Our month long trip was reaching our final week in Italy. After our time in Tuscany, we spent our last days with our Skoda rental car driving up to Modena which is in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. We were fortunate enough to enjoy an amazing 12 course tasting menu at the amazing Osteria Francescana led by the great Chef Massimo Bottura, which was voted world's best restaurant in 2016 and is a three star Michelin restaurant. When I first watched the first season and episode of Netflix's Chef's Table, I was blown away by the cinematography and story telling of this docuseries. I was so drawn by Chef Massimo's story and especially his wife as his business partner who influenced and inspired him to push the artistic and traditional norms of Italian cuisine.
We only spent one night in Modena and greatly enjoyed exploring the Mercato Albinelli where fruit, cheese, meat, seafood and also food vendors sold such delicious items. It's definitely worth walking through the market to people watch or to buy items to cook a meal.
Insalata di Mare
Chocolate with Cherry Ganache
The crunchy part of lasagne
Venezia (Venice)
Having spent most of our time in the countryside or smaller towns, Venice was bustling full of tourists. I had come to Venice years ago with my family where we visited every museum and landmark. This time around, we tried to make our experience something unique. A family friend who was born and raised in Venice, offered us his apartment which was located in Canareggio, which is located on the north side of Venice. The neighborhood was still full of locals, but close by the major streets where tourists explored. A few mornings, we woke up prior to sunrise to go explore some landmarks before the crowds got crazy. I would highly suggest this if you are an early bird. We walked through the city where you took in the sites and architecture of the buildings with such ease! Also, as a photographer, the light was just amazing.
Another great early morning activity is the fish market, which is located close to the Rialto Bridge. Many vendors sell freshly caught seafood at this market. We bought some gambaretti rossi (red shrimp) and cozze di mare (mussels). It's always helpful to learn some key words in Italian especially when your at the market and also understanding kilos and grams.
We really enjoyed a pre dinner wine and cichetti (small tapas-like bites) along a quiet canal-side wine bar called Vino Vero. Also, a great lunch spot is Osteria La Zucca which has some delicious vegetarian dishes. I would recommend a reservation since they fill up!
La Zucca for lunch
View from Rialto Bridge
Burano Island
Burano is about an hour vapretto (water bus) ride from Fondamente Nove which is located on the north side of Venice. Known for its brightly colored fishermen's houses and its casual eateries serving seafood from the lagoon, Burano is also a quaint and quieter place to explore. We enjoyed a meal at the small restaurant called Al Fureghin, where we were welcomed by the owner Michele. You must try the seafood dishes!
Sunrise view from Ponte dell'Academia