When Ariane successfully logged in to her Facebook account, she immediately clicked the notification button and saw a post from Christine.
Christine Mae Espiña tagged you in a post.
Ariane clicked the notification with a frown on her face. But as soon as she got directed to Christine’s post, the frown on her face got replaced by a smile with obvious longing in her eyes.
Christine posted a photo of them an hour ago. They were hugging each other in the picture, which was taken during the farewell party that Christine hosted for her before her flight to Italy. Its caption says, ‘Miss you already. See you after a month or two.’
“See you,” she mumbled as a smile curled on her lips.
Ariane clicked the love react on Christine’s post before she went to her newsfeed. There, she spent her free time scrolling and reacting to her friends’ posts. She checked every post that captured her interest. She was like that for an hour before she decided to go for a walk around the area.
Ariane started walking around the area with no destination in particular. She was just roaming around the place for who knows how long before going back to her apartment, only to realize that it’s almost time for dinner, and yet she hasn’t prepared anything, which only means that she is obliged to cook for herself if she doesn’t want to sleep with an empty stomach. But instead of going straight to the kitchen, she went to her room and opened her laptop. She wanted to try Italian food for dinner, so she searched online for the best recipe that Italians could offer.
Ariane immediately clicked the link that popped up on her laptop screen. And as she was reading the content of the article, a smile made its way to her lips.
Here are the best Italian recipes that can be prepared at home:
1. Lasagna
2. Tiramisu
3. Panettone
4. Panzenella
5. Bruschetta
6. Focaccia Bread
7. Pasta Carbonara
8. Margherita Pizza
9. Mushroom Risotto
10. Pistachio Panna Cotta
11. Pasta Con Pomodoro E Basilico
To get an idea of the dishes suggested by the article, Ariane searched for further information about every dish included in the list. And while going through the details of the dishes that are on the list, Ariane was able to contemplate what to choose. She wants a dish that is easy for her to cook and yet luscious. And since she’s not that hungry, she decided to have some bread or some pasta for dinner.
After a thorough understanding of every dish on the list, Ariane made up her mind. She’ll have the last one: Pasta Con Pomodoro E Basilico.
Since Ariane had already decided on what to cook for dinner, she went to the kitchen to check the fridge to see if there were enough ingredients for the dish she was planning to cook.
Ariane let out a frustrated sigh when her eyes settled on the foods and drinks inside the fridge. She completely forgot that she had not bought any groceries yet. So now she has to go out and buy some groceries if she wants to have a stock good for one month. And since she had no other choice, she went back to her room and snatched her wallet, then went to the nearest supermarket afterwards. But before going out of the establishment, she estimated the maximum time she could spend on buying all she needed so she would be able to have her dinner on time.
While on her way to the supermarket, Ariane strictly reminded herself not to spend too much time shopping to make sure that she could return to her apartment as early as possible. So to maximize the time she has, she prioritized the ingredients that she’ll need to make the Pasta Con Pomodoro E Basilico. Then she just stashed in the cart everything she thinks she’ll need during her stay in Italy, which is good for a month, paid for it at the counter, and then she went back to the apartment.
When Ariane arrived in her apartment, she went directly to the kitchen, organized the groceries she bought in the cabinet while she put others in the fridge in a hurry, and then she started cooking pasta.
In cooking, Ariane followed every step that was written in the recipe. She was so delicate with what she was doing; that’s why it took her more than an hour to finish preparing her dinner, which is longer than the standard total cooking time.
Ariane cleaned the kitchen first before she moved to the dining area to have her dinner. And she can’t help but hum while enjoying her meal. She’s more than satisfied with the outcome of her cooking skills.
After a scrumptious meal in the dining area, Ariane contentedly leaned on the comfortable chair.
“Hmm. I’m full. What should I do next? It is still early to go to bed.” Ariane was basically talking to herself while thinking of something to do in the middle of the night.
“Oh, the schedule! I almost forgot,” she whispered to herself before she went straight to her room so she could continue planning her schedule for tomorrow.
Ariane immediately climbed into her bed when she reached her room, sat on top of it with crossed legs, opened her laptop, and checked the links that she had saved offline. She clicked the first link, which captured her attention among the four links.
BEST TOWNS IN TUSCANY
•Florence
•Siena
•Lucca
•Pisa
•San Girnignano
•Volterra
Ariane disregarded the rest of the list. She focused her attention on Florence since she’s currently staying there. It would be more convenient for her if she will start exploring the area before going to the other towns nearby.
Ariane continued to scroll down the article to read its content. And as she goes on, the suggestions for the best things to see in Florence flash on her laptop screen.
•Duomo of Florence
•Uffizzi Gallery
•Ponte Vecchio
•San Lorenzo Market
•Piazza della Signoria
•Piazza Santo Spirito
•Piazzale Michelangelo
Since Ariane really wanted to maximize her time and make the most of her trip in Italy, she included in her schedule for tomorrow everything that was suggested by the article.
Now, she only needs to organize her planner to decide which of those places she listed she should visit first and which comes next. And that’s what she did the whole night. She planned and planned until she fell into a deep slumber with her laptop beside her.
A/N: I’m as clueless as Ariane when it comes to Italy. Haha! Shame on me.
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In Between
RomanceAriane Nabor is a Filipino citizen who loves to travel. She began traveling back and forth when she was twenty-seven. She doesn't settle in one place. It was her first time being away from her hometown, and she's very satisfied that she's been able...
