Leave The Fiori, Take The Fici

Wednesday we woke to discover it had rained...only a problem for the laundry left out to dry. We had planned to go to the local weekly market but totally forgot about it. We did a little local shopping, some sea glass collection, some fig procurement and then searched out a tiny market to purchase supplies for a picnic on our balcony. It is Valeria's birthday, so fici (figs) in hand, we head out to try and find flowers (these could have easily been purchased at the local weekly market had we made it to the market this morning). We finally locate the Levanto "Pianti & Fiori" shop and proceed to try and communicate what we need. Jim points to some lovely purple flowers and the shop owner begins to assemble the bouquet. Ok, I'm envisioning a small, petite bouquet....this is just a token gift, just a we remembered its your birthday kind of thing....a few of those purple flowers..."do you want some green?"...sure, I guess....hmmm more purple flowers....did I have a €20 in my pocket....more flowers, more greens, out comes the ribbon...do I have another €20?!...Jim whispers "isn't that kinda big" ...well yah, but can you stop her?....finally she pulls out the cellophane and the final ribbon....that will be €5 please...phew! Thought we might have to go to the bank to pay for it! Wait, don't leave the fici! We walk back to the hotel carrying this gigantic bouquet. People on the street were stopping their bikes to look, parents were pointing it out to their children, police are halting traffic, ok that's an exaggeration, but Jim practically had to help me carry it! Valeria, the birthday girl and crew picked us up at 7, we presented her with the giant birthday bouquet and they drove us for what seemed like hours on a winding, twisting road that rivals Highway 1 near San Simeon. We finally arrived at Ristorante Claudia in Ricco del Golfo. They serve panigacci, a round flat bread, something between a tortilla and a pita. The bread is cooked on flat, terracotta plates which are heated over a open fire and then stacked once the dough is placed on them. The heat cooks the bread and it arrives at the table hot, sans terracotta plates. You fold it in half, taco like, and fill it with straccino, prosciutto, lardo, coppa, salami, and Gorgonzola. Unbelievably amazing! Add good wine, wonderful company and it is so worth the motion sickness incurred to get there. The final panigacco is eaten with...wait for it...nutella! Yum!