Ti piace Manja

Yesterday and today celebrate a couple of people but I only have eyes for one. (The other is Ed Vedder.)

Every year I try to imagine how little Marco growing up in Rome had to fight for his birthday with that other guy.

But he grew up just fine, and then we met and he remembered this little truth a little too late: 😀

Never try to impress a woman, because if you do she’ll expect you to keep up the standard for the rest of your life.
– W. C. Fields (reblogged from Wind Kisses)

No worries, I’m still impressed at many things about you in particular and Italians in general, for example how they would come up with a song that lists the names of dishes and tells how they like to eat them all. And it’s not even a parody. It’s Renzo Arbore and he’s the man.

But I like the most how in the dialect (obviously Roman as well as Neapolitan like in this song) the word for eat sounds exactly like my name.

Play this, have a look at the photo gallery and get hungry.

(song and text reblogged from Go Thou To Rome)

l’orecchiette alla barese
tortellini alla bolognese
a nuie ce piace ‘e magna’
saltimbocca alla romana
melanzane alla parmigiana
a nuie ce piace ‘e magna
cotoletta alla milanesa
e porceddu alla nuorese
a nuie ce piace ‘e magna’
con il fegato alla veneziana
i cannoli alla siciliana
a nuie ce piace ‘e magna’ (and this is just the first stanza)

And this is how you do it, cook and eat and love. Mi piace!

This was five minutes after you brought bestia home for the first time five years ago.

Last summer you calmed him when bad New Year’s Eve memories surfaced in Piran.

That’s why last year we waited for the new year at home. Great idea.

Probably it’s a good idea to wait for the night…

You look like an artist in an installation but these strips were just drying.

I love it how you take me somewhere when I ask you. My Dog Sighs’ eyes in Trastevere.

Listening to mom reading you a hunter’s joke out of a book she just bought in Škofja Loka. For a relative.

With girls from California. I love this colour scheme. You were our guide in Rome for the day.

And now food: You made this tiramisu for us to picnic on in Civita di Bagnoregio and you couldn’t even come along.

Lasagna as a photo opportunity.

Saltimbocca alla romana and spinach.

Filled tomatoes and potatoes.

The same setting in Piran: timballo, which is baked pasta with ragu.

This was an after lunch drink at Velenje lake. Grapefruit radler for the win! Barcaffe is my coffee brand that I bring to Italy from Slovenia.

We like to eat even if somebody else is cooking. Octopus at “Pri stričku” in Ljubljana.

At the Slovenian House Figovec: Ljubljana steak, mashed potatoes and radicchio. I love the pots too.

With father at Pirat in Piran.

In Gostilna Vuga at Most na Soči. This is a potato and cheese dish frika.

Even if it’s just watermelon at the Ljubljana Castle for the PicniConcert of Brina.

Sometimes you think: Why do I need all this?

But mostly you’re happy. Photo: Norman Frampton in Massa Marittima.

Even very happy. Last week with my parents, sister and uncle at our early celebration.

Happy birthday, amore, and to many happy, healthy and hearty moments. ❤