Holiday 2018

Bologna, 19th – 22nd Sep 2018

Bologna 18 – 22 sett 2018

We recently returned from Bologna which proved to be a great success. Our early flight to Bologna Marconi Airport gave us plenty of time to settle in our hotel and have a first stroll in city during the afternoon.

The weather was remarkably warm and sunny throughout the holiday, not that rain would have mattered in Bologna which boasts 40 kilometres of porticos (25 miles) which provide protection from rain and give shade in the summer.

In Bologna almost everything is in walking distance and there are several pedestrian only areas, with museums, art galleries, churches and of course lots of elegant shops, bars and restaurants. We all liked the Medieval Market area with the narrow alleyways bulging with all sort of wares overflowing on the pavements. The city boasts the oldest University in the Western World and today students make about 20% of the population of 400,000.

We joined two guided tours organised by the local Tourist Office, where we learned about the history, art and cultural highlights of the city. On another day we were guided through the history of the food in Bologna with strategic “tasting” stops at a chocolate shop/factory and a restaurant in one of the covered markets.

We also took a ride up 300 m to the Santuario di San Luca which can also be reached on foot by walking the longest arcade in the world, 4 km (2.5 miles).