Despite all efforts to plan and schedule the Italian leg of our trip, there is nothing we can do about a public transport strike.
The strike incorporates buses, trains, and planes – so we aren’t going anywhere! We were meant to leave Bolonga today for San Gimiamo, but this will have to wait until tomorrow.
So today is a forced day of relaxation in the Bolognese country side – we can’t even get into town as we rely on the local bus service.
We arrived in Bologna yesterday afternoon, after a short train trip from Venice (2 hours). We managed to navigate the local bus system with the help of a local and shortly after arrived at our B&B which is located in the country side hills overlooking farmland and the city – about 15 minutes drive out of town.
Its absolutely beautiful here. The relaxing surroundings, the peacefulness of the Italian country side… Its just what we needed – a change from staying in city’s.
After a relaxed afternoon of sitting on our balcony overlooking the country side, and having a few refreshing beers… and a nap… it was time for dinner out on the patio where we could watch the sun setting over Bologna.
We selected the local traditional plater and a salad to share for dinner, which was made up of all local produce including; salami, prosciutto, mortadela (which originated here in Bologna), dips and sauces, pickled peppers, pickled onions, pork fat, parmesan, and two types of bread – one a fried flat bread, and the other a small hard bread (resembling a hard flat scone). Our meal was accompanied by a glass or two of wine, and some conversation with the owner.
It really topped of a very relaxing afternoon – it was beautiful sitting outside, eating dinner, watching the sun go down.
Today we have plans to catch the bus into town and look around. Bologna – what we saw briefly of it yesterday – appears to be a lovely city with lots to see, and it has a reputation for amazing local food (Parma – where Parma ham is from, and Modena – where the fine Balsamic is from, are both just up the road).
You can see the rest of our photos from Bologna.
