Bologna, my new love
I left Florence yesterday morning. I have heard many extoll her beauties and splendor, but I could not get out fast enough. Perhaps had my love been with me it would have been different. Or if I were looking for a love it would have been different indeed. But as it was, I was far too lonely in the city full of people. Funny how being alone in nature is fine, but alone in a crowd of people makes me desperate.
I will remember my brief sojourn in Florence with a few images. Everything seemed a faded royal blue, kind of grimy, lots of shadows, and the skeletons of what must have once been an absolutely stunning city in its hayday. Now it needs a good scrub. Apologies to all Firenzeophiles out there. I know full well i did not stay long enough to take in her splendours. The museum hours are crazy there – it seems every place has different hours, some open at certain hours, half days, first third or fifth sundays only, etc. And you need to pay to reserve a ticket for a museum. Kind of silly. And made me miss dear London.
I was happy to find myself on the train. I am finding this to be true in general. As long as I am moving, i feel well. I know I am going somewhere. When I am in one place, sometimes it overwhelms me with loneliness or internal drama of which I will not write.
But NOW. Now I have arrived in a beautiful city in which I feel totally fine wandering on my own. Bologna is beautiful, like a well dressed lady in her fifties: classy, clean, fun. The city has far less tourists, and far more places to sit, congregate, chat, take in the views, etc. I love the main piazza which is full not of statues (though Neptune and his water-spurting-boobied female friends are impressive), but of people to watch. Some lying down, some doing tricks on bikes, some drinking and watching, many talking, some sketching, and so on.
Last night I fulfilled my purpose of coming to Bologna. I ate a superb meal, though not without wandering the streets for hours first. Anyone who knows me well will know that if I do not have meals at least at semi-regular times, I go a bit mad. I was in full food crisis mode, resorting to re-entering a cheese shop multiple times to sample the huge chunks of parmaggiano cheese. The cheese melted in my mouth. It was far creamier than any parmesan cheese I have ever had. Fantastic. I will have to go buy a bunch today.
Eventually I found a little restaurant where I could sit outside and watch people go by. I ordered the local pasta specialty, whose name escapes me of course, with bolognese sauce. The sauce was amazing. The meat was dry, and obviously cooked in wine. No veg or other spices as far as I could see, but this sauce was incredible. My secondi involved a caprese salad tomato, basil and buffala mozzarella. It was also incredible, and the cheese was CREAMY! Mmmmmm…. I was ambitous and ordered half a litre of wine, though I only managed to get through half of it.
After stuffing myself with food and wine, I spent a rather scary late night trying to find my way back to my hostel, which is located way out of town among farm fields, essentially. The bus I knew did not run after eight, and it was already past eleven. I got a good look at some unsavoury characters, one of whom came right up to a girl beside me and got right in her face, slamming his fist beside her. I would have cried, I think. Anyway, I was thankful that a few other girls on the bus were headed for the hostel, so I stayed near them and eventually rolled in to bed safe and sound.
Today I am getting a good look at this hostel. I am currently in a common room full of teenagers singing along to music videos blaring on the TV. The showers are cold, and the whole place rather industrial, but it is cheap and fine and safe (aside for getting here late at night).
I have decided to stay in Bologna until tomorrow, then I am off to Venice where hopefully I will meet up with Zoe, my Assissian friend.
Today;s objective: more tasty food.
Tags: Italy
blueskies
I agree with you on Florence.
Go into the library in the main square. When we were there they had a display on the top floor with the civic plan for the next 25 years of Bologna. Great.
Also, gelato anywhere outside the piazza magiore is great too. There is a ridiculously good gelato sandwich on a sweet panatone-like bun I would kill for. Also, drink some coffee even if you don’t like coffee.
Hmmm, should have read Kenneth’s comment before writing my own on your next entry. Sofia told us about the Gelato place, it’s a bit off the Piazza…I hope you find it. Sorry to be so imprecise. PS there was a major aftershock last night, so earthquake is still in train…do you need us to send you some earthquake vocab in Italian? I suspect the average phrasebook doesn’t cover those things.