As soon as Beth's flight from NYC landed, we stored her big suitcase and dragged her upstairs to check in for our flight to Bologna, Italy. While it might seem odd that she hadn't seen anything of Vienna yet, we all decided that we wanted to visit Bologna and take this incredible tour that Samantha's doctor had recommended. So, we flew to Bologna on Friday, changing planes (and literally racing throughout the airport) in Rome.
I can't help but mention the lovely older Italian man in the Vienna gate area who asked if we were all sisters and exclaimed that Samantha and Elizabeth we so lucky to have such a young-looking mother. It seemed like a good omen of Bologna to me, but maybe not so much.
We landed in Bologna in pouring rain and took a cab to the hotel, which was basic but nice. We immediately headed out to walk around and found a fun open-air market, where Beth bought some cute flats for 5€. When we got hungry, we stopped a great restaurant filled with English speakers and delicious food. The pasta and desserts were incredible, just as we expected in Bologna. But after a couple glasses of wine, the jet lag started to catch up with Elizabeth and we headed back to the hotel to sleep.
We were picked up at 7 a.m. On Saturday for our Italian food Days tour. After picking up a Swedish family at the train station, we drove about an hour, in the pouring rain, into the Italian countryside. I'm sure the drive would be beautiful on a sunny day. We first went to a factory that produces Parmaggiano-Reggiano cheese. We had to get there so early to see the cheese being made step-by-step.p, except for the milking of the cows and delivery of the milk to the factory. We saw the 20 huge vats in which 2 standard-sized 100 lb. wheels of cheese are cooked. We watched the cheese master check when the cheese is ready to be cooled into one large block, divided into 2 cheese cloths, and then moved into plastic forms to make rounds or wheels of cheese, it was really interesting to see the plastic inserts put into the plastic wheels on the second day to imprint each wheel of cheese with the Parmaggiano-Reggiano logo and the governmentally-regulated markings, including date and vat number. The cheese is moved to stainless forms and then, on day 20, is moved to racks to age for at least a year. At that point, governmental quality control agents check the cheese by tapping all around it and determine if it's grade 1 or 2, which determines how long it can be aged, or if it's just cheese, which can't be aged. They have to scrape the imprinted Parmaggiano-Reggiano cheese markings off the "cheese" and draw lines through the words if it's grade 2. We also learned that ricotta, which is a dairy product but not really cheese, is made from the leftover cream and whey that are produced in the production of Parmaggiano-Reggiano.
While this was all very interesting, tasting it was even more fun. :)
From there, we drove a short way to a beautiful villa where they produce balsamic vinegar. This was also fascinating, as we learned about the Government-regulated quality control on the DOP balmasic, which is made in a pain-stakingly slow process. We got to taste-test several types, including some on vanilla gelato and some fresh ricotta made that morning - yum!
After we got back to Bologna, we wanted to go shopping a bit before dinner, so I said zi'd need to stop at an ATM, since I'd gap had to pay Alessandro in cash. By the time we made our way through the crowds to an ATM, my purse had been opened and my wallet stolen with me none the wiser. Unsettling, to be sure - I loved that wallet and still can't remember exactly all that was in it. Fortunately, I'd left my passport and a couple of extra credit cards in the hotel for just such an eventuality. The biggest hassle is no ATM card, but fortunately I have 2 adult daughters with me. I sent Samantha some cash online and she took out more cash from her ATM. Just really annoying, as I'll have to get a new drivers license, health insurance cards, AAA cards, and all that sort of stuff, but fortunately Chris was at the apartment in Shanghai and could cancel the credit cards, so the new ones should be waiting for me whenI get to Elmhurst.
On Sunday, we wandered the streets of Bologna, sight-seeing and eating. We stopped at a couple of famous churches, the Bologna Museum, the towers and the Piazza Maggiore. We had some good food and had a nice leisurely day, in the rain. Monday, we went back to airport - it was finally sunny - and flew to Rome, ate some delicious Buffala mozzarella there, and then flew to Vienna. After a quick dinner nod luggage sorting at Samantha's apartment, Elizabeth and I headed to our hotel for some sleep. Next, to Salzburg!
As soon as Beth's flight from NYC landed, we stored her big suitcase and dragged her upstairs to check in for our flight to Bologna, Italy. While it might seem odd that she hadn't seen anything of Vienna yet, we all decided that we wanted to visit Bologna and take this incredible tour that Samantha's doctor had recommended. So, we flew to Bologna on Friday, changing planes (and literally racing throughout the airport) in Rome. 
I can't help but mention the lovely older Italian man in the Vienna gate area who asked if we were all sisters and exclaimed that Samantha and Elizabeth we so lucky to have such a young-looking mother. It seemed like a good omen of Bologna to me, but maybe not so much.
We landed in Bologna in pouring rain and took a cab to the hotel, which was basic but nice. We immediately headed out to walk around and found a fun open-air market, where Beth bought some cute flats for 5€. When we got hungry, we stopped a great restaurant filled with English speakers and delicious food. The pasta and desserts were incredible, just as we expected in Bologna. But after a couple glasses of wine, the jet lag started to catch up with Elizabeth and we headed back to the hotel to sleep. 
We were picked up at 7 a.m. On Saturday for our Italian food Days tour. After picking up a Swedish family at the train station, we drove about an hour, in the pouring rain, into the Italian countryside. I'm sure the drive would be beautiful on a sunny day. We first went to a factory that produces Parmaggiano-Reggiano cheese. We had to get there so early to see the cheese being made step-by-step.p, except for the milking of the cows and delivery of the milk to the factory. We saw the 20 huge vats in which 2 standard-sized 100 lb. wheels of cheese are cooked. We watched the cheese master check when the cheese is ready to be cooled into one large block, divided into 2 cheese cloths, and then moved into plastic forms to make rounds or wheels of cheese, it was really interesting to see the plastic inserts put into the plastic wheels on the second day to imprint each wheel of cheese with the Parmaggiano-Reggiano logo and the governmentally-regulated markings, including date and vat number. The cheese is moved to stainless forms and then, on day 20, is moved to racks to age for at least a year. At that point, governmental quality control agents check the cheese by tapping all around it and determine if it's grade 1 or 2, which determines how long it can be aged, or if it's just cheese, which can't be aged. They have to scrape the imprinted Parmaggiano-Reggiano cheese markings off the "cheese" and draw lines through the words if it's grade 2. We also learned that ricotta, which is a dairy product but not really cheese, is made from the leftover cream and whey that are produced in the production of Parmaggiano-Reggiano. 
While this was all very interesting, tasting it was even more fun. :)
From there, we drove a short way to a beautiful villa where they produce balsamic vinegar. This was also fascinating, as we learned about the Government-regulated quality control on the DOP balmasic, which is made in a pain-stakingly slow process. We got to taste-test several types, including some on vanilla gelato and some fresh ricotta made that morning - yum!
From there, we all went to an elaborate, long Italian lunch with the 3 Swedes, 2 other Americans (a mother and her 23-year-old daughter from Orlando, although the daughter has been in Germany for a year working as an au pair) and our guide, Alessandro. Lots of different food, including pumpkin soufflés and polenta gnocchi and everything with Parmaggiano-Reggiano on top. :) And, of course, lots of wine. What a wonderful way to spend a rainy day in Bologna. 
After we got back to Bologna, we wanted to go shopping a bit before dinner, so I said zi'd need to stop at an ATM, since I'd gap had to pay Alessandro in cash. By the time we made our way through the crowds to an ATM, my purse had been opened and my wallet stolen with me none the wiser. Unsettling, to be sure - I loved that wallet and still can't remember exactly all that was in it. Fortunately, I'd left my passport and a couple of extra credit cards in the hotel for just such an eventuality. The biggest hassle is no ATM card, but fortunately I have 2 adult daughters with me. I sent Samantha some cash online and she took out more cash from her ATM. Just really annoying, as I'll have to get a new drivers license, health insurance cards, AAA cards, and all that sort of stuff, but fortunately Chris was at the apartment in Shanghai and could cancel the credit cards, so the new ones should be waiting for me whenI get to Elmhurst. 
On Sunday, we wandered the streets of Bologna, sight-seeing and eating. We stopped at a couple of famous churches, the Bologna Museum, the towers and the Piazza Maggiore. We had some good food and had a nice leisurely day, in the rain. Monday, we went back to airport - it was finally sunny - and flew to Rome, ate some delicious Buffala mozzarella there, and then flew to Vienna. After a quick dinner nod luggage sorting at Samantha's apartment, Elizabeth and I headed to our hotel for some sleep. Next, to Salzburg!
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