Dana, who writes two blogs: Stresa Sights and Ritratti Italiani, asked me if I could give her some ideas to help her plan her visit to Bologna. I decided to take advantage of her request and blog for the next few days or so about some of the reasons I love Bologna. I figured this would be a great way to help me come up with ideas to keep on blogging daily through the month of February. Blogging about some of the reasons I love Bologna will also give me a chance to share my love of this wonderful city with everyone and especially with Dana who will be visiting Bologna in March and Sandra who will be visiting Bologna in June.
My original plan was to jump right in and start posting photos and details, BUT I became sidetracked today. While looking at the links on Sandra's side bar, I discovered a link to Madonna del Piatto's blog this morning. This gave me an idea to add a new food blog category to my side bar. While going through my food blog bookmarks, I became even more sidetracked and ended up spending most of my day reading two and a half years of the blog, gluten-free girl.
Because I have been on the computer much too long today, I will start writing more details about Bologna tomorrow. For today, I leave you with my list...
The 10 things I love about Bologna:
1. The food
2. Torre degli Asinelli (Asinelli Tower)
4. Gelato
6. Il Santuario della Madonna di San Luca (Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca)
10. Museo Ebraico di Bologna (Jewish Museum of Bologna)
There is so much more to Bologna than my list of 10 things and I am sure if I spent a month or so in Bologna, my list would be much longer. I imagine there are many more wonderful museums to visit in Bologna. I attempted to visit a couple of them during my last day in Bologna but unfortunately found out that there was some sort of official museum meeting taking place that day and all the museums were closed except for the Egyptian section of the Museo Civico Archeologico. There are also many more wonderful churches in Bologna. I have only listed a few my favorite churches.
Comments (12)
I've only been there twice, briefly, but I did really enjoy it, and it's on my list. :)
Posted by Leslie | February 15, 2009 11:05 PM
Posted on February 15, 2009 23:05
I've never really thought about Bologna, but this made me want to go there!
I also like the idea of a post "Ten Things I Love About..."
Posted by kaydee | February 16, 2009 2:57 AM
Posted on February 16, 2009 02:57
Looking forward to learning more about Bologna. My tour group stopped and had lunch there on my first (guided) tour of Italy. The food (and wine!) were awesome but we didn't go anywhere else in the city except to the restaurant.
Posted by Annie | February 16, 2009 5:58 AM
Posted on February 16, 2009 05:58
Hi Girasoli, thank you for your list of the ten top things you love about Bologna! I'm sure your entries will be very useful to Dana and Sandra for their trips. I, of course, will bookmark them too as ya just never know! :)
I had to giggle when you said you got side tracked. I get sidetracked a lot too.
Thanks and have a great day off today!
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | February 16, 2009 7:20 AM
Posted on February 16, 2009 07:20
This is fabulous, Girasoli, thank you for your thoughtful list! I'm already dreaming of the food I'll get to try in Bologna (hmmm, it's now clear that one week there won't be enough!)
Of course, with your love of towers I can understand point #2. I'm pretty to keen to climb it myself! The porticos sound lovely, as does San Stefano. I'm really interested in hearing more about the Jewish museum!
Isn't Letizia's blog interesting? I also find it so easy, when I start looking into one blog (or one website) to start chasing links and footnotes and before I realize it, I've forgotten what I was looking at in the first place!
Posted by sandrac | February 16, 2009 9:24 AM
Posted on February 16, 2009 09:24
Love the 10 things idea, too.
I haven't yet made it to Bologna. I just have to add it to my list.
Posted by jgk | February 16, 2009 1:53 PM
Posted on February 16, 2009 13:53
Bologna just sounds more and more intriguing all the time. Thanks for sharing your ideas and I too look forward to reading more!
I am terrible for getting sidetracked...a "quick check" of something on google can translate into hours of browsing, very often ending up reading things that have absolutely nothing to do with what I looked up in the first place! No wonder I have no time to write my own blog entries ;)
Posted by Anne | February 16, 2009 3:27 PM
Posted on February 16, 2009 15:27
This is so great! I look forward to reading everything you write about Bologna... it's making me all the more excited to be there. I know it must be bringing back nice memories for you...
Posted by dana | February 16, 2009 5:09 PM
Posted on February 16, 2009 17:09
Leslie, so many places to visit and so little time! I also have a list :)
kaydee, I think you would enjoy Bologna. It is a bustling city with lots of cars and traffic, but it is also a city that is not as full of tourists as Rome, Venice, and Florence. It is very unique with so much to see and do.
Annie, didn't know you went on a tour to Italy.
Kathy, getting sidetracked is the story of my life!
sandra, writing these posts has made it very clear that six days was not long enough...but it was a nice start. I hope theses posts will help you with your travels this summer.
jan, didn't know you haven't been to Bologna yet. You would love the food there.
Anne, you just described my weekend!
dana, I am so glad you asked me this question. After spending much of the weekend thinking about Bologna, I am now actually thinking about returning there on my next trip! It has brought back wonderful memories.
Posted by girasoli | February 16, 2009 6:33 PM
Posted on February 16, 2009 18:33
G: Thanks for exposing me to Bologna - have never been but am wanting to see it now that I am becoming familiar with it. Can't wait to see more, M
Posted by menehune | February 17, 2009 3:44 AM
Posted on February 17, 2009 03:44
Oh Bologna! Too great for words, almost. I agree with many of your points. I love Piazza Santo Stefano, it might be my favorite piazza there.
Thanks for the link to the gluten free blog - my mom has celiac disease so I am always looking for gluten free stuff for her!
Posted by Chiocciola | February 17, 2009 5:54 PM
Posted on February 17, 2009 17:54
menehune, if you like good food, you will love Bologna.
Chiocciola, I would love to hear about your top 10 sometime since you have spent so much time there. I forgot that your mom has celiac disease. I do much better when I don't eat wheat (although lately I have fallen off the wagon). I am also not good at not eating wheat when I am in Italy. The link to gluten-free girl also has more links to other gluten free blogs. Hope it helps! Oh, she even writes about how she ate gluten free in Italy.
Posted by girasoli | February 17, 2009 7:02 PM
Posted on February 17, 2009 19:02