12 Jan
Bologna: What We Did
In September of 2011 we boarded a plane for Europe. We flew the Polish airline LOT, which was a big mistake (I’ll get more into that later). Departed from Chicago, landed in Warsaw, and ended up in Katowice. My FIL’s smiling face is always such a welcome sight after that journey, especially with a toddler in tow (I have pages of notes about flying with a toddler, which I’ll write a separate post on). After a few days in Poland, where I spent most of my time sleeping off the jet lag, we headed back to the Katowice airport and hopped a plane to Bologna. Our Italian vacation, the one I had been dreaming of for years (this is why I took Italian in college after all!) had finally arrived.
I spent a lot of time researching before this trip. Hours and hours reading blogs, checking out books, trying to figure out where we wanted to stay and where we wanted to eat (what we would actually do while we were there wasn’t something I felt needed much attention, it’s Italy after all!). I’m going to be writing several posts for each location we visited, one to show you what we did, one to review where we stayed, and one talking about where we ate. I kept detailed notes during our trip for this very purpose, because there were places that we LOVED which must be visited. And there were places we wasted time and money on which should be avoided. If you’ve been to Italy and have suggestions for other people on what they should do and eat, and where they should stay, I’d love to have you chime in down below.
I’ll go ahead and show you everything we did, but if you’re considering a visit to Bologna, read my summary at the bottom. (Teaser: I don’t think this is an area worth visiting if you’re considering other options.)
Our first stop on our trip was Bologna. How nice to fly into Italy not looking like a hot mess, right? Having that 2-day stopover in Poland before we came to Italy was so wonderful, because we were able to step off the plane and start enjoying our trip right away, instead of forcing ourselves to fight through the jet lag. We flew into the Forli airport on Friday, grabbed a taxi (which was very easy) to the train station, and then spent something like an hour trying to figure out how to get up to Bologna on the train. The station was very small and the train schedules were really confusing. The first train we missed because it sound it would be on platform 4, but was really on platform 2. Eventually we asked a fellow passenger for help and made it up to Bologna.
We didn’t get to our hotel until pretty late, but of course having dinner wasn’t a problem, since Italians don’t eat dinner until between 8-10pm at night. The next morning, Saturday, we set out and started exploring. I had planned out an itinerary involving a bakery, pizza, a snack, ice cream, Zara, a toy store, a hike, and dinner. Ha! We slept in and went shopping for That Husband instead.
Celio is a gem of a store if you have a slim husband who has trouble finding clothes that fit in American stores that cater to the heavier American male population.
Probably my favorite statue in all of Italy.
Whenever I visit Europe, I eat as much gelato as possible. There are very few places in America that do it as well as the cheapest places in Europe.
On Saturday afternoon we hiked up to the Madonna of San Luca, which we both agree was the best part of our time in Bologna. It’s a long, sweaty hike, but the entire journey is covered by these beautiful porticoes. We hiked, took in the views, and ate dinner right afterward, which felt perfect.
One thing we would do differently: bring water for this hike. I had discovered these public drinking fountains in Rome, so I jumped right in and cooled myself down after our hike, but TH was wary. You’ll see the water flowing straight down, but use your finger to stop the end and it will come out a hole at the top, ready for you to drink. It tastes good too.
Sunday morning I convinced TH that we should walk to church. On the way we passed the Bologna marathon. The African runners went by, and a few minutes later the first Italian guy ran past. That’s when the loudest cheers were heard. 
Walking to church was an awful idea. It took us over an hour, we were late, and both of us had blisters so bad that we grabbed a cab on the way back. We also chose to go during ward conference, which meant the room was so full some people were standing. We decided to only stay through the sacrament.
That evening we walked over to the Sette Chiese, Seven Churches. It was fine, but neither of us are really that interested in architecture and that’s why you would visit this area.
On our walk back we walked past a big free concert held in the middle of the square, Centro Storico.
We flew into Bologna on Friday evening and took a train to Florence on Monday morning. We came to Bologna specifically for the food, and as I’ll cover in my What We Ate post, we weren’t very impressed. Several of our meals were incredibly disappointing (even after hours of research online before we left, trying to figure out where to eat) and the city as a whole felt very run-down. Most of the walls along the porticoes were covered in graffiti, and even some of the ancient monuments! Unemployment among the younger generation in Italy is very high, and I think graffiti and minor vandalism is a way that people are expressing their anger over the government’s failure to address this (maybe things will be looking up soon?). Now that our trip is over, I really regret our time there. If I could do it over, we never would have gone to Bologna, and would have devoted the extra time to the Cinque Terre area instead (which we’ll get to a few posts from now!).
Also:
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
First, I thought you went in September 2011 not 2010.
Next, our diets went out the window in Italy. Gelato was eaten without thought to calories or sugar, it is just THAT good. We had it every day we were in Italy. I still need to finish my Italy recaps. I’m about halfway done.
And it’s nice to know to skip Bologna. We’re not big architecture people either. Can’t wait to see your Cinque-Terre recaps. Been looking forward to those the most. Florence too..I guess.
Jenna Reply:
January 12th, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Good catch! I need to fix that.
Hi Jenna. I have been looking forward to these posts. I share your love for Italy. I’ve been to Rome once and Venice three times. My fiance and I are thinking of going to Italy (he’s never been) for our honeymoon so I’m looking forward to your posts on Florence and Cinque Terre. Very informative. Thanks.
2I’m looking forward to your posts so I can steal itinerary ideas. Based on this and other things I’ve read, I think I will skip Bologna too. Food is also a very important part of my trips so I can’t wait to read what you have to say about it!
3This might be more pertinent to the Cinque Terre post, but did you hear about all the flooding in October? You narrowly missed it. You were probably some of that last visitors to see it before all the damage.
Jenna Reply:
January 12th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
It’s so sad to think that this view, https://thatwifeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/46cc7b3.jpeg, no longer exists. I know they will rebuild but…
I know this is totally not the point of your posts, but it would be fun if you could incorporate something into one of your posts about what you packed to wear. I’ve been abroad several times, although they were all missions trips/short study abroad trips. Though I didn’t dress badly (well, maybe for the mission trip lol), I still kind of felt like a tourist. You look so chic in your pictures! I would also love to know what kind of shoes you wore and if they were good for the intense amount of walking that always seems to happen when abroad.
Jenna Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 10:09 am
Well thank you! I worked really hard to figure out how to avoid looking like a cheesy tourist as much as possible.
You can see everything I packed here: https://thatwifeblog.com/2011/09/wardrobe-packing-tip/
For three weeks I took two pairs of pants and one dress, so any variety came from my tops. (Oh and I had a pair of leggings, maybe those count as bottoms too?)
For shoes I took an old pair of ballet flats that I’ve had for close to 10 years. I rotated back and forth between wearing those and the Cole Haan Air Tali http://www.zappos.com/cole-haan-air-tali-lace-wedge. I wear those Cole Haans for weddings, so I knew that they would work with long days of walking. The only time I got blisters was when I wore those purple heels! Big mistake, even if they were very cute.
Thanks for the link to the Celio website! My husband is also very slim (and short) compared to the average population, so buying clothes here can be a bit of a bear.
6This is so irrelevant, and I’ll come back and comment for real in the morning once I’ve read and digested the whole thing, but this line made me laugh:
“Celio is a gem of a store if you have a slim husband who has trouble finding clothes that fit in American stores that cater to the heavier American male population.”
Girl, where are you shopping that has too many clothes for “heavier” men?? My lumberjack-esque husband would like to know so HE can shop there, because we’re sick of “modern fit”, “trim fit”, etc…
God made my man with huge, muscled limbs that just ain’t gonna fit into skinny jeans.
Jenna Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 10:11 am
I guess they are just catering toward the middle then? Mandy said her slim husband feels the same way about Europea clothes!
A great example is the jacket my mom got TH for Christmas. It fits him like a bell, with the bottom being much wider than the top. I assume to fit the beer belly most men have?
Sarah Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
My husband is tall and thin and has a larger wardrobe than I do! He’s a big fan of Banana Republic, Kenneth Cole, J. Crew, and Hugo Boss. He swears that Armani and Ralph Lauren Black Label are the best for slim fit, but the budget for that has gone out the window since we had a kid. There’s plenty for the slimmer male here in the states, you just have to take a little more time to find it.
MrsW Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
We have problems with too much cloth around the belly too… my husband has shoulders for XL or often 2X if the size runs small, so shirts are always pooching around his middle. Mostly we have trouble fitting his thighs into things (especially when he’s been biking a lot) so he can never wear any jeans that aren’t “relaxed” fit.
Beautiful photos! Sorry that Bologna wasn’t all that you hoped, but it still looks beautiful. It’s famous for architecture, music and food. Obviously the food was a miss for you (so sad): did you enjoy the concert? It’s supposed to be a UNESCO Music city, whatever that’s worth.
Jenna Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 10:12 am
We didn’t stay long (it was after dinner and close to our bedtime, even though the Europeans seemed open to partying all night) but it was pretty fancy for a free concert!
One thing I know for sure?? Shopping here in Europe is SO much easier for Mike than it is in the States because of his trim build. I have to refrain myself from making him try everything on everywhere we go!
I’m looking forward to this series-you sound so thorough! I’ve been traveling for a week in South Spain right now and I just haven’t had the energy or the inclination to take any notes or many pictures at all.
And I’d also love to know what shoes you wore for the trip/how you’d rate them in terms of comfort & style.
Jenna Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 10:13 am
I talked about my shoes a little farther up in the comments. I don’t know if they are what anyone would consider super stylish, but they are definitely better than tennis shoes. I wish I was the kind of girl who could get away with heels for long periods of time, but I’ve got fat, wide feet with high arches and so that isn’t happening
Andrea Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 11:22 am
My husband is a pretty small (as in, has a slim frame) guy and we have never had any trouble finding him clothes. I’m wondering where you’ve been shopping?! We have a lot of luck with Banana Republic (especially their Emerson fit pants and slim fit shirts).
Oh, Italy! My husband and I went as a pair of dating youngsters and camped in the town just north of Cinque Terre, Moneglia. November isn’t exactly tourist season up there (nor is it warm, dry camping weather…but that’s another story!) But oh my, the people were so nice. They all wanted to help us out even though we spoke no Italian and they spoke no English-one morning they got all excited because someone’s daughter was home from university, so they brought her to us to try and translate, but it turned out the only phrases she knew were “How are you” and “That’s OK.”
Moneglia and the train/hiking trip through CT were incredible. Like you, we stopped for gelato multiple times a day. And like you, we had a less-than-thrilling time in the larger city nearby (for us, that was Genoa).
Anyway, this is a novel for sure. Sorry about that. But your post brought back so many memories
Jenna Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 10:14 am
We actually spent three days in Lake Garda (just north of Genoa) and weren’t in love with that either). I’ll get to that eventually!
The Cinque Terre region is underrated in my opinion. Everyone needs to go if they are planning a trip to Italy!
Bologna may have been my least favorite city that I visited in Italy. I wouldn’t recommend it to my friends, but may also have a skewed opinion because I was alone, staying in a hostel outside of the city, it rained the entire time, and the church was being remodeled. I’d love to go back to see if it’s actually worth a visit, but would probably only do so if I was going to Europe with a good amount of money & lots of time.
11Rome, Florence, Siena, and Venice were worth it though & I’d love to go back!
Enjoying architecture might not be for everyone, but if you have even the slightest interest a little research goes a long way.
I find myself getting bored quickly on architectural tours if I know nothing about the buildings, and I’m an architect!
12Hi Jenna,
I’m waiting with anticipation for your post on flying with a toddler. I am taking my daughter to New Zealand to visit her Dad’s side of the family in April, she will be 18 months at that point so really wondering what I’ll be up against.
We did take her at 9 months, but I’m fairly certain it will be ENTIRELY different this time… I did do myself a favor and book her a seat though.
Thanks!
13How tall is TH? He looks to be of average build, which is why I’m asking. Maybe because he’s tall he appears to be slim in person?
Jenna Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
He is about 6 feet. He wears a small in US sizes, and often those are a bit big, and that’s how we tend to judge how “slim” he is.
I probably would visit Bologna since I know it’s famous for its architecture, and it’s something I enjoy seeing.
15I thought Balonga was very run down too.
16Such a pity you didn’t like Bologna. It is one of my favourite italian cities… and you might have just eaten at the wrong places. It is famous for the food, and I had some of my best meals there. The open markets are also great for food shopping. Bologna isn’t called “la grassa” for nothing! For shopping, I like the arcades a lot. The area around the university is also great, very cheap bars and cafés. Plus the university dining hall serves great food also to non students
Sara Reply:
January 16th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
I’d actually have to strongly disagree on skipping Bologna. This was my third trip to Italy and I think Bologna is an often overlooked gem. The architecture is awesome, the city is easily navigated and accessible and we found the people incredibly friendly. It is a city to be felt and experienced. Yeah sure there is some graffiti here and there but you’ll find that in Rome and London.
One of the best choices we made was to do a food tour through Italian Days with Alessandro. We got picked up bright and early from our lovely hotel Porta San Mamolo and traveled out to a Parmigiano Reggiano factory where we got to taste fresh ricotta made minutes before and first, second and third class cheese. Then we went on to a balsamic vinegar producer in Modena and finished up with a traditional six course meal in the hills of Bologna.
As foodies, it was really a top notch experience. We ate at one of the city’s top restaurants and had a lovely meal one evening. The day of our food tour we opted just for a meat and cheese plate to snack on.
While we were in Bologna, there was a huge chocolate festival in the main square, which we frequented several times. Saturday night there was also live music around the city and a bustling night life. We climbed Bologna’s leaning tower that sport amazing views. We visited Eataly and the amazing food market.
I’m not denying that you didn’t have a good time there. But I’d hate to have someone miss out on the wonderful, wonderful experience we had. Truly a highlight.
We were supposed to be in the Cinque Terre but we were scheduled to be there in early November, which was completely impossible given the landslide.