Venice/Casarsa/Milan

After the events of Oktoberfest a much needed rest was required. Christian, Scotty, Eli, Nate, and I all trained it over to Venice to get some solid sleeping in my relatives apartment on the island of Lido. We all slept real real well. Thanks again Lorenzo. After a couple of days there Nate, Scotty, and Eli all trained back up to a border town in Austria called Innsbruck. Christian and I continued on in Italy.

Christian knew a friend named Max who lived in a small town called Casarsa. When people say they want to avoid the big cities and crowds and go to a lesser know city, this is exactly the kind of place they are talking about. The city was small with plenty of vinyards and very little going on. Max's parents are the owner of Il Punto hotel in Casarsa and gave us a room for the night. Very nice.

At night we piled into Max's car (head scraping the roof), which led us to a small freeway and out of nowhere a sharp left turn into a dirt road. We came upon this small barn looking building with a bar in front being occupied by old Italian men who looked like they had been frequenting this place for 30 years. Exiting the car we got a strong whiff of a cow farm (anyone that driven down the 5 to LA knows what I'm talking about). It wasnt pleasant. We walked in and were seated. No menu. We were given a couple of 2nd plate options. I wasnt 100% sure of what the lady was saying, so I followed Max's croatian buddy's lead. What came out the next two hours was one of the finest meals I've had. Red wine to start (and last for the duration of the meal). Then came fresh bread and a tray full of cold cuts of salami and multiple types of prosciutto. After this pasta bolognese which blew my mind. Then came the whole roasted chicken. Done! In between these meals the old guys from the bar were coming in and pulling us out to takes shots of some sort of digestivo (I wanna say grappa, but it didnt taste like absolute shit so I hestitate to call it such). It was one of the most delicious and authentic meals I've ever had.

The next day we had a final lunch with Max and his sister (with her 9 month old newborn) and his mother. I was reminded of the one of the best aspects of Italian culture which is to just sit around and talk. We sat around this very intimate table and had a lunch consisting of pasta and some salami for about two hours. There was no rush. Just sitting around and talking with genuine interest. In America people are always moving onto the next thing and trying to do it quickly. It just our culture and the way we function. It is what makes us one of the most productive countries with some of the best workers in the world. But it does come with a trade off and I am reminded of that when I come here.

After Casarsa Christian and I trained to our old stomping grounds. Upon walking out I noticed the (finally) finished the train station. Soon after I felt a solid pit in my stomach come on due to the realization that the people that made Milan so special and so fun would not be there with me. They werent a phone call or metro ride away (I did have Christian with me which made it better). Later in the day I found myself walking around a very populated bar scene called Navigli. Felt right back home and that I hadn't missed a beat. It was nice being back.

Christian left to return home not long after our arrival which left me alone with Rome in my sights

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