Day One: Bologna

After a 2 hour flight and a painless arrival in to Bologna Airport, we caught the AeroBus into the city centre (€6 each). On arriving at Stazione Maggiore, we then navigated our way through the complicated underground passages of the station to eventually find ourselves on Via Nicolò Dall’Arca.

Unassuming from the outside but easy to find, the Airbnb (Warehouse 43) was small but stylish and Flávio, the owner, was everything you’d expect in a young, Italian professional in retail with the designer moustache to boot.

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Flávio was amazing in showing us where to go and what to do; he even booked us a table for the evening in his favourite foodie haunt.

Strolling back in to Bologna’s centre along Via dell’Independenza, it wasn’t long before Nic and I stumbled upon a grand building that piqued our interest; the Cathedral of San Pietro. Humble in comparison to the religious buildings we are yet to see, and yet it had all the glamorous, gold-gilded iconography you would expect from a Catholic Church. What was most impressive was the amazing amount of marble used to adorn the walls and floors. It was a welcome pit stop of peace, calm and cool before hitting the busy street again in search of the Piazza Maggiore.

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What first strikes you, is this amazing statue of Neptune, before entering the main Piazza Maggiore. While we were there, Bologna was celebrating all things film so an outdoor cinema was set up in the square for Summer evenings.

Due to limited time in the city, we decided it was only right to head to the Quadrilatero District, known for it’s many food stalls, specialising in Bologna’s ‘piadine’ (flat sandwich) and ‘mortadella’ (meat). At €3-4 we couldn’t resist out first glass of wine, choosing a dry Chardonnay from the local Emilia-Romagna region. If all Chardonnay tasted so good, I think we could we converted!

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If there is one thing you MUST do in Bologna, particularly on a fleeting visit such as ourselves, then buy a ticket (€5) for The Two Towers (Asinelli and Garisenda). Once littering the streets of Bologna, there are now only around 20 such towers, Asinelli being the tallest one remaining. Climbing a mere 498 steps to the top, it couldn’t be more worth it for the incredible, breath-taking views.

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Other places we visited; the Salaborsa Library, just off the main square. This is a multimedia library housed in an amazing building with a major historical nod to the past. Inside, under a glass floor, you can see the remains of the first citadel of Bologna (then called Bononia) from as early as the 1st century AD. You can visit the ruins for a donation and see it up close.

It is also worth walking between the Basilica san Petronia and the Archaeological Museum on Via dell’Archiginnasio to find the Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio; once home to the first seat of the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the Western Hemisphere, founded in 1088. The painted ceilings are enough to blow your mind and the walls and passage ways are covered in plaques with family crests, symbolising the students who once studied there. Take the steps up to the Teatro Anatomico where anatomy lessons were once held. It costs €3 to enter but it really does transport you back in time, and of course, Nic loved it’s historical link to medical and scientific advancements!

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After a quick turn around at the apartment, we took a short walk to Trattoria la Montanara, the restaurant Flávio had booked for us. Set on a quiet side-street, it was small but busy and had a lovely authentic feel. We were seated outside (definitely recommended unless they have air conditioning!) and given a bread basket while we decided what to eat. Once again, we chose a bottle of local Chardonnay to wash down our roasted lasagne and tortellini with ricotta, lemon and butter. Simple fare, yet some of the nicest food we have had!

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We ambled back, through the Park of Montagnola and down the vast steps into Piazza XX Settembre. In the park, there were late night bars with outdoor seating under the canopy of trees and fairy lights. Had we have had the energy, we might have stopped for a night cap but as it was we decided sleep couldn’t wait, nor could the early train to Florence the following morning.