Italy 2014
family, Italy
Hello, Bologna
And so, our adventure continues. Up early to prep for departure from Sicily — Liz and Mike to Bologna where we will meet with sister Carla and her husband Les, and Charlie and Jane to Catania, where they will spend one last night in Sicily before flying back home to the U.S. In our industry, […]
family, Italy
Santo Stefano: A Bologna landmark
As the detailed booklet we bought for five Euros tells us, “it was probably a pure, rich spring that began the wonderful history of Santo Stefano about 2,000 yeas ago.” About a five-block walk from the Hotel San Donato in Bologna’s central historic district, Santo Stefano is really a cluster of churches that are all […]
family
Bologna Monday
Rick Steve’s is totally wrong. Bologna is very much worth a visit, and very much worth an extended stay. First off, breakfast at the Hotel San Donato is great. You can even make yourself a caprese salad. Or, choose yogurt and muesli, hard-boiled eggs, pastries, scrambled eggs, various meats, fresh fruit, a slice of tart, […]
family, Italy
A whole world under a library
We know it’s true that a library holds entire worlds, but few libraries hold an actual ancient civilization under the floorboards. Visit the Instituzione Biblioteche del Comune di Bologna, and you will definitely want to look in the basement. The main floor of the library is constructed of thick plexiglas tiles, through which you will get […]
family, Italy
Bologna Wednesday: Off to Florence
We plunk down our 50 Euros per person for a round trip on the high-speed train to Florence. This will give us a new experience — riding a train in Italy — and will get us back to our tourist-free Bologna streets by dinnertime. Looking forward to a ride in the countryside, we are surprised […]
family, Italy
Bologna Thursday — Time to reflect and consider
The rooftop of the Hotel San Donato is the perfect place to sketch — and to appreciate the ancient towers, churches, red tiles rooftops, and iron crosses that stretch out in waves. We don’t have much time left in this beautiful city, so we need to make the most of our day. Taken in toto, […]
family, Italy
Three bittersweet farewells in one day
Hard as it is to accept, our trip is really coming to an end. We’ve seen amazing sites on two separate land masses, have spoken a foreign tongue, have walked until our feet are swollen, have seen an active volcano, amazing antiquities, beautiful people, and churches galore. For those gentlemen who may be wondering, the Italian […]
