Culurgionis and a night to remember

As if it weren't enough that today Roman had two perfect naps, played joyfully in the sand at the beach and laughed hysterically as the waves splashed up on us....as if it weren't enough that we enjoyed each hour of the day, ate the freshest grilled seafood for lunch, were fully relaxed, joking, laughing...then to top it all off, there was tonight.

Tonight we walked down the dirt road onto the main street here in Torre di Bari to attend their sagra (festival) dedicated to their famous ravioli, culurgionis in the local language, sardo. These local festivals remind me of being a teenager and experiencing this for the first time in Spain. There's something about the tinny sound of the accordion and its playful music, the bustle of the crowds, and the children running wild way past their bedtimes, that fills me with hope and happiness. It was so much more fun tonight, seeing it through the eyes of Roman, who wanted so desperately to run and dance with them all.

We only stayed for an hour so that Roman could still get to bed at a reasonable hour, (he's not pure European, after all) but that one hour filled us with enough life for a whole year. We soaked in the simple life that is worth so much more than any money could ever buy. These are the moments that we live for, that truly restore our souls. Every vacation should be this good.

Culurgionis are ravioli stuffed with potato, cheese and mint and served in a tomato sauce. The result is a creamy, velvety texture and the mint is such a nice surprise. Sharing a plate between the two of us was our only mistake.