Georgetown, DC---Pizza, Maracchinos, and Cupcakes!

Over the weekend I went to DC for the DC Color Run, and stayed in Alexandria, VA. Alexandria is only about 10 miles away from Georgetown so of course my friends and I drove over to Georgetown for some dinner and shopping!

When we arrived, it was pouring so after parking the car we ran to the nearest Souvenir Shop and purchased $8 umbrellas! Crazy price but definitely needed since Georgetown is definitely a place to walk around. After walking around a little in the rain we could not decide if we wanted to wait in line for the famous Georgetown Cupcakes or actually go put some real food in our tummies first. We then decided after 10 minutes of debating we needed real food! We used Yelp to look up all the restaurants around us and found two Italian ones that sounded good. The first one was so expensive so we decided on a little place called Il Canale (www.ilcanale.com). I was so glad when we arrived to Il Canale that we chose it. The wait staff, cooks, and owner were all Italian, so I had a feeling the food would be amazing. I was definitely right! My friend Emily and I both decided on Margherita pizzas (pizza with tomato sauce, imported fresh buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil) which tasted just like they do in Naples, Italy! We also got fresh steamed mussels as an appetizer! My friend Christy got the Scialatielli allo Scoglio which is fresh artisan pasta with mussels, shrimp, and clams in a light spicy cherry tomato, and white/wine garlic sauce. All our meals were absolutely delicious and I definitely recommend anyone going to the DC area to try Il Canale.

After dinner we all wanted a coffee so we found a little coffee shop called Capitol Prague Restaurant & Bar. When I looked on their coffee menu I noticed they sold maracchinos. I have never seen a place sell maracchinos other than in Italy so I was super excited! If you've never had a maracchino, it is basically an espresso mixed with cocoa! It is absolutely delicious! 

After coffee we of course had to go to the famous Georgetown Cupcakes. We waited in line to get inside for probably about 15 minutes but it was well worth it. I decided to get the half dozen and got three chocolate ganache and three chocolate peanut butter fudge. I bought those on Saturday night, it is Monday morning right now and I can tell you all 6 are completely gone :)

Maracchino!

With our margherita pizzas and mussels!

Color Run! After eating all the delicious food the day before :)

The Travel Bug Hit Me Young and Never Really Left (First Over Seas Trip at 11)

At 11 years old I went on my first over seas trip. My church had a week long pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal. My mom let me take off school to go with her, my Nanny, and my Granddad! I was stoked! Not only was I missing school for a week but I was going on my first airplane ride ever!!! The plane I was on definitely was not as nice as ones I have been on more recently but for an 11 year old it was AMAZING! I remember being so excited about the plane having a TV and playing a movie. The only downfall was my ears hurting extremely bad during the landing! 

We landed in Lisbon and then took a bus to Fatima. I remember staying in a convent with nuns but it was actually very nice. They served breakfast every morning and my mom and I had a nice room with a great overlook of Fatima. The pilgrimage offered dinner every night so the only meal my family and I had to do on our own was lunch. We found a great pizza restaurant in a little mall in town. I remember it being some of the best pizza I ever had (and I grew up with an Italian father and have been to Italy). I even developed a crush on one of the servers. I wasn't the only one that thought he was gorgeous though. My mom and nan did too! :)

Most of the trip consisted of visiting chapels, churches, and cathedrals, but we did take a trip to see Roman ruins one day. That was my most memorable part of the trip, because it was absolutely beautiful. Part of the tour was a cliff with a waterfall (oh how I wish I could find that picture). We also visited a castle, and when we got there my mom was chosen to be the "Queen" and was escorted on horse to the castle. We had dinner there and after got to take pictures posing in crowns.

Being 11 I do not really remember the details or names of places I seen, but the experience sure did make me want to travel more and experience different foods, cultures, and just learn how other people live. Thankfully I have been able to travel more since that trip and have been to Italy, Spain, England, Ireland, Tunisia, and France. Of course the rest of my blog will be dedicated to telling you more about my experiences in those places and the other great places I will be traveling to.

 Beautiful Beach in Portugal



At the Roman Ruins




Portugal Panorama