A quick
visit to Bologna, even on a rainy
weekday, is a chance to enjoy this
compact university city with its miles
of covered sidewalk porticoes that give
shelter from stormy weather.
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| Bologna is a 3 hour train ride from home base |
An umbrella is needed only when crossing
intersections and the wide expanse of Piazza Maggiore where San Petronio Basilica and Sala Borsa act as bookends.
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| Sala Borsa |
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| Duomo of San Petronio, Bologna |
For the past
10 months many central streets have been blocked to traffic for a
major renovation paid for by European Union money.
The taxi drivers
and shop owners are furious and tourism in general is suffering yet a plethora of
tours and cooking classes are offered at the Tourism Office which is making
the most of the Expo 2015’s dedication
to Italian food.
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| shopping with friends |
There are
plenty of areas of the city that are not touched by the renovations but do keep this in mind before booking a hotel in the affected areas. We chose the Porta San Mamolo hotel in a quiet cul de sac and enjoyed the silence
and restaurants of this non-touristy area a short walk from Piazza Maggiore.
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| garden well at Porta San Mamolo hotel |
Window shopping and wandering are a joy in Bologna. The window displays of luxury boutiques compete with those of the food shops and market stalls. This
people-friendly town has welcoming public spaces such as Sala Borsa, for wi-fi
and a drink as well as cozy bars and restaurants for a meal or an aperitivo.
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| tris di pasta |
Bologna “la
Grassa” is rightly known for its high quality food shops bursting with
excellent produce. A walk through one of the
central markets or one of the norcinerie is a sensorial delight for whiffs of cured
meats, cheeses and tartufo fill the air.
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| a feast for the eyes, as well as the stomach |
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| fresh fish, even late in the evening |
Other
sensorial delights for the eyes are the courtyards and colors of Bologna’s palazzi in the core of the old city.
Wrought iron
gates, marble columns, fountains and palatial courtyards exist next to quirky statues
and graffiti.
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| lion doorknocker |
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| Dopey window |
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| graffitto honoring Bolognese singer Lucio Dalla |
If the wind and rain become too strong, make a beeline for the stately rooms of the Civic Museum on the upper floors of Palazzo Accorsio-Bologna’s City Hall- for
another sensorial experience and refuge from the weather.
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| Sala Urbana with frescoed coat-of-arms |
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| one of the many galleries |
With 21 rooms full of art works, antique furniture, a newly restored heraldic hall and kind volunteer guides, Palazzo Accorsio is only one of the city’s many excellent museums and exhibition spaces.
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| main staircase, Palazzo Accorsio |
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| red room, Palazzo Accorsio |
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| Sala di Ercole, next to the Farnese chapel,Palazzo Accorsio |
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| looking down on the central courtyard and well |
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| Palazzo Accorsio courtyard |
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| entrance to Archiginnasio |
Learn what Bologna was like in the 1700s
"Travels to Tuscany and Northern Lazio" only 30 copies remain of this book published in 2004 .
Click on the link to my website and read reviews.
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