We were lucky to find a B&B in Monfalcone last night. We hadn't booked a room, and when we dropped by, no one was home. Luckily the husband came home just as we were about to leave and we accepted a unique situation of 2 single rooms, each with private bath and breakfast for the price of a double room. This was all they had left and we didn't want to keep riding as we were pretty wet and cold - plus worse weather was coming. While they prepared our rooms, we enjoyed espresso coffee with homemade strudel. We felt very welcome - a good choice. All too soon, the rainfall became very heavy with thunder storms and this continued through the night. We can see the threat of flooding with such heavy rain as the streets are filling with water and drains are backing up. These are not rideable conditions. We waited for the rain to slow down before heading out after breakfast. By the time the bike was loaded, the rain was really pelting down. We thought, no problem, we have great rain gear. However, after 10 minutes, of pounding rain, we found a Bar that was full to overflowing with locals and took refuge. Neither one of us can remember becoming so wet so fast while riding in our Gore Tex gear. It was Sunday morning in Monfalcone and you would think it was nighttime. It was dark outside and people seemed a bit shell-shocked that it was raining so hard. We joined in the chaos that is such fun in an Italian community bar and had cappuccinos to warm up. A note: in Italy, a Bar is different than the North American meaning. Here a Bar is a place for coffee, snacks, and alcohol if you choose. it is truly the hub of a community and locals of all ages come together to socialize, play cards, billiards, watch a game on TV. Whatever.... While waiting, we decided that there was no point in doing our planned route for today of riding the coast to Grado and then north to Aquileia, so we found a way to cut across country to Aquileia on quiet roads. We booked a room at a restored farmhouse from the Saying farewell to our host Laura. 1800´s called Casa Corazza, just a few km north of Aquileia. This will give us a chance to explore this small town of 3000 residents. In Roman times, this was a significant community of 200,000 Roman residents and there is a lot to see, between the thunder and rain, that is!
An Italian breakfast at B&B l'Ormeggio - fresh strudel and cake made by Laura, our host, cheese and meats, yogurt, fruit and strong coffee.
A typical sight in an Italian kitchen: many espresso pots. Laura has a coffee machine in the dining room, but she made us fresh coffee by the cup with these pots accompanied by hot steamed milk. In Italy, it is about quality, not quantity.
Mary Ellen, drying out in the Bar. At a Bar, there are two prices for coffee, depending on where you drink it - cheaper if you stand at the Bar and a bit more if you drink "a tavola" (at a table).
We are in Aquileia, a most impressive village of 3000 residents to visit. Aquileia was colonized by the Romans in 181 BC and at its peak, 200,000 Romans lived here. The Basilica gives you a glimpse of a time 1700 years ago (313 AD) with the incredible mosaic floor dating from that time.
We headed in to town to do a bit of sightseeing and to have some supper. At night, the Roman ruins are illuminated and spectacular. We had a hankering for really good pizza and we headed to Alla Basilica. What a great family run restaurant filled with locals. We started with roast vegetables and hot bread.
Then we shared a pizza - topped with slices of parmesan, speck (Italian pork), porcini mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, arugula - cooked in a wood fired oven. It is unusual to share a pizza as most people get their own. It is also traditional to drizzle the pizza with a spicy olive oil and eat it slowly with a knife and fork.
