Part 1
Arrival in Zurich
Travel to Sotto de Monte and Bergamo
Tour Mantova
Ferrara arrival


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It had been nearly 2 years since our last big trip. It was our 40th anniversary year so this was a celebration. The dollar was WAY down, the economy had tanked and my job was iffy. But we had to celebrate.

Thursday, September 24th

We flew out of Dulles to Zurich and rented a Skota and drove south, headed for Bergamo Italy. It was pretty hot and very smoggy in Lombardia. We tried to find a nice place for lunch but worried that we would be too late, we settled for a pizzeria. It was pretty bad. Then, wouldn't you know it, we found the perfect place right after we left. We wanted to tour Bergamo and really could have made it for lunch there. It turned out to be a pretty quick trip overall.

Bergano is a hill town. We drove through the typically chaotic traffic and up the hill to park. We strolled the town taking in the minimal sights (Duomo, chapel, fountain and interesting marks in the floor to predict the solstice).


Solstice calculator in Bergamo

Oriel window on Duomo - Bergamo

Assorted chimneys in Bergamo

Then we headed to Sotto de Monte where we were staying in Casa Clelia - an agritourismo (picture on right). They advertised themselves as very "green" and they grow everything that they serve in the restaurant on the farm. There were animals in the barns and the place itself is a huge 14th century building. Our room had stonewalls and high beamed ceilings. We were to eat there that night. It has a prix fixe menu. I soaked in the tub and got the road crud off and took a snooze.

It was a wonderful dinner. We chose the tasting menu. We started with antipasti plates - half cold and half warm. There was salumi, parma ham, rolls of meat with cheese inside, bread with lard and veggies, something called oranges which was breaded fried rice or risotto and pieces of goat cheese (local of course) with jam. For our primi there was a lovely risotto with apples (!) and a ravioli which was sweetened with amaretti and had bits of salumi in it. Yum! For our secundi there was Pecora (sheep) with polenta and rabbit with pine nuts and veggies. We had a little pantomime for the pecora which we didn't recognize. Our waiter said "baaa, baaa" aha! We had a half-liter of white wine (chardonnay, muscat and sauvignon blanc) it was dark yellow and sherry-like. The red was cabinet sauvignon and merlot with something local. It was very dry. Both were produced on the farm. I learned "Lo mangiare molto buono" which means I've eaten well. We sat outside and Luther smoked his cigar. We were serenaded by an owl. It was a lovely evening.

Saturday September 26
We got up at 8:30, relatively late for us. The breakfast was nice. Café latte, yoghurt, sweet chocolate hazelnut butter cupcake and toasted bread with butter. There had been a big storm during the night. I had not thought the rain would come in since the walls (windowsills) were about 2 feet thick but the wind really blew it all the way to the floor. So I shut the window.

We looked at the chickens and the gardens as we left. All the chickens were snowy white. Then we drove through town stopping momentarily because there was a fair of sorts - turned out it was not that interesting so off we went.

We grabbed the autostrada so it was a quick trip to Verona where we headed south to Montova (Mantua). Parking was hard but we managed. It is a beautiful place, nearly surrounded by three artificial lakes created in the 12th century from the waters of the river Mincio. Inside on the pedestrian areas it was very crowded and bustling. We visited all the piazzas but didn't tour the Palazzo Ducale.


Crossing the bridge to Mantova

Palazzo Ducale - Mantova

We had decided beforehand to try one of the slow food recommendations on the way between Mantova and Ferrara. I wished the book had just said it was on the main road. I was looking to turn off. But we saw the place right on the road, Trattoria Giai. It was great. A nice room with high ceilings, lots of antique stuff and plenty of room between the tables. We arrived at 1:30 which was posted as quitting time for lunch but they welcomed us in and someone arrived after us so I figured they take folks as they come. It wasn't crowded. Luther had big fat macaroni with boar ragu and goose in balsamic vinegar. I had tagliatelle with pigeon and morels (which are called little sponges in Italian) and carpaccio with arugula and cheese. All of it was very good. We decided to drink a Ripasso di Valpolicela. Espresso followed and Luther had a grappa of teroldega which he said was excellent.

Off we went to Ferrara. It was a very nice drive, with not much traffic and pretty, prosperous farms and orchards. The poor Po River ran alongside but was penned up behind great levees. We had no problem finding Piazetta San Anna where we were to meet Luigi. I couldn't get the Mobal phone to work (operator error) but there was a pay phone nearby which worked fine. Luigi showed up on his bike. He's about 60 and very nice. He showed us all the ropes (so many keys!) . The apartment is very nice with tall ceilings and wooden beams. Outside was a beautiful arcaded courtyard. There was a double bedroom, a single bedroom, and it had a modern kitchen at one end of the large living area. The other side had a white leather sofa and a flat screen TV. A computer and printer were in the small bedroom for our use.


Arcade outside of apartment

Pretty courtyard by apartment

Piazetta San Anna and Fountains beside apartment

Living room and kitchen

We immediately went out to buy cheese, meat, bread and wine for a light dinner. No wine stores! We walked our feet off. We did finally find a really good cheese and meat shop where we bought pecorino, goat and asiago with ham and salumi. Bread from a grocery store and, out of necessity, wine.

Back "home" we watched bad Italian TV - drank some wine and had our picnic. A nice day and I knew I would like Ferrara.

Sunday September 27th
We arose to beautiful sunshine. The Piazetta Sant Anna is a paved very small square with a modern fountain and it was just by the apartment. Outside of the apartment there is a pretty arcaded garden just next to the Piazetta. This building was a hospital which was in ruins. Luigi bought the apartment for his daughter, Gloria. She now lives elsewhere so they rent it out. It is a beautiful restoration. Luigi said he fell in love with it. He stopped by to get the paperwork filled out in the morning. We had fun with the Italian percolator but it made a good cup of coffee!

Luther really wanted to walk so we did. There was a really pretty river-stone street two blocks away that led all the way to the wall. On the way a man riding a bike hit a grate and his bike stopped suddenly. A beautifully colorful small parrot that had been riding on the front rack fell off. He was ok but who would have imagined this man takes his parrot for bicycle rides!


Church beside our apartment

Cobblestone Ferrara street

Ferrara city walls

We went to the balloon festival which was in its last day and we walked along the walls for a couple of hours. Then we found our way back to the center. We found our dinner place of choice from the slow food book and made a reservation. Then we headed back to find the restaurant (enotecca al Brindisi) and wine store that Luther had found. We had a really nice lunch there. It was on a small pedestrian street tucked behind the cathedral. In front of the Duomo was a really bustling street market so the quiet street was a blessing. We were early enough to snag an outside table. The people watching was primo. We had a local white wine. It was really good. We had a salumi plate to start (good!) and torttole de zucca which is the local specialty of pumpkin stuffed pasta. I had mine with the butter sage sauce and Luther had his with the ragu. The pumpkin was really sweet. These were obviously homemade and wonderful. Espressi and a grappa for Luther rounded it out.


Typical bread of Emilia Romagna

Wine with lunch

Torttole de zucca

We kicked back, read, and relaxed. By the way, Ferrara was as advertised, it had more bikes than I had ever seen outside the Netherlands. Old men, grandmas, fathers and mothers with babies strapped in front or behind - and not one helmet in sight!

After a nice afternoon of reading and relaxing we headed out to L'Oca Giuliva from the Slow Food book. It has outside tables under an arcade on a quiet street.

They brought sparkling wine right away and some bread and toasted almonds. I ordered local specialties. First a pasta almost like really long skinny stuffed ravioli with ragu. Very good. For the secundi I had mashed potatoes topped with spicy sausage which was surprisingly good. I sprung for a dolce which was spongy cake surrounding a ball of gelato with dried bananas. I shouldn't have done the dessert! We had Nadel wine - red. Luther had macaroni for his primi and capon with veggies for his secundi. The we walked back.


Red wine with dinner

Luther's capon

Spicy sausage on mashed potatoes

Dessert