A Weekend in the Bologna Hills, Between Shows and the Flavours of Good Food - Part II

After an excursion of several kilometres, a delicious zero-mile dinner awaits us at the Fienile Fluò farm stay. Every speciality is prepared with local ingredients, many of which — including the vegetables, fruit, flour and wine — are produced directly by the farm stay. Everything else comes from local farms, whose products favour organic goods. The kitchen, which follows the seasonality of the ingredients, is based on the area's typical dishes, also offering specialities reimagined with attention to the needs of vegetarians, vegans and, on request, coeliacs.

We begin with an essential starter when in the Bologna area: crescentine flatbread with boards of selected local cold cuts and cheeses. We also taste a very good artichoke quiche with melted cheese, and a light salad of spring herbs with quail eggs and crisped pancetta. We also very much like the ricotta flan with a cream of seasonal vegetables. Next we enjoy the tagliatelle with ragù and the typical tortelli with broad beans and pecorino. The lasagnette with asparagus and saffron are a great success too, as are the chickpea gnocchetti with basil and the melted cheese with vegetables, not to mention the soups.

We also happily taste the lasagne with artichokes, smoked provola and Prague ham, while if we come back here in September — worth doing also for the international dance festival "Running up that hill", which will be held at Casa Fluò — we will be able to enjoy a particular house speciality, linguine with grape-leaf pesto.

We wash down these treats with the wine La Rovere Colli di Paderno (Pinot Bianco DOC, Cabernet Sauvignon DOC, Moscato and Müller Thurgau), from the farm stay's own vineyards.

Among the dishes we opt for the golden lamb with roast potatoes, served with a spring mixed salad, and we cannot resist the veal shoulder in red wine with artichokes "alla romana" either. Some of us choose the pork fillet with wild fennel, while others prefer the sliced beef. We accompany these meat specialities with generous side dishes of fresh vegetables, and even our vegetarian friends are satisfied thanks to the second courses dedicated to them.

Such a tasty dinner can only end in great sweetness, thanks to the appetising homemade desserts, including the tenerina chocolate cake, an unmissable classic cake of this area. We also give in to the temptation of the bianco mangiare with raspberries, as well as the cakes and tarts made with the farm stay's jams and the zabaione semifreddo.

Fienile Fluò today is, metaphorically, that rock which draws in and absorbs the light of the arts and then reflects it, and that is why the calendar of cultural events devised and produced by the venue is extremely rich all year round and capable of winning over audiences of every kind. Even the little ones are no exception: in fact, practically every Sunday of the year is dedicated to children, who can have fun with the creative workshops of Fienile Bimbi. The events for adults are also numerous and very original, from long-running shows to festivals and concerts. Besides "La pietra meravigliosa", the event to discover the secrets of the phosphorescent stone, there will also be one dedicated to trees, entitled "Tra gli alberi". The Cinecena evenings are much appreciated, during which you can enjoy an art-house film while tasting a hearty single dish and sipping a glass of wine.

"Voyage erotique" is also very intriguing, the event dedicated to erotic literature, staged with a particular, informal set-up among a tent, cushions and scents, paired with a dedicated menu.

When our long weekend draws to an end, we already know we will soon be back: there is still so much for us to discover in beautiful Bologna and along the hiking trails of its hill. Next time we will perhaps join one of the guided walks organised by Casa Fluò and find time to take part in one of the various courses, including yoga and qi-gong, and we will not give up pampering ourselves with massages and gentle gymnastics sessions either. It will certainly be another experience that shines with an enchanting light.