The Good Rabbi's Blog

Somehow on day two of our leg in Bologna, I managed to wake up. I had not yet eaten or drank myself into a stupor. I will definitely have to try harder. After a couple of cappuccinos and a very nice breakfast that includes most of my mother's fiber regimen, we set off to explore more of the town. I thought that this should be interesting, because at this point it was a Monday morning, and the opportunity presented itself to see the city as it normally operates during the week. We walked in the northern part of the city, where the university is (the oldest university in Europe, according to the guide books). What struck me about this city is that although there is almost no litter at all on the streets, almost all of the buildings are covered in grafitti (and this problem is not limited to the university area).

We stopped by the renowned Tamburini market. This place was incredible. It had almost every type of cured meat, cheese, pasta, etc. that you could possibly imagine. However, given all of this, there was one thing missing: Italians. I got the impression that this was a shop that has passed its prime, and incredibly expensive. The wine store that is attached to the market was very cool, and well stocked, although equally expensive. We decided to hold off on buying anything and have some lunch. After lunch, we inquired with a travel agent about train tickets to Milan, where we were thinking about going the next day. Ultimately, we wound up shelving that idea, in favor of something else (which you'll read about shortly).

We walked up to the northern part of the city, where the university is (the oldest university in Europe, according to the guide book). One of the things that strikes me about this city is that while there is no litter on the ground, almost all of the buildings are covered in graffiti. Maybe it is a form of expression here, rather than a public nuisance, but it still makes the place look terrible. On our way back down toward our hotel, we stopped at a Gelateria, and picked up a scoop of Gelato. We returned to the Tamburini market, bought some wine and cheese, and headed back to the hotel for an afternoon nap. That evening, we ventured out again to the main piazza for dinner, and found a great little neighborhood trattoria a little bit off the beaten path. We decided to do the traditional two courses, which felt like fourteen. After dinner we decided to do some evening walking (and more gelato, of course - two scoops per day, as per doctor's orders). We returned to the hotel after walking around for a while at night, and just hung out in the hotel garden for a while. We turned in a little early, since we had to get up the next day fairly early. Another great day in Italy in the can....

Primi Piatti:

Tagliatelli Bolognese
Tagliatelli Pomodoro

Piatti Secondi:
Scallopini al Limone
Penne al Arrabiata

Wine:
Soave

Gelato:
Mexican Chocolate, Melon
Bacio (Chocolate Hazelnut), Milk Chocolate