12.10 - Day 271 - Sasso Marconi incl Bologna, ITA
Saturday 12th October - Bologna, Italy (Day 271)
For a day off of driving we opt to catch the train 30 minutes up to Bologna. Each time we leave the apartment the kids rush down before us to pat Diego the dog. Along with the giant there are also two tiny dogs looking somewhat ridiculous next to Diego.
After alighting at Bologna we soon find ourselves in a giant sprawling market where it seems most stalls are selling a mix of clothing they’ve bought per kilo (or from the back of a lorry). Hundreds of people are scrambling through the piles of clothes - it's like TK Maxx on steroids.
Along the main pedestrianised road we still don’t make it to the main square before veering into the Lego store. After 30 minutes of “look at this one”, “can we get this one?”, we finally make it to the Piazza Maggiore where stereo-typically people are sitting outside sipping on espressos in the autumn sun.
Into the Basilica di San Petronio we head which has a number of chapels off to the side, some with ancient frescos and colourful stained-glass windows, others more simple and plain.
After lunch from a supermarket deli we venture back to the main square and into the Salaborsa library.
The library is only one part of this sprawling building and impressively contains three separate rooms of childrens books including plenty of English books (thank goodness it’s a global language). The largest part of our day is then spent with Sienna and Sen consuming books, including Seb opting to flick through Asterix in Italian.
Upstairs in a glass topped atrium there is a small exhibition of creations made solely from coloured paper. One of the artists, Paolo, is there by his origami work which is striking and precise. Sienna gets involved building a small diamond shaped box much to her enjoyment.
On a roll we head to Cremaria Marconi for the kids' obligatory gelatos before stumbling upon Le Dure Torri, two brick towers built in the 12th Century - notable for the fact that one, at 40 metres high, is leaning somewhat.
They built both to 60 metres but one immediately began leaning so they trimmed it down by 20 metres. Not that it’s a competition but the Leaning Tower of Pisa has a 3.9 degree lean to this one at 4 degrees.
Through an antiques market we head - the whole centre is bustling with a nice vibe - and pick up 4 Tigellinus; small, round crumpet-crossed-with-pita-bread filled with cheeses and hams, toasted to give us the energy to walk back to the train station and back to Ca Fortuzzi just outside Sasso Marconi.
Another day where we might not have done any big activities, but still got a nice feel for this popular small city.