Continuing the Neighborhood Recon

Up early again!

As we sipped our morning beverages, we chatted about our plan for finding an apartment. We also took a look at a map of Bologna, which shows the main quarters of the city and the neighborhoods within them. Now that we know the city better, we feel more confident about getting a real estate agent involved in our search sooner rather than later.

When we left the apartment for today’s neighborhood tour, we headed out to find the building that’s been on Mui’s list almost since we decided to pursue expat life in Bologna. The building looked good, but we didn’t like the vibe of the neighborhood. We’ll still check it out when the agent calls us back, however … just to see how it compares to other properties.

We then took a meandering walk to see some other apartments Mui found on the real estate website. They were all in quiet neighborhoods, even though they were close to the hubbub of Piazza Maggiore. One of them was great because it would be available on January 1st, so we wouldn’t have to pay rent for it to sit empty in the interim. Another was great because it was a duplex penthouse with a big terrace and amazing views. Some properties didn’t make the cut for a variety of reasons. Anyway, we now have a list of potential apartments for which to schedule showings.

With the ‘work’ part of our day done, we were free to do whatever we wanted, if only we could decide what that was.

Since it was Saturday, it seemed like all of Bologna was out on the streets. Looking down Via Rizzoli from near the Due Torri end of the street, it looked like there was a sea of people walking down the street. Feeling like salmon swimming against the currents, we decided to seek out a trattoria on a back street, grab a bite to eat, do some people watching, and talk about what to do with the rest of our day.

Finding a table on a Saturday was quite the challenge! We finally decided to try sidewalk dining at Bella Pasta on Via Altabella. It looked a bit touristy, but it had a rating of 4.5, so we figured we’d give it a shot. The food was delicious—I had tagliatelle al ragù, and Mui enjoyed the Polpetti Bolognese (Bolognese-style meatballs). The table wine we ordered to go with our meal was very smooth. Sadly, the cozy atmosphere of a trattoria was missing.

Volleying ideas back and forth as we ate, we settled on Giardini Margherita for today’s ’fun after work’ sightseeing. Plus, it would give us a chance to walk off the calories from lunch. The gardens — more like a park really — are said to be a favorite among the Bolognese. It felt peaceful, even with all the people enjoying the warm afternoon sun. We walked along the paths, took a stroll around the pond, and stopped to admire the fountains. The trees were starting to show some fall colors, making the scenery beautiful.

After resting our feet on a bench in the shade, we started our walk back to the apartment.

An easy day is called for tomorrow. Well-deserved, But also because we have some computer work to do, showings to schedule, and one more apartment location to check out. After that, we’ll just see where the day takes us.Read more