Sorrento is such a great town.  The lemons here can be the size of grapefruits.  Our last day in Sorrento we spent in an impromptu wine class with our friends from the Corner Shop.  Giovanni introduced us to his wife and his one-year old daughter, Sophia.

When 6:30 am on Tuesday May 1^st rolled around, we said goodbye to Sorrento and headed back to Naples where we could catch the fast train for a quick stop in Rome and then onto the unquestionable World Capital of Good Food…Bologna.  It didn’t disappoint.  The trip is over 370 miles and not counting the half hour stop in Rome, took three hours.  History is alive in this town and its vibe is alive as well.  The food, no matter where you go, is amazing, and the people are friendly.  As an example, there was a restaurant we wanted to try and made reservations for 8:30 pm (the hour it opened for the evening).  We arrived a bit early, but the staff welcomed us in and brought us some house wine to drink while we waited for the place to open.  Before you knew it, various appetizers on the house arrived at our table.  There were no menus.  As we were finishing up our appetizers, the  owner came by with his own bottle and a glass and asked if he could join us.  He freshened our glasses and poured some for him.  He talked to us a bit and explained what they were cooking that night.  He then recommended a couple of pastas for our first course and then told us what they were serving for the second course.  The food was fabulous.  As we sat there enjoying our meal, a young woman patron who noticed a small Cougar logo on my jacket, confessed she was a UW Husky and asked if we were Cougs.  She has been studying at the University of Bologna for the past year and her mom lives on Bainbridge Island.  What a small world.  As we finished our meal and left, she waved and said “Go Cougs!”  I thanked her and assured her the Cougs could use all the help we can get.

The weather certainly changed here from our time in Rome and Sorrento.  It is much cooler, and we’ve had rain off and on most of the days we’ve been in Bologna.  This is our fourth day here and we leave for Tuscany tomorrow morning.  Time is flying by but the four Wagnersons are doing great.  I say that because we really are.  We have however, noticed more of our limitations on this trip.  It was only 5 years ago that the four of us climbed all 498 steps to the top of Asinelli tower here in Bologna.  This tower was built in 1109.  There’s not one of us that thinks we could probably do that again.  We are looking forward to resting up in Pergine Valdarno, the center of Tuscany where we arrive tomorrow and the pace of life is oh so nice.