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After our leisurely breakfast on the rooftop overlooking the city of Naples, we set out to explore a different area. We walked through a huge square with massive buildings including the theater and large cathedral. Even the ceilings of some of the walkways had such detailed design. We continued getting our daily exercise going up and down various streets until we had worked up an appetite for…yes another pizza.
As we approached the restaurant, L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele (http://damichele.net) there was a crowd of people waiting outside. We walked in and took a number hoping someone would help us to recognize when it was our turn being the numbers were all called in Italian. About 25 minutes later, our number was called and a nice Italian couple pointed to us. We walked in and immediately saw a packed small restaurant with a wood burning oven and a guy placing the pizzas inside. We sat down at the only two seats left in the restaurant which were at the same table as another couple. We saw pictures of Julia Roberts smiling with pizza in her mouth on the walls. We realized we were in the Eat, Pray, Love pizza place! The menu was short and sweet. Margarita or marinara…we opted for two margarita pizzas.
15 minutes later, two pizzas came out with juices literally boiling on the top. We all got quiet as we dug into what was supposed to be the best pizza in the world. We were not disappointed…I wouldn’t usually describe a pizza as juicy…but it was. I’m not talking about grease…but the juice of the fresh tomatoes. The gooey cheese and the marinara sauce was oh so good. Giff usually eats his food very slowly when it is delicious…dragging out each bite, but this time was different. I had eaten about a quarter of mine and Giff’s plate was empty. We voted this pizza the best we have ever had. It was simple and it was cheap (4 euros) and it was #1. Do not, I repeat, do not miss this pizza next time you are in Naples…well worth the wait.
With our bellies filled to the rim we walked out of that place with big smiles on our faces. That is the type of pizza worth getting a little muffin top. We walked back to our hotel, checked out and got on the road for Rome. We hadn’t been back to Rome since our honeymoon in 2005. We were a little nervous about driving in a city the size of Rome and more importantly trying to find a public parking spot since our B&B didn’t have private parking.
About three hours later we arrived in a surprisingly quaint neighborhood in Rome which was very easy to drive in and which we found a parking spot on the street right away. The area was fairly residential but was very close to the Vatican and within walking distance of all the major sites. The room at our B&B was nice and big with air conditioning, internet and a clean bathroom…all of the essentials. We relaxed for a bit catching up on computer stuff and watching a little Italian TV.
Believe it or not, by dinner time we were hungry…is it possible our stomachs are expanding? The B&B owner told us there were tons of restaurants around but that the neighborhood had a very good one on the block. We decided since it was three doors down to sit at one of the tables outside and order some pasta. Cucina Umbra (I don’t think they have a website) was a family run restaurant. The son was our waiter and the mother hand-made all the pastas. Both the mom and dad were outside helping to serve all the customers. They were probably about 70 years old.
We ordered the spinach lasagna and the tagliatelle with arrabbiata sauce and both were extremely delicious. I looked over at Giff as he continued chewing in slow motion with his eyes closed…he used the phrase, “making love to his food”. Ahhhhh, Italian food…it is never too much. We ate and chatted with the waiter, cleaned our plates and walked back to our place where we slept soundly.
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Published by Giff Kabat
I grew up in Ohio as a kid, so of course I went to college at “THE” Ohio State University. I graduated in 2001 with a major in business finance. A month after graduation, I moved out to California with my college girlfriend (whom I married in 2005)…and started my career in sales (industrial sales for 5 years…then moved into medical laser sales for 4 years).
In 2009 I was 31 years old. I had a great job, a new house, and a beautiful wife. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better…my wife and I found out we were going to have a baby. Everything was going according to plan…and I couldn’t have scripted a better life for myself.
Then in the same year…everything changed. My wife, Brandey, called me when I was on my way to work and told me over the phone, something I never thought could be possible in a million years. My beautiful 30-year old pregnant wife was just told that she had breast cancer. At that moment, everything stopped all at once. I immediately went to her…and learned of our new plan…which began with her needing surgery immediately…and the rest we would find out later.
The day we returned from the hospital after Brandey’s surgery…my father died. He had been battling an aggressive cancer of his own…and although he was the one person I wanted to speak with about Brandey having cancer…I never told him. My sister, Brooke, had just gotten married a few months ago, and although he was weak, he was able to walk his little girl down the aisle of her wedding. On the night before my sister’s wedding, Brandey and I told him that we were pregnant and about to make him a grandfather. It made no sense to tell him that everything had changed for us…so he died in peace knowing everything was “the way it should be” for his only 2 children.
2010 was the worst year of my life. We had lost our baby…and for 12 months I watched my wife fight cancer with multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and drug therapy. It was a difficult year for us…but we made it. When you go through something like this in life, you learn a lot about yourself and the people around you. I was amazed at the strength and courage of my wife…and how many good people there are in this world. I will be forever grateful for the ones who never ceased to amaze me with their kindness during this hard time. Family, friends, and sometimes complete strangers…helped us make it through this. I am, and will always be especially grateful to my mother, who was with my dad at the very end, when I couldn’t be there, and when things were at their worst. She has been so supportive throughout all of this, and without her everything would have been so much harder for me.
It’s 2011 now…and the plan we have for our life this year…is to make it the best year of our lives. Brandey is officially in remission from breast cancer and she has a 95% chance the cancer will never come back. Besides the love that I have for my wife and family, the loves of my life are food, wine, and adventure travel. My wife and I love traveling to new places, seeing natural wonders, and meeting new people from different parts of the world. So for the next 400 days…we’ve decided to travel the world…and celebrate our lives. There are so many things I took for granted in life that I will never take for granted again. My father worked for over 30 years at the same job with the same company…rarely took time off…and died at 64 years old right after his retirement. For me, this trip is a combination of a tribute to him, along with wanting to spend the time of my life with the “love of my life.”
* The only thing I will miss while we are gone is our family and friends (who we hope will meet us somewhere throughout our trip) and especially our 3 little kitties we left with my mom in Ohio to catsit for the next 400 days. I will also miss watching “American Football” over the weekend…but I’ll do my best to check the scores in the middle of the night.
GIFF
View all posts by Giff Kabat
Spinning Around The World 
OMG! If you are still in Roma, you have to go to Pizza di Baffarato (SP?). It’s near the Piazza Novona (again SP?). Might be the best pizza Bobby and I ever tasted.
I just saw this identical pizza highlighted on “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” while he was in Naples !!! He thought it the best also !!!