Day 11 - Bologna

First of all, I feel the great gluttony of saying "day 11" and being no where near the end of our trip. There are not words to describe how restorative this has been. Big props to Tony for the perfect planning.

We left Tuscany around 10 a.m. and drove North to Bologna. We drove by our favorite town name (Poggibonsi), made a slight detour through Florence (read, got a little lost), and crossed over into Emiglia Romagna around 11:30. The Emiglia Romagna freeway is basically a series of tunnels for 30-40 minutes. They are long, crazy long, and after a while, you just really want a tunnel to end. It was like I was in a psychological experiment to see if I would lose my mind in the tunnels. Jury remains out whether I did.

Bologna is basically a pedestrian city center, so many streets are closed to cars on the weekend. The hotel provided specific directions where to go. When we got there, we called and they sent a porter down to walk us in. By that I mean, he walked in, we followed by car; the two of us parting a pedestrian sea until we got to the hotel. We were like a one car parade.

We are staying at The Grand Hotel Majestic. The name alone brings a smile to my face. Tony's excellent booking got us a room upgrade. We are on one of the top floors with a large balcony that overlooks a major street in Bologna's city center. It was a special treat. That and the bottle of Lambrusco they gave us as a welcome gift.

Bologna is a bustling city. Gone are the quaint hill towns. This has big city shopping and amenities -- it is just wrapped in 600 year old buildings. The hotel is close to everything, so we dove right in.

It was incredibly busy. By all accounts unseasonably busy for no particular reason. The lunch spot that had been recommended, full . Nearly every restaurant around it, full. The crowds were a little daunting. We found a casual spot with good food and a nice glass of wine, then got settled in the room. Italy has a siesta, so all of the points of interest were threatening to close. After freshening up, we went to the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte.
Some classic pieces, some modern. It was enjoyable, except for the absurd number of modern pieces featuring creepy masks and doll heads. Fun fact, the building was restored in 1934 by a man named, wait for it, Guido Zucchini. It is like he was named by American bullies in the school yard.

One of the most notable parts of the experience were the 18th century frescoes on the ceiling of each room. They were beautiful. The other notable thing were the "stairs." They were just a brick covered (fairly steep) slope with stone slats every 9 inches or so. It was a experience walking up, and felt slightly dangerous walking down.

We also went in the Basilica did San Petronio, not to be confused with the cathedral down the street. Apparently medieval Catholics had choices. They are like Starbucks, one on every corner. The façade of the building is meh, but inside it was striking. Vaulted ceilings throughout give it a grandeur, and chapels line the sides of the church, dedicated to different patron saints, some of them quite elaborate.

Bologna is big on the apertivo. Basically, happy hour that stretches from about 6:30 to late. A basic staple is meats and cheeses with breads so that is what we ordered. There were 5 different types of meats and 4 cheeses. The burrata was explosively flavorful. It was a solid snack. We came to Bologna to eat, so we expected to try something else after the apertivo, but it was just gelato for us.

As you may recall, San Gemignano claimed to have the best gelato in the world. I hate to break it to you San Gemignano, Bologna has the best gelato in the world at Cremeria Cavour. The smoothness, the flavors, the creaminess when it hits your tongue -- it was a symphony of deliciousness and it made for a perfect end to our first day in Bologna.