Yummy 5-Course Italian Dinner at Ristorante da Maria in Dublin, Georgia

 We sure are glad that friend and Lady Chef Maria Runggaldier got FINALLY back home from Italy after having been stranded there for almost 1.5 year...

So, we once more enjoyed her excellent cooking at Ristorante da Maria.

Arriving at the elegant Ristorante da Maria...

Pieter wearing his navy Burberry blazer and I wear my Escada silk blouse and wool vest with red roses.

And still in my soft leather boots, gift from Italy.

It would have been Mom & Dad's 73rd Wedding Anniversary on February 26.

Appetizer:

Zuppa di granchio al pomodoro

Tasty Tomato Crab Soup, English peas, pearl onions and celery leaves

Such a YUMMY and spicy soup...

First dish:

Involtini di pasta con cariofini

Oven baked home made Pasta Rolls stuffed with baby artichoke cream, topped with Parmesan cheese and butter flakes, served on a zucchini veloutée

Fish–Entrée:

Cuore di merluzzo alla mediterranea

Pan seared Cod Fillet, served in a Mediterranean sauce with fresh tomatoes, oregano, shallots, olives and capers

Sorbet:

Sorbetto ai lamponi

Raspberry/Lemon Sorbet

Pieter also did wear his Brioni shirt (Last Call Neiman Marcus score...) for which he also needs to wear his cuff links.

Heinz always knows how to serve an espresso coffee for Pieter, with his dessert...

For both of us, it is very much like being back in Italy.

Maria is an authentic Italian Lady Chef and the only one in our region.

She has an excellent staff as well, they learned so much from her over some 18 years!

At least, her sous chef and staff managed to continue with serving delicious meals on Friday and Saturday nights, while Maria was stuck in Italy.

Dessert:

Crema catalana allo zenzero con frutti di bosco

Ginger flavored "Crema Catalana"

It was indeed a yummy 5-course Italian Dinner...

Related links:

Lovely Birthday Dinner at Ristorante da Maria | wearing my same Escada outfit...

{ROSES} | showing you the back of my Escada wool rose cardigan...

Driving to Macon for Picking up Pieter's new Lenses

 Why not drive again the next day, after just returning from the long Florida trip?

Pieter's 2nd pair of eye glasses were ready to be picked up, so we went there right after breakfast.

Getting it DONE and out of the way.

Pieter is happy and holding his eye glass case in his hand, wearing his leather patched (shoulders and elbows) Burberry sweater.

Only for the special lenses we had to pay twice US $ 520.00 as they are not covered by insurance...

But no doubt Pieter needed a spare set, as he cannot wear his treasured 23k gold pair when being in the garden.

Still holding up very well and we bought them in Indonesia in Yogyakarta at the moment of the Asian monetary crisis. For once, it worked positive for us, otherwise we could never have afforded them.

Pieter also still enjoys his Italian The Bridge purse. A very handy format also.

And I also love our Infiniti QX50 that we got us on April 28, 2021.

So glad we did that, as since there has been a long wait on any cars, even second hand.

So grateful to Vision Eye Group in Macon where I got my eye surgeries done a year earlier.

Pieter got helped here when he had his eye injured: Pieter Cleaned our Front Door Lights and HURT his Eye ←click link.

Very short Relive video of 1:38 minute.

And NOW the LONG ride back home from South Florida

 Well, the 10th day has started and we both decided to have breakfast early and hit the road.

It would be a long ride ahead but still with perfect weather!

Yep, 937 km or 582 mi and I did them in 8 hours and 16 minutes.

Of course we opted for the Turnpike = Toll Road and it was such a smooth ride all the way.

This was one of the two times that I stopped for gas...

There are convenient Service Plazas along the Turnpike which are accessible from both sides as they're in the center.

Pieter was wearing his comfy ribcord Zegna jeans from Last Call Neiman Marcus from a previous trip.

On my 1:46 minute Relive video you can see where this got taken, shortly after our 2nd gas stop.

We also stopped at a Rest Area for enjoying our lunch from Whole Foods Market in Davie with some fresh fruits and a little rest.