Holiday in Frascati

Wednesday was a national holiday, the Festa della Repubblica. It commemorates the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic of Italy. In the afternoon we drove to the town of Frascati in the Alban Hills and returned to Rome after dinner.
Frascati is a hillside town of villas surrounded by vineyards. (I remember trips to Frascati when I was in college to get the weekend supply of wine.)

This is one of many wine cantinas, serving only wine and bread. Patrons bring their own meats and cheeses (or Pizza) to eat while they drink.

We had fun walking around the town while dodging occasional rain showers, giving us an opportunity for some shopping. .
These smocks are what many Italian kids wear in elementary school, up to 5th grade! Obviously, the boys wear blue and the girls wear pink.
I was intrigued by the brand "Think Pink," It seems to be a line of casual clothes inspired by Yosomite National Park in California.

Vin found the psychology section of the bookstore.

We bought new hats for the summer.

For dinner we took the recommendations of a local shop owner and ate a delicious meal at Cantina Bucciarelli.

This was our antipasto plate of cheese, olives, meats and porchetta. (This could be a meal in itself!)