At the University of Bologna's Botanic Garden and Herbarium.

Tulips at the University of Bologna's Botanic Garden and Herbarium.

Frilled tulip at the University of Bologna's Botanic Garden and Herbarium.

Frilled tulips at the University of Bologna's Botanic Garden and Herbarium.

Japanese cherry tree blooms at the University of Bologna's Botanic Garden and Herbarium.

Geraniaceae erodium pelargoniflorum ... at the University of Bologna's Botanic Garden and Herbarium.

Japanese Camellia at the University of Bologna's Botanic Garden and Herbarium.

One of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed through hybridization.

The Canale delle Moline (Mill Canal) is a continuation of the Reno Canal — Bologna.

Canale delle Moline ... from the other direction several streets over — Bologna.

Finestrella di Via Piella (Little Window of Via Piella) is at the far end — Bologna.

Lunch at Trattoria Montanara — Bologna, Italy.

Stained glass panel at the entrance of a church — Bologna, Italy.

Limestone wall panel on a building — Bologna, Italy.

Victory/Due Torri mural/street art — Bologna, Italy.

L’Orto Botanico e l’Erbario

April 6 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

Spring is definitely making its presence known with another day in a series of blue skies, sunshine, and comfy temperatures. Hope it’s here to stay … at least for a while.

After breakfast, we headed off to check out the Botanic Garden and Herbarium of the University of Bologna. Established in the 16th century, the garden is amongst the oldest in Europe.

The sign at the entrance indicated that the grounds cover some two hectares, reaching as far as the ancient city walls. It didn’t feel that big to us … but then a good chunk of the garden was off-limits … perhaps being restored. Nor were the greenhouses open. In that respect, our outing was a bit disappointing. But we did get to stroll in a peaceful setting on a beautiful spring day, so that was lovely.

From the botanic garden, our steps took us to our old neighborhood … Irnerio … where we stayed in an AirBNB for nearly three weeks during our recon trip last fall. We checked out the canal … dry last fall; water flowing now. And stopped to photograph some murals/street art and antique door accessories.

Since we were in the area, we decided to have lunch at our favorite restaurant … Trattoria Montanara … where we had our very first meal in Bologna last fall. Our timing was perfect. No sooner were we seated at a table on the sidewalk that the place filled up … inside and out.

A half-liter carafe of red wine … Sangiovese. A delicious shredded artichoke salad to start …. garnished with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, EVOO, balsamic vinegar, and pine nuts. We both ordered the tagliatelle al ragù as our main dish and finished with gelato topped with Fabbri cherries. All delicious … all top-notch food … as one might expect in Italy’s culinary capital.

A very pleasant spring outing to kick off another week of our expat life in Italy.Read more