Day 5: Italian Lava Cake from Locanda al Pozzo Antico

Today was a travel day. We started off from Naples Central Station grabbing yet another amazing croissant and cappuccino for breakfast. We bought out tickets and due to Kim's miraculous good luck, we made it onto our train on time. Kim, who mistakenly read her seat number on her train ticket as the platform number, led us to the right train. After a pleasant ride to Rome, we transferred trains and hopped on the one to Cortona, a small town in the Tuscan countryside. The ride was scenic, but the views that awaited us from our hilltop village were even more amazing, even if the town is full of narrow stair alleys and stream cobblestone streets.

We grabbed lunch at a cafe along the main street. We both got focaccia paninis, mine filled with turkey, brie, and tomato, Kim's with tomato, mozzarella, and arugula (translated as rocket in Italy.) Both were deliciously mounted on the local fluffy Italian bread.

We wandered through the main street, checking out stores full of leather goods from Florence, jewelry, and cute kitchenware. As the evening wore on we decided to go to "Italian Happy Hour" as a pre-dinner snack. We were disappointed to find most of the drinks on the menu were American and very touristic, so we asked a lady working at the bar what Italians drink. She was delighted to provide us with some kind of cocktail with lime, apple juice and gin that was delicious and very subtle. To our surprise happy hour came with a free round of Italian appetizers, where we sampled a cold tomato soup, ricotta and spicy Indian sauce on bread, Italian cheese dipped in a spicy red sauce, a bowl of green olives, and two small pieces of bread covered in melted cheese and toppings (much like American pizza.)

For dinner we went down the hill a ways to Locanda al Pozzo Antico, a restaurant recommended in our favorite guidebook, Rick Steve's! The restaurant was set in a beautiful little courtyard. Kim ordered the cheese ravioli with crunchy almond sauce, which came topped with poppy seeds and parmesan cheese. The creamy sauce was full of flavor and the ravioli were perfectly al dente. I ordered the thinly sliced chicken breast with lemon sauce which was served with a side of potatoes cooked in rosemary. The chicken was tender and the sauce tart, but delicious, and the whole meal went well the potatoes. For dessert we ordered a small chocolate lava cake, filled with a rich dark chocolate. The raspberry sauce on the side added a nice touch.

We ended our evening sitting at a square where a live band played, chatting with a group of Americans from Sacramento. So far we are loving Cortona!