A day in Bologna

Bologna

I finally got to Bologna yesterday! Something to check off my list...

The train ride was surprisingly short (about an hour including changeover at Prato Centrale) and cheap (7 euros). The train ride from Prato to Bologna was mostly through tunnels, as you essentially need to go through mountains to get there. There was a guy on the train, typical Italian, wearing pink shorts and a purple top (not that there's anything wrong with that, it was just memorable) and he was trying to have a phone conversation and kept stalking back and forth from one end of the train to the other trying to get service. He also had an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth for most of the trip. I wanted to tell him "dude... you know we won't be arrive for another half hour, put the cigarette down and chill out!".

The city of Bologna is beautiful, with tons of public art and impressive statues, and with a unique tendency towards covered walkways with vaulted arched ceilings, rather than regular sidewalks. The city also had great shopping (hello new shoes) and I found the people (in stores, restaurants, on the streets) to be noticeably more pleasant than in other Italian cities. Unfortunately my lunch was a bit disappointing... I trusted Lonely Planet and went to a place called Osteria de Poeti, which had a neat location in the basement of an old wine cellar. But something felt a bit off when I entered... I quickly realized it was the fact that they were playing "Sweet Home Alabama" on the speakers... hmmmm... And my meal wasn't that great. I made up for it later though...

I also checked out the Museo Civico's collection of art, which was very nice. I was disappointed that the archaeological museum was closed for no apparent reason... I was looking forward to going asI hear that they have an impressive collection of Egyptian and Etruscan artifacts.

At about 5pm I decided it was time to extract myself from Bologna (the fact that I was seriously contemplating buying a pair of boots for 550 euros was a pretty good indicator that it was time to leave). I took the train to Florence and met Katie who had done a bit of shopping at H&M, and after we showed each other our purchases, we headed to the bridge beside Ponte Vecchio (the old bridge of Florence... the only one to survive WWII) to enjoy a bottle of bubbly. It's really fun to have wine outside in Florence (or anywhere in Italy/Europe) since there are so many tourists around who can't believe that you can legally drink in the streets and therefore think of you as, for lack of a better term, super cool. A lot of Americans struck up conversations with us, including a family from California who had just arrived that morning... They also asked for restaurant recommendations. I hope they found Piazza Santo Spirito and had a good meal there!

After our wine, we decided it was time for dinner. We decided to try Pizzeria O'Vesuvio, which is the pizzeria where the Jersey Shore cast was "working" (...catch all their thrilling Florence adventures next season... or don't...). I'd heard that O'Vesuvio is actually the best pizza in Florence, but was rather skeptical... anywhere that's been tainted by Jersey Shore has to be dismal. But Oh. My. Gosh. That pizza was indescribable. I didn't even know pizza had the ability to BE so good. It changed my life... everything else that has ever happened to me, or will ever happen to me, will now be categorized as pre-pizza, or post-pizza. Post-pizza Ally is a new woman, a woman who sees the potential beauty in everything, especially cheesy doughy messes. I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. I don't know why Florence residents would ever eat anywhere else!

Still reeling from our pizza experience, we ran to the train station to hop the train to Prato, as Miranda had kindly offered to let us stay the night. Once in Prato we grabbed a beer at a very cool bar in a very old grotto-like space, and then I located an exceptional gelato place... their flavors were nothing extraordinary, but the texture was superb! And then we called it a night.

Bologna "sidewalks" & graffiti

Bologna

Bologna's art collection at the Museo Civico

Italians know how to make awesome door hardware!

Statues in Bologna

Part of a series of statues at the Museo Civico in Bologna

Fountain of Neptune

Bologna

Sculptures in Bologna

Bologna

Ponte Vecchio behind us

Pizza bliss

Best Pizza of Life

A Lesson Learned

So I've been trying to decide for a while what I should write for my required post titled "A Lesson Learned". Naturally I have lots to choose from, mostly having to do with going out, interacting with certain types of people, having an effective buddy system... but I'm sure my parents don't want to hear about that.

So instead I want to share a valuable little factoid I've learned this week that may be useful for many of the other interns to know. I've been finding that when I give tours the morning after having some wine or beer that I get absolutely eaten alive by mosquitoes, when normally I get through the tour with little more than a bite or two. I did a little research and found this study that confirms that yes, there is a definite correlation between alcohol consumption and mosquito attraction. So all you interns in countries where mosquito-born diseases are a real threat, double up on the bug spray after a night of being festive!

The Cuz Does Italy

Wandering streets looking for somewhere to eat

My cousin David has arrived in Italy! It's his first time and I'm psyched to get to show him around a bit. Before arriving, he spent a few days in Switzerland and went canyoning, which sounds super intense. Now he's staying in Pistoia.

After I got some errands done in Pistoia I met up with him on Tuesday right after he arrived around 3:30pm. We found a nice little patio and had some great white wine. Then we had some terrible gelato (it was served at room temperature, had a bizarre texture, and after sitting out in the sun for 30 minutes, it hadn't melted at all... I'm terrified about what it may have been made of...). Then we tried to find somewhere to eat around 6pm, but, as Pistoia is not a tourist centre and therefore is a true example of "authentic" Italian life, no restaurant opens before 8. I refused to settle for crappy pizza once again, and we finally managed to locate a great restaurant that opened at 7:30 and they let us sit down a bit earlier. I had to explain that the last bus to my home leaves Pistoia at 8:10 so that's why I needed to eat early, however I didn't end up making the bus and I learned that the cab ride to my place is only about twelve euros.

But yes, back to our dinner. First of all, the menu was only in Italian and our awesome waiter translated the WHOLE thing for us word-for-word (I needed the translations for many things too, as it was a very fancy restaurant and I didn't recognize a lot of the Italian words and types of cheeses and meats they had). We both got crostini (toast) to start. Mine had a smokey sort of spanish cheese with whole peppercorns in it, plus prosciutto. David's had some sort of liver paté that he said was amazing. Then for a main course, I got beef from some region of Tuscany that is like their version of Kobe beef. It was incredible... so tender, simply done with just some salt, pepper and olive oil. David got tortellini filled with cheese and vegetables in a cream sauce. I'll definitely be going back to that place!

Yesterday I had a French morning tour which was a total disaster... the group of ANCIENT French people who showed up had promised they would do the whole 4-5 hour tour, but after an hour (40 minutes of which they spent in the bathroom) they said "we're going". Miranda was not happy, and I was frustrated that I'd spent more time making sure I knew the entire tour in French than they spent actually doing the tour.

In the afternoon I went back to Pistoia to hang out with David more. We went back to our new favourite wine place and relaxed and people watched for a few hours. Then Katie came into the city after her tour and the three of us went for dinner to this great restaurant called Home. Katie and I started with a simple pasta with cheese and black pepper, and then we split a steak (that was good but not as nice as the one the previous night). David had some sort of fish pasta and then a fish main course.

Katie and I caught a cab back and then had quite a magical, wildlife-filled trek up the driveway to our apartment. First of all, the forest around us was absolutely sparkling with fireflies, which was indescribably awesome. Then as we walked along a stone wall that borders the back pathway we take at night, we saw a big-ish creature running along the base of the wall. We were both like "Oh dear God, giant rat" but when I pulled out my cell phone to illuminate it, it was a big European Hedgehog! (See below pictures). Then I went into our bathroom and there was a fairly large lizard, which isn't scary at all because there are tons of them around, but there was something about it sitting on the bathroom wall with it's funny little feet with its bulbous little toes. I squealed for Katie to come see, and we were both looking at it, but then we moved the door for a split second (we essentially just blinked) and it was GONE! Must have been our bathroom spirit...

Today I have an English tour in the afternoon for a German art association and David is going to join, and then we'll probably hit up the chocolate shop next door. Then it's off to Florence tomorrow.

Ciao tutti!

Statue in Pistoia

In Piazza Duomo

Tower in Piazza Duomo

Giant group of people and children linking hands and dancing around a bush in Piazza Duomo

My incredible Tuscan Steak!

David with his pasta

My incredible daily breakfast - scrambled eggs with pancetta and shallots

Hedgehog!

Primo Giro Italiano

Chickens came out for the tour too

Oh boy... these tours are grueling! Katie and I followed Miranda yesterday for our first full-length tour (in Italiano). There were about 25 people in the group, of an older demographic. One lady was very very old, fragile, and hard of hearing, but she was such a trooper! Plus she was wearing a wool jacket in the oppressive heat of the sun! The tour lasted 5 hours and the group didn't even get a chance to see any of the indoor works. A lot of the people talked to each other, and on their cellphones, while Miranda was talking. If that happens when I do my tours I'll find it incredibly distracting... :S

We also got to meet Carolina, a super sweet girl who goes to University in Florence. She's going to be the intern here in September, so she was here learning the ropes with us.

After the tour, we got to go for lunch with Signor Gori and his guests, the superintendent of the Ministry of Culture for the province of Bologna and her friends/colleagues. We went to a nearby restaurant, and again, Italy's chefs wowed me with their ability to make vegetables delicious (copious amounts of olive oil seems to be key).

When lunch was finally over at 4:30, we returned to the Villa and asked Elena to take us out for groceries, since we already went through the cheese, prosciutto, beef, tomato sauce and much of the vino we bought before. I got a 5 litre jug of white wine for 5 Euros. It looks like an economy-sized canola oil...

Otherwise everything here is good, besides ridiculous ongoing water issues. Yesterday after the tour we returned to the apartment to find a veritable fiume (river) in the new apartment (to clarify, our current apartment is in an old building, which is the same place s where the new apartment is going... they share the top floor. I believe it used to be the stables a long long time ago, like pre-1800s). We were kind of bummed because we were afraid that having a piscina (pool) in the construction site would set back construction, but over lunch, Elena and Liliana completely dried the place out and things should progress as planned. Then, at night, we still didn't have any hot water, so we traipsed up to the main house to shower there. We're told that our current electricity and hot water problems have to do with some sort of limit, and that the hydro companies have been contacted to increase the limit, so hopefully that should take effect on Monday. Oh yeah, and this morning, we have no water whatsoever...

ANYWAYS! Water... it's not like it's that important, right?

In a couple hours we're going into Pistoia to see the sites (and not much else since things will be closed on Sunday). Apparently it's a really cute city, but not that big... about the size of St. Catharines. I'll post some pics of the city after we've been, but until then, a few final thoughts...

For this blog, there are some required posts. One of them is "things that I take for granted". I've already got some things on the list, so I'll share that now... In no particular order:

Hot water

Electricity

Microwaves

À più tardi!

Panini I made with prosciutto and pecorino pepperoncino, squished flat on the frying pan

My dessert at the restaurant... meringue, whipped cream, chocolate

Katie's dessert at the restaurant... anise cookies, whipped cream, berries

Mio vino economico

First Night

From the hall, looking through the kitchen to the bedroom

I made it! And it's beautiful! Above and below are some pictures of my apartment (which I'll be sharing with the other intern who arrives today) and our lovely view. I slept like a log after watching some episodes of 30 rock and Parks and Rec that I had downloaded to my computer before leaving, and now I feel quite refreshed. Unfortunately there was no hot water, but the plumber is fixing it now so I'll have a much needed shower tonight.

Once I arrived around 3pm yesterday I was able to settle in with my things and come to the office to use the wifi (oh glorious wifi!). Then, since I hadn't had a chance to get into town for groceries yet, I was able to come to the main house and the very sweet housekeepers, Elena and Lily, fed me very well, and then sent me back to the apartment (about  15 second walk from the main house) with some household staples (cleaning rags, dish soap, olive oil, and red wine).

More pics to come when I've seen more of this incredible property :)

My bed :)

View from apartment

Cute little kitchen

Bedroom