should have paid for 2 meals a day!

Seymour is eating more than usual. He likes the Caesar brand dog food and has been eating about 1 1/2 cans a day. There is very little choice of food for him, though. And forget trying to find his favorite chicken chewies. I don't know if it is the exercise or boredom (he does have to sleep in class for 5 hours), but he is a hungry boy. I usually get 3 cans of his food at a time from the supermarket but may have to up it to 5 cans to keep up with him - and to save me from walking up the hills so often!