I arrived in Bologna around 12:30 today and have been really impressed with the city so far. It's a much bigger city compared to Parma, but not in a bad way - the main sights are still walkable and there's lots of good shopping you wouldn't get in a smaller town. And I had read that Bologna is known for its arcades and porticoes, but I was blown away by how many there are and how beautiful there are. And the buildings are all painted in warm tones of red, orange and yellow. Quite a lovely place. I hope I can take some pictures to do it justice tomorrow; the weather was terrible for pictures today (overcast white sky).
But the best part about Bologna is that I'm no longer traveling solo! Sarah had a smooth trip across the Atlantic and met me in our hotel lobby around 5:30 this evening. It is so great to have her here with me! And it's her first time in Italy, so she's excited to be here, too. We'll have such good times over the next four weeks.
Our hotel, Hotel Touring, is fun, with modern decor and a balcony with a great view! We'll be here for two nights before moving on to Pisa.
After relaxing a bit, we walked around the city center for awhile. It was beautiful after dark and buzzing with activity on a warm Friday evening.
After some looking (6:30 was a little early for dinner in Italy), we found a nice little restaurant on a side street with outdoor tables. It was warm enough to sit outside even without the flaming heater, which is pretty great for November. And the food was simple and very delicious. A perfect introduction to Italy, I think!
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I had tagliatelle al ragu, Sarah had spaghetti bolognese (appropriately!) and we shared roasted potatoes on the side.
David is still in the air right now, but has only about an hour left to go! I look forward to hearing from him sometime after he gets home tonight.