All to soon, it was time to continue on our Italian journey. Look at these two seasoned train travelers. They’re keeping an eye on the platform departure board as I wandered off.
We were waiting for this.
Bologna. Why go to Bologna?
~it is the 7th most populous city in Italy
~also nick-named the ‘Fat City’ – rich cuisine, the ‘Red City’ – red tiled rooftops and the ‘Learned City’ – oldest university.
~speaking of which…..the University of Bologna has the longest continuous university operation in the world, established in 1088. That is not a typo.
Famous for its towers, churches and lengthy porticoes, Bologna has a well-preserved historical centre. The first two photos are part of the main historical centre square.
A main reason for visiting……………not many Americans have it on their traveling plans. It reigns as the gastronomic capital of Italy – definitely a great spot for 3 foodies. They have gifted the world with Parmigiana Reggiano, tortellini, mortadella, Parma ham and balsamic vinegar to new a few things.
These two towers are symbols of Bologna with construction begun 1109-1119. It is assumed their construction was a competition between two families to prove who was more powerful. Basically, they are so old, very little was known about them. One of the towers is learning so much, it was permanently closed off in 2023 and a metal barrier is being constructed if it does collapse.
We grabbed a quick bite before our apartment was ready. Its location was ideal being one block away from the church in the first photo.
After dropping off the luggage we started walking.
Porticoes – a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns at regular intervals, typically attached as a porch to a building.
This city is known for them, and we came across them quickly. I fell in love with them. 🙂
We all chuckled when we walked past this.
Naturally I needed to include a photo of a flower stall we walked by.
Too early for dinner we stopped for some refreshment along the historical centre square.
There were a variety of liquids imbibed. The middle drink was Eric’s choice, a Campari Spritz – a combination of prosecco, bitter liqueur and soda water. Yeah, ugh. I tried it – no thank you. The other two photos below are sparking local wines.
We needed a little something to hold us over until dinner and we ordered this. O.M.G. Those squares are fried gnocchi and the ham……cutatello, a rare small salumi made from the choicest section of the pigs thigh muscle.
As I was typing this post, I looked up cutatello ham. We should have brought some home and tried to get it through customs. Since 2017 it has been sold in America at Italian specialty stores and even a shop on Amazon. Check it out. Be prepared for stick shock!
We eventually wandered off for dinner at Sala Interna. Nothing special, but it was open, had seating and comfort food. Yes, we started with wine – white for me, red for the other two.
Two starters were ordered, bruschetta and lard bruschetta, they arrived waaaaaaay bigger than we expected. Did we need both of them? Not really. Did I try the one with Lard? Yes, Double Yuck. 😦
I had the traditional tortellini in broth – simple, but delicious. It was perfect that evening. When the sun started to set, it got chilly quickly. This was hot and filling.
Eric had this entre – ham-topped meatballs, fries and an unusual salad. Ummm.
Tortellini with Bolognese sauce was Adrienne’s choice. Yes, that recipe originated here. It is a slowly cooked meat-based sauce, with characteristic sofrito (onion, celery & carrots), white wine, milk and a small amount of tomato paste or sauce. Mighty tasty.
It was a full day, a day of travel and a day of wandering. Tomorrow is our Bologna food tour – always a great way to start our time in a city.
Darden Travels 