Lonely Planet

80 Lonely Planet Traveller October 2017ESSENTIALSGETTING THERE &AROUNDBritish Airways and easyJetfly direct from London toBologna, as does Ryanair,which also operates flightsfrom Bristol, Edinburghand Manchester (from£50; ryanair.com). Thetowns are well-connectedby public transport anddistances are short, but toget out to the farms andagriturismos renting acar is advisable (from £15a day; rentalcars.com).Emilia-Romagna is also apopular region for cycling(bike hire from £17;rentalbikeitaly.com).``````WHO CAN HELPEmilia-based tour operatorFood Valley Travel arrangesday trips and longeritineraries, visitingproducers of Parma ham,Parmesan, culatello andtraditional balsamicvinegar (half-day self-driveGourmet Tour from £125;foodvalleytravel.com).Food in Tour has a rangeof options in Romagnaand across the entireregion (from £260 for athree-day trip, includingaccommodation and wine,olive oil and cheesetastings; foodintour.com).Combining a culinaryholiday with cycling, CycleEurope offers a seven-day,self-guided itineraryaround Bologna, Parma,Modena and ReggioEmilia, with visits to foodartisans, stays in three-to four-star hotels, andluggage transfers betweenaccommodation (from£1,390; cycleeurope.com).Emilia-RomagnaMAP KEYAntica Corte PallavicinaBologna``````BrisighellaModenaParma``````Reggio EmiliaRiminiS a n t 'A g a t a F e l t r i aMAKE IT HAPPENFURTHER READINGFor more information, seeemiliaromagnaturismo.com. Lonely Planet’s Italyguide (£17.99) is a usefulresource for trip planning,or download theindividual chapter onEmilia-Romagna (£2.99)from lonelyplanet.com.The Central Italy chapter(£2.99) of Lonely Planet’sItaly’s Best Trips (£15.99)has in-depth suggestionsin its seven-day FoodieEmilia-Romagna tour.``````PHOTOGRAPHS: LAURA EDWARDS, EDOARDO FORNACIARI``````BEHIND THESCENESWhile researching forthe magazine, I’m oftencalled to act as an impromptu handmodel for photographers. This was thefourth time I’ve been asked to hold anice cream. It’s a special formof torture having some of the world’sbest food in front of you, but havingto wait until the photographer gets itjust so. This gelato is from GelateriaBloom in Modena. Owner GianlucaDegani has the kind of obsessivecreativity you’d expect from aMichelin-starred chef, with offeringssuch as a granita inspired by tzatzikimade with mint and cucumber. Weopted for this raspberry gelato, madewith fruit sourced from the farmer, asits colour was particularly photogenic.Gabrielle Jaffe