La Spezia, Italy

Leaving Bologna I resolved to only eat vegetables and fish for the following week to off-set all the gelato and carb filled meals I enjoyed there. Arriving in La Spezia (the gateway to Cinque Terre), my airbnb.com host recommended a really good budget friendly fish place right on the dock: Dai Pescatori. Perfect. Right in my meal plan, that is until I see everyone ordering Frittura--a plate of fried calamari and prawns. So I can't resist and I'll tell you in a bit why I don't feel one bit guilty.

You may also notice 2 plates and 2 waters. The lady I paid also looked confused when I said it was for one. I needed extra water and I just had to try the other dish, with fish of course, and potatoes and olives and pine nuts.

 I polished off the Frittura. Those prawns were the best I have ever had. The whole prawn (minus the eyes) including legs and shell was sweet with a salty crunchy exterior. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I completely understand why the line out the door is 20 people deep. And just a couple of bites of the other dish was enough. Good, but had to go with the Frittura.

And this is why I don't feel guilty.

I found a little trail and thought I would wander a bit....

Straight up a gazillion flights of stairs.

I had no idea where it was going

but I was enjoying the sunshine and shedding the winter layers one by one.

I passed a few other hikers. One in particular, an Italian woman coming up the stairs. She had a torrent of words for that hike up. I said "non parlo Italiano" and smiled. Then she said a whole lot more, in Italian, pointed down, pointed up, and said "capiche"? Gave several sighs, waved her hands and said "capiche"? I smiled, nodded my head. I knew exactly what she meant. That trail kicked my behind too.

Pretty awesome view. Yep I earned my dinner tonight.

La Spezia has a lovely town center. I love the architecture. And, except for the herd that was expelled from a cruise ship for a couple hours I had a relaxing boardwalk stroll.

Happy Easter from Bologna

I am truly grateful for the reason we celebrate Easter. The Ultimate Gift.

Today I'm sharing pictures from my walk to and from church and the miracle of sunshine when the forecast was "more rain".

Look close--that guy is tightrope walking in the park.

And for one more bit of sunshine...a little bread pudding I managed to make from my Easter Colombo (dove shaped cake).

Happy Easter Everyone!

I HEART Verona

This is the Italy I've been dreaming of and didn't know it.

Julie, a new friend in Bologna, recommended Verona saying "it is a very romantic city". Thinking "I can use a little more romance in my life" I booked my train reservation and off I went.

My relationship with Verona started out with uncertainty, got a little rocky and blossomed into something beautiful.

The uncertainty is par for every new city with me. I get off the train, hopefully heading in the right direction, thinking "well this isn't what I expected", but let's see. Here newer buildings, with straighter lines and the kind of dirt that just looks dirty rather than patina'd, greet you. But it's promising because its green!

I hit rough territory at the castle. It has ramparts and a moat. I'm attracted to the mystery. But the museum guards were uber protective staring me down. Really?! 5 of you need to follow me around from room to room? Kinda creepy. Then back at the enrance my umbrella is gone.

Me and my hood forge onward. We've seen worse.

Taking a chance, I go into a restaurant for lunch, Enocibus. I still get butterflies when going into a restaurant in a foreign country. There's a bit of commitment required. Will servers and other diners glare at the tourist for the duration or will the dialogue be welcoming. Yay, it was the latter! A little awkward at first as we were both trying to understand each other but the husband and wife duo were such sweethearts. I think they gave me a discount. And the polenta with funghi is warming on this drizzly day.

So with a spring in my step and some food in my tummy I see this

And this

And stores that look like this

And oh my gosh I can't believe I'm seeing this

Then a lovely girl at Stefanel dresses me up like this. And I want it all!

But, it's a little out of budget, so what does a girl do to lift the spirits...buy a handbag and stop in the very next chocolate store she sees: Lavazzoler Chocolat.

I make the obligatory visit to Romeo and Juliet's balcony which has nothing to do with the original. And wading through the umbrellas catch couples in the act of declaring their love here.

But I still have 1 more highlight on my map. So heading towards the river through narrow cobble stone streets with dainty scrollwork balconies dripping with greenery and flowers I emerge to see this.

And I'm so amazed I have to share another angle.

Across the bridge up the winding stairs to catch these glimpses of Verona.

Then, like a twitterpated girl who has stayed out past curfew I drag myself away and walk/run back to the train station, boarding 1 minute before departure. I pull out my chocolates; the recommendation from the chocolate shop standing out from the rest: hearts.

Aceto Balsamico

I love good Balsamic vinegar. More than Parmigiano-Reggiano, more than pasta (but not more than gelato).

So to go here, a certified member of the Balsamic Vinegar consortium and to receive a personal tour was my foodie dream come true. The only thing that would have made it better: a bowl of vanilla gelato and sliced strawberries to drizzle the stuff all over. If you have "good" balsamic vinegar, the sweet almost syrupy kind, this is fantastic.

Balsamic vinegar is fairly new to the rest of the world, even other regions in Italy were not aware of its existence until 20-30 years ago. But it has a long history. 

So we climb the stairs to the attic where barrels and barrels are stored. Over 500 here alone some over 100 years old. And the aroma about knocks you over in a good way. Sweet and rich right in the back of your throat. They say its even more powerful in the summer, because all those barrels are open allowing for evaporation. The white cloth on top is covering the opening to protect from insects and dust.

The vinegar is rotated and consolidated as it ages into smaller barrels. So these here are graduated in size.

And the best part...the taste test.

From left to right: White balsamic, White balsamic aged 8 years*, Orange Balsamic with juice from Sicilian oranges, Apple balsamic with juice from Fuji Apples*, Saporosa Balsamic for daily use*

And for the gems in the official bottles: Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena aged 12 years, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena "extra vecchio" aged 25 years.* Balsamic filled chocolates not pictured*

*my favorites.

In retrospect I should have stocked up there because the prices were better. But everything can be ordered online and shipped to the states at www.houseofbalsamic.com.

And as if that's not enough here is a lovely street in Modena town center.

And just a little roadside establishment for the car enhusiasts out there.

Taking a break in Bologna

B Breakneck pace. Since starting this journey 46 days ago I've been sprinting-- replacing the heels on my boots in Zurich. Time to slow it down, relax into a city, find "my cafe" or gellateria in this case. So off to Bologna for 1 week. Midweek I added another week. Turns out there are lots of nooks and crannies to explore and Bologna is centrally located for day trips--in just 37 minutes yesterday I was in Florence!

Rain days. I took one and stayed inside all day reading a great book. Here are a few books I've seen in my travels. If they were small and light this would be my souvenir of choice. Just a few I've admired.

E-mail and posting to a blog without wifi in your apartment is a challenge. So I've relied on a pay as you go SIM card here in Bologna. Here's a note: When researching phones for this trip everything I read said just buy a SIM card and pop it in. Not so. To buy the SIM card it must be registered in the store using your ID or you take it home and register it on your own with ID which doesn't really work if you're without Internet access. And when your SIM card runs out the notice is in another language and you can't update it online so you have to go into the actual store 3 times to add money. Bottom line: only book rooms with Wifi and more posts will be coming soon.

Aceto Balsamico. A little teaser for a future post.

Kiosks in the supermarket are really loud. Having an apartment here I've made a few trips to the supermarket. The first time at the self-serve checkout I selected English. It pretty much announces to the whole store "tourist right here at checkout # 4". I quickly hit cancel and started over again and am happy to report I can now maneuver through the Italian prompts even when it asks if I'm using any plastic bags.

So for now I'm going to indulge in this with a friend.

Curds and Whey

That's me with my wonderful Italian professor Andrea. Andrea was my tour guide/instructor for 5 days and if you are looking to work on your Italian in Bologna his company offers several fantastic options at Bolognalingua.com (I am not paid for this plug).

Now, between us we are holding 2 what-was-I-thinking-I-have-to-pack-this-with-me-for-how-long kilos of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (approx 4.4 pds). I suppose if I get myself into a bind I can use it to barter.

But this isn't just any Parmigiano-Reggiano. This is the real deal, aged 24 months, certified by the consortium and direct from the producer where it is handmade. I watched them cut it and vacuum-pack it for me here in the town of Sesso. I'm gonna let you lookup the translation of that name.

Here is one of those "official" wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano weighing in at approx 37 kilos or 81 pounds. Notice the distinct markings on the rind. This one is from a different producer.

And I got to see how it's all done. You remember that spot on sesame street where they show you the cow, to milk, to cheese process, it was just like that. ok not just like that, but they were cooking the milk adding whey and enzymes gathering the curds in these ginormous cauldrons. So cool, and the smell changed from room to room. Here with the cauldrons it smelled like a warm can of sweetened condensed milk and it hung in the air like a fog.

No need for a gym membership with this job: plenty of strength training and a daily milk facial to boot.

Each of these vats will produce the cheese for 2 wheels.

Into the mold they go

This thing...that is what "brands" or stamps the cheese to make it official with all the dots, the date and name of the farm on the outside rind.

It smelled more buttery, kinda sour here

They go into a salt bath for a while

Now into the Fort Knox of cheese. Are you singing the "Raiders of the Lost Arc" theme? The one where they are wheeling the Arc of the Covenant into the giant warehouse. I was.

That's a whole lotta cheese. These were created the day of the earthquake, almost 2 years ago, and survived.

Oh and by the way. The aroma was, WOW, I don't know how to describe it. Rich, buttery, that Parmigiano-Reggiano bite (you better not be thinking of the kind in the green can). I recommend you make a trek to your local Italian food store or Whole foods and hold a wedge of the stuff to your nose and inhale. As I stood in the store waiting to buy my slices of gold one little italian gentleman after another came in. Watching them order then carry their bag out the door I couldn't help but feel this is second nature, a ritual, buying "the cheese".

You can find more info and pairing suggestions here www.parmigiano-reggiano.it