Where to Next?: Bologna / Ferrara, Italy

this beautiful stuff is everywhere!

Another day where there is no need for a weather report. Let’s just say…hot, wet, oppressive. Although the heat definitely puts a damper (get it??) on the speed at which we do things we are still having a great time…every so often having a good chuckle (maybe sometimes becoming a bit hysterical) at the heat. Rome 2 years ago…heat wave…Seville…frying pan of Europe, Bologna…HOT…shall I go on…I think it’s us! It is worth mentioning that we broke the 20 000 step count (only 14 floors) mark at oppressive temperatures...woot, us!

Farrara, a smaller town about a 30

ruins by the Bologna train station

minute train ride outside Bologna was where we were headed today. The train was easy and not at all busy going, coming was a bit busier – both going and coming we weren’t asked for tickets. This ticket was 4€ each, each way…not too bad.

Farrara was pretty deadsville…I’m not really sure what we expected, but during the 30 walk from the train station to the medieval part of the town we saw about 10 other humans…maybe. Once we made it to the old part of town, it wasn’t much busier…this place is NO Venice – haha! There are about 130 000 people who live here, but we saw few of them. It must

Acquedotto di Ferrara - 1930

have part to do with the fact that many Italians are on vacation and maybe that’s it’s a Sunday. It wasn’t very touristy, so it was hard to find a place still serving food by the time we were looking…3PM. That was a bit of a happy accident because what we did find for food, wouldn’t have been my first choice – paidine. Paidine are typical foods in this region…thin flatbreads filled with cheese, meat or vegetables and folded – kind of like a quesadilla, but the bread is much thicker. It was good, and totally hit the spot…we ordered one to split with prosciutto and cheese…next time I would get some

Ferrara cathedral...under restoration

pomodoro (tomato) for some moisture. Beer accompanied this ‘feast’.

menu board we ordered from

Rejuvenated by a bit of food and drink, we hit the one site to visit…the Castello Estense - medieval castle in the center of Ferrara surrounded by a moat. It was cool but didn’t take more than 15 minutes. There really were more sites, but considering the heat we weren't at all up for any more.

We slowly made it back to the train station. Knowing we had loads of time we hoped there would be a chance for a beer along the way…nope. There was very little going on. We made

random cool sculpture

it to the station with 45 minutes to spare and had a coke and a water. Shockingly, I NEVER seem to need to find a loo…I use the facilities when the opportunity presents, but it is rarely because of need.

Castello Estense

30 minutes back to Bologna and we both comment on how familiar it is here only after a few days…we know where the pub is we want to go to, the grocery store we want to go to etc.

The Celtic Druid is a pub we have come

this pic suggests how we feel!

across numerous time as we’ve walked the old town and today was the day. It was fine…great loo, delicious Strongbow, could have been better AC – I think I was the only woman in there beside the bartender. it is always a bit weird being in a British pub when the workers speak the local language...of course they do...just familiar context, unfamiliar language. After a quick drink and a grocery stop for