Each Airbnb just gets better and better – this one near the bustle of the Piazza Maggiore – is a contemporary space with lots of natural light and a circular staircase to the bedroom and bath upstairs. It even has a Nespresso coffee machine and separate milk frother; until now, we had to go out for cappuccino.
We had no plans for the morning, so we lazily relaxed to finish yesterday’s blog and start today’s blog. And consume coffee.
Somehow, we found the rental car in the parking garage with no trouble at all then, surprisingly, didn’t have to pay what we expected to be €22.
Our GPS took us on rural roads past fields of drying sunflowers and early blooming lavender. We enjoyed trying to decipher what the picture road signs meant. Skinny roads, big trucks, Lamborghini, and Maserati plants.
It took us 45 minutes to get to lunch in Nonantola at La Piazzetta del Gusto. Sitting outside in 82 degrees with a light breeze, it was close to perfect weather. After ordering wine, our waiter “brought you present” – soup of thickened chicken broth with parsley, peppered bacon, and crouton. The broth tasted much like Italian wedding soup. But that bacon… YUM. This restaurant is famous for their passatello asciutto: pasta made with parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs, and flour. We had one with porcini mushrooms and sausage; one with mascarpone cheese, pistachio, mortadella bologna and lemon peel. YUM. dessert was one that Linda couldn’t pass up: White chocolate ‘salame’ with apricot, pistachio, prune, and almonds. OH MY.
Back in Modena, we stopped at ‘one of the region’s finest food markets’, Mercato Albinell, where we purchased peaches, plums, and pears.
We had time before our tour so stopped in Piazza Grande, the Modena Duomo, Torre Ghirlandina (Duomo’s Bell Tower), and Town Hall.
Then we walked to Bloom Naturalmente Gelateria (We had to … our guidebook highly recommended it!). As we walked back to our car, we happened upon a pastry shop (much to our surprise, we didn’t buy anything) and a local grocer’s display of produce.
Next was the tour at Antica Acetaia Villa Bianca balsamic farm. Quite an experience. The owner’s wife, Irene, greeted us and we soon realized it was just the two of us, so she had our full attention. We tasted white and purple grapes, which are used together and cooked down before being stored in wood barrels for 12-25 years. We met her husband Claudio then Irene took us to the attic of their Renaissance house to do the tastings. As the door was opened, once again, the aroma! There were 200+ barrels of balsamic in various states – we tasted the differences in samples that had been aged 5 years, 7 years, 10 years, 12 years, and 25 years. They only sell the 12-year and 25-year to the public. The flavors started out on the sour side and got progressively sweeter and syrupier. Our one-hour tour turned into two hours, but it was worth it.
We drove the rental car back to the Aeroporto and took a taxi back to Bologna. We dropped our belongings and headed back out – it’s Friday night! We walked some, amazed at the amount of people in the streets and alleyways dining in what was a beautiful evening. Locating a table at Tamburini’s Deli, we decided we needed more than a glass of wine, so Dave had lasagna and Linda had caprese. The cheese on the salad plate was bigger than a baseball and so fresh. The tomatoes are always perfection in Italy and the spring greens, although good, made me wish I was home to pick some fresh basil. It’s strange sometimes to find that the way we prepare these same dishes isn’t necessarily the Italian way. Dave’s lasagna was rather strange – they used green noodles and the slice looks flat and cheeseless. It tasted good though. We’ll have to try lasagna and caprese in another town before we leave and see if they serve it the same way.
Home again, we are working on the blog and falling asleep doing it.
2022 Italy Vacation 
What an amazing day! I cant wait to hear about balsamic vinegars
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