We were picked up at our hotel at 7 am here in Bologna to start our Italian Days Food Experience…..(that would be 10 pm back home).  We went south of Modena to a cheese factory where they make these massive blocks of Parmegiano Reggiano cheese.  We had to put on these doctor suits and I must say we all looked quite fetching!  Extremely interesting as we were able to see the cheese form before our eyes.

We also went to a place where they make prosciutto ham.  Walking through the factory we observed all of the steps required to make the ham….including salting, curing, aging and more aging.  I know what you’re thinking…..what in the world do 2,200 pig legs look like in this process?  Well, they kind of look like little people or gnomes…..Here check it out:

We also visited a place where they make Modena basalmic vinegar.  We saw the process and the aging……at least 12 years and also 25 years.  The four of us bought some 15 year and 45 year old vinegar.  It was so sweet that we actually sampled it on ice cream.  Seriously, it was amazing and if you haven’t sampled it, that is hard to believe!  Leaving those factories the entire food tour group stopped at a trattoria and ate everything we wanted, plus some we didn’t want to and had all of the different types of wine and beverages we wanted……It was like we went into a food coma.  They dropped us back at our hotel and we finally emerged from the coma about 9:45 tonight.  We had only gelato for dinner!  It was lovely!!!!   Driving back from the food tour, we saw the hill we walked up yesterday through the 666 porticos.  Ciao!