EYWandBTV

We have been waffling back and forth the past few weeks/months: Italy? Peru? Italy? Peru? Finally, instead of grabbing for oxygen masks in Cusco and slogging through mobs up to Machu Picchu, we opted for lazy afternoons with aperitivi in a piazza someplace in Emilia Romagna. So back to Plan A, which I posted here a while ago.

I’ve fine-tuned further our initial draft itinerary, for which I have received many helpful comments. Our strategic goal on this trip: see a Great Thing, stop, espresso, sit in the park, lunch, slowly walk over to another Great Thing, stop, aperitivo, wander… dinner. Oh, yeah, forgot another strategic goal: food! So here is draft #2. Thank you in advance for any comments on places, lodging, restaurants, and food specialties of the region (e.g., must we really sample donkey stew in Mantova??).

Day 1: arrive Rome – we have visited Rome a number of times so we will just relax and visit one or two things, perhaps go back to the Palazzo Barberini and the hypnotic San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
Staying in Hotel Columbia
Resto: Da Teo for caccio e pepe

#2-3-4: Mantova – I’ve been drawn into the history of this city, the Gonzagas, Mantegna, Alberti, Romano. If things get too slow, maybe a day trip to Sabbioneta or Verona, but we don’t want to run all over the place.
Staying in Palazzo Arrivabene
Restos: Ai Ranari, Lo Scalco Grasso, Osteria del Oca, Il Cigno dei Martini, Tiratappi, Taberna Boaria, Trattoria La Rustica

#5-6-7 Ravenna – we want to slowly absorb all of the great mosaic works, also the weekend passeggiata and what seems to be in general a very fine centro. If things get slow, hop a train to Faenza for the ceramics museum.
Staying in Santa Maria Foris
Restos: Passatelli, Osteria del Tempo Perso, Osteria dei Batti Becchi, I Furfanti Osteria

#8-9 Brisighella – explore two or three things in this little village, take a one-hour mini-hike. It appears that in late October it will be white truffle season here, yayy! If things get too slow, a 10-minute train ride to Faenza (if we have not already done that from Ravenna) or maybe train it over the mountains to Marradi for a few hours.
Staying in Albergo La Rocca
Restos: La Rocca, Locanda Cavallina

#10-11: Bologna – curious to visit Bologna again after many decades. I have no clear impressions at all of my visit so long ago. From reading many TAs here, it looks like 76.5% of Fodorites love the city, 23.5% say “meh”.
Staying in Hotel Novecento
Restos: here’s a tough one. A lot of people like many places in the centro. But several of the Fodorites who have extensive knowledge of this area, and who live in Italy, caution that the food in the centro is sort of a lowest common denominator of ER cuisine. Your guidance here is welcome!
--preliminary resto list: get picnic fixings and lunch at Osteria del Sole, aperitivo and snack at La Baita, Trattoria di Via Sera, Osteria dell’ Orsa, Da Bertino

#12: Rome
Staying in Hotel Columbia
Resto: Osteria del Pegno, our #1 fave

Thanks to all in advance for your input.

massimop

What sticks out about your itinerary is the long slog from Rome to Mantova (not sure myself what would be the fastest way to get there. I think I might look into the possibility of going from Rome to Brisighella (via Florence & Marradi). Then the trip would be:

Rome>Brisighella>Ravenna>Mantova>Bologna>Rome

Still rather disjointed, but might be more efficient and a bit more scenic. In October, depending on which day you are traveling, it might be possible to take an historic steam train from Florence to Marred, and switch there for the local commuter train to Brisighella.

Don't know where that info about Bologna's restaurants come from. Like Rome, a lot of Americans simply don't like traditional Bolognese food, and they blame the restaurants. However, I would take Osteria dell'Orsa off your list. It is primarily a place that feeds students abundant food cheaply, with not very good quality ingredients. For a few euro more, eat at Serghei or all'Osteria Bottega (the latter if you are keen for meat). I also am not found of La Baita as a food store, and was unaware they do aperitivi. For aperitvo, I would recommend La Stanza.

I have never eaten donkey anything in Italy and don't get the American tourist giggly fascination with it (or any equine meat). It really pays to read up ahead of time on the variety of Mantovani dishes. It is quite extensive. (Likewise Bologna. People who go there & eat tortellini in brodo and tagliatelle al ragu exclusively are almost invariably disappointed. There are a lot of Bolognese dishes that are unique to the province and seasonal with which Americans are totally unfamiliar and would probably like much more if they knew to order them).

You probably want to track down a lunch place for Faenza. If you make a day trip to Marradi it makes sense to go early enough to go shopping for picnic foods when the stores are still open (it's a fairly long walk from the train station to the middle of town). Or, if you want a restaurant, Il Camino near the train station is good but it keeps regular restaurant hours so time your excursion accordingly.

I don't know the Brisighella hotel where you are staying, but Locanda Cavallina has lovely views and a pool (and I imagine weddings on weekends, so be careful of that).

massimop

Just took a look and it's possible to leave Rome around 10 in the morning and arrive in Marradi around 1pm. You could have lunch at Il Cambio, a few minutes walk from the train station, so no problem dragging luggage, and then continue on to Brisighella. You could probably even leave your luggage at Il Cambio after lunch and take a walk around Marradi, but just guessing about that.

EYWandBTV

Thanks for the info.

Re donkey: several mantovani food sites describe stracotto with donkey: "Lo stracotto mantovano appartiene alla grande famiglia degli stufati. La sua particolarità principale è la carne d'asino, usata come base." www. cucinamantovana.it

massimop

Donkey and other equine meat is an important source of protein in much of northeastern Italy. It is common in Mantova, so of course any description of typical dishes of Mantova will include it, as well as mentions of pike, frogs and the local salume. What I was referring to is that when American bloggers and "foodies" encounter mentions of donkey, they make such a big deal about it as if it were really unusual. But it's not. I'm repelled by the thought of eating equine meat, so never have, and in Mantova (in contrast a few other places in northeastern Italy) there is a lot of variety to the local cuisine so it's easy (for me) to eat well while avoiding it.

EYWandBTV

Suggestions for less well known Bologna specialties are welcome

massimop

passatelli in brodo, tortelli di zucca, tortelloni di gorgonzola, gramigna alla salsiccia, roast duck (anatra) or guinea hen (faroana), turkey (tacchino) alla bolognese (with truffles, sometimes called tachino tartufato), funghi trifolati, tortino di patate e porcini, and in autumn you can often find fresh raw mushrooms sliced thin with shavings or Parmigiano Reggiano or thin crepes (crespelle) served filled runny cheese and mushrooms. You might want to try the local soft bread made with lard, tigelle, as an accompaniment to cured meats. In Bologna's pastry shops or in trattorie like Serghei you can find a dessert of little sugary pastries shaped like ravioli but filled with a spicy sweet jam (ravioli dolci or ravioli San Giuseppe). That same sweet jam is used to create a strudel-like pastry known as "pinza" or to fill crostate in bakeries.

EYWandBTV

This is great, thanks so much

nochblad

Rome to Mantova is not quite the long slog as the first answer implies.

Most only consider Trenitalia but Italo offers an interesting add-on to their fast trains - a dedicated coach service which links up with various cities near to some of their train stops.

If you catch one of their fast trains from Roma Termini or Roma Tiburtina there is a stop at the spectacular Reggio Emilia AV Mediopadana station. There is a connecting coach service to Mantova.

See - http://www.italotreno.it/en/destinations-timetable

massimop

It's okay if you are okay with bus trips that are more than an hour, but I prefer trains. Plus the ride through the chestnut woods between Florence and the Adriatic is pretty, even if you don't take the historic steam train.

Also, with the itinerary I proposed, if one wants, can't one take the coach service the other way -- from Mantova to the Calatrava-designed station in Reggio-Emilia -- and get to Bologna, no?

nochblad

I specifically called it a coach rather than a bus. The service is considerably superior to standard buses and offers amongst other services free wifi.

However, the service is only available linked to a train ticket. It is not a general bus service so you can not travel from Mantova to other destinations along the route.

nochblad

Trenitalia also offers a similar service but with slightly inferior coaches. Here is the map which shows the links - http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom/Le-Frecce/FrecciaLink

The interesting links IMO are Siena (obviously), Perugia, Piombino (to get to Elba), Sorrento (undoubtedly a safer connection than the local train), and Matera.

EYWandBTV

@massimo, nochblad et al: interesting ideas for this trip. At this point, I was thinking of taking a frecciargento from Rome, via Bologna, to Verona = just under 3 hours. Then an hour in Verona station, grab an espresso and a sandwich, then regionale for 45 minutes to Mantova.

Massimo’s suggestion of doing the Rome-Brisighella leg first is attractive. This cuts the time by an hour and has some good views over the mountains. One change in Florence. Then all the other legs fall into place. I have made all the hotel bookings already but I can cancel without penalty and re-book all of them, leaving Rome unchanged. Maybe it’s worth it.

Back to food specialties for a moment. Does anyone have knowledge of the local Mantova specialties? From what I’ve read, they include the following: risotta alla pilota, cotechino and salamelle sausages, pike in caper/parsley sauce, tortello di zucca, mostarda, caldi dolci as an autumn specialty, and sbrisolona cookies. And the notorious donkey stracotto. And lambrusco.

Ravenna cuisine: piadina, squaquerone cheese, and naturally there are many different types of seafood. Anything else?

Brisighella: looks like we will be there during truffle and mushroom season. And we will just miss the annual village porchetta festival but we will look for some leftover bits.

frencharmoire

Sbrisolana is a very crumbly dry round sweet nut torte that might be cut into smaller pieces (and almost always served with zabaione) but it is not a cookie. There is another cake that is peculiar to Mantova which is on menus as Elevezia or Helvetia, and this is an almond cake in layers separataed by fluffy pastry cream.

There are also small pasta pockets in broth, to which you add lambrusco, that is called sorbir d'agnoli. And there is risotto with frogs.

Pears are very special to Mantova so look for them in October (the best Mantova mostarda I have tasted is pear mustarda. Chestnuts will be in season wherever you go after you leave Rome, and many places (including Atti & Figli in Bologna) sell wonderful candied chestnuts, but you will also see chestnut gnocchi or pasta in season, or chestnut crepes.

If you like truffles, ask around in Mantova if they are in season and if there is a recommended restaurant for truffle dishes.
You might be interested to read this restaurant review to see what a more upscale but still traditional restaurant in Mantova serves

http://www.vinous.com/articles/vinou...italy-apr-2017

Something you might consider for the market-based lunch in Bologna that you plan to eat at Hostaria del Sole is to do your shopping but first go early (12.15) to Uova e farina in the Corte Isolani in Bologna (which is attached to the piazza Santo Stefano). This is a shop that makes fresh pasta, but they have a custom of offering cooked pasta for lunch. I don't know if they still do it. You should ask at your hotel. But if they do, you need to go early because they don't cook up much and they don't make more when it runs out. But it is chance to try some diferent kinds of local pasta, fresh as can be. Then you can take your market buys to Hostaria del Sole and eat the rest of your lunch.

jangita

We spent 3 nights in Mantova last year, staying at La Cervetta, http://www.lacervetta.it/en

The owner is ver kind and helpful. It is one large room with a tiny kitchen, a big closet and good sized bathroom. Great location.

I loved the food! you can search for Mantova on my blog (keepyourfeetinthestreet.com) to see where we ate.

BTW--we did not eat horse and had no problems selecting from the menus.

One warning about the sbrisolona--they are addicting!

You might want to go to Ravenna first, from Rome. I am no train expert but maybe you would have easier connections that way.

EYWandBTV

...taking lots of notes....roasted guinea hen, pinza strudel, chestnut gnocchi, I'm very hungry already. This is a treasure chest of foodie info, many thanks.

Jangita, I have already read your blog and you comments and photos of Mantova helped to convince me to go back to the Italy plan for this fall.

jangita

Thanks!