Food

Sept 15

So Kari and I wanted to go to our new favorite place Da Nello. It was closed on monday-this town is open only 12% of the week.

Our hotel recommended another similar restaurant. On a rainy, cold Monday we walked in to a 3/4 empty restaurant and was asked if we had a reservation. It took 10 minutes to seat us and we were treated so poorly. We laughed about never being treated so rudely. I asked for the cute younger waiter and bleach blonde guy said not possible. He then pulled another chair over to our table. I asked why and loudly said for our imaginary friend. Of course, I had to add fuel to the fire and have him convert the phrase to italian and then I practiced out loud all night.

Each table had a different plate of fruit. We had green apples-funny because we bought and ate them all the time. We were handed a wine list-Kari and I were tempted to ask blonde baldy to bring us cheapest bottle-by the glass. The food was very good. The busboy loved us and was quickly replaced with non english speaking drone.

We laughed and KARI suggested we bite each apple. We were going to leave the bill in all american currency- we gave the busboy euros, paid check to exact amount and left american dollars for waiter.

When we left, I asked a nice man to take our picture with 2 green apples. He asked why- we explained about our rude treatment-he turned out to be the owner or an investor.

We are still laughing and looking forward to our Tuscan adventures ciao=

Today we left the hotel early to tour parm cheese production and have another cooking class.

As you get close to the parm cheese plant, the odor fills the air. At 8 am, the odor inside the plant sent Kari running. I buttoned up my shirt to cover my nose and rolled paper towels to breathe through. I thought I could handle it- as soon as I went outside, I started to heave and the Burke Flu hit me. Kari was about to get sick and Luca had no idea what to do. It took 30 minutes of fresh air to end the reaction. Luca called cooking class to warn them of our very early arrival.

We arrived early and lucky us, the health inspector was there. That is why we are wearing hairnet hats. The lesson was less formal-great. Sylvia our chef was fantastic and we made some great dishes.

We had the afternoon to go shopping. I have never seen Kari so excited-due to all the designer shops. Somehow I bought everything.

Things changed after the bottle of prosceco....=

sept 13

Kari and I arrived together. She was so great. I totally empathesized with the travel for 24 hours feeling.

Bologna is a cute city. Lots of designer shops. We had to wait for our room so we had some proscesco and toasted to our Italian holiday.

We went to a few shops for bread, cheese, wine and tomatoes. Went back top the room-lucky to get anything because everything closes for siesta. And we enjoyed a nice siesta ourselves.

We found a restaurant and had a great meal. Bologna is yummy. We realized quickly we have to learn some key italian words because Kari keeps getting napkins when she requests towels.

I had her looking for a phrase book and we bought one. Just now she opens the information packet she has carried for a month to find italian phrases. i feel for everyone because, I'm armed with phrase book and map.

We had a great cooking class today-amazing what you can do without a pastamatic. We hope to make taglielle for you all-bolognase ragu very complex so will open prego-your welcome by the way.

I love the coffee lady in the mornings-may never have starbucks again.

After dinner this evening, Kari and I went to the italian Melissa Etheridge concert in the square. Kari was groped by 3 dancing idiots-who weren't italian and 2 inches shorter than she was. Very funny.

Ciao J =

Sept 2

Porto- same issue into city as Lisboa- almost worse because no one around to help and language barrior. We stayed in a cute european hotel in the central of the city. City was empty and little scary.

Joe and I seem to have a difference of comfort zones when travelling. Hard to imagine why I would want to go down a deserted alley to the river at 10 pm to look for restaurants. The nice little man that Joe befriended told us to be careful due to all the homeless that live on the path. Decided to get up early and leave. Little did I know- what was ahead