Day 24: Modena

With our great love of balsamic vinegar (Allyson) and fast cars (Andrew) we took a day trip to Modena. It was an easy half hour train ride, and we knew we loved Modena the second we arrived. The city reminds us of Davis- plus a few hundred years of history. People ride bikes all over town, people are friendly and happy, and the whole town was clean and inviting. We walked around for a bit checking out the little shops and piazzas along the way.

Andrew wanted to check out the Ferrari factory, which turned out to be just outside of Modena, so we caught a bus and looked at some fast cars. Even though neither of us know very much (ie nothing) about cars, it was all still very impressive. Andrew even got to sit in a few zoomy models, pretending to be someone important.

We got back to Modena hoping to find a place for an early dinner, preferably one containing some locally produced balsamic vinegar. Turns out no restaurant kitchens open before 7:30, and we had to get on our train back to Bologna before then. We settled for a glass of the local wine, Lambrusco, a sparkling red. To our delight, the glass of wine we shared came with tortilla chips and salsa, cheesy foccacia, potato chips, and olives. Definitely enough to tide us over until dinner in Bologna!

Back in Bologna we found a nice outdoor restaurant and enjoyed some nice, fresh salads. It felt good to eat something green, and we weren’t even craving gelato by the end!

Travel Blunder: We had some troubles with public transportation today. #1: We forgot to validate our train tickets on the way to Modena and enjoyed a short lecture from the ticked checker halfway through our journey. Luckily we didn’t get fined. #2: We thought we could buy tickets on the bus to the Ferrari factory, but it turns out we needed to get them at the station. Luckily we didn’t get caught. #3: We got on a bullet train to Bologna instead of the slow train we had tickets for. By the time we realized it, it was too late so we just hoped for the best. As the train was pulling into the Bologna station the ticket checker found us. Unfortunately, we were caught and fined. Not our proudest travel day.

Culture Shock: Italians really care about looks. Even mannequins in shop windows have wigs that seem to be professionally styled. A little creepy…

Gourmet Moment: Allyson was a little bummed to leave Modena without any balsamic vinegar, but was very excited to find that the balsamic that came with her salad back in Bologna was an authentic Modena product. Yum!