Travel with Julie

Italy's Mozzarella di Bufala Cheese

I guess I thought everyone knew that mozzarella di bufala was mozzarella made from buffalo's milk.  Then, as we were driving to visit a mozzarella farm in the south of Italy last month, hubs turned to me and said, "I just made the connection that mozzarella di bufala is mozzarella from buffalos!"  Mamma Mia!

One of the most prized cheeses in Italy is the mozzarella di bufala.  Other forms of mozzarella can be found by different names, but they are made from cow's milk.  It is the mozzarella di bufala that reigns supreme on an Italian's dinner table!  So much so, that the production of mozzarella di bufala is strictly limited to only seven provinces in Southern Italy.  Rigorous guidelines must be followed along with traditional methods in order to display the label "Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP." You know you are getting the 'real deal' when you purchase cheese stamped with this label.

By visiting a mozzarella farm, you can watch the process of making mozzarella and sample the freshly made cheese. The process is fun to watch:

Mozzarella di bufala is meant to be eaten, not stored.  Always keep it at room temperature in the liquid it is stored in when you purchase it.  Fresh mozzarella should be mild, delicate and creamy.  If there is a hint of sourness or saltiness, it is past its prime.

To visit a mozzarella farm, consider Tenuta Vannulo in Capaccio Scalo (reservations only).  Plan to arrive early -- cheese is made first thing in the morning and sold out by noon.

Free Wi-Fi In Rome

Things have really changed in Rome!  In as little as five years ago, I was lucky to find a hotel that offered a computer for guest use.  I was even luckier if that computer's network ran faster than a snail's pace.  Around two years ago, I found a few hotels that offered Wi-Fi, albeit at a premium price.  It was easier to get connected at local internet cafes or hot spots found through Wi-Fi Hot Spot List .  Today, free Wi-Fi in Rome is abundant.

Every hotel I visited and every B&B I checked into on a recent trip offered free Wi-Fi. Not only in Rome, but throughout Italy as well.  It was fast, and it was reliable.  

In Rome, I found numerous restaurants and cafes displaying the sign photographed above.  Now, you can slurp strings of spaghetti and surf the internet all at the same time!

Gee, if only U.S. hotels, cafes and restaurants would catch on. . .!

The Unconventional Side Of Italy--#5

Let's just get to it with this one, OK? What is it?

This is the town of Matera, a town of cave homes. It looks like something from biblical days, right? Well, so much so that many films of biblical stories have been filmed here, such as Mel Gibson's The Passion Of Christ.

I find this town to be so unconventionally Italian, you can expect more posts and pictures to come. Stay tuned!

The Unconventional Side Of Italy--#4

If I showed you this photo and gave you three chances to guess what town it is, you might say it's one of the white villages of Spain such as Ronda, Arcos de la Frontera or Casares. Lucky for you, my post title gives you a clue that it is not a Spanish town, but in fact, an Italian town!

What is this town? Ostuni, located in Puglia. Ostuni is nothing short of unconventional Italian beauty! Que bella citta!

The Unconventional Side Of Italy--#3

It's not a villa. It's not a Tuscan farm house. Nor is it a tenuta, castello, or palazzo.

What is it? It is a trullo. A trullo is a small dwelling built from local limestone. It has dry stone walls and a conical roof. Trulli (plural for trullo) are found in and around the town of Alberobello in Puglia.

"Trulli" a unique and unconventional find in Italy.