kathrynj

I've been meaning to post some more updates while I am still here in Bologna and figured I better do it today before it ends up being February. I have visited some more places in the last weeks, tried more restaurants and have truly enjoyed the beautiful way Italy decorates itself over the holiday season.

This is the first time I have been in Europe this time of year and I would definitely visit again during this season, especially while the lights are still up and things are in a festive mood. That said, even now is good (then again, I am a Midwest/East Coast person used to cold weather).

BOLZANO

After having friends for a couple of weeks, after they left took a long day trip up to Bolzano and enjoyed it immensely. I know some people complain about the Italian trains but I don't get it---I think they are great---not expensive, usually/almost always on time, go to so many places efficiently, etc. Got to Bolzano after passing lots of barren vineyards along the way. All of a sudden I was in an entirely different area with sparkling blue sky, snow and a large and delightful Xmas market packed with all sorts of goodies. Colorful painted buildings and an alpine atmosphere.

I was lucky with the weather and able to take the cable car up to Oberdozen/Soprabolzano and then further up to Klobensten/Collalbo, really getting a sense of being more in Austria than Italy. Charming houses, spectacular sights, a Punch & Judy puppet type show for kids, an open fire and hot mulled wine. Also visited the Otzi Museum which was interesting too.

Bottom line----Bolzano is a really beautiful town I would happily return to, especially at a time allowing for hiking the Dolomites. It was crowded with people for the Xmas market and people were even standing on the train back to Bologna---no matter, a perfect day. Tried to get into a couple restaurants I had noted before going but it was way too crowded to waste the time----had a pretzel sandwich with spek which was great.

MODENA

Visited Modena with guests. Unfortunately the string of sunny, nice weather in Bologna ended (of course, when there are visitors!) so it was rainy in Modena. Arrived in the afternoon as it was getting dark but the streets were decorated elegantly with holiday lights , people were out shopping and it was a generally festive atmosphere. VERY disappointed with all the scaffolding at the Duomo since it made it hard to imagine how glorious the central piazza would look. I knew it would be the case but didn't think it would impact as much as it did.

A pleasant surprise, however, was the awesome covered market we explored which was really terrific & seemed more impressive than what I have experienced in Bologna---it was more open and airier than the Ugo Bassi covered market and appeared to have more variety, along with balsamic vinegars, lots of parmigiano reggiano, fish, etc. Modena has nice shopping areas, porticoes, not the graffiti of Bologna (much as I love Bologna it would be nice sometimes to imagine it without the graffiti).......a very pleasant, wealthy, very attractive town.

Ate at Osteria Francescana, a two star Michelin----did not like the wait staff even though the chef himself was a welcoming and warm individual. Very expensive and I thought a little uneven but there was one extraordinary course as part of the tasting menu---a riff on a ice cream bar with foie gras pate coated with toasted hazelnuts and aged balsamic in the center. Magnificent but bollito misto, part of the tasting menu, is just not something I can enjoy eating.........

BOLOGNA

A couple of restaurant revisits. We had Xmas Eve dinner at Drogheria della Rosa and enjoyed it again---it was a traditional fish meal, filled with people for the holiday. Xmas day was at Da Nello and they delivered----crowded with families for the holiday lunch meal and what we had was as good as when I had the same the first time----mushroom salad, lasagne verde, tortellni in brodo, a veal dish, tagliatelle a ragu. All very nicely done and delicious. Earlier in the week, shopped for cheese at La Baita, the wonderful cheese shop and, got meats at Simoni. Of course gelato at La Sorbetteria. Bologna was a lot of fun on the 24th, 25th and 26th---very festive, people out walking around. Wonderful hot chocolate at one of the cafes right on Piazza Maggiore

ROME

After spending a week in the States (fortunately not seriously impacted by the weather over the holidays), I flew back to Rome to spend a couple of days before returning to Bologna. Used Rome Shuttle, prebooking and easy to meet up with at the airport. I had thought that since it was after January 1st, Rome would be empty and full of saldi/sale signs. WRONG. Of course----Epiphany is a big holiday, school kids were out and Rome was packed. Many tourists but Italians and Europeans predominantly. No matter--Rome looked great (and was).

Last time I was in Rome a few years ago, we stayed in a great apartment on Via Giulia which I loved, as well as the streets nearby. I wanted a hotel in this neighborhood and stayed at Relais Palazzo Taverna, on a small terrace/street off of the charming Via Coronari. Easy walking access to almost everything and an excellent gelato shop (Gelato de Teatro) right on the street.

Mixed feelings about the hotel which is highly rated on Trip Advisor and does have a good, moderate price. There is no breakfast room so breakfast is brought to your room. In my case, I had ordered it for 8:30am and the knocking on my door woke me out of a sound jet lagged sleep---easier just to go down to a breakfast room when ready! The room was clean but dark and felt like a basement room. Apparently there are English-speaking stations but when I asked, no one seemed to know which they were (with channels up in the 800's!). Next time I would try another place---but---for the neighborhood might consider staying there again.

Very good dinner at Osteria del Pegno very close to the hotel and actually went back again for lunch another day. Good Tagliatelle alla Norma and veal saltimbucca.

I had read about the exhibit at Palazzo Farnese in the NY Times but was not sure of my schedule so did not book ahead I decided to go, waited in line for about 45 minutes and felt it was worth the wait since it is only on until the end of April. Very beautiful. Then, lots of walking around, Trevi, Via Condotti, Via Guilia, Pantheon, etc. Piazza Navona was filled with Xmas market type booths, balloons, arcade type kid games, food stalls, roasted chestnuts---you name it---and it was packed

I had booked the Scavi tour ahead and thought it was great. I was fascinated the entire time and was sorry when it ended. After the tour, I walked over to the ghetto area and ended up having lunch at Al Pompiere where I had eaten the last time I was in Rome. Not the easiest place to find but a delicious meal, exactly what I had enjoyed so much on the last visit----the fried artichoke, stuffed zucchini blossoms and tagliatelle with a light lemon sauce. Yum. Also, a nice, warm place I was happy to have found again.

Ended the day with a visit to the Capitoline Museums which I had not gone to before and enjoyed a great deal. The Roman sculptures are beautifully displayed and inside, there is a spectacular view over the Forum. The courtyard had huge pieces of sculptures----a gigantic hand, a foot--amazing. I would gladly visit the museums again and next time I think I want t rent an apartment and stay at least a week. I really love Rome and spent the bulk of my time just wandering the streets and various neighborhoods.

PARMA

Yesterday was a day trip to Parma, one I had been wanting to take for a while. Parma is a lovely town---reminds me a little of Lucca with its colors, and a bit of Padova too. No graffiti like Bologna. Lots and lots of beautiful stores of all types along with some nice green areas. And yes, still scaffolding there too......but.....not at the Battistero which along with the Duomo, is quite magnificent.

Piazza Garibaldi is very attractive and leads to the major shopping streets which are also filled with food shops with Parma hams hanging in the window., On the way to the center from the train station, there was a large flea market with clothes (smaller than Bologna's sprawling one) as well as food stands selling cheese and hams.

Ate lunch at Trattoria del Tribunale and it was excellent. Started with the platter of culatello, the famous cut of Parma ham and then had a trio of raviolis that were so amazingly light. We felt we shouldn't leave without having the eggplant Parmesan so split an order of that, sorry that we couldn't test/stuff a secondi to see how well they do that course (many Bolognese restaurants fail there.....) If this restaurant was in Bologna, I would be eating there regularly and if I had more time here, I'd return to Parma to explore some more.

I'm hoping to get to Mantua, but will definitely be going to Florence and Milan, ending my time here with a couple of days in Venice and a week in Sicily, still in the planning stages. I had thought of heading to Puglia at the end of the month but with some more visitors arriving, am putting that off and will do when i return to Rome.......soon.........

jmct714

Thanks for the update. I enjoyed your report, as usual. You are really making the most of your time! So glad you are still enjoying it so much.

kathrynj

Thanks for the nice comment. It is going to be really hard to leave! One of the really nice features of living in Bologna is how easy it is to go so many places. That said, every day I walk around here I marvel at the architecture.

tarquin

Thanks so much for sharing your research into restaurants. We plan to revisit this area this year and you seem to have been very successful in your choices. Do try to get to Mantua; the Gonzaga palace and Palazzo Te are staggering. And the ravioli di zucca!

kathrynj

Planning on going to Mantua next month with some friends---have heard it is great!

bfrac

Bookmarking for the great info. Now I will search for previous reports you must have posted...

hikrchick

Would you please give a few more details about your visit to Bolzano? I'm going there in early September on my honeymoon on a hiking trip in the Dolomites. We'll be staying in Ortesei but coming into and out of Bolzano. We'll be taking the train from Florence. Is the train station in the center of town? Can you suggest a place to get lunch? We're very interested in the Oetzi exhibit; the museum web site totally enthralled me. Are the exhibit explanations in English?

thanks!

kathrynj

hikrchick,

I was only going to be there for lunch so was looking for something casual and relatively fast---came across Hophen & Co in a number of guidebooks and that was the place that was packed---fun though, like a German hall/pub type place. There was another too that i tried and wanted, right in that area but I honestly don't remember its name....Bolzano has a totally charming main street that had a number of places.

The train station is near the center, easy to walk to. I also did the Otzi exhibit and no, it is not in English--only Italian and German which is the case in much of the area (the train stops have dual town names). The exhibit is interesting and I think there is an Englsih guidebook there you might want to purchase which would be helpful.

The town was packed for the Xmas market and filled with stalls so it will look different other times of the year. I loved it though, espeically the painted buildings, and of course the setting. Enjoy!!