Day 5

Today began my Bologna touring. I took a 2 hour walking tour and had them main sights pointed out with a little background on them. The guide was not as good as my one in Milan and we didn't get to enter any of the sights but it was still worthwhile. Later in the day I toured the 2 main churches, which were also just OK. The main thing of architectural interest are all the covered porticos lining the streets of the city. It's nice because they offer a little refuge from the inclimate weather.

This city also had a lot of towers at one time and still has some remaining. The towers were built by wealthy families as a means of protection from other wealthy families. In ancient Italy, they took keeping up with the Jones's to the extreme.

I wish I had more of interest to share with you about Bologna but other than the fact that it's picturesque and has very good food, there's no much to report. Tomorrow I am taking a day trip to Padua to see the Scrovegni Chapel and that city. I have learned my lesson and will be leaving earlier than I originally planned, in case the train runs late. The Scrovegni Chapel is another one of those must book in advance, for a certain time slot and I think you only get 20 minutes to see it. I am going to time this one to see if it is really 20 minutes or if they are on "Italian time".

By the way, my hotel has a resident dog, a laborador named Chocolatta. It appears she gets lots of treats but hopefully no chocolate.Read more