Bologna, Italy

Bologna is located about 50 miles north of Florence and is a wonderful alternative to the more crowded and touristy cities of Italy. Bologna doesn't have the art museums of Florence, the canals of Venice, or the ancient monuments of Rome, but it does have some stunning architecture and food! The city is famous for its cuisine and is known as the culinary capital of Italy. In fact, Italians refer to Bologna by three names: La Dotta, La Rossa, and La Grassa; the educated, the red, and the fat. "Educated" refers to the city's university which is the oldest university in Europe (since 1088). "Red" refers to the red bricks that most of Bologna's buildings are made from, and because of its leftist political views. "Fat" refers to Bologna's culinary history, making it the food capital of Italy... and we are not going to argue with that point!

We were excited to visit this beautiful city, not only because we were looking forward to tasting its delicious food and exploring a new part of the country, but also because we were meeting my best bud, Sera and her new fiance Martin there. After a lunch filled with glorious truffles and ravioli, we wandered the streets of Bologna taking in sights like the Asinelli Tower, Piazza Maggiore, and the Neptune Fountain, as well as indulging in the wine and food from the Emilia Romagna region of Italy.

Asinelli Tower

Piazza Maggiore 

Neptune Fountain

Church in Bologna

A small waterway

During our second day in Bologna we went on a private food and wine tour of the region. After our guide picked us up very early in the morning, we went to a Parmesan cheese factory out in the Reggio Emilia region. Here, we watched the daily process of making Parmesan cheese straight from the cows, along with a taste of the final product at the end (aged 15 months). Yum!

From left to right: Morgan our tour guide, Sergio the cheese-maker, Jon, me, Martin, Sera.

Next we went to the home of a traditional balsamic vinegar producer in the area. Traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena is made only from the Emilia Romagna region, is aged at least 12 years, and is different from the balsamic vinegar of Modena label that we often see. The two are distinct products in their manufacturing, composition, and price. After a tour of the facilities and an explanation of the process we tasted six different traditional balsamic vinegars. We could definitely tell the difference between the traditional and the other balsamic vinegars; they were thicker, creamier, richer, and much more expensive!

A centuries old tree.

The attic of the traditional balsamic vinegar maker's house

The final stop was our wine tasting at a vineyard in the region. The owner (whose real name we never found out, only that he wanted us to call him Jim because his favorite singer is Jim Morrison) showed us the vineyards. We tasted 8 (or 9?) wines and he did not skimp! He poured the wine so high in the glasses that it became more of a wine party than a tasting. Welcome to the wine tasting world in Italy!

The vineyard

In the beginning, before the really full glasses of wine...

A little while later with Morgan, the driver, and Jim.

Wine!

More wine!

Wearing our free t-shirts! Things escalated pretty quickly!

After a little rest back at the hotel, we ventured out to a local restaurant in Bologna that uses only local products and cooks traditional cuisine from the region such as spaghetti bolognese, tortellini al brodo (tortellini in a broth sauce), and lasagna. Dishes in Bologna are less about olive oil and tomatoes (like in Naples) and more about butter and cream sauces with the addition of truffles, chestnuts, mushrooms, and a variety of meats, all perfect for a cold winter night in December. Simply delicious!

Jon and I definitely could have used another day in Bologna and we would love to go back again, which is highly doable since it is only a three hour high-speed train ride from Naples. We took advantage of the fantastic food opportunities in the region while being able to enjoy the city itself. The people are so friendly, they seem to enjoy life, and are respectful of things and people around them (the opposite of Naples). The weather is great, and the food is fabulous. It's one of those cities that we could see ourselves living in or around and it got us thinking yet again... can we please live here?

We Can't Stay Away from the Amalfi Coast!

Going to the Amalfi Coast is always a welcomed adventure. The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline on the southern coast of the Sorrentine peninsula that is home to one of the most narrow and winding routes stretching for about 50 kilometers. High in the cliffs are whitewashed houses, dots of yellow lemon trees, and views of the sky and sea merging into one mass of blue. Jon and I were eager to show our guests the beauty of the coast and the enchantment of its splendor.

Positano from above

With Beth and Scott we went to Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi, and with Sera and Martin we went to Ravello and Amalfi. Even though we've written about these places a few times before, we wanted to share some of the beautiful photos that we took on those two days. We simply cannot get enough of the Amalfi Coast!

Beth and Scott on the coast with Mt. Vesuvius in the background

View from the restaurant where Beth, Scott, and I ate lunch.

From Positano

Beth and Scott in Positano

Ravello

From Villa Cimbrone in Ravello

Sera and Martin in Ravello

Amalfi

Amalfi

Another Look at Rome

There's something special that happens when you visit Rome and you're not running around trying to see all of the regular touristy sites -- you walk a little bit slower, take in the sights and sounds of the locals going about their day, and notice just how beautiful this city really is. Around every corner and down every street are magnificent buildings... and in no way are they well known or famous, and people don't go out of their way to see them, but they are striking, majestic, and stunning to admire. Of course, this is always a welcomed sight when visiting:

We took the train from Naples to Rome with Beth and Scott (my sister and brother-in-law) who were visiting us for the week. Having never been to Rome before, they planned to see the ancient city on the day we arrived and Vatican City the next. We met for breakfasts and dinners, but during the two days we were there, Jon and I were on our own to explore a different part of the city.

Since we only had about three hours on the first day, we started off by walking up to Aventine Hill. We had read about looking through a keyhole in order to see St. Peter's Basilica and when we found it we were not disappointed. Through a small keyhole at the headquarters of the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta one can see a perfectly framed St. Peter's Basilica. Random fact: there are three sovereignties/territories/nations all within Rome: Italy (obviously), Vatican City, and the Territory of the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta.

Through a keyhole

We walked to the piazza and gardens nearby where we could see a wonderful view of the city stretching out beneath us.

The next day we explored the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere regions of Rome. The Jewish Ghetto was built in 1555 and was the mandatory home for the Roman Jewish population for more than 300 years, although the Jewish community in Rome is one of the oldest in the world. Most of the ghetto has been torn down, but you can still discover some reminders of the Jews' notable past and modest present.

The synagogue

Just next to the ghetto is a big ancient ruin called Portico d'Ottavia. These are the remains of an ancient gateway, which used to house a flourishing fish market. It was later turned into a church and was subsequently used by the Christians at that time to force the Jews to pray in, in hopes of converting them. Within the archeological site we walked behind an ancient theater, now with more modern buildings built into it.  The back is the original rounded portico with arches, reminiscent of the Colosseum and other Roman theaters.

We then crossed the bridge over to the Trastevere neighborhood. This is a very charming area of the city where a lot of young locals live, piazzas are lined with restaurants and bars, and small narrow streets dominate the neighborhood. After walking around we had a fantastic lunch in a cute restaurant and had the best ravioli we've had since living in Italy!

On the way back to the hotel we stopped by the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. The Roman statue called "La Bocca della Verita'" (The Mouth of Truth) is here and legend has it that if a liar or sinner puts his hand into the mouth of the statue they will lose it. The thrill of putting our hands in the statue's mouth was strong and we couldn't resist! We stuck our hands in and hoped for the best. Alas, the harmless but unnerving stone face did not eat our hands.

Santa Maria in Cosmedin

Ahhh!

With some extra time left we strolled through the streets capturing some pictures...

A cool little door!

Another door!

The eternal city of Rome has so much to offer and provides a little something for everyone, whether you've been to Rome ten times or only one. No matter how many times you visit there is always more beauty and culture for you to discover and enjoy. We would love to go back again and uncover some more hidden gems of the city!