BOLOGNA

A little slice of Bologna...

Hello Dear Readers - it's been awhile, I know. However, I'm back, so read on - as always, click the links for educational value or just something funny...

Our first flight (of six) of fall break departed from Bologna. On the morning of Friday, October 23rd, we caught the early train (Tom - "I feel like this is the USS Enterprise!") to avoid the dreaded "sciopero" (transportation strike) - a common, yet still annoying, occurrence here in Italy. Since we arrived early, we had the opportunity to explore Bologna for a few hours before our flight.

Bologna, the capital of Emilia Romagna, is the oldest university town in Europe (11th century) and is considered to be home of some of Italy's best food. Bologna had a very medieval feel, with many brown churches and piazzas scattered around, interrupted by the modern establishments catering to the university crowd.

One of the main sights in Bologna are the Due Torri (two towers) - Torre degli Asinelli and Torre Garisenda. The only remaining survivors of the hundreds that once dotted the city during the Middle Ages, these towers showed the ranks of power within the city. Superstition has it that any student who enters the towers before graduation won't graduate - similar to the Zodiac tradition of Iowa State's Memorial Union!

While we didn't spend enough time in Bologna to make any good stories, we did come across a few funny quirks - see below.

Really?

The Bologna-mobile...

I imagine this couple starting their day with this conversation:

Guy: Good morning dear! I LOOOOVE YOU!

Girl: YEA! I LOVE YOU! You know how we can really show everyone how much we love each other?!? Let's wear matching outfits!!!

Guy: YEAH!!!!