Tag: restaurants

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Brussels, Belgium – Without Sprouts

Aside from the fact that there are only so many fries, waffles and chocolates that one can eat, we have yet come across the fabled brussel sprout in this capitol city. It’s not like we haven’t looked, but like all other things Belgian, it is mysterious, especially when it comes to cuisine, the city’s signature veggie, or better yet, service.

Brussels

The historic city of Brussels proper exists within what the locals call the pentagon, or the inner loop or road that used to contain the city wall. Within it, the visitor will again experience dramatic shifts between old and new, one with which the Belgians have obviously condoned or perhaps accepted through a complacent myopia. The juxtaposition of some of the most modern buildings one will ever see are here, french provincial alongside gothic alongside some post-modern nonesense is common and most striking, if not down right unpleasant.

Getting There

From Gent we took the InterCity train second class from the Sint Pierre Station, since it offered a direct service with a total travel time around thirty-five minutes. Because of the short distance, second class is more than convenient and you don’t have to drag your luggage up a flight a spiral stairs to get to it, what a poor design!

Hotel Warwick

We stayed at the Warwick on Rue Duquesnoy, very close to the train station, so very convenient for travelers. It is a four star and has very good ammenities. Though the bathrooms seem like they could use some care.

Grand Place

The main square in Brussels is the Grand Place. This is where some of the more important historical buildings will be found. It is flanked on the two major sides by the Brussels Town Hall and across from it the Brussels City Museum.

The other two sides have most of the cafes and restaurants with outside seating.

The Kleine Zavelsquare

A rather equisite example of gardening may be found at the Kleine Zavelsquare off the Rue de la Regence and across the street from Notre Dame Of The Victories Sablon. Also known as the Sablon, it is one of the more expensive districts in the city, with a concentration of antique and other dealers owning shops in the area.

Garden Of The Mount Of Arts

Here you will find different buildings and other architectural elements of interest, including a park and other unique buildings.

Other Areas Of The City

Here are some photographs from other parts of the city, to get an idea of what the overall picture looks like in this city.

Churches And Cathedrals

Saint Catherine Catholic Church

The Church of Saint Catherine is a Gothic church with Renaissance and Baroque elements. It clock tower, the Old Saint Catherine’s clock tower is actually a remnant of the former church which was destroyed. The church sports flying buttresses and gargoyles on the outside and shows heavy influences from churches in Paris, France.

The interior has an enormous wooden pulpit, like other churches and cathedrals in Belgium. The nave, aisle and transept are typical and the glass work unassuming.

Notre Dame Of The Victories Sablon

The one church that should be on your itinerary when in Brussels is Notre Dame Of The Victories Sablon. The interior of this church is just breathtaking. The exterior, due to its proximity to the street, is difficult to get a perception of aside from it beautiful typanum at the entrance.

The interior is complete with wooden pulpit and stained glass. Both aisles, the transepts and apse are all decorated with equisite stained glass, the right transept having a beautiful rose window. This church definitely benefitted from all the rich patrons and nobility whos names are strewn throughout the stained glass and on some walls.

Saint Michael And Saint Gudula Cathedral

Further out from the frantic inner core of the city and closer to the train station is Saint Michael’s And Saint Gudula’s Cathedral. Though we were able to take a photograph outside and few quick photographs of the nave inside, mass was being held at the time and we could not walk freely throughout the church as we normally would.

Restaurants

When eating in Belgiun you must be prepared for the highs and the lows, and then in some cases being frustrated beyond your wits. It may even make sense prior to leaving to sign up for one of the many *A (Anonymous) courses or a therapy session in your area, when you return you may need it.

Just as with other cities in Belgium, restaurants in tourist areas in Brussels offer essentially the same items, all for practically the same over-inflated prices. So try to venture further out and you might be rewarded with other cuisine, though this author doubts it; the food will be the same but perhaps at a somewhat cheaper price. For example, for what we call a simple ham and cheese pannini in the States, they call it something fancy “Croque Monsieur” and charge 25€. Lastly, do NOT leave a tip, for anyone, even if you struggle with your decision. The food is expensive enough and they get paid a good wage waiting tables, as is evident by their dismissive attitudes once you have ordered. Some expect it, to which I say, “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

The Blue Restaurant

Suffering from inflated ratings and not too far from our hotel is the Blue Restaurant, a tourist trap with a wide variety of foods to choose from and an over-priced menu. We stopped for lunch, only because we were still unfamiliar with the city and we were hungry. Our dishes were simple and tasted okay, but not worth the expense.

Lloyd Coffee Eatery

Contained within a hotel by the same name, Lloyd is a pretty reasonable place to get a brioche and coffee. The seating is a bit tricky, since they have separate seating for hotel guests and clientel from outside. But once that is figured out the process is rather straightforward and their pancakes are pretty good.

De Pistolei

This is a sandwich shop and perhaps one of the more reasonable places to grab something to eat, if your are on the go, or just to take back to your room. Not sure I would eat-in, we heard they actually charge more, so if you don’t have to, don’t.

The menu has a good mix of sandwiches and panini to choose from, both hot and cold. However, when we tried to order soup, “No sorry, no soup, not winter yet, next week.”, even though winter is not next week. However it remains on the menu anyway during other times of the year, perhaps as a conversation starter? Then we tried to order our sandwiches, the menu states there are two sizes, Pistolet or Baguette; “No sorry, no Pistolet, come back tomorrow.” Often times I wonder if it wouldn’t be easier, just to ask what they do have on the menu and then start from that point and work Belgian Backwards.

Norma Trattoria

The Italian restaurant Norma Trattoria is a good break from the hectic city center and offers a restricted menu of select items. The Scialatielli and Mezze Maniche were both commendable. It is kind of out of the way, located on Rue des Chartreux, but then there no crowds and it was very quiet.

Nüetnigenough

The restaurant named Nüetnigenough, which apparently in a wierd twist of Luxemburgerisch and English (or perhaps flemish), means “Good Night Enough.” This about sums it up, Good Bye, Good Night, Good Riddens Not Good Enough! If you are not a Francophone or Belgian, it is not worth the visit. This is the abode of an angry four-eyed francophone troll who behaves as though you do not exist. Upon entering we where explicitly told to sit at a specific table and when I hung my small backpack on the back of the chair, she exclaimed in her broken faulty terrible english. “For everyone’s safety”, grabbed the bag and shoved it under the bench where my wife was sitting in one swift motion. Never suffering fools, I quickly exclaimed, “Excuse me, you do not touch other people’s property!” Then I asked her to retrieve it immediately, which she did. I then politely asked if putting it on the bench next to my wife was okay. To which she retorted, “Yes, I am NOT SERVING YOU!” She spun around like the witch she is and went back to the kitchen. All my wife could think was, Thank God. For some time we looked at each other perplexed and thought, oh well, should we leave? But we waited and got another waiter who was very professional. We order the Beef Stew and stuck it out.

Conclusion

The interchange in the Belgian restaurant above, with the caveat that it is perhaps owned by Luxemburgers, still of sums up our trip to Belgium. I do not know if it is a government thing, an overall perception of Outsiders, a status thing, or most possibly a francophone thing of just having a nasty, rude, dismissive French/Belgian attitude. All I can say is, it infects everyone here and we have found it to be pervasive. They are just very unpleasant, rude is probably not harsh enough. Not only in Brussels, but throughout the country. We traveled from Dinant, to Brugge, to Gent and finally Brussels and found the same deep seated, vile distaste for outsiders.

My recommendation would be, if you come to visit Belgium, visit Brugge and leave, as quickly as possible. Aside from the fact that there is not much to see in this country to begin with, the people do not want you here, they do not want to interact with you, they do not want your business and therefore should not enjoy any fruits of tourism. I think the affects are already being felt in Dinant which appears to be dying, so be it. Let the EU folk keep them alive. We will not be returning, not even to fly through the godforsaken place! I thought France had an issue with outsiders, Belgium has definitely taken first place in my book.

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Gent, Belgium – Flemish Fascination

At the confluence of the rivers Leie and Scheldt is the city of Gent. However, with such an intricate system of canals, it is difficult to denote a river from a canal when walking the ancient city. It is probably only important to note that the system of waterways enabled the city to trade goods all along the northern European continent. At its economic height, the city became rich and an important trading partner with the Hanseatic League, which more or less ruled trade along that same line of coast.

Gent

The contemporary city of Gent is a confusing mix of old and new. It appears that the citizens of Gent do not make building decisions on historical estetic. Therefore, you will often find modern, boxey and bland buildings next to the older architectures, which are a bit bland in and of themselves, but maintain artistic quality to them the newer buildings lack.

Getting There

From Brugge we took the InterCity train to Dampoort train station, a dismal if almost forgotten stop (from the looks of it) on the Flemish rail system. It is actually interesting to note that it is so forgotten, you must use a phone application to call a taxi or use the bus system, since there is no line of taxis outside waiting to help you with your travels. Hence, from there we walked the twenty-five to thirty minutes with luggage in tow to our hotel in the center of town.

River Leie Waterfront

Cutting through the city is the canal of the Leie River. It separates the Kronenlei and the Graslei, the waterfront houses on either side or banks of the canal.

Ibis Hotel Centrum

Situated right next to the Cathedral of Saint Bavo is the Ibis Hotel Centrum. A step above the Flemish Dinant version. Here you are able to get more towels if you so choose and they offer free water each day. The biggest problem with this hotel is they call it a room, but there isn’t any room, it is VERY small.

Gravensteen – Castle Of The Counts

The Castle of the Counts, from the Counts of Flanders building it, is centrally located on the Lieve where it joins the Leie by the Groetenmarkt. It is a typical medieval fortress which contains the usual battlements, parapets and keep. Almost the entire is reconstructed after it was sold and repurposed for other industrial needs in the city. It was later bought back by the city and turned into a tourist item after much work.

It is however sparsely outfitted with relics or exhibits. There is one room that contains period weaponry that was used during those time. But most of the rooms have sketched wall hangings and in some cases flags adorning the ceiling, but aside from those, no furniture or other trappings. It is therefore advised to purchase the headset and indulge in the one hour walk-through tour of the castle.

Graffiti Street

Another narrow street in another city dedicated to the local fauna getting their adolescent artistic urges out. Though a few examples are extraordinary, most of it was just colorful wasted paint.

Other Sights And Monuments

There are many other sights and monuments throughout the city that speak of the city’s history. For example the old Rabot, or ancient gate to the city.

Churches And Cathedrals

There are two cathedrals in Gent, each one has its unique charm. There are also a number of churches that may also be visited, but times are restricted and you must check the schedules.

Saint Nicholas Church

More in the center of town and off the Korenmarkt is Saint Nicholas’ church of Christmas fame. An obviously underused and underkept church in the vicinity which is mostly grey outside and inside. There are many things boarded up when we visited, though no active renovations appeared to have been started. It is actually quite a shame since this is one of the oldest buildings in the city and one of the oldest churches which was built in the Scheldt Gothic style, which is uncommon.

Saint Bavo’s Cathedral

Saint Bavo’s Cathedral is perched on the small hill just off-center to town and across the street from our hotel. It is of typical cathedral design and has a very interest ambulatory and apse, which of course you have pay to go in and see, don’t underestimate the Belgian clergy on how to make a buck.

Saint Michel’s Cathedral

Located on Leie River and by the eponymous bridge is Saint Michel’s Cathedral. Though practically none of the original cathedral’s interior remains, its reconstruction through the twentieth century completely restored the Gothic elements it once had.

Saint Jacob’s Church

An out of the way church beyond the Vrijdagmarkt is Saint Jacob’s Catholic Church and is an example of French Romanesque style. The interior over time has gone through many other styles, including Gothic and Baroque, only to settle on the neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic styles we see today.

Restaurants

I still do not know what it is, but restaurants in Belgium are a hit and miss adventure. Never in our travels have we come across three separate towns or cities in any country where you really have no idea what to expect heading out for lunch or dinner. The most common issue is after walking ten minutes to get there you find it is closed and perhaps not just for the evening, it may be closed for good; it’s often hard to tell some times.

So far our experience with food and restaurants in Belgium is: the service is often lacking, the food is okay, cleaniness, the restaurant itself is often closed (especially in the middle of the week, which of course must be due to some other economic force.)

Trattoria Della Mamma

One of the better restaurants in Gent and it is reflected in the price you pay for items on the menu. It has a modern welcoming atmosphere and they are fairly attentive with the service. The food was tasty and the house wine was enjoyable.

Porta Alta

A non-italian Italian restaurant, that is, it serves italian food but is not run by italians. We ate here for lunch and it was okay, nothing to write home about and the price was fair.

Tashun Chinese Restaurant

A restaurant that has seen better days, though the food is freshly made and remains quite enjoyable. It does not seem to be frequented to often and may be suffering from the same malady all restaurants are suffering from, the price of food. I can commend the Pork with Vegetable dish, it was quite tasty because of the pork and made an excellent sauce.

Da Adriano

We wanted pizza and ended up here because our first choice was CLOSED. The waiter wasn’t not happy to see us, since he was the only one waiting tables and they needed to be cleaned. However, after 10 minutes we were seated (we stood by the table waiting for it to be cleaned as he directed.) After that, it was not too bad, we shared a pizza which was good and some wine and had an enjoyable meal. However, we noticed that when people entered, he was very selective about who he seated, not sure what was going on there, but be prepared if you visit this establishment.

Sorelle

An Italian fusion style restaurant is Sorelle, or the sisters, on Onderbergen. A renovated house with an inviting charm and staff, Sorelle has a short menu which is not short on taste. The tomato soup and baked Italian Casserole with vegetables and tagliatelle is very good. Their selection for house red wine was also very good, a clean crisp taste, not sour with a good finish. They of course have other Belgian leaning dishes and desserts for local tastes, if you choose to go that route.

Luxalad Restaurant

A mexican themed restaurant that specializes in salads and other tasty mexican dishes. We came here to get take-out on our last evening in Gent, since we had a rather heavy lunch at Sorelle. So if you are looking for some a bit less expensive you may want to stop here.

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Brugge, Belgium – Venice Of The North

Commonly referred to as the Venice of the North, Brugge, or Bruges (it also goes by many other names), is riddled with canals and hence bridges to get over them. However, its toponym is actually not derived from a french or belgian form for the word ‘bridge’, but rather more likely a Scandinavian word that denoted a quay or jetty.

Brugge

Tucked into the country, not too far from the coast is the small city of Brugge. Connected to the coast by a canal, which has tendrils all through the city, Brugge is a major tourist spot within Belgium and during the summer can get quite busy. The main throng of tourists seems to follow the Dijver canal from the south where there is parking, up to the Market Square and along to the De Burg and its religious attraction.

Getting There

Probably most people use their car, but to the south there is also a place where we discovered the buses park, so that is another often use mode of transportation. We naturally used the train system, which from Dinant required two changes. The last change to Brugge itself was on the InterCity (IC) line and accommodates both first and second classes, though in a rather strange way. In case, we arrived at the main train station in Brugge, which oddly enough no longer has a functioning main entrance, so you must use the side entrance to the left.

It should be noted that in Belgium, cars marked with a 1 with a 2 below it, indicate the train has first class upstairs and second class below. Others with just a 2 indicate second class only. Still others that appear old and with no markings indicate no ammenities, not even air conditioning. We found this out the hard way, not knowing signage. Luckily the seats were very comfortable and it wasn’t too warm, though I wouldn’t like to repeat the experiment.

Hotel Martin’s Relais

We stayed at a boutique hotel to the north east of the old town and on one of the canals. The hotel Martin’s Relais is a quaint and quiet retreat from the city, though the area in and around it are actually not that noisy. The service is of course first rate and the rooms are cosy and very comfortable, especially the air-conditioning on a warm day.

However, everything in Belgium comes with a strange Belgian twist. We could not determine the function of the door signs until we went to the desk to get our confusion cleared up. Perhaps it was somewhere lost in translation, but one says, “Thank You” in green and the other “Please” in red. You too should not get caught up in trying to figure out why they use Please and Thank You, the conotations are endless and it will just end up hurting your head. They actually tried to explain it to me and I just got more confused. The key is the color, green to enter and do the room up, red do not enter.

Churches And Cathedrals

There of course plenty of Catholic churches in Brugge. However, they all appear to be keen on making money and not very welcoming otherwise.

Basilica Of The Holy Blood

The Basilica of the Holy Blood is a small church stuck in the corner Der Burg plaza and next to City Hall. It is nice inside, but there are better examples of basilicas in other countries. Again, the interior and the establishment seems more keen on taking in as much money as possible, even though entry to the church is free.

To see the holy blood, which frankly cannot be the blood of Christ since there is no scientific way it could have survived two thousand years. Like the Shroud of Turin, someone is pulling another fast one on the faithful in order to make money. So, in order to see it, there is a long procession up a small dias. It is contained in a small glass cylinder, ostensibly blood on a rag containing his blood. You look at it, and then they expect a ‘contribution’. Luckily the red velure rope was put across the stairwell before we got there and we didn’t have to make the decision whether to see it or not.

Canals And Bridges

There are 54 bridges that span the network of canals that invade Brugge. Walking along any one of the canals one would normally come across a bridge within a kilometer. Most are strategically located and about half of them support cars and trucks, even in the center of town. Those that are pedestrian only are obvious.

Gates And Town Portals

The city has several gates around the city, though vestiges of the old city wall are difficult to find.

Windmills

There are a number of windmills that can be seen in Brugge. Most of the ones that we saw were on the north east side of the city along the Kruisvest. At the time, only one was outfitted and functioning. However, it has been noted that all of them are still serviceable. All of them are named!

Great Market Place

The Markt, or Great Market Place, is the center of attraction and noteworthy for the Belfry. The Belfry tower is rather large for the space and for a fee may be ascended. We chose not to, even though the eponymous movie made in 2008 almost beckons one to ascend the stairs.

Restaurants

We made reservations at a few restaurants prior to our arrival, though in both cases they probably weren’t necessary. In most cases you should have no problem finding a place to eat. Wether you will like it or not, well that’s another matter.

@Tattie’s

Don’t let the name @Tatties confuse you, it’s a small coffee and breakfast place with an attitude. These women know how to run a business, and in Belgium too! Not only did they sit us before they were actually opened, they also took our order and served us faster than most places in the States! Not only is the service here great, the food is modestly priced, they have an excellent menu for breakfast and the food is delicious. Highly recommended.

Willa Bruch & Coffee Shop

Another great place for breakfast is Willa’s. Though not punctual as Tatties, they open at 9AM and probably won’t seat or take your order until five or ten after. However, once they do get going the staff is pretty good. The food and prices are also in line with Tatties, though they serve a stack of pancakes, with a sunnyside egg and bacon strips on top that is difficult to beat.

Bella Italia Ristorante

When in doubt, go Italian. This was one of the few restaurants in Belgium which actually had good food and good service. We went here more than once and tried different items on the menu, they actually have five different salads to choose from on their menu. The pita pizza as a side bread basket for ten euroes is worth every penny. It is thin, crunchy on the sides and sprinkled with parsley and olive oil, a great addition to a salad for lunch.

Trattoria Murano

Another italian restaurant, though not as good as Bella Italia, is this trattoria. Here we both had the pasta which was tasty. We just found the poor lady that was serving everyone in need of help, so service was not as punctual as expected, though in line with what we have seen throughout Belgium.

Restaurant Diligence

This place is more like an upscale bar that serves food. The menu is all over the place, but if you stare long enough you will find something to order. The beef stew was good, though I went with the rice option instead of the typical fries option. Again, expect service here to be a bit slow, though not terribly so.

Casa Di Kaspi

The Case di Kaspi was one of those restaurants we actually reserved a place for lunch, though in retrospect it wasn’t necessary. They serve Italian cuisine and for the most part it was okay. Though for the price I would think you could get the same thing at Bella Italia for less, see the menu below. The service was typical of other Belgian restaurants, a bit slow and unattentive.

Frituur de Gentpoorte

Upon many recommendations we were told that the French Fries, or just Fries or Frituur in Belgium, are a must experience. So, we chose one of the more ostensibly good places that people rave about on the internet and went to Frituur de Gentpoorte.

We purchased the small (klein) take-away basket of fries with no sauces, since we thought that if their fries are so good they don’t need sauce. We were WRONG. They are actually not that great, at least not without the sauce they sell, cost: 1-2€ for one of those small little plastic containers. So, the deal really is, they are actually not selling fries, but sauce. The potatoes in the States have them beat by far (think Five Guys Cut Fries). Though it is cheap and filling, you probably will regret later when all those carbs settle in and give you a stomach ache. We threw half our basket out. However, if you are so inclined, Enjoy!

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Dinant, Belgium – Abbey Normal

After a number of other trips this year we finally decided to visit Belgium for two weeks. The weather in Turin has been abnormally hot and humid since early June and like our trip to Poland, we were looking for some respite. Unfortunately, not only did we find the weather a bit abnormal, but a few other things as well.

Dinant

The town of Dinant is a small town located about an hour and a half to two hours away from Brussels to the south east. It borders the Ardennes Forest and has been historically important in the last two world wars.

Getting There

From Turin we flew RyanAir directly to Charleroi Airport near Brussels, Belgium, a flight that took a little less than an hour and a half.

Points Of Interest

The town of Dinant is a bit strange to say the least. Though we arrived on a Tuesday, the town appeared to be the center of activity. Then a little after four o’clock in the afternoon, almost everyone was gone. Of course we put this down to day-trippers who happen to drive or bus in on one particular day, stay for a few hours and leave. This wasn’t the only reason.

The town suffers from macro-economic forces it has no control over. It is underpopulated and young people are going to the larger cities to find employment. This has caused a housing issue and we found a lot of houses for sale here, which has had its own affect on the local economy. Not only was it difficult to find some places open, if was very difficult to find a place to eat on some occasions. So one has to remain flexible when visiting this tiny town that is stretched thin along the banks of the Meuse River and in other ways as well.

We can reinforce our opinion in the fact that we stayed in Dinant for three days, where frankly only one is necessary, or perhaps even a few hours. Though this gave us a better feel for the conditions there, it also gave us a rather poor opinion of the town. Sincerely, there are a few things, the fortress, the Bayard rock and the Church, but that is just about it.

Ibis Hotel

Our hotel was the Ibis Centre along the Winston Churchill Avenue. We found it dated, the rooms on the smaller than small side and the ammenities lacking, we only got a bath towel each, no hand towels nor wash clothes (which are like finding a unicorn in Europe.) The cleaning service was excellent and was perhaps the only good thing about the hotel. Though labeled a three star hotel it is more like two and a half stars, or a motel that you would find in a dusty old town in the States.

Collegiate Church of Our Lady of Dinant

The Collegiate Church of Our Lady of Dinant actually has some impressive stained glass. It has the form of a cathedral, but without the grandiosity required for such a structure.

Only one apse has a window, the other is covered up and opaque. The rest of the interior is rather simple and unobtrusive.

Fortress Citadel of Dinant

Purposefully commanding a view of the entire town and Meuse Valley is the Fortress Citadel of Dinant. It is perched on one side of the plateau where an outcropping of rock supports its impressive mass.

After purchasing a ticket there are 408 steps to climb. The first flight is a bit more challenging than the upper tier, since they are more uneven and spaced a bit differently, worn with age and cracked from the stress of movement underneath.

Once the top is reached, there is a main entrance to pass through that opens up into the central courtyard. Off of this courtyard are a cafe, public toilets, open-air museum display and the entrance to the museum proper.

Citadel Museum

The museum of the citadel has a collection of artifacts and other exhibits related to the history of the structure. Some of them are interactive and intended for young audiences. Other parts one can walk through to reach the outside portion of the museum and other entrance to the museum that sits atop the outcropping. There is a great example of a large anti-aircraft gun and old jet airplane, as well as to beautiful view of the town below.

There is also a tricky little tilted room at the end of the walk-through that is rather intriguing. Since all of the normal surfaces are tilted at an angle, your visual perception of what is up gets messed up. After a short while it could definitely give someone motion sickness, if they are prone to that sort of thing.

Leffe Abbey Brewery

From our hotel the Leffe Abbey Brewery was located directly across the valley from us. After a twenty minute walk along the river and over the Charles de Gaulle bridge, the brewery is a short walk up the hill on the other side.

The brewery has a small museum explaining the history of the structure and the monks that had started the tradition of brewing beer.

The tour included a beer tasting and some free glasses.

Rocher Bayard Walk

A fifteen minute walk down the river promenade from our hotel was the Bayard Rock. Apparently split in two by the soldiers of Louis XIV, who conquered the town in order to build a road. Of course, there is also a fictious account of how it was split by the hoof of a horse carrying four sons who were fleeing Charlemagne through the Ardennes Forest.

Today if you hold your head up far enough you will notice how the rock on the top has been fortified and strengthened through the use of steel bands and rods that have been inserted into the rocks.

Freyer River Cruise

There are two cruises that are offered, a forty-five minute and a two hour. We chose the latter and spent most of our time in the Meuse river lock system, which honestly is perhaps the most interesting part of this trip.

Honestly, the length of river that goes to the Freyer Chateau is not very interesting at all, as is the chateau. There are some interesting rock formations in the portion of the river system, but aside from that, it was rather uninteresting.

Restaurants

The restaurants in Dinant a frustrating to say the least, not worth the effort to say the most. Frankly, if the option was open to me I would have gone to the grocery store and bought food and prepared my own meals. The best by far was the Chinese restaurant below. More than one restaurant that we tried to go to was either not open on the day, were supposed to be open but weren’t, or were closed for good, even though their online presences said they were still in business.

L’Inattendu

A very small breakfast place that is uncommonly open when you expect a breakfast place to be open (though not necessarily in Belgium), L’Inattendu is there to serve. We found the food very good and there is enough on the menu to satisfy most people. We went here several times just because the options are limited in this town and the crepes are really good.

Le Cerf Vert

The Le Cerf Vert, or green stag, is one of the few places that is open for lunch that is worth a visit. Though the service is terrible, the food is not bad. I can commend the Tarbaise Casserole.

Le Pavillion de Hong Kong

The Le Pavillion de Hong Kong is a Chinese restaurant and became our go-to place in a town where the restaurants simply do now want to open.

Conclusion

Personally I would not commend Dinant as a destination, unless you truly want to waste your time or have nothing else to do. This happens sometimes. Frankly there are far more interesting places to visit than this town. If you are passing through the area, it’s worth a short stop. But aside from that, it is only a strategic military point between some countries in Europe.

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Gdańsk, Poland – Hanseatic Harbor

With a choice between visiting Warsaw or Gdańsk, we chose Gdańsk because it had more historical meaning and promised a quainter historic center. Moreover, since we were doing a south to north kind of trip, it was the last stop on our itinerary, so smaller is usually less complicated and less demanding.

Gdańsk

Formerly known as Danzig, Gdańsk is a seaside city on the Baltic coast of Poland. Though the old city lies in the delta of the Motlawa River, it is still some five kilometers from the sea. It has switched back and forth from Polish rules, German, Russian and as a free-state. In the middle ages, it was once part of the Haneastic League and was a major trading partner in that confederation.

Getting There

From Wrocław, Gdańsk is over a four hour train trip using the InterCity train system. Though the InterCity trains do not stop too often, there is still considerable distance between the two cities and even with an automobile it is a long drive. We were fortunate enough to have a very talkative couple that were Canadian-Polish dual citizens and have a very nice chat with them along the way, which thankfully seemed to have made the trip go faster.

Motlawa River

Along the Motlawa River on both sides are rows of buildings. Many were old warehouses, shops, fish mongers and other establishments, when the city was an active seaport. Today it is mostly restaurants, shops and hotels.

Old Port Crane

One of the major attactions is the Old Port Crane, also known as the Gdańsk Crane, actually has an unknown origin. Though ostensibly built to convey things from ships portside into the city over the surrounding wall its actual purpose remains a mystery. It burnt down once and was restored, only to be partially destroyed during the end of World War II and rebuilt in the 1960s as a historical piece and museum.

Długa Street

Also known as Long Lane, or Langgasse, Długa Street is where you will find many of the notable houses that adorn the old town, as well as the Town Hall and Neptune’s Fountain.

It is bounded by the Green Gate on the end by the river, and the Golden Gate, which is near the former main entrance to the town, including its barbican and Highland Gate.

Mariacka Street

Parallel to Long Lane is Mariacka Street, an unusual sort of street due to its narrowness and odd balustrades on the stoops of each of the houses that line the street.

Each balustrade was made unique so that the owner could identify his building when the river overflowed it’s banks. Most of the houses here are also quaintly decorated, though many have fallen into disrepair over the years.

Raduni Canal

Another interesting place to visit is the area around the Raduni Canal. This is located on the other side of the basilica and Roman Keller.

Gates And More Gates

There are many gates in the old town, however most of the surviving ones still face the river.

The Highland and Golden Gates are on the land side of the city and were connected to a great wall that surrounded it at one time. Here you will find one of the walls two barbicans attached to the Torture Gate or house. This gate doubled as a prison and became known for tortures that were carried out in its cellars.

Churches And Cathedrals

Saint Mary’s Basilica

Situated almost in the center of town and on one end of Mariacka Street is Saint Mary’s Basilica. A brick gothic cathedral from the fourteenth century that has a working clock on its left side above the apse’s rear window which still appeared to maintain good time.

The church has an amazing organ and stained glass window in its transept. Though it is evident by the used mobile organ, the installed older one may no longer be in working order.

The church has a very interesting working astronomical clock and calendar along the interior left apse. According to records it not only computes most astronomical seasonal events, but also liturgical events and their timing.

Lastly, this basilica is rather plain and therefore many of the epitaphs and memorials stick out prominently. Most have German inscriptions on them, owing to the city rich heritage, though many are also written in Latin.

Restaurants

Yang Guang Chinese Restaurant

If you go through the Green Gate and cross the bridge then walk a few steps down Stągiewna Street you will find Yang Guang Chinese Restaurant on your right. If you are tired of all the meat, potatoes and dumplings you have been eating up until now, this is a very good stop for some vegetables. The even have broccoli in garlic sauce, one of our favorites.

Sempre Ristorante

The Sempre Ristorante is near the tip of the small island on the other side of the river. It is a modern Italian restaurant that serves good food with an upscale slant on the recipes and the prices. You won’t go wrong eating here, but you will also pay for it, if you know what I mean.

Tygle Restaurant

A highly rated restaurant with excellent Polish food is Tygle. Here you will find some classics as well as some new takes on Polish cuisine. If you are a chocolate lover, the urchin dessert is a must try. But be careful, those spikes are dark chocolate and will cause real damage to your diet.

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Kraków, Poland – Part Two

Though not a large city, Kraków still has enough to see to warrant more that a few posts. There are that many museums, attractions and interesting things that you can easily fill up more than a few days. This is why we spent four nights here, and probably could have spent more with all of the day trips that are also at your disposal.

Kraków

This part contains less churches and more museums. Of course we had some time to amble through town once or twice, but since we only had a half day to see what we could, the other half being consumed by our Salt Mine tour, we saw what we could in the time alotted.

Museums

Below are the museums we visited that were very close to our hotel and hold special importance in the history, culture and defense of the city.

Barbican

The fortified outpost just outside Saint Florian’s Gate is the Barbican. The name is actually derived by a fortified outpost of the same and was once attached via a wall to the Florian Gate and the defensive walls of the city.

The entrance to the Barbican is actually in line with Florian Gate, the entrance that would have normally spanned the moat now acts as the exit.

A ticket will give you access to the ramparts and each lookout tower. Since its main purpose was an outpost, any activity that was seen was reported back to the city via the old wall that used to connect it to the defensive walls. Surrounded by moats before and after it and three meter walls, its defenses were adequate enough to sound the alarm of an attack.

Kraków Defensive Walls

The Defensive Wall Museum contains four towers and a small section of the old wall that still survives. The towers are: Saint Florian’s, Haberdashers, Joiners and Carpenters.

The walls had others and most are marked by stones along the walking path of the park that surrounds the town.

Saint Florians Gate Tower

The Florian Gate actually contains a small chapel at the gate level and another one at the rampart level. The gate stands over the street by the same name and is one of the major entries into the old town.

Rynek Underground

This underground museum captures the feeling and historical elements of the old Cloth Hall that once stood on the site. The current installment of the Cloth Hall, complete with souvenir shops, is built over top of it.

Access to the site is via a stairwell and upon entry the visitor is met with a colorful exhibit of the Witness Colum.

Other exhibits include models of old stalls that shop keepers would sell everything from cloth, to trinkets and other necessities.

Near the end of the museum and walk-through is a long hall that contains several interesting video shows on different aspects of the history of the Rynek.

Churches And Cathedrals

Saint Florian’s Church

Located outside the old town through the Saint Florian’s Gate off of the Jana Matejki Plaza is the eponymous church. It has a beautiful interior and altar.

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Kraków, Poland – Part One

In the Lesser Polish Voivodeship of Poland and cradled by the Vistula River is the second largest city in Poland, Kraków[1]Pronounced Krakoff.. A vibrant, clean and beautiful city, it currently hides its success as a tourist attraction very well.

Kraków

One of the oldest towns in Poland, Kraków’s founding goes way back to the eight century. The town was walled during the middle-ages, however most of the wall has not survived modern times.

There are only a small sections of it still left by the Florian Gate and other less noticeable fragments here and there, as well as monuments to the old towers that once blessed the eastern path of the park that circles the city.

Most of the old town’s streets accommodate the throngs of tourists that visit each day. In particular, they hide walking the park that circles the city like a lazy dragon.

Getting There

Our visit here was inspired by previous visits I had had traveling for business in the past. Luckily, our airport in Turin had a direct flight with RyanAir to Kraków. There are train connections to the city, but surely most people drive from the surrounding area and even rent a car at the airport to get here.

Hotels

Hotel Polski Pod Bialym Orlem

The hotel we stayed at was the Polski pod Bialym Orlem on Pijarska street, which was right next to the Florian Gate. A very nice five-star hotel that had excellent service and was very comfortable.

Rynek Główny

Rynek Główny is the main square of the city. Here you will find the Town Hall Tower, Cloth Hall and a few monuments. The square is active with many restaurants and cafes encircling it attending patrons. It rivals that Vittorio Veneto Piazza in Turin, which ostensibly is one of the largest, if not the largest in Europe.

Plac Szczepański

One of the three large main plazas in the city, the Plac Szczepański is close to Saint Anne’s and the Art Palace. It is also the location of many restaurants and small shops that dot its boundary.

Churches And Cathedrals

Kraków if anything, is a city of churches, cathedrals and basilicas. Any one of the catholic faith would be drawn to this city as a moth to a flame. Each one is a beautiful symbol of a proud faith, which by the attendance we witnessed is still enjoyed and celebrated in this city. The faithful come during all times during the day, just to sit, pray and be at peace in their choosen abode of peace. Along with Charlotte, North Carolina, it is known as one of the cities of churches.

Church Of The Transfiguration

On Pijarska Street, not far from our hotel is the Church of the Transfiguration. Perched a bit high overlooking Świętego Jana Street, the church has an amazing vault or ceiling.

Basilica Saint Francis Of Assisi

Typical of Saint Francis of Assisi this unassuming basilica was a pleasure to visit. Dark and unoffending, the ebony side chapel of the Madonna with Child is a real marvel.

The nave, with a golden altar beckons you forward, beseeching the faithful inside. The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi is a thirteenth century church that was one of the first brick and sandstone churches in Poland.

Church Of Saint Anne

Located close to the Art Palace and the Plac Szczepański the Church of Saint Anne is elegant in its own way. Built in the baroque style, the floor itself is impressive in its own right.

The nave, altar, aisles and other aspects of the church speak for themselves. A beautiful church and typical of Catholic Churches found in Poland.

Church Of Saints John The Baptist And John The Evangelist

A small church next to a small Italian restaurant that we ate at, the Church Of Saints John The Baptist And John The Evangelist has a red exterior, small in stature and somewhat a simple baroque interior, but well worth a visit.

Holy Trinity Church

If you are looking for something small with more spartan lines, then the Holy Trinity Church should be a destination. It singular feature of adornment is in its wooden side chapels, which the photographs below show in better detail.

Saint Aldabert’s Church

Also known as Church Of Saint Wojciech, Saint Aldabert’s Church is a small chapel that sits on top of an older church.

The archealogical remains of the older church may be visited for a small fee. Frankly there is not much to see, but it was interesting nonetheless, even though it was quite short.

Restaurants

In this part we visited two restaurants of note. The Morski Oko and the Jama Michalika, one noted for its food, the other for its artwork.

Morskie Oko Restaurant

The Morskie Oko restaurant is actually one that we visited more than once, more on that later. In this edition we had reservations for lunch, since it can get quite busy.

Our seating was downstairs, where we could enjoy the restaurant’s medieval quality. The food was very good, but in true Polish fashion, very filling. The gołąbki w sosie pomidorowym, or cabbage rolls in tomato sauce, were actually very good, light but at the same time very filling.

Jama Michalika Restaurant

The Jama Michalika restaurant, though the food was not as good as the Morskie Oko, it is adorned with artwork. Pedestrians actually visit the inside of the restaurant just to look at the works.

We did not have reservations for this restaurant, but rather visited them since they had perogie on the menu. They were actually quite good, but also quite filling.

References

References
↑1 Pronounced Krakoff.
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Modena, Italy – Home Of Balsamic

Known for balsamic vinegar, it also has a variety of other things to see and enjoy. Though we both couldn’t see spending more than a day here, unless of course the purpose is using it as a homebase for day trips elsewhere. The irony of it all is, you would think we would have at least tried balsamic while we were here, we did not.

Modena

Famously known for balsamic, Modena contains a few other points of interest, it twelfth century cathedral, as well as its own leaning tower. It has a market place, similar to other Italian towns and cities, which is actually inside for the most part and appears to function every day. The main street for shopping is most likely via Emilia Centro, it has porticos on one side and appears to have all the brand name shop one would expect to see.

Getting There

Thirty to forty minutes from Parma by train, Modena can be reached with only a few stops along the way for the regional train, or one stop if the InterCity train is used as an option. The train station in Modena and spartan and clean, as well as the neighborhood around it.

Comunale Palazzo

A civic building known as the Comunale Palazzo, was used in the past by the town council for official business and ceremonies. Outside and to the left of it, is the Preda Ringadora, a large piece of marble from Roman times used as a speaker’s platform; its present day means to “orate”. However, historians also say it was likely used as a pillory and also used to identify corpses which were laid out on it. In any case, it is commonly used today as a seat and a place of repose.

It is open and free to the public and has a handful of rooms that may be visited, which contain frescoes.

The palazzo is best known for its Hall of Fire. It is a term of endearment, assigned to it by the public to indicate that it was the hall containing the fireplace where back in the day, they could collect hot coals to warm themselves on the street during cold winter evenings. However, it is better known for the paintings that adorn the ceiling and walls that are the most impressive. Painted in the middle sixteenth century by Nicolò dell’Abate which depict episodes in Roman history that affected Modena as a town and city.

The Council Hall is where meetings would be held with respect to the town’s business. Electors would assemble here to discuss important matters of the day, planning and other administrative tasks.

There are also a Tapestry and a Wedding Hall. Neither is of any great import, except for the paintings that adorn each.

At the back entrance to the palazzo is a statue of Perseus holding the severed head of Medusa.  It can be seen directly by way of the back entrance stairwell. Or, when the back entrance doors are open, it can be seen from the street  flanked on either side by old maps of Modena.

Civic Tower

Located adjacent to the cathedral is the Civic Tower. Yes, the Civic Tower leans and not by a little, a lot. Comparable to those leaning towers in Bologna and Pisa it’s not that impressive, but it is very noticeable when judged from a distance, using other buildings as a reference.

Cathedrals and Churches

Cathedral of Modena

The Cathedral of Modena, or precisely Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption and Saint Geminianus[1]Saint Germinianus is Modena’s patron saint and who’s tomb, dating back to the fifth century, was part of one of the original churches erected on the same site., or colloquially and affectionately known as Il Duomo as in other Italian towns and cities. The main entrance has several tympanums above each door, depicting the biblical stories of Adam and Eve.

From outside it appears to have been rebuilt several times, many of the blocks that make up the facade of the structure do not match in many places. Though odd, the outside follows typical Romanesque architecture, with semi-circular arches that are filled in with brick and other appointments, with the exception of the large Piazza Portal on the north side, which almost functions as the main entrance.

The cathedral lacks a dome, instead having parapets on each of the four corners. It is sectioned in four places, reveals at the roof level as wall extending upwards, which coincide with the four internal arches for the nave. The inside is rather plain and mainly composed of bare brick. At the time we were there, a service was being held, limiting our ability to take more photographs.

Restaurants

For our day trip, we ate at a local place right off the Piazza Grande which promised to have good food at a fair price.

Enoteca Al Duomo

We ate lunch here on recommendations that we read online. Our seating was inside, since the temperature outside was starting to become a bit annoying. The food and service were good and we spent an enjoyable hour discussing Modena and what else, if anything, there was to see in the city.

Il Pilotta

Located in our hotel, Hotel Stendhal in Parma, we enjoyed our last meal in the area at La Pilotta. The Cappelletti is broth is common for this area and can be commended. Our main dishes were Italian in general and good, though I did not care for the stuffing in the pork tip. The menu said it was potato, but it tasted more like a polenta or some other grain and it had an odd taste for me.

References

References
↑1 Saint Germinianus is Modena’s patron saint and who’s tomb, dating back to the fifth century, was part of one of the original churches erected on the same site.
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Parma, Italy – Other Distractions

Since we like to travel at a slower pace, we tend to stay longer in towns and cities we visit, even if the stay may be unwarranted. This gives us a better feel for the places we have visited, but then you run the risk of running out of things to do. When this happens, we visit churches, the odd museum or other eccentric distractions that typically wouldn’t come up on a visitor’s radar. Here are a few examples.

Distractions in Parma

Teatro Regio

The Regio Theater is situated on Garibaldi just past the Pilotta on the right. Tickets may be purchased directly from them, however there are only guided tours in any one of several languages.

The outside and entrance are rather plain and nothing compared to La Scala or other prominent theaters in Italy. However, it does have a very critical local audience that only excepts high standards and sticking to tradition. So event organizers must plan carefully, lest to lose the wrath of the local perfectionists.

Originally decorated in the color blue, it has since been redesigned and redecorated by the Duchess Marie Louise of Parma in red. The walls are covered in box seats. When the duchess was still alive, the first floor seating, on the same level as the duchess’ box seat, were the most expensive. The very top level has no box seating, but rather standing room only for the commoner who could purchase a cheaper ticket and at least stand and hear the performances. The floor seating, though now the most expensive, were the cheaper seats in her day.

The box seating is nothing special, they actually look rather uncomfortable. Each used to be paired with an out room, where the ticket holder could throw a small party, bring something to eat and enjoy, or engage in other activities. The box seats and ancillary room across the hall used to be privately owned. Now the owners have been divested of the box seating, but still hold ownership rights to this ancillary rooms, which they cannot use unless they are in attendance. An odd arrangement that the theater owner, city and box seat owners agreed to some time ago, in order to prevent the theater from going bankrupt.

Churches and Cathedrals

Parma, as any Italian city, is host to numerous churches and cathedrals. The most important and interesting ones we found follow.

Parma Cathedral

The Romanesque architecture of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Parma Duomo or the Cathdral of Parma, must be on anyone’s list of places to visit in Parma. The ceiling by Correggio warrants a good ten to twenty minute inspection.

The nave is decorated by numerous frescoes and art of the twelfth century and depict the stories of faith that were common at that time.

Each aisle contains about six chapels, decorated and commemorated to different aspects of the faith, some used more than others.

Parma Baptistry

Adjacent to the Cathedral of Parma is the Baptistry. From the outside it is a rather tall eight side building that is elegantly carved on the outside with many different depictions of creatures and people, some flaunting animal appendages, while others appear almost mythological.

The main entrance faces northward and is adorned with a tympanum and other decorations, much like westward facing entrance. The rear entrance is less attactive and not as ornate as the other two, for reasons unknown.

From the inside, the Baptistry appears as a sixteen sided room with the font in the middle of the space. Each of the walls has a fresco on it and other architectural details. The ceiling is frescoed as well as a series of sixteen triangular paintings.

Today there is a collection of artistic statues placed along some of the walls, depicting the two seasons of Winter and Summer, as well as all of the months of the year.

Church of San Giovanni Evangelista

Under construction at the time, the church exhibits the fanciful, if not frustrating looks of a construction site so familiar to those who travel Europe.

Even the interior lacked lighting, so it was difficult to see much, let alone take decent photographs.

Complex of San Paolo

Not far from the intersection of Strada G. Garibaldi and Strada Macedonio Melloni is the complex of San Paolo. There are signs near the street by the entrance, but you have to walk a wooded entry some distance before reaching the ticket office. There you can purchase tickets for both the Rooms of San Paolo and the Puppet Museum.

Rooms of Saint Paul

Better known as the Camera di San Paolo, the rooms in this museum are part of the Benedictine Monestary that stood on this spot starting in the 11th century.

In one room, the frescoes painted on the walls and ceilings are from one of the areas famous painters, Correggio, and were done sometime in the 16th century.

The museum also has a vaulted frescoed ceiling from Alessandro Araldi dedicated to Saint Catherine.

Giordano Ferrari’s Puppet Museum

Founded by Italo Ferrari, a  peasant and apprentice shoemaker, turned his love of puppetry and puppeteering into an obsession. After failing several times in his twenties and thirties, he took on other jobs to support himself. It wasn’t until he perfected his art after the turn of the century and his repertoire from only tragedies, but to also include comedies and variety acts, was he able to devote full time and energy to his passion.

He died in 1961 at the ripe old of 84, after having several successful radio and tv presentations. From then on, his son Giordano took up his mantel and later rebranded the act as the Ferrari Company, not to be confused with the eponymous car manufacturer.

It is with the wish or his son and family to preserve this important social and artful legacy, that the family was finally able to secure funding and the means to open this museum. The museum even hosts events and of course, puppet shows, however only when the current company is not touring internationally. The shows are mainly geared around fairy tales and other fables, especially tales around good and bad people, including everyone’s favority, the devil.

Some of the puppets they have at their disposal seem to also indicate a predilection for the Zanni, having representations of the characters Harlequin[1]He is the dockworker, the porter, the pimp, the good servant, simple in manner and mind, who gets into trouble and is always hungry. This is Harlequin. He derives from the figure of the Zanni, the … Continue reading, Pulcinello[2]Pulcinella is both good and bad, rude and sometimes affected. Unlike Harlequin, a “sidekick,” but manages to be independent on stage, competing even with only one antagonist at a time. … Continue reading and other Commedia dell’Arte puppets.

Restaurants

Uagliò Restaurant

A smaller chain restaurant with a few stores around the area, Uagliò is not a bad pick if you are in a hurry or have not made other plans. We were hungry for lunch, so we stopped to see what they had to offer. The pasta with meatballs in sauce was very good, as was the small mixed salad. There was plenty of seating inside and out.

References

References
↑1 He is the dockworker, the porter, the pimp, the good servant, simple in manner and mind, who gets into trouble and is always hungry. This is Harlequin. He derives from the figure of the Zanni, the jester of comic tales documented as early as the 14th century. From the Zanni, Harlequin retains the frank character and natural propensity for mischief. Harlequin’s costume, known by all as the most colorful of masks, was initially white and tattered; for this reason, first a patch was added, then another, until the outfit was multi-colored diamonds. This is how we see him in 17th-century theater. His appearance is clumsy and stocky, the black half-mask he wears is animalistic, and on his head he wears a white felt hat topped with a feather or a rabbit’s foot. The feather is a symbol of fertility and the rabbit is a symbol of cunning. From his belt hangs the baòcio, the polenta stirring stick, which serves as his sword. He also has a bump on his forehead, which some believe to be the remnants of a devil’s horn. The name Harlequin, in fact, recalls that of a devil. Alichino is the devil mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy.
↑2 Pulcinella is both good and bad, rude and sometimes affected. Unlike Harlequin, a “sidekick,” but manages to be independent on stage, competing even with only one antagonist at a time. Pulcinella wears a white shirt with a gathered waist, white trousers with a belt, a white felt conical hat, and a half-mask with a large, slightly hooked nose. The costume is similar to that worn by peasants since the Middle Ages; they are made out of hemp, the cheapest home-woven fiber, and no color to avoid the cost of dye. Pulcinella is a poor man. These masks form the original core of the Commedia dell’Arte.
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Parma, Italy – Tasty Bus Tour

Probably for most people when they hear the word Parma, they do not think of a place to visit but rather their stomachs and eating ham. Many can argue what is the best meat with respect to taste, beef or pork. I am not sure that many can argue about pork’s versatility, from fried pork skin to bacon, pork chops to pork tenderloin, Salumi to Prosciutto Crudo. One thing is certain, if you love the last two then Parma is your Mecca.

Parma

In Parma Province, within the region called Emilia-Romagna, the city of Parma is joined with its neighboring cities by the Via Aemilia[1]One of the trunk Roman Roads that ran through Italy during the Roman Empire through the Po river valley from Piacenza to Rimini. The valley has special properties which embue the ham and cheese made here with delicate flavors. It’s all in the label, literally.

The Tasty Tour

We employed to Tasty Tour for a day long jaunt into the countryside to understand how Parma Ham, Prosciutto, Parmesan Cheese and finally, Balsamic Vinegar were manufactured.

The tour promised six hour drive to three small, but key places where these products are made to the DOP[2]Denominazione d’ Origine Protetta which ensures the following. They meet the highest of standards of production and are produced within certain regions that result in characteristics to ensure … Continue reading highest standards.

Salumificio Conti

Among Parms Ham manufacturers, Salumificio Conti is a well established name with a heritage all its own. The factory is modest in size, but produces some of the best tasting hams and salumi in this region of Italy.

The factory orders and accepts only the two hind legs from it preprocessor and butcher. These are delivered in trucks and processed the day they arrive, so it is all planned and nothing is left to chance.

Skilled craftsmen and women assess each ham for its ultimate use, which can be anything from just daily grocery store cold cuts, to aged proscuitto and other salumis. Culatta Culatello hams are also processed here and are usually hung in bags, after the meat has been taken from the bone and properly arranged in a bag and salted.

There were no arrivals the day we were there, but we were able to learn how the special Parma Hams were selected and stamped and smeared with a special lard, to ensure the amount of air that gets to them, after all of the are salted. They only use human grade sea salt on the hams, which in the first couple of weeks of curing is removed every other week and re-applied.

After selection and processing the hams are stored in a refrigerated controlled rooms for a specified amount of time.

Depending on how much time they spend to dry and what type of ham each has been selected for, they are boxed and prepared for packaging and shipping. Below is batch ready for shipment that appears to be about ten months old.

Damiani Parmesan Factory

San Pieri Damiani Parmigiano Reggiano is located in Parma Province, in San Prospero, just outside the city limits. The history of making Parmesan cheese in the area goes back almost a thousand years, for which the cheese that’s made here owes its distinct taste to the local flora that is eaten by the cows.

At the farm, two milkings are done every day, where the milk is harvested for four different indigenous cows, they are:

      • Rossa Reggiana – it is considered the mother of Parmigiano Reggiano. It almost became extinct in the 1980s, after farmers committed to raising only cows that produced more milk. However, the local commune, called the Consorzio Vacche Rosse, turned this around and committed to making cheese with this milk like they did 800 years ago.
      • Bruna Italiana – derived from the Bruna Alpina cow from Austria and Switzerland, there is also a Consorzio di Sola Bruna that protects and makes cheese from this species. The milk from this cow has a higher fat content and subsequently the cheeses are more buttery and flavorful.
      • Biana Modenes – or white breed, also almost went extinct and was only just recently in 2005 spared that fate. The Caseificio Rosola di Zocca was formed to breed and protect the species from extinction. This cow produces a cheese curd that is sweeter and more elastic, giving the resultant cheese a rich, dense flavor.
      • Holstein Friesian – or what they call the industrial breed. Bred because it produces more milk for the same acreage as any other cow. Therefore it is doing well and provides the base, stock milk for most cheese in the area.

There are six steps to making parmesan cheese, from blending, heating and shaping, to salting, ageing and finally branding, that is, after each has passed a rigorous inspection.

The first two steps take place in huge vats that are heated by steam. The rise in temperature allows the yeast that is added to multiply rapidly to produce curd.

The curd is then taken out using cheese cloth and strained of water, rinsed and placed into plastic molds for shaping. The plastic mold has basic information on it that imprints on the cheese rind as it forms. Special places in the mold are left blank, these are where the DOP information, the inspection results and other information are burned into the rind later.

Once the cheese has aged it is ready for inspection, the DOP information is burned into the rind. Then the inspection results are died onto the rind by a circular stamp if the cheese has passed.

Otherwise, a rectangular or other shape is used indicating why the cheese failed, along with a scouring of the outside with latitidudinal lines, clearly indicating a sub-standard or bad wheel.

Acetaia Picci

Chef Picci, who owned and operated a very successful restaurant, retired and has devoted the rest of his days to producing balsamic vinegar of varying ages and quality with his company Acetaia Picci in Cavriago. Unlike the variety you will find in Modena and most likely in a grocery store near you, his vinegars are more acidic and owe their quality to the different grapes from the area he uses. He prefers this, since only half as much of the balsamic vinegar in the Po Valley displays these qualities, as opposed to the larger companies that produce sweeter ones from the southern parts of the valley.

The grape must is first heating in large vats to start the process. From there the liquid is transferred to large waiting casks in the same room. This is temporary, since the process of moving the vinegar from one cask to another is on on-going procedure.

Each cask is only filled to 85 percent. This is to allow enough air at the top for proper fermentation. As each cask loses liquid, either from evaporation or leakage, it is topped up from the larger cask adjacent to it in a long progression. The largest of these casks are later topped up with liquid from the larger primary casks in the cooking area.

As time goes on, the casks get smaller and smaller. As they descend in size, the number of years that the balsamic has been sitting inside goes up as well. Production for 7, 12, 25 and even 50 year balsamic is not uncommon. The number of years is also reflected in the price as well as the quality of the balsamic.

Typically the early the balsamic the more vinegar it has in it. Older ones tend to adopt a sweeter taste over time as the vinegar and acid content drops as it is transformed into other complex compounds. Over time sediment collects in the bottom of each cask, which noone can see until a cask is finally rendered useless due to leakage or other issues and opened.

One can see this in a simple tasting, though I could not say whether I preferred one of the other, each has different uses from dressing a salad, to cooking and baking, and even as an ice cream coating.

Restaurants

Since our outting was a full day, it came with what they called a “light lunch”. Our destination was a small Osteria along our route called Osteria La Maestà.

Osteria La Maestà

The Osteria La Maestà is located on Via di Case Trombi, 15, before you enter Mulazzano Ponte from Parma. It is a typical local Osteria that is run by an older couple. Our experience was just wonderful. We spent and entire hour talking and eating excellent food.

The entire meal consisted of an appetizer of mozzarella and ham, a tortelli di erbetta primi, a light dessert, red and white wines and both types of water.

Conclusion

We cannot say enough about the Tasty Bus tour, or the type of tour that takes you these small producers of ham and cheese. We had a wonderful time and before we knew it, it was over. Upon return we ran into a bit a bad weather. It had been exceptionally hot and the weather complied with kicking up the necessary line of thunderstorms.

Our tour bus driver and guide was accomodating enough to get us as close as possible to our hotel, but as they say in America, we got a wet ass anyways. Oh well. We started the day wet in sweat and ended the day wet in rain, so we came out kind of even, but enjoyed every minute of the experience.

References

References
↑1 One of the trunk Roman Roads that ran through Italy during the Roman Empire
↑2 Denominazione d’ Origine Protetta which ensures the following. They meet the highest of standards of production and are produced within certain regions that result in characteristics to ensure a consistent quality. The ingredients and products come from a specific location and/or family that has been approved and designated by the government to produce such foods. Every element of the product is quality tested and tracked with serial numbers to confirm the exact origins, processing, and approval body of the product.