I arrived in Bologna on September 3, 2013. I picked the cheapest accommodation I could find and lucky for me it was perfectly in the center of Bologna. I really love this city. It has a really good vibe and is perfect for students. Had I done a study abroad in university, this would have been a great place to be.
One thing I wanted to share is the noticeable difference between the north and south of Italy. The north is very wealthy while the south is not. Although I loved all the places I visited in Italy, culture is my passion and the south is where I felt like I really saw the true Italian way of life. I do admire Bologna a lot though because they have all the trendy stores and such, but the city still keeps it's history. There are aged buildings and special places untouched by the modern world. A lot of Italy is this way, but I really noticed it here because of the contrast between the wealth and the old way of life. I just love this country because you aren't seeing high-rises and new apartment buildings everywhere. It's truly magical.
Why did I come to Bologna? Lasagna! When I was in Palermo, I made a great friend named Andrea whom I wrote about previously. He asked me what my favorite Italian food was and I said lasagna. My girl friends and I love lasagna! We have stories about lasagna! It is a frequent go to food. My friend Amanda and I cooked a lasagna once in my house and then immediately spilled it on the carpet. It was probably me specifically, but I don't remember. Cleaning the carpet so my mom didn't kill me was that evening's goal. Anyways… Andrea told me that I needed to go Bologna where lasagna originated. Some plans of mine changed and while pondering where to go, I decided to follow my stomach and I ended up here!
YUM!
I met an American girl named MJ in Bologna and she was kind enough to invite me to a couple of events with her Italian friends. One evening I went to a BBQ in the hills of Bologna outside the city. It had some breathtaking views and we caught a beautiful sunset. It was a really great time celebrating Caterina's birthday. The following day after wandering around with MJ, we met up with Caterina and her boyfriend Stefano who took us to a wonderful restaurant outside the city center. Meats, cheeses, lasagna, tortellini, dessert… The food was amazing and I would have never found it without these guys.
Apertif
Santo Stefano
The day before I flew out of Bologna, I went to Carpigiani Gelato University in order to see their museum. On September 29, 2012, the museum was inaugurated as the first museum dedicated to the history, culture and technology of artisan gelato. On Mondays the museum is closed to the public, but they were kind enough to give me a special tour. The guided tour was about 40 minutes and it was spectacular! One of my favorite parts was seeing the machines that produced gelato throughout the years. Such a big change from a churn machine to an electric one that can produce gelato in minutes. Had I found out about this place sooner, I would have taken a Gelato making course without a doubt. Gives me something to go back to in the Bologna! If you are in Bologna, check out this museum! You must book 2 days in advance online in order to attend. Their website is: http://gelatomuseum.com/en/
Fun facts about gelato:
1) At Mari Palace in Mesopotamia, runners traveled 100 kilometers to gather snow and ice used to cool drinks for royal events.
2) Gelato used to only be accessible to the wealthy.
3) The difference between gelato and ice cream is the freshness. Gelato is made with fresh ingredients and after a few days it will go bad while ice cream can be stored in the freezer for a couple of months.
On September 7, I went to Verona for the day. I will reveal a secret to you all… I am a super romantic. My 2 goals growing up were to do charity work, help as many people as I can and to one day fall madly in love. I'm in no rush to fall madly in love, it will happen when it happens, but it will happen! HAHA! Anyway, my dramatic lead in was to show why I had to go the city where Romeo and Juliet fell in love. What a place! Verona is absolutely beautiful and if I lived there, life would be pretty close to perfect. Located on the Adige River, it is just gorgeous.
My first goal was to go to the house of Juliet and see the balcony where she spoke to the love of her life. Unfortunately they fell in love, got married and then they both died within the period of 4 days… but still the love of her life nonetheless. I entered into the museum which had furniture from the period of time and was able to stand on the balcony. Definitely a life highlight! Later on, I went to Juliet's tomb where they both died. My train ride was an hour and a half each way, so I had time to reread the play on my Ipad. Reading the play and then entering fair Verona… nothing better!
Five weeks ago, I came back to this country because I fell in love with it when I was 17 years old and also due to the fact that throughout my time in Europe, I kept meeting and bonding with amazing Italians. Italy is the first European country I ever came to back in 2007. I wasn't sure if I was going to stay past 2 weeks, but my exhausted body told me I needed to stay put for a while and see as much as I could of this country. I don't regret it for a moment as I have enjoyed every single place and have seen beauty that has taken my breath away. I have eaten some really delicious foods. Most importantly, I was able to dig into a culture, observe the people, learn some language and continued to make some great friends. Italy will always have a special place in my heart and I certainly will be coming back!
Arrivederci Italia, grazie mille!
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.” -William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet
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