Wednesday, 29 October 2008

Bologna City Guide ...



For Shopping...
Bologna is well known for it's shopping with over 40km of arcades to keep you busy! You'll have no trouble finding unique regional purchases in any of the shops however Tamburini (Via Caprarie 1, +39 051 234726) is one of the most popular places to visit, if your lucky you will spot a crowd of nuns sitting outside to collect alms.


To Eat...
Bologna has quite a name for itself internationally for it's Ragu, however you wont catch many locals teaming this rich sauce with speghetti! This is a common global misconception when ragu spread outside of Italy. The true version is tagliatelle al ragu, which consists of a combination of veal, pork and tomato sauce tossed through lengths of fresh egg noodles. (which you will learn to back at our villa) However to try this classic dish without the hard work visit Trattoria da Gianni (Via Clavature 18, +39 051 229434) Check out our recipe pages for some delicous Ragu recipes!



Our Cooking School in Bologna



To Drink...
A visit to any Italian city is not compleate without sampling the local wines with a a big bowl of the aformentioned ragu. The nearby hills of Colli Bolognesi DOC area produce a large selection of highly prized wines, with reds including Sangiovese and Barbera, and whites ranging from Albana to Trebbiano. Also grown in this area are grapes used to produce the delicously light hearted red lambrusco.


For Markets...
Bologna's markets are pure theatre, a vist to this region would not be compleate without visiting one! To take a plunge into Bologna's gourmet scene head for the so-called Mercato di Mezzo, an area located between Via Drapperie, Via Clavature and the surrounding side streets. Here you'll find the city's best gourmet shops, which display foodstuffs as if they were gems. The prices are a bit on the pricey side but you can be sure of the quality.




For Pasta...
Bologna has a lot to offer in terms of pasta specialities . The popular Tortellini stuffed with ground meat and tortelloni stuffed with ricotta and spinach both originated from Bologna. The spinach and ricotta version, known as di margo, was originally developed to be eaten on Fridays, holy days, and during lent in keeping with the Catholic tradition of foregoing meat on these days. If your more a fan of simpler pasta, opt for the city's tirata a mano, a pasta stretched and rolled by hand.


If you would like to experience cooking in glorious Bologna first hand then why not try one of our weekend breaks! Visit our website for more details!
You can reach Bologna from a variety of regional airports including Edinburgh, Birmimgham and London Gatwick all flights are opperated by Ryanair or British Airways.


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