We got in late from Ravenna and found our hotel superbly located in the market district of Bologna with shops and restaurants  at every turn.

Oh for smellorama.

The aromas were intoxicating but unfortunately our hotel room was smaller than our previous bathroom. Dashing off to eat ourselves stupid we agreed to tough it out.

First course. Bruschetta of course.

Second.       Tagliatelle Bolognese. (NEVER, NEVER, NEVER Spaghetti.)

Recipe.  Ground veal and ground pork cooked in pancetta fat. (bacon will do).

Add grated carrot, celery, teaspoon tomato paste and nutmeg and simmer in just enough stock.

(Please note. NO GARLIC, NO PASATA).

We really don’t have a clue about Bolognese cooking in Australia.

We then went home to the cupboard and found our recent experience with the accqua alta came in good stead when the shower flooded out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. We then slept quite well until 4.30am when the ice was delivered to the fishmonger two doors down. Due to some city ordinances of authenticity it has to be smashed up by hand under our bedroom window as this was how it was done in Leonardo’s time.

Research showed vacancies at a better located hotel and we have moved.

To fill in the rest of the day we went on a guided walk and food tasting with a charming young couple from Las Vegas. (They recently escaped from L.A. and we traded bushfire stories. ( and please could we trade political leaders.)

This is the balcony from which C13th Cardinal announced the only lawful recipe for tortellini

il Duce examines classic Roman brickwork.

We first went to learn how to make tortellini.

Nonna prepares tortellini

Recipe.  Tortellini in brodo

Pasta made fresh with 000 flour and 1 egg per 100gms. NO WATER. Roll out and leave for one hour and then cut into squares.

Make fiddly little belly buttons filled with chopped pork, chopped pancetta and chopped mortadella.

Cook for less than one minute after they float to the top of stock made from the left over parmesan cheese rind and a stock made to your taste.(Please note. Mortadella is a silky smooth paste of Parma ham ground in a mortar and then hung up to age for at least 3 years. You can not get it at the  deli in Coles)

Poppy with a lot of mortadella on his mind.

Then she took us, (replete and groaning) to have coffee and chocolate and then on for Gelato.

We have gone off to our new hotel and may not go out for dinner. I was going to get Ilze to add a few  words but she is way down in the walk in robe, unpacking.

We also saw our first X-mas decorations today.

First Xmas decorations are appearing.

il Duce.