Travel: BOLOGNA, ITALY

*check out my last Italian (foodie) adventures to Bergamo here!*

What do you think of when you think of Italy? If you're anything like me, you probably think art, designers, famous landmarks, and above all else, food. Lucky for me, there's plenty of cities famous for food that I have, and will, visit, but one that was recommended to me again and again was Bologna, home of the bolognese! 

I arrived on a rainy afternoon to Bologna Centrale train station, and walked first to my accommodation for the night, a small hostel called Il Nosadillo. The hostel only has three rooms - one male, one female, and one mixed, and is quite possibly the quietest hostel I've ever stayed in (definitely not complaining!) 

Bags dropped off, it was time to get out and explore, and most importantly, find something to eat. I checked the internet for recommendations, and above everything else was one restaurant, Sfoglia Rina. The reviews spoke of it's delicious tortellini, a pasta famous in Bologna, and one that I had been told I had to try while I was there. One slight problem - everyone else wanted it too. The queue when I arrived stretched around the corner - I didn't feel like queuing for two hours in the cold, so decided to cut my losses and try somewhere else. 

My choice: Bonelli Burgers, a bold decision for a vegetarian, particularly when the menu didn't seem to suggest that there was anything non-meat related on the menu, bar chips. But still, a plate of chips wouldn't be a bad option, would it? Nonetheless, I asked the staff if they had any veggie options, and was surprised to find Bonelli has a 'secret menu' including a grilled cheese burger which may well be the best grilled cheese I've ever had (and I've had Five Guys grilled cheeses!) A soft bun, perfectly melted cheese, fresh crispy lettuce, and the most delicious caramelised onions I have ever eaten in my life, dripping with flavour that you couldn't help but dip your bread into. Amazing. 

Bologna is a city full of culture, and I'd be damned if I wasn't going to take advantage of one type of culture that you just can't get living in a smaller city like I do - English language films. My Italian leaves a lot to be desired, and if I wanted to see something on the big screen, there was nowhere better than Bologna. 

On the outskirts of the city, I found Cinema Lumiere, a large round building which, as it turned out, was not where I would be watching my film that evening. Part of the same company was Sala Cervi, a one-room cinema not too far away. I actually really enjoyed it - just four rows of seats, a big screen, and a great movie (in English with Italian subtitles). Honestly, a great way to spend the evening. 

After a quiet night in the hostel, it was time to carpe the diem. Breakfast was included - breads, yoghurts, cheeses, and juice - not a bad way to set yourself up for the day. I certainly needed 'setting up', because I was off for a hike! My destination? Santuario Madonna di San Luca. My route? A steep one. 

From my hostel, the sanctuary was a good hour's walk away, up hundreds and hundreds of steps. It was a drizzly morning, so I was pleased that most of the route was under covered walkways, with ample stops along the way showing the Stations of the Cross. 

At long last, I had made it up to the sanctuary, renowned for offering beautiful views across Bologna. That is, on days not like the one I'd come on. As luck would have it, everything was covered in a thick fog meaning I could see little beyond the trees right in front of me, reminding me greatly of my time in Innsbruck. I'm sure everyone else is correct that the view really is good, but alas for me, it wasn't meant to be. 

Thankfully, I hadn't come all that way for nothing, as the sanctuary itself was a large and beautiful church. Inside, huge domed ceilings lifted the eye upwards, before it was drawn back to the beautiful altar with colours straight out of a night sky. You can actually go right up to the altar to admire the dappled marble walls, expertly painted images, and gilded sculptures. Absolutely beautiful. 

Happy with my trip to the monastery, I took the long walk back, opting for a scenic route to return me to the centre of town. I'd picked up a walking tour map the night before, and it was now time to use it. My journey began at Piazza Maggiore, with it's famous statue of Neptune overlooking the plaza, trident in hand. The piazza is wide and surrounded by important buildings like the city's town hall, the Basilica of San Petronio, home to the largest sundial in the world. 

I walked onwards along Via dell'Archiginnasio, full of exclusive shops just a tad out of my price range (although they did look very nice!). This took me to Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio, part of the University of Bologna. A quick detour inside allowed me to admire the architecture and intricately painted walls, and see why Bologna is such a popular city for students to come and study at. 

The tour notified me that we were now moving from 'Bologna The Learned' to 'Bologna The Fat' - that sounds more like it! I ended up back in the narrow streets of the Quadrilatero, the old city market, with bars and restaurants spilling onto the street that you have to weave your way around. This is also the area where I'd tried to find dinner the night before, so just for good measure decided to check again. Alas, the queue for the restaurant was just as ridiculous as the day before, so my tortellini would have to wait. 

My next stop was Piazza Santo Stefano, home to what seems like a large church, but is in fact four (previously seven!) and a very interesting place to explore for a while and see how the architecture of the city and it's religious buildings have changed over the centuries. 

Passing through the covered passageway of Corte Isolani (which also looked like a very pleasant place to stop for something to eat), I found myself at the foot of the Two Towers, the tallest of the twenty still standing towers in Bologna. There is a possibility to climb the 498 steps to admire views over the city, but after my failed attempt that morning, I thought I was better off doing something else. 

There's honestly nothing better than finding some good food to pass the time, and I was ultra determined that I would not leave Bologna without having tried some of it's famous tortellini. Fancy restaurants out of the question (queues? No thanks), Bottega Portici seemed like a good choice. This busy place off of Via dell'Indipendenza is essentially a fast food joint - you go in, order your food on touch screens, receive a buzzer, and wait for your food to be ready. I picked tortellini with a tomato and basil sauce, and headed outside to secure the last available table. 

Then, I faced a problem. I didn't want to leave my table unattended and risk losing it whilst I went inside to pick up my food, but I couldn't leave my bag there to mark it and risk it being stolen in the busy city. I decided to ask the two girls at the table behind me to watch my stuff, which probably ended up being the best decision I made in my whole time in Bologna. 

As I came back out with my tray, the two girls asked if I'd like to join them. Sure! I had a lovely time chatting with them for about an hour - about their hometown, university life in Bologna, my experience growing up in London and, of course, food. It was such a simple but uncommon gesture - to invite a stranger to join you for lunch - but it really was such a highlight of my trip, and truly reflects the hospitality of Italians. If these were the only two people I met in my whole time in Italy, I'd go home thinking how lovely the people were. 

I couldn't have asked for a more pleasant way to round up my time in Bologna. Overall, I wouldn't class Bologna as my favourite city in Italy to have visited - honestly, I'd expected there to be more to do (although the weather might have had something to do with that). However, there were some real highlights - I had a damn good burger, had a very nice cinema experience, saw a beautiful church, and met some lovely people. A resounding success in my books. 

Tips for visiting Bologna:

- If I were you, I'd go in Spring or Summer. From my brief trip there, it seems like two of the major attractions (Santuario Madonna di San Luca and the Two Towers) are really ones best enjoyed with good weather, and if you head in darkest winter like I did, you're probably not going to get that

- Further to this, I'd also recommend visiting on a weekday. I was there on a holiday weekend when places were busier than usual. I'd have loved to have tried some of the best rated restaurants or stayed longer in the narrow streets, but the number of people there put me off, so I imagine it's a more enjoyable city when it's less busy. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my culinary adventures in Bologna! If you've visited, I'd love to know what the best thing you ate was (and indeed what cities you think are best for foodies like me!) Drop me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry or in the comments below - thanks so much for reading!