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Post by amboseli on Jun 5, 2018 11:53:08 GMT
Last week my husband and I went on a citytrip to Bologna. We got off the plane at 6:30 pm with 28° and drizzle. Hot and humid, not a good start of the trip. We took the Aerobus to Bologna Centrale, then walked the 5 minutes to our hotel. Our room was nice enough but the A/C didn't work well. The hotel was fully booked, so it was impossible to change rooms. Again, not a good start of the trip. We did get a different room a few days later with a good working but very loud A/C. Oh well, we survived. To be honest, Bologna didn't blow us away. For us it lacked character and atmosphere and we didn't find the monuments to have a 'wow' factor. The churches made up for this, and there are lots of them as in any Italian city. But first some general photos ... The Due Torri is one of the landmarks of Bologna. Two towers, both leaning (not as bad as the one in Pisa, though), one of which can be climbed. My husband did, 498 steps, and a nice view over the city roofs as a reward. Some more general pictures. Lots of graffity, unfortunately. I love street art, but not graffity that is only meant to besmear.
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Post by mossie on Jun 5, 2018 13:18:20 GMT
A lot of very ecclesiastical architecture, but a very rude statue; poor dolphin to have a lady peeing on you all the time !!
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Post by amboseli on Jun 5, 2018 15:14:25 GMT
mossieThere were four of these 'ladies', on every corner of the statue.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 5, 2018 15:48:30 GMT
Oh, Bologna still looks very nice, Amboseli, but I admit that most Europeans have a considerably higher level to attain the "wow" factor. But it is always good to see these places even if there is a sort of disappointment compared to other places -- that's how we find out what we prefer.
I am always reminded of advice that I have given to people going to Southeast Asia when they ask which temples they should see and in what order. I have always told them "Save Angkor Wat for last or every other temple will be a disappointment." I'm sure it holds true for lots of sights in Europe, but I would never be presumptuous enough to say which is the "best" place. I have always loved Paris, but I remember very well writing to my parents when I went to Rome for the first time: "Rome is 5 times more impressive than Paris!" Thinking of the person that I was back then (age 17!), I understand my over enthusiastic reaction but I also know that as the years have gone by, I moderate my opinions more and more while still totally appreciating new things that I see.
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Post by amboseli on Jun 5, 2018 17:52:53 GMT
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Post by bjd on Jun 5, 2018 17:59:43 GMT
It looks more like a city that is good to live in rather than to visit for a couple of days. All the architecture you have shown us seems to be rather stately.
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Post by fumobici on Jun 5, 2018 18:31:29 GMT
Thank you so much amboseli, this is infinitely better than my crappy little Bologna essay.
Bologna seems a bit polarizing. I love it but my father doesn't. These photos rekindle and feed that affection for me. The local culture is notably learned and cosmopolitan, the city being one of the first university towns in existence, and the food justifiably renowned. It isn't the prettiest Italian city, I'll admit.
Can't wait to see Ravenna, I did a report here on that wonderful little city back when we were all children here.
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Post by amboseli on Jun 5, 2018 18:37:24 GMT
All the architecture you have shown us seems to be rather stately. My thoughts exactly. It got quite boring after a while.
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Post by amboseli on Jun 5, 2018 18:49:32 GMT
Thank you so much amboseli, this is infinitely better than my crappy little Bologna essay. Bologna seems a bit polarizing. I love it but my father doesn't. These photos rekindle and feed that affection for me. The local culture is notably learned and cosmopolitan, the city being one of the first university towns in existence, and the food justifiably renowned. It isn't the prettiest Italian city, I'll admit. Can't wait to see Ravenna, I did a report here on that wonderful little city back when we were all children here. I read your reports on Bologna and Ravenna. Your photos of Ravenna are much brighter than mine. We had lousy weather and I never touch up my photos. But I feel the same way you do: raw photos often don't exhibit what my eye/brain sees. The food in Bologna was divine! Never have we eaten better anywhere in Italy. I'll post the Ravenna part later tonight or tomorrow. And the food part ...
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 5, 2018 19:43:05 GMT
As delightful as all of these photos are, I still have the terrorist attack of the train station embedded in my brain. Some places seem to be marked for generations by an unfortunate event.
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Post by amboseli on Jun 5, 2018 20:47:32 GMT
I have that, too. Also every time we are in the departures zone on Brussels Airport. That will never go away.
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Post by amboseli on Jun 5, 2018 20:57:54 GMT
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 5, 2018 21:19:31 GMT
Take us with you Amboseli!
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Post by amboseli on Jun 5, 2018 21:31:28 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 5, 2018 21:56:42 GMT
Amazing mosaics everywhere! I thought you'd be eating spaghetti bolognese for every meal.
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Post by amboseli on Jun 5, 2018 22:06:27 GMT
Spaghetti bolognaise doesn't even exist in Bologna! First of all the sauce is called ragù - you and I know that - and it's served with tagliatelli, which I didn't know. My husband ate it once but he says the one I make is better. He's a charmer.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 6, 2018 3:36:25 GMT
I'm blown away by this report, Amboseli! It's always a special thrill when someone I "know" from anyport goes to a place that has been on my radar. It's a double treat, too, what with Fumobici having also covered these towns a while back.
Bologna first -- what got me thinking about Bologna as a place to go were the recommendations I've read about visiting Bologna & using it as a base, rather than Florence. Looking at your pictures, I can see that the city is squarer and plainer and has far fewer furbelows than one might expect in Italy. Even though the church interiors you show are certainly something to see, what I'm in love with are those cloistered areas. I also like the very large, rather severe buildings which confidently exude power and I absolutely adore the shots from the tower. Of course I've heard about the food and your pictures and comments make it seem even better.
Ravenna is about as awe-inspiring as anything could be! The elaborate and lifelike ornamentation and the somewhat unexpected colors in the churches are fabulous enough, but those Byzantine-looking mosaics make me want to go right through the monitor.
I particularly appreciate that you state exactly how you reacted to Bologna, as that's all part of the experience. After the day trip, did you wish you'd spent more time in Ravenna, or are its charms limited?
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Post by bjd on Jun 6, 2018 5:23:04 GMT
Bixa, those mosaics are not just "Byzantine-looking", they are Byzantine. Although, from Amboseli's photos, they look as though they have been cleaned up a bit since I saw them in 1984.
I don't know whether Ravenna is worth keeping as a base. It's quite small as a town and not really on the way to anywhere. But those churches with the mosaics are one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I even bought a book about them!
I don't really appreciate getting older, but at least I was able to visit many places, especially in Italy, which are now just brimful of tourists. In Ravenna, there were just a few of us in the churches at times. I can't remember which church it was where there was a guided group and the guide kept yelling, "Luce!" and a tourist would leap up to put money into a box so that the lights would come on!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 6, 2018 6:05:53 GMT
Interestng, Bjd! I just looked up Ravenna's history -- fascinating!
That's a crass shame about holding the lights hostage in that way.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 6, 2018 9:20:30 GMT
Bologna rather than Florence might be a good idea. They are on a main rail line. The last time I was in Florence, there were so many tourists that it was difficult to move around. I was staying there overnight after working at one of those youth conferences where all the world's problems are ironed out, a lot of wine, beer and joints consumed, etc. Thirty years earlier, of course there were tourists - there have been tourists there for centuries - but no such oppressive press of people. Bologna is not so obviously attractive, but it has been a major university centre for many, many centuries and has that lively but serious feeling. Lots of bicycles. It is fairly flat and easy to walk around. bjd, the dominant colour seems similar to Toulouse. Toulouse is "la ville rose"; Bologna is "la rossa" also "la dotta" and "la grassa". Indeed thinking of the terrorist attack at the railway station is chilling. The perpetrators were a neo-fascist cell; the neo-fascists killed far more people than the Brigate rosse did (not that I'm excusing the latter). Their "strategy" was to attack large numbers of ordinary people, and the Bologna attack deliberately targeted families leaving for summer holidays. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna_massacre
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Post by amboseli on Jun 6, 2018 9:49:17 GMT
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Post by amboseli on Jun 6, 2018 9:52:27 GMT
From Bologna to Firenze is only half an hour on the fast train. We did want to make a daytrip, but I'm glad we chose the more quiet Ravenna. I also think Firenze is worth more a day.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 6, 2018 11:52:38 GMT
Definitely. If you go there for a day to see the cathedral, baptistry etc you will just be gobsmacked by the hordes; it is necessary to at least walk around to other areas. Even Santa Croce is quieter. And yes, the rail journey is very short, and there are frequent trains on that line. Rather remarkable as the two cities are so different, as is the food and general ambiance. I'd have liked to do a "real" trip to Ravenna, I only went there for a day-trip on a bus from the university in the northeast where I was doing a summer course.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 6, 2018 14:52:49 GMT
Better and better, Amboseli! Forty kilometers of arcades?! That a tourist draw all by itself, and the frescos are a fascinating historical plus.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 6, 2018 18:27:32 GMT
Stendhal also loved the arcades, a wonderful solution in a rainy northern city.
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Post by fumobici on Jun 7, 2018 4:11:33 GMT
I don't think I've ever been in Bologna on a rainy day, but I'm sure those porticoed streets would be wonderful refuge then. The photos of Ravenna are very nice, I love Ravenna as just a small Northern Italian city with a significant centro storico and San Vitale is as indescribably beautiful inside as it is nondescript on the outside. The Bolognese food photos are killing me. I want.
As for Bologna as a base, if you are traveling by train, it is wonderfully situated. You have so much, from Torino and Milan to Florence and Venice (and I've left a *lot* out here) within easy riding distance. The train between Bologna and Florence seems longer than the distance though, all the tunnels annoy me because i know how beautiful the Apennines are that you are traveling mostly beneath. The Autostrada connecting the two is spectacular if little hairy, but if you've got lots of time, driving the two-lane secondary roads over the mountains is well worth doing.
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Post by amboseli on Jun 7, 2018 10:17:33 GMT
We've had rain and sunshine. The portico's were really welcome! There's a fast train running between Bologna and Ravenna. Abt. 30 min.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 7, 2018 10:21:28 GMT
That is true, the tunnels are frustrating. But since I don't drive, the train line allows me to get around easily in that region. Afterwards, one can usually take buses to interesting smaller towns in the area. The food does look good, but very rich! Though nowadays, with a major university, there are doubtless vegetarian or more vegetable-centric places as well. (I'm not vegetarian; I'd just have a hard time digesting so much meat and rich dairy). eatlikeagirl.com/where-to-eat-and-drink-in-bologna/
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Post by amboseli on Jun 7, 2018 11:15:44 GMT
The food does look good, but very rich! Though nowadays, with a major university, there are doubtless vegetarian or more vegetable-centric places as well. (I'm not vegetarian; I'd just have a hard time digesting so much meat and rich dairy). eatlikeagirl.com/where-to-eat-and-drink-in-bologna/Yes, the food is very rich. We love it! With all the students in Bologna, there is also a lot of fastfood like McDo, Burger King, piadina and kebab places, etc. From the list, we had dinner at Montanara. While it wasn't bad, it surely was not our best meal with very fast service. We were in and out in just over an hour for a 3-course meal + coffee. Very touristy, too, what we always try to avoid! We've had two restaurants with menus in Italiano only, and staff that didn't welcome us in German/English. This is what we prefer.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 7, 2018 12:11:58 GMT
Oh, I was sure that there would be néfaste food as well, but not looking for that, except perhaps the piadina, which is probably the local quick meal. it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piadina_romagnolaWell, Belgian food is also rather rich! And quite different (better) than Dutch food with the same weather and ingredients. Oh, I'm sure it is delicious - just might be a bit hard to digest...
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