Last week I jumped straight to the Italian food and ignored the whole beautiful setting that surrounded us. Italy. Emilia-Romagna. Bologna. I must have been hungry. Hence I wanted to now revisit with you some of the beautiful scenery and buzzing city life that surrounded us. Tasty wines. Good food (yes, again), pleasant strolls around the town.
If you have never been to Bologna you should stop by. I know, Rome, Milan or Venice might be the more likely candidates to end up in your travel itinerary but hey, Bologna is on the way from Milan to Rome! Just one hour by train from Milan and two hours from Rome, not far from the beaches of the Emilia-Romagna region and surrounded by hills thick with vineyards. Quite a perfect location, what do you think?
Bologna, the Red One
Bologna is red. The buildings and porticoes lining up the streets celebrate the different shades of red, pink, rusty and rose. And you can take it all in while exploring the city on foot. With just under 400,000 inhabitants the city is big enough to entertain different tastes but small enough to be explored by foot. You don’t even need to worry about the weather as almost 40 kilometers of ancient porticoes shelter you from wind and rain.
And the city should be explored by foot. Almost hidden canals, small welcoming trattorias and cafes invite you to get to know the city’s hidden sights and to chill in the sun with a cappuccino or a glass of local wine. For ideal walking tours you can pick up a copy of the tourist office walking trail map and choose one to your liking. And once you get tired of walking you can just hop in a bus or make another stop at a cafe for one cappuccino more, or a delicious serving of gelato, special Italian ice cream.
Bologna, the Fat and the Wise One
If you are not quite sure about Bologna yet, what do you think about this one; Bologna is the food capital of Italy. It has the most Protected Destin of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication food products in Italy, and maybe you have tasted one of these. Mortadella, the rich dried and cured ham; tortellini and tagliatelle pastas, range of local wines, Parmigiano cheese… And besides food, it also has the oldest university in the world. The fat and the wise, you see.
I think the shop window below I found in Bologna sums our visit to this red, fat and wise city up quite nicely. As a family we often head for the locations where we can do our activity of a choice whether it is kayaking, skiing, biking or hiking, and maybe we miss out in other kinds of experiences. Despite the lack of our usual sporty adventures Bologna felt just right. Just perfect for a short adventure in a city for a mom and little baby girl. I may have not gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be. We’ll be back!
More information
Packing your bags already? Here is a useful collection of links for more information:
Me and my baby visited Bologna and the surrounding regions for four days as part of the Blogville project, supported by Emilia Romagna, Budget Traveller and Traveldudes. 
Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, italy 
ConnieFoggles
One of the places I dream to visit is Italy. I’d have to stay a long time because of the many cities I’d want to see. I’m adding Bologna to the list now. Just lovely.
Satu Vänskä-Westgarth
I know, there is so much to see in Italy! Great to hear that Bologna made your list as well. :)