Food Tour Continued ... 2^nd Stop – Modena, Italy

We took a local train from Bologna to Modena.  There were a few interim stops before we arrived around 11:30 in the morning.  We couldn’t check-in until 3 pm (15:00). We had pre-located a Radical Storage near where we were staying in the historic center of the city.  We decided to take a taxi there (our legs were still very sore from the day before…25,000 steps). That taxi ride was a bit …exciting shall we say?!  The driver seemed to be in a big hurry, zooming through intersections and around roundabouts. At one intersection we almost had a collision with another taxi, but I think it may have been that the other taxi ran the light (not sure)!  Finally, we arrived at our destination, a little shop that had pens, paper, and miscellaneous office type supplies and a Tabaccheria (smoke supply shop). However, the older woman who ran the shop (owner?) indicated that we needed to pre-schedule our luggage online so that she would receive an electronic approval email.  So, we stood outside the store and went online to schedule our luggage storage. We were successful after a few minutes, so we turned our luggage over to the shop manager/owner.

Off we went to explore the historical center. We noticed that there were not as many porticos that covered the walkways.  Also, there were many stealthy bicycle riders and quiet electric cars… requiring head-on-a- swivel before crossing any streets.

We first wandered around a central indoor market that was full of fresh produce, cheeses and meats.  We were hungry, so we stopped at a small bistro nearby. We had smelled the food as we passed by and observed a couple eating a bowl of meatballs with a rich red sauce. It was cold outside so we opted to eat inside at a little table in front of the counter where the owner was preparing the food. His wife served us and brought us our drinks. We both ordered the meatballs, which were served in a bowl with four meatballs, and toasted bread. Absolutely delicious, and just what we needed!

We continued our explorations and quickly found the Piazza Grande with the Duomo, a beautiful Romanesque cathedral. Two churches occupied the site in the 500s. Consecrated in 1084, the construction of the cathedral began in 1099 and was initially completed in 1105. However, additions were made and it was finally completed int 1436. It contains beautiful works of art, stained glass windows, and is designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Admission is free and well worth the time to soak in the history, beauty, and peaceful spirit of this beautiful cathedral.

Next we decided to trapse across town to the Ferrari Museum. I’m not a huge racecar fan but appreciate the precisely designed and produced vehicles that merge technology and beauty! The tickets were 27€ /person. We both enjoyed the visit to see these cars and the history of their inception and evolution. They had a combo ticket that took you to the factory in another town, but we decided against that option.

We headed back to retrieve our luggage at 4 pm (16:00), but although the sign said the shop would be opening again at that time, it was dark and locked up.  We waited for a little while, then walked across the street to look in some shop windows, then came back to wait outside the door. At about 4:20, the old lady rode up on her bicycle apologizing and saying something that we didn’t understand, but she kept apologizing. Italy often has a reputation about not being on time, but we have found that at least in the northern part of Italy, trains and appointments seem to be on time. The lady was very apologetic, but we were just relieved to have access to our luggage! We opted for an aperitivo (drinks and tasty bites) for dinner. We were tired and called it a night. Note: comments on our accommodations can be found in my other blog post.

The next day we had scheduled a food tour with Viator. Note: we have had several tours with Viator and each one has exceeded our expectations. They have great guides and may sometimes seem a bit pricey (usually 100 – 250 €/couple depending on length and whether or not transportation is involved), but are well worth it! Our tour this time was again food related. We met our tour guide “Lauri” a shortened version of an Italian name that I didn’t quite catch, but we both laughed as we introduced ourselves, “I’m Lori, also!” We were the only ones that day, so we got the private tour – Excellent!

She took us first to the market where we had briefly visited the day before. She explained the history of the market… it had been in operation since before WWII. She took us first to the pastry shop to enjoy our choice of pastries. Steve and I decided to split a cannolo (one is cannolo, more than one cannoli).  It was still crisp on the outside with creamy, delicious, sweet ricotta filling, with a few pieces of candied orange, and the ends dipped in chocolate! Lauri escorted us around the market explaining the different pasta, cheeses, and meats, where they come from and a little about how they are produced and processed. We passed a closed stall that had an “Equine” sign. Yes, they do eat horse in Italy… That is a definite “NO!” for me.  Our guide arranged for a tray of meats, cheeses and bread, along with a lovely glass of sparkling Lambrusco (much more delicious than I’ve tasted before). We had a little “picnic” at a small seating area in the market, enjoying our tasty bites and wine.

Next, we meandered out and about into the historic center with our guide, Lauri, stopping in front of various shops and pointing out some of the foods or treats they offered. She led us on a path back very close to where we were staying to try Tigelle, a flat round bread biscuit with a stamped pattern. The traditional pattern is similar to a six-petaled flower but other designs are used. These biscuits are baked between clay circles in a stack. They are then cut in half horizontally to make a little round sandwich, and filled with savory or sweet fillings. This sounds a bit disgusting but one of the most flavorful was made with a mixture of lard, ricotta, salt and pepper… melt in your mouth delicious!  

We headed back across historic center to a Piazza that had a synagogue.  There was a store there named Acetaia del Cristo and assembled 12-year (“Traditionale”) and 25 + years (“Extra Vecchio”) aged Balsamic from various family producers.  The process involves pouring the boiled grape must (mosto) the juice from freshly pressed Trebbiano or Lambrusco grapes that has been boiled to concentrate it) into a series of casks set up from largest to smallest.  The casks aren’t completely sealed so a bit will evaporate each year. The aged concentrate is then poured into the next smaller casks. The process is repeated each year until the balsamic vinegar has reached the designated minimum ages, though they can be older.  Our guide told us in the past, when a family had a daughter born, they started a series of casks of balsamic vinegar to be her dowry. 

To tell authentic aged balsamic vinegar, it must have very specific markings (Protected Designation  Origin [PDO] – from Reggio Emilia region; or, PGI – Balsamic vinegar of Modena) and be in the approved designated bottle. As indicated before, the 12- year will have “Traditionale” on its label and the 25+ year will have the “Extra Vecchio” on its label. The consistency is like a thick syrup that is doled out drop by drop…and the tastes are amazing!  You can use a drop on Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or other cheeses), a few drops on a succulent fillet, or even a few drops on a fine chocolate or a gelato!  You really can tell differences  between producers, and in the ages… and the costs (we saw some 12- year ranging from about 50 - 75€ a bottle. The 25- year prices started at close to 100€ and went up into the 1,000s €.  Fyi … currently, the exchange rate is one dollar is equal to 0.96 €.

The next morning we had to catch a 10 o’clock train. We got up early to get ready and leave the BnB by 8:30 to try to grab some coffee on the way. We were shocked…we turned the first corner and the streets were filled with tented booths selling all kinds of things, crafts, clothing, spices, cheeses, jewelry, meats (a whole roasted pork), candy (Steve’s favorite is the licorice stall that had 20-30 kinds of buy by the kilo licorice)!  Every street was filled with booths in the historic center.  We were walking counterflow to all the people coming into the city off the train for the town’s patron saint day, San Geminiano, who was born near Modena in 312 A.D.!  It was like Christmas markets all over again! We didn’t expect this and hadn’t planned for it, so we will need to go back there to enjoy!

Next stop, Parma … Ciao for now!!!