And Florence and Rome. Another amazing trip to Bella Italia. My travels there never fail to quench my wanderlust and nourish my spirit. I will write up some notes or a postcard on Bologna in the near future (including restaurant reviews), I promise. I will try to start to edit my pictures (I took over 1200) this weekend. I am not sure when/if I will get around to a full trip report but wanted to share a few jaw dropping experiences.
The After Hours Vatican tour by Context Rome was goose bump, tear inducing amazing that was worth every Euro. There were 9 of us led by a very knowledgeable docent who had the entire Vatican museum to ourselves for 2 hours. There really are no words that convey that mind-blowing experience. You really get a sense of how vast that museum is without the crowds. We were allowed to take pictures (without a flash) except for in the Sistine Chapel. They allow 1 group in a t 6 pm, our was at 7 pm and the last would be at 8 pm. We never ran into each other. It is offered about once a month (by Context anyway). If you are ever in Rome when it is offered-GO!
The mosaics in Ravenna had been on my “must see” list for a long time and they were indescribably beautiful. I was totally in awe of the workmanship, art, detail and the astounding beauty of mosaics as an art form. I did wish we had a guide for Ravenna as we did in Bologna (who was terrific), as it would have added more to the experience. But just to see these amazing works of art/worship at La Basicalla di San Vitale and the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia was a wonderful experience.
Entering the room where the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is stacked and aged for what seemed like miles high was almost like walking into a room of worship. And this was just a small consortium that produced this delicious and carefully produced cheese. Not as pretty as a cathedral but producing a sense of awe in a different sense.
Dinner at the 2 star Michelin Restaurant San Domenico in Imola (a town about 40 minutes from Bologna). Not only was the tasting menu unbelievably delicious and creative but our tour guide Marcello and his wife grew up with the chef! I really thought I had died and gone to foodie heaven as I was eating this meal.
Being shown the attic where balsamic vinegar was aged at Villa San Domino and having the process explained very well by the 3rd generation son in the countryside of Modena. And of course tasting the 12 and 25-year-old delicious products! On top of that, we were allowed to visit the beautiful private villa where the family has lived since after WWII (Nazi officers had encamped there) and where a few scenes of the movie 1900 were filmed. He even showed us a clip of the movie! Robert DeNiro was very young in that film.
Finally seeing the colossal bronze statue of Constantine at the Musei Capitolini that was almost empty. They had a great Fra Angelico exhibit there too.
Traveling with fellow STter Pokey. What a ball we had with the very charming and funny Marcello of Bluone tours.
As always the Italian people were unfailing kind and patient with my Italian. I will relay some stories when I am not so jetlagged. But I can tell you that Bologna treats their tourist well.
I have learned that I am a city girl when in comes to Italy. And I still adore Florence and Rome. Oh and the best gelato was da gianni in Bologna. My best meal in Rome was at Taverna Dei Fori Imperiali in Monti. The waiter chose our food and it was fabulous!
Weather was glorious (1 night of rain only), AA flights on time, luggage not lost and happily bubble wrap came through in protecting precious wine, oil and balsamic. Time to start planning the next trip!
Welcome home, Colleen, and thanks for the wonderful report. I can't wait to hear more!! It seems you and Mindy had a fantastic trip (which, selfishly, I'm very glad to hear -- particularly your statement that Bologna treats its tourists well!!)
The food must have been incredible, and how I would love to see where the balsamic and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese are produced.
Ravenna sounds incredible -- I'm planning a day trip there next month from Bologna and am getting pretty excited. Did you find it relatively easy to find your way around Ravenna?
The Musei Capitolini is one of my favourite museums in Rome, too. Did you happen to see the Fra Angelico exhibit while you were there? I have one night in Rome before flying home in June and plan to see it.
Welcome home Colleen. From another Italianophile (sp?) who has yet to visit Bologna and that area. Definitely definitely has been on my list forever (but what can I do that Toscana just keeps calling me back? )
Sounds like you had great fun and marvelous experiences. Can't wait to read more details.
Sandra, Yes, Ravenna was very easy to navigate even for the hopeless map readers we both were (and we were pretty pathetic ). My reason for suggesting a guide was for a more in depth understanding of the histotical background of this beautiful city and it's mosaics. The wonderful guide we had in Bologna Paoloa Goilinelli who is listed in this Italian website also does tours of Ravenna. She has been a guide for 23 years and her English is excellent. I don't know what she charges as her services as they were included in our package but Marcello tells me that he uses her not only for her expertise but her honesty.
You can book Marcello's services for a one day tour if you like for the Parmigiano reggiano/balsamic vinegar tour. He is very flexible. It also includes a wonderful lunch outside of Modena with a mini cooking demonstartion with one of the most hysterical, energetic chefs I have ever met (Pokey said he was so cute she wanted to put him in her pocket and take him home ). The food was delicious too! We booked through Mama Margaret Tours based in Canada (who were terrific to work with) or you can book directly with him at Bluone tours.
When I said Bologna treats it's tourists well I meant that in addition to friendly, helpful people, it is not a jaded tourist town. There are tourists there for sure and quite a bit of English spoken but it is not a major tourist attraction (yet and it's residents are not only justifiably proud of their historic city but seem happy to see visitors.
And oh the food markets and all the lovely prepared food! How great it would be to rent an apartment here and pop all of the mouth watering delicacies in the oven for a quick and wonderful gourmet meal! You have never seen such beautifully crafted or very yellow pasta (and is one of the reasons I refuse to step on the scale ).
As most of our meals were in the outskirts of Bologna based on where we were visiting that day, or whose personal friend of Marcelllo was a chef in the area, we only ate at 2 Bologna restaurants. Cesari, Via de Carbonisi, 8 was terrific with the nicest wait staff. Unfortuately, our dinner at Trattori Gianni with fellow STers ColleenC and her hisband Jim was not as pleasant due to rather surly staff (the only such experience of the whole trip). It's too bad because many STers have enjoyed it and the food was very good. Perhaps it was just a bad day but with so many fabulous restaurants to choose from I think I wouldn't return despite it's great location. Pokey has detailed notes on our restaurant experiences and will provide more details for reviews.
I highly recommend booking anything with Marcello because of his flexibility and ability to design a custom tour day, days or week for you. I'll post more tidbits/reflections as they come to me but please feel free to ask any questions about the trip or area we toured.
I think you (and Pokey), and your fabulous notes thus far, have sealed the deal for me for next June. Bologna has been on the list for awhile and I can honestly say it is at the very top right now. I think we should look into booking with Marcello as well.
Marcia we did this tour for 6 nights but as you can see from the website, shorter variations are available, including just 1 day tours depending on your interests. I would have not chosen to go the spa treatment morning if I had known about his flexibility in customizing the tour to one's specific interests. Not that it was a bad experience, , just not what I go to Italy for. Also there is no difference in price between booking directly with Marcello or through Mamma Margeret's tours.
Thanks for all your posts about your Emilia-Romagna tour with us which I loved reading!
Looks like you'd agree with Fred Plotkin who said in his Italy For The Gourmet Traveler book that Bologna is the city in Italy most underestimated by tourists, and that when you eat the food, you'll want to live there because it's Italy's best.
Hi Colleen, thanks so much for all of these ideas. I'm going to check out your tour suggestions.
I was also thinking of a Ravenna guide mostly in terms of better understanding the context for what must be an amazing city! Although I did also wonder if I would need a really good map to find my way to most important sites.
The food and the hospitality in Bologna sound wonderful, it's obvious that you and Mindy had a really great time! A shame about da Gianni, however, it was on my list of restaurants to try. But now, I'm not so sure......
I look forward to more notes and reviews, and photos.
LOVE that photo, Colleen! That is a tour I want to do sometime. Next year I might take my mom to Bologna and going to see the home of the Parmiggiano Reggiano would be high on my list! (It would also be cool for my mom, who has celiac disease, which means no gluten, so no bread, pasta, or pizza for her!)
It was so fun to see you, however briefly, in Bologna and it was pretty obvious that you were having a good time! It was fabulous to come back to Bologna after five years and I promise it won't be five years until I go back.
Colleen, that is a great photo. I love those towering shelves of cheese!!! But I'd be terrified of knocking one over and bringing them all down on my head.
What an amazing time - Bologna has moved well up on our 'list'. Sadly the 'list' grows longer every day. If I win the lottery tonight I just might manage to fit in all of my trips in the next few years. LOL
Jerry
The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see. ~G.K. Chesterton
Originally posted by JDeQ: If I win the lottery tonight I just might manage to fit in all of my trips in the next few years. LOL
I know what you mean Jerry, there are so many more places in Italy on my "want to visit" list, not to mention my "I just have to return list." As always when I return from Italy, I am plotting/dreaming of the next one. Currently, it's slotted for the STGTG next fall. I'm not sure I can wait that long!
Here is a picture of the lovable Lugi, the hysterical and talented chef of Ristorante Le Ville, outside of Modena. Notice the neckerchief. He was demonstrating how to make a parmesan "cup" that was later filled with a delicious risotto.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by sandrac: Did you happen to see the Fra Angelico exhibit while you were there? I have one night in Rome before flying home in June and plan to see it.
Yes I did Sandra and it was really quite extensive and so beautiful(I am running out of adjectives for this trip). I would definitely try to see it if you can. You can buy a ticket just for this exhibit which many Italians seemed to be doing.
Colleen, Pokey, we'll just have to find some other time to meet up in Italy! Pretty funny that we were staying just one street over from each other (I was in Via d'Azeglio.)
Welcome home Colleen (and Pokey and Chiocciola). Thanks for the abbreviated trip report and recommendations. I will be heading back to Bologna for a week this summer. Can't wait to be back there again. Love the photo of the cheese! Amazing!!
For those of you who are interested in "meeting" Marcello or using his services, at the bottom of page there is a short videoclip from the food network capturing a cooking lesson. He no longer uses this particular woman but an equally lovely and talented home cook.
Colleen, I love everything you and Pokey have written so far. We will be following your footsteps in September for 2 weeks, then the guys fly home, and my girlfriend and I train down to Florence for 5 days together. I am so looking forward to your trip reports. Mille grazie,
You will have a ball Nancy. I love Italy in September.
I mentioned how spectacular the mosaics are in Ravenna. There's so much beauty in all the stunning details in the San Vitale church, it's really hard to capture. Here is one of the brightest walls.
Bologna is well known for it's wonderful food markets. They truely are a delight to one's senses. So much so that it's hard to pick out just one picture to capture the scene. Here's a collage that I hope conveys how special the maket area is.
Colleen, I chuckled at your pasta photo. I bought some eggs in Bologna, and when I cracked open the first one for breakfast, the yolk was dark orange. I looked at the carton and apparently they were special eggs for pasta.
Posts: 777 | Location: Toronto | Registered: 18 February 2006
I did want to post this photo of Colleen, myself, and (in the middle) Antonietta who is blessed to live in the gorgeous hills of Modigliana. She owns the most unbelievable and fabulous herb garden ever! (Giardino Aromatico) She does all of the work herself and is a powerful and energetic woman. It was an honor to meet her. She made us the most delicious lunch, which we enjoyed outside in an idyllic Emilia Romagna setting Thank you to Marcello for introducing us to this beautiful woman. (this was where we could imagine Palma, Jerry & Paul skipping amongst the herbs)
(this is probably the best photo of Colleen and myself that you'll see) You will not be seeing a photo of me wearing the required white coat for the Parmigiano reggiano tour. Good Lord, I look like the iceberg that took down the Titanic!
Fabulous photos Mindy & Colleen. And I'm SOOOO glad I leave next week for Emilia Romagna -- because if I didn't already have a trip booked, I'd have to rush out and schedule one. Are you two sure you aren't on the payroll of the Provincial Tourist Offices?
Thanks for sharing so generously.
Judy
Posts: 3899 | Location: Berkeley, CA | Registered: 22 March 2005
Originally posted by David: Great pic, Mindy and Collinka! Thanks.
PS Long time, Colleen! Glad to see you're thriving.
Yes it has been David, thanks. I think that is one of my favorite photos of the trip.
The ceramics thread made me realize that I haven't talked about the ceramics of the Emilia Romagna region. Faenza is the historic and modern center for ceramics in this area. We stopped here on the way back from Ravenna to visit a ceramic artist friend of Marcello who opened his shop especially for us as most stores in both Ravenna and Faenza are closed on Thurdsay afternoons (keep this in mind Sandra). He also demostrated how he decorates the pieces.
The traditional style is quite different from the majolica (or maiolica) ceramics I usually collect, almost with an Oriental feel. It was quite pretty. So even though I barely have a bare surface to put any more ceramics on (just ask my husband ), I couldn't resist taking home a few small pieces. Also a Christmas ornament (you know how that is Jerry ) Attached is a photo of a butter dish. Pretty, don't you think?
It was probably a good thing that other shops were closed as I had seen a very pretty blue and yellow pattern in our wanderings in the area that he didn't have.
Next trip to Emila Romagna I guess!
Edited for search purposes.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: David,
Are you two sure you aren't on the payroll of the Provincial Tourist Offices?
Maybe we should be! Actually sharing these experiences/pictures with all of you just keeps the trip alive a bit longer, staving off post trip depression and keeps me in a state of denial of how long it will be before I'm on Italian soil again!
Colleen, I can certainly sympathize with your feelings of withdrawal -- that's why I blog, to try to keep the travel experience alive!!!
Thanks for the tip about Thursday afternoon closings. I had noticed some restaurants were closed on Thursday and wondered what was up. So, I'm planning to head for Ravenna on Wednesday!
On this trip to Italy, I found the shopkeepers both very nice and willing to give discounts without my asking. Two examples in Rome:
There is a beautiful scarf and tie shop almost opposite the Egyptian obelisk Elenfantino in Piazza della Minerva, the name of which escapes me. It is rather high end with many Milan designers’ wares. A beautiful, reversible scarf captivated me that was cashmere on one side and a lovely print on the other. I really wasn’t looking to spend 60Euros on a present for my daughter (not that the quality wasn’t worth it). He offered it to me for 50E. That was still more than I wanted to spend so I turned by attention to some silk scarves that were 35Euros each. When I couldn’t make up my mind, he offered me 2 for 60Euros. Yes I spent the same amount but I got a beautiful designer scarf (mila schon-picture attached) for myself as well. A sign of the times I think.
In another small leather shop, on one of the streets heading west from Piazza Rotunda with your back to the Pantheon, another discount was bestowed on me. When I walked into the shop looking for a small wallet for a present, the shopkeeper was talking very excitedly on the phone. I asked him if everything was all right (his English was very good) and he told me a long story of how a very special birthday surprise for his wife was close to being spoiled. He showed me a few things and when I asked him to check his stock for more colors, I could see his heart wasn’t in it at that moment. I asked him if he wanted me to come back later and his face lit up. He really had to get some place in a hurry to try to salvage the surprise.
When I did return later that afternoon, he was so happy to see me that he gave me a 5 Euro discount for being so nice to return as promised. I told him when he surprised his wife with the gift to tell her about the American lady who was trying to help him with his dilemma!
This story is not particularly related to the economy but I just love these Italian life encounters.
At the beginning of this thread I mentioned a few jaw dropping experiences of this trip. The most amazing was probably the after hours Vatican tour. I wish I had taken more pictures to depict the vastness of the museum without the usual masses of people but I think I was just too consumed with taking it all in. The only picture I took that gives you an inkling of the experience is this one of Apollo with no one in front of him.
Another reason this tour was so wonderful was the excellent docent who was so knowledgeable and shared our excitement in experiencing the Vaticam museum in such solitude, despite giving the tour many times. His credentials are listed here on the Context Rome site. He ia also available for private tours of Rome and can be reached at gvasari@yahoo.com. I don't know what he charges but I know he would be worth it for a unique art or historical guided tour of Rome.
I could not come up with a single picture of the beautiful Villa San Donnino where we had our aceto balsamico tour and tasting in Modena that would do it justice. So I have attached a collage of this beautiful villa and some of the amazing art inside. This is the villa where a few scenes of Bertolucci's 1977 film 1900 with Robert DeNiro, Donald Sutherland, Gerad Depardieu, Burt Lancaster and Domininque Sondra was filmed.
After our tour and tasting Davide, a 3rd generation balsamic producer, invited us into his villa to see the 1st floor where some of the movie was filmed. He also showed us a clip of the movie on his DVD player. What a nice guy! And what fabulous balsamico!
Wow, Colleen, that looks like a gorgeous villa. What an interesting experience!
I also love your scarf, the colours are lovely. And I'm envious of your after-hours tour at the Vatican Museum. I thought I was lucky last January, when the crowds were much reduced -- but to have the museum almost to yourself is mind-boggling!
Colleen, your beautiful dish from Faenza is painted in the "Garofano" (red carnation) style, a pattern from the late 18th c. It is believed that Marco Polo brought the design from the East.
Last ime I was in Faenza, the ladies at the Museum told me about a place which exhibited ceramics painted by students of the ceramic school. The hall was within walking distance of the museum. All pieces were displayed on tables and along walls. All were for sale, some very good, some not so. The price was right.
What a ball we had with the very charming and funny Marcello of Bluone tours.
)
). My reason for suggesting a guide was for a more in depth understanding of the histotical background of this beautiful city and it's mosaics. The wonderful guide we had in Bologna Paoloa Goilinelli who is listed in 
and it's residents are not only justifiably proud of their historic city but seem happy to see visitors.
).
I definitely need those photos!
You will not be seeing a photo of me wearing the required white coat for the Parmigiano reggiano tour. Good Lord, I look like the iceberg that took down the Titanic! 
