Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday......Happy Birthday Momma :) I love you!

We had a wonderful time with DJ's parents while they were here! The 8 days we spent in the Rome area were a great time of seeing some interesting things and I don't mean your typical tourist spots. It was unseasonably HOT so our villa in Santa Marinella was a true haven at the days end! We visited the Sicily - Rome American Cemetary in Nettuno and that was very touching and beautiful.

I will share more about all of that in the next days but today I want to share pictures from DJ's moms birthday. It was the day before we flew to Rome. We treated her to the best resteraunt in the Marsala area that we know of!
A Due Passi dal Mare (Two Steps from the Sea) sits out in what seems like the middle of nowhere along the Mediterranean Sea. It absolutely has some of the best food we've ever had!
It's owned by a lady named Sabina. She's truly beautiful inside and out. The atmosphere and customer service are wonderful and 4 hours can fly by in the blink of an eye......and it did!
Our friends Dave & Sue came with us to help celebrate :)


DJ's mom and dad, Dan & Vivian with Sabina


Served in a pretty shell


Vivian really liked the shell so Sue asked Sabina about getting her one while Vivian went to the restroom......Sabina brought a clean shell out and tucked it under Vivian's napkin.....very sweet!


Steak...Ben said it melted in his mouth :)


Tuna


Not sure but I bet it was good!


Fish Soup big enough for 2.....Dave and I split it and wow!! it was so good! I tried octopus and squid for the first time and liked the octopus better. The bread was yummy dipped in the broth :)


Very little fish cooked whole...tasty


Baby Octopus.....very good


Shrimp


I believe this was the almond crusted swordfish....this was Sue's dish and it came out quite a bit later than the rest so Sabina wrote sorry on it!


Sabina brought a little birthday cake out for Vivian.....it says Best Wishes


After dinner it's customary to drink some grappa or limoncello to help settle your food.....Vivian loved the limoncello so Sue went secretly and asked Sabina about getting a bottle for her and Sabina brought a bottle out as a gift for Vivian.



Out of this world dessert...creamy and light with berries


Light and crispy cookies to go with after dinner drinks


The birthday group


Aren't the tiles pretty?


Dani relaxed after a wonderful lunch


I hope Heather never wonders why she was nicknamed Goofy at 10 days old!



Outside A Due Passi dal Mare


DJ with his parents


It was a beautiful, relaxed day celebrating a wonderful lady!