We arrived in Bologna after a one-and-a-half-hour train ride from Venice.  Taking a taxi to our hotel, we found ourselves in the middle of the central historical district about a block from the Piazza Maggiore, the main plaza in Bologna at the main cathedral.  When we were in Italy 3 years ago, our very first meal in Bologna was a restaurant where we sat outside and had lasagna.  Doug swears it was the best lasagna he has ever had and we all agreed.  We figured we would try and find the same restaurant and see if our memories matched reality or if we remembered it better than it really was.  With not much searching, we were able to walk right to the restaurant.  We sat down and ordered our standard water drink, two bottles, one with gas (fizzy) and one without.  The waiter brought our water and within two minutes, he came back with a wood fired pizza with sausage and cheese and set it down at our table.  “It was a mistake, enjoy” he said as he explained there was no charge for the pizza.  We looked at each other and the word serendipity came to mind.  The pizza was delicious as an appetizer and the four of us ordered lasagna.  Seriously folks, that lasagna was as amazing as we remembered it.  After our lunch here, we walked back to the hotel so we could rest up for dinner.  I mean, what else are you supposed to do in the food capital of the world but get ready to eat?

And eat we did.  For the next four days we sampled different restaurants, never returning to the same restaurant in order to keep trying the different “possibilities.”  Without exception, it was all wonderful and delicious food….even our last night in Bologna when we were unable to get reservations and we just walked into a quiet unassuming place, the food was spectacular.  How do they do that?  We took a cooking class here in Bologna.  It was at the Culinary Institute of Bologna or CIBO.  The class was supposed to go from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and we didn’t leave until after 3:15.  We made prosciuotto wrapped melon, bolognese sauce, rolled out pasta for lasagna, tortellini, ravioli, and even made zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese and baked.  It was all scrumptious and we left our class in basically a food coma.

Bologna is a wonderful city which boasts the oldest university in the world.  Buildings which are over 1000 years old are common place.  I’ve attached some pics and a couple of short videos in order to give you a little bit of a feel for the sights and sounds here in Bologna.  We’ve seen a man playing a saw.  That’s right, I said a saw.  We also heard a guy playing what Doug told me was a Didgeridoo.  Uhhh, okay.  I especially like the way his other hand sort of waves up and down in the air.  I can’t seem to upload both of these right now and will do so later if possible.