Italian Odyssey - 12.

Few people who travel to Italy will stay in Polinago, a small rural town in the mountains outside Modena. Back in 2013, Carolyn found a small article in the Doc Holiday section of the Sunday Paper travel supplement, referring to a small B&B not far from Florence that was run by ex pat Aussies, where you could get a taste of Italian rural life. We sent an email, and owners Win & David became part of our holiday planning, with so much local knowledge, not just of their region, but all of Italy, we have had some experiences, and visited many places we certainly would not have found on our own.

We headed off from Lucca, taking a wonderful drive over the Appenine Mountains. The river gorges and hillside towns were amazing. We stopped at Devils Bridge, a medieval bridge still in working order. Incredible construction. At the top of the mountain is Abetone, a ski resort, so it is a high mountain pass. The GPS took us right to Win & David's door, the Cherry House B&B, where we finally met Win & David, Marty the dog & their two cats! We are staying for 5 nights, and another couple, Viv & Mal, from Katanning in WA, are also staying, but for an extra 3 days. This is not like your average B&B. As David says, we like to think we are more of a home stay, so there are lots of joint activities planned, utilising David's comfortable LandRover Discovery, to fit us all in. After all the introductions, we settled in for drinks, and the first of many home cooked meals around the large dining table. Win loves to cook, and utilise the wonderful local fresh produce at her disposal. We are in the area that produces among other things, the wonderful Parmigiano Reggiano, the king of Parmesan cheeses. It has been produced here, and only here, on the same farms, for centuries. The regionality of food in Italy is amazing. The pastas change as do the sauces, the meats and the recipes. We had a lovely evening talking around the table, and by the time we went to bed we felt like old friends.

Next morning after a delicious breakfast featuring the fresh season fruits and other goodies, we were off to visit a nearby farm. Mal's hobby is collecting & restoring vintage tractors. He has over 40 tractors at home, and he is in search of a rare Landini Tractor from the early 1900's. David has located one at a farm nearby, where a local guy has a private collection of cars, tractors & motor bikes. The Landini was sitting out in front of the barn, all fired up and ready for Mal, who was like a kid in a candy shop! We spent some time with the tractor, the antique Moto Guizi motor cycles, some old Vespar scooters and little Fiat 500's, all in working order. Paolo, the owner was so proud of showing us his collection, but nothing was for sale. He told Mal he had a friend who had a Super Landini, a much larger tractor, which might be for sale, so we all piled into the car and headed to another farm. It was huge compared to the first one, and I am sure negotiations are continuing. Apparently, getting Italian's to make big decisions takes time, lots of time!

That afternoon we were all back in the car headed for Verona. We passed by hundreds of huge ceramic factories, with pallets of Italian tiles reaching for the sky. If you have Italian tiles in your bathroom or on your floor, they would have come from around here. The plan was to spend a few hours walking the streets of Verona, which was lovely. We saw Romeo's house, and Juliet's balcony, plus some incredible buildings. Verona dates back to Roman times. There was a bell ringing contest going on, with flat top trucks mounted with bells of all shapes & sizes, being pushed and pulled by lots of men of all shapes & sizes. The sounds were incredible, but after a while my head was ringing & I was hoarse from shouting. We stopped for gelato at a praline gelato shop, now that was good gelato, and eventually arrived at our restaurant for dinner. This is a favourite of Win & David, and we can understand why. The food was fantastic. I took David's lead, and had the local delicacy of liver with onions & polenta. This was a big step up from lambs fry & bacon! Fantastico! Carolyn had the special pasta, with asparagus and speck. All the food was wonderful. After dinner we all headed to the colosseum, built by the Romans more that 2000 years ago, and one of the best preserved in Italy. We were all going to the Opera, to see Aida. We are not opera buffs, and Aida isn't the brightest and liveliest opera written, but the experience of sitting under the stars in this huge arena, listening to the opera, was something we will never forget. It didn't finish until 1.00am, and it was 3.30am by the time we got home!! To let the crowd disperse, we stopped for a coffee. An Aussie lady came over when she heard our voices. We got talking, and it turned out she came from Perth. We talked some more and it turned out that Jane was the sister of Geoff Pilling we have become good friends with through our caravan travels. Geoff & Moira couldn't believe it when we posted our photo with his sister in Verona!!!

Next day we all slept in and Win prepared a delicious brunch. Carolyn accompanied Win to the local market, to do the shopping. Talk about a girl in her element! After brunch, we headed out for a drive through the countryside. We stopped and walked into the forest to see a natural rock arch, that was used in Roman times. They think it was some spiritual place, as many Roman coins have been found around the arch. We also went to medieval bridge, on a beautiful river where there were lots of young people picnicking & swimming in the cold water. It was a real lovely spot. Back home, we started the evening with happy hour on the veranda. Win was busy in the kitchen again, when there was a knock on the door. It was their neighbour carrying two pizzas he had just taken out of his oven! The Italians eat their big meal in the middle of the day, and so pizza is often the choice for dinner. Apparently this is a regular Sunday thing with the neighbour. They were absolutely delicious! Win cooked a delicious dinner featuring the most incredible shish kebabs prepared by her butcher. They had beef, chicken, mortadella, & some things I didn't even know. With a mushroom risotto, veggies and salad, it was a feast. Some lovely wines followed by home made Limoncello & Nocino, a walnut liqueur they make, and we wobbled off to bed. 

Next day, we were off to Lake Garda. This is Win's favourite lake in Italy. Today, we were taking ourselves in our hire car, to give Win & David a break. We asked Viv & Mal if they would like to come with us, and we're really glad when they said they'd come. We had a great day in beautiful weather. The scenery is postcard stuff. It is the largest lake in Italy. If we ever come back we will stay around the lake and enjoy the many wonderful little towns that dot the shore all around the lake. We stopped in Lazize and walked the streets & lakefront. We had a coffee, before heading on to Malcesine, where we had lunch at a waterfront Pizzeria. Here Carolyn & I sampled a local rolled pizza wrapped in prosciutto. It was extremely good. There is a funicular to the top of the mountain in Malcesine, but the crowds and time made us miss it this time. From here it was on to the top of the lake to Riva de Garde, which is a high end resort town. The lake area is extremely popular with Germans, so much so that all signs are in Italian & German! We stopped in Limone Sul Garde, a delightful town, where we had time for gelato, the local special flavour being green apple! By now it was 5.00pm, and we still had quite a lot of lake to see! We just drove through Gardone Riviera, and Salo, as we wanted to visit one of the jewels of the lake, Sirmione. Here there is a walled city from the Middle Ages, situated at the end of a narrow piece of land stretching up into the lake. We found a little bar by the lake & had a drink and snacks, which always get served with the drinks, then figured it was time to head home. It was now 8.00pm and we had a two hour drive home. It had been a great day out and we really got to know Viv & Mal, the girls sharing shopping time, Mal & I sharing bench time! The trip home got longer, when the traffic on the Autostrada stopped. A truck had rolled, and there was no way back! Thankfully, we were moving again an hour later, and arrived back in Polignano at 11.30pm, another huge day!

I am writing this as we fly across Italy from Florence to Turin in our comfortable Frecciarossa fast train. It is super comfortable with reclining leather seats, complimentary drinks & snacks, and I just looked up to see that the screen was telling me we just hit 300kph! 

For our last day Win & David had planned a day visiting Bologna, Modena & Maranello. Bologna is called the food capital of Italy. We drive down through the mountains, then the land flattens out to fertile farm land, where corn, wheat and arborio rice are grown, along with lots of veggies and sunflowers. The sunflowers make a spectacular sight. David dropped us off and parked the car, and then Win took us on a walking tour of the Centro area. We really liked Bologna. The streets are narrow as usual, but the footpaths are all covered with huge porticos so are very shady, and the shoppers never get wet! It is very pleasant to walk around. We walked through the main Piazza and saw an endless number of impressive buildings. There was a lot of roadwork & building work going on. Win led us into the food market part of town, which was on a scale like nothing we have seen. Street after street of butcher shops, fish shops, ham & salami shops, fruit & veggie shops, wine shops, chocolate shops, flower shops. There wasn't any kind of food you could not buy. Win had booked lunch at a traditional style of restaurant, where there are many dishes pre cooked just for today's lunch. A huge variety! At Carolyn's suggestion, we managed to get plates of many dishes to share around the table. Win told us that it was normal to share an antipasto plate, but then everyone picked a dish, but when she put it to the owner, he was most obliging! It was all great, and David had chosen a local Lambrusco wine to go with it. This is not like any Lambrusco we have had at home. Closest thing I could compare to would be a sparkling Shiraz. 

We had spent so much time drooling over food, we cancelled Modena , and went straight to Maranello, so Carolyn & I could go to the Ferrari Museum. The others had all been before, so they had a Ferrari coffee instead. Talk about big boys toys! First David parked on the roundabout near the factory, so we could get our photo taken with the prancing horse statue that is the centre piece of the roundabout! We then went to the museum. It is excellent. So many cars dating back to the beginnings when Fangio was king of the track. There are lots of F1 Cars, plus lots of private builds and limited edition cars built for special people or special occasions. There was a car built for Eric Clapton! Enzo's office has been recreated, and where are so many video screens and simulators. The exhibition dedicated to Ferrari's F1 Driver & Manufacturer Championships is impressive, as is the tribute wall featuring all of the Ferrari World Champions. Sad to see Michael Schumacher at his peak, considering where he is today. With more time, I would have liked to do the Ferrari Drive experience. Maybe one day!

We returned home the long way through the mountains. Win cooked us one last lovely meal of pasta with so much more. We enjoyed David's wines and liqueurs and coffee. Next morning, after a delicious breakfast of bacon & eggs, we can't remember the last time we had bacon & eggs!, we were saying our goodbyes. This had been an experience we will never forget. In Win & David, Viv & Mal, we have made lovely new friends. We shared some wonderful moments together and have seen and experienced so much more than we could ever imagined on out trip to Italy. If ever you are in Italy and want to experience Italy with a difference keep Win & David in mind. www.cherryhouseinitaly.com

We returned our little Fiat to the Avis man at Bologna Station, and jumped on the fast train to Florence, just 45 minutes away. In Florence we are staying in a convent, across the river Arno. The taxi took us to the door, and a bright & cheery lady checked us in. Our room was huge with 4 single beds! What happened to go forth & mutiply!! The ceilings are 20ft high with frescos, and we have two huge columns. There are two showers! Why, we do not know, and a big bathroom. We could have sub let space! We headed into the streets of Florence. Nothing is far away. Florence is the city of the arts, dominated by the huge Duomo, the Medici Palace & Uffizi Gallery all grouped close together. We did two excellent tours, the first was a walking tour of Florence which ended at the Accademie, where the original Michaelangelo statue of David resides. Seeing that statue is a goose bumpy moment, and having our guide point out the exquisite detail, makes you understand what a genius Michaelangelo was. It is a huge statue! That afternoon we walked the streets around the Central Market, which is just street after street of market stalls, selling leather handbags, belts, scarves & souvenirs. I don't know how they compete, as there are dozens of stalls all selling the same thing. Have never seen so many handbags! That night, as it was another public holiday, this time John the Baptist Day, the streets were packed, and we were quite exhausted after all the late nights at Polinago, so we decided to eat near our convent. We found a lovely place called Nomero, which said it was a Pizzeria, but it was much more. The larger than life old chef, with glass of wine in hand, welcomed us in, and the equally friendly staff served us with such style. Within 45 minutes the place was full, and there was a line down the street. We had picked a beauty! We shared two things off the daily special board, a pasta with the tomato sauce they bottle & sell, and one of the wood fired pizzas. Both had so much flavour. Our waiter told us we had to have dessert. We agreed to share one. Each time Carolyn made a choice, the waiter said no, until she reached the last one on the list, soufflé Nomero. It goes down as a serious contender for best dessert ever!! It looked like piece of cheesecake, but was the lightest, warm soufflé filling, in a biscuit crust that dissolved on your tongue. It was divine, and we wished we had had one each!

In the morning we walked the few blocks up to the Ponte Vecchio. This historical old bridge is the only one to survive the allied bombing in WWII. It is the gold & jewellery centre of Florence, with store after store competing for business. Somehow, I got tricked into buying Carolyn's Christmas present! It should still be a surprise with Christmas so far away! From the bridge we took a taxi up to Piazzale Michaelangelo, a square high on a hill, that offers those iconic views out over Florence. It is a lovely spot, and you get a real perspective of the city. We lunched at the central market, where the first floor is like a giant cafeteria, with dozens of vendors offering everything imaginable, including a tripe sandwich! It is busy & noisy, and the food is good. After lunch we took in the huge Duomo, which is such an imposing thing from the outside. It is so huge it is hard to get a photograph of the entire building! Inside, the building lacks the glitz of some of the other Cathedrals we have seen. Our guide seemed to think that it was because people were scared the dome, which took ages to complete, might collapse! Our last thing for the day was a small group tour of the famous Uffizi Gallery. There were six of us on the tour, and our guide was passionate & incredibly knowledgeable. She brought each artwork to life with her insights. There are so many masterpieces to see, by the greats of Italy, Titian, Raffael, Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci. They are simply stunning, as are some of the dark works of Caravaggio. What a wonderful tour to finish the day. We found a bar on the way back to the convent, and sat talking to a lovely couple from California for some time. By the time we left the bar it was 8.00pm and we were tired after a day of walking, so guess where we went! When on a good thing you stick to it! The dessert was even better, the second time!

Next morning we were on our way to Turin by fast train. It is just three hours, and the time flies when you are blogging! Our immediate impression was not good. Our hotel was just a short walk, through a dirty smelly neighbourhood, full of Africans, sitting on anything they could find, which was mostly the footpath! We found our hotel, and our concierge told us not to go into that area after dark! We dropped our bags and headed out into the streets to explore. It is our least favourite place in Italy so far. We walked along the river PO, where the walkway was full of graffiti & rubbish, and smelt of urine! There are some impressive buildings, and there is a lot of history. It is the first time we have seen groups of young people drinking in the streets, and loud and somewhat unruly, behaviour. As we walked into the main part of the city, we entered Piazza Vottorio Veneti, the largest open Piazza in all of Europe! It is huge. There was a rally of Fiat Barchetta sports cars being held. You hardly noticed the 100 or so cars, due to the size of the Piazza. Probably the most famous building in Turin is the Museo Nazionale del Cinema. It is a vertical museum, stretching into the sky. There was a huge line waiting to go up on the tower where you stand on gantries around the outside of the building for great views of the city. Not this little black duck! As we tried to walk back across town, we were stopped by a big & very loud demonstration. That night we found a nice little cafe in a side street, and enjoyed a simple Sicilian meal of pasta with sardines & pizza. The bowl of pasta was huge!

Next day, we decided to do the hop on hop off buses. This gives us a good lie of the land and lets us see the main sights. The first route takes you around town. It quickly became apparent that there was more to Turin than the area we were in. Imagine you arrived in Sydney and your hotel was in Redfern! The other side of town was much classier. Though, the city still remained unkept, with rubbish & graffiti, and the grass in the parks looked like it hadn't been mown for months! Turin is supposedly the greenest town in Europe, and there are lots of big parks and tree lined streets. The architecture is quite different, with the Savoy family having an Austrian background and the buildings reflecting that style. There are lots of impressive places to see, none better than Piazza Castello, the Central Piazza of Turin. The afternoon bus route was much longer, and took in the history of Fiat, with a drive through the industrial areas to see the old & new Fiat factories, as well as the huge high rise urban sprawl that housed the thousands of workers who came from all over Europe to work at Fiat. It was a very interesting tour. When we got back to the hotel, and checked our Facebook, we were delighted to see that Viv & Mal had arrived in Turin for an overnight stay, so we worked out a way to get together for dinner. They are such a lovely couple. Unfortunately, we chose one of the Eataly Restaurants to have our dinner. This is a worldwide chain promoting fresh Italian food. It was the worst meal we have had in Italy by a mile! We wiped away our disappointment with an excellent gelato as we walked back to our hotels, and said our goodbyes again! 

Next morning, we decided on fresh fruit for breakfast. Whilst the hotel breakfast are good, there is a sameness about them! Across the street was a lovely little fruit shop, where we bought 6 of the biggest figs we have ever see, at €4 per kilo, and 4 of the incredible flat peaches. So fresh & full of flavour. We also called in at the Pharmacy to stock up on cold medication, as John is getting dose number three! I never get sick!!! From here we took a taxi out to the airport to collect our hire car. It didn't take long, but I guess when the taxi is doing 160kmh down the Autostrada you get there quick! We have a few days to drive up through the Italian Alps, and around Lake Maggiore. Should be lovely.