Roosevelt Jazz Band

Hello armchair travelers!  We made the transfer from La Spezia to Modena, Italy earlier today.  We arrived a bit ahead of schedule, and our team of Johan and Daniela arranged for a group visit to a world famous balsamic vinegar maker called Aceto Balsomico Tradizionale Di Modena.  The husband and wife duo who spearhead the small, excellent operation gave us a great presentation of the history of the vinegar and a tasting of four varieties, the first 12 years old and the final 32 years old.  It was hard to believe how complex and incredible these vinegars tasted.  They make very little per year, about 200 liters as I recall, so it is indeed a small and excellent operation.  All of us enjoyed the samples and marveled at the taste sensations, unlike anything we’ve had before.  They mentioned that Michelle Obama received a bottle of the 32-year old vinegar and responded with a very kind letter.

In Modena, we had a chance to get lunch in the town square.  We all noticed a church tower listing slightly, perhaps a half a degree, a victim of one of the recent earthquakes.  Other damage was visible elsewhere.

Between the sound check and the performance, we checked into our youth hostel very near the venue (a five minute walk) and soon took the bus to dinner, an easy affair of Italian pizza.  Everybody was served more than they could eat, and it was delicious.

Near the start of the evening concert, Scott Brown had a special message for the audience that he as grateful that the music which is so dear to his heart might also provide some joy and relief to those in the audience whom he knows have had a difficult and trying time recently.  Daniela joined him onstage to translate into Italian, and the audience expressed their appreciation for his generous words.

The concert itself kicked off a celebratory Friday evening for the locals.  About 200 people were seated at the onset of the performance, and quickly, about 200 more arrived when they heard the band performing in the late twilight.  Many families enjoying a walk in the park or bicycling past stopped to enjoy the free concert on this warm, friendly evening.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 7th, 2012 at 01:03 am and is filed under Trip. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.