Buongiorno!
Sorry I haven't written in a long time. The internet has been out. Plus, between studying, going out, and taking exams, I have been extremely busy!
On Friday we went to Modena. We went to the cheese factory for Parmigiano Reggiano. It was about an hour and 45 minute bus ride from Florence to Modena and we were able to see how the cheese was made and the process of aging that it goes through. It was pretty cool to be able to put it all into perspective. We even got to wear those cool outfits that you see in the picture!
Not only is Modena famous for their Parmigiano Reggiano, but they are very famous for their Balsamic Vinegar. After spending an hour and a half in the cheese factory, we made our way over to a place where they make balsamic vinegar. It was so amazing to see it all and we even got to taste 13 year old and 25 year old balsamic and compare the differences. It truly was an experience. After having a lesson on how to make balsamic, we were presented with a very delicious dish that is very Modenese. We started with appetizers - salami, cheese, etc. then they brought out a pasta dish that was made with cheese, sausage, and different vegetables. You think that would be enough, but NO not in Italy. They served us pork with a balsamic glaze and salad. It was seriously so amazing I can't even explain.
Then it was time to head back to Florence...for everyone else. Three of us got picked up by Lorena (an MSU Grad student who lives in Modena but attends MSU). It was awesome to spend the day with her. She showed us all of Modena and we went for a tour. I am seriously so lucky to have been able to spend the day ONLY speaking Italian and experiencing a true Italian culture. She took us to her favorite Gelateria and I had a cheesecake gelato (talk about delicious)! After that we went for l'aperativo (which is almost like a "happy hour") where she treated us to Spritz. Spritz is white wine with orange flavoring and carbonation (kind of sounds weird, but it was absolutely fantastic). Time really did fly by when we realized we had about 20 minutes to get from the restaurant to our train.
I can honestly say I got to experience quite the rush when we were stuck in traffic and had 5 minutes until our train left the station. We pulled up to a long line of cars, in front of the station, and jumped out of the car and ran through a bunch of people only to realize that our train was 5 minutes late. If it had been on time, we would have been stuck in Modena!
After being on the train and knowing that we were on our way back to Florence, I was able to reflect on the amazing day! I honestly had such a great time and was so thankful to have been able to be invited to spend the day with Lorena.
A dopo!
Mary
Sorry I haven't written in a long time. The internet has been out. Plus, between studying, going out, and taking exams, I have been extremely busy!
On Friday we went to Modena. We went to the cheese factory for Parmigiano Reggiano. It was about an hour and 45 minute bus ride from Florence to Modena and we were able to see how the cheese was made and the process of aging that it goes through. It was pretty cool to be able to put it all into perspective. We even got to wear those cool outfits that you see in the picture!
Not only is Modena famous for their Parmigiano Reggiano, but they are very famous for their Balsamic Vinegar. After spending an hour and a half in the cheese factory, we made our way over to a place where they make balsamic vinegar. It was so amazing to see it all and we even got to taste 13 year old and 25 year old balsamic and compare the differences. It truly was an experience. After having a lesson on how to make balsamic, we were presented with a very delicious dish that is very Modenese. We started with appetizers - salami, cheese, etc. then they brought out a pasta dish that was made with cheese, sausage, and different vegetables. You think that would be enough, but NO not in Italy. They served us pork with a balsamic glaze and salad. It was seriously so amazing I can't even explain.
Then it was time to head back to Florence...for everyone else. Three of us got picked up by Lorena (an MSU Grad student who lives in Modena but attends MSU). It was awesome to spend the day with her. She showed us all of Modena and we went for a tour. I am seriously so lucky to have been able to spend the day ONLY speaking Italian and experiencing a true Italian culture. She took us to her favorite Gelateria and I had a cheesecake gelato (talk about delicious)! After that we went for l'aperativo (which is almost like a "happy hour") where she treated us to Spritz. Spritz is white wine with orange flavoring and carbonation (kind of sounds weird, but it was absolutely fantastic). Time really did fly by when we realized we had about 20 minutes to get from the restaurant to our train.
I can honestly say I got to experience quite the rush when we were stuck in traffic and had 5 minutes until our train left the station. We pulled up to a long line of cars, in front of the station, and jumped out of the car and ran through a bunch of people only to realize that our train was 5 minutes late. If it had been on time, we would have been stuck in Modena!
After being on the train and knowing that we were on our way back to Florence, I was able to reflect on the amazing day! I honestly had such a great time and was so thankful to have been able to be invited to spend the day with Lorena.
A dopo!
Mary
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