Welcome to the Feast…
We wake up early after a lovely sleep in our lovely stylish family hotel – the Hotel Touring with its fabulous veranda over the city a superb breakfast is on offer with delicious pastries and coffee.
Bologna is a food city that wakes early so we’ll start the day with a breakfast-time tour and avoid the crowds of day trippers! It’s not for nothing that Bologna is known as ‘Fat City’ It is the food capital of Italy (and therefore the world?!) The ancient Mercato di Mezzo and the food shops, café’s and restaurants around it, all in the medieval quarter, are astonishing homes to intoxicating taste, scent and aroma which pervades the whole area and heightens appetites. Naturally our full-on guided visit includes many tastes!
Bologna is a food city that wakes early so we’ll start the day with a breakfast-time tour and avoid the crowds of day trippers! It’s not for nothing that Bologna is known as ‘Fat City’ It is the food capital of Italy (and therefore the world?!) The ancient Mercato di Mezzo and the food shops, café’s and restaurants around it, all in the medieval quarter, are astonishing homes to intoxicating taste, scent and aroma which pervades the whole area and heightens appetites. Naturally our full-on guided visit includes many tastes!
Next our eyes feast on the best of this rich, fabulous city including the Piazza Maggiore, the, Podestà Palace, Neptune’s Fountain, King Enzo’s Palace. We’ll admire the enormous Basilica of Saint Petronio. We’ll see Bologna’s gothic Merchants’ Palace, the Seven Churches complex of Saint Steven’s Basilica, and meet Asinelli and Garisenda, Bologna’s famous leaning Towers. After a very full morning, around midday we leave Bologna towards the country on the historic Via Emilia to Romagna.
First stop is a visit to the superb, internationally-rated organic Zuffa Vineyard . We walk around the vineyard with Augusto Zuffa, see the fascinating winery, walk among the lovely vines, smell the scents. Then we come inside to take a wine tasting of some of Augusto’s greatest wines (including Italy’s representative wine for Expo 2015).
Amongst others we’ll taste superb Sangiovese, delicious Albana, and perfect Pignoletto – white, red and pink, sparkling and still. Of course, you can’t drink without eating in Italy and Augusto’s sister Michela now brings out a massive platter of delicious local starters including local hams and cheeses, breads and pasties and lots of other delicious items.
Amongst others we’ll taste superb Sangiovese, delicious Albana, and perfect Pignoletto – white, red and pink, sparkling and still. Of course, you can’t drink without eating in Italy and Augusto’s sister Michela now brings out a massive platter of delicious local starters including local hams and cheeses, breads and pasties and lots of other delicious items.
After this wonderful visit, we will see the painted city of Dozza with its fabulous castle and wine heritage.
Then, we take the short journey to the hilltop castle-town of Longiano to check into Alloggio San Girolamo and enjoy the atmosphere and stunning views.
Then another taste of great Romagnolo food and wine - a special welcome dinner at the Ristorante Dei Cantoni.
Another lovely day, and so to bed in the lovely country house...
It’s another great day tomorrow!
Another lovely day, and so to bed in the lovely country house...
It’s another great day tomorrow!
