BOLOGNA TUESDAY 5-4-10

Already the days are running into one another. Paul arrive early Monday afternoon, and after a brief respite at the apartment we trekked off to the MOMAbo...the museum of modern art - Bologna. We arrived about 20 minutes later to find it closed on Mondays so we gradually made our way back to the Piazza Maggiore where we enjoyed a cold beer in the shade of an outdoor cafe. From there we returned to the apartment, recovered, made reservations for dinner and spent an hour of civilized conversation about art with a glass of wine on the terrace.

Dinner...Ah...that was something else. Since so many places were closed on Mondays we were forced to dine at the elegant I Carracci, under the frescoes created by the Caracci brothers in the 16th century. My dinner began with scallops and crunchy deep puple rice followed by tortellini in a plain chicken broth (the way my mother served it), and sea bass and prawns in a very loose, almost sweet sauce that I could not identify.

As we finished the last of the bottle of www...wonderful white wine...the waiter brought our ricotta cheese desert with a tart lemon sauce. Walking back to the apartment...ever so slowly...we both swore of food and wine for the next 24 hours!


The porticoes in this city are wonderful, and they are extensive. Even the newer construction uses the concept of protected sidewalks. They make so much sense. I'll have more to say about this later.