Where We Be
"Picnic" in our room with a view
Bologna is foodie heaven. Even the fruits and veggies look delectable.
The Fountain of Neptune stands at the city's center near Piazza Maggiore
Piazza Maggiore always seems to be abuzz with activity
Robin sits on a whimsical granite couch at Piazza Maggiore
Many of Bologna's buildings are painted mustard yellow or peach
40 kilometers of colonnaded walkways
make for cooler walking in Bologna
Medieval streets like this one in the Quadrilatero district
are chock-full of gourmet shops, cafes, and wine bars
If you like pasta, cheese, sausage, and salami, this is the place!
"Fatti a mano" or "Made by Hand" lets you know just how fresh the pasta is
Pastry shop windows are enough to tempt dieters off their diets
View from our balcony window at Albergo Panorama
Bologna, Italy
Bologna's nickname is "La Grassa," the Fat One,
and no wonder: this is the home of spaghetti
bolognese, parmesan cheese, prosciutto, and
mortadella sausage. The number of restaurants,
wine bars, taverns, trattorias, and pastry shops
serving amazing food is enough to make you
hungry
just thinking about it. Shop windows are
filled with foodie temptations and practically
qualify as
works of art in their own right.

Bologna is
also home to Europe's oldest univer-
sity. Its thriving student population makes it a
vibrant place to l
ive. Piazza Maggiore at the
center of the city is
always abuzz with activity --
and no wonder, since the locals drink enough
capuccinos and espressos to stay abuzz all day
and into the night.
And don't forget gelato and
pastries f
or a little added sugar along the way.

Medieval red-brick
buildings grace the city's
center. We particularly enjoyed the arcaded
porticoes
-- some 40 kilometers of colonnaded
walkways lined with shops b
rimming over with
gourmet food
and the latest spring fashions.
The super-tall (and leaning) Asinelli Tower
Amusing juxtaposition of statues in this artsy university town