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Our Spring 2002 Food Lovers' Adventure in Mindful, Exquisite
Eating in the Emilia-Romagna Region of Italy
It’s hard to put into words all the fun and excitement
of one of Green Mountain’s Italian Adventures in Mindful,
Exquisite Eating. But we thought a peek at Alta’s
(one of Green Mountain’s tour guides) travel journal
from one tour might give you some insight. The tours may vary,
but the fun and valuable things we learn don't!
 Saturday
Arrived in Bologna a day early (as I planned). As I learned
from previous tours, this is a good idea. It gives me a chance
to stretch my legs and walk around the beautiful city of Bologna.
What a sophisticated city…and so many stores for shopping!
The great thing, though, is that Bologna is still small enough
to wander without getting lost. That's important for me with
my sense of direction!
 Sunday
Marcello, our wonderful Italian guide, picked us up at the
hotel to start our week of gastronomical experiences. This
picture of him is a kick — having fun with Blakney's
hat. Doesn't he look like the quintessential Italian farmer???
After a short ride to the charming spa village of Riolo Terme,
we settled into the lovely little hotel that will be our home
for a week. Then it was on to Marino Del Torre, the country
restaurant that served as our introduction to the wonderful
foods we'll enjoy this week. And what an introduction to Emilia-Romagna
- the view en route to and from Marino Del Torre is spectacular!
Monday
Up early for a morning walk through Riolo Terme. Everyone
has the opportunity to sleep in if they want, but Marsha and
I are faithful to these morning walks so we can help those
who want to keep their fitness programs going.  But
we definitely let everyone know the days we'll be doing a
lot of walking as part of the tour - so no one has to do double
duty if they don't want to!
Today's visit to the most important herb gardens in Italy
gave me lots of ideas to try in my tiny garden at home. And
when we learned how to use the herbs to make simple but delicious
dishes from Nicola at his restaurant that afternoon, well,
I certainly got a lot useful tips out of that.
After we got back to the hotel, we all headed out for a pleasant
walk to finish our day. We're pretty faithful to this walk,
too. The Italians are famous for their 'digestifs' - different
items they use to end a meal and aid digestion. We think this
evening walk is our version of a digestif. It really does
help us sleep well.
 Tuesday
Ravenna is beautiful, and I agree it is a "must see"
for the Byzantine mosaics. But I have to be honest —
the shopping is pretty incredible. I probably shouldn't have
purchased two pair of shoes along the beautiful mosaic-framed
mirror!
One of the most interesting things about this tour for me
is how it combines cooking with other fun things to do. So
after our morning of sightseeing and shopping, we headed off
to learn how to make pasta! If you are ever going to learn
- this is the place to do it. You really learn from the experts.
We went to learn from Gianna in her lovely country home,
and really had fun making all kinds of pasta — Pasta
in Brodo, Tagliatelli, Tortellini, Garganelli — just
to name a few. (I think I was getting pretty good at it- I
might even try it at home.) Then, of course, we got to enjoy
the fruits of our labor, along with the fruit of Vincenzo's(Gianna's
husband) labor — he treated us to wine he made. What
a meal!
Wednesday
Our visit to the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese factory (caseificio)
was so fascinating. After seeing the care that goes into every
step  and
tasting this incredible cheese, I know I will never settle
for anything less.
Then it was on to see how balsamic vinegar is made in the
traditional way. This too is produced with great care. When
you realize the time it takes to create a real balsamico aceto,
you can appreciate the cost. It's not inexpensive, but it
is worth it. (It's definitely a good idea to buy it here -
it costs about twice as much at home.) 
In spite of tasting Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and balsamic
vinegar, I was ready for lunch. And what could be more appropriate
than lunch with Luigi in his beautiful restaurant with delectable
items made with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and balsamic vinegar?
As special guests, we got to go back into his kitchen and
learn the secrets to making the great tasting dishes we had.
 Thursday
What a way to start the day — pampering at a local spa.
I have to admit by now I was getting a little tired, so this
is perfect timing — a half day at the spa getting a massage
and a facial. I'm now refreshed and ready for another cooking
lesson.
This time Maria Grazie invited us to her home. She is a master
at making piadina and strozzapretti. And her secret sauce!
(Of course, it's not a secret now that we have the recipe.)
Fridays
It's back to Bologna for a guided trip through the wonderful
open market. You can see for yourself why the food is so good
is this area.
What an abundance of fresh produce and fish! And all the shops
with hanging proscuitto and different cheeses. I could wander
for hours just exploring all the different foods.
There are some interesting historic aspects of this city,
too. For one, it's the home of the University of Bologna,
the oldest university in Europe.
I suppose the highlight of the week is the dinner at the
San Domenico on Friday night. We get to enjoy meals prepared
by one of the top chefs in Italy, as well as enjoy wine from
one of the best (and oldest) wine cellars! How can you top
that? We had a truly enjoyable evening visiting with the friends
we made this week. But it is also a little bittersweet knowing
it's all over tomorrow.
 Saturday
Up early -- have to catch the flight. I can't believe it's
been a week already. It flew by! It was an incredible experience,
one I won't forget soon. And I'm excited to go home and duplicate
some of the wonderful meals I had. I certainly know how they
are made, and it's not really difficult at all. Well, I probably
won't be making pasta by hand every week, but I learned some
of the better brands to buy. There's more I could learn, too,
so I'm already looking forward to our next tour!
Ciao for now, Italia!
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If you would like more information, please
call Alta Engstrom, Green Mountain's communications director,
at 800.448.8106 or email her at info@fitwoman.com
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