Sasso Marconi Tartufesta (Part Three)

Here are the last few images I'd like to share from the Sasso Marconi Tartufesta. If you're in Emilia Romagna at the end on October, this is the place to be!

Go early and go hungry!

Sasso Marconi Tartufesta (Part two)

As I said earlier, there was something for everyone. There were many stalls selling things like soap, jewelry, christmas ornaments...all kinds of crafts, flea market items, and even a few antiques.

 

Wine by the glass was sold everywhere, which went great with all the food samples. Nobody walked away from this festa hungry. The aroma from all the food wafted through the lanes and hung in the air...it was intoxicating.

 

Just a few more images to share in my next post. Are you hungry yet?

Sasso Marconi Tartufesta (Part One)

My first weekend in Bologna I went to the Tartufesta in Sasso Marconi. The Tartufesta is an annual event that focuses on the white truffle of the Bologna hills. It was the main reason I chose to go back to Bologna in October.

Getting to Sasso Marconi was easy…just a 30 minute train ride into the Apennine mountains outside Bologna, at a cost of 4,30 euro round trip.  I had a pleasant five minute walk to reach the Tartufesta in the center of town. It seemed like everyone in town was involved with the festa and they were all so very happy to see me…such a warm welcome.

Everywhere I went someone was trying to feed me. I sampled cookies, candy, olives, olive oil, various meat products, cheeses, wine, chestnuts, bread, mushrooms, spices, honey, truffle oil, truffle salt, truffle salsa…on and on and on.  There were also places to eat various meals made with fresh truffles…heaven on a plate!

There was something for everyone, including crafts, flea market items and rides for the kiddies.

 

Stay tuned for more about the Sasso Marconi Tartufesta.

A Great Place to Stay In Bologna, Italy

I’m back from my trip to Bologna. It was very hard to leave, but I had to come home so I could make money to go back to Bologna. It’s a vicious circle, but I love it!

Part of the reason I had such a good trip was the I PorticiHotel. Marc and I usually rent an apartment if we’re staying in one place for more than a week, but this time I was traveling alone, so I wanted to stay in a hotel where people would see me coming and going…a little bit of security. I also wanted to stay close to the downtown area, so I would feel comfortable walking alone at night.

The I Portici Hotel was the perfect choice. The hotel is an easy 7 minute walk from the train station. Since it’s located on Via Indipendenza, one of the main downtown streets, the 13 minute walk to Piazza Maggiore is loaded with eye candy…shops, churches, various places to eat…even a flea market! My Italian language class at Cultura Italiana is a 25 minute walk from the hotel and a great way to begin each day.

 

My room had everything I needed. The bed was very comfortable, I had a nice view of the courtyard, a powerful hot shower every morning, warm toasty towels, and the room was always spotless. The staff was very friendly and extremely helpful.

One evening I returned to find a concert in the lobby. That night I studied to LIVE classical music! What’s not to like? This may be my favorite place to stay in Bologna. Do you have a favorite hotel?

I'm Off To Bologna, Italy

WooHoooo! Tomorrow morning I'll be leaving for Bologna and I'll be blogging.

I hope you'll join me.

How I Pack...And New Luggage

      I have learned over the years to pack light whenever possible. In part, because it’s no fun to drag tons of luggage, and also because the airlines have lost my luggage too many times. One time I flew to Pisa, Italy and my luggage got stuck in Paris, France. I didn’t see it for FOUR days! I was even more upset when they lost it again on the flight home. Let's just say I had a not so nice conversation with the airline. 
     Now, if I’m only going on a casual trip for just a few days, I usually just take a carry-on bag and a purse. This works well for me.
     It also works if I’m going on a trip to Europe, if I’m staying in the same place for the entire trip. If that’s the case, I usually rent a short-term apartment with a washing machine, which means I don’t need to bring many clothes. The only problem is that I tend to do a lot of shopping in Europe, so I need to buy a cheap piece of luggage to get everything home. This isn’t a big deal because I can always find something decent for about 20-25 euro, and on most international flights the first checked bag is free. It’s a lot cheaper than shipping charges and it gets home at the same I do. Afterward, I can donate the cheap luggage to the Salvation Army.
     The only time I plan to check luggage is if I’m going on a trip where I need formal clothing or a long trip where I’ll be in a hotel (or cruise) without a washing machine. In the last few months I purchased a few new luggage items for this purpose. I have plenty of pieces, but I really wanted to try the 4-wheeled luggage. I’ve been watching people glide effortlessly through the airports with this luggage. They are standing straight and don’t seem to be carrying any of the weight of their luggage. What a GREAT idea! I need to get in on this!

     I did some research and finally purchased two pieces of TravelPro Crew 9. I bought a 25” Spinner and a Rolling Tote. They are lightweight, have ergonomic handles, and are one of the very few brands to have replacement wheels. There is a newer Crew 10 model, but I chose the Crew 9 because I saw few differences, I liked the suit carrier better on the Crew 9, and it came with a nice discount because it’s no longer the new model.

 

     I’m looking forward to using the Rolling Tote. It’s a little smaller than a regular carry-on, so I doubt I’ll be asked to have it gate-checked, but it seems to be very roomy. The top has zipper/snap hinges, so I don’t have to completely open it unless necessary. The top has a padded compartment for my iPad mini and the outside has two zipped compartments. One for easy access to any paper documents and/or magazines and the other for reading glasses, pens, snacks, or any other kind of small carry-on item that tends to get lost just when you need it most. It also fits right on top of the larger piece, so I'll really only be rolling one piece of luggage. Sounds like a WINNER to me!

 

     These are my rules for packing and my newest luggage pieces. I certainly don’t know everything, and I’m always looking for great ideas. How do you pack and what do you pack it in? I’d love to hear about it.

My New Vacation Tech Gadget

I’m always looking for a better way to store pictures, journal about my day, blog, and surf the internet while on vacation. I use to drag along a Sony VAIO laptop, but it was heavy. Next I went to a Netbook, but the functionality was very limited. Then the iPad was introduced and I was in love. My newest tech gadget is the Apple iPad mini with Retina display.

Here are the things I love about my iPad mini…

1.     It has a 7.9 inch screen, which is large enough for my eyes to see without my reading glasses.

2.     The battery lasts for about 10 hours, which is GREAT for long flights.

3.     I can download books to read on those long flights, and the size is very comfortable to hold for a long time while reading.

4.     It takes pictures and movies, so I don’t have to drag around a camera. If I choose to take pictures with my camera, I can transfer them to my iPad to view in a decent size.

5.     There are all kind of apps, so I can play games, use maps, check the weather, play my music, get currency conversions, etc. Everything I might need to do on vacation is at my fingertips.

6.      I can journal my days, so I remember the details of my vacation.

7.      With the internet connection I can post to Facebook and my blog.

8.      I can buy advance tickets to museums, so I can skip the long lines.

I can do all these things AND it only weighs .75 pounds…and IT FITS IN MY PURSE!

What’s your favorite vacation tech gadget?

Which Furla Bag Should I Bring Home?

When I return to Bologna I plan to purchase a Furla handbag…I just can’t decide which one I want. Furla is an Italian company that makes beautiful bags. I’ve drooled over them several times, but never actually bought one. This time I’m bringing one home with me!

The plan is to buy a black bag that can be used on a daily basis. My life is pretty casual, so here are pictures of the bags that would work well for me. I like bags that I can sling over my shoulder, but it isn’t a requirement.

 

What do you think? Which one should I choose?

Back To Bologna

     In a few weeks I'll be headed back to Bologna, one of my FAVORITE Italian cities. Bologna is the kind of place I could live...when I'm there I feel at home and I don't want to ever leave. The people are warm and friendly, the food is good, and there aren't many tourists.
     Did I mention the food? The food is fabulous! The picture on the banner of this blog is Tagliatelle Bolognese that I learned to make at CIBO in Bologna...very tasty!
     Here is a picture of a typical shop in Bologna...doesn't it look inviting?

     This trip I'll be attending an Italian language school. I've spent enough time in Italy that I think it's about time I learned the language. I know bits and pieces, but I'm hopeful that Cultura Italiana will help improve my skills.
     Maybe I'll also get to attend a truffle festival, or maybe an antique market. There is so much to see and do in and around Bologna, and it's fall...my favorite time of year.
     I'll be blogging from Italy, so please check in.
     Have you ever been to Bologna?

French Baking Class in Paris

Don't you just love croissants? I do, and now I can make them...thanks to COOK'N WITH CLASS in Paris, France! I took their hands-on Baking Class and learned how to make croissants, pain au chocolat and a few other pastries.

Croissants take about two days to complete, so we made the dough and put it in the refrigerator for the next class, and used the dough the last class made.

It was very interesting making the dough with so many layers of rich creamy butter. There were only five people in the class, so we were all involved in the entire process.

When we were finished baking, we had a feast of warm, flaky, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth goodness! 

We each went home with a bag of pastries, and by the time Marc and I returned to our apartment, our instructor, Emanuelle, had emailed us the recipes, written instructions and a video showing each step of the process.

If you like to bake, and Paris is calling your name, I encourage you to check out this school. I can't wait to take more of their classes! 

A Diet in Paris…I Don’t Think So!

One thing I was really looking forward to in Paris was pastry/bread, and I was not disappointed. It seemed like there was a boulangerie and/or patisserie on every other corner. I was in heaven!

 

Each morning I walked across the street from the apartment and purchased fresh warm croissants for breakfast. This could easily become a morning ritual.

 

 

I think I ate about five pastries/croissants a day and never gained a pound because I walked so much. I could go to Paris just for the pastries! A word of advice…INDULGE...leave the diet at home.