An afternoon in Modena So far our morning was a fully packed romp through the wonders of Balsamic vinegar production but, the day was only half over. It was lunch time and our host, Simone, from the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena, had a plan to take us to one of his favorite local […]
The straight DOP (& IGP) on balsamic vinegar
Modena If you’ve been following along you know that we had a pretty full dance card in Bologna. This day would be our longest yet but absolutely worth the effort. We woke up before the sun and made our way to the train station in order to make it to Modena to meet our hosts […]
“Gelato!”: a day at Carpigiani
“Gelato!” When I mention food and Italy someone inevitably replies “Gelato!” Who doesn’t love a cone or bowl of that extra creamy lusciously flavoured Italian version ice cream? So when we were invited to Carpigiani Gelato University to learn the history and secrets of great gelato we jumped at the chance. About a 40-minute bus […]
Tartófla Savigno, Michelin star dining
Tartófla It didn’t take much convincing for us to board a bus early one morning to make the one hour trip from Bologna to a small town called Savigno. We were invited by Bologna Welcome and the organizer of the annual white truffle festival, Tartófla, to enjoy a day of everything truffles. Tartófla is an […]
Tales from the table: Drogheria della Rosa
Drogheria della Rosa “It opens at 8:30!” I said to Nat with a look of desperation. We had left our dinner plans way too late to cook anything and were scrambling to figure something out. Checking Google maps the closest restaurant to the apartment was 700 metres away, called Drogheria della Rosa. I was so […]
Bologna and a tumultuous first month
Guilty in Bologna I have been feeling a little bit guilty of not updating our blog as often as I would like, just a little. On previous trips, we often stopped to write, in hindsight we feel that it broke up the continuity of our experiences. This time we decided to enjoy every minute and write when we can. […]
We love Orvieto
Amazing beauty We love Orvieto for its amazing beauty and stunning hilltop views overlooking the green heart of Italy, Umbria. Our stay this time was a week, to unwind and prepare for our upcoming schedule. A quick romp A quick romp through Ottawa back home, taking care of business, a lost bag and delay in […]
Visiting the Colosseum & Ancient Rome with LivItaly Tours
LivItaly Tours When I booked a tour with LivItaly Tours, I didn’t realize it was the morning after we would be attending a birthday party for our good friend Linda from the Beehive. We decided we would walk across town to and from the party on a barge on the Tiber. Getting back to our […]