A very mixed affair. I decided to take the train to Florence for a short day trip, knowing it would pass through the rolling hills and low mountains between Bologna and Florence. Well that is exactly what it did...pass THROUGH the mountains. The trip was approximately 35 minutes, and all but the several minutes on the outskirts of each city
was spent in the blackness of tunnels! Oh we saw occasional daylight, for about 5-10 seconds on several occasions; just long enough for a very fleeting view of a lovely valley. What a bummer!
As soon as I walked out of the train station in Florence I was so glad that I chose to stay in Bologna. The streets were mobbed with tourists, individuals, small groups, and large tour parties with the guide holding a colored placard overhead so everyone could see where she was. It was crazy, but understandable, the weather was beautiful (too hot...but) and Just to see Michaelangelo’s David would be worth fighting the crowds. I tried finding some off the beat streets, but they were all on the beaten path. I stopped for a cappuccino early on, then walked around until noon when I had a wonderful lunch at the Osteria dell’olio. Of course everything cost twice as much as in Bologna, but the food made the whole adventure worthwhile
I still can’t get over all those damn tunnels!!!! Shakes my faith in the Italian people.
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