This is the last of the time-lapse posts. I’m doing this in March, but the trip was in December.
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Early in the morning we were up and on our way to the airport. The Rome airport was easily navigated and we rested briefly in the lounge before boarding.
On board, I had the obligatory glass of prosecco. I’m not complaining about this.
Once at cruising altitude they brought our lunch. The Alitalia service is professional and efficient.
The meal started with steamed sliced apples with crunchy radish in an apple mostarda and salt flavoured honey sauce as well as a chicken cake with sweet and sour pickled vegetables. The chicken cake was a bit unusual but flavorful. I just don’t know how I feel about chicken in cake form.
The spinach and herb omelette was a little dry to me.
The first course was either a rice timbale with taleggio cheese, spinach and purple potatoes or pasta served with San Marzano tomatoes and basil. Once again I had both, as both were truly wonderful. They would be very good on the ground and were great in the air.
Next came lamb stew with thyme, laurel and yoghurt in a Pioppini mushroom sauce. I chose this rather than the roast salted codfish. It was fantastic and I was glad to see the recipe in the menu book. Perhaps I will make it sometime.
The side dishes is where they really got me. I eschewed the carrots and green salad, rather going with the celery mashed potato dumplings and the spinach. The potatoes were a revelation. The celery was just a remarkable bright flavor. I really must make this sometime. And the spinach was easily enjoyable, with raisins and pine nuts.
For dessert I had the Duchess of Parma cake. This was a small chocolate torte.
The espresso was served in a lovely demitasse cup.
From there we rested for some time. I once again tried watching Iron Man 3 – and actually completed it this time. Usually I try to sleep on the return flight, but this time I didn’t. I tried to stay awake so I would arrive exhausted and ready to sleep off the jet lag.
Eventually we were approaching New York, and were served a satisfying tasty snack of casera cheese and salami with vegetable strudel. Interestingly enough I don’t think of strudel as being Italian, but considering the northeastern region (Trentino Alto-Adige) was once part of Austria, it certainly is.
We landed and disembarked and were passed quickly through customs. From there D and I bid each other safe travels, as he was on his way to Manhattan whereas I was awaiting my Detroit-bound plane.
The layover was uneventful, and I eventually crawled into my seat on the port side of the plane and dozed off. Once aloft I woke briefly to see the glow of Manhattan illuminating the clouds from below. Then I slept my way to Detroit.
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