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!