Binging in Bologna – Three Generations Eat Their Way Through Emilia Romagna
Nov 1st, 2009, 02:48 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 764
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Binging in Bologna – Three Generations Eat Their Way Through Emilia Romagna
I haven't seen too many trip reports covering Bologna in detail so I will attempt to fill in the gap. I've started in great detail as I am hoping this report will have useful information about traveling with a young child or parents/in-laws as well as info about Italy. But I'm happy to summarize instead too.
Setting the Scene
My husband and I love to travel, love Italy, love to eat, and, hence, had been toying with Bologna as a destination for a while. We have traveled a bit around Italy and were looking for something new. Bologna intrigued us for its sites, foodie reputation and good train access for day trips, as we would be traveling with our young daughter (almost 3 years old) so we wanted to stay in only one location. We also thought it would be fun to go somewhere a bit off the well trodden tourist path as our last few trips have been to Rome and Paris.
We booked our tickets in late August - Air France connecting through Paris on the way there (from Boston) and Alitalia connecting through Rome on the way home. We found the flights on Orbitz and this was the shortest routing where we felt we wouldn't miss the connections. Next came our search for accommodations. We definitely wanted to stay in an apartment as we have really enjoyed doing so on past trips with our daughter (DD). We had somewhat of a hard time finding an apartment as I found few agencies that rented in Bologna and the pickings were slim on VRBO. We settled on this apartment – http://tinyurl.com/yzk3ot5 because we liked the location and it looked nice. We certainly didn't need a 3 bedroom but the other (one bedroom) apartment we were looking at was booked during the week that we were traveling and the 3 bedroom was nearly the same price (for details on both, see: http://tinyurl.com/yzfu56p). The apartment was E700 for 8 nights. I thought that was very reasonable considering how big the apartment is. Prices seemed to vary by about 30% depending on whether there is a conference in the city that week; the apartment was about E200 more the following week when there was a conference. I'll give more details on the apartment later but wanted to mention that after we had booked our apartment and were looking for a hotel (more on that later as well), it seemed that many of the historic area hotels, also rented apartments so that would have added a few more options had we known.
We were very excited to go back to Italy and to try another trip with our daughter. We had enjoyed the last two trips to Europe with her (one at age 10 months and the other at 22 mos) but the previous one (22 mos) was more of a challenge than the first one, as by 22 months she was walking and talking and able to express her viewpoint (“No stroller!” “Go home!” “Want ice cream!”). We were prepared for a difficult time with DD but ready to roll the dice again. We had so much fun traveling together, we figured we could overlook those temper tantrums and missed restaurant meals.
Once the apartment was booked, my husband (DH) and I we were talking about how it seemed a bit extravagant to have such a large apartment. I mentioned that maybe we should ask someone else to join us on the trip. It didn't seem feasible for any of our friends to join (as most of them also have children and think we are crazy for traveling with ours!). I mentioned to DH that maybe we should invite his parents as they enjoy traveling but for a variety of reasons (illness, etc) had not taken a trip for several years. I didn't really give the suggestion must thought (can you see where this is heading?) and we both doubted very much that they would be interested as they are NOT spontaneous and tend to go on organized tours through their alma maters or museums. Long story short, 24 hours after I mentioned it to my husband, in-laws had free frequent flier tickets in hand and suddenly, we all realized that we'd be going to Italy together!
Setting the Scene
My husband and I love to travel, love Italy, love to eat, and, hence, had been toying with Bologna as a destination for a while. We have traveled a bit around Italy and were looking for something new. Bologna intrigued us for its sites, foodie reputation and good train access for day trips, as we would be traveling with our young daughter (almost 3 years old) so we wanted to stay in only one location. We also thought it would be fun to go somewhere a bit off the well trodden tourist path as our last few trips have been to Rome and Paris.
We booked our tickets in late August - Air France connecting through Paris on the way there (from Boston) and Alitalia connecting through Rome on the way home. We found the flights on Orbitz and this was the shortest routing where we felt we wouldn't miss the connections. Next came our search for accommodations. We definitely wanted to stay in an apartment as we have really enjoyed doing so on past trips with our daughter (DD). We had somewhat of a hard time finding an apartment as I found few agencies that rented in Bologna and the pickings were slim on VRBO. We settled on this apartment – http://tinyurl.com/yzk3ot5 because we liked the location and it looked nice. We certainly didn't need a 3 bedroom but the other (one bedroom) apartment we were looking at was booked during the week that we were traveling and the 3 bedroom was nearly the same price (for details on both, see: http://tinyurl.com/yzfu56p). The apartment was E700 for 8 nights. I thought that was very reasonable considering how big the apartment is. Prices seemed to vary by about 30% depending on whether there is a conference in the city that week; the apartment was about E200 more the following week when there was a conference. I'll give more details on the apartment later but wanted to mention that after we had booked our apartment and were looking for a hotel (more on that later as well), it seemed that many of the historic area hotels, also rented apartments so that would have added a few more options had we known.
We were very excited to go back to Italy and to try another trip with our daughter. We had enjoyed the last two trips to Europe with her (one at age 10 months and the other at 22 mos) but the previous one (22 mos) was more of a challenge than the first one, as by 22 months she was walking and talking and able to express her viewpoint (“No stroller!” “Go home!” “Want ice cream!”). We were prepared for a difficult time with DD but ready to roll the dice again. We had so much fun traveling together, we figured we could overlook those temper tantrums and missed restaurant meals.
Once the apartment was booked, my husband (DH) and I we were talking about how it seemed a bit extravagant to have such a large apartment. I mentioned that maybe we should ask someone else to join us on the trip. It didn't seem feasible for any of our friends to join (as most of them also have children and think we are crazy for traveling with ours!). I mentioned to DH that maybe we should invite his parents as they enjoy traveling but for a variety of reasons (illness, etc) had not taken a trip for several years. I didn't really give the suggestion must thought (can you see where this is heading?) and we both doubted very much that they would be interested as they are NOT spontaneous and tend to go on organized tours through their alma maters or museums. Long story short, 24 hours after I mentioned it to my husband, in-laws had free frequent flier tickets in hand and suddenly, we all realized that we'd be going to Italy together!
Nov 1st, 2009, 09:10 AM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 764
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the comments. The preamble continues...
“When do they change the sheets and who brings you breakfast?”
I began to get a bit nervous as I have not traveled with anyone in ages except my husband and a couple of trips with my mother. I wasn't used to traveling with other people, much less my in-laws. Okay, I got really nervous and wondered why I opened my big mouth in the first place. My friends were politely supportive. I looked on the forum for posts about group traveling and, frankly, was not comforted by the horror stories and declarations about how one would "never again" travel with family or friends. The deed was done, however, so we focused on making the trip a success. We did find some good tips on here and set out to apply them – e.g., be very clear about your plans, discuss any issues up front, build in some time away from each other, set expectations. My husband and I were very clear with the in-laws that traveling with a young child is not relaxing and that we were unlikely to be able to have long meals or sleep late or spend a lot of time in museums. Also, the idea of renting an apartment was completely foreign to my MIL. She asked me who would make her bed and how she would get breakfast!! Perhaps we overdid it as my in-laws quickly decided to stay in a hotel.
We were a little disappointed by this as part of the fun would be spending time together since we don't see them that much. We wondered how much we would see them if we did not stay together since we figured we would be on slightly different schedules (given DD's sleep habits). In hindsight the hotel was a good decision. A great decision. We saw each other plenty and it gave us each our own space. It also let my in-laws enjoy the indulgences of a hotel which they enjoy. I think we all relaxed a little once it was settled that we would not be staying together!
Having two cell phones (one for me and DH and one for in-laws) was absolutely indispensable since we were not staying together. We used the phones for many quick calls to plan to meet up, say we were late, etc. No one ever felt like they were waiting for the other or didn't know what was going on. We just used our US T-Mobile phones that work in Europe. Buying an Italian SIM card would probably have been cheaper but we wanted something as easy as possible to use since my in-laws are not very high tech (they have heard of the internet but not seen it) and we didn't want to waste time dealing with getting the SIM card. We have yet to get our bill so I don't know the cost but we have done the same on the last two trips and the bill wasn't too bad.
One other thing that turned out to be a good idea was that put together a general itinerary (i.e., which days we would go where and then lists of things we wanted to do in Bologna) and discussed with his parents. This was flexible but it avoided spending an hour every morning figuring out what we would do. We ended up sticking to it, with a few adjustments.
Also, with two trips with a young child under our belt I finally realized that it is a mathematical impossibility to travel with a child who sleeps 10+ hours a night in a country where people dine late AND to get up and out early for sightseeing plus go out for dinner. Something needs to give. We expected that DD wouldn't sit through a lunch out and a dinner so we expected to eat a lot of dinners in the apartment. Fortunately, DD surprised us by becoming a great dinner companion and night owl so we went with it. We stayed out late, she napped in her stroller usually around 5pm and (except for the days we were taking the train) we let her sleep in. Not running out the door in the morning to preschool and work is a luxury so we didn't mind the late start.
Next up - packing and the dreaded flight.
“When do they change the sheets and who brings you breakfast?”
I began to get a bit nervous as I have not traveled with anyone in ages except my husband and a couple of trips with my mother. I wasn't used to traveling with other people, much less my in-laws. Okay, I got really nervous and wondered why I opened my big mouth in the first place. My friends were politely supportive. I looked on the forum for posts about group traveling and, frankly, was not comforted by the horror stories and declarations about how one would "never again" travel with family or friends. The deed was done, however, so we focused on making the trip a success. We did find some good tips on here and set out to apply them – e.g., be very clear about your plans, discuss any issues up front, build in some time away from each other, set expectations. My husband and I were very clear with the in-laws that traveling with a young child is not relaxing and that we were unlikely to be able to have long meals or sleep late or spend a lot of time in museums. Also, the idea of renting an apartment was completely foreign to my MIL. She asked me who would make her bed and how she would get breakfast!! Perhaps we overdid it as my in-laws quickly decided to stay in a hotel.
We were a little disappointed by this as part of the fun would be spending time together since we don't see them that much. We wondered how much we would see them if we did not stay together since we figured we would be on slightly different schedules (given DD's sleep habits). In hindsight the hotel was a good decision. A great decision. We saw each other plenty and it gave us each our own space. It also let my in-laws enjoy the indulgences of a hotel which they enjoy. I think we all relaxed a little once it was settled that we would not be staying together!
Having two cell phones (one for me and DH and one for in-laws) was absolutely indispensable since we were not staying together. We used the phones for many quick calls to plan to meet up, say we were late, etc. No one ever felt like they were waiting for the other or didn't know what was going on. We just used our US T-Mobile phones that work in Europe. Buying an Italian SIM card would probably have been cheaper but we wanted something as easy as possible to use since my in-laws are not very high tech (they have heard of the internet but not seen it) and we didn't want to waste time dealing with getting the SIM card. We have yet to get our bill so I don't know the cost but we have done the same on the last two trips and the bill wasn't too bad.
One other thing that turned out to be a good idea was that put together a general itinerary (i.e., which days we would go where and then lists of things we wanted to do in Bologna) and discussed with his parents. This was flexible but it avoided spending an hour every morning figuring out what we would do. We ended up sticking to it, with a few adjustments.
Also, with two trips with a young child under our belt I finally realized that it is a mathematical impossibility to travel with a child who sleeps 10+ hours a night in a country where people dine late AND to get up and out early for sightseeing plus go out for dinner. Something needs to give. We expected that DD wouldn't sit through a lunch out and a dinner so we expected to eat a lot of dinners in the apartment. Fortunately, DD surprised us by becoming a great dinner companion and night owl so we went with it. We stayed out late, she napped in her stroller usually around 5pm and (except for the days we were taking the train) we let her sleep in. Not running out the door in the morning to preschool and work is a luxury so we didn't mind the late start.
Next up - packing and the dreaded flight.
Nov 1st, 2009, 02:03 PM
#12
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,830
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OOOHHH! Thanks for the referral to that apartment in Bologna!! DH and I are going there for a week in Sept. 2010 and I just sent off an inquiry about availability!! I can hardly wait for your description of what it is really like.
Nov 1st, 2009, 04:01 PM
#14
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,830
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, I guess I wonder if it really is 5 mins. walk from the central piazza (I forget the name right now) and if it really is as well-equipped as they claim. We have stayed in some places where there wasn't even any salt and pepper or sugar or dish soap when we arrived.
And does it have comfortable furniture to sit on when you are tired from sight-seeing and want to rest without lying in bed? And how is the lighting at night if you want to read before sleeping?
We are in our 70's so our criteria for comfort may be a little more strict than yours. But we have weathered many an apt. in Italy that look much worse.
And does it have comfortable furniture to sit on when you are tired from sight-seeing and want to rest without lying in bed? And how is the lighting at night if you want to read before sleeping?
We are in our 70's so our criteria for comfort may be a little more strict than yours. But we have weathered many an apt. in Italy that look much worse.
Nov 1st, 2009, 04:39 PM
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 764
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Charnees - it is definitely not a 5 minute walk from the Piazza Maggiore. It is more like 15 minutes. We did this every day for 10 days and took a variety of routes. There are restaurants and shops nearby (5-10 minutes) and there are buses (although we never figure out how to use them) but it is a good 15 min walk to Piazza Maggiore.
The apartment is very well equipped. The best I've seen. We didn't buy a single thing other than non-staple food. There was plenty of toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, soap, laundry soap, sponges, etc. Also plenty of towels, blankets, pillows and sheets. It seems like owners always skimp on the towels so I really appreciated this. There were even nice terry bathrobes and slippers.
The kitchen was fantastic. There was every cooking gadget I could think of and some I had never seen. It was like staying in someone's apartment who was away for the weekend (in a good way). There was coffee, sugar, spices, olive oil, risotto, tons of pots and pans and knives. It is really a very nice kitchen. We ended up lounging around in there more than in the living room.
I thought the apartment was comfortable. There is plenty of room to spread out, especially if it is just you and your husband. The living room sofa is pretty comfortable. It is a bit low. The third bedroom is really an office that has a comfortable daybed to sit on. Our daughter liked watching her movies on there. That room is a little dark as it does not have a window. The kitchen is great and comfortable as I mentioned. The master bedroom is very nice. The bed is really comfortable. More so then in other apartments I've stayed at. It has two bedside reading lamps on each side and the bedroom also opens to a little outdoor space so we left the wooden shutters open (and glass door closed) for some more sunlight.
My only complaint is that since we were walking to meet my in-laws at their hotel every day, I wouldn't have minded being closer. But if you are doing things in different places throughout the city and eating at restaurants in different areas, it should be fine. It is only a few minutes walk to a taxi stand. We ended up taking taxis to the train station since we were always late and we always found cabs waiting there, even early on Sunday morning.
I'm happy to answer any more questions.
The apartment is very well equipped. The best I've seen. We didn't buy a single thing other than non-staple food. There was plenty of toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, soap, laundry soap, sponges, etc. Also plenty of towels, blankets, pillows and sheets. It seems like owners always skimp on the towels so I really appreciated this. There were even nice terry bathrobes and slippers.
The kitchen was fantastic. There was every cooking gadget I could think of and some I had never seen. It was like staying in someone's apartment who was away for the weekend (in a good way). There was coffee, sugar, spices, olive oil, risotto, tons of pots and pans and knives. It is really a very nice kitchen. We ended up lounging around in there more than in the living room.
I thought the apartment was comfortable. There is plenty of room to spread out, especially if it is just you and your husband. The living room sofa is pretty comfortable. It is a bit low. The third bedroom is really an office that has a comfortable daybed to sit on. Our daughter liked watching her movies on there. That room is a little dark as it does not have a window. The kitchen is great and comfortable as I mentioned. The master bedroom is very nice. The bed is really comfortable. More so then in other apartments I've stayed at. It has two bedside reading lamps on each side and the bedroom also opens to a little outdoor space so we left the wooden shutters open (and glass door closed) for some more sunlight.
My only complaint is that since we were walking to meet my in-laws at their hotel every day, I wouldn't have minded being closer. But if you are doing things in different places throughout the city and eating at restaurants in different areas, it should be fine. It is only a few minutes walk to a taxi stand. We ended up taking taxis to the train station since we were always late and we always found cabs waiting there, even early on Sunday morning.
I'm happy to answer any more questions.
Nov 2nd, 2009, 03:40 PM
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 764
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Trip Prep and Packing – The Nitty Gritty
I should say that for two months preceding the trip I brushed up on my Italian and meticulously planned our itinerary. But, for the most part, I just read a lot about what to eat in Bologna and obsessed about what to pack. Books we liked for restaurants are the Fred Plotkin's Italy for the Gourmet Traveler (http://tinyurl.com/yfswks8) and Osterie & Locande d'Italia: A Guide to Traditional Places to Eat and Stay in Italy (http://tinyurl.com/ygqmtbr). I found some restaurant suggestions on this forum, Chowhound and in some old magazine articles. There aren't really that many guidebooks specific to Bologna but we found the Cadogan guide to Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, to be very good, including the restaurant section (http://tinyurl.com/yfqx54h).
Graziella, the woman who owns the apartment we rented, was very easy to work with. She speaks English and is responsive on email. Best of all (for us, but probably not for her; keep reading), she lives above the apartment. A few days before we left I emailed Graziella to confirm our arrival time. I realized that I never changed the apartment reservation to match our plane reservations so we would arrive the day before the apartment was booked and by then it was not free for the additional night. We had noticed a hotel on the same street as the apartment when we were researching the apartment and decided to stay there for the first night.
I won't bore you with the details of what my husband and I packed for ourselves (although I will make another plug for bringing two cell phones if you are traveling with another person with whom you will not spend every waking moment. One phone is nice for calling home but useless for reaching your travel companion). In terms of what to bring for a three year old, the short answer is, you don't need much. Packing for DD this time was a pleasure compared to all the gear we had to bring when she was younger. We brought:
- a stroller (Maclaren umbrella stroller with rain cover)
- CARES harness for the plane (wow, so much better than the carseat!)
- DVD player and some DVDs – good for the plane and for relaxing at home at the end of the day
- coloring books, markers, few books, etch a sketch type thing (and held in reserve for the plane ride was the big guns, playdoh)
- portable potty seat for the apartment (http://tinyurl.com/yg97cvo)
- toilet seat cover things for public places (http://tinyurl.com/yjrl5cf ) - very useful
- small medicine kit – motrin, bacitracin, bandaids, nosedrops, benadryl
- stuffed animal, blankie
- small thermos for plane and out during the day and a few disposable forks/spoons
- some “emergency” food – raisins and oatmeal packages
That is pretty much it.
I should say that for two months preceding the trip I brushed up on my Italian and meticulously planned our itinerary. But, for the most part, I just read a lot about what to eat in Bologna and obsessed about what to pack. Books we liked for restaurants are the Fred Plotkin's Italy for the Gourmet Traveler (http://tinyurl.com/yfswks8) and Osterie & Locande d'Italia: A Guide to Traditional Places to Eat and Stay in Italy (http://tinyurl.com/ygqmtbr). I found some restaurant suggestions on this forum, Chowhound and in some old magazine articles. There aren't really that many guidebooks specific to Bologna but we found the Cadogan guide to Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, to be very good, including the restaurant section (http://tinyurl.com/yfqx54h).
Graziella, the woman who owns the apartment we rented, was very easy to work with. She speaks English and is responsive on email. Best of all (for us, but probably not for her; keep reading), she lives above the apartment. A few days before we left I emailed Graziella to confirm our arrival time. I realized that I never changed the apartment reservation to match our plane reservations so we would arrive the day before the apartment was booked and by then it was not free for the additional night. We had noticed a hotel on the same street as the apartment when we were researching the apartment and decided to stay there for the first night.
I won't bore you with the details of what my husband and I packed for ourselves (although I will make another plug for bringing two cell phones if you are traveling with another person with whom you will not spend every waking moment. One phone is nice for calling home but useless for reaching your travel companion). In terms of what to bring for a three year old, the short answer is, you don't need much. Packing for DD this time was a pleasure compared to all the gear we had to bring when she was younger. We brought:
- a stroller (Maclaren umbrella stroller with rain cover)
- CARES harness for the plane (wow, so much better than the carseat!)
- DVD player and some DVDs – good for the plane and for relaxing at home at the end of the day
- coloring books, markers, few books, etch a sketch type thing (and held in reserve for the plane ride was the big guns, playdoh)
- portable potty seat for the apartment (http://tinyurl.com/yg97cvo)
- toilet seat cover things for public places (http://tinyurl.com/yjrl5cf ) - very useful
- small medicine kit – motrin, bacitracin, bandaids, nosedrops, benadryl
- stuffed animal, blankie
- small thermos for plane and out during the day and a few disposable forks/spoons
- some “emergency” food – raisins and oatmeal packages
That is pretty much it.
Nov 2nd, 2009, 03:48 PM
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 764
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
And We're Off!
My husband and I both got very busy with work right before the trip. Our daughter was also starting preschool and we had other things going on at the same time. We anticipated this would be very busy so, for once, we were smart, and got everything and organized well ahead of time. We were all packed well before it was time to head to the airport and even had a chance to relax and make sure we brought everything. I will never make fun of people who pack in advance again! This was great. We checked in online and didn't have to wait at the airport. Off to a good start. The flight was uneventful which was a huge relief because our last few flights with DD have been hellish at best. DD was very interested in the airport and airplanes and sat and played with her new etch a sketch toy and markers for several hours. We put on her PJs and slippers and she watched some DVDs on the DVD player we brought and she fell asleep. I am also now a convert to the DVD player. Especially since kids will watch the same 3 cartons, without volume, ad nauseum. We had also talked to DD about the airport and got her a Curious George book about going on a plane so she was pretty excited about the plane ride.
When we arrived in Bologna I wondered how we would find our in-laws who were arriving from NY. When we landed, I looked out the window and there they were walking down the steps off their plane. It was a funny feeling to look out the window in Italy, in a jet-lagged haze and see your relatives! We got our bags and headed to our hotels. The in-laws stayed at the Grand Hotel Baglioni. Although it is a legendary hotel, it had some recent mixed reviews on Trip Advisor so we were sure how it would be. It turned out to be a great hotel. It is very centrally located and their room was big and very elegant. We found a better price on www.hotels.com then on the hotel's website. Perhaps the bad reviews were from people paying the rack rates?
For the first night we stayed at the Palazzo Trevi hotel which was lovely (http://www.palazzotrevi.it/). The people were incredibly nice, letting us check in very early, and had put a third bed into the room for DD. They even had put a guard on the extra bed for DD, without my asking, because I had given her age. The hotel is intelligently modernized but keeping its traditional style. And it was only about 10 doors down from our apartment. We all tried to take a nap but only my husband fell asleep so DD and I took a walk. We just walked around the block (which took about 45 minutes!). The general location is good. It is about a 15 minute walk to the Piazza Maggiore and in a residential neighborhood with good restaurants and right down the block from a nice cafe and salumerie. I did find that it felt a little far when we were constantly meeting the in-laws at their hotel and wouldn't have minded being a bit closer to them.
We woke up DH when we got back to the hotel room and headed out to meet grandma and grandpa. We were meeting at their hotel so we headed in that direction. We first stopped at that nice cafe I had scoped out earlier. We had some coffees and pastries. It was here that we discovered the magic weapon to a successful trip with DD - the lollipop. DD had never had a lollipop before (I must have been worried she'd choke) and all the tabacchi and cafes have big colorful displays of “chuppas” (the brand of lollipops) out front. We let her have one and she was hooked. Thereafter, whenever we wanted to DD to get back in her stroller, we'd bribe her with a lollipop and they never seemed to break their spell.
We took what appeared to be most direct, although not particularly scenic route, to the hotel. We ended up at the edge of the Piazza Maggiore at the start of Via Independenzia. We had our first look at Piazza Maggiore and, wow, it is impressive. It is a very large square with beautiful medieval buildings on all four sides. We were not sure what to expect in Bologna since it seems to be so off the regular tourist track. We figured that maybe it was one of those cities with one beautiful area and that this would be it. I'll break the suspense and tell you that was not the case at all. There were beautiful buildings and squares throughout the city. We were pretty late so didn't linger for two long in the square and headed toward the hotel. We couldn't seem to find the hotel, even though we had the address, which we thought strange since we understood the Grand Hotel Baglioni to be THE hotel in Bologna. After walking up and down the same block three times we saw the small entry way – actually the hotel is really up a flight of steps so it doesn't look like much from the street.
The lobby is quite elegant and I appreciated the doorman helping DH with the stroller up all those steps. We went up to look at in-laws room and were impressed. They had a spacious corner room with a big venetian glass chandelier and big bed with a silk headboard. We all headed out and walked around Piazza Maggiore a bit. DD had fallen asleep in her stroller so we took turns looking the huge Basilica San Petronio on the square. It looked there would be some good shopping in Bologna too – I spotted the usual chains but also some nice smaller stores. It was a beautiful day and despite not sleeping on the plane I felt fine. It was about 6pm by then so we started thinking about dinner. We were interested in going to Serghei which we found in the Slow Foods book. We headed toward the restaurant and realized that they probably didn't open until later. So to kill some time we went into a bar nearby. It was a real Italian bar, not a sit down place, but we were tired and didn't feel like walking. Looking back, I imagine that we were probably a strange sight – the five of us ranging from 2 to 79 standing around drinking cocktails and beer. Several waiters from different restaurants (in uniform) came in for a quick coffee. We started talking to the woman who worked there. Like lots of people we ment, she was very sweet and handed DD a “doggie bag” full of potato chips when we left. My father-in-law couldn't believe how inexpensive our bill was. He said drinks for the four of us were less than the one drink my MIL had had at the hotel bar! Clearly he was going to get an education from us in non-luxury travel.
Serghei (http://tinyurl.com/ydwf3zz) was just opening as we got there and the owner told us that if we were out by 9, he'd have a table for us. We were all pretty tired so that was fine. We settled in and my husband ordered the a bottle of Sangiovese (a reserve) which was delicious. I forgot to write down the name. I had the tortellini di zucca (pumpkin tortellini) which was awesome. DH had agnolotti which he said was good. In-laws had pasta too. I asked for a small portion for DD but they didn't have that so we ordered her a plate of tagliatelli a ragu (which we told her was spaghetti and meatballs). Most places did give small/half orders for kids but when they didn't, DH and I made sure nothing went to waste. DH, my mother-in-law and I all had stuffed zucchini for a second course which was wonderful. It had a lovely sweet and meaty taste. I think my FIL had some kind of meat. We noticed that the restaurant seemed to be mostly Americans or English for the “first seating”. DD behaved wonderfully. We were thrilled and didn't push our luck with dessert. Serghei was one of my favorite restaurants of the trip and wished we had a chance to go back there. Said good night to my in-laws and headed back to the hotel.
My husband and I both got very busy with work right before the trip. Our daughter was also starting preschool and we had other things going on at the same time. We anticipated this would be very busy so, for once, we were smart, and got everything and organized well ahead of time. We were all packed well before it was time to head to the airport and even had a chance to relax and make sure we brought everything. I will never make fun of people who pack in advance again! This was great. We checked in online and didn't have to wait at the airport. Off to a good start. The flight was uneventful which was a huge relief because our last few flights with DD have been hellish at best. DD was very interested in the airport and airplanes and sat and played with her new etch a sketch toy and markers for several hours. We put on her PJs and slippers and she watched some DVDs on the DVD player we brought and she fell asleep. I am also now a convert to the DVD player. Especially since kids will watch the same 3 cartons, without volume, ad nauseum. We had also talked to DD about the airport and got her a Curious George book about going on a plane so she was pretty excited about the plane ride.
When we arrived in Bologna I wondered how we would find our in-laws who were arriving from NY. When we landed, I looked out the window and there they were walking down the steps off their plane. It was a funny feeling to look out the window in Italy, in a jet-lagged haze and see your relatives! We got our bags and headed to our hotels. The in-laws stayed at the Grand Hotel Baglioni. Although it is a legendary hotel, it had some recent mixed reviews on Trip Advisor so we were sure how it would be. It turned out to be a great hotel. It is very centrally located and their room was big and very elegant. We found a better price on www.hotels.com then on the hotel's website. Perhaps the bad reviews were from people paying the rack rates?
For the first night we stayed at the Palazzo Trevi hotel which was lovely (http://www.palazzotrevi.it/). The people were incredibly nice, letting us check in very early, and had put a third bed into the room for DD. They even had put a guard on the extra bed for DD, without my asking, because I had given her age. The hotel is intelligently modernized but keeping its traditional style. And it was only about 10 doors down from our apartment. We all tried to take a nap but only my husband fell asleep so DD and I took a walk. We just walked around the block (which took about 45 minutes!). The general location is good. It is about a 15 minute walk to the Piazza Maggiore and in a residential neighborhood with good restaurants and right down the block from a nice cafe and salumerie. I did find that it felt a little far when we were constantly meeting the in-laws at their hotel and wouldn't have minded being a bit closer to them.
We woke up DH when we got back to the hotel room and headed out to meet grandma and grandpa. We were meeting at their hotel so we headed in that direction. We first stopped at that nice cafe I had scoped out earlier. We had some coffees and pastries. It was here that we discovered the magic weapon to a successful trip with DD - the lollipop. DD had never had a lollipop before (I must have been worried she'd choke) and all the tabacchi and cafes have big colorful displays of “chuppas” (the brand of lollipops) out front. We let her have one and she was hooked. Thereafter, whenever we wanted to DD to get back in her stroller, we'd bribe her with a lollipop and they never seemed to break their spell.
We took what appeared to be most direct, although not particularly scenic route, to the hotel. We ended up at the edge of the Piazza Maggiore at the start of Via Independenzia. We had our first look at Piazza Maggiore and, wow, it is impressive. It is a very large square with beautiful medieval buildings on all four sides. We were not sure what to expect in Bologna since it seems to be so off the regular tourist track. We figured that maybe it was one of those cities with one beautiful area and that this would be it. I'll break the suspense and tell you that was not the case at all. There were beautiful buildings and squares throughout the city. We were pretty late so didn't linger for two long in the square and headed toward the hotel. We couldn't seem to find the hotel, even though we had the address, which we thought strange since we understood the Grand Hotel Baglioni to be THE hotel in Bologna. After walking up and down the same block three times we saw the small entry way – actually the hotel is really up a flight of steps so it doesn't look like much from the street.
The lobby is quite elegant and I appreciated the doorman helping DH with the stroller up all those steps. We went up to look at in-laws room and were impressed. They had a spacious corner room with a big venetian glass chandelier and big bed with a silk headboard. We all headed out and walked around Piazza Maggiore a bit. DD had fallen asleep in her stroller so we took turns looking the huge Basilica San Petronio on the square. It looked there would be some good shopping in Bologna too – I spotted the usual chains but also some nice smaller stores. It was a beautiful day and despite not sleeping on the plane I felt fine. It was about 6pm by then so we started thinking about dinner. We were interested in going to Serghei which we found in the Slow Foods book. We headed toward the restaurant and realized that they probably didn't open until later. So to kill some time we went into a bar nearby. It was a real Italian bar, not a sit down place, but we were tired and didn't feel like walking. Looking back, I imagine that we were probably a strange sight – the five of us ranging from 2 to 79 standing around drinking cocktails and beer. Several waiters from different restaurants (in uniform) came in for a quick coffee. We started talking to the woman who worked there. Like lots of people we ment, she was very sweet and handed DD a “doggie bag” full of potato chips when we left. My father-in-law couldn't believe how inexpensive our bill was. He said drinks for the four of us were less than the one drink my MIL had had at the hotel bar! Clearly he was going to get an education from us in non-luxury travel.
Serghei (http://tinyurl.com/ydwf3zz) was just opening as we got there and the owner told us that if we were out by 9, he'd have a table for us. We were all pretty tired so that was fine. We settled in and my husband ordered the a bottle of Sangiovese (a reserve) which was delicious. I forgot to write down the name. I had the tortellini di zucca (pumpkin tortellini) which was awesome. DH had agnolotti which he said was good. In-laws had pasta too. I asked for a small portion for DD but they didn't have that so we ordered her a plate of tagliatelli a ragu (which we told her was spaghetti and meatballs). Most places did give small/half orders for kids but when they didn't, DH and I made sure nothing went to waste. DH, my mother-in-law and I all had stuffed zucchini for a second course which was wonderful. It had a lovely sweet and meaty taste. I think my FIL had some kind of meat. We noticed that the restaurant seemed to be mostly Americans or English for the “first seating”. DD behaved wonderfully. We were thrilled and didn't push our luck with dessert. Serghei was one of my favorite restaurants of the trip and wished we had a chance to go back there. Said good night to my in-laws and headed back to the hotel.
Nov 3rd, 2009, 03:15 PM
#20
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,830
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, we are very disppointed that your apartment in Bologna is not available when we can go. It rally looks like the best one available. Now I have to start searching again!
Thanks for this report, though.
Thanks for this report, though.
