Bologna

A couple of weekends ago we took the high-speeed train North to Bologna. Sadly, many Americans leave Bologna off their list of must-see cities when traveling in Italy. Its close proximity to more famous cities, namely Florence and Milan, causes travelers to mistakenly bypass this vibrant city.

Bologna is a bustling medieval city with a colorful population, and a wealth of historical sites. It is home to the oldest university in Europe, and people from all over Europe have flocked here for centuries to pursue higher education. The university population swells to over 100,000 students when school is in session. I could go on and on about the wonders of Bologna, but I will spare you the long version.

Just a few of my favorite things about Bologna:

• Piazza Maggiore - The piazza is beautifully framed by the Basilica of San Petronino (clearly being renovated while we were there), and the Town Hall (Palazzo d'Accursio). I could sit at one of the outside cafes looking onto the piazza and people watch all day! AC ran in a circle in the piazza for over half an hour.

The Basilica of San Petronino

Palazzo d'Accursio

• Walking under the Arcades - There are over 38 kilometers of arcades in Bologna. Although the weather was beautiful when we were there, the arcades lend a certain ambience to the city. We tracked over 18,000 steps on our iPod nano while in Bologna, and enjoyed every single step. 

• The Twin Towers - Not those Twin Towers! The famous leaning towers built in the 12th century in the university district are certainly a sight to behold. We climbed the 498 not so sturdy steps of the taller, non-leaning Asinelli Tower (Torre degli Asinelli). The view from the top (97.2 meters) was simply amazing! Legend has it that one can see the Adriatic Sea and the Alps from the top of the tower. We saw neither, but the view was great nonetheless.

• Food - One of the most amusing things about living in Italy is the food. The cuisine differs between each region. I was told that by several people that Bologna has the best food in Italy (or the world depending on who you ask). Wait! I thought Campania had the best food! Who knows?! Some foods that are from this region are tortellini, parmesan cheese, Mortadella ham, and balsamic vinegar. Certainly heavier than the Neopolitan diet, that's for sure!

Aside from our day trip to Ferarri and Maranello, we also went to Modena. Modena is a great mid-size city to visit, and is mostly known for the Cathedral of Modena (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and for being the birthplace of both Luciano Pavarotti and Enzo Ferarri. Clearly there's more to the city than this, but after a bus nearly took off the front end of our rental Fiat (causing us to back into another car!) we were ready to end our trip. 

Cathedral of Modena

Best antique market ever!

Have a Hoppy Easter!

From our family to yours!

Ferraris and Fiats

Ferrari.

The very mention of this word conjures up an immediate image of Italian luxury. Speed. Power. Prestige. Beauty. The world's finest automobile (or is that Lamborghini?).

Most people will only ever admire il Cavallino (the horse) from afar. And with a price tag of $250,000 it's highly unlikely that my humble husband will ever own one. Which is the exact reason I decided he HAD to drive one on his 30th birthday!

For Chief's birthday weekend, I planned a trip up to Bologna with an excursion to Ferrari Headquarters in Maranello. I thought I was being sly about him test driving one on his big day, but by the time we'd ventured into the Ferrari Museum the day before his birthday, he pretty much knew what was in store for him the next day. Oh well!

The smile that overtook his face as he pulled into the parking lot after driving the beast of a car was well worth it!

I loved that every car had a built in camera over the back seat, so that you could then purchase (of course!) a video of the drive. I edited the 20 minutes of driving into a short little snippet for your viewing pleasure. And no, the police officers do not ticket the Ferrari drivers in this little town!

Since we rode on the high-speed train to Bologna we had to get a rental car upon our arrival. Being the somewhat frugal girl that I am, I opted for the cheapest car available (2 door, manual). I was beyond delighted that Europcar set us up with a cute little Fiat 500. Chief, on the other hand, was not initially pleased with the "wind up car". Once he saw that we all fit in the car (comfortably I might add), as well as our luggage he became a little more open to the miniature vehicle. 

These little cars are perfect for zipping around a big city, and a part of me can't imagine anyone would need anything much bigger. No wonder these little Fiats are so popular in our crazy Napoli traffic. Also, after driving 200 kilometers over the weekend our micro gas tank was still half full. With gas close to $7 a gallon, that was the clincher for Chief deciding that he did appreciate the "wind up car". 

For good measure I am throwing in a picture of this cute face! She was so heartbroken when her Daddy pulled out of the Ferrari parking lot without her. For some reason she thought she'd be going with him in the "fast red car". Oooppps!

La Bella Vita

Lately, I have had several stateside American friends tell me how lucky I am to be living in Italy. La Bella Vita! For some reason Italy IS so romanticized in the eyes of Americans. Perhaps it's the history, culture, food/wine, and slower pace of life that gives the illusion that life is simply better in "The Boot".


The harsh reality I don't always mention to these gracious friends is that life in Italy (especially Naples) is often complicated and tough. Sure, I am an American adjusting to a new way of life, but even most Neapolitans will tell you that life can be hard in this city. While I have grown to love this area in more ways than I can imagine, there are also days I get fed up with the garbage, crime, and downright pushy behavior of Italians. I will never understand why people can't form a line! 

When a friend of mine recently showed me the following video I doubled over with laughter. This animated video pretty much sums up most of my frustrations in 5 minutes. Laughter is the best medicine!



At the end of the day I do realize that we are blessed in many ways. The breath-taking vistas, picturesque sunsets, and a glass (half full) of red wine make me realize that it is all worth it!

The Language of Friendship

One of the benefits of having a NATO assignment is the possibility of establishing friendships from all over the world. Since Chief is the only American in his office, his work friends come from every corner of globe Europe. 

Just days into his assignment here in Naples, Chief became fast friends with one of his Hungarian colleagues. Originally bonded over their deep, doting love of their adorable daughters, they quickly found other areas of common interest.  

Upon inviting them to our house for an "American" dinner we realized the great potential of our friendship. The landscape of their family looked much like ours, and we found common ground in the aspects of life that bind all cultures: food, family, friendship, faith, LOVE! 

AC played hard with her new friend Lina. The most surprising aspect of this new international friendship was their ability to communicate despite the fact that one spoke English and the other spoke Hungarian. Each set of parents found great joy in watching these two sweet natured girls play together, forging their friendship. Both completely unaware that the other is from a different dot on the globe, speaks a foreign language, has different customs, beliefs, and traditions. 

If only we could all see others with their eyes. 

It's Better to Keep Up...

Than to catch up!

But catching up is exactly what I am doing. Stay tuned I have lots of half written posts to publish!

Travel vs Vacation

In American English vernacular the words travel and vacation are often used interchangeably. After some experience with both traveling and vacationing I can indeed tell you that they are not synonyms.

No sir.

No way.

No how.

Traveling is usually a journey that involves going from one place to another. Traveling is a time to absorb culture (your own or another), learn history, and see sights. Although traveling is often fun, it is rarely relaxing.

A vacation more or less involves having a break from general duties and responsibilities; like work or school. Vacations are generally used for rest, relaxation, and recreation. For example, a week at the beach with your family, or a weekend at your in-laws' lake house are vacations. In general vacations perfect for reconnecting and strengthening bonds within families or friendships due to the fact that vacations are relatively stress-free.

Okay, okay... so a vacation from work might be used to travel somewhere, but in general they aren't synonymous verbs. Both traveling and vacationing are good for the soul and spirit, and will probably result in a more well-rounded person.

Last weekend we vacationed in Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo (Abruzzo National Park), Italy's largest National Park. We filled our time wisely with a perfect balance of relaxation and recreation. Our trip brought us to the clean, quite, serene, town of Pescasseroli;  a tiny little town resting in the Apennine Mountains.

Despite the warm weather we were fortunate enough to find a ski slope with snow (albeit artificial). AC out skied all of us! We did some snowless snow tubing (only in Italy!), and got a taste of AC's thrill seeking, adventurous side. We rounded out the weekend with horseback and pony rides. Of course, there was good food and wine all weekend, and we AC even made some new friends along the way!

First with help!

Then with no help!

As always, check out more of our pictures under the Travel With Me tab at the top of the page.