Andiamo a Bologna!

After two months without leaving bella Firenze, I plan an overnight trip with friends to Bologna, to visit the Museo Morandi. We met at 10:30 am in front of the McDonald’s at Stazione Santa Maria Novella, piled into Tommy’s Fiat Punta and head up the autostrada del sole towards Bologna. My job was navigator, I had good written directions and we made it to the apartment with ease. We then took the bus into il centro for lunch. We wandered around for a bit and ended up in queue at a rosticceria. We dined on roasted meats, stuffed tomatoes and roasted potatoes seated under some ominous-looking meat hooks hanging from the ceiling.

Next step was to take caffe on the way to il museo and this particular barista was quite the artiste. Delivering a new take on the happy face and a macchiato homage to Munch’s The Scream.


It was inspiring to see Morandi’s work, specifically his aquaforte (line etchings) and still life paintings. After the museum we found an outdoor market with an eclectic selection of wares so it was time for some shopping. I bought some fingerless glove-type things called manicotti and a coin purse. Total price 3,50 euro.

Passagiata (taking a walk about town) is a ritual in Italy, particularly practiced on weekends. We spent much of the time in Bologna in this manner. We met up with Tommy’s brother Francesco, his girlfriend Valentina, and their dog Lana. Next stop was a tiny bookshop that specialized in graphic art books. They were offering a calligraphy class while we were there. The students were practicing writing in the style of the typeface Neuland. I found a design book I wanted to purchase and the shopkeeper mentioned that he also had the previous volume, so he offered me both with a discount. Best bookshop I've visited in many years.

Next stop was a gallery to view a show of a Bolognese illustrator. This was a well-curated show featuring colorful, graphic illustrations. The artist was a bit demented, but I found the show to be compelling. Most of the illustrations were created in the 80s and early 90s, so given my age and my past life in the magazine world, I enjoyed the show on many levels. And there was a door to the back patio where you magically find yourself on a charming canal in the center of Bologna.

During aperitivo with friends we turned the enoteca (wine bar) into a temporary tattoo and shiatsu massage parlour.



We made dinner at our temporary home, visiting with our new friends. And we slept like three rocks and one cat. But I have no pictures to illustrate this.