Real Life in Italy - May 2026

We talk about what we've been up to this past month - concerts, birthdays, cats and more, and including our recent research trip up north, into the Italian Alpine lakes.

Among other things, you’ll hear about…:

- the priceless artwork we acquired on this trip;

- how we spent Zen’s birthday; and 

- the pasta that should have been a dessert.

Food, wine, churches in cliffs, swans and swims in ice-cold lakes... We cover a little of everything as we recount our lives here in Italy!

Want to know more about us and our travel services? Find us at: 

www.LittleRoadsEurope.com

www.facebook.com/LittleRoadsEurope

We craft small-town driving itineraries for travelers to Italy, Ireland and Scotland.

And our "alter-egos" as musicians:

www.OrsiniVirtuosi.it

Transcript

Note: This is not a complete transcript, but rather the show notes we write in advance to prepare for the episode. 

INTRO: 

Welcome to Little Roads Unfiltered: Italy and Beyond

Today we’re talking about our recent research trip up north, into the Italian Alpine lakes

Among other things, you’ll hear about…:

- the priceless artwork we acquired on this trip

- how we spent Zen’s birthday, and 

- the pasta that should have been a dessert

[music up then down to 20%]

This is Matt Walker          …and I’m Zeneba Bowers - 

We’re recording while sitting on the terrace of our tiny home in Italy - so you’ll get a sense of the sounds of life in our little town. We want this to be more like a casual conversion with us, rather than a scripted studio session - complete with church bells, cats meowing, motor scooters and trains and the town’s daily siren, and maybe the occasional clink of our drinks. 

“ … we’ll be talking about our recent research road trip and more, in today’s chat - here on Little Roads Unfiltered: Italy and Beyond.”

[Music up then fade out]

For those of you who don’t know us: We are professional musicians and also travel writers and consultants, living and working here in Italy for the past 6 years. 

If you want to learn more about us and our lives, you can find us on our website LittleRoadsEurope..com, on our socials, and now here on our new podcast, which we’re going to do unedited, as if you’re sitting here chatting with us - 

…and by the way, we hope you like our intro music - Matt arranged it, and we recorded it right here in our house! Since we’re musicians working here in Italy, we thought that would be a fun and sensible addition to our show.

So let’s get to talking about these past few weeks! Including our road trip.

Right before the trip:

Our “country blues” concert on 25 April (Liberation Day), in ex-Comune

Packed house, new charts, including She’s Like the Wind

A couple days later we left for 11- day research trip - looking for restaurants, lodgings, and sightseeing to add to our itinerary service options 

Trip: A LOT of great food - 

Mantova visit - signature dishes: Pasta filled w pumpkin and cookies and jam, riso pilota

Talk about some of the best dishes we had on the trip and some of the worst, The goal is to try new things, not necessarily have everything be perfect, so sometimes if we don't like it that's okay 

Best dishes: Homemade tempeh plate, persico platter on lakeside beach

Guy yelling at kid throwing rocks at swans 

Unexpected dish: “Chicken Caesar salad” at sort of deli-style restaurant (Cremona)

Other best dishes: lunch at 2 different dairy farms, 

We got the same wine afterwards at vineyard nearby

We went to several dairy farms on this trip and had gelato made right on site. (Gelato is a big deal for our clients)

Red cow farm (Antica Corte delle Vacche Rosse) with gelato in particular when it comes to dairy farms

Other two were lunch places, the Alpine ones.

Before that lunch: Santuario in the cliff - Walk down, bus ride back

“Don't push me bitch” lady and that whole bus ride and Matt's trauma. And how we were both in the parking lot and if she had been remotely nice, I would have told her about the hidden secret spot where you can see the site over a cliff. Priest and his stand-up routine 

Then went to cheese lunch and winery

LODGINGS: What we’re looking for in places to stay

Describe that one house and how grim it was, and how it was a night representative of what they did online, and that is why people pay us for the information in advance 

Found lots of good new places to stay, various criteria

DRIVING:

Drove lots of miles on this trip (km)

We were a little surprised about how low our benzine bill was because we expected it to be pretty punishing, but when you only travel short distances each day it helps. That style of travel is more relaxing and also more affordable 

Guy who circled our car while gassing up and checking tires, asked if he could buy it 

Visiting stuff between locations… 

SIGHTSEEING: 

Mention Custoza: Built in 1879, bones are from over 4000 soldiers, battles fought in 1848 and 1866, Italians vs Austrian Empire 

- How powerful it is to enter these spaces. How close you are to the skulls and how clearly brutal the battle must have been 

ASK US ANYTHING: Cat shipping - “I want to know the ins and outs of flying cats to Europe to live. My husband and I are moving to Italy in the next couple of years and we want to know about your experiences with this. How was it for you and the cats?” -  JJ Colorado USA

Taking a swim in the lake and only being able to last 1 minute - then went to lunch at another lakeside place - no driving!

Another unexpected meal: Punjab pizzeria and restaurant, the guy was shocked to see us and they didn't even have the lights on in the dining room. Drank an Indian wine called “Kamasutra”

That night (Z’s b’day), we revisited an old favorite restaurant and lodging - 

Met our friends there - Talk about the painting, and how you can see it on our social media; we meet these friends a couple times a year, and have taken them to some of our favorite restaurants all over the country 

Returning home: We came home, met Tati - we cut a podcast, airing next week. 

Speaking of birthdays: Maria’s birthday, a week after Zen’s - have her 36 mo red cow cheese, nuns jam

Going to this family’s events for 6 years, conversations are all in Italian, still mistakes, but we feel part of this family

Got a good laugh: Recently my birthday so they had a gift for me too - homemade Mirto liquore, in gift bag that we’ve been exchanging for several years now 

OUTRO: 

I think that’s a good place to wrap it up here - we hope you enjoyed joining us for the wrap-up of our research trip!

If you enjoyed what you’ve heard, please give us a like or a good rating on your favorite platform, and tell your friends about us…

We talk about a wide variety of topics here on this podcast, from travel tips to slice-of-life stories - we’ll post a new episode every Tuesday. 

So catch us next time - we’ll see you down the Little Roads… CIAO!