Leaving Modena

The movers were here!

The packing took longer than the movers themselves expected. Thankfully we decided to leave Modena later than we were supposed to, as such we didn't miss our overnight train to Stuttgart.

At one stage during the move I was actually very nervous as the truck was already full, very full - and we still had a whole floor of stuff to load. Some of the movers drove the full truck back to Rome - leaving another 3 movers behind to stay another night in order to load a smaller truck that wasn't supposed to be packed full.

Packing material : each of those white rolls is worth 100 euros

This second truck was packed so full the movers had to abandon their packing material (very costly stuff - they were quite upset actually). The final count was 364 boxes or more than 70 cubic metres. That took a good 3 months to arrive in Shanghai.

We were fortunate that the French Bs offered to look after our children during the move as well as accommodate us after our beds had been dismantled. CB even cooked dinner and threw us a farewell party with the German Bs - so that we could drink a few more good bottles of wine together before we left. We really miss those occasions...

In fact, I was telling myself that in the past 15 or more years I have left behind so many friends because of my nomadic lifestyle - first my kakis in Singapore and then friends I have made in France, USA, Spain, Germany and now Italy...Of course I wasn't always the one who left first, but the result is still the same - though with email and Skype nowadays the separation is not as painful/final as it would have been in the past.

A last lunch with friends at Da Pasticcino

On our last day, LS, KF, CS and Mu invited us to lunch at Il Ristorante Da Pasticcino - a fitting farewell to very good Modenese pasta and meat for us. It was very kind and lovely of this group of crazy, wonderful girls whom I've had the honour of spending time with and I would like to thank them once again for this lovely gesture.

My favourite fresh pasta with porcini

The Chateaubriand was excellent

That evening, we took a train from Bologna to Stuttgart via Munich. It was a 6-seater cabin and we were 5 fiesty passengers who dashed into it - where a poor lone German guy was sleeping. He had to endure our incessant chatting as we tried to settle down, not to forget smell our feet as we climbed into our beds (above his). But the rest of the night went quite well and we did manage to catch a few winks before pulling into Munich.

It was lovely being in Germany again after all this while and we had a quick breakfast at the train station before catching another train to Stuttgart - and to the start of a 2-week wait for the visas that would allow us to fly into China to begin our new lives in Shanghai.

Cucina del Museo Revisited - Again

Cerdo with Lambrusco Reduction & Berries

On the eve of our move, we decided to complicate our lives by going out for a long dinner - made really worth the while albeit by a wonderful group of friends. Being torn between finishing up the sorting out and spending quality time with said friends was nothing compared to being condemned to blogging about the dinner - because the Hub is currently snoring the house down. Which is normal after the after-dinner grappa, only there is no way that I can sleep with a bulldozer in my current restless state.

Gambas with Black Truffle Cream (excellent)

Fresh Pasta with Fish

Pan-fried Foie Gras

We dined at the Cucina del Museo in Modena. I've blogged about the restaurant here and here sometime back and we've always enjoyed our meals there. Going back with the French Bs and German Bs was the icing on the cake, a wonderful way to say goodbye to Modena and its cuisine. I was going to say "goodbye to our friends" too, but as CB reminded me, not yet - since she would cook dinner for us all on Friday for the real finale.

They didn't do any menus this evening but we cajoled the owner to come up with one for us, with matching wines thrown in (@250 euros per couple). The food was very good as usual - if the fish pasta was a little too fishy and the deer a little too cooked for my taste. But the wines (particularly the Amarone and Sauvignon fumé) were very good, though needless to say I couldn't abuse since I had to drive us home after dinner. As it was, I grilled the first red light out of the parking...

The merry diners

The movers arrive in a few hours. I still need to fold a last batch of clothes and put away the ski stuff. Oh, and there are also the dirty dishes from the children's dinner to put away...Will I ever be ready? Can I sleep? Will I get fined for that red light?

Osteria Francescana Revisited and the Umberto Panini Museum

Aged balsamic vinegar from Hombre

Less than 2 months ago, Hub brought us to the Osteria Francescana in Modena for my birthday. Believe it or not, we were back in the restaurant last night, this time with a couple who are notables of the city and who kindly offered us a memorable and very interesting evening out.

We were late turning up at Hombre - an organic farm that produces very good Parmesan cheese in Modena. We had no idea what we were doing there, having followed a car in front of us all the way from a factory in Formigine. When you do things like that in the cold and the dark, it felt a little like in the movies e.g. illegal, exciting and dangerous. Except that the Alfa Romeo in front was driven by an old man who looked nothing at all like James Bond.

At the Hombre farm, we were greeted by another old man and his big dog. He walked us to a warehouse, opened the door and turned on the lights. And we saw an amazing collection of vintage Maseratis and a few other cars, and also an amazing collection of old motocycles.

An example of a Panini sticker collection

That was the Panini Museum and our old guide was Umberto Panini himself. As the evening progressed, we would learn more about this amazing man who was a meccanic, inventor and former owner of the Panini Group that is famous worldwide for its collectible stickers, cards, figurines, books etc. How many of us have been coerced into buying packets and packets of stickers during say the World Cup so that our sons could stick them on some book or exchange them with their friends during their breaks?

The car collection in the museum has an interesting story behind it. To make it brief, the Maserati Museum wasn't included in the sale of Maserati to the Fiat Group and the cars in it were about to end up being sold in the UK when Umberto Panini decided at the last minute to buy it and save the Maseratis from leaving Modena and Italy. Many of them were lovingly restored and so they now sit in this specially-built museum just next to the organic Parmesan cheese factory owned by the Paninis.

We were supposed to be given a private tour of the factory too but turned up late because Hub had a meeting and the factory was closed when we arrived. But Umberto kindly offered us a generous slice of his famous cheese and also a bottle of the family's aged (25 year-old) balsamic vinegar!

Turned out that our host and Umberto Panini are old friends, in fact, the former is passionate about photography and publishes his own photo books. A number of them would include the latter hammering barrels of cheese to test its maturity etc. Modena is a small world and they all know each other, from Montezemolo to Pavarotti, Panini and of course our host.

We then had dinner at the Francescana and this time we ordered a la carte as our host and his wife preferred to eat Modenese food even when we were in one of the best restaurants in the world. I had duck liver to start followed by a scampi pasta and a lobster in Riesling mousse. The food was excellent as usual, though I was so busy trying to listen to our hosts and make conversation in Italian that I couldn't remember having any particular sensations about the dishes.

We were given a summary of Umberto Panini's life and adventures (our host is obviously not only a friend but also a fan), discussed balsamic vinegar making, had a quick run-down of Modena and Ferrara's history and spent quite a bit of time exchanging pet stories (not that I have ever had a pet - but thank God my parents and my siblings have a few). It was a surprisingly informative and interesting evening and we were the very last to leave the restaurant (after the Chef himself) so much we have enjoyed each other's company.

I feel very lucky. Just a few weeks from leaving Modena, I have finally been offered a bottle of the traditional balsamic vinegar and by such an important person himself. I am now ready to leave, and to do so with fond memories of this city. Of its notables and its cuisine. But of course also of my wonderful friends who though not particularly illustrous (nor harbouring barrels of the precious vinegar), are notables of the city that is my heart and whose kindness I will bring with me and hope to fall back on as I face a new city, country and life ahead of me.

Hombre srl
Via Corletto sud 320
41100 Modena
Tel : +39 059 510 660
hombre@hombre.it

Piombaia Montalcino Poderi Sanguineto Abbazia di Sant'Antimo

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo

Our weekend in Tuscany was principally a wine tasting trip and 2 of the main cellars we visited were Piombaia (which was also where we stayed and dined in) in Montalcino and Poderi Sanguineto in Montepulciano. We also drove to the Abbey of Saint Antimo - where they still have beautiful daily sevices in gregorian given by Augustinian monks. There was a service going on just as we arrived and it sounded really beautiful - not that I could understand anything. There was alot of singing like in those gregorian chants CDs that were the rage a decade ago.

The abbey

We were very well-received in both wine cellars, with free tasting sessions, generous snacks and interesting stories about their wines. In Piombaia where we stayed, we learnt that its wine-maker is a 28 year-old young man who took over the business at the age of 16, who's passionate about what he's doing and who is making really good wines at affordable prices. We also ate very well there, it's a nice family-run agriturismo.

Agriturismo Piombaia Montalcino

At Poderi Sanguineto, it is basically a female-run vinery, from the weather-beaten Dora to the robust Patrizia. I do not drink alot, but I love visiting vineyards and tasting wine because you get to admire the way they work, the way they love their grapes and transmit some of their passion in wine-making to you. Somehow it gives you a more intimate relationship with the wine you're drinking, enhancing the entire tasting experience.

The "Ferrari" of wine barrels

Poderi Sanguineto

I am glad that we will be leaving Italy on these notes. Memories like these are precious and will make us remember Europe fondly as we begin our new lives in Asia. As you know, I am more fortunate than most because I straddle both continents comfortably - hence the title of my blog East meets West. I do not know if I'll be able to blog as much when we start living in China, but I certainly hope to continue being able to record some of my experiences for myself and those who know me (or who will get to know me).

Piombaia-Rossi Cantini

Montalcino (Siena)

Tel : +39 057 784 7197

Sanguineto

Montepulciano

Tel : 057 876 7782

Montepulciano, Tuscany

Montepulciano, Tuscany

A few years ago we spent 3 weeks in Firenze and toured Tuscany, including a few quick trips to Siena and San Gimignano. But we didn't go to Montepulciano, considering the town a bit too far out. It was therefore ironic that we should drive there last weekend - all the way from Modena. It took us 3 hours each way, past traffic jams and in bad weather - but it was well worth the effort for we had good company, nice food (e.g. pici, pecorino, wild boar, honey...), fabulous wine (e.g. Nobile di Montepulciano) and beautiful landscapes. Not to forget a Ferrari.

Interesting roofs

We were 2 French and 2 German families, with a few major car makers represented e.g. Mercedes, Fiat/Ferrari, Audi/Lamborghini. So if the men were not talking wine, they could talk shop and very often the dining table would be divided into 3 sections : men, women and children's. Very macho, as Hub would say.

Osteria del Conte and the park opposite

In Montepulciano we lunched in a nice little family-run Osteria del Conte which served very good food from the region. It was tartufo season so they offered a tartufo menu that Hub didn't hesitate to take up. This was probably the last weekend that we'd be doing together (at least in Italy) with CB and MB, so I was a little sad. It's not easy finding friends with children of around the same age, with similar tastes in food, wine, accommodation etc, friends who are also fun, interesting, easy-going and kind. But we should count ourselves lucky to have found them in the first place.

Old

The views from Montepulciano were beautiful. It stopped raining a little when we were there and we even had a bit of sunshine. CB and her hub were there not too long ago and they had enjoyed the town so much they brought us back with them.

They seem to like kakis

There were also pretty little boutiques all over, many of them selling leather shoes and accessories. If we weren't moving, I would have been tempted to take a closer look - especially at those gorgeous red leather boots being displayed in a number of windows. But well, we could only bring 67 cubic metres with us, so I must eliminate, not acquire.

The vista

Even Hub had to stop himself from buying any wine. Besides there was no boot space in the California.

The streets

Osteria del Conte

Via di San Donato 19

Montepulciano (Siena)

Tel : 057 875 6062

Tuscan-style Porcini/Cèpe Soup

Tuscan-style Porcini Soup

Our last group lunch in Tuscany took place in a nice little restaurant Osteria di Porta al Cassero in Montalcino. We were really surprised to discover such a simple and nice restaurant in a touristic little place. The menu was limited in choice but whatever they served you was hearty, rustic and delicious. Everything was homemade including the hand rolled pasta of the region - the pici/pinci.

I loved the pici all'aglione (garlic tomato sauce) served in the Osteria, but its Tuscan-style Porcini Soup was the best. I promised myself that I'd make it at home and since I had a rather large fresh porcini leftover from last week, I did just that this afternoon for lunch.

I cannot claim to have reproduced the same soup, but for a first try, it wasn't bad. It will need a bit more figuring out, but on this try it was onion-meet-garlic-meet-porcini soup more or less.

Tuscan-style Porcini Soup (serves 1) :

1 medium-large fresh porcini mushroom (cubed)

2 dried porcini mushrooms (soaked for at least 20 minutes in hot water)

2 large garlic cloves (bashed and minced)

1 small onion (chopped)

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp rosso di montalcino or aged porto

1 small bay leaf (torn)

1 beef stock cube

500ml hot water

1-2 tsp concentrated tomato paste (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

2 dried bird's eye chillies

toasted country bread rubbed with fresh garlic

grated pecorino cheese (optional)

In a small pot, sweat the onions on low heat in the olive oil.

Add the minced garlic. When they are fragrant, add the cubed porcini mushrooms.

Pour in the red wine, add the bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour in the soaked dried mushrooms together with its water.

Pour in the hot water and add the stock cube.

Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve it hot with slices of garlicked toasted country bread (I used white bread as I've nothing else in the pantry) and grated pecorino cheese. This is very typical of Tuscan soups, making a liaison between bread and soup.

Osteria di Porta al Cassero

via Ricasoli 32,

Montalcino.

Tel : 057 784 7196

Gardaland around Halloween

Halloween @ Gardaland

I may consider indulging in s & m if I could but fit into a tight leather leopard and look like Cat Woman instead of Miss Piggy. Alas that would have been for another life as for all my faults I am not delusional.

Burning car in the middle of the highway near the Peschiera del Garda exit

I did bring the kids to Gardaland (yet again) the day before we left for London. It rained the whole day, they fought the minute they got into the car, I nearly drove into a burning car on the highway...ingredients for a nightmare, what, but we had a good time since there were almost no queues in the park and the kids loved the decor for Halloween.

The Babies really wanted to ride on Magic Mountain, Mammut and Colorado Boat. Overheard them discussing the feeling they had when they were doing the rides. "It didn't give me a headache," said Babinette. "I feel happy when we go very fast," added Babinou.

On Halloween itself (after we came back from London), we were invited to LP's famous Halloween party and the kids had a great time decorating their own goodie bags, baking their own halloween cookies and decorating their own cupcakes. Then we went trick or treating in the neighbourhood, coming home with lots and lots of sweets.

By the way, did I tell you that Bollywood Beauty was also with us? She came back to Modena and stayed 2 days at our place, so I brought her to the party for some catching-up with the rest. It was almost like old times...

LS and my Bollywood Beauty

I am very busy now trying to sort out our things. We will be moving in less than 2 months and the house is in such a mess. I do not need a Halloween party, it's infernis at home everyday.