Bologna – and that’s no baloney.

6-8 March
Okay, a very bad pun inspired in part by a travel writer’s comment that the mortadella here in Bologna is as distanced from American bologna as a Porterhouse steak is from a hot dog. In fact, this city is renowned for its cuisine, which from my experience, well-deserves the recognition.

The first extended travel weekend of spring semester! Students were once-again bound for various destinations: Paris, Amsterdam, London, Rome, Interlaken, the Cinque Terre, and others. Abbey headed south with friends to once again visit Roma, while Emma and I stayed closer to home: Bologna. Located in the Emilia-Romagna region between the Veneto and Tuscany, Bologna is home to the oldest European university, established in 1088. If the cuisine is a feast for the taste buds, the architecture is a feast for the eyes. Offering its pedestrian residents and tourists arched porticos with marble or stone sidewalks to explore the many shops and sights, the city features a variety of architectural styles and materials: from Romanesque to Gothic, from crenellated walls of dark brick to grey stone blocks.

We had an early start on Friday morning to get Abbey and Eric to their 6:13 train to Rome, where they would meet up Tori and Daniella and other friends. Emma and I left them at Padua, as we caught another train to Bologna. Arriving a little after 9, we found the hotel and asked if we could leave our luggage while we began exploring the city. However, our room was ready, and we had the luxury of unwinding a bit from the 4:30 am start to the day.

First on Emma’s list: food. I am not sure where this wisp of a child puts it, but I’m happy that she is so eager to try the various dishes and not be the typically picky “mac and cheese” kid! We walked down Via dell’Indipendenza, the main street leading to Piazza Maggiore, and then headed toward the University area. Emma ducked down each little alleyway, or viccola, checking out a ristorante here or trattoria there. Success – a small restaurant with Italian-only menu catering to locals, many of whom were enjoying a long end-of-the-week lunch. Tough decision: too many excellent selections. I settled on penne arrabiata (a red sauce flavored with hot peppers); Emma picked a creamy tortellini dish. Magnifico! This arrabiata (translated as “angry”) sauce was slightly different than what I have had elsewhere. In Florence and Rome, it was much hotter or spicier; here, more of the tomato flavor came through. Always interesting to compare the dishes from one region to another.

After lunch, we headed to Palazzo Poggi, part of the University museums. Once a palace and residence of one (or more?) church officials, it now houses an odd assortment of science-related exhibits. A collection of plant drawings and wood carvings, tortoise shells, fossils, and more comprised the work of an early naturalist (whose name escapes me) who would influence Linneas and Darwin in their studies. He wanted to catalogue all living things; while perhaps impossible to do, he certainly made a valiant attempt judging from this collection! Other sights include an anatomical area, perhaps a nod to the University’s having the top medical school in Italy. Here were wax models of the human body to teach students about anatomy and others that feature various birthing positions and complications for midwives to study (some with rather gruesome depictions that promptly led Emma to inquiring about her own birth – sigh!). A collection of medical instruments nearby looked more like weapons to me! Yet another section had various demonstrations of reflective/refracted light with mirrors and prisms, something that to this day still confuses me, which is probably why I studied literature and not science!

The highlight was an impromptu tour of the astronomy tower. As Emma and I were looking at a model depicting 17th century theories of volcanoes and the earth’s core, a woman asked us if we wanted to see the tower. Her rapid Italian lost me, but she spoke French as well and got the message through. (I have quickly learned that a second or third language can become the common mode of communication!) Heading up the turret steps, we saw the Meridian Room with its older instruments to study the planets and stars; the Globe Room with its 17th century terrestrial and celestial globes as well as some 17th century maps from a Chinese laboratory; and the Turret Room, where the telescopes were placed for scientists to observe and record their findings. Though only a little over 200 steps, this tower is significantly shorter than the Asinelli Torre, the taller of Bologna’s two leaning towers. Nevertheless, the rooftop presented a wonderful view of the city and the countryside beyond. As we descended, the University student guide explained that in 1790 and in this spiral stairwell, the Bolognese astronomer Guglielmini provided the first evidence of earth’s rotation. While the Renaissance produced incredible visual art and literature, the Palazzo Poggi reminds us of the period’s contribution to science as well.

Emma picked the restaurant for dinner, naturally. Wonderful pasta dishes. I ended with coffe while Emma splurged on some dessert. Where does this child put it?

The rain that had dampened spirits as well as shoes all week had been giving way to merely cloudy weather with a few peeks of the sun on Friday. By Saturday, the sun and warm temperatures asserted themselves fully, and we had a lovely day for exploring more of Bologna. First stop was Piazza Maggiore, the center of town. Its 16th century fountain statue of Neptune, Fontana di Nettuno, draws tourists and is a convenient meeting place. The Piazza was alive with people enjoying the day. Music and puppet shows were popular with the children (and adults!), and many people sat around reading or talking, taking in the spring temperatures.

The Basilica di San Petronius is on the Piazza. Its facade is an interesting architectural mix. In the early 1500's, funding for it was diverted elsewhere, leaving the odd combination of marble on the bottom and brick on the top. Evidently, this political diversion was one of the many reasons that Martin Luther reacted with his 95 theses.

Enjoying the day, Emma and I explored the streets before we had lunch at Ristorante Montegrappa (so good that we booked reservations for dinner there). After a brief rest, we went back for dinner and met a German couple who spoke English to the waiter since he did not know German nor they Italian. English is widely spoken and for many Europeans, it’s their second language. My Italian is still not good, yet. I really need to practice.

We had thought to stay another day and take a quick trip to Rapallo, but Emma wanted to get back. This trip was the first that I had used the automated ticket machines – they work wonderfully well! Available in all the major Western languages, they enable travelers to bypass busy ticket windows and to purchase during off hours.

Late that night, Abbey got in from Rome, having had a wonderful time. We exchanged stories, yawned, and finally went to bed. I was glad I didn’t have class the next day!