Day 20: Modena Part 3
Friday morning, we visited the local historical market, Mercato Albinelli. The original was located at Piazza Grande before moving to its permanent home on Albinelli street in 1931. Locals and visitors alike come to the heart of Modena in search and to sample the town's best produce and products. We bought some amazing looking strawberries, so bright red unlike any ones back in the US. Thereafter we stopped at cafe Molinari for a quick breakfast. The cappuccino and cornetto was no where near as good as cafe Fagianni in Rome. However it was enough to get us through the morning.
It has been nearly 3 weeks since we have been to the gym. As much fun it is to eat good regional food and enjoy alcoholic beverages, we really had the itch to do some type of workout. Not far from our airbnb is a small fitness center called Active Fit Modena. It had the basic equipment like a bench press, free weights, several machines...enough to get a good workout in. It was a good thing we went earlier in the morning because it wasn't too busy and it was still some what cooler. At the end we talked to one of the trainers and he informed us their desire to keep the fitness center small and local. The team values quality and the importance of staying personable. We admire small businesses and try to support local organizations that do it more than just for money. The passion and love for what you do is something we can all try to strive to do.
For lunch we ate at a little place known for homemade pastas called Il Fantino. Unfortunately they ran out of tortellini in soup we craves so much. Apparently earlier in the week, the weather was unusually cooler...so many locals requested this dish, typically eaten in the winter. The server stated they only make 10 kilos of tortellini for the week during summer. Instead we ordered the special pasta of the day, tagliatelle in ragu with asparagus, along with pumpkin raviolis and a mixed salad. All of the dishes were equally delicious. We are afraid to say but you can't get pasta like this back in the states. It may be just in our heads but it could be due to the water, flour or eggs they use in Italy that distinguishes their exceptional pasta.
Later on, we stopped at a boutique store that sells high end balsamic vinegar from select organizations. We discovered this shop from Somebody Feed Phil's Venice episode, where they allow you to bring in gelato ice cream and sample some balsamic with it. One of the clerks gave us a nice overview, however it was near closing time...so we decided to come back the next day to obtain the full experience. Instead of going to a sit down restaurant, we found a highly rated panini joint called bar Schiavoni. What we received were not those iconic flattened sandwiches with oozing cheese and traditional brown grill marks on top, but some seeded sub sandwiches that were barely toasted. The inside was decent, although it desperately needed more seasoning. We almost think they shouldn't be calling these sandwiches paninis. This was certainly not the first time we have come across "misnomers" on our travels.
After a few drinks, we walked back to our airbnb and at a far distance we heard some kind of music. As we got closer, we realized it was a live band playing just outside of the bar where we were at on Day 18. Locals were singing in unison, both young and old, what we thought were classic Italian hits. One tune after the other, they chanted louder and louder. It was a great excuse to grab another round of drinks and observe a large group of happy Italians, celebrating the weekend, more so, celebrating life. Just judging by their expressions and demeanor, you can tell some of them have known each since they were very young. It is amazing how very little you need to be content. Sometimes all you need is good food, drinks and music. We hope to take even a fraction of what we saw that evening back home with us. Celebrate the little things. Embrace what you have. Live life to the fullest.
