Josh and I packed the kids up for school – with the exception of Charlotte who decided to stay home and take it easy – and then we left to catch the train to Bologna. But not before Josh realized that he couldn’t find his camera. We looked and looked to no avail and so sadly, there will be no photos of Bologna, nor of art in Bologna. Maria would be coming over at 1pm (and Charlotte was OK on her own until then), and then she and her daughter would be taking all the kids for an overnighter to her house in the country.
I must admit, just boarding the train, the promise of a peaceful adult weekend seemed enticing. Josh and I both enjoy riding the train. It feels very…European. And, it’s really a very easy way to travel, particularly with the high-speed trains. It was a gray morning as we departed Rome. As soon as we were north of Florence, I saw it: snow -- couple feet of it! I was reminded that it does snow in Italy, just not where we live.
A short 2 hours and 20 minutes later, we arrived in Bologna. I was able to get a feel for the small town, which was immediately appealing, on our short taxi ride to our hotel. Most noteworthy were the covered walk-ways, or arcades, that made up the entire historical center of the town. Not only are they a unique and beautiful feature of Bologna but very practical as well in a town where it snows. For that matter, it’d be practical anywhere where there is any humidity.
Our hotel was perfectly located next to the beautiful main square, Piazza Maggiore. We checked in to Art Hotel Orologio, where we were upgraded to a suite. I wasn’t quite sure what to think as the porter took us outside and around the corner to what seemed like an apartment building entrance. Then we climbed one flight of stairs and voila! We entered a fantastic and extremely chic accommodation with several flat screen TVs, a small kitchen and a dining room table in a large living area.
A few minutes later were crossing Piazza Maggiore and admiring the renaissance buildings. We had a lunch reservation at one of Bologna’s oldest and most elegant establishments: Papagallo. Perhaps because my expectations for the cuisine in Bologna – the gastronomic capital of the gastronomic nation of Italy – were so high, I didn’t come away feeling sated. Josh and I shared an eggplant antipasto, the tagliatelle al ragu (Bolognese), and a dish of tortellini with a cheese and foie gras sauce. All the dishes were good. Actually, very good. But just not mind-blowing. Have our standards risen too high? We are eating so well in Rome. Perhaps Rome is just under-rated gastronomically.
We stopped at a bar (notable for all of the photos of Al Pacino in the movie Scarface covering all the walls) for a café before hopping a cab to the Art Fair. This is the biggest Contemporary Art Fair in Italy. Hundreds of galleries were in attendance and while the majority are from Italy they span Europe and even a few from North America set up shop. I haven’t attended too many of these types of events but it seemed to be very well laid-out and well-organized. From my perspective, a lot of the art was interesting but not purchasable. Among the hundreds of artists with work on display, Josh identified 14 that he liked. It was vast and there was a lot to see.
Once back at our hotel, we took a rest before dinner. In fact, we took such a long rest that we were late for our dinner reservation at Trattoria Frantonio. Just as lunch was formal and reserved, dinner was extremely informal and the place had a vibrant atmosphere. The owner apologized, he’d held our table for 15 minutes, if we’d called… He politely offered us a glass of Prosecco while we waited the five minutes for our table. For some reason, he took a liking to us as was evidenced by how much time he spent taking our order, walking us through the wine list and offering us tastes of this and that. While at the same time, the Spaniards at the table next to us were frustrated because they had to wait for everything. Again, certain dishes were flavorful but my filet, for example, was a bit on the chewy side. When we got up to pay the bill, we offered the owner the last glass of wine from our bottle as he’d mentioned it was one of his new favorites. He spent a good 15 minutes discussing and demonstrating his knowledge of wine and food. He offered us a digestive. As we spoke, he told us he was from Sardegna originally. Of course, another discussion ensued where he essentially drew us a map of where to go and advised us on hotels and food too.
Josh had made a reservation for us at a Jazz club. But by this time it was after 11pm and we’d already had a fair amount to drink. It was a cab ride away and we couldn’t decide if we should check it out or skip it and walk back to our hotel. We went back and forth for several cold blocks before the warmth of the hotel and guarantee of no smoke beckoned us.
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