Darya In Italy

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Bartender gig, July 15 2011

I am a little out of order with this, but I wanted to share the Bartender gig from July 15 at Ristorante Sala della Comitissa. It is a wonderful restaurant about 15 minutes from Orvieto in a small town called Baschi. The restaurant is next to a piazza where they put tables out for the night. The weather was perfect for dining outside. We had a fixed menu which featured fresh truffles and wine pairings for each course. The food was spectacular as was the entertainment! I included a video with the cutest little girl who was having a ball dancing all night.

Baschi

Svedonio debuting a slide guitar he made

Antipasto

Roasted rabbit

Milk panna cotta

Friday, August 5, 2011

Bartender gig, July 30 2011

Last Saturday night Bartender played a gig at a big music festival in Villalba park, not far from Orvieto. It is a three day festival where most people stay and camp out in the park. The feature of the night was Rancore and DJ Myke. About a year ago they made a street album for Universal records featuring Bartender called "Acustico." You can download it for free here: http://www.djmyke.dj/ (in the download section). Rancore and DJ Myke have an album of their own, and another one called "Electrico", featuring Svedonio (from Bartender), Lillo (bass) and Roberto Forlini (drumms). For this concert they played songs off of all three albums, switching between just DJ and voice, electric instruments and acoustic instruments. It was really amazing to see and there was a lot of energy!!! Even though instruments changed throughout the show, it was cohesive and very entertaining!

The stage

The stage from above

The opening band Vecchia Funkeria del Corso

Special guest Roberto Ciotti

DJ Myke & Rancore

Electric band

Lillo

Bartender setting up

Bartender helping sing the last song

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Compleanno

For my birthday (compleanno) last week David took me out for a romantic dinner to a very nice restaurant named Le Grotte del Funaro. In medieval times it was the rope makers workshop. Sadly the camera battery died soon after we arrived, so I only snapped a few pictures.

We had dinner outside and watched a beautiful sunset. Everything was delicious of course!!! We shared an antipasto of assorted meats and bruschetta, and a primi piatto of Umbrichelli con pancetta, finocchio e pomodori pachino. David had a Bistecchine di cinghiale (wild boar) and I had Tagliata di manzo (steak). We shared a chocolate dessert that I was able to take one picture of. After dinner we took a long walk around Orvieto to help digest the wonderful meal. This was the first time in the 4 years we have been together that we were in the same country for my birthday, and it was perfect!

Chiostro di San Giovanni across from the restaurant

Sunset

Le Grotte del Funaro

Main restaurant underground

A lost dog looking for scraps

Dessert

Friday, July 22, 2011

An American Proposal in Italy

Last week David and I got to help with a marriage proposal. Our friend Bonnie's friends from Arizona were in town, and Cameron planned a romantic proposal to his girlfriend Natalie. While Cameron was proposing to Natalie in the park next to San Giovenale Church, Emily (Cameron's sister), Bonnie, Vitopaolo and I were preparing to light 4 lanterns (Cameron's carry-on luggage), and David was serenading with his guitar. Lighting and releasing 4 lanterns precisely at 9pm sounded like an easy and simple task, but it turned out to be the opposite. The wind at the edge of the Orvieto rock was quite strong, and the lanterns took a few minutes to fill with hot air before you could release them. Needless to say there was a few times when we almost lit ourselves on fire, and we lost a few lanterns. We also came dangerously close to setting San Giovenale on fire, I am guess that would get us deported since it is the oldest church in Orvieto.

It all worked out in the end! Natalie said yes, 4 lanterns we released into the sunset, and we had a pizza and wine dinner in the park to celebrate.

Testing out the lanters

Walking to San Giovenale

David serenading

Emily and Bonnie trying not to light themselves on fire

What was left of one lantern

The released lanterns

Greeting the newly engaged couple

Natalie & Cameron

Natalie calling her parents to tell them the news

Monday, July 18, 2011

Torre de' Monaldeschi

Last Sunday we went to another pool to keep cool during the 100+ degree heat wave we were having. The pool is part of a new resort/housing complex built on a beautiful hill, near the town of Ficulle (about 20 minutes from here). It is next to a very old convent (Conventaccio), that is now just a few partial walls. The place is beautiful!!! Up on a hill with amazing views of Orvieto, and rolling Umbrian hills. The resort has a restaurant, cafe, spa, golf course and more. David has friends who own one of the houses there. It seems like a great place to live!