For the past three nights I’ve awakened to dreams of cycling in Italy. They’ve been detailed and vivid, complete with photographs and route maps that I planned to write up and post here. One photo in particular intrigued me, of Rachael cycling wearing a colorful headscarf rather than a helmet. I couldn’t remember when that was taken or why she was wearing a scarf, and planned to ask her about it when she woke up.
So, not that of course. Looking back though, I see that I did omit a few genuine photographs I’d meant to include at the time.
The suitcases arrived on time! For those that wonder about such things, it cost 60 euros to ship them up from Brindisi, via DHL. Very reasonable.
The patio of Hotel Internazionale is probably the most convenient spot I’ve ever had for packing the bikes away. Very handy to have that long workbench to lay out the parts.
Last meal in Italy - an afternoon lunch outdoors of course, since restaurants have to close by 6 now. We loved our waiter, who helped us celebrate. If we come back to Bologna we’ll have to return here.
And, we should include a few photos from Bologna to remind ourselves of why we were so smitten with her. For only having spent just over two weeks in Italy on this tour, we came away with an impressively long list of towns and cities we were captivated by. This region is definitely on our radar for a return visit. And who knows? It could be quite soon. It’s not inconceivable that come spring we’ll be in exactly the same situation, needing a springboard into Europe and with Croatia still the only country that will let us in. Things could be way worse than that.
Two characteristics of Bologna stand out - its bike friendliness, and its covered walkways. On a rainy day you could navigate the entire historical core without exposing yourself to rain other than while crossing the street.
Scott AndersonTo Jen RahnWhat a great vision! Another reason to go back and keep my eyes peeled for something unusual. Reply to this comment 3 years ago
Another attractive feature - sidewalk cafes and restaurants everywhere. It felt like we could eat lunch at a different tempting restaurant every day for months without repeating ourselves.
There’s a small story here. Just to the left, an alarmed woman is cradling her small dog in her arms. This man has just forcefully yanked the leash on the giant beast to pull him back away from her.
Approaching the historical center from the northeast. At the end is Porta San Donato. The street we’re walking along here is amazing - I’ve been walking for nearly a mile on it returning from our walk in the hills, and the covered walkways have been unbroken the whole way. Even some of the intersections are covered.
Fern DavisSince I gave up tenting I now stay in hotels when touring in Europe. I like the idea of staying in small local apartments such as you do. Which apps / web sites are you using to find these places?
Great journals BTW! Reply to this comment 3 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Fern DavisHi, Fern. I agree - apartments really are nice, particularly for multi-night stays. We primarily use Booking.com. They have quite a few apartment listings in Europe, much more so than in the US - at least in the southern countries we’ve been traveling in lately.
Thanks for following along! Nice to know you’re out there. Reply to this comment 3 years ago
