Nine months (Nine? How did that happen? I was sure it was only eight...) to the day after leaving New York for shores abroad I set foot in my first new European country. Quite surprising, seeing it's a stalwart of almost everyone's itinerary on their first trip to Europe, but I have finally made it to Italy. I went with my friend Sean to Bologna over a long weekend to dip my toes into the Roman world and to visit a friend Luca.Bologna is an eminently nice city. It's called the red city as most every building is a shade of red. The city center is mostly still medieval-aged structures and Bologna is home to the world's oldest university. A quirk in real estate measurements led to 42km of covered sidewalks in the city. In medieval times the property was priced (and I imagine taxed) based on the perimeter of the building on the ground. So to save money owners built a smaller base, then jutted the second floor out and supported it with arches. This resulted in covered archways lining many of Bologna's central streets. Lovely effect, and especially nice in the heat and/or rain.
Overall Bologna's a very quiet, small, but sophisticated, city. We had a good time exploring the city, dining, some people-watching in the piazzas. It wasn't the dinners laden with rivers of wine I'd anticipated, but I enjoyed myself, and I still have Rome to feel out that side of Italian life.
Friday we spent the day in Florence and what can one say but "Wow, the Duomo really is that amazing"? The whole city center is a post-card and I enjoyed getting to walk over the famous bridge with houses & stores on it. It was surprisingly uncrowded (note: I am using Times Square and Oxford Street as bases to measure this) for being such a tourist mecca; quite appreciated.
Now I am back in fair London. Already mentally planning the next time in Italy... Rome & Naples, I am thinking; it's time to see the South.
Cheers,
Shaun
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Shaun Coley
scoley@gmail.com
http://www.friendster.com/profiles/shaunism
London, UK
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