Ferrara and Food Tour

We arrived in Ferrara Tuesday October 7, in afternoon.  We had a chance to explore some of the old town before it started raining. 

Rain has been the name of the game for the last 5 days.  None the less, I looked for a food tour in Balogna on the day forecast to have the least amount of rain. Italian weather forecast are about as reliable as campaign promises.  We went from 30% chance of scattered showers on Thursday to the following hourly forcast:

 We started our trip to Balogna trudging through the driving rain and wind from our home exchange to the bus stop who knew we'd ever be grateful for a packed public bus that smelled like wet dog.  We then transferred to the train, and on to Balogna and then on to another pack bus smell wet dog here again  to the location of our food tour.   Along with seven other undaunted travelers we spent 4.5 hours dodging driving rain and wind, streets running with water, and muddy puddles.  And guess what...

It was a delightful day, filled with laughs, wine, and more food than any one person should eat in that given about of time.  The wine was free flowing and excellent well who really knows if it was good wine, after the first few glasses, who cares about quality.    The food was outstanding and the tour guide very knowledgeable.  

Our trip home was equally wet.  I've actually never seen such unrelenting rain.  I fell asleep on the train ride home, it must have been all the wine all that walking.  Had it not been for Cheech, I would have ended up in Venice.

Friday was spent touring a castle/home in the center of Ferrara.  We climbed a gazillion stairs to the top of the castle  tower, crawled into dungeons, and were generally fascinated by the history. Saturday, yet to be determined.  Sunday we're going to a small nearby town for their annual eel festival. Yes, you read that correctly, an eel festival!  Hope it's as exciting as the anchovy festival we attended two years ago on the Costa Bravo!



Ferrara as seen from castle tower.






Food tour pics.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ending Week One/Observations and Lessons Learned

We are ending our first week in Italy.  I have already learned so much.  I will generously share my pearls of wisdom.  1) Trieste is a fabulous city with much to see and do, including visiting nearby Croatia and Slovenia.  Lesson learned: One week is not enough time to enjoy this city and area. 2) Wine is cheaper than water. Lesson learned:  Drink more wine. 3) Italy makes some amazing chocolate. Lesson learned: Eat more chocolate.  4) Most women's bathrooms in Italy have no toilet seats.  I asked why, and was told this was done in an effort to help keep the bathrooms cleaner. Seems to me that whoever planned this, failed to ask the critical question, "What could possibly go wrong with this strategy? " Lesson learned: Women... Practice using the restroom standing up at all times.  Please let me know how this works for you.  5) Italian restrooms NEVER provide toilet paper.  I have no idea what they are thinking with this one.   Lesson learned:  Pack lots of those little do...
Read more

Milan and Switzerland

Image
Milan Our 5 days in Milan were spent in multiple museums, a tour of the Duomo, a visit to Le Scala, and the highest end shopping center in the world! Most of this done while dodging rain, rain, and more rain.   The 3 hour tour of the Duomo was eye crossingly   maticulously detailed.  I actually can't remember being in a church for 3 hours at any time in my entire life.   The information was quite fascinating.  The tour included with an elevator ride to the roof and a walk around the perimeter.  It was breathtaking and a little terrifying, and a little wet, and a little slippery.  Wouldn't have missed this tour for anything.  A visit to Alla Scala now gives us boasting rights to having been in the most famous opera house in the world. We were thrilled to have our self-guided tour scheduled at the same time as cast and crew were rehearsing for the coming week's opera.  We got a two-for-one on this as there was no way we could have attended an actual opera .  The dress for att...
Read more

Trip Prep

We are 3 days and counting to the start of our trip to Italy and Spain.  Almost fully packed (have been almost fully packed for the last 10 days).  Upside to this: feeling very prepared (and a bit smug).  Downside to this: I have worn the same two outfits (those not packed) for the last 10 days.  If nothing else, I am a fashion statement. We have a long travel day ahead of us on Monday.  San Francisco to Frankfurt by air.  Frankfurt to Venice by air.  Venice to Trieste by train.  Train station to home exchange (by foot). We expect to arrive ready to saunter down the Trieste boardwalk from the train station to our home exchange.  Looking forward to a lovely walk after a long day of confined travel.   Update:  As Rick Steves advises, "If your vacation is not meeting your expectations, change your expectations."   Edited expectations after seeing Italy's extreme weather warning for the area on the date of our arrival:...
Read more