First Off, the Food

So, this may come as a shock to some of you, but Charles really likes Italian food. And this small obsession of his was the reason we headed into the Emilia-Romagna region for a freezing cold 6 day food tour. This parcticular region is known for a few wonderful food contributions we take for granted, such as Ragu Bolognese (Ragu Bologna style), Balsamic Vinegar (from Modena) and of course Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese (from non-other than Parma).

While we did have a lot of really good food, it was an unfortunate coincidence that our vacation fell during the same time as many restaurant owners, and so we weren't able to try a few restaurants we were hoping to eat at (but this probably served our pocketbooks better). We sampled some delicious homemade pastas, including a Parma favorite of tortellini di zucca (tortellini with pumpkin filling). We also had to try the renowned (and expensive) Culatello di Zibello, which is a cured meat that translates loosely to "buttness" of a pig made in the small town of Zibello outside of Parma.

We had a delicious slow roasted cinghiale (wild boar) in Modena, and at the same restaurant we sampled two outstanding pasta dishes. One was the tortellini fiocchi di neve (snowflakes) which were so tender and soft they melted in your mouth, and the other was known as "Nonna's maccheroni ragu", which was a savory red sauce cooked grandma's style; it was mixed with several different kinds of meat and slow cooked until just right. My mouth is watering just remembering these dishes!

Despite the horrible cold we were tempted into a gelato shop in Modena where we had treats that were worth the shivers. Charles had chocolate and coffee and I felt the need for a taste of home and ordered the Snickers flavor (it was like a really good Blizzard).

By the time we reached Bologna we were tired, running low on funds, and facing the fact that most places were closed for New Years. So, being the resourceful travellers we are, we ate Chinese food. It was cheap, delicious, and one of the few places actually open! In fact, the restaurant had a really cool floor; it was all glass (or plexiglass more likely) with fish swimming beneath your feet! Very fun.

In total, we ate some awesome food, had some great fun, and came back refreshed and full of new inspiration for our own cooking at home. But, as you can probably tell from our photos, we've seen enough churches for a while!