Dream of Italy - Season 2

Bologna is one of Italy's lesser-known big cities but is one of its more charming. Known for its cuisine (this is where Italians go to eat) and as home to the oldest university in the western world. It's also the center of Italy's "motor valley" and host Kathy McCabe gets a test drive in a Lamborghini. Not only does she learn how to make Bologna's famous tortellini but she attends Gelato University, yes it is real. Kathy and her friend Alessandro head for the Bologna Hills, La Dolce Vita-style in a convertible and meet the nonna (grandmother) who makes some of the best ragu in the world.

Florence is known for its Renaissance art and architecture. But the city isn't stuck in the past, it is always evolving. Host Kathy McCabe gets to see the restoration of the Duomo from a unique perspective-a crane. She visits the only Last Supper painted by a woman-a Renaissance nun nonetheless-and she shows how it is being brought to life. Florence is also home to modern street artist Clet Abraham and Kathy joins him for an artistic caper of sorts. There are fresco-making and cooking lessons and a unique, historic boat trip on the Arno River.

Just two hours from Rome, but a world away, the region of Abruzzo is filled with mountains, national parks and beautiful beaches. Host Kathy McCabe takes viewers from coast to countryside. She catches her lunch in nets on an historic fishing hut before listening to traditional music with a modern twist. In Sulmona, Kathy sees how the famous confetti (candy-covered almonds) are made and heads to a farm for some unusual donkey therapy.

Deep in the south of Italy, the region of Basilicata is timeless and otherworldly. It is home to one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, Matera, a city of caves. Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola introduces host Kathy McCabe to his ancestral hometown of Bernalda and talks about how he rediscovered his Italian roots and opened a hotel here. Kathy digs for clams on the coast, learns to make mozzarella with a very special treat inside and learns about the difficult past of this beautiful land.