Our last Full Day……

We have just boarded the fast train to Milan and should arrive in one hour. Our trip has come to an end and I believe everyone is ready to be coming home! The adventures were priceless and the Italian journey was simply AMAZING!!

To report about our day and make the Italian Blog complete, we must share about the FOOD capital of the world……Bologna! It truly is like a unique place of its own that I never knew anything about prior to Tracy suggesting it as a must see.

Our dreamy hotel included breakfast and the spread was endless. Made to order omelette, eggs, soooo many baked items and an array of flavored croissants, cereals, cheeses, meats, etc. The fresh peach, pineapple, and orange juice was a bonus. We exited in time to enjoy a morning walk to meet our food tour group for the day. The Bologna welcome center is in the main square and where we start from, passing by the huge basilica and church bells towers, everything is so old with the Italian architecture similar to Rome and Florence.

First stop is to a famous chocolate store where the first solid dark chocolate was created in 1832. We get to taste 3 different kinds, one solid- one covered with orange flavor, and my favorite the 4- layered hazelnut creamy version. The solid one was in the shape of a tortellini ,which we heard a story the shape came about due to someone looking through a peep hole and only seeing a woman’s navel. Look at a tortellini and you will notice it is a navel, as In a belly button. 🙂 Funny fact for the day! Our tour guide speaks super fast with a thick accent and was from Madrid. She was terribly hard to understand to a point of comedy and disappointment for some. We all enjoyed to tour and actually made friends with 2 east coast ladies. Debbie & Donna, one from NJ the other from DC. They met on an organized tour their husbands are here for a medical conference. Debbie exchanged numbers with me and she invited us to stay at her house in NJ, her kids are all out of the house. Not sure I need more places to stay in NJ, lol 🙂 She is a Jewish lady who hit it off with our 4-some. She gave us her meat tasting as she keeps kosher. Sorry, this entry is all over the place as I am tired and we are ready to find a bed to rest in soon. I wanted to journal on the train so my sore body can get in bed early. Feeling old today 🙂

Back to Bologna……the city was filled with culture, art, music, food, motorcycles, fast cars, and the first of many homeless people we see in Italy. So many animals walking, and tons of students as they have a HUGE university here. This would be an awesome place to study abroad in my opinion. The music of live street players is in abundance and makes me feel happy when we pass by one. We learned on the food tour that it takes 500 liters of milk, salt, and 12 months of time to make one-wheel of Parmesan Reggiano cheese. As well it takes 12 years to make a bologna balsamic vinegar. She commented they have slow food but the fastest cars.

The tour wandered us through many food stalls, markets, fresh fish, cheeses, meats, vegetables, fruits, and colorful flowers. The aromas of the day was intoxicating! We passed by SO many outdoor restaurants with people eating. Everywhere you turn people are shoving food in their mouth. No joke!! We comment that this must be an Anthony Bordain haven and will google later to see if he ever did an episode in this city, my guess is yes! We end at a lovely indoor sit down cafe. We are all served a slice of salami, prosciutto, and the famous mortadella, as well as this mortadella mouse, one piece of Parmesan. The special treat and our favorite mouth watering experience was the bread. If you can call this puff ball even bread- which doesn’t do it justice. The correct name is, Crescentine- they were salted puff dough pockets. They were so good that we requested an extra basket and got lucky they said yes. We each ate so many that we decided this was lunch. Which was also accompanied by a glass of the known red wine of the region, Sangiovese.  Our friends Donna & Debbie sat next to us and shared photos of their children. Ones daughter had just gotten married in Lancaster, PA and the wedding photo with 8 nieces and nephews in white dresses and suits was beyond precious. We said our good byes and started our days agenda of the things we wanted to see here until our train.

There was some shopping that needed to be accomplished, and Sydney was able to buy a knock off pair of the crazy Golden Goose shoes she wanted. We made our way to the tower we were planning to climb. Sadly you had to pre buy tickets and the time slot was not available for an hour. After all the walking we have accomplished I think my 43 year old back is happy it didn’t have to hike 500 stairs to the top of this massive tower. We all decided we did it in Verona it was okay. I’m in need of a serious massage, my body feels like it has been beaten. Took a ton of photos of the massive tower and the smaller leaning tower next to it.

We had seen that Andy Warhol had an exhibit going on and Tracy was  psyched to see it. I didn’t know the history of who he was except recalling and recognizing his name. As well I m pretty sure Shanna has mentioned him to me recently and is probably laughing while reading this line. Now that I visited the exhibit, I’m glad we went as he is an iconic artists to NYC, MY FAVORITE CITY!

We got the audio guide, good choice and this exhibit was truly my favorite of the art we saw on this trip. I guess I truly am an American girl! Lol Tracy’s dad has an original Warhol painting so the kids knew about him too. It was very cool and in a totally different area of the city that walking to it gave us a chance to explore more of the city. My favorite part was the last room where you got to sit and watch 100 music videos from MTV of hit songs from the 70-80’s during Andy’s time of changing art in NY. Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, etc. It was little snip-it’s of each song while we sat in a dark room with a disco ball overhead. The coolest art show/display.

We got our daily gelato fill at a new gelato spot where the pope had ate his gelato. Another Mateo served us and was the owner of the store. This gelato was a different consistency, much creamier as he said it was natural with nothing added to it. Unsure what that meant but there was a notable difference. I had his suggested favorite of Marscapone. T and S had Pear…..it was so good too!

There are so many motorcycles in these streets and Ducati is a big brand here too. We walked back to the big church as it was closed before and the guide said it was a must see. Basilica San Petronio, I see holy water and dip a finger to put on my face as well as pay for a candle to light. I love lighting my church candles and saying my prayers, hopes, and dreams. We sit down on the chairs and take in the beauty of yet again another massive vibrant cathedral church in Italy. We decide we need to find a snack/dinner as we will board ourMilan train and then be infor the night at the airport hotel. Everyone agrees we’re not that hungry but must eat in Bologna and not Milan. We walk up and down a few streets to ensure the perfect last stop. We find a food court type place and get 2 pasta dishes to share. Cheap eats that are mouth watering delicious. Sophie, if your reading this, the Taglietelli Bolgnese was the best I had ever tasted. Also we gotta spinach ricotta tortellini in a butter sage sauce. I had to have a last cocktail, theMaster Aperol. This one had vodka, sugar, lime, and  Aperol. It was soooo good. As we were walking out of this food area, I spotted some little kids eating a bucket of tiny balls, meatballs. Like a kid size order. I stopped to ask if they were good and inquire a description. The mom and the kids all pointed the way where to order them and said they were a must get. I ordered meatballs to go. Omg…… mushy meat, yet a crispy outside, no sauce just the most delicious meatballs. We see a big fat sweet bulldog named Ragu, super cute! Sydney asks why he has 2 penises…. she was referring to his testicles and the fact that we ordered a bucket of balls, this became a funny moment that was a bit deletions. 🤣We say bye to the Bologna main square to walk back to hotel to get our bags that have been there all day. Taxi to train station, with the universe in charge the train we needed to catch thankfully was 20 min delayed which allowed us to book last min tickets on it and board just in the nick of time. The angels are watching over us. Another awesome gotta always trust the universe has your back moment…..between Tracy and I we only have 26 euros left in cash. We get off train in Milan and must travel to airport hotel with our 9 bags. Driver speaks little English. He offers to take us to ATM once he says to credit cards and sees our panic. I have been telling everyone to just Trust. Tabby and I joke that I will get her a tattoo that says, Trust!! I’m thinking perhaps a magnet, lol Anyways we end up with just enough to pay the nice man as he drops us at the Novotel hotel. Another great set up for a good night sleep, our last one in Italy. Thanks for following along on the journey. We arrive home tomorrow night at 10 pm phx time…..a long travel day awaits us. Sweet dreams!!

love Laurie Sue….xo 🙂