Off the Tourist Trail 2: Traversing the Po River Valley to the Ligurian Coast
Podcast available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | iHeart Radio
Episode summary
In this episode of the Bella Italy podcast, hosts Brian and Anthony explore the nuances of traveling in Italy, emphasizing the importance of authentic experiences over typical tourist attractions. They discuss the value of understanding personal travel motivations, the diversity of Italian culture, and the significance of creating memorable experiences through food and local interactions.
The conversation also highlights specific regions like Bologna, Parma, and Modena, showcasing unique culinary experiences and the rich traditions behind Italian cuisine. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the rich culinary traditions of Italy, exploring the significance of regional specialties, the influence of renowned chefs, and the importance of savoring the experience of Italian food and wine. They discuss the unique offerings of Mantova, the beauty of Cinque Terre, and the contrasting experiences between Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast.
The conversation emphasizes the need to slow down and appreciate the nuances of Italian culture and cuisine, ultimately highlighting the personal connections that make traveling in Italy so enriching.
Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 (00:00)
Hey folks, welcome back around. You’re listening to the Bella Italy podcast.
We are back around again, everybody. Brian and Anthony, Anthony and Brian. Once again, here we are live recording. We, you know, we were joking about that for, I don’t know how many years, live recording. What does that mean? Whatever it means to you. But here we are actually live recording in, I think the authentic true sense of the word. How you feeling?
Speaker 2 (00:25)
ADO brother?
It’s ironic because this weekend we did another studio down the road at Dark Horse Studio in Franklin. With guests. Just for basically recording studio that they do some podcasts. But this is actually a podcast. It really groans up. We can’t do this every week because you’re here from Sicily but this is awesome. We’re really looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (01:06)
Yeah, this
is so out of our class. This is so much better than who we are
to have you here face to face. Man, if you are just joining us, we are midway through season four of the Bella Italy podcast. Thanks for coming back around. Thanks for joining us. Quick recap, because we spent a number of different episodes at the beginning of this. The lessons from the road, the road less traveled. What is it?
What does it mean to get off of the beaten path? What’s the case? What’s the argument for staying on the beaten path? What we mean is the, the, the more touristy, whatever’s trending, TikTok, Instagram, all of that non-
Speaker 2 (02:09)
Or
your friends and family say to go to,
Speaker 1 (02:11)
And Joe comes back and convinces you, got to go to the Exactly what he did. And then we spent a couple of episodes, I don’t know, maybe more than we should have, it may, I don’t know, we got really good feedback from it too. I thought it was going to be terrible. And people were like, we really loved those episodes. Talking about how to master the Italian travel experience. We talked about the three P’s because we just had to
Do something to make it look strategic. don’t know. Or planned out planning is the first pivoting and patience. Then, so now we’re kind of midstream here. Wanted to get down to the nuts and bolts, the nitty gritty and actually deal with some itineraries. so last time we came to the table, so to speak, not this one, a different one, but we came to the table talking about getting into Italy’s culture.
And you know, so landing in Venice, doing what you’ve got to do and getting the heck out, and actually seeing, let’s just call it, the real Italy. So, is that, you know, okay. So let’s zoom out for a second here and just, elephant in the room. Okay. So this podcast is, a product of Italy with Bella as a travel company and comes out of all of our experience and.
The knowledge base that we have as a team both here in the US and there in Italy That’s the first time I’m saying that because usually it’s here in Italy and there in the US And then obviously all of the experiences of our guests friends and clients that come through and so we’re using that Pool of knowledge, you know the think tank that that is to produce this podcast for you and so in saying all of that my my question is
Is it difficult to convince people who have that bucket list item locked in their brain? I’ve got to go to Venice. I got to see the Doge’s palace. I got to go to Rialto. I got to do this and that and the other. Take my gondola ride, have my selfie moment. And you know, they think it’s going to be cathartic. It’s just expensive. at the end, know, did they, you know, they probably don’t want to go back, honestly. And they still didn’t.
really see the real Italy. So is that difficult to convince them on that call? Hey, make some time. We’re going to get you off of that beaten path and you’re going to have a real true authentic experience.
Speaker 2 (04:46)
It’s not difficult, it’s unpeeling the onion or really digging into why. Is it because of what you see? Is it because of what your family said? Is it because of what you see in Stanley Tucci? What do you like to do when you’re on vacation? Why do you want to see it?
Speaker 1 (05:01)
do call you
Tony Tucci. I don’t know why. You got his haircut. Long lost estranged brother cousin Tucci.
Speaker 2 (05:06)
I wish I had his money.
Same here.
But that being said, I think it’s just listening and really understanding. And when you do that, when you dig in a little more, you go, know something, Mark, listen to you. We don’t really have to go there. Or maybe we should spend more time there. Or…
let’s do those two things and move on to something that is really gonna hit home for my family, myself, my wife, whatever the experience is. So you have to land into one of those major cities, we say this all the time. So if you land in a major city, get what you can out of that city. I love Venice, but we know Venice. Most customers that don’t like Venice, or clients or friends that go to Venice, they’re landing in their apartment or their hotel that’s looking at the Rialto Bridge. So these are the things you flush out.
questioning back and forth why. Let’s take your cousin off the table. Let’s take Stanley off the table. You know, let’s just really dig in, right? And that’s where we learn.
Speaker 1 (06:07)
And I think there is, you you come over with that sense of I’ve got to do X, right? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t as you anticipated it being. Maybe there’s a little bit of, okay. I don’t know that I’d do that again. Or I don’t know, mild disappointment, whatever. you know, Italy is always a wow experience. Wow. There’s a lot of tourists. Wow. I want to get out and away from all the hubbub. you know, all of that is, is part of the.
package, but I wonder if including and we’ve we talked about this on that last episode, doing a step down, you know how you have it’s been years since you’ve done CrossFit and all that but you’ve got to look like it. got the cameras now bro. cameras don’t lie. Why do you think I got my
Speaker 2 (06:51)
Way away.
in your
up this morning.
Speaker 1 (07:04)
Why do you think I got my laptop here? Hide your belly. Okay, let’s gonna go to a different metaphor. You go to the gym and you have these exercises you do, you know, you do, I don’t know, 20, then you do 10, then you do five, you step down model, you know, and we’re talking about that in terms of going into Italy. Yeah, go to Rome, land in Rome.
Speaker 2 (07:08)
Insults keep coming
Speaker 1 (07:30)
get it out of your system, go to the Coliseum, take your little photo and tuck it away and then open your eyes. Put your phone away and open your eyes to where you are, be present, enjoy, imbibe all of that. Hard to do, looking at everything through a lens. Venice is the same way. You gotta get that stuff out of your blood. Spend a few nights getting lost in the canals.
wandering around, you’re not gonna have great cell phone receptivity anyway, the navigation doesn’t really work. gotta, you know, know that area. We’ve talked about this before as well. Just put this little free piece of candy on the table. It helps to have a guide, especially in Venice if it’s your first time, or perhaps even a roam if it’s your first time, to get you to your neighborhood where you’re going, show you around, spend 30 minutes just orienting.
That is so helpful. don’t know how many people we’ve had say, I wish I would have done that at the beginning. It would have helped me understand where I am for a couple of days here and enjoy the surroundings.
Speaker 2 (08:34)
Long gone are the days of, I’m gonna step in and just walk around aimlessly. Well, guess what? You’re gonna trip over and you’re have some wonderful experiences, but you’re probably wasting some time or taking wrong directions or stuff that you might not wanna see or don’t understand. When you have someone to meet you and kind of gives you some guidance, then you’re like, I don’t have to go back to that. I heard about it and I realized, Lucia or Martina, whoever told us, now it’s experience I don’t really have to go and go see.
Speaker 1 (09:04)
You’re set
up for success. then you spend the rest of your time there, oriented, knowing where you’re going, why you would do one or not the other, knowing what to avoid, and how to go and enjoy the things that you want to see while you’re there.
Speaker 2 (09:18)
The perfect way to look at it is if you have a go somewhere with your family and friends and there’s eight of you and somehow you’re the leader of the group. And all of a sudden you’re a leader of the group and then it’s all this pressure on you. You’re the one that’s, where is he going? On my phone it says to take a left, my phone take a right. Why are we going here? What’s the reason? It’s always that, no plans, there’s so much to see, let’s just go out and do it. Not always the best plan.
Speaker 1 (09:41)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And so coming around to, you know, we were talking about doing the step down thing, get the first one out of your blood. We talked about getting away from, Venice a little bit, getting out there, maybe heading down the coast. You’ve got Ravenna. We talked about that.
talked about going to Bologna, we talked about even going up into the hills after that. so doing a little bit of a model that gives you some contrast between the big and the gaudy and then, you know, the humble little hill town, the food capital, getting a palette that is diverse could be really helpful and also help inform you for the next time you come over because understanding, I thought I would have liked that. I didn’t.
Or I didn’t think I was going to like that. I really did. And constructing then that’s some of the hardest, you know, part of the process and why we have such a long onboarding for, for our guests coming over to Italy is to understand, like you said, peeling that onion and understanding what are you really after? Cause at the end of the day, we want them to get what they really want, but sometimes there’s these trappings around it of, I feel like I have to go because my cousin told me I should.
Speaker 2 (10:58)
I agree and a lot of times like we’ve talked about this on nauseam is that People have to see those three cities. They don’t know why they got to do it my cousin. Whatever we’re going back to that Diversity in traveling to Italy is we’re gonna talk about it today. I think it’s a great segue into it Diversity of that travel the hilltops the country the water, you know the wine the food and trying to get that so you realize that next time I come hopefully you come you’re blessed to do that You’re able to understand. I want to do more food and wine. I want to do more hilltops I want to do the quiet towns. That’s I
think is one of the most important to get the diversity of the actual experience.
Speaker 1 (11:34)
Yeah.
So that brings us to where we are today. We left our intrepid traveler somewhere in Bologna, right? Okay. So we’re there from Bologna. We’re going to pick up that trail, that train of thought, and you’re still in the middle of that plane. You’re in this river basin along the Po. You’ve come as far as perhaps Bologna. Parma.
and Modena. Yes, not. OK, I don’t I don’t want to just throw it under the bus. It’s not the armpit of the central plane here. There’s a lot to be said. It’s it’s not eye candy poppin town. Either either of these two Parma or Modena, but they have something significant to offer.
And just a little side note for enthusiasts of Formula One, racing enthusiasts, this, know, going to some of the museums, the Ferrari museum, others, in this area, unparalleled. And you’re never gonna have another experience like that.
Speaker 2 (12:47)
And this appealing of the onion, so it’s so funny. You’ll have a client or a friend just talking about Bologna and the food and, hey, let’s go to Parma, Parmesan, Reggiano cheese, Moldova for the balsamic, we’ll talk about that. But they don’t realize they’re in Bologna. So sometimes you have to mention these things that Americans don’t know. There is a town called Maranello that is, what, 15 minute train ride from Bologna. And they don’t realize there’s Maserati, Lamborghini, Ducati, you like motorcycles, Pagani. It’s like going down this
almost like a
Speaker 1 (13:19)
Motor alley.
Motor alley.
Speaker 2 (13:22)
can
choose any car you want to drive. can go to the Ferrari museum, can go to the Enzo museum, and it’s on the way to the towns you just mentioned, Palma and Modena.
Speaker 1 (13:30)
Probably popular
too, because in the last couple of years, been a number of movies come out that kind of highlighting.
Speaker 2 (13:34)
And
also what’s been popular is Formula One because of Netflix. you’ll see you’re hearing more but people don’t realize it until you actually mention it.
Speaker 1 (13:44)
You can go and have some incredible experiences. And
we’re, trying to pepper that into this season and, and highlight a little bit more of the experiences that you, that you can have. I was, I was telling somebody, we, even tried to do this. We had an open house. If I can pause here just to highlight, we’re still kind of all running on a high.
Speaker 2 (14:06)
I’m feeling it today, if you can tell.
Speaker 1 (14:09)
I don’t know
if that’s is that a high or a feeling wiped out? I don’t know. Wiped out high. Let’s say it like that.
Speaker 2 (14:15)
Yeah, I would say
that. A high coming down from the high.
Speaker 1 (14:17)
The hot air balloon is slowly losing its enthusiasm. But anyway, it was a great, great time. What I appreciated, because this is the first open house I came back for. I’ve seen it from afar through a lens for a number of years and finally came back. So, so glad to have done that. We took one of our team members to do an experience. You know, we’re in the middle of
This is whiskey, whiskey world over here in Nashville and Tennessee and Kentucky were yeah, right, right in the heart of, uh, of whiskey, American whiskey. And so taking, uh, Leonardo to have this experience was life changing. mean, you know, he got to, in, in Italy, we didn’t want, we don’t say, you know, you put somebody else’s shoes on or walk in their shoes, you walk in their pants, you know, so
Speaker 2 (14:47)
You got the video and the pictures to show.
Speaker 1 (15:11)
He walked in the pants of our Americans that come over to Italy and you know, he’s great for doing the wine tasting part and understands that but he’d never done this and so it was a life-changing experience.
talking about experiences at the open house. What I loved is that we had a number of experiences for people. We had VIP valet when you pull up, had a pianist playing a grand when you walk in the door. We had Debrena, talk about Debrena just for a quick second, because we’ve got a whole episode coming with him. I don’t want to get too deep, but just who is he and what did he do for our guests?
Speaker 2 (16:00)
It’s a wonderful partner out of Cortona if anyone’s under the Tuscan sun, but one of the more populous cities in Tuscany. We have a family, multi-generation family of Sebastian Delbera who was here. And he showed up with beautiful handmade charms to give to all the ladies. And it’s just typical family-owned, want to share their, what they do and their creativity and their love for what they do. And they’re a great partner and it just sent so much to have them there.
It was unexpected for them to actually bring gifts to all our customers and it was a beautiful thing.
Speaker 1 (16:30)
And he had it all.
From there
they walked along and got a glass of wine, Tuscan wine, walked down the corridor a little bit further. There’s a big open room. You’re seeing big TVs with experiences and testimonials of our guests, of our clients. And then coming around, we have a Michelin chef carving up a porchetta, a heaping of sandwiches and pasta. All of this, it created an experience. We created an experience here.
It was a little microcosm. That’s good. Yeah. And people, you know, on that journey, cause walk, it was a big house where we were to get from one end to the other is a, is a travel. you, it’s a journey and having those little experiences along the way, we provided a microcosm of what people get to go and do in Italy with Bella. When they come over on one of these trips that we’re talking about, why is that so important?
It’s a lived experience. It gets embedded in your memory. It’s not just didactic information. Now I’ve learned, now I know, blah, blah. No, you taste, you see, you feel, you hear, sharing stories. We had other partners there from Rome, a cooking experience, a tour guide that are talking to clients about what they could go and do and see over there. They’re ideating. It was buzz. It was a buzz of activity, of emotions, of…
But all of that is an experience. And this is exactly what we’re talking about, guys, taking these steps, coming over, whether you’re doing that trek from Venice, Ravenna, coming around, ending up in Bologna, done a little hill town activity. Then from there, you’re in the valley already. You come through Parma, Modena, you’re doing these museums for these race cars, where their tracks are, where their manufacturing is. And then you arrive in Parma, Modena, completely different world.
We’re talking about prosciutto, we’re talking about the ham, we’re talking about Modena, is the, you know, this is balsamico, is a chetto, the number one. And you can find these things elsewhere in Italy, just like I live in Sicily, I can find lasagna. I’d rather be in Bologna to eat a lasagna.
Speaker 2 (18:44)
in the world.
True.
The first time Brian has ever said something that he wouldn’t want to do.
Speaker 1 (19:04)
Coming around,
I’m coming around. Here’s the other side. I could have parmigiana in the North. I’d rather have it in Sicily because that’s where it’s from. You know, there’s a sense of this is where the ingredients are the finest. The traditional methodology behind how to create it, how to build it is all there. You know, it’s why you want an Italian race car, you know, because the tradition, the materials, how they do it, the profession, all of this.
goes into producing a product that is worth the time, the patience, the money to be able to, know, when we come over here to Padma and Maldona, we have two products in particular. You can get in other places around, I can go over here to Whole Foods and Cool Springs and get these products. Do I want them from there? We’re gonna edit that. Okay, boom, go on to the next. But it’s better in Italy is what we’ll say.
Speaker 2 (20:02)
and home from Italy.
Speaker 1 (20:04)
And it, it,
I mean, it’s better to have it in Italy. And okay.
Speaker 2 (20:09)
That’s
funny, the story is I just…
My son who works for us brought Leonardo to the market run around for the open house Yeah, and he brought to the olive oil aisle It was at Whole Foods or Kroger I forget where it was and Leonardo’s just shaking his head like you actually you actually use this Blown away It’s just so funny that you know that you know going to a market in America going to market Italy’s the same thing It’s a that that experience alone. That’s something we should talk about is the contrast of what it is and it was was
We had a lot of stories this weekend just about laying out. I gave him macaroni and cheese, he almost threw up, he spit it out in the sink. And that was like a full, like in Nashville, you know, it’s a vegetable here.
Speaker 1 (20:50)
It’s
side dish, it’s a vegetable. Especially with that crunchy crust on the top. my gosh. Okay. Anyway, we got off in the woods there. Let’s get back on the green. So coming around to this area, we have some amazing partners outside of Bologna, especially in this little valley area, taking folks into the behind the scenes in the production of
The ham in the production of the talk to us a little bit. Let’s start there. Let’s talk about some of our crazy friends over there and you know, 6 AM bus pickup. Yeah. What that is.
Speaker 2 (21:33)
We
have experiences that, what I love is sometimes if you’re not spending a few days in one area and you need to really, you want to the experience of the food and wine in the area. So you have to find a partner that can really kind of paint the picture. Peanut butter spread if you have to for those days. Outside of the Maranello with the Ferrari. And know, Brian just mentioned the balsamic, the Parmesan, the prosciutto. We have a partner, a couple of partners.
One of them is unique, very well known. And he picks you up in Bologna usually, brings you to a place where the cows come in and the milk is done. It’s early, it’s like 6.30, but it’s worth it. You put your lab coat on, your lab hat on. I don’t have to, I have no hair. And you put your little foodie, whatever they call them. And you walk in and you actually see them from when the milk comes in through this process in the morning of all
how Parmesan Reggiano cheese is made and it’s a beautiful thing. If you’ve ever seen pictures on Instagram of all these massive cheese wheels. But they have the beginning stages where they show you what the casing looks like and they wrap them and you can tell the difference when it’s fresh and it’s whiter and then you can see it from up to two years, three years in the process.
Speaker 1 (22:48)
session.
Speaker 2 (22:49)
And then of course we have to eat and drink at 9.30 in morning. there’s a Lambrusco which is the wine of the area. And then we have pastries and cheese and meat because we’re at the cheese factory. And then he picks you up and he brings you to the oldest balsamic vinegar family. And that’s just… If you don’t know how balsamic vinegar is made, it is…
just the way the process, the way it intertwines with generations of family. It’s amazing. It’s artwork to me. if barrels, if the barrel cracked, have to build special engineers that have to come in and put another barrel inside the, what’s the barrel called? The battery, right? It’s the battery. And then he shows you that. And then you have the most incredible balsamic vinegar you’ve ever had.
Speaker 1 (23:26)
Yeah, the core.
passed
down from generation to generation. All these barrels sitting next to each other that they’ve been using part of that for the next to seed the next to seed the next. It’s incredible. You’re tasting balsamic vinegar that’s, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:52)
It’s sweet, delicious, old. 25, 30 year old balsamic. It’s little little batteries, little little barrels. It’s like the barrels of the Saperna.
Speaker 1 (24:02)
Yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (24:06)
And then we move on they pick you up and then you go to where the prosciutto is made and it’s you know It’s the real deal Yeah, so you know the pig leg come in and you go through the whole process and he teaches you how it’s made the different cuts What it’s called if it’s hair what if it’s called in the leg and all of that It’s it’s it’s fascinating and they talk about DLP, which is something else we can talk about The origination of the the actual product and then after that we have the feast of all that product and pasta and it’s like a four-course meal a lot of wine
It’s a great experience. You’re learning about the primary products, the real products. When you come home, you know what balsamic is.
Speaker 1 (24:41)
You know how
to turn that parmesan cheese over, look at the rind, and understand where it was made, when it was made, and if it’s worth the price of the teller.
Speaker 2 (24:49)
Exactly,
exactly. So it’s one of our best experiences. Especially if you like food and wine. It’s a great day.
Speaker 1 (24:56)
But imagine, you you’re sitting down, you just arrive, you get a, you know, the tagliere, the little plate of meats and cheeses and a glass of wine. It’s your first day in Italy. You’ve not been through any of that. Yes. You’re just popping things in your mouth. this is good. This is good. You have no idea. That’s a point. What you’re eating, why it’s good, where it’s from, all of that. Now imagine after this day indoctrination, you know, but it’s all hands on.
You’re eating, you’re tasting, you’re understanding. You’re there where they’re making the mozzarella. You’re there where they’re doing all of this. And they’re showing you this is good, this is bad. We’re testing here what to look for, how to identify. And you get down and you’re sitting there having the same experience. But now you understand. Now when you put it in your mouth, you’re like, yep, that’s good because this is from…
This tastes like this. You can understand and distinguish the meats on the plate. All of that comes into helping you enjoy the experience that you’re then having.
Speaker 2 (26:08)
Totally true. the problem is, guys, I’m sorry to say this, but when you come back home, it’s even restaurants and food, Italian restaurants, or just going to the market and all of sudden you’re going to the deli. I have some, but you got DOP, do have two year, do you have prosciutto? Yeah, we have Boar’s Head and it’s like, my gosh. So you become a little snobbish because of your knowledge, right? You’re like, I guess I’m not getting prosciutto anymore unless I can find it from a certain market. yeah, it educates you, you give an appreciation how it’s made.
And then you realize there is a difference in what we possibly have here, but it is it’s something that people really want when they food and wine This is the experience. Yeah, right. want to learn too
Speaker 1 (26:48)
And before we move on to a different area, I honorable mention, cause and we don’t even have it on, this particular episode, but my, my homeland is, is Mantova. of course we’ve got another team member in Ferrara and essentially along the Po from, Ferrara over to Mantova, this whole heartland valley area. mean, it’s all at river level, you know, it’s all this river valley area. you, you’ve got incredible, incredible foods, but.
to get away from the dairy and the ham for a second. Why? have pumpkin. I mean, so you’ve got tortellini di zucca, right? Which is one of my favorite. In fact, even in Sicily and our grocery stores, you get it tortellini and it’s…
Speaker 2 (27:26)
That’s right.
Speaker 1 (27:40)
from Mantova you see on the package where it’s coming from, handmade from there. It’s just, again, you could make that in Sicily. I’d rather have it from Mantova.
Speaker 2 (27:53)
But it’s funny because the totalini in Monte Va and the totalini in Bologna, not too far apart, total different. And their approach. The approach is totally different.
Speaker 1 (28:00)
very different.
The methodology, the tradition behind all of that is very different. But they do have that pumpkin stuffed pasta in Parma. It’s very close. It’s all in that same valley area.
of the my favorite chefs I’ve been following for for years. I don’t know where you’re how you’re gonna feel about me. All right, good. I hooked on him during COVID wave. Yeah, watching. Well, yeah, I saw him on chef’s table later. I had gotten hooked on him watching him in Italian during COVID, because he and his wife and his daughter would cook at their kitchen.
Speaker 2 (28:33)
Masuo. Yeah, I love the guy. Okay. Charitable stuff.
Yeah, chef, chef’s table, right?
I’ve
seen that, it’s amazing.
Speaker 1 (28:56)
It was phenomenal. It was helping me stay up with my Italian while I was over here, you know, during that season. his restaurant, three star now, Michelin chef, Francescana is absolutely, that’s just a free candy on the table. I get no kickback.
Speaker 2 (29:11)
chef of the year twice I think.
And if you’re going to go reserve it right now because it takes about six months to get in.
Speaker 1 (29:25)
Drop Italy with Bella’s name, although they won’t know who we are. But that’s, I want to give that promo for him just because I got so much out of his Instagram and his show during COVID. can go back and see all of that. And if you want to brush up on your Italian, it’s a great way to do
Speaker 2 (29:41)
He’s
a master. He’s the best. And he has actually the newer restaurant where not the Michelin star but the kind of the Osteria I think it is. So you can get into that. A little easier to get into. lot of the same recipes too.
Speaker 1 (29:55)
Yeah, it’s fantastic. So a little shout out there to our friend, Massimo, who doesn’t know who we are. but coming around. Okay. So we’re in the heartland. Let’s drop down to the coast. Okay. All right. So we’re, we’re going to, we’ve started off in Venice. So all the way in the East, we’re heading West. We’re going to drop down to the Ligurian coastline here. Let’s talk about La Spezia. So I flew up a couple months ago with Leo.
And we did basically this same coastline, but a little farther south. And then we headed south to Rome. Now we’re still at the same little coastline. We’re going to head up and we’re going to find everyone’s favorite household name, Cinque Terre. Oh, yes. Okay. Everybody’s got to go get that out of their system. So help us wrap our heads around. We’re going to get to Mrs. Margarita in a minute.
Okay. But I will highlight her, put her in the spotlight. But La Spezia and Cinque Terre. Do you push people? You don’t have to push anybody. you hold people back from going? does that help me understand the tension here? Because it’s not a one size fits all.
Speaker 2 (31:13)
Once again, unpeel the onion, right? And then pull it back. See why Cinque Terre? A lot of times, 90 % of the times, friends have stayed there. They see it on Instagram. It is spectacular. you know, sometimes I’ll say it to someone like, what about Cinque Terre? What is that? And then I just pull up the picture. Oh, yeah, I’ve seen that. wow. It’s iconic. It is iconic. It’s iconic. Right. I look at it as…
Speaker 1 (31:31)
The first
But it’s iconic.
Speaker 2 (31:41)
spend the day, maybe hop around on a train. If you’re a hiker and you really want to get a great hike in, you want to see the beauty of the sea, and you want to see the beautiful fishermen time.
Speaker 1 (31:50)
And
that’s probably not the first thing that comes into people’s minds. I’m gonna go hiking. I hadn’t thought about, know, especially if it’s your first time over to Italy, you’re probably not thinking about doing hiking. A lot of walking maybe. Although we’ve had some guests come over and are like, I didn’t expect to do this much walking. told you. You’re gonna get your steps in, Mr. Ameri-
Speaker 2 (32:09)
Cool.
opposite of people they’re hikers right and I’m like you don’t really need to hike you’re gonna go to Rome and you’re gonna be hiking yeah you know know you’re gonna be in Cortona you’re gonna walk up hills like this you know
Speaker 1 (32:23)
But that isn’t something that normally pops into somebody’s head. I’m going to go to Italy, especially their first time and do hiking, go to the beach, a boat experience. You know, it’s not normally the first thing that pops. You think about the big iconic city. It’s like going to New York, you know, you’re going to go get Times Square, Empire State Building and then,
Speaker 2 (32:43)
If said I’m going to New York and I just want to lay on a blanket in Central Park, that’s kind of a little bit of a break. You don’t do that.
Speaker 1 (32:49)
Yeah.
usually your second time around and you’re like, okay, I got to get out of this crowd for a minute so I can enjoy. whole point is how am going to enjoy? And the panoramic views, whether you’re here or, you know, you’re down on the Sorrentine peninsula around Sorrento or the underbelly as I call it. The Southern coast, Positano, Malphi, the path of the gods, all of this.
You don’t normally think about that, but it’s such an escape. It will help you reset and continue to enjoy. That’s one of the hardest things. Yes. You know, and we talked about this the other day at the open house. So many clients are like, I’m just go, go, go. And I get over there at helping them to slow it down a little bit. Italy runs slower. It’s not Manhattan and it runs on a slower clock and learning to be in tune and in pace with that.
Speaker 2 (33:34)
The rain.
Speaker 1 (33:47)
actually helps you get a little bit more out of it, less frustration, more enjoyment.
Speaker 2 (33:51)
And it’s tough because you’ll talk to friends, family, clients, whatever, and you try to get those reins pulled back, and we do a little bit, and then they come back, and know, so we still should’ve slowed down. We should’ve stayed an extra day. I went to Cinque Terre, and you know something, I would’ve liked to, even if you went to one town, I would’ve liked that, you know, you it’s, you try as best as you can, but you’re right, and I think the more you learn, and the more you go, and the more you understand it, you’ll feel that, all right, I need to pull back a little
little bit, because my best experience were the days I got to relax and enjoy when I needed to.
Speaker 1 (34:26)
Yeah.
So, and there’s that serendipity you like to bring that part in of just the chance encounters, the conversations that were really, I don’t want to say nourishing, but they were something unexpected in the moment that just filled something that you didn’t know you were missing. That human touch, we’ve talked about that a lot, having that human interaction with the owner or waiter.
you know, passerby and sharing stories at other tables with other travelers, all that kind of thing. You got to make time for that. You got to slow down to have that kind of experience, but it is so enriching in the middle of your travel. So I want to segue back to you. You had started with the hiking in the Cinque Terre. What is Cinque Terre? It’s five something. What is that?
Speaker 2 (35:18)
Five earths, five towns, lands, whatever you want to call it. It’s the five little towns. Five little fishermen towns. The Cornelia, they can connect by train. You can connect by ferry. Four out of the five by ferry. Cornelia doesn’t have a port. And you can connect by the hiking. The trails. I don’t do trails.
Speaker 1 (35:29)
They’re someway connected.
You wouldn’t know that. Crossfit. Pizza, pasta, Necroni. Curls.
Speaker 2 (35:47)
I crossfit.
Alright, that’s enough.
Push-up, no.
You know, mean, it’s, I love it from the sea. I’ve done Cinque Terre, once again, never hiked it. I’ve done it from the train, stop to stop, and I’ve done it from the ferry. Like I said, didn’t do Cornelia by ferry, it’s just beautiful fishermen towns with beautiful views. What I like about Cinque Terre, even the last time I was there, I was sitting in the piazza, I can’t remember if was in Motorola or…
real Maggiore and I’m sitting there and my apperol spritz
was 17 euro and my little town down the road there five that’ll tell me flag you know where am I right but I’m sitting there and this guy would he probably look like Peter Griffin his belly was hanging out he had a speedo on there is literally 200 people in a piazza having the spritz and looking out at the water and this guy could care less he was still doing the family business dragging the boat in with his speedo on bringing the nets in it was hilarious
Speaker 1 (36:45)
And then.
Speaker 2 (36:58)
Yeah, I got pictures of videos, but that’s that was still cool. That was a moment All right I enjoyed that part of chink with daddy right to see people still walking working there and him not even caring I’m doing I don’t care who’s here Americans I’m gonna do my job and I’ve been doing for 50 years right and it was those are the things I remember but That’s what I got a chick with Teddy. I like to enjoy the views to see Some of the food was okay You know chick with Teddy is a place like almost like a Malfi
wait for the people to go away during the day, the boats come out, the tourists leave, and it’s a little quieter at night. Still pretty touristy, the food and the drinks and the cost, but it’s a beautiful, beautiful place. I consider it a day trip, but some people like to hike maybe a few days there just because of the hiking and the views.
Speaker 1 (37:44)
Yeah, there’s so much so many places we could go from here. Yes. I’m wondering if we might put a pin here because I want to I want to contrast this Cinque Terre experience with what’s right up the coast around the corner. A lot of people, though, and let’s just conclude here. Let’s wrap it up on this thought, though, because we’re talking about a place we’ve already mentioned at the the Sorrentine Peninsula has.
similar, but contrasting different experiences. A lot of times people will ask, should I go to Cinque Terre or should I go to Amalfi Positano? What is there a simple answer to that? I imagine we’re getting back into the onion here.
Speaker 2 (38:35)
If I had to choose, I would do Amalfi. Take the crowds out of the equation. Yes. with Amalfi, you do have the Sauron team peninsula. You do have Capri. You can go all the way down to Salerno, which is a great city.
Speaker 1 (38:40)
Yeah, well that’s hard to do on either side.
Just
be honest, you got the Calabrian food as well and that’s…
Speaker 2 (38:56)
Anything in the south, think. No, sorry.
The food but yeah, I think food still great there But I think overall is I think there’s a little more things to do a little more flexibility and some nuances You can go to Pompeii and there you can go to the Naples for the day. You can go to Ischia You can do all of that. Okay, where if in your chin chink with Eddie you can go up and down the coast from the specie I put the van area you can go all the way up to Santa Margarita Portofino, Genoa. I just don’t think it’s is
Speaker 1 (39:10)
Okay.
Speaker 2 (39:26)
diverse as it would be in Amalfi Coast. I think still Amalfi has a certain way it’s built into the cliffs. It’s really beautiful. Cinque Terre has that kind of feel too but it’s more of fisherman town than an elevated feel than a Positano or something like that. But if you want to get away from the crowds, you still want to see water, then you just head up a little bit more above Cinque Terre and really enjoy the beaches and the water and the beauty.
Speaker 1 (39:49)
And I think well, let’s pick up there next time we’re around Folks we’ve we’ve got you in from Venice coming down the coast there the mosaics coming inland hilltop towns We left you in Bologna. We picked you back up We came over still in that little valley area the River Valley area looking at the if you’re into race cars if you’re into Prosciutto if you’re into food a chat the ball cycle your
You’re in heaven. Yeah, you got the tortellini. You got the brodo. You got all of this. It’s incredible experience. Food culinary delights out the wazoo. You come over and then we’re going to leave you here at the coastline. We’ll pick back up around here the next time. Hopefully that’s helpful to kind of contrast a little bit between Cinque Terre, which no doubt you’ve heard, you’ve Googled, you’ve seen the images. It’s stunning. Absolutely stunning.
that and Amalfi, so we’re talking about that Sorrentine Peninsula just below Naples. Both have their merit and favor and we need to come back to our point system like we used to talk about in earlier seasons and give these a little more accurate, but this gives you some blunt contrast between the two if you’re considering one or the other. That said, if you’re thinking about
Speaker 2 (41:02)
Braves about points.
Speaker 1 (41:17)
coming over to Italy with us, with Bella, we’re gonna set you up well to do this kind of an experience and to do it well, to do it with our partners who are gonna take good care of you. I can’t, I’m still on that high from the weekend and all of our partners there and how special they are. They have the same DNA that at the end of the day they wanna see people enjoy.
Speaker 2 (41:46)
Yeah, I always equate it to a nonna’s house, right? I look at Italy as that, and I look through that. When people go to Italy and they sit around the table, the table is Italy, right? And I see the people enjoying the food and smiling and just taking it all in. We’re kind of the nonna. Looking at them and saying, look at our
Speaker 1 (42:02)
No, no, no.
You’re the
no-no, I’m the zeal. Yeah, a little younger here.
Speaker 2 (42:08)
Uncle Brian wants to see you enjoy it. Exactly,
so I look at it from that perspective. I’ve always told you that the reason we created the business was because I wanted to see Italy, the true Italy in the smiles and taking it in and just, you know, absorbing it the right way and the way.
Speaker 1 (42:24)
So.
Do yourself a favor, go to ItalyWithBella.com, check out a free consultation with Anthony, his wife Denise. No strings attached, no Genzu knife, no hideaway holiday in the mountains, time share. It’s just a talk, it’s just a free conversation guys about Italy. If you’re not convinced, you hang up, but you know more than you did before. looking forward to picking up on the next episode along the coast and heading north. All right, until then, ciao.
Arrivederci.
