Autumn in Bologna

As I look out of my window to write this the low autumn sun is casting long shadows in the estate next door, I haven’t seen a deer yet, but I am hopeful. The light this week has had a lovely golden quality which picks out the changing leaf colours as well as the edges of buildings and portico features. I am reminded again how lucky we are to be here in Bologna, Italy in this crazy year as we teeter on the brink of further virus control restrictions. As this year has highlighted, there is risk in making any future plans or predictions, but this means that there has never been a better time to appreciate now and be grateful for what you have.

Dejavu

There is no doubting that where we are right now feels like a rerun of March. Al is furloughed again until December at the earliest, although this time there is the menacing shadow of permanent closure. This is sitting hand in hand with the worry that restaurants are not hiring at the moment and that the hospitality industry is in serious trouble everywhere. My teaching had started to pick up since I took advice about turning self-employed but I have already had requests to switch from in the home to online lessons for some students and I don’t know how successful that can be for six to eight year olds. My hope that the Language schools would start to recover and begin hiring again has been quietly dropped for the time being. The main difference this time is that the threat and the worry never really lifted so it lacks the surprise and surrealism and has, instead, been more of a creeping inevitability that hope alone could not keep at bay.

Count your blessings

There are, of course, plenty of things to be thankful for. We are both healthy, our families are safe and well and, so far, we have been spared much direct personal tragedy from this illness. The novel is, finally, cracking on a pace although it seems to be disrupting the blog flow, so apologies about that. I am hopeful of having a draft finished for the end of the year if all goes well. Al has decided to divert his attentions into guitar practice and baking again so although I had only just made a dent in tackling the lockdown weight gain, I am about to start being fed delicious baked treats again. Time to up the exercise before we are required to stay in the house, perhaps I need to start attending your online Pilates evening classes too Chrissy May?

Autumn in Bologna

Spring and Autumn are undoubtedly the best seasons in Bologna. We missed a lot of spring due to the first lockdown so it has been lovely to see summer give way to autumn. It seemed as if the weather knew when the month turned as the first day of September featured rain finally after weeks of dry weather and rainless thunderstorms. The leaves started to change colour and, with the conkers, began to drop. It’s chestnut season right now so you see chestnut roasters in the city streets. Everyday I get updates from Apennines discovery about the beautiful landscapes on our doorsteps so we decided to take advantage of the dry clear weather and went for a walk in the hills at the grotte di labante this weekend. The museums were still open so we trotted along to the musical instruments museum a week or two ago and to the Monet exhibition that is on at the moment. You have to book in advance and wear your mask, of course, but for both exhibitions we were able to get in for free with our Bologna Welcome cards.

The restaurants and bars we have been going to have always been great at sticking to the rules and making sure there are socially distanced tables, hand sanitizer, mask wearing, table service and high levels of cleanliness so it does seem a shame that there has been a national ruling about this because of venues that were not, but to this end all bars and restaurants are being closed at 6pm now, so we have been trying to show support by having the occasional lunch out, as our more limited resources allow.

The treasures at hand

This past week or so I have been trying to remember to take photos while I am out so I can capture the many hidden gems and famous beauties of this magical city as we move through the year. Every time I go to write this blog I am struck by the things I forgot to take pictures of or don’t seem to have ever captured. Partly this is because I am busy enjoying these things in real time, but although a photo can never capture the reality of being somewhere they are useful in that they give people who weren’t there a glimpse into what it was like and are good prompts for the memory later. It seems my memory could use all the prompts it can get.

Next phase

As I conclude this post Italy has just announced a tier rating for restrictions. Bologna is a green zone so we have the least amount of additional measures applied. Most of the new restrictions don’t really affect us: 10pm to 5am curfew, High schools moved to 100% online teaching, travel between regions is restricted. Milan and other cities are in Red Zones and so have the highest additional measures, which is difficult but understandable given the current situation. So we settle in as autumn moves to winter, we will continue to minimise our going out to exercise, shopping for essentials and work (while there is still some), wearing our masks and washing our hands often when we do so. Stay safe out there and keep well.

June 1, 2020

Ravenna

To celebrate being able to travel within the region and to get a change of scenery we decided to go to Ravenna, a small city in Emilia Romagna close to the Adriatic Sea, about an hour’s drive from Bologna. We wanted to get out and see other towns and the car needed to have a decent run before it was pressed back into commuter service this week.

Why Ravenna?

We chose Ravenna because we have a friend, Esther, who lives there that we have been threatening to visit for some time, before the lockdown made it impossible. It is believed to be more than 2000 years old and is the spot where Julius Caesar gathered his forces to cross the Rubicon. Eight of the churches form part of a UNESCO world heritage site regarding Early Christianity. It’s famous for the ornate mosaics that adorn several its building interiors and for being the location of Dante’s tomb. Although Museums and Galleries are now allowed to open, many in Ravenna had chosen not to, so we were not able to see inside many of these sites on this visit.

Out in the Countryside

On the way to Ravenna we chose to go off toll road so we could see more of the country. Once you get beyond the hills of Bologna (part of the Apennines) the land opens into a huge flat belt called the Po valley. You could see for miles. When you see open land like this it reminds you why hedgerows are such a distinctive feature of the British landscape. Here are scant hedges, walls or fences. There are some border ditches, but this may be as much for irrigation as land ownership demarcation. The land here is agricultural as you might expect from a flat plain. There were farms all along the route with groves of fruit trees or vineyards. The roads here are slower particularly when you go through towns, so our journey took an hour and a half.

Quiet streets

Ravenna is an incredibly beautiful city and despite the museums and galleries being closed we were perfectly happy walking around the streets, which were noticeably quiet and uncrowded. It meant we could take our time looking at whatever we wanted and taking photos. I didn’t think to record everything I was taking photos of so some of my images are not captioned. We assiduously practiced social distancing and wore our masks while we were walking around. We were very conscious that we did not want to risk getting the virus at this stage nor spreading it here. Esther is keen to travel to see her father who is back home in Holland as soon as possible so like us she did not want to take any chances.

Lunch

Obviously, we couldn’t possibly have visited without stopping to have lunch. Esther recommended a restaurant and we went to see if we would be able to get in. Ca’ de Ven is a lovely traditional enoteca, cantina and restaurant. We were able to get a table immediately because it was quiet. Our masked waiter led us in, past other masked staff some with full face shields. Inside diners sit at long wooden tables in a large hall with a vaulted ceiling. The tables, which would usually seat six comfortably were marked with where you were able to sit to maintain social distancing. We had a whole table to ourselves, two on one side with a chair between and one on the other. Al and Esther chose from the specials menu while I chose something traditional. I could have kicked myself afterwards because I have been craving fish for ages, but it’s quite expensive to buy in Bologna and this was the perfect place to have had some. Never mind, the meals were delicious as was the wine. Esther told us that this restaurant was usually busy with office staff on their lunch breaks and she was surprised to find it so empty on a weekday.

This has been in line with our experience of Bologna, things are opening back up, but many people are choosing to stay away. I think most people have dropped the eating and drinking out culture that is their usual mode and like us they are selecting maybe one or two venues a week to meet up with a small group of friends for a drink or a meal. The rest of the time remaining at home and keeping up with other protective measures.

The Beach

We decided to go home via the beach as we had not seen the sea in 5 months. It was trickier to get to than we had anticipated and necessitated driving through a foul smelling Industrial zone. Beaches here are still closed but were merely going to ease our minds with the sight of the swell, not planning on a dip. In our experience many Italian beaches have resorts where you need to pay for beach access or a sun lounger, there doesn’t seem to be very much in terms of the public access beaches we are used to in the UK. We parked up when we could see signs and walked along an access road though a lovely wood. At the end of the road there were two resorts, but with cordons across their entrances. There were, unsurprisingly, not many people around and most of those we saw were employees of the resort restaurants gearing up for evening service. The beach itself was sandy and seemed pleasant enough, but out to sea there were industrial buildings and rigs. Nonetheless, the waves pounded gently on the shore and together with the salt air gave us the familiar reassurance we were looking for, so we headed back to the car and home.

May 24, 2020

The beginning of the end of Lockdown?

On 18^th May we knew some more of our lockdown restrictions were being lifted, thanks to lower infection and death rates. However, on 16^th May’s announcement Conte (Italian President) surprised us with more relaxations than were expected. It included the opening of bars and restaurants so you could eat and drink in which was a pleasant surprise but did come with the caveat that social distancing must be maintained and that you must wear a mask (except while eating or drinking). Coupled with the relaxation of travel within the region that had been expected we were getting quite a bit more freedom than we have had for some months. So, this week we intrepid two have been back to the centre of Bologna to see what these changes look like in practice

Piano piano (step by step)

It is important to remember that Corona Virus has not gone away. There is a real need to maintain the measures that have been put in place to save lives, reduce the burden on the healthcare system and minimise new infections. Any of loosening of restrictions are at risk should rates of infection start to climb again or if people abuse the situation and abandon the restrictions that are still in place. We are in new territory here and every decision must be fraught with what ifs and the shadow of the law of unintended consequences, necessitating a trial and error approach. With each relaxation there is a two week window before we can be sure if the new situation is increasing cases or not. If it is there is a need to roll back and try again.

We are acutely aware that the situation remains precarious. We have not been going out just for the sake of it and our manner has not suddenly become dismissive or flippant. We have been extremely careful about our and others safety while we are out and we are still at home for the majority of the time. However, it is also true that many businesses have suffered a great deal so if we can spend money in the market or in a bar that we would have spent in a supermarket it’s a better use of our resources.

I understand that there have been reports in the UK press about Italians not maintaining distancing, not wearing masks, crowding into certain areas etc. I cannot speak to whatever has been reported, I can only give you my experience, which is in general a maintenance of social distancing and mask wearing, with some predictable exceptions.

Monday mooch

On the first day of relaxation we decided to take our daily exercise by going into Bologna centre and seeing what differences the relaxations had made. We packed our gloves so that we would be able to go to the market this time. There were more cars on the roads and more people in the street, but still less than usual. Many shops had reopened, but they all had masked employees and there were Perspex screens at till points. Some stores were allowing customers in, in small numbers, to look around while others had set up tables and screens at the entrance and would fetch what was required. All customers were masked. Many shops have instructions about how you can access the shop e.g. mask wearing is obligatory, two customers at a time, use hand sanitizing station before entering etc. The restaurant opening had clearly caught others by surprise and we saw staff frantically disinfecting premises and organising socially distanced seating.

This was a much more positive visit than our last trip to the city centre. There was a general air of optimism and activity. We were able to go to our favourite fruit and vegetable stall in the market, with mask and gloves on. We exchanged pleasantries with the stall holder about being glad to be back. There were socially distanced queues outside Comet and, sadly, the Nespresso store. People with bags from clothing stores were clearly here to shop. However, it was cut with some sadness too. There were empty tables in the restaurants and bars that had opened. Empty shops waiting for customers. There were shops that had not reopened and perhaps won’t. Some restaurants and bars have not reopened as the cost of doing so would not be offset by the few customers they would be able to accommodate.

Hill climbs and much needed exercise

I quite often post photos that I take in our garden, which has a great view into the hills. This week we decided the climb the hill that our garden looks onto and take a picture of our apartment. It is a very steep walk and we were not sure if we would be able to get views of San Luca from the top. The short answer is that we couldn’t, as it turns out there us another hill between this one and the one San Luca sits on. However, it was a great walk and at one section it forms part of a national walking trail, which we followed into Parco Villa Ghigi. The weather was threatening rain, so the park was much quieter than when I had been at the weekend when it was full of picnickers and what looked suspiciously like large family gatherings and groups of teenagers ahead of the Monday official start of restrictions being relaxed.

Aperitivo a Zanarini

Caffe Zanarini is a lovely pasticceria in a beautiful piazza next to the Cathedral and Piazza Maggiore. You can sit at an outside table and watch the fashionistas on Via Farini. It serves a very gentile Aperitivo and is somewhere we go when we want to treat ourselves. It is immensely popular and at times we have not been able to get in because there are too many people already waiting. Back in March we celebrated a year of being in Bologna with Aperitivo there just before the lockdown was announced so it seemed a logical bookend to go there to celebrate the re-opening. Al called and was able to make a reservation for that evening. The tables outside were spaced widely apart and the staff all wore masks. Tables needed to be cleared very quickly because the minute someone left a flock of hungry pigeons would descend on whatever was left, fighting and flapping over the scraps. Who knows what they’ve been eating while the centre of the city has been deserted? The experience was non the less wonderful for that. It was very positive to be able to go out to a bar and sit watching the world go by with a Campari spritz and some delicate morsels to eat.

In this situation it sometimes feels as though we are in some kind of time slip where we are two weeks ahead of the UK, this was certainly true when we were starting to go into the Lockdown and the UK were still stubbornly saying that what was happening in Italy would not happen there. The feeling persists now and I hope, as we start to enter a period which feels like the beginning of the end we can give those of you in the UK some hope and show you that soon you will have more to look forward to. Where will you go first when the pubs and restaurants are reopened?

May 15, 2020

The Walk to San Luca

This week I wanted to write about a walk we did before lockdown. I have been holding on to it because it was not possible to do the walk and I didn’t want to be irresponsible by appearing as if I was breaking the lock down. We completed this walk on 28^th February and when we reached the top they were just closing the church because of the virus and it remains closed. However, now you are able to walk up to the church again and for many people the walk up to San Luca is part of a regular exercise routine.

What is San Luca?

For those who have not been to Bologna, San Luca is the church on the hill (Colle della Guardia) overlooking the city. It has been the symbol of Bologna for centuries and is still a place of worship and pilgrimage. There has been a church on the site for almost a thousand years and the current church was built by Carlo Francesco Dotti between 1723 and 1757. The two external stands were completed by his son Giovanni Giacomo in 1774. Since 1433 there been an annual Ascension week procession carrying the Byzantine Madonna and child down from San Luca to the cathedral. According to tradition The Mother and Child was brought to Bologna by a Byzantine pilgrim in the 12^th Century, with the first church being built on the site that same century. The portico San Luca was built to protect the pilgrims and the procession from the weather and was started in 1674 and completed in 1793.

There are some incredible views from the grounds, but when the church is open you can give a donation and climb the stairs inside to the panoramic viewing platform. NB take smaller notes or loose coins as they do not give change. The church itself is beautiful and has some fantastic art so it’s well worth a visit.

How do I get there?

I recommend walking, you can google a map to Porta Saragozza from wherever you are in the city. However if the walk seems like too much or you don’t have time you can get tickets for either the San Luca Express which is a little road train or the jump on/jump off open topped tourist bus both from Piazza Maggiore. Jess and I took the little train to the top on her first visit with us last year and it’s a good way to see the city, but be warned, it does not have a lot of suspension and some Bolognese streets are cobbled. If you want more info you can find it here at Bologna Welcome

The longest portico in the world

Bologna’s porticos cover a large proportion of the city centre. If you are going to San Luca from Piazza Maggiore it is possible to walk under porticoes for most of the route. The porticos of Bologna were nominated as a World Heritage site in 2019. However, the 666 arches of the official portico San Luca start at Porta Saragozza. This is a very impressive porta on a busy intersection. It is reportedly the longest continuous portico in the world. It is almost 3.5km long and nearly all of it is uphill, however because of the portico structure it does offer some of the most beautiful views of the surroundings while you ascend, winding around the hill. The porticos also provide shelter from both the sun and the rain which is great because Bologna is known for both.

The views from the walk

You start with a view over the stadium, but with the view opening out as you climb higher. There are chapels along the route as well as paintings. Some of the arches still retain painted ceilings, so it is worth keeping your eyes on the porticos themselves as well as on the view outside. Here are the photos we took in February, as is typical in Bologna there was a haze on the city so we didn’t get as many photos as we would have liked. If you were to go at the moment you might find much of the haze has gone thanks to lockdown.

The restaurant at the top

When Al and I did this walk we did it so that we would reach the top at lunchtime, obviously. If you go to the road behind the church and walk a little way along there is a lovely restaurant Vita a San Luca. We ordered from their seasonal pasta menu and we were not disappointed, although we have since been told that their pizzas are also fantastic and it is considered one of the best pizza places in the city. As you might expect from the location they are well equipped for tourists, however they are also accommodating for those attempting the language. I felt like I wanted to eat everything and there was a good wine list. We felt that we had earned our lunch with the walk so we also had desert. The only downside is that there are not really views as the restaurant is tucked into the hill, however the interior is fairly unique and an experience itself. We will certainly be returning here and it’s a good excuse to make the walk.

Things to note

There is nowhere to get anything to eat or drink from Porta Saragozza to the Church. At the church there is only a water fountain and a coffee vending machine. Vita a San Luca is the only restaurant at the top and although it has a lot of seats it is usually busy, so you could be disappointed or have to wait for a table. If you are planning on picnicking, you need to either bring something with you or stop and get something at one of the many bars, cafes and shops on the way to the Porte. In places the walk is quite steep and you can get warm so you need to dress appropriately. Expect it to be busy on fine days and don’t be surprised if you are huffing and puffing at the end of a section only to be overtaken by a running nonna (grandma).

May 8, 2020

Sweet breath of freedom-ish

You will be pleased to know that this week sees a return to a more positive outlook. It finds us at the start of phase 2 of lockdown in Italy. This means exercise restrictions and park closures have been lifted. We are once again allowed to go out to exercise and we are fortunate enough to have a park on our doorstep.

A BBQ

I am not sure what it is but I just love eating al fresco. This might be because I was born in the summer and so quite a few birthdays have included eating outside over the years, however I don’t think that completely answers it. All the same BBQ and picnics are things that I am very likely to suggest in times of good weather, which we seem to be having at the moment. Usually I am put off by wasps or other creepy crawlies, but they don’t seem to be a problem in quite the same way here, which is absolutely fantastic. The weekend forecast looked good so we decided to have our first BBQ of the year on Saturday night. As usual Al cooked up a storm including making the burger buns as well as the burgers. I contributed some salads and we sat outside enjoying the view of the hill we would conquer on the Monday.

Gratitude

I am trying to stay positive and using meditation to help me deal with some of my feelings. I like the gratitude meditations because it’s good to be reminded of how much I have to be grateful for when things look bleak. At 8.30 on Sunday morning we were awoken by the apartment buzzer. It was the local police. There was a problem with the water and we needed to move our car so that the emergency team could access the pipes.

Al joined the other sleepy neighbours to move cars that have mostly not been started in two months and find another parking space in nearby streets. The percussion of street digging shortly afterwards ensured we gave up on going back to bed. With hindsight the words “water emergency” (albeit in Italian) and the plant machinery concert should have brought to mind the likely scenario. Needless to say, I was still amazed when I turned on the tap and nothing came out. For a fair amount of Sunday and again on Monday we were required to think about the fact that we did not have any water and make the necessary adjustments, giving us the opportunity to appreciate our usually constant supply and make sure we use it wisely. A timely reminder.

Out and about

One of the conditions of the lifting of restrictions is that you must wear a mask in shops and public areas. This was a problem as we didn’t have any and the ones I ordered (see pervious post) had not arrived yet. Al went to a pharmacy on Monday morning on the off chance and was able to get us some, which was a stroke of luck and one less thing to worry about.

It had been six weeks since we had been into the centre of Bologna. During this time our only trips out of the apartment had been solo expeditions to the local Meta (a small local supermarket similar to a Sainsbury’s express). This is the part of the routine that has the most terrifyingly apocalyptic feel; putting on the rucksack, gloving up, wrapping your face in a scarf, prepping to go out and take the risk of potentially, unwittingly, bringing the virus home. Now we were going to be able to go out for exercise too and that felt like real progress, but still also contained an element of fear and needing to be careful.

Villa Ghigi

One of the great things about this apartment is its location. We are 15 minutes walk from Piazza Maggiore, the heart of Bologna but also 5 minutes walk from the entrance to Villa Ghigi, gateway to the hills. We were excited about a much needed change in scenery and it was a no-brainer for us to head here on 4^th May, first day of lifted restrictions. The weather was glorious with blue skies and plenty of sun. We tramped up to the top of the nearest hill, from where you get a great view over Bologna.

It’s a beautiful time of year with many fruit trees in bloom of which there are a plentiful supply in the park. We were conscious that we hadn’t walked much for weeks, so we didn’t want to be over ambitious on our first outing. We used the main path up and then took a slightly different route down, including going past the Villa itself for the first time. There were other people out and about, but everyone was respecting social distancing. Being close to nature and in the noticeably fresh air was a great break from our routine and gave us a lot of optimism for what will come next.

One step at a time

Heartened by our Villa Ghigi experience and because of the new masks on Tuesday we decided to exercise by walking into Bologna. This was not quite as positive. We had, somehow, been under the impression that more stores would be open and there would be more people about. There were certainly some people about but it was quiet. There were short queues at the various food shops in Quadrilatero, but all other shops were closed. We had heard the market had re-opened so we headed for Mercato delle erbe. Unfortunately to access this you needed a mask and gloves, we had not brought gloves, so we went to some nearby supermarkets and pharmacies, but they were all sold out. As everything else was closed we decided to go back home, suitably chastened to remember that the restrictions were only just beginning to be lifted and we were not out of the Corona woods yet.

The bit at the end of He-Man where they give the moral of the story and all laugh with their hands on their hips.

All in all, it has been a good week. I have had my first BBQ of the year and exercised in Villa Ghigi. We now have masks so we can go out and enjoy the gradual lifting of restrictions. I’ve been reminded of natural beauty, being fortunate about where I live and the continuing talents of my husband. We have also been reminded that this will be a long road and we are only on the first step. It’s not time to run yet.

February 27, 2020February 27, 2020

Porretta Terme and La Scola

The Hills of Bologna

As part of our ongoing mission to see more of the area surrounding Bologna whenever we can, we found ourselves on a Monday heading out in our ancient Polo to what the Bolognese call “the hills”. Probably because in my mind the hills mean softly undulating landscape, I was not prepared for the majestic sweeps, deep valleys and dramatic shapes of the Bolognese hills. It would be like calling the Peak district, the hills of Sheffield, which is an error with my understanding of the Italian word rather than undue modesty on their part. This area is part of the Apennines which separates Bologna and the north from Pisa and Florence.

Al advises me that it was interesting driving, along the twisty roads, with hairpin bends, steep inclines and unexpected drops with no power steering and it certainly looked it from the passenger seat. My ears popped on one high stretch and we knew that down was the only remaining direction available. There were many beautiful small towns in valleys and on hillsides as we snaked our way through. I don’t have photos of the drive as I was too busy taking it in. You will just have to take my word for it or visit for yourself.

Porretta Terme

We had set our sights on a town called Porretta Terme . As the name suggests Terme is Italian for Thermal spa and these springs have been in use since Roman times. The town is also famous for Winter sports as it is close to a couple of resorts as well as being home to an International Soul Music festival which has been running since 1987. It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures promising to reach 15 despite it still being February.

We enjoyed ourselves wandering around the streets looking at the architecture. However, it is us, so we had timed our visit with lunch and needed to find something to eat. Monday lunchtime is not an ideal time to visit a town as many shops and businesses close for lunch and many restaurants and cafes don’t open on Mondays. However, there is always somewhere to be found and we were more than happy to stumble on Cipensoio which is the restaurant of the Helvetia Thermal Spa hotel. It looked formal and we thought twice about going in, but we read the menu outside and decided we would go for it. It rated highly on the review sites, but we had really been looking for a sandwich. We often find ourselves in restaurants having sworn we would have a light lunch on the run.

Ci Penso Io is literally translated into English as “I’ll think about it”, but it widely accepted to mean “I’ll handle that” or “I’ll deal with it”, so bear this in mind if you hear it said or say it. Certainly, in this case they could handle our lunch. The food was delicious.

We had only been able to pay for two hours parking (parking requires change which, except for small brassy denominations, seems to elude us), so we had to get back on the road. It’s still early in the year so you start to lose the light at 5pm and we had another stop planned before heading for home. There is a station, Porrettana, which runs to and from Bologna, so a train trip would probably take you through some beautiful countryside on the way. Next time I’m planning on booking in for a spa treatment.

La Scola

We drove back in the direction of Bologna but turned off onto a road that climbed the side of a large hill. This road was in part single lane and we were a little disturbed to see bus stops dotted along, as there was no room for a bus to pass. The tarmac surface did not extend by more than a cars width and to the sides were rain gullys. I didn’t notice any passing places, but I would not have wanted to reverse back to one anyway, the road was steep and twisty. La Scola is listed as a historical monument, but it is a tiny village where all the buildings are from 14^th and 15^th Centuries and were built by master stonemasons. Its location, perched on the side of a hill, means that the beautiful buildings are set in an incredible context against the sky and surrounding hills. As it is tiny there is no parking to speak of, no facilities and I imagine that it could get pretty busy in peak tourist season. You can also get there by train and then bus from Bologna and I recommend it as somewhere to go on the way to or from somewhere else.