Friday, June 22, 2001 Siena to Bologna:
The next morning we got the car and after loading up our
luggage we proceeded to get lost in Siena trying to find the autostrada north toward
Florence and then on to Bologna. The
countryside north of Florence becomes even more mountainous, with deep gorges
and steep mountains. The autostrada
climbs over the pass punctuated by several tunnels and high bridges soaring
over breathtaking chasms and then descends as you near Bologna into a broad
plain.
We arrived in Bologna in mid-afternoon and made our way
down another primarily pedestrian street to the (truly) Grand Hotel Baglioni
(Via Indipendenza 8, Bologna, 051-225445)
– Bologna’s answer to New York’s Plaza and St. Regis and Carlisle all rolled
into one. We were led by an assistant
manager (or major domo of some sort) through the grand lobby and along a wide
hallway to our rooms on the third floor.
Actually, our room wasn’t ready, so we were led to Carl’s room which
would have been big enough for all three of us – a king-size bed, a sitting
area, a dressing area and a huge bathroom.
Because our room wasn’t ready, the management sent us complimentary
coffee while we waited. Another major
domo appeared to escort us two doors down the hall to our room when it was
ready. Both rooms looked directly across
the street to the cathedral which had imposing Baroque statues just above our
level.
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| Baroque statue of saint on facade of Cathedral in Bologna. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
Bologna is famous for its arcades which cover the
sidewalks all over the center of the city.
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| Covered pedestrian arcades run for blocks in Bologna. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
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| Each of Bologna's arcades has its own distinct architectural style. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
They provide shelter from the weather – rain, snow, sun, whatever – but
can also seem rather sinister when they are too crowded or completely empty
(when they seem rather like particularly suspenseful scenes from some Hitchcock
movie) or when they become shelters for the homeless. There are two very tall medieval towers in
the center of the city (a la San Gimignano) which lean perilously toward each
other.
During drinks Luca told us about the city – its history
and architecture and famous university – one of the oldest in the world. Luca obviously loves Bologna and is both an
enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide.
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Many of the arcades in Bologna have painted ceilings with the crests of noble families.
Photo by Blomme-McClure |
After sitting in the square for about an hour, we strolled down some of the arcades, past the Torri Pendenti -- the two tall medieval towers (a la San Gimignano) that lean perilously toward one another and on to Ristorante Cesarina (Via San Stefano 19b, Bologna, 051-23-20-37 or 051-23-55-43, http://www.ristorantecesarina.it/) where we sat outdoors under the arcade and enjoyed a lovely Bolognese dinner. Luca had tortellini en brodo, lovely little meat-filled pasta dumplings served in a delicious broth, which is a local specialty. The restaurant is on the square where the Church of San Stefano sits. There are seven different sanctuaries within the church, each of which commemorates a different event in the passion of Christ.
After dinner Luca took us to the Bologna gay & lesbian
center, which is located in one of the old gates houses in the city wall. There are three levels which include several
bars, a small disco and a performance space on the roof where we could see and hear a performance
artist “performing” in a spotlight as we approached. The crowd consisted mostly of young men
traveling in cliques. We had one drink
and moved on. Luca walked us back to the
Baglioni and then he took Carl on to a gay bar.
