Three short days in Bologna - Part 2 of the Hanabilly saga
Aug 10th, 2013, 11:45 AM
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Three short days in Bologna - Part 2 of the Hanabilly saga
Bologna 10/16
Bologna was the second stop of our 17 day visit to Italy in October 2012. After 6 nights in Venice, we would be here 4 nights before moving on to Umbria.
After a pleasant two hour train ride from Venice, we arrived in Bologna mid-to-late afternoon and grabbed a cab to the hotel, The Metropolitan. It is located on a small side street between the train station and Piazza Maggiore, and would probably be walkable from the train station for a day trip, but I wouldn’t recommend it with luggage. The lobby area is small but very nice and the staff was very accommodating. After we checked in I asked the front desk if they could call the restaurant Serghei for a dinner reservation – they were able to just squeeze us in at 9:00.
And squeeze us in is just what they did! After settling into the room, catching up on some reading and e-mailing and what not, we headed out for dinner. Serghei was just short walk from the hotel- not even 5 minutes. Had we been staying longer, I would have liked to return. We were squeezed into a tiny table in the vestibule by the cash register and front door. I have a feeling they accommodated us as a favor to the hotel clerk, and had we called in ourselves we may not have secured a table on short notice as we did. We were given menus, I think, but to order the waiter simply told us what was available and we chose from that. I always want to try the dishes an area is known for, so I ordered the tortolini in brodo (and yes, the broth is divine!) and Ed had some type of pasta with ragu. For second I ordered bolito which was fine, but I think I got the last remains of what was available for the night. Ed’s second course – roasted pork shank (“Stinco” I think) was the winner of the evening. I’m basing that on his review, as, come to think of it, he didn’t even share with me.
Happy we were so close to our hotel, we enjoyed the short little stroll back home and hit the hay.
Bologna was the second stop of our 17 day visit to Italy in October 2012. After 6 nights in Venice, we would be here 4 nights before moving on to Umbria.
After a pleasant two hour train ride from Venice, we arrived in Bologna mid-to-late afternoon and grabbed a cab to the hotel, The Metropolitan. It is located on a small side street between the train station and Piazza Maggiore, and would probably be walkable from the train station for a day trip, but I wouldn’t recommend it with luggage. The lobby area is small but very nice and the staff was very accommodating. After we checked in I asked the front desk if they could call the restaurant Serghei for a dinner reservation – they were able to just squeeze us in at 9:00.
And squeeze us in is just what they did! After settling into the room, catching up on some reading and e-mailing and what not, we headed out for dinner. Serghei was just short walk from the hotel- not even 5 minutes. Had we been staying longer, I would have liked to return. We were squeezed into a tiny table in the vestibule by the cash register and front door. I have a feeling they accommodated us as a favor to the hotel clerk, and had we called in ourselves we may not have secured a table on short notice as we did. We were given menus, I think, but to order the waiter simply told us what was available and we chose from that. I always want to try the dishes an area is known for, so I ordered the tortolini in brodo (and yes, the broth is divine!) and Ed had some type of pasta with ragu. For second I ordered bolito which was fine, but I think I got the last remains of what was available for the night. Ed’s second course – roasted pork shank (“Stinco” I think) was the winner of the evening. I’m basing that on his review, as, come to think of it, he didn’t even share with me.
Happy we were so close to our hotel, we enjoyed the short little stroll back home and hit the hay.
Aug 10th, 2013, 03:44 PM
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Wednesday 10/17
We woke to a beautiful and clear morning, and after a quick breakfast at the hotel we set off for Piazza Maggiore, the sight of many of the historic attractions I hoped to visit. On the way there we passed by the Medieval Museum, so we stopped in to check that out. I wish I had made more notes; I found this collection of local historic artifacts the most interesting as we've seen so far (and no interior photos allowed.)
From there it was on to the Piazza. After wandering and taking some exterior photos, we decide the day is just too beautiful to spend it indoors. We locate a bus stop, buying our tickets at a nearby newsstand and figure out the route we need to get to San Luca. I asked a lady seated next to me if she could point out the stop for San Luca, and I think she stayed on the bus one stop past her own to help us find the right spot! The bus stop is just at the bottom of the foreboding his of 658 porticos. Thinking we might want to take the shuttle up the hill, I asked in an ice cream/pizza place where I could pick up the shuttle. They call their English speaker from the back and he informs me that the shuttle stop is about two kilometers back the way we came, and the climb to the top is about one kilometer. We decided to mount the assault on the hill. For anyone thinking of climbing up this covered walkway but feeling a little intimidated, be assured that if I made it up with one bad foot and a sore knee, pretty much anyone that is at all mobile should be able to do it.
What I was concerned about, however, was the walk back down. In Venice I found that the steps UP the bridge didn’t bother me, but rather the steps down. And sure enough, for every set of steps leading to the top of a bridge, there was an equal but opposite set lurking on the other side. But, I’d worry about that when it was time to come down…
As is almost always the case, what we found at the top made every step worthwhile. Such a beautiful spot, and an incredible view over Bologna! Unfortunately, our planning fell through and our timing was off – the church was closed and would not open until three o’clock. I think we got there right around 12, so we were not going to wait for the reopening. We enjoyed the exterior, the view and the peaceful atmosphere for a while. As we were deciding on walking down or waiting to see if a shuttle comes by a taxi pulled up dropping off a couple at the entrance; of course we had to take that as a sign and took the cab back to the Piazza Maggiore, or just outside.
We woke to a beautiful and clear morning, and after a quick breakfast at the hotel we set off for Piazza Maggiore, the sight of many of the historic attractions I hoped to visit. On the way there we passed by the Medieval Museum, so we stopped in to check that out. I wish I had made more notes; I found this collection of local historic artifacts the most interesting as we've seen so far (and no interior photos allowed.)
From there it was on to the Piazza. After wandering and taking some exterior photos, we decide the day is just too beautiful to spend it indoors. We locate a bus stop, buying our tickets at a nearby newsstand and figure out the route we need to get to San Luca. I asked a lady seated next to me if she could point out the stop for San Luca, and I think she stayed on the bus one stop past her own to help us find the right spot! The bus stop is just at the bottom of the foreboding his of 658 porticos. Thinking we might want to take the shuttle up the hill, I asked in an ice cream/pizza place where I could pick up the shuttle. They call their English speaker from the back and he informs me that the shuttle stop is about two kilometers back the way we came, and the climb to the top is about one kilometer. We decided to mount the assault on the hill. For anyone thinking of climbing up this covered walkway but feeling a little intimidated, be assured that if I made it up with one bad foot and a sore knee, pretty much anyone that is at all mobile should be able to do it.
What I was concerned about, however, was the walk back down. In Venice I found that the steps UP the bridge didn’t bother me, but rather the steps down. And sure enough, for every set of steps leading to the top of a bridge, there was an equal but opposite set lurking on the other side. But, I’d worry about that when it was time to come down…
As is almost always the case, what we found at the top made every step worthwhile. Such a beautiful spot, and an incredible view over Bologna! Unfortunately, our planning fell through and our timing was off – the church was closed and would not open until three o’clock. I think we got there right around 12, so we were not going to wait for the reopening. We enjoyed the exterior, the view and the peaceful atmosphere for a while. As we were deciding on walking down or waiting to see if a shuttle comes by a taxi pulled up dropping off a couple at the entrance; of course we had to take that as a sign and took the cab back to the Piazza Maggiore, or just outside.
Aug 11th, 2013, 07:20 PM
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Aug 12th, 2013, 04:10 AM
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I'm not sure why but Bologna has never made it on to my radar as a place I want to visit enough to give up time in other places. It looks great in your pictures though so on some future trip I'm going to have to try to get there. Was it as uncrowded as it looks in the pics? And are those little green heads poking out of the tree what I think they are? Maybe I don't want to go there after all!!!! LOL...
Aug 12th, 2013, 06:17 AM
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Ahh, the mysterious tree lizards of San Luca...there were probably a dozen or more in that tree. I had never seen lizards living in a tree, so of course we needed pictures. Wait, you think maybe it was THE serpent? Yikes!
Not all of Bologna was so uncrowded as you see in the pictures, but it is definitely far less crowded than Rome, Venice, Florence, for instance. To and from our hotel we walked through crowds of people living their "normal" lives. What's fascinating to me is how each city seems to offer a glimpse into a different part of history. The historic center is like stepping into a Medieval city. As usual, I feel we barely touched the surface of Bologna and the surrounds, and I would go back in a heartbeat.
Not all of Bologna was so uncrowded as you see in the pictures, but it is definitely far less crowded than Rome, Venice, Florence, for instance. To and from our hotel we walked through crowds of people living their "normal" lives. What's fascinating to me is how each city seems to offer a glimpse into a different part of history. The historic center is like stepping into a Medieval city. As usual, I feel we barely touched the surface of Bologna and the surrounds, and I would go back in a heartbeat.
Aug 12th, 2013, 06:08 PM
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Bologna is one of my all-time favorite places. Your report and photos are bringing back great memories of my Nov. 2010 trip there. And, I see you did Alessandro's Italian Days Food Tour. We were very fortunate when we took the tour and were the only 2 people that day, so it was basically a private tour for us. I hope you had as good a time as we did.
Aug 12th, 2013, 08:12 PM
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We absolutely had a fantastic time on the tour! I haven't got to that part of the report. Tomorrow, for sure. In fact, your review of the tour was a large part in my deciding to book it. Sometimes I am reluctant to enthusiastically endorse a particular activity, knowing that everyone enjoys such different things. It would be hard to imagine anyone not enjoying their day with Alessandro and his handsome drivers!
So, tomorrow I will recap our last two days a little - but first, a restaurant experience I think you might enjoy!
So, tomorrow I will recap our last two days a little - but first, a restaurant experience I think you might enjoy!
Aug 13th, 2013, 08:33 AM
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Thank you, and glad you're following along.
Going back to San Luca for a moment, I nearly forgot to mention a special moment. As Ed wandered about taking pictures and I sat on a bench in the sun just soaking up the beautiful spot and spectacular day I heard sweet tunes beginning somewhere behind me. There was a band, maybe four members, with a folksy, harmonic sound and a variety of acoustical instruments recording video of their sweet ballad, what sounded like a sort of tribute to Bologna. They were either practicing or trying several takes for their video, as the tune played over several times, providing a perfect soundtrack to the day. When moments come together like this, i can't help but feel so grateful, as if I'd been dropped into the perfect time and place.
Going back to San Luca for a moment, I nearly forgot to mention a special moment. As Ed wandered about taking pictures and I sat on a bench in the sun just soaking up the beautiful spot and spectacular day I heard sweet tunes beginning somewhere behind me. There was a band, maybe four members, with a folksy, harmonic sound and a variety of acoustical instruments recording video of their sweet ballad, what sounded like a sort of tribute to Bologna. They were either practicing or trying several takes for their video, as the tune played over several times, providing a perfect soundtrack to the day. When moments come together like this, i can't help but feel so grateful, as if I'd been dropped into the perfect time and place.
Aug 13th, 2013, 09:15 AM
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Having been deposited back near the historic center, we were ready for a cold drink. We stopped at an outdoor cafe for beers and little sandwiches ( maybe they have a name, the small, triangular snack-size sandwiches?) We had special dinner plans for the night, so this was the perfect lunch.
We sat there for maybe two hours, enjoying the shade, the atmosphere, and the goings on all about us. Eventually we meandered back to the hotel for a rest before dinner.
On another forum (Chowhound) I connected with a fellow traveler seeking out a special dining experience near Bologna. She had been referred to a trattoria about 40 minutes outside of Bologna. We would be in Bologna the same dates, so we ended up sharing the cost of a private driver.
The trattoria was Amerigo 1934 and I cannot recommend it highly enough!! Not only was the dinner incredible start to finish, the service was friendly and relaxed, and the room was cozy with a country sort of charm. You can see more at http://www.amerigo1934.it/
We sat there for maybe two hours, enjoying the shade, the atmosphere, and the goings on all about us. Eventually we meandered back to the hotel for a rest before dinner.
On another forum (Chowhound) I connected with a fellow traveler seeking out a special dining experience near Bologna. She had been referred to a trattoria about 40 minutes outside of Bologna. We would be in Bologna the same dates, so we ended up sharing the cost of a private driver.
The trattoria was Amerigo 1934 and I cannot recommend it highly enough!! Not only was the dinner incredible start to finish, the service was friendly and relaxed, and the room was cozy with a country sort of charm. You can see more at http://www.amerigo1934.it/
Aug 13th, 2013, 03:34 PM
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Jeez. I was jealous of the Venice part of your trip. I'm now jealous of the Bologna part and I'm sure I will be jealous of the Umbria part. It sounds like you had a really good time. Did I say I was jealous??? Oh and I really really hate snakes so I did not actually look at that picture long enough to tell what those green heads were attached to. LOL!!! Enjoying your report a lot!
Aug 13th, 2013, 03:56 PM
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Ohhhh, no, John, if those were snakes, no matter how tiny, that would have definitely broken the spell I was under!!
And, I understand trip envy far too well. I have a group of friends, all of whom are as addicted to travel as I am - no doubt that's a large part of what bonded us as friends. While I love hearing about their trips, I have to admit, whenever anyone takes off somewhere (especially Italy) I wish it was me on that plane!
And, I understand trip envy far too well. I have a group of friends, all of whom are as addicted to travel as I am - no doubt that's a large part of what bonded us as friends. While I love hearing about their trips, I have to admit, whenever anyone takes off somewhere (especially Italy) I wish it was me on that plane!
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