13 October 2024–Emotional Departure and New Adventures—This morning, we left Coreglia, my native home. We traveled to Castelfranco, Modena, Emilia Romagna, Italy, where we participated in a Balsamic Vinegar from Modena tour. Needless to say, leaving Coreglia was an emotional experience. At the same time, it was an opportunity to look forward to yet another new adventure in my home country, Italy. We rose early in order to fit everything in, pack, and check out of our Coreglia B&B. By 10 A.M., we agreed to meet at the Church of San Michele, Coreglia, to be introduced to Elisa Guidotti, an invaluable and passionate researcher into the history of Coreglia and its people over time. It is Elisa, after all, who came to the same B&B house when she was young to play with Foscolo, Zita and my great-uncle’s little boy, while her grandmother visited with her friend Zita. We had met at the suggestion of Ari, our B&B host, online during the week, and this morning we wished to meet in person before we left. When we arrived at the Church, Augusto and Elisa were waiting at the top of the steps to greet us. Both Elisa and I had the feeling that we looked “not all that unfamiliar” to one another. We chatted as if we had known each other for years, and she gifted me with some Coreglia—history-related booklets that she had researched and authored. She asked me to say that I would come back to visit. I do not know how that might or might not work out, but we agreed to stay in touch electronically at least. At her request, I will be sending her a photo of myself in Coreglia upon our return to the States. She wants to see if she remembers the little girl I once was when living in Coreglia! She is the Church organist, and Mass was beginning at 11, so we shared a bittersweet good-bye/arrivederci, and to Augusto AND a delightful brand-new person we just met in Church this morning, Carla Bambi! As one last stop as we headed down the mountain, we paused to try to fine the Crocifisso to which my mother and I would often walk (and which always completely spooked me out). I recall a free-standing shrine, large wooden cross, crucified statue of Jesus, at the head of a walking path not far from the Forte. Instead, we found the Chiesa del Crucifisso, an old, medieval concrete little Church, that, I understand, is no longer open on a regular basis. I did not find the pathway shrine that I remembered. Interestingly, that area of Coreglia is now a campsite…. Oh, well, at least, we did see the small street side shrine to Mary, which Carla Bambi was proud to tell us about as we left San Michele a few minutes earlier. Her father, she explained, made that statue/shrine! We arrived at our B&B in Castelfranco, Emilia R. In the afternoon. As we pulled up, a small group of people were gathering for a Balsamic Vinegar from Modena tour. We were invited to join, and so we did. It turned out that the vinegar manufacturing facility we would tour was this very B&B in which we’re staying for the next six days! (I can’t believe how magically everything is lining up just perfectly for us so far! I KNOW that this is not just by chance. Someone/some thing much bigger than we is orchestrating all of this for us)! Our room is on the first floor of this B&B, and right above us, hundreds of barrels of different sizes and shapes are fermenting DOP Balsamic Vinegar from Modena as I write/as we sleep! We not only learned about how this vinegar is produced and how it compares to regular store-bought balsamic vinegars, but we also tasted the DOP and not DOP balsamic vinegars that had been aged for differing lengths of time. I will say that I do not like balsamic vinegar back home, but the highest quality DOP Modena Balsamic Vinegar is entirely a different story! True authentic DOP Balsamic Vinegar from Modena has no expiration date, and it should not be refrigerated. It is a natural digestive remedy. It contains no additional chemicals nor preservatives. AND…it can be paired with most anything, including desserts! Tonight, for example, we ate pizza with Balsamic Vinegar, and perhaps one of these days, we will follow up on a recommendation that we enjoy DOP Balsamic Vinegar from Modena on gelato! Is DOP Modena Balsamic Vinegar expensive? Yes. About $100 per small bottle! We signed up for part II of today’s tour, which will take place in the morning: Parmigiano Reggiano sampling and tour! It has been an incredible week, and we are beginning a brand new adventure in the Emilia Region for this coming week. It is time for us to get some ZZZZzzzzzzs!
Our Travels 