Our Italian adventure started when we left Rome and zipped down the coast in our Fiat Panda to the traditional fishing town of Gaeta: a key destination for Italians on their holiday, not far from the beautiful beaches of Sperlonga.
We stayed in an air BnB (www.volveragaeta.it) run by the fabulous and enthusiastic Iole. On her advice we headed off into town to Radio Bottega; a chilled bar serving aperitivo which is the best idea in the whole world.
You pay for the drinks, and they just lay on the most delicious buffet of nibbles, including octopus with potato, tuna and butter beans, ciabatta, bruschetta and sundried tomatoes...
A few glasses of wine, all you can eat nibbles and this hunk...what more could a girl ask for??
Well according to Iole, we actually needed to top off the evening with a trip to Lupo di Mare - a traditional restaurant on the sea front boasting this stunning view at sunset.
We were quite full from aperitivo so we only went for starters, but according to Iole all we needed to try were the mussels, which I was more than happy to do!
Ian opted for beef carpaccio with rocket and parmesan, washed down with chilled white wine.
The mussels were the best mussels I have ever eaten; so soft and hardly fishy at all! They grow in the bay right there in front of the restaurant, so it really was beautiful!
We wandered home to a comfy bed ready to continue on to Sorrento the next day and brave the roads of Naples....
To be continued...