Not sure why Criss wanted to see Bologna. He thinks it played an important role in the Middle Ages as a university town, but you will have to research that on your own. The other thing of interest is the twin towers. It seems while Pisa has the claim for the leaning tower, building foundations was not well understood by all as many cities have leaning towers.

Bologna has two towers next to each other. Unfortunately, Criss did not get a picture of them. He planned on getting up early to take pictures before the city go too busy, but it was overcast and quiet and he missed the picture time.

During the day, the people, cars and scooters seem to overwhelm the city.

The Basilica of San Petronio is the 5th largest cathedral and it was never finished. Again no inside pictures, but it is just as well as Criss doesn’t know how to capture the size of these buildings. Until you walk into these cavernous buildings, it is very difficult to grasp the enormity of them. Huge just doesn’t capture the size of these structures.

This interesting fountain is in the city center and dates from 1566. The four mermaids with water spraying from their breasts represent the four known continents at the time and the cherubs represent the four winds.

Modena

Modena is a mid-size Italian city, complete with old square and cathedral. But it is best known for its balsamic vinegar. We have been using balsamic vinegar in salad dressing for years and had found Modena produced vinegar some of the best. But the balsamic we bought was definitely on the low end of the cost scale. So we took a trip to how it is made and why the cost variance. We hopped a bus, gave the driver the address and off we went. We drove by a small farm and the driver pointed and let us off at the next bus stop, about 100 meters down the road. Walking back to the farm, we were greeted by a woman and she took us through her place.

Traditional balsamic vinegar is made from grapes which are hand picked when ripe. The grapes are crushed, put in a vat and boiled for 12 hours, let to rest for 12 hours and then ladled into wooden barrels for aging. There are five barrels in a set, sized large to small with the smaller barrel holding approximately 12 to 16 liters. The barrels rest on their sides with a large square hole covered with cloth to allow evaporation. Each year, one liter of product is taken from the smallest barrel and sold. Then from each larger barrel, one liter is moved down to the next smallest barrel. In this way, each liter taken is replenished.

We did not follow the mathematics on this, but we were assured the vinegar in the last barrel is aged at least 25 years. The vinegar that is aged 25 years has the consistency of molasses while the 12 year old is still watery. The balsamic you usually get in the store for your salad has been aged about 2 years. As the woman told us, you only use the good stuff on Sundays – on fruit, cheese or ice cream.

With Modena’s warm summers and cool winters, the reduction process is moderated to produce a finished product that is wonderful.