Between settling into a new home and a particularly busy time at work, the past week felt grueling. This Easter weekend has been a welcome chance to catch a breath and continue exploring Bologna, Italy, where Joe and I are ‘living’ through April.

We spent this Easter Sunday hiking up to the Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca. The Bologna streets are lined with porticos, the longest of which crawls two miles uphill to the church. That way, the Bolognese could walk to church each Sunday undisturbed by rain or strong sun. Although I’d worry more about the hike itself, than the weather.

We’re recovering from the climb up — and down — by making fresh cavatelli pasta and vodka sauce at home tonight. A slow end to a restorative weekend.

We finally learned how to make fresh pasta two weeks ago, in Rome, when attending Cook With Us in Rome. Cooking classes have become my favorite way to explore a new city. The teacher is often born and raised from the area. The food is always representative of the local culture. We learn local history and gather restaurant recommendations.

On the menu for our class with Cook With Us in Rome:

• Roman artichokes
• Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies
• Fresh cavatelli with broccoli and goat cheese
• Fresh fettuccine with tomato sauce
• Tiramisu

Here are some of my favorite moments from the cooking class.

This singlehandedly set off my Italian artichoke craze. I’m averaging around one a day. No shame.

We ended the day with a long lunch around the table with the fellow class attendees. It was a perfect introduction to Rome, where we just spent a long weekend. And it’s a memory we’re excited to revisit again tonight, with dinner.