From Brescia to Sirmione!

I stayed in Brescia for the last leg of my Italian adventure. However, I didn't see that much of it...mostly the countryside around and a couple of beautiful towns around Lake Garda, Salo and Sirmione.
I ate food cooked by my friend's grandmother, mother and father! Everything was exquisite. Alessio's Dad owns a local food business and was keen to show me EVERYTHING...I did leave with the sensation I was about to vomit at any moment from being overfed...but it was worth it.
He showed me a great locally produced drink, a type of lemonade made from HUGE melon-like-lemons called "Limoni". They are also used to produce the classic Limoncello liqueur.

Apparently, the air around Lake Garda is some of the best air you can breathe, according to Alessio.

Bologna is breathtaking...

Bologna, oh Bologna!
The city centre is definitely a student hub. It has a very similar vibe to Stokes Croft in Bristol. Graffiti, protests, occupations and plenty of indignant young people.
It is appropriately nicknamed "La Cittá Rossa", the Red City because the majority of the buildings are made of brick and the red hue is present on every street. One of my favourite, and most convenient, things about Bologna is that almost every street has undercover promenades to walk through. Pretty and fantastic when it's raining! Genius!

As for the food...WELL. Simply amazing. I tried the classic Ragú bolognese which was heaven.
I got to eat at my friends house a couple of times. Her mum prepared a great dish of puréed pumpkin infused with some herbs, and topped with crushed hazelnuts and pine nuts then baked in the oven.

I was extremely happy to finally visit Luca's parent's wine factory! Near Imola, half an hour from Bologna by train.
We went there at night as he was leaving for Bristol the next day and extremely busy. I wish I had taken photos but my camera was broken. We sampled some different wines...however the best was one that was just ready to drink. A red fruity but full-bodied wine that was sweet. It was soooo delicious and drinkable. Usually I am not a fan of sweet wine, however it was the best of both as it tasted like a good red but with a gentle sweetness that wasn't too overpowering. I have never had anything like it.
Fortunately/unfortunately, he gave me FIVE LITRES of it. I tried to drink as much as possible in the remaining 24 hours with all the lovely people in Imola, but it just wasn't possible.
Afterwards we visited a Bruscetteria. The highlight was a Bruscetta with a soft creamy cheese and truffle oil.
At around 03:00 we went to the "House of Pain" as they called it, AKA a night bakery. I now have a new favourite smell in the world. Holy mother it was incredible. The pizza was fresh, light and fluffy. However, what really got me was the smell. Aaaaaah. Heaven.

Milan - Monumentale Cemetery

So, after a fantastic couple of days in Bergamo, I headed to Milan.

The food wasn't as impressive, and my final conclusion is that I could never live there as I would spend all my money on clothes.
A popular food custom in Milan is "Aperativo" which is basically an early evening buffet. People seem to go after work and the average price seems to be around 8-10€. I also went to an Italian Street Food festival, which was interesting as all the stalls had different food from the various regions, however I was disappointed to find the American Hot Dog and Burger food stalls too.

The highlight was this...
Martina & Mauro, took me to Monumentale Cemetery. An eerily wonderful place and the biggest cemetery in Italy. Every grave seems to be a stand alone piece of art, it's impressive to say the least. Photos cannot do it justice. There are thousands of graves with statues in place of a tombstone. The sheer quantity and size of some are only to believed when seen in the flesh.
An occurring theme was weeping women, fascinatingly morbid in my opinion yet beautiful. I wondered who would choose such a tombstone.
I wish I had had more time to wander around.

Bergamo é Bello

24/10/15
Everything they have said about Italy is true. It IS only my first day...so let's see.

Bergamo is filled with autumn copper leaves. Unknown floral scents erupt from bushes.
The elevated old-city lies on a bed of green forested mounts. The cobbled streets exude decadence, history and a humble sophistication.
Visual feasts of delicately prepared foods in every restaurant/café/delicatessen/grocery store...anywhere that has anything to do with food will provide a feast for your eyes before you even enter! Every window is elegantly displayed down to the last detail, non-food related sites included. Art is everywhere.

An interesting honey caught my attention. Bio-Organic honey infused with propolis, eucalyptus and thyme. Used for sore throats and coughs etc. Propolis is derived from bees as well, and is an ancient remedy with antibacterial and anti fungal properties.
I also tried a version that was infused with pine...also very tasty!
Eucalyptus and pine are not usually flavours that we would use in food in the UK, we would associate them more with aromatic uses to make our houses smell good. However, they both work extremely well with honey.
The effect of merely dipping the end of the spoon into the honey to try was incredible. Sweet, fresh, warming, soothing. It is an amazing combination and I could feel it coating my throat for quite a while afterwards. In my opinion this honey should be in everybody's house...it could also be a fantastic essential for singers.