June Recap & What's to Come
Sharing with you what we published on the site in June, what we got up to here in Italy, and the rest of our summer plans
Another month has come and gone. This one means goodbye to Raf’s birthday month and hello to mine.
June passed by in the blink of an eye and was a big mix between fun trips (a week in Modena and exploring more nature near us) and tricky bureaucracy (we bought a car and I paid my taxes for the first time here).
Here are some highlights:
June Recap
Looking for somewhere to visit in Central Italy? Emilia Romagna region has it all: beaches, big cities, charming towns, and some of the best food in Italy. Need I say more?
We visited Bologna last year for Raf’s birthday but this time chose Modena as our base. We stayed for the week at the start of month and were able to see Carpi, Reggio Emilia, and Parma while there.
While I do think the food in Bologna is nearly impossible to beat, Modena offers far more charm. Most blow in and out for just a balsamic vinegar tasting but in my opinion it makes for a fantastic base. It’s a 15-30 minute train ride to most of the cities/towns that are likely on your list.
The true winner for me though was Reggio Emilia. I popped over there for a solo day trip and fell quickly in love. Raf votes on Modena but to be fair, he didn’t Reggio Emilia so who’s to say really what he’d actually choose.
As far as food goes, Raf gives a wholehearted vote for tagliatelle al ragù (what you might in English know best as Bolognese) from Bologna and I can’t get enough of erbazzone (a spinach pastry) found in Modena and Reggio Emilia.
After our trip to Modena, we stayed put the rest of the month in Trieste. We visited a nearby river with friends, swam at the beaches here, and continued to work on our rowing skills (it’s harder than it looks!).
On the logistics side, I went through a long week trying to figure out how the hell to pay my taxes here. I unfortunately owed quite a bit and learned first-hand how hard it is to open an Italian bank account without a job here. If you don’t know, I work online for a US company but Raf works in-person in Italy.
For Raf’s birthday he finally got his Italian driver’s license (another bureaucratic nightmare), we saw Cirque du Soleil in Trieste, and bought a car. A big way to celebrate #38!
On the website side of things, I wrote a few from our trip:
I owe you a few more from but have gotten distracted by life 🙃
What’s to Come
This weekend I’m popping over to Lake Garda to see what the northern side of the lake is really like in the summer. I’ve been to different parts of the lake during different seasons but am excited to see what this area is like in peak season.
We’ll also head back over to Emilia Romagna but this time to the coast. We’re going to see the band Wet Leg (give ‘em a listen!) in a castle in Cesena and then will take the weekend to see more of the coastal region there. Not a bad way to turn 35 if you ask me!
On Substack, Raf and I decided we’ll cover Bologna given the amount of time we’ve spent in the region. Although we only grabbed a bite to eat in the city on our last trip, we’ve been talking about it enough that it feels top of mind.
With that, I’ll leave you to it. See you next Wednesday with our first post of Bologna series.
xx