The red centre

We visited Bologna today. We wanted to stay there originally but it was too expensive. So we stayed in Modena which has been lovely and we have had two awesome meals here but when you visit Bologna it just has a different feel.

Bologna is a university town so it is always busy and has a lot on. Today when we arrived they were having a protest about the maffia. They love their protests over here.





We had no plans today but to arrive and wander around the city oh and eat something of course. The weather was perfect.









I was reading online that there is 48km approximately of portoco's (undercover walk ways) which is really nice to walk around and would be great in bad weather.



They make so much sense and maybe when we come back here we will walk all 48km of them.

Bologna is also known for its food so here is a shot for you Julie.


On the way to lunch Marty and I stopped in at the Spanish holiday stand and got our photo taken.



Lunch was at Trattoria da Pietro and was lovey as always. I thought you might have liked our waitress Jules.

After lunch we headed back to Modena which is about 20mins away by train. On the way home we bought a new bag to put our clothes in because on the way we have ended up with 2 rain coats from england, 2 new jackets florence, 1 jumper for me, 1 long coat for brett. I am minus my jeans as they ended up with holes in then. Man it is hard to get good quality these days. Plus all the books from school etc, dvds and a game. It was getting to hard to carry so we now have another bag.

The rest of the afternoon was spent researching and booking accommodation for the rest of our trip. It is all done now. Dinner was in our room again with a bottle of wine and pizza, nice way to finish here.

So till tomorrow stay safe.

Love Monique, Brett, Marty, Kiwi and Hooter

Location:Bologna

A little old man time

Brett found out there are food markets that are on every day except Sundays so we went out to check them out. We even left our hotel by 9am which is unheard of for us. Why is it that when you don't have an apartment you find great food markets. They were great and wish we had somewhere to cook or even reheat some of this great food.











Now we have noticed an interesting phenomena happening all over Italy but you notice it more in the small towns. This was taken at mid morning today as we sat in the Piazza Grande watching the world go by. Notice there are a couple of groups of older men standing around. There were a few other groups around the piazza (not in this photo). We think they come there everyday to talk about the soccer and politics and well not sure what else. It is interesting watching them. Do they plan to meet everyday or does it just happen? Why are they in their separate groups and what creates these groups? What are their wives doing while they are here, I dare say getting lunch ready, looking after the house, the grandchildren etc.

It is nice to see them all hang out together and just chat, just wish I could hear what they are talking about.



Lunch was at Ristorante Omar which is a place Brett found recommended on lonely Planet. We turned up to early and they were only just making the pasta so we headed out and came back half an hour later. I can honestly say this is the BEST pasta we have had in our lives. This includes Locatelli. It was light and cooked to perfection, the sauces that went with them were perfect. They have this interesting concept were they bring you a bottle of wine and you only pay for what you have drunk (never a good thing for us). Two plates of pasta and a couple of glasses of wine later it was 25 euro. So cheap especially considering the quality. The woman in the photo is one of the owners and was still making pasta when we left and I asked if we could take a photo. She learnt from her mother who learnt from her mother etc. It was interesting cause she was saying she didn't want to learn but her mother made her.



Back to the hotel for an afternoon nap but we were delayed getting home by the enoteca that was open near us, so we thought we would drop in and have a look and another glass of red wine later we left. This place is great and has a wide variety of wines to choose from. I think we may have to go back, if we get time.

Dinner was pizza and wine in our room checking out where we are going next. We are thinking Milan, Lake Como and Verona then on to Venice to stay with our friends Fiona, Francesco and William.


Love Monique, Brett, Marty, Kiwi and Hooter

Location:Modena

Modena - 19 March 2012

We left Tuscany a little sad and a little happy that we would be back in the city again. It was such a fab time and we will miss the apartment, the quite and the views from our little paradise. I think Brett will be happy to hand back the car

The drive back into town went off without a hitch which is always great and we got the car back in one piece. Yeh Brett for driving us so safety. We have left behind grover (bretts purple winter jacket) some gloves, and my slippers which will now forever be part of Tuscany (they are buried in the bush somewhere).

The trip to Modena was uneventful and we got to our hotel by 1pm.







The lovely woman on reception gave us a great recommendation for lunch "ritorante danilo" so we dropped off our bags and headed out to lunch. She was right the food and wine was fantastic. Modena is known for its lambrusca wine and it was great and I am sure we will try some more.

Back to the hotel for some internet surfing and catching up on everything that has been happening while we have been out of contact.

So all emails checked, bills paid and well just general surfing. So nice to be in contact again. We did find out that Little Miss Audry decided to do a day trip of her own over the last few days and headed off to the neighbours for some fun staffy time. Lucky she has been found and is now tied up to remind her she is naughty.




Love Monique, Brett, Marty, Kiwi and Hooter

Location:Modena

Under the Tuscan Sun - 17 March 2012

Again we awoke to fog, but knowing it clears about 10 or so we planned one more trip into Tuscany. Guess where? You guessed it Cortona.

Ok on this trip I have picked places I would live if I won lotto and could travel a lot. So in England it was either Bath or Padstow ( I am learning towards Padstow for Audry's sake), in France it was definately no questions asked Bordeaux. Now Italy, up until now I really didnt have anywhere except Florence. I would live in Florence in a shot above all other places. Today was where god spoke to me (ok maybe not but I am trying to convince Brett so bear with me on this whole god talking to me thing) and said I should live some of the year in Florence and the rest of the time in Cortona. For those of you that have seen 'Under the Tuscan Sun" this is the town where it is filmed. This small town is on a hill and is beautiful. Big enough to have a enough to do and enough places to walk and visit and eat and drink and the views are some of the best I have seen.

We got there in time to park and go up to sets of escalators, yes this civilised country uses outdoor escalators to get you from the car park half way down the hill up to the main part of town. I know it is ingenious isnt it.




I have been using a travel guide to find places to eat and today was no exception. We ate at Ristorante Preludio and the food was exsquisite. I had a cheese soufflé for entree with a apple sauce and for main roasted duck breast in an anise sauce with a potato flan. To finish i had a chocolate soufflé.

After lunch we strolled around the town, which wasn't easy as most of the best places are up and up. We walked to the top of the hill where there is an old fortress and took in the views. Walked back down and by this time I had jelly legs from all the walking up and all the walking down. Which was so worth it. Anna start checking out places to buy or rent in this place.








Marty get out of the mouth of that Dragon you don't know what he has been eating.








By the time we left it was around 3.30 which is late for us as normally we would eat lunch and leave but this town needed to be explored.

We took a different way home, thanks again to my sign reading. We went through some lovely countryside and some old abandoned houses (wish I had heaps of money) and eventually found the freeway again.

Eventually we arrived home at about 5.30. All of our neighbours are here and again are having dinner without us. So rude. Oh well we watched a movie, sitting in front of the roaring fire and eventually had tea. Today is our second last night here. Tomorrow is Sunday and our last day here in Tuscany. Time to try and pack everything and get ready to leave.







Love Monique, Brett, Marty, Kiwi and Hooter

Location:Under the Tuscan Sun

Where did Tuscany go? 16 March 2012

When we awoke today there was nothing to see, no blue sky, no rolling hills nothing. The fog has decided to arrive and this morning as we looked out our windows there was nothing to see. It eventually cleared off to become such a lovely day. So much so we played where's wally (monique)? See if you can see me.
















Love Monique, Brett, Marty, Kiwi and Hooter

Location:Somewhere in Tuscany

Shopping, finding lunch and home - 15 March 2012

Today we decided that we would drive around have a look at some of the local things, do our shopping and have lunch at a little place that was recommended in a town called Buonconvento.








It didnt take us very long to have a look at the local things which meant that we were finished way before lunch so we decided to head to Asciano to do our shopping. Now we only have like four nights left in this amazing place but we ended up buying five bottles of wine, some beer and prosecco and that was just the alcohol. So we had to bring it all home first so that the white wine was ready for us that afternoon after lunch. So home we went. Now this is where I really should have listened to Brett. The I am so confident I can get us to Buonconvento without a map attitude took over. We had received a recommendation from someone over the last few days plus it was in one of the books that there is a little restaurant called "marios" in Buonconvento. Now we had been through this place several times so I was so confident that I could get us back there for lunch without the map. In hindsight (always a wonderful thing) this was not such a great idea. I got the first part right but instead of going into the town and then out the otherside, I skipped the town and we ended up going in the rather large circle back towards Asciano. By this stage I knew we were heading the wrong way and had to say something.

However we kept going to Asciaano and we thought we could just have lunch somewhere else. Lucky there was a sign at the roundabout just before going into town and we followed it to Buonconvento. A couple of times I still wasn't 100% that we were going the right way but the views and scenery from the road were amazing so we kept driving. It was the right road and it took us a little longer than I had planned to get us to lunch but it was so worth it.

This was definitely where the locals ate. There is no menu and when he told us the menu we were a little overwhelmed and zeroed in on what we understood which was wild boar stew. It was fantastic. When we heard the menu read out to everyone else you hear that there is 3 or 4 types of pasta you can have with several different sauces for the first course, and then there is the second course. It really is not that complicated but when he was telling us it seemed harder.

In these little places if you want a glass of house wine they bring you the whole bottle and you pay for what you drink. I had one glass and it cost 1 euro, yep you read right 1 euro. Brett didn't have any wine as he was driving. We weren't going to have dessert but well I was silly enough to ask and then well before you know it you have ordered something and are eating dessert.

The trip home was along the same road we came and the weather was just perfect for driving slowly and just looking.

Now to wine time, I had planned that we would have apertivo (this is where you have a drink and snack after work and before dinner). It was too early for this so we opened the white wine, grabbed our comics headed down to the pool area and laid around in the sun drinking and reading. An hour or so later it was time for aperitivo (snacks and drinks). At this point we decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to open another two bottles of wine (1 for aperitivo and then 1 for dinner) so we combined and only opened the red. The prosecco will have to wait for another day.

Thursday night is il giovane montiblanco (the young montiblanco) so we stayed up till 9:30 to watch him. I look forward to the day where I can understand all of it.


Love Monique, Brett, Marty, Kiwi and Hooter

Location:Somewhere in Tuscany

Monday- Wednesday 12 - 14 March 2012

The days here are starting to get warmer. Apparently spring is just around the corner and the change in weather has been awesome for us. Everyday is sunny wtih endless blue skies, over rolling green/white/brown hills. How quickly can we return.

Monday we stayed at home, went shopping for more wine and food and returned home to eat and drink and read. It is interesting because as we get closer to coming home we both think more of home and less of here. We are approaching that time where you are crossing over into the space of just before. Just before you leave, just before you return home and to your old life. Where you are here but also there. I am looking forward to seeing Audry and all my friends and family but I wish it wasnt so far away otherwise we might come back for a month or so. Might have to come back next year.

Tuesday
Tuesday we went off to Siena for a few hours. We found Siena ok and after one wrong turn we some how found a really good car park (by accident might I say). Parked and wandered around town. It is such a lovely place and it was nice to be back. We found somewhere to eat but it wasn't open till 12 so we headed to find the wine enoteca that has a lot of wines. It wasn't open till 12 either so well back to wandering the streets. I found an irish pub that had wifi but you guessed it, it didnt open till 12 either. So we dumped the restaurant went to the wine bar and had a taste of two wines and had some meats and cheeses for lunch. We stopped off at the irish bar so I could at least post the blogs. So at least they are up to date. I didn't have time to check out the new release of the ipad 3. Will have to wait now until we are in Modena. We will be staying there for a few days after here and then we head up to Lake Como.

We found the car again, always a bonus and headed home. We somehow found our way out of the main part of city, back onto the road home. We were home in time for some more sitting in the sun and relaxing. It is so funny as I actully have a pair of shorts with me by luck. When we arrived in London many months ago I was looking for something in my bag and right at the back I found my shorts that I thought that I had lost. I dont know why they were in the bag but they are now coming in handy. I can sit on the steps in the sun. However I have realised that I will be brown only on one side. Which will look funny I am sure but it is just nice to be warm again. I have never been so cold. Not even when we go skiing have I been that cold. At least with skiing you know it is for a short time and normally your accomoodation is warm as well. However here they like to save power and not use heaters etc that much so everywhere is cold. So might I suggest to anyone thinking of travelling to europe in winter either don't or make sure you have heaps of warm clothes. I thought I had enough but no I ended up buying a jumper which now I have to bring home but it was so worth it.

Wednesday
I have finally found the rolling green hills of Tuscany that I have been looking for. I am sitting on the bed looking out the arched windows onto the hills and padocks of Tuscany with the background talk of the neigbhours and gardening activities. They are here for the day to work in the garden getting it ready for spring and summer. The hills are green, brown, dark brown and white. I am going to try and get some more photo before we leave but they never seem to do the landscape justice.

The views from the bedroom window and house.

















Love Monique, Brett, Marty, Kiwi and Hooter

Location:Somewhere in Tuscany