Getting to Know Bologna

We kicked off our Bologna adventure with a relaxed first day, starting with a leisurely breakfast, some grocery shopping, and a stroll through the beautiful Centro Storico (historic center).

Our steps first led us to the iconic Due Torri (Two Towers), built between 1109-1119 … Asinelli, the taller of the two leaning towers, and Garisenda. Sadly, neither is open to visitors due to their pronounced tilt.

We were a bit surprised by the bustling — chaotic one might say — atmosphere around the towers. Of course, we were in what is probably the most touristy part of the city. We’ll have to see how the residential neighborhoods compare once we begin our recon in earnest.

Next, we headed to Piazza Maggiore, the heart of the city … which preserves Bologna’s 15th-century layout. We admired the beautiful palazzos, like d’Accursio (the city hall) and Biblioteca Salaborsa (the main public library), checked out the Fontana del Nettuno, and studied the architectural details all around us.

We had not planned to go inside any particular building, but we couldn’t resist checking out the Basilica di San Petronio, which was open and had no lines. The façade of this minor basilica, the construction of which began in 1390, remains incomplete to this day. Intentional or not? We’ll find out when we tour the city in earnest after we move here 🤞🏻. Inside, we found some cool murals and beautiful stained glass windows.

We continued our stroll, wandering by more palazzos and exploring the city’s UNESCO-listed arched porticos. One in particular caught our eye with its fresco-decorated roof vaults. The signs explained that Bologna’s porticos are an old architectural style that has stayed the same while changing over time. Contradictory? Sounds like it. We look forward to learning more about them.

Around 1:00p, we headed back to our neighborhood for lunch at a trattoria that Camilla, the manager of our AirBNB, had suggested. “The ragù tastes almost like my nonna’s!” … couldn’t ask for a better endorsement.

Trattoria La Montanara, with its striking red entrance, perfectly captured the Italian neighborhood vibe we were hoping for. The menu was entirely in Italian, and the owners and servers didn’t speak a word of English … which added to the authentic experience. The place was booked up inside, but we wanted to eat al fresco on the sidewalk anyway.

We knew exactly what we wanted: tagliatelle al ragù, a dish Bologna is famous for … more commonly known in the USA as Pasta Bolognese. It was absolutely delicious, and we enjoyed a ½ liter of the house red along with our pasta. For dessert, we shared a chocolate torta with Mascarpone and a Zuppa Inglesa. Yummy!

After lunch, we headed back to the apartment. Mui took a nap and then we started planning our neighborhood recons for the next few days. We have a short list of the areas we are considering and want to explore one of them each day before meeting with a realtor early next week.

A light dinner and now to bed.Read more