Trip Overview Teresa and I had discussed taking a trip during either Thanksgiving break or Christmas break, as we both would have some time off due to both of us working for schools. Then, one day, I received an email from what was then Scott’s Cheap Flights (they’ve since rebranded into something I can never remember…good job on that one) with good...
Back home, this would be Thanksgiving day. We celebrated in grand style, but more on our amazing dinner in a bit. First, we were up early to enjoy coffee and pastries at Pasticceria Santo Stefano, across the street from our B&B. Our rental included vouchers for coffee and pastries every day – just hand the voucher to the server and we’re all set! It...
Dinner on Thanksgiving night in Modena was the highlight of the trip. So much so, that I had to sleep on it and collect my thoughts before writing in my journal. First, a tiny bit of background: Since opening in 1995 by Massimo Bottura and his wife/partner Lara, Osteria Francescana has twice been named Best Restaurant in the World (it’s also been named second...
A day full of Christmas shopping, sightseeing, and food! Our second full day of the trip, but our first devoted entirely to Bologna. We began by exploring the areas around our B&B. We were right in the heart of the old city, so it wasn’t hard finding fun things to check out! We admired the architecture, visited many shops, checked out a couple different...
Basilica Sanctuary of Santo Stefano – Complex of the Seven Churches Another full day in Bologna. We got an early start. After coffee and pastries at Pasticceria Santo Stefano, we explored the Basilica Santuario Santo Stefano – Complesso delle Sette Chiese (Basilica Sanctuary of Santo Stefano – Complex of the Seven Churches), a cluster of chapels...
We took an early train to Verona, which is just under an hour north of Bologna by train. We were blown away by Verona! It’s such a charming city, with a rushing river providing a soothing background noise in many parts of the old town. Verona is second only to Rome in the number of visible ruins from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD. It even has a Roman...
Our normal breakfast placed is closed on Mondays, so we had a voucher for a nearby place: Italian BreakPast. It’s primarily a pasta place, but they serve coffee and pastries in the morning. Our cappuccini and pastries were delicious! Archiginnasio of Bologna After breakfast we headed to the Archiginnasio of Bologna, which was once the main building of the...