Category: Travel

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Modena & Reggio Emilia

When you teach a child something, you take away forever his chance of discovering it for himself.

Jean Piaget

We spent a day venturing beyond Bologna to Modena & Reggio Emilia. They are both known for their food products (shocker!) but they have other draw cards we were interested to see as well.

Our first stop was Modena, most well known as the home of Balsamic vinegar. We did a tasting of course, and bought some delightfully aged “black gold” to bring home with us. You may also know that the world #1 restaurant, Osteria Francescana, is located in Modena. We couldn’t get a table (and even if we had, we probably couldn’t afford it) but we walked by to have a look and we were surprised at how unassuming it is. You wouldn’t even look twice if you didn’t know what to look for! It is beautiful and understated, but very well hidden in the backstreets alongside some office buildings – quite strange.

While in Modena, we also visited the Ferrari museum. Sam has been getting into the Formula 1 lately, so he was keen to see the cars and learn a bit about how they worked. The museum is very impressive, even for people who aren’t particularly interested in cars…guilty! It is fascinating to see the sleek designs and the improvement in the mechanics over the years. I really enjoyed the opportunity to practice photographing subject matter that was very different to anything I’ve done before. You could look up-close at the engines and read about the specifications – all of which is a bit beyond me, but they were certainly interesting to look at!

We had lunch in Modena and a bit of a walk through the town. We couldn’t believe how few people were around – it seemed like a bit of a ghost town. The architecture is quite similar to that of Bologna, with porticos casting more beautiful shadows across the city. It was much easier to get a good shot here since there weren’t any people walking through the frame!

After lunch in Modena we made our way to Reggio Emilia, the home of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. I was determined to go here for another reason, though. This town is the birth place of an early childhood education & development philosophy that is widely respected and commonly referred to within the industry in Australia. You can visit the original Reggio Emilia school for conferences and other professional development opportunities. Unfortunately the school is closed to visitors at the moment, but we did get to view some exhibitions displaying current research findings.
I went full nerd here. It was amazing.
Sam could not have been less interested if he tried.
Luckily for him, there were no photos allowed inside so it was a pretty efficient visit!

We managed to tick off both of these towns in one day…very easily. I’m not sure if it is more lively on the weekends, but we were almost the only people walking the streets in both towns. A lot of shops and restaurants were closed, so once we had seen what we came to see, there was really no reason to stick around. Beautiful produce and stunning architecture – and lots to learn at Reggio Children!

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Bologna

Life is too short, and I’m Italian. I’d much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0.

Sophia Bush

Well, our journey from Malcesine to Bologna was tedious and extremely frustrating.
Hot tip: Don’t try and travel anywhere near Lake Garda by bus on a Saturday. There is one single-lane road in and out, and it seems all the Italians make their way up there from Verona for the weekend. The first bus was delayed by an hour, which meant we missed our connection and waited an hour for the next bus (which was also delayed, so it was more like 90 minutes!) and another hour for our train.

BUT…we are finally in Bologna and life is good! Far be it from me to complain about waiting for bus while gallivanting on a 7-week European adventure! The view from our Airbnb isn’t bad either.

Bologna is widely known as the “food capital” of Italy, being the home of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar of Modena, Parma ham, mortadella and everything in between. We tried a traditional local dish called Tortellini in Brodo, which is simply freshly made tortellini floating in a meat based broth. It was a strange sensation, almost like a short soup with an Italian twist! Of course we had some spaghetti bolognese, but you dare not call it that here! You need to order Tagliatelle al Ragu. The Bolognese people are very particular about this, and I’m with them! It is so much more delicious with tagliatelle rather than spaghetti – the thicker pasta holds the sauce much more nicely. We visited one particularly popular restaurant called Osteria dell’Orsa to try both of these dishes. It was well worth the wait!

The city is filled with covered walkways called porticos. They are all beautifully tiled and create gorgeous shadows at different times of day. The main square, Piazza Maggiore, hosts Basilica di San Petronio – an enormous Gothic church with 22 chapels. It’s a beautiful church on the inside, with each chapel being decorated slightly differently depending on who owns them. There are many towers throughout the city, but there are two right beside each other. One of these leans even more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

We came across the city’s oldest Osteria, Osteria del Sole, where they only serve alcoholic beverages. If you don’t drink, you are kindly asked to wait outside! They don’t serve food either, but you can bring your own. We picked up some tigelle and went in and had lunch with the locals in a very homely environment.

On our final night, we discovered the university district. I wish we had found it a little earlier, as there were bars and restaurants full of locals, in what seemed like a glimpse into real Bolognese life. The city centre can often feel completely geared to tourists, and you’re never sure if you are seeing the authentic culture or lifestyle of the city. If I am lucky enough to return to Bologna, I will definitely be starting by exploring the city fringe!

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Malcesine

If the lake sees the ocean, it will want big waves! If the ocean sees the lake, it will want calm days that lasts for years!

Mehmet Murat ildan

I found this quote particularly appropriate for Malcesine – when we arrived I was expecting a calm lake with crystal clear waters. We were amazed at the amount of wind and the waves it created. You could probably surf in there if you wanted to!

Malcesine is a region on the North Eastern side of Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. We stayed in a little cove that was quite sheltered, but as soon as we walked around to the main town on the first day, you had to stand back from the water’s edge to avoid being splashed!

Malcesine is quite a sleepy holiday town, mostly made up of Italian and Austrian retirees on romantic getaways. There isn’t a whole lot to do here, but it has one main draw card – absolutely breathtaking scenery. To put it bluntly, it’s bloody spectacular. We spent most of our time trekking to different vantage points to take it all in. It was a nice change of pace to practice photographing landscapes rather than buildings for a while.

  • Apparently they have an issue with trumpets…?

There is a castle which, above all else, provides many more excellent viewing platforms. They were actually holding a number of wedding ceremonies in the castle grounds during our stay – not a bad backdrop!

On our last day, we ventured to the top of Monte Baldo with the help of the trusty cable car. We were almost blown away by an icy wind as soon as we stepped out – shorts were a rookie choice. As we walked across the ridge, we noticed a group of para-gliders setting up to launch off the top of the mountain. The first couple to take off were very brave, as they just disappeared into the clouds with no clue where they were going. Eventually the clouds cleared, and immediately we understood the appeal. What a stunning view, and what a thrilling experience!

By the time we came back down we were ready to thaw ourselves out and we found a gorgeous terrace just below the castle towers. As it turns out, we were sat beside one of the wedding parties…how good is love?!

We have adored Lake Garda for its aesthetics alone! It’s been great to have some down time here after working so hard the last couple of weeks…but maybe next time we’ll go somewhere further south, where there seems to be a younger crowd (and no objection to loud noises, or trumpets in particular).

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Verona

I’ve always found it funny when people call Romeo and Juliet “the greatest love story ever told” because – man – it does not work out well for those kids, you know? I’d like to think the greatest love story ever told would at least let them be together for more than a few hours!

Ryan North

We made it to Verona – the city of love! Home to Juliet’s balcony, this city is absolutely plastered with declarations of love and devotion. You can find initials within love hearts scribbled on walls, footpaths, bridges, tables, archways…any flat surface seems to be fair game.

Although neither of us had much interest, we thought we should visit Casa di Giulietta when in Verona. We made our way through the crowds and had a brief glimpse of Juliet’s balcony. We learned very quickly that the love notes we had seen across the rest of the city were nothing compared to the walls of Juliet’s house. True Romeo and Juliet fans had written letters, and stuck them to the walls using chewing gum or band aids…so romantic! Despite the guards and numerous signs warning of fines for defacing the property, one couple had even managed to write their names on one of the cobblestones right in the middle of the square. We didn’t really understand the hype, but it was definitely an interesting sight!

A leisurely walk around the city revealed more beautiful archways, churches, fountains, balconies and lush gardens. The detail on the exterior of the buildings is incredible – and it’s amazing that it has stood the test of time. The Adige River runs through the city, and the many bridges that cross it feel quintessentially European! We climbed up the hill to get a broader view of the city (and to work off the pasta) and we were not disappointed.

As usual, we had lots of great food and wine here (we were even lucky enough to catch up with a great friend for a long lunch!) – but there was one particularly special place that we visited. Salumeria Gironda sits alongside the river, and from the street it appears to be your usual deli selling cured meats and cheeses. But if you venture out the back you will find a precious courtyard overlooking the river and the castle beyond. The staff will pack up your purchases into a little picnic basket, give you some plastic cups for your wine, and you can sit out the back and enjoy it with a pretty special view. Being later in the afternoon, business was slowing down so we even had the courtyard to ourselves – bonus!

Verona is a beautiful city – lots to see, lots to experience, and while the “love graffiti” across the city could be seen as vandalism by many, it certainly adds a distinctive charm that can only be found here in Verona.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Munich

Without question the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.

Dave Barry

On the next leg of our honeymoon, we met some fabulous friends in Munich for Oktoberfest. I didn’t take the camera in to the festival itself for fear of drowning it, so no photos of the beer halls unfortunately!
We spent the first day in the Hofbrauhaus tent – enormous! The scale of this tent is unbelievable, and the steins were flowing steadily from 10am. On the second day we visited the Pscorr Festzelt Braurosl tent, which is slightly smaller but just as vibrant. We noticed far more locals here, and the brass band kept the whole crowd entertained playing traditional German sing-alongs.

We eventually took some time out from the festival to see the other sights of Munich (including the Hofbrauhaus beer hall – such a change of scenery!) We wandered around Marienplatz, the main square of the city, and took in the incredible Gothic-style architecture. We ate tasty German delicacies – pretzels, pork knuckle, bratwurst, ox goulash, sauerkraut, pork belly and of course lots of beer. It’s a delicious diet, but definitely not sustainable for us! After just one weekend we were all feeling a little under the weather.

We will definitely be back for Oktoberfest…Sam was in his element!

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Pigeon Feeding Time

At the fresh produce market in Dubrovnik, the pigeons begin to gather around the square at around 11:30. By midday, it is a scene from a Hitchcock film. Bird seed is scattered on the floor, and they swarm! Somehow the pigeons know exactly what time to arrive in the square each day, and they begin circling in the air before the seed has even been laid down. Animal instincts at their best!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Dubrovnik

You think Earth’s gravity is really something when you’re climbing the stairs.

Rainer Weiss

We made it to our apartment in Dubrovnik after a 4 hour ferry ride, 30 minute uphill walk, and what felt like a million stairs. While we welcomed the exercise after so much delicious food, I’m not sure we needed quite this much!

It didn’t take us long to get used to the stairs, and they made for some wonderful views. We walked up and down the steep, narrow lane ways; and made our way around the city’s outer wall. It was beautiful to take in all the terracotta rooves alongside the enormity of the ocean. There are entire sections of the Old Town that were destroyed during the Croatian War of Independence – some areas are being rebuilt, while others are now home to lush greenery, which I think adds a touch of charm.

In the following days, we strolled around the Old Town seeing the main sights. The entire city has been built from limestone, and almost all the pavers are rectangular. There is one perfectly square stone in the main street, which marks the exact centre of the Old Town. We stumbled across a bar perched outside the city walls. They call these Buza bars, where people grab a drink and scatter themselves across the cliff face before jumping into the sea for a swim.

Another quirk we noticed throughout the whole city was the number of cats roaming the streets. A few times, we saw people coming out of their homes or workplaces to place food out on the street for their furry friends.

We went for a walk beyond the Old Town to explore a little further. Along the way we found delicious food (surprise!) and more amazing views of the wide open ocean.

Four days was the perfect amount of time to see Dubrovnik – and enjoy some welcome relaxation time too! We’ve had no shortage of things to see, stairs to climb or food to eat. What a beauty.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Hvar

Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it.

David Lee Roth

We took a ferry to Hvar for the day and we were blinded by the glamour. The harbour is lined with super yachts, all blasting music and partying on board. Alongside this is a string of luxurious restaurants and bars, all overlooking the sheer wealth below them.

The architecture is quite similar to that of Split, and there are the same market stalls selling trinkets and souvenirs. Despite all this, somehow the atmosphere feels more modern and refined here. We went up to the castle at the highest point of the island, where we found some spectacular views.

We are continuing to enjoy the beautiful fresh seafood and local wines – life’s pretty good!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Split

My perfect beach town isn’t a fancy resort or glitzy planned community. It’s a place with a hometown grocery that has decent meat, seafood, and a deli…

Mary Kay Andrews

We have arrived in Croatia to the warm welcome of Split. What a contrast! Here you will find beautiful stone buildings and cobblestone paths, and to our delight, a dog on every corner!

There are old towns and then there are old towns. Garbage trucks make their way through the narrow lanes all day, while residents and shop-owners emerge from each side to empty their rubbish into the back. At the local market, vendors weigh their produce using traditional balance scales.

We were lucky enough to experience a culinary tour of Split with a very charismatic and knowledgeable guide named Jacov. He showed us around the fish markets and taught us all about classic Dalmatian-style seafood. We bought the most exotic looking fish, and took it to Diocletian’s Wine House, where the chef prepared it into a delicious feast. We then spent the afternoon eating and drinking to our hearts’ content. Strongly recommend!!!
https://splitwalkingtour.com/package/split-culinary-tour/

We’ve had a magnificent time in Split. Great food, quality family time and fascinating culture. Looking forward to seeing more of Croatia as we make our way to Dubrovnik!