The view from my "office"

Despite covid having a deep impact on the lives of cough sapiens in Melbourne and the almost empty streets, the flora are thumbing their nose at 2020 and announcing the upcoming onset of Spring
View attachment 226023

My office in the background there. Almost forgotten what it looks like. Haven't sat at my desk since March!
 
Read our AFF credit card guides and start earning more points now.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

not 100% sure where you are but walked from the jetty to past secrets by the sea so I think so - had a snack at Joes - excellent and good staff
Joes has been taken over and it will rake in a motza from now on. Perfect place. We are the next block. Just over Mid way to Henley Hotel.
 
And when in Modena... Then of course you must visit an Acetaia and try some D.O.P. Balsamic Vinegar! 12 year aged and 100 year aged... Goes well on some gelato too ;) Their oldest barrell was from 1512 and was definitely showing some signs of aging!

Also easy enough to get to from town on the #2 bus for €1.50 each way. Only runs hourly on Sundays though!
IMG_20200823_142116.jpg
IMG_20200823_142144.jpg
IMG_20200823_142744.jpg
IMG_20200823_145515.jpg
IMG_20200823_151522.jpg
IMG_20200823_151920.jpg
IMG_20200823_152401.jpg
IMG_20200823_152221.jpg
IMG_20200823_151404.jpg
IMG_20200823_151954.jpg
 
And when in Modena... Then of course you must visit an Acetaia and try some D.O.P. Balsamic Vinegar! 12 year aged and 100 year aged... Goes well on some gelato too ;) Their oldest barrell was from 1512 and was definitely showing some signs of aging!

Also easy enough to get to from town on the #2 bus for €1.50 each way. Only runs hourly on Sundays though!
View attachment 226074
View attachment 226075
View attachment 226076
View attachment 226077
View attachment 226078
View attachment 226079
View attachment 226080
View attachment 226081
View attachment 226082
View attachment 226083
Ah! We’ve been there! Bought some of the extra vecchio 25 yo to bring home! Unfortunately, all gone now.

Excellent on oysters as well!

And the Ferrari factory and museum?
 
Ah! We’ve been there! Bought some of the extra vecchio 25 yo to bring home! Unfortunately, all gone now.

Excellent on oysters as well!

And the Ferrari factory and museum?

I bunged up my knee playing basketball yesterday and tore up my foot so depends how much walking I feel up to tomorrow! We shall see ..
 
Wish I could be there to take on the scallops.
Sad to say but you didn't miss anything, a very disappointing affair. While pies were submitted from far and wide for the competition, what was available was atrocious - I tried 1 x curried and 1 x mornay pie and tasted blind, I wouldn't have known they were scallop pies - 4 little tiny scallops in each. Not much on offer from the food stalls, a number didn't even have scallop dishes. Also paid for a cooking class and a wine master class - both were disappointing

They opened the fiesta apologising in the first sentence that they couldn't get any scallops due to the weather.... so no shucking competition.

We planned the weekend around the fiesta, and had a good time with everything except the fiesta
 
Agricola Giansanti Di Muzio, easy enough to get to from central Parma by jumping on the #11 bus from town (€1.50 each way or 2.50 if bought onboard).
View attachment 225992
View attachment 225993
They've been talking about a resurgence of wine windows in Italy since COVID-19... Is this the milk window?
View attachment 225994
View attachment 225995
View attachment 225996
The salting room
View attachment 225997
View attachment 225998
View attachment 225999
The cheese bank
View attachment 226000
View attachment 226001
I wonder how many people blurt out "Blessed are the cheesemakers"? - and im guessing not terribly amusing to the Italians!
 
Graffito/graffiti ( an Italian word after all) has a long tradition in Italy. There's still quite a bit (faded now) of Fascist graffiti in the hills around l'Aquila and elsewhere with Mussolini National Fascist Party slogans.

IMG_7545.JPG
"The black is and will be invincible"

IMG_7551.JPG

"What we must conquer interests us more than what we have already conquered."

IMG_7570.JPG
"We represent a new principle in the world."

And the lovely little village of Castelluccio di Norcia above Piano Grande is interesting

"Wall poems at Castelluccio di Norcia. www.castellucciodinorcia.eu
Perhaps this is why a bizarre custom has developed here: for more than 50 years, love confessions and blasphemies have been secretly painted with lime on the walls of the houses, a sort of traditional graffiti and street poetry.

In the course of the decades, hardly a house wall remained unaffected. However, Castelluccio in the last 10 years has become a bit more prosperous, houses were restored and unfortunately some of the traditional "love poems" have disappeared."

DSC08525.JPG
 

Become an AFF member!

Join Australian Frequent Flyer (AFF) for free and unlock insider tips, exclusive deals, and global meetups with 65,000+ frequent flyers.

AFF members can also access our Frequent Flyer Training courses, and upgrade to Fast-track your way to expert traveller status and unlock even more exclusive discounts!

AFF forum abbreviations

Wondering about Y, J or any of the other abbreviations used on our forum?

Check out our guide to common AFF acronyms & abbreviations.
Back
Top