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What You’ll Love About Your Week in Parma and Emilia Romagna
While few people outside Italy know the region by name, Emilia Romagna is the region in Italy that is home to three iconic Italian foods: Parmigiano Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico and Prosciutto di Parma. Lynne Rossetto Kasper, author and host of The Splendid Table, says “ask an Italian where to eat only one meal in Italy and, after recommending his mother’s house, it is more than likely you will be sent to Emilia Romagna.
Join us to experience spectacular Parma, Modena and Bologna through guided food, wine and cultural tours with guide Alice Rossi, cooking classes with Chef Michael Lombardi and fabulous meals.
We’ll be staying in one hotel in Parma, within easy walking distance of the wonderful town of Parma, full of charm, great shopping, cultural sites and great restaurants. We’ll venture outside Parma to visit producers of Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale. We’ll learn about the wines of the region, and we’ll eat fabulously in neighborhood trattorias, country inns and classic city restaurants.
If you’ve always wanted to learn more about these three iconic foods, this is the trip for you!
Registered Dietitians can earn continuing education credits.
Questions? Please read our Travel FAQ here, call us at (617) 896-4861, or email us at Travel@OldwaysPT.org
Day-By-Day in Emilia Romagna
Sunday, April 7, 2024Benvenuto! Check into the Grand Hotel de la Ville and get settled, then join us for a welcome session, a wine tasting by Alice Rossi, followed by a welcome dinner of traditional dishes from Emilia Romagna. |
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Monday, April 8, 2024This is a day of Parmigiano Reggiano! We’ll visit a local farm and dairy, learning how Parmigiano Reggiano is produced and aged. We’ll enjoy a countryside lunch at the farm. With free time in the afternoon, we’ll gather for dinner in one of Parma’s best restaurants. |
Tuesday, April 9, 2024Parma and Cooking! Get oriented on our morning walking tour of Parma with Alice, including tastings at food shops throughout Parma, followed by some free time in Parma and an late afternoon cooking class and evening dinner by Chef Michael. |
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Wednesday, April 10, 2024Castles, Prosciutto and wine! We’ll depart for the hills outside Parma to first tour the beautiful Castle of Torrechiara and then visit a Prosciutto house in Langhirano. We’ll have a spectacular lunch in a winery with tastings of wine and prosciutto. You’ll be free in the evening to explore Parma and its restaurants on your own. |
Thursday, April 11, 2024Everyone cooks! We’ll start the day with a hands-on cooking experience, followed by a lunch of our own making. In the evening, we’ll drive outside Parma to a restaurant that’s a castle and a farm for a Gala Dinner. |
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Friday, April 12, 2024: Aceto Balsamico TradizionaleBalsamico and Bologna! We’ll visit a small producer of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale in Modena and have a tasting and the opportunity to buy different balsamic vinegars. We’ll drive further south to Bologna, where Alice will guide us around Bologna, known as “the fat one,” or the “stomach of Europe.” We’ll visit bakers, shops, and markets and stop in at Osteria del Sole, one of the oldest bars in Bologna. We’ll finish with a light lunch in Bologna and return to Parma, where after a full day of eating, you will be free for dinner on your own, room service or an early evening to bed! |
SATURDAY, April 13, 2024Options! We’re creating three new opportunities for you to choose among for our final day. Stay tuned! After our Gala Dinner on Thursday, our final dinner together will be a simple, traditional Emilia Romagna meal! |
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SUNDAY, April 14, 2024Arrivederci! Today you will check out and head home—or, perhaps you will choose to continue your stay in Italy on your own!
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See Your Beautiful Accommodations
We’ll be staying at the wonderful 5-star Grand Hotel de la Ville, located in The Galleria (an urban shopping and residential area designed by architect Renzo Piano) and only a short walk to the historic center of Parma. It’s a very comfortable, modern hotel, housed in a former pasta factory, with a great lobby, bar and restaurant.
Meet the Chefs & Guide You’ll Be Traveling With
Chef Michael Lombardi
Our tour is led with Chef Michael Lombardi of SRV Restaurant in Boston.
Chef Michael Lombardi, a native of Connecticut, first moved to Boston to attend Boston University. After discovering his passion was in the kitchen, he switched from his intent on the corporate life and attended the Culinary Institute of America.
Lombardi discovered his love for Italian cuisine while cooking in the Umbrian city of Orvieto. After six months, he returned to the States and took a position at the Michelin-starred Mario Batali restaurant, Del Posto, in New York City. He spent two years at Del Posto before heading back to Europe where he worked alongside chef Kevin O’Donnell in opening L’Office in Paris.
Upon his return to the States, Lombardi landed at Gwynnett St. in Brooklyn before coming to Boston in early 2013 to reunite with his former colleague and now Executive Chef, Kevin O’Donnell, as the Chef de Cuisine of The Salty Pig in the Back Bay.
When owners Michael Moxley and Jim Cochener set their sights on expanding their empire with SRV, Lombardi jumped at the chance. The pair signed on as Co-Executive Chef and Partner at the South End restaurant, which opened in early 2016.
Guide Alice Rossi
Our favorite beloved guide in Italy, Alice Rossi, is a native of Parma, Italy, where we met her. Although she loves her home city and region, she is incredibly knowledgeable about all Italian food and wine, and she is a pleasure to be with, no matter the city and region! Alice writes this about herself:
My passion is food, and my dream is to share my passion!
I love getting its magic across, whether to experts or to other interested people. I did a degree in Food & Wine Science so that I could turn my passion into a job. After university, I worked for a year (2012-2013) at Barilla Academy, where I was in charge of Gourmet Touring and Taste Education. I organized and publicized tours about Food & Wine and special tastes. My various jobs made me realize how much I love working in close contact with people, so I decided to become a tourist guide and tour leader. This gives me the chance to show off our Food & Wine specialties to Italian and foreign tourists, and to share my emotion and passion!
Flights
There are several options for flights. The closest airport to Parma is Bologna (BLQ), one hour away by car, bus or train. Another option – two hours away but with direct flight connections from the US – is Milan Malpensa (MXP). A third option is Milan Linate (LIN), 90 minutes away with usually no direct flights from the US.
We will provide you with airport transfer information, and if you are interested, we can group participants arriving at the same airport at the same time.
Pricing & Tour Registration
Please download and complete the registration form below, which includes instructions for how to submit the form and deposit to Oldways.
Price per person from $4,950 per person
If this trip must be cancelled due to Covid-19, refunds will be issued.
Prices are based on rates of exchange, taxes, and other costs as of the tour publication date. We reserve the right to correct errors and changes, and to increase program prices to cover increased costs, tariffs, and taxes received after prices are published and to reflect currency fluctuations.