Easyjet to Milan left on time and we arrived early. This was no advantage as we had onward train tickets to Bologna and had allowed three extra hours in case of delays. Found a café in the cavernous Milano Centrale station, had snacks and used the wifi. The FrecciaRossa high speed train to Bologna was comfortable and quick and we even got a free drink and snack with our ‘two for the price of one’ Saturday fare.
We stayed in a central Airbnb apartment. I loved walking around the city under the covered walkways, while Mr Frequent Flyer was busy with work commitments. The Due Torri (two towers) were just nearby and I enjoyed several of the €2 pizza slices just underneath. Walked along the Strada Maggiore and saw lots of old palaces, with descriptive signs in English and Italian. Had a chuckle when one of them described the ‘loos’. Well, we do call them this but it wasn’t exactly in keeping with the formal language of the signs. One amazing place, Casa Isolani from the 13th century was seemingly suspended up on wooden pylons.
The one remaining canal surprised us and it was just behind our apartment.
I saw the Torre Prendiparte on my walks. It’s a privately owned tower and can be booked for overnight accommodation. The view would be spectacular but the twelve stories could be annoying if you forgot something!
Enjoy the Santa Stefano church(es) and the Piazza Maggiore where a Mortadella conference was happening, complete with free tasting. Beautiful buildings all around – elegant Palazzi, porticos and stylish shops, though on the other side of the coin, a large number of homeless people around the city. I saw a big demonstration one day with signs saying “Lavori per Tutti” (Work for All) so not everything in Bologna was rosy, especially for the locals
The unfinished church in Piazza Maggiore is the 5th biggest church in the world. The nearby Teatro Anatomica (anatomy theatre) from the 1500s is part of the University and is housed in an elegant building. There was a big marble slab and ‘skinless’ statues, showing muscles above the lecturer’s seat.
Other classrooms were open and it was hard to reconcile the ancient rooms fitted with high tech projectors and flat screen TVs. The Jewish Ghetto was a small but now charming area where the Jews were locked in at night in the 1500s.
One sunny day, I walked up to San Luca. I caught the number 20 bus to Meloncello then had a 2km walk up in the world’s longest porticos to the top. The porticos go all the way to central Bologna but I decided 4km was enough of a workout. I had some great views along the way, some nice houses too, and in the church, had a look at the Madonna and Child icon that prompted the building of the covered ways.
We enjoyed dinner at Pane e Panelle very much, though it was Sicilian food, not Bolognese. Had a cheery and fairly cheap meal at Il Portico and various panini, lasagna and snacks around town for lunches. One night I bought a big serve of lasagna in a deli place in Via Augusto Righi to heat up for dinner. I’m sorry I don’t know the name, but I wish I did, to recommend it. I walked out of the shop and the lasagna slid out of the bag and onto the footpath. I felt really silly but went back to buy another and the woman would not let me pay. So kind! She put it in a bag and tied it up with a flourish, miming to me to hold it tight. Grazie Mille to her. It was really delicious too.
New Places, Old Cases 