For years, my husband, Sigurd, has spoken with stars illuminating his baby blues of visiting the one and only Lamborghini factory located in northern Italy.  Usually this would be after a few glasses of wine during our precious alone conversations after our son had gone to sleep.

But this wasn’t just a guy who wanted to see some cars.  Sigurd is a man who loves cars.  I don’t mean enjoys them.  He LOVES them.  He will purchase a car that he has admired and studied for years and by then, he knows that car inside and out.  When he was a little boy, he would dissect his toys to figure out how they worked.  He did the same as a “grown up” when he purchased his first exotic car, the Lotus Espirit.  

And Sigurd takes such gentle care of his vehicles.  When he sells one he has owned for ten years, I swear it is as if it was just driven off the dealership lot.  

When Sigurd and I had been married a few years, he purchased his first Lamborghini.  It was shiny and yellow with silky black leather, precisely the colors a Lamborghini should be.  And we had SO much fun in it.  He and I spent a lot of quality time putzing around in it, and we even joined his brother and his motorcycle tour on part of their journey along Route 66.  

My stepdaughter, Nikki, and Sigurd also had a tremendous amount of quality time in the car, and he was a junior high celeb when picking her up from school in it.

But when we had our son, Espen, both Sigurd and I were working a lot and the poor Lambo was reduced to a garage ornament.  He couldn’t really go anywhere with a five-month-old in the front seat without me, and when Nikki was with us, we needed a four-seater.  So Sigurd sold the beauty, knowing it wouldn’t be his last.

So when I began planning our Italian trip, I knew the Lamborghini Factory had to be included in our plans.  Naturally, I began researching like a lunatic where to stay, eat, and how to get there.  Below you will find how we enjoyed the factory and area around it.

How to Get There:

The Lamborghini Factory is located in Sant’Agata Bolognese.  The main train station in Bologna, Bologna Central, is the largest, most accessible train station near both the Lamborghini and Ferrari factories.  We took a short 35 minute ride on the high-speed train from Firenze (Florence) to arrive.  After we arrived at the station, we went up two floors, exited the station, and arrived at our rental car company with just about a four minute walk away.  Be aware when booking your rental car that many companies will advertise as “near the train station” but are actually located at the airport, a few miles away.   My recommendation for ease of travel is to book one that lists the location as a few hundred feet away, not a few miles.

Where to stay, and how we chose La Vedetta:

My research indicated that although it boasts amazing, typical Bologenese food, downtown Bologna wasn’t really the type of place I wanted to stay when visiting the area.  We had already been to so many big, exciting cities, and I wanted to take advantage of the Italian countryside during this portion of our stay.

I also decided this was not a time I wanted to stay in a hotel.  There were castles, private homes, and bed and breakfasts at our disposal galore.   But when I read the reviews about La Vedetta, I knew where our home in the countryside was destined to be.

The hosts are married couple Annalisa and Claudio and their family. Annalisa was so accommodating from the moment I contacted her with questions of the villa.  As we made our way there from the train station, I contacted her for recommendations on where to have lunch.  She suggested we stop at a local restaurant located about 2 kilometers from their home.  It was ideal! The food and wine were excellent and they had an outdoor playground for Espen to burn some steam!  It was here, however, that we realized countryside also means less English.  So a snafu in ordering Espen’s food resulted in risotto instead of pasta.  But they didn’t charge us for it, and I enjoyed tasting something I don’t usually order.  I had a pasta trio which enabled me to pick from three different pastas, and Sigurd had a pasta and a pizza.  We had no idea the pizza would be so ginormous, but we had plenty to take back to the villa with us.

 

And then we began heading to our home for the next few days.  From the moment you begin navigating the smaller, more winding roads of the Italian countryside, you know you are in a different kind of environment.  And when we first turned into the long, tree-lined driveway of the villa, I knew the reviews, however complimentary they were, hadn’t done justice to what this place had in store for us.

We approached the gate and I walked up to let them know we were there.  As the gates began to slowly open, it’s as if my entire self slowed down a bit.  We were no longer in the bustling cities of Italy.  We were where each breath takes life down a notch, and you become convinced that “slowing down” should be a permanent state of mind.

Annalisa and Claudio moved into their house in 2006.  They began renovating it with intentions of their own private use.  But when the factory where Claudio worked closed down, they felt a calling to begin blessing others by running the bed and breakfast that it is now.  She told us she felt it was Divine intention, and I agree.  Both Claudio and Annalisa are such kind, patient, accommodating people, and their daughters are absolutely adorable and delightful.

La Vendetta is a family affair, on every level.  When we first arrived, we were greeted by five of the most relaxed and friendly Golden Retrievers I had ever met.  They were father, mother, and three daughters.  I so enjoyed their company, but of course, I missed Ophelia even more!

Claudio’s niece, Alessandra, showed us to our private residence, a free-standing building with a full bedroom and bathroom upstairs and bedroom and bathroom downstairs.  There was also a small fridge, small kitchen table, and small seating area.  Not much time is expected to be spent inside when surrounded by such natural beauty, but it was nice to have the opportunity for some anyway.  She also explained the breakfast accommodations and offered to make dinner reservations for us and drive us both there and back so we could enjoy some wine.  Because we had eaten such a large, late lunch, however, we decided we would have our leftovers and relax by the pool instead of heading out for dinner.  It was the perfect choice.

That evening Alessandra prepared us a special welcome platter with the family’s homemade balsamic vinegar on things I would have never thought to pair it with.  Balsamic on strawberries?  Yes!  She apologized that it wasn’t as involved as she normally does because she was accidentally locked out of the kitchen.  But it was perfect for us!

Also, Sigurd and I had no idea we loved Lambrusco!  We aren’t “sweet” alcohol drinkers, but the type of Lambrusco in this region is instead light, refreshing, and fruity without being overly sweet.

We sipped our Lambrusco, savored the delicious Balsamic Vinegar, and enjoyed the peaceful view of the swimming pool and the incredible rolling hills of the Italian countryside while Espen ran around, enjoying the fresh country air.

 

 

Every morning, Annalisa makes a gorgeous and filling breakfast in the communal kitchen that is at your disposal during your entire stay.  Of course, this was Sigurd’s favorite part of the day.  In the majority of Italy, breakfast doesn’t really consist of high-protein items.  But Annalisa would make you a specialty coffee of your choice and eggs, cooked to order.  In addition, we were treated to gorgeous, fresh-baked breads, fruits from their garden including the best nectarines I’ve ever had in my life, and sweet pastries and jams.  She also presented beautiful Italian cheeses and meats.  Her breakfasts combine the best Italy has to offer, along with the protein to which we are accustomed.

A few weeks before we were to arrive, Annalisa had extended a special invitation to us to attend a surprise birthday party they were throwing for some friends the second evening of our stay.  We accepted, not really knowing what to expect, but we were in for a pleasant surprise!

After we showered and dressed for the party, we walked out to the main home and were greeted by friends of the birthday girl, Gloria, with drinks and appetizers.  We were able to witness the breathtaking sunset of this Italian Countryside and gradually realized which of us were guests of the B&B and which were friends of Gloria.  As she was scheduled to arrive, they turned up the volume on their Karaoke machine and began a hilarious and mostly off-key rendition of “Gloria!!” as she began walking down the pebbled driveway with a blindfold.  It was sweet and loving, and it was fun to be part of the sweetly intimate surprise.  Espen was a little intrigued by the anatomically correct blow-up doll with which they greeted the birthday girl, but he asked many less questions than I feared, only commenting matter-of-factly, “That’s not real.”  Phew.

Then came the highlight of Espen’s stay.  Claudio and Annalisa invited him to make his own pizza.  Annalisa helped roll out the dough and then passed the “baton” to Espen.  He then topped it with Annalisa’s handmade tomato sauce (that was OUT OF THIS WORLD) from her own garden, fresh mozzarella, and fresh sausage.  Claudio then masterfully transferred the pizza to the wood-buring oven, and the magic began to happen.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this was the best pizza I had the entire stay in Italy.  Not only was it insanely fresh, but I really think Annalisa’s sauce was the key.  When I asked her what her secret was, I was flabbergasted.  I’m not a simple girl.  But this sauce was simple.  Fresh tomatoes from her garden, pureed and simmered with a little sugar and salt and then sealed.  That’s it!  I guess when you combine ingredients that fresh and organic, you just don’t need much to make it taste masterfully.

Annalisa was so forthcoming that running La Vedetta was an unexpected venture of theirs that they devised frankly to survive and support their family. Yet there is no question in my mind that this is their calling.  They are kind, loving, and hospitable. They would bend over backwards to ensure your stay is more than perfect.  The food they offer matches their demeanors in that it’s pure, straightforward, and perfectly organic.  The accommodations are sparkling clean and the views are unrivaled.  The grounds are green and lush, with brightly colored flowers showering every walkway.  La Vedetta truly is a special place. that invites you to slow down and truly appreciate the Italian countryside the way in which it was intended.

What to do there:

The first afternoon we were there, we took it easy.  We swam in the pool and reveled in being the only few people in such a vast expansion of countryside.  The pool was the cool and refreshing, and we had it to ourselves!  We later met a really sweet Dutch couple from Amsterdam who also took a dip in the pool, but they didn’t seem to mind Espen proposing games of Marco Polo every five seconds.

White Cover Up : H & M. //  Swimsuit :  La Blanca

Parmigiano Reggiano Factory Tour:

The next day, Annalisa organized a tour of Hombre Farms, a farm that specializes in Parmigiano Reggiano.  At home, Espen eats shaved parmesan like it’s chips, and here in Italy he’s consumed his weight in grated parmesan on each of his pasta meals.  So I knew this would be right up his alley.  It was amazing!  Check out the entire post here!

Lamborghini Factory Tour:

And then….the LAMBORGHINI FACTORY!  This was a tour that I planned with Sigurd completely in mind as an act of love, but it resonates with me still, and I know Espen won’t forget it any time soon.  Check out the complete details in my post here.

 

Relaxation and Balsamic Vinegar Introduction:

After the factory tour, we headed back to our sanctuary at La Vedetta.  We spent that afternoon relaxing by the pool a bit more, and enjoying the scenery.  Claudio’s father then offered to give us a tour of their balsamic vinegar factory.  Sigurd also was enamored not just with the vinegar, because that’s one of his loves, but with Claudio’s father, Giannfranco.  He had worked for two decades at Ferrari and then fourteen years at Lamborghini. I think they could have spoken for ages.

The vinegar was delicious, and we bought several bottles! And no doubt the memories we will recall each time we enjoy them will be as fresh as the nectarines Annalisa served at breakfast.

XOXO

Elisha