An evening in Modena

A video in Modena filmed at Ristorante Uva D'Oro and then afterward on our search for a necessity whilst on return to apartment.

Parmigiano-Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico, and Salumi

Well, we are now experts in Parmigiano-Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico, and Salumi. Today we took a guided tour, that once again proved to be private, we were the only ones who booked. Starting from our accommodation door we were transported in a Mercedes van to a cheese dairy where we walked on the floor where the cheese was made and smell the cheese. Oh, how delightful.

At first I thought the cheese making had finished for the day but no, the two workers came out and our guide Paolo, narrated the process while they worked.

Paolo, our driver and guide.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is for us, not of the Modena region, Parmesan Cheese. It is a cheese that is made in a specific region, from milk of Friesian Cows that have grazed on grass specifically from the Emillia-Romangna region. The milk has a very specific process that needs to be followed to allow it to be given the prestigious name of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Some facts: each finished wheel is about 32kg and 600litres of milk is needed for each wheel. The cheese is aged for 12 to 40 months. Our favourite was the 24 month aged cheese.

Each wheel is worth 500 Euro ($750 AUD)

Next stop was a family owned Aceto Balsamico house.

Aceto Balsamico is Balsamic vinegar, but very different from stuff we get at the local supermarket. For this real nectar is only made of one ingredient, grapes. What we get at the supermarket is an imitation and one can tell by looking at the ingredients, if there is more than one listed it is commercially produced. The Balsamic vinegar passes through a number of barrels over time and when sold can be anywhere from 12 to 25 years old. We purchased 100 ml of 12 year old for a very special price of 10 euro.

Second last stop was the Salumi Museum.

Salumi, isn't the same as Salami. Salumi is the combined term for all cold cuts made from pork (and some beef) in Italian. If you are ever offered a plate of Salumi it should contain many different types of meat, Parma Ham, Mortadella, Salami or Pancetta.  Parma Ham takes 24 months from slaughter to delivery for sale, this includes a number of saltings of the meat, brine washes and hanging in climate controlled areas. We were amazed of the process and the work that is done on this leg of pork.

Finally we were taken to a family run winery, where we were guided through the process they use to make sparkling red, rose and white wine.

With these large tastings, we were given a very home made lunch followed by a conversation about a number of things including, Italian culture.  They asked about our occupations and I mentioned about a recent project assisting waste services with the computer system, much discussion was then had about the differences of waste collection in Italy and Australia. I think both countries could learn a little from each other.

On returning to the apartment we have relaxed with the A.C. on but will be heading out for a walk into Centro soon for some La Passeggiata.

Tomorrow, Gelati and Bologna.

Milan, Cremona and Modena

This morning we woke to something we hadn't seen in a while - rain! It was also a little cooler in Milan this morning, which was a relief from the past few very hot days.

After breakfast we caught the
tram and headed to Budget to pick up our car, which will be our transportation for the next 2 and a half weeks. We found it easily and the process of collecting the car was also easy. We are now the proud temporary owners of a white Fiat Panda. (name yet to be decided - perhaps you have a suggestion??)

The end point of our journey today was Modena, but we had planned a stop in Cremona - birthplace of Stradivarius Violins. Shannon was clearly more comfortable and confident driving on the wrong side of the road now and we had a relaxing 1 and a half hour trip to the small, quaint town of Cremona. There is a museum dedicated to Stradivarius Violins and it was quite fascinating. We were able to see and hear many examples of the violin through the eras from as far back as the 1500s. We enjoyed a light lunch in the bistro and headed in to the historical centre of town.

We had another hour or so on the road and we arrived in Modena. We had prearranged a meeting time with the owner of the apartment we are staying in and he was right on time. Our small apartment is centrally located. We haven't had time to explore the immediate area of the apartment as yet, because we had a few things to do after we arrived. The first obstacle was to work out where to park. There are all sorts of signs around the place that tell you (in Italian) where you can and can't park and for how long. Also, some parks are painted with blue lines and some with white, indicating whether you have to pay overnight or not. Confusion. Rather than get too stressed, I messaged our host and he gave us the name of an undercover 24 hour park about a 10 minute walk from our apartment. Not ideal, but the best we're going to get. It would have, perhaps, been nice to know things like this before we arrived. It was time to wash clothes again. Fortunately Shannon had already been busy on Google and found a place nearby. The owner of the laundromat didn't speak a word of English, but between our little Italian and many hand gestures and sign language between us, we got there in the end. He was very helpful. By this stage it's nearing 7pm and we haven't eaten anything. We'd already decided to cook tonight so hit the supermarket for supplies.

The downpour from our apartment.

I can honestly say I cooked the worst meal I have ever cooked. (It was bad - Shannon) However, I won't take all the blame because the ingredients let me down. We bought beef hamburgers, a selection of salad things, cheese and bread. We both ended up eating just the salad and cheese...the hamburgers were awful! They didn't even taste like beef and the bread that looked lovely and rustic was dry and flavorless. Ick! At this point it was either laugh or cry, so we did a little of both and had another glass of red wine.

Fortunately the local Gelati shop saved the evening!

Tomorrow - foodies delight! A gourmet food tour with brunch at a winery.

Milan and great food.

As we are on holiday we realised that we could have a sleep in and we did, it was a late start and we still managed to see a couple of the main sights. Sometimes Katie has to remind me
holidays are about relaxing too!

The first attraction was the Leonardo3, this was a very interesting insight into the works of the great man Leonardo Da Vinci. It had digital displays showing his manuscripts and current interpretations. Each display also had a physical creation of each Leonardo device allowing us to truly respect the great mans work.

Next stop was the Museum dedicated to the Milan Duomo (Church).  This was included as part of our tour yesterday, and was one of the most well laid out museums we have been in.  It contained many pieces of stone work that have come from the Duomo and been replaced.

Next stop was the Teatro alla Scala Museum. (Opera House Museum). The museum was very thorough for opera fans and covered many artists we had never heard of. Thankfully for us we were able to see what we had been looking forward to. The theater with the many floors of box seating.  Such an impressive building, if we were only a week or two later we could have got a ticket to a show. Well, there is always next time!

 

 

The afternoon got pretty warm and we chose to retreat to the Air conditioned Hotel room. In the late afternoon I took a walk leaving Katie reading and saw some more of the streets of Milan.
Here is the vlog whilst on that walk, phew, I didn't realise I was so sweaty til I looked back at the video tonight!

The evening was spent at the best restaurant yet, Mimmo. Selected for two reasons, it was behind our hotel and it also rated well in TripAdvisor.
Firstly it wasn't cheap but was well worth the price, the waiters were friendly, welcoming, professional and not in your face but there when needed.

The food was modern Italian.  We were offered a bruschetta whilst selecting from the minimal menu.
For starter I Selected the Yellow Tail Terine with Melon Granita and Katie selected the Grilled Squid with Speck and Halumi and a pea sauce.

Next was mains as we skipped the pasta dish.  I had the Lobster with Orange and fennel salad and Katie had Lamb with Fondant Potatoes and Courgette (Zucchini)

Finally we couldn't pass upon dessert, I had a Chocolate mud cake with white mousse and berries while Katie had Tiramisu.

I will admit it wasn't cheap but if you include service, ambiance and food it was well worth it. Again this is when Katie reminds me we're on Holidays and not here to save money. Thanks Mimmo for a lovely evening..

Tomorrow, On the road with the Violin?

Magical Milano

Our first full day in the city of Milan did not disappoint. Today on our agenda was a visit to Leonardo Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' and a tour of the city and Duomo, in the afternoon.

When we were planning this trip and considering which places to add to our itinerary, we had question marks over Milan. This was only because so many people had said things like "oh don't go to Milan, it's just another city." Or..."Milan is just for
business and industry." I'm pleased to say Milan in all her beauty, proved those people wrong today and we are so pleased we left Milan on our list. While it doesn't have the same charm as Rome, Milan is elegant, polite, rich in tradition and its people are so friendly.

After breakfast at our hotel we headed in to the centre via the underground train. There is a trick to catching this correctly of course. To make sure you are travelling the correct way, you need to know the name of the stop you want to get off at and the name of the stop at the end of the line. Yes we have messed this up before, but it is easily fixed by getting off at the next stop, crossing to the other side and travelling back in the right direction.

Our booking at The Last Supper was at 11:30, so we had plenty of time to wander the streets from the centre to get there. After collecting our tickets we still had time to kill so stopped in at the local cafe for a cold water and espresso. There is something quite satisfying about being able to order your coffee in Italian and understand the waiters response. We have found in Italy, a small gesture like attempting to speak the language, goes a long way with the locals. They are very receptive to tourists attempting to speak to them in their language and this often creates the best traveling moments.

The viewing of the Last Supper is kept to 15 minutes and groups of 30 at a time. This is to preserve the beauty of the painting. Stepping inside the rectory and seeing The Last Supper for the first time, was quite emotional for me. Some would laugh at me for saying that but it's true. The same thing happened for me when I first laid eyes on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Trevi Fountain in Rome and walked inside Buckingham Palace in London. There are some things you never think you may see in your life time. When you do get the opportunity, for me anyway, it's a feeling of no other. It's gratitude of being able to travel and joy at seeing some of the world's most beautiful monuments, art pieces and buildings. So, swallowing the lump in my throat I was in awe of the beauty of this piece of art that had been so carefully restored. We were very pleased we had paid for the audio guide, which explained in detail, the meaning behind the painting and the process of restoring it.

 

 

The heat had certainly kicked in when we stepped back outside. Fortunately we already had some water with us, but took the opportunity to fill our bottles at one of the many spring water fountains on the street. We took our time heading back in to the centre as our tour wasn't until 2:30. We found a great little sandwich spot to enjoy some lunch in and then found a tram to take us the rest of the way in to the Duomo. I felt so tiny standing in front of the Duomo. It is just massive and dominates the main square.

This photo is taken from the side!

Upon arriving at our meeting point for our tour, we realised we were the only ones there. We were expecting there to be a group of about 50, but were so excited it was just us - a private tour! The tour was 3 and 1/2 hours long and included a tour inside the Duomo, below it in to the baptistry and original churches and then access to the very top of the Duomo to walk on the terraces. It also included a walk around the city to the castle. The Duomo was so impressive. It would equal the beauty of the Basillica at the Vatican. Our guide was so knowledgeable and gave us a great insight in to the history of the Duomo and Milan itself.

 

 

 

 

After leaving the Duomo, we continued our tour by walking through the city with our guide Elisa. She led us through the Galleria Victorio Emanuele building, a high end shopping centre, with the first ever glass roof in Italy. We listened to stories of Milan's history and traditions and by the time we reached our end point at Sforzesco Castle, we'd fallen in love with another Italian city. We were so impressed with Elisa, she really was the best tour guide we had ever come across. After enduring hours in the hot sun we rewarded ourselves with an ice cold limone and arancia granite and sat in the shade in the park watching the world go by. We had dinner at a local, casual restaurant to round off another wonderful day in Italia.

 

Tomorrow; Museums and more Milan