Italy or Wisconsin?

POW!  Two of the photos above were taken in the Emilia-Romagna region of central Italy, and two of these photos were taken in Wisconsin of the midwest region of the United States. . .I defy you to definitively tell me which shots are from which place. . .amazing similarity, yes?  Yes!

Emilia-Romagna is recognized as the breadbasket of Italy, and the midwest is most certainly the breadbasket of the U.S.. . .we continue to be blown away by how beautiful Wisconsin is in this extremely rich and fertile region.  The rolling hills, the hay bales drying in the sun, the empty roads, the big sky, and the freedom to roam about at will–we love both of these regions of the world, and I hope that you can taste the glory of both of these places and do your own comparisons at some point before you depart.  Drive Italy…drive Wisconsin. . .enjoy!

I send you free-flowing vibes from the rolling hills of Wisconsin (though it’s up to you to determine which photos these vibes are coming from). . .feel them. . .they are full of vigor and stimulation.

To see more magical images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and sooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 wine cellar…Ristorante San Domenico–

Oh boy, what a treat!  We are allowed a tour of the wine cellar here at the great restaurant called San Domenico in Imola, Italy. . .niiice!  There are hundreds of dusty bottles waiting for some lucky persons, maybe us, to order them up and suck them down.  We actually do pretty well with our 1982 Emilia-Romagna red from some vintner that I cannot now remember.  But what I do remember–what I will never forget–is the first fragrant whiff of our red as it sits in my extremely large wine glass, maybe the largest wine glass that I have ever sipped out of, and the way this fragrance whisks me away to a place of calm and contentment for the hours it takes us to consume our meal.  I love the wine cellar and the wines of San Domenico, and you will too if you ever find yourself dining here.

I send you transporting vibes from Ristorante San Domenico. . .feel them. . .they are full of magic and earthiness.

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It’s lovely out there.

Dozza, hills, and red–

We’re just toolin’ around over here in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy seeing what we can see.  We particularly like a town called Dozza because it is full of golden rolling hills with hay growing, grasses growing, breezes blowing, and the sun shining down on us all day long.  Every now and then we stop for a well-dressed totally tricked-out bottle of red. . .a bowl or two of pasta. . .a chit-chat with restaurant proprietors. . .mmm, aaaah!  Feeling so alive and at ease and contented we move on in search of more of the same.  No mission other than the continued enjoyment of the passage of time with a little beauty and deliciousness thrown in here and there.

I send you settled vibes from Dozza. . .feel them. . .they are just about all you need.

To see more magical images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Fita knows meat–

The Fiorentina Bistecca at Trattoria Fita is around four pounds. . .it is cooked over red-hot embers pulled from an open fire pit inside the restaurant. . .the meat is cooked to a delectable medium-rare. . .the meat is allowed to rest properly. . .the meat is sliced properly. . .the meat is served promptly. . .we gobble it all happily and voraciously. . .it is all washed down with a lovely Emilia-Romagna red. . .we drive home and nap contentedly. . .mmmm, aaaahh!

Trattoria Fita is located in a town called Borgo Tossignano about thirty kilometers south of Bologna. . .please find this place and eat here if you ever find yourself tooling around in these parts. . .you will be oh-so satisfied–I gar-ron-taaaay!!

I send you primal vibes from Fita. . .feel them. . .they will make you go “grrrrrrrr.”

To see more wonderful images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 Fiorentina Bistecca…Borgo Tossignano–

  Here it is. . .no need to look any further. . .this is THE number one Fiorentina Bistecca (Florentine Beef Steak) that we have ever had, period.  The place is called Trattoria Fita. . .’Fita’ was the nickname of the guy who who started cooking bisteccas here, and above you see his grandson, Riccardo, who now runs the restaurant with his mother.  Fita is located in a town called Borgo Tossignano which is about thirty kilometers south of Bologna.  If you love red meat. . .if you love beef steak. . .if you love meat cooked over red-hot embers, then you must come and gobble one of the slabs served up here. . .it is absolutely wonderful!

Riccardo brings out our slab of beef and weighs it for us. . .it is 3.69 pounds or just under two kilos, and it is three fingers thick.  Riccardo sparks up a fire in what is basically a small fireplace with extremely good ventilation.  He pulls out some red-hot embers, forms them into a pile, places a grill over this, and then slowly introduces our piece of meat to the heat–he does not just slap the meat on the grill. . .fascinating.  He moves the slab closer and closer until the meat seems to be ready for the full cooking experience, then BOOM! our meat goes on the grill.  It sizzles and cooks for about six or seven minutes. . .then he turns it over and cooks it for another six or seven minutes. . .then he does some charing of the edges. . .then the meat is removed from the heat and allowed to rest a bit.  Finally, he slices it and delivers it to us for consumption.  I gotta tell you, this may be my absolute favorite piece of meat that I have ever eaten. . .it tastes like meat cooked on a grill with glowing embers–that’s it.  It…tastes…like…meat. . .and that is it.  Pure, simple, delicious, glorious.  I wish you could eat here some time. . .this place will change your life.

I send you clarifying vibes from Trattoria Fita in Borgo Tossignano in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. . .feel them. . .they will take you higher.

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It’s lovely out there.

Oldest university on the planet–

Yes, this is the oldest university on planet Earth: the University of Bologna.  U. of B. was founded way back in the year 1088. . .wow!  It is gorgeous strolling around here. . .lots of ancient palatial buildings. . .lots of new graduates wearing wreathes on their heads, popping bottles of prosecco, chatting with family members, chanting celebratory chants with their friends, and generally enjoying their final moments before heading out to make the world a better place. . .or at least not screw it up anymore than anyone else has.  The sun is shining, the breezes are warm, and the atmosphere is joyous. . .we are honored to share this day with these folks on these ancient grounds.

I send you educational vibes from the world’s oldest university, Universita di Bologna. . .feel them. . .they make the world go round and round.

To see more wonderful images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 lunch…Bologna-style–

MMM!  We just had lunch at Trattoria La Montanara here in Bologna, Italy, and I gotta tell you that I have never had a better lunch anywhere in my entire life. . .mmmm, aaaah!  We are gobbling tagliatelle with arugula and prosciutto. . .gramigna with sausage and tomatoes. . .vegatable quiche, aka, torta. . .meatballs and stuffed zucchini. . .carpaccio with cheese and greens. . .etc. and so on. . .all washed down with a delicious Sangiovese. . .salut!

Do yourself a favor if you ever find yourself wandering around in Bologna looking for a lunch spot. . .seek out La Montanara, pop in at about 12:30 p.m., sit, order all of the daily specials, and enjoy the ride. . .your life will be elevated to a super-joyous level with a smooth undertone of chilled-out-ness and easygoing-ness. . .plus, you might even learn something–like the Yank next to us who learned that Bolognese sauce comes from Bologna–feel the synapses snapping, fascinating!

I send you satisfying vibes from La Montanara in Bologna. . .feel them. . .they are oh-so good for you.

To see more fabulous images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 tagliatelle ragu…Bologna–

BAM!  Here it is…the dish that you have come to Bologna to try: tagliatelle ragu, aka, tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce, and this place, Trattoria Serghei, has one of the best, if not THE best, versions in town.  Delectable homemade tagliatelle noodles–made from eggs and flour only–dressed in an extremely tasty beef sauce known to most of us as ‘Bolognese sauce,’ but simply called ‘ragu’ here.  We gobbled this stuff the other night, and I gotta tell you, it is damn good.  In fact, we chatted with a local dude who told us that in his fifty-two years of life here in Bologna his favorite version of tagliatelle with ragu is right here in the restaurant.

So, you decide.  Come here some day, book a table at Trattoria Serghei, order the tagliatelle with ragu, and enjoy.  Whether or not it is “the best” or “the only place in town for ragu” doesn’t really matter. . .what does matter is that you pay homage to this fine dish in its home and continue to enjoy the passage of time while doing so.  Oh, and be sure to wash it all down with a bottle of Sangiovese Superiore a la ‘Gio Gio’–only twelve bucks a bottle. . .mmm, aaaaahh!. . .you will like too much.

I send you authentic vibes from Trattoria Serghei in Bologna, Italy. . .feel them. . .they don’t get much better than this.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and sooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Streetscapes…Bologna, Italy–

  POW!  They have a leaning tower in Bologna. . .who knew?  Not I.  The two towers  you see above are the Garisenda and the Asinelli–together they are known as ‘The Towers of Bologna’ and are recognized as an official symbol of sorts for the town.

The Garisenda is leaning toward the Asinelli quite dramatically–it seems that eight or nine centuries of existence has caused these old fellas to sag a bit, but not to worry. . .at present there is a lot of construction going on around both towers to shore them up and smooth out the roads and walkways around both of them so that folks can enjoy these babies for another nine hundred years.

There are cozy cafes all around the towers where we can sip espressos, and there are lots of shaded arched walking areas known as ‘arcades’ where can walk in relative coolness and imagine all of the folks who have walked upon these cobblestone streets and simply enjoy the passage of time.  Blue skies, warm breezes, and welcoming locals make everything even more lovely than we thought it could be at this very moment. . .mmmm, aaaahh!

I send you historic and tenacious vibes from The Towers of Bologna. . .feel them. . .they can help you get through your day with joy and vitality.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Ham, sausage, tomatoes…mmm!

Here in Bologna, Italy the prosciutto comes directly from Parma, the sausage is made EVERYWHERE it seems, and the tomatoes taste like droplets of magical vegetable/fruit candy from gardens of amazingness. . .mmmm, aaaaahh!  We want to keep eating this stuff until we return to stardust. . .and we want to wash it all down with endless bottles of Sangiovese-based wines. . .salut!

Of course, everyone thinks of Florence, Venice, Milan, Rome, etc. when planning a trip to Italy, but please note that it is important to consider Bologna for your Italy visit–this is food country. . .if you want to really gobble some goodness, then you will want to stop here at some point. . .yes indeedy-dee.

I send you delectable vibes from Bologna. . .feel them. . .they are the source of so much that is good to eat in Italy and beyond.

To see more wonderful images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.