THE Wedding

The highlight of the ten days Angie spent in Ischia began when we went with Gianni to Calimero’s house. Calimero’s real name is Michele, and to be honest I have no idea what Calimero means in Italian or why he is called that and I wasn’t about to ask. Upon walking into to his we had to eat even though we had just had dinner and then relaxed over a couple of beers. As we were sitting there he asked what Angie and I had planned for the next day and when I told him nothing he said, “Good! You’re coming to a mafia wedding!” He was joking about the mafia part, I think, but he wasn’t joking when he said it would be like nothing I had ever seen before. We arrived just after seven. Walking past the entrance gate immediately to the left was a buffet table set up with hundreds of glasses of champagne. The three of us took a glass and continued on to the next table which was about fifteen feet or so long and covered with different types of au devres. Past that table was the highlight, well at least for me.

A table just as big, if not bigger, covered with all different types of raw seafood. Calimero called over two of the chefs and asked/told them to open fresh shellfish for us, and before I knew it I had a plate filled with clams, oysters, mussels, and prawns. I cannot tell you how clean, crisp, fresh, and delicious every bite was.




We then crossed over to the next table which had all the fried seafood. Everything from calamari, shrimp, prawns, some other seafood I have never eaten and apparently is illegal to fish around here, clams, and mussels. Finally we reached the last table which had different meats, cheeses, and olives. It was pretty funny, while standing in front of this table and having three different people pile piece after piece of food onto my plate, they all told me not to eat too much as dinner would be starting in a little bit. I said to myself, “…first of all, I thought this WAS dinner, and secondly, if this is not dinner and you’re all so worried about me not having any room left for dinner, then stop putting more on my plate!” Of course I didn’t say anything except how amazing it was as I finished yet another plate. I have to make a side note here… As I am writing this I have been in Italy for just over six weeks and have gained somewhere between five and seven kilos which is somewhere between twelve and fifteen pounds. When I arrived in Ischia I was the thinnest I had been on my entire trip due a combination of the way you eat while you are backpacking and the amount of walking you do, which for me is usually with a forty pound bag on my back and a seventeen pound bag on my front. I was so thin in fact that when I saw Gianni the first time he told me he didn’t recognize me because I was so thin. Gianni, being Gianni, has told everyone in town this story and so for the last six weeks whenever I eat, whether in a restaurant or at someone’s home, my plate is always bigger than everyone else’s, and I always have to take seconds. Everyone here knows that I think it’s rude to say no, and have nicknamed me “buona forchetta” (a good fork). Point here being, the wedding was obviously no different. Finally, everyone began making their way into the dining area to get ready to greet the newlyweds and wait for the first course. The couple entered to a giant applause and chants from different corners of the room, and soon, around 9:30 the first course was served. Preceeding each course a cart was rolled out that had some type of structure on top of it that was made of whatever food we were about to eat. It’s a little hard to describe, but the pictures should help. Anyhow, dinner was officially served as the waiters brought out bread and bottles of water and white wine.


First course was pasta with prawns and clams. Second course, a plate which had raviolis on one side and gnocchi on the other with two different types of sauces. After the second course everyone got up to dance, and a few got on stage and sung some famous Italian songs.



When everyone had felt they had successfully worked off all of the appetizers and the first two courses it was time to sit down and have the third course, grilled swordfish and grilled prawns.



After this course everyone was asked to go outside and where the five tables that were earlier covered with seafood now had over ten types of sorbet on them. Everyone walked around, talking, laughing, taking pictures, and tasting sorbets until it was time to head back in for the main course. The main course was meat, peas, and potatoes.


Before serving this course however, the staff replaced all of the bottles of white wine that were on the tables with red ones, and the lights were dimmed and a cart complete with flames and smoke was brought out. Angie leaned over and told me it was like having the best dinner of her life and a Vegas show all at the same time. I kind of had to agree. After this, the fourth course (not including the appetizers or the sorbet) was followed by more dancing. Angie also noted another difference from Italian weddings to weddings in the states. At most weddings in the States people slowly go to the dance floor, and occasionally it will fill up. Not in Italy! Here they couldn’t have a dance floor big enough to fit everyone who wanted to dance! Once again, the dancing was interrupted for more eating. Arriving for this the fifth or seventh course, depending on how you look at it, were plates mounded with skewers of fresh fruit and gelatos.


Of course more dancing followed until nearly 12:30am when the cake was finally cut and served, making for the sixth/eighth and final course. I don’t really know how to sum up the evening, so I’ll just say this… it was such an amazing experience to be a part of and to be welcomed into without knowing many people and instantly be part of the family. It was equally amazing to see people truly celebrating not just the wedding, but life in such a way that is indescribable. I guess it says a lot that Angie had been traveling for over seven months and that this was by far one of if not the best experience she had had!