Six Little 'Monas' in Bologna and Firenze...

Everyone loves a long weekend...especially an unexpected one. With two long weekends in May, six of us teachers decided to book a little Italian vacation. A few weeks ago, out of nowhere, we got a school-wide email that the weekend we had booked our trip for was now not going to be a long weekend; it was being moved to the week after. After an initial panic, it seemed that we were able to take the holiday after all...along with most of the staff at ASB. So, we were looking forward to the trip already, but now counted ourselves lucky to be living the dolce vita while our poor colleagues were at work.

Anyway, onto Italia. Now, I went to Milan back in January, but I don't feel I went with the fully open heart, and open stomach, that you need in order to completely appreciate this beautiful country. This time, I was determined to experience everything with utterly open arms- no holding back.

Elena and I chilling out at our first apartment...

We flew into Bologna on Friday night, getting a taxi to our Air BnB apartment. I'd definitely recommend this apartment for up to 4 people- with the 6 of us, it was a little tight, but still manageable. For me, the most important aspect of a flat is location, location, location- and this one had a fantastic one, right in the heart of the old city. The quaint building, with its heavy door and flowery courtyard, was quite at odds with the modern interior, complete with a TV that had 2000 channels (mostly of bird documentaries it would seem, but still!). The host also provided us with milk, Cokes, and a free bottle of wine- so our hearts were automatically won.

I have to admit, I fell in love this weekend. Not with a man, but with a city- who knew Bologna would be so charming? Even in the rain, it managed to steal my heart- with it's high archways, it's picturesque buildings, and general friendly ambience. I love it when the highlight of the city is simply the city itself- and also, when a city doesn't seem to know just how cool it is. The fact that I felt like this about the city in the rain shows that it must be true love. Whenever I go to a new city, I always get a gut feeling- and Bologna gave me a good jolt in my stomach. The last time I felt like that was in Barcelona, so who knows what the future may hold...?

For now, let's talk about some of the more random sights in Bologna. There were the meat dresses, Lady Gaga style:

Bologna has its very own Leaning Towers, just like Pisa:

There was this rather strange fountain- slightly religious, slightly letchy, with angels grabbing all sorts of inappropriate things:

Onto the food. We started with an incredible breakfast, where I rediscovered my sweet tooth. The 'sfogliatella'- tiny shell-shaped flaky pastries with the most amazing creamy lemony and chocolately fillings- were literally to die for. My tastebuds were in absolute heaven- the texture, the sweet yet slightly bitter flavour- just writing about it is actually making me salivate. A cappucino was the perfect accompaniment, of course- no-one can produce a coffee quite like the Italians.

It's been a while since I have been out for a full Italian meal- or had pasta, for that matter. Both of those things made the whole meal even better, especially when washed down with a gorgeous red wine, and a sip of the girls' Lambrusco. We found a lovely little restaurant down one of the side streets that seemed a little more authentic- nothing seemed too touristy in this city, but Ristorantino Il Tinello seemed particularly local. Retro posters on the wall, one wall flanked with dozens of old wine bottles, lamp shades and table cloths that look like they were straight out of the seventies. When in Bologna, you obviously have to try the Bolognese sauce...with one bite, I suddenly remembered why I love Italian food so much. So much rich flavour in such a simple sauce...and of course, the pasta was cooked to perfection. The caprese salad and flan served as nice bookends to the meal respectively- and I'm sure we amused the owners with our tantalising (!!) conversation, especially as we stayed two hours after everyone else left...

Caprese salad

Random pasta shop that we passed...mmm.

So, other food/drink highlights of Bologna. A fantastic Italian custom that is popping up all over Italy is the 'aperitivo'- you pay a set price for a cocktail and unlimited buffet food, usually around €8-10 euros. Pasta, pizza, salad, pastries. We managed to find one restaurant offering aperitivos outside the usual early evening schedule, and thought it was pretty good...in hindsight, this was distinctly average compared to the wondrous aperitico experience we had in Firenze. More on that in a second...

Enjoying aperitivos in Bologna...

Here are some more random moments from Bologna...

We'd all been set to head home after the aperitivos, but then we found that the city had come alive- the students had come out to play. After spying an inflatable penis by the leaning towers (I'm sure there is an innuendo in there, somewhere), we headed down Via Indepenzia, where people were spilling out of the bars. Nina, Lide and I decided to see what this vibrant nightlife was all about...and ended up in the most un-English English bar I've ever been to. The most English thing about it was the big red telepone box inside, and the gin and tonics in our hands. This was one of the best places for dancing I've been in a while- the DJ was playing quite an eclectic mix, from Mambo Number 5 to Bailando. With our sensual (a-ha, a-ha) moves, we managed to both scare and attract the locals- but when you are dancing like nobody is watching, you are bound to split opinions.

So, it was with a slightly sore head that we got on the train to Firenze the next morning. Considering our return tickets were around €20 each, I was pleasantly surprised with both the speed and quality of the trains. Only 37 minutes, and we were in the bustling Renaissance city. We were immediately greeted with Italian generosity/laziness (you decide)- as we got on the bus towards our second Air BnB, the driver told us that there were 'no more tickets'...and just waved us through onto the bus. 

Token train photo with Nina!

Our second AirBnB apartment was also in a great location- not quite as central as the first Bologna flat, but in a nice quiet area, around 20 minutes from the main attractions. What this flat lacked in proximity, it made up for in space- both inside and outside. With two floors and a cute little terrace, this flat had less of the 'sleepover' feel of the flat before, where we kept sending each other into fits of giggles whenever any of the other girls moved. That's not saying that we didn't get ridiculously child-like at one point...the title of this post gives a little clue as to how. That's all I'm saying!

  

Astrid teaching me how to apply lipstick!

My general confused look.

Firenze...how did it compare to Bologna? On first impression, I still preferred my beloved Bologna- Firenze seemed a little too touristy, and ironically a little more soulless. Don't get me wrong, the Duomo is something else- a geometric, Renaissance masterpiece. Maybe I would have felt differently if I had gone inside, but I did not feel anything looking at it. The 360 degree view from the Piazzo Michelangelo however...that was when I got a true sense of the grandiosity of Firenze. A far-reaching antique city, with the rolling hills of Tuscany in the background- that is when you can feel the power and presence of this city.

In front of the Basilica de Santa Maria.

The Duomo in all its glory.

OK, enough pomposity- let's bring it back to the food. First of all, the gelatos. Going to Italy and not having a gelato, is kind of like going to Spain and not having tapas. It's just not done. Luckily, Nina had a friend that had all sorts of wonderful tips about Firenze- one of which was about an ice-cream shop by the river called La Carraia. As we walked up to it, we knew this had to be a good tip. It's the first time I've seen people queuing up to get ice-cream. Then, we got the ice-cream...white chocolate and pistachio. Now it's time to get dramatic. Literally the best ice cream I have ever tasted. May sound melodramatic, but I promise you it was not. This ice cream was literally a dream. My craving for ice cream that day may not have helped but still...I defy anyone with a sweet tooth and not think this is the best gelato ever invented.

The queue outside.

How about the savoury side of things? We were lucky enough to find not one, but two great places to eat while we were in Florence...both of which were tucked away outside the main tourist trap. The first was another 'aperitivo' place, again courtesy of Nina's friend (thank you so much!). This place involved us walking half an hour in the opposite direction to the city centre, away from the crowds, and past a wild-looking park and some Cubans having a mini street party. When we got there, it was definitely worth the walk- it felt like a resort, with the beautifully ornate building next to a lit-up swimming pool. This setting was enough to make this a special experience, but then the aperitvos came out. And kept coming out. Salty doughnut balls, a unique mozarrella, risotto with bell peppers, deliciously seasoned frankfurters, pizza slices...not only quantity, but quality too. The cocktails were pretty good too- I had a whisky sour for the first time in a long time, and it set off our feast nicely. The bar atmosphere inside was a little weird, so we headed back after our meal- but not before a little bit of fun on the zipwire in the playground! 

  

Our final meal in Firenze was a pretty special one too- Lide spotted a lovely local restaurant, Tratorria Anita, down a side street that was offering an incredible deal. Three courses- pasta, second course, and a side dish, for only €10 per person. Here, I found my favourite type of pasta- pasta al cozze, or shellfish pasta. Then, my favourite salad- caprese- and fairly average broccoli, but it didn't matter with the quality of the other two dishes. We seemed to be surrounded by locals, which can only be a good sign.

So, my final thoughts on famous Firenze- I'm very glad I visited, but I'm even happier that I got to explore the 'other side of the river'- the one with less tourists, more uncrowded bars and restaurants, and an incredible view. Walking through this side and the other sometimes felt like two different cities; one side felt like we were walking through a postcard, the other side through a quaint, unpretentious Italian city. You can probably tell from my language which one I preferred.

Summing up a trip like this is always difficult, but I'm going to try. Bologna brought a little spark to my soul- more like a new-found friend- while Firenze was more like a celebrity I have wanted to meet for ages. Initially overwhelming and disappointing, as everyone wants a piece- but if you spend more time and delve a little deeper, you find the beauty and humanity. 

A special thanks to Lide, Nina, Elena, Julie and Astrid for being such wonderful travel companions, and thanks to Lide for her fantastic camera and photography!

Tired but happy!