My Western Eurotrip Galore: Italy - Bologna, Modena, Parma

Second Stop: Italy-Bologna 

Typical local meat shop

Al dente, il primo, and buon appetito are the only Italian words I know. I learned these words from the menus at Italian restaurants. I thought these words will suffice during my time in Italy since I was aiming for primarily on having a gastronomical feast there! A big lover of Italian cuisine, I couldn't ask for a better place to eat pastas, prosciutto, pizzas, tomato sauce, and cheese than in Italy itself! When it comes to food, not even the handsome people in Cologne would be able to retain us. My friend and I were emphatically ready for Italy.

Traveling from Cologne, Germany to Bologna, Italy we flew on German Wings. The flight took only 1.5hrs and costs $103usd each. Our experience flying with this airline was good. Overall check-in process went smoothly and swiftly. We also packed lightly with each a carry-on allowing us to zip in and out of the airports quickly. After landing at the Bologna G. Marconi Airport (BLQ) we took the inexpensive Aerobus (€4.50) into the city center and got off at the Bologna Central Station. There is a train station here where we would later take to get to other parts of Italy and eventually to Geneva. Traveling from the airport to the Central Station took only 20 minutes. From the Central Station, we walked across the street to transfer to Bus #25 that took us to a stop in front of our hotel.

Before I begin, I have to mention one of Bologna's unsophisticated systems - the bus system. Commuters are supposed to pay €1 for a ride on the bus. But I witnessed many who didn't pay. I first learned about this when I became an offender myself when we got on our bus #25. I had only a €2 coin that I tried putting into the machine in the bus. Apparently, the machine didn't take my coin because it accepts only exact change. My friend didn't have anymore coins so I went up to the bus driver to pay and get change. But perhaps due to a language barrier, he simply nodded, ignored me, and pointed his fingers back at the machine. A local Italian lady who I asked earlier for directions looked at me and said, "it's ok". I looked at her perplexed and replied "ok?" She repeated "it's ok". I looked at my friend in silence and telepathically messaged her "is she telling me not to pay?" I felt guilty and attempted again to see perhaps this lady might have some change. Ironically, she looked at me as if I were either a hopeless lassie or insane, and repeated again "really, it's ok, don't worry about it." By then two stops had passed while other passengers appeared transfixed to the windows unaware of the commotion I was causing. I expected the bus driver to scold me to pay up in Italian in any moment but he didn't even glance my way or at his rear view mirror. I sat down holding the €2 coin in my hand confused to this unexpected fortune of a free ride. I wonder if it's because we were visiting during Bologna's summer season when most locals are away, and hence, people didn't care as much. Despite the free hitch hike ride, I was not a fan of this honor code approach of running things. It was definitely a wily moral way to test our character.

Bologna

Bologna's cityscape

At Bologna we stayed at the Ramada Encore Bologna Fiera Hotel. The ride from the Central Station to the hotel took less than 15 minutes. I selected this hotel because it had decent reviews and photos, it was inexpensive, and its proximity to the attractions. It's not a luxury hotel but it met our needs and requirements. However, the interior design of the lobby at the hotel is perhaps the most puzzling. The lobby resembled that of cheap rendition of a contemporary hotel. The colors chosen reminds me of a preschool daycare center. Aside from the unflattering interior designs, we had a clean room with a pleasant bathroom installed with a glass sink and an unexpected bidet! Staff members were also nice and helpful, but not excellent. http://www.ramadaencorebo.it/

One of the numerous long arcaded porticoes

After dropping off our luggage, we decided to head into the city to check out Bologna and grab dinner. The ride from our hotel to the city center is a sight intriguing itself. The scene started from an ordinary suburban setting than gradually shifted to a well preserved charming Emilian style university town as the bus journeyed along Via dell Indipendenza. If I lived here during the 12th century, I could only imagine the mass wealth this historical city had. Long arcaded porticoes, tall ceilings, marbled pedestrian pavements, narrow grid patterned streets, reddish-brown facades, medieval artistic monuments, I couldn't describe how foreign this place felt. Utterly, I was awestruck by this new environment. New and rare generates excitement for me and the sight that I was seeing sure accomplished that. In addition, we couldn't have visited a better time because in August the locals and students take their summer time off to travel. An abandoned cityscape with only a few tourist, I felt I had this city all to ourselves. My friend smiled at me and saw the sparkles in my eyes. She knew that I adore Bologna.

The following is what I recommend from the two days we were there.

SIGHTS:
Torre degli Asinelli and Torre degli Garisenda

Shadows of the two towers

On our full day, the first destination we went to check out was at Piazza di Porta Ravegnana. Located at the Piazza di Porta Ravegnana are two leaning towers that symbolizes Bologna, like how the WTC twin towers are for NYC. However, these two towers in Bologna were built during the 12th century and represented status symbols: taller the tower represents the more powerful a family. Because many years had passed both of these towers now lean. In fact, Torre degli Garisenda leans so much that it is now closed to public. Fortunately, we are still able to climb the 498 steps of the Torre degli Asinelli to get a panoramic view of the city at the top. The entrance is a narrow doorway located the opposite side of the souvenir shop. Walk a few steps up is where you pay the entrance fee. Admission fee: 3€.

Piazza Maggiore

Piazza Maggiore in the center



Lactating nymph

Perhaps considered the heart of Bologna, Piazza Maggiore is an opened air cinema lined with majestic Romanesque and Gothic styled buildings. Surrounding the square are galleries, stores, churches, cafes, bookstores/library, and a townhall. When you enter the Piazza from the main street, an interesting monumental fountain of lactating nereids and other erotic bronze figures, called the Neptune Fountain dedicated to the sea god Neptune, greets you. Inside the square, the church of San Petronio dominates an entire section. This church intended to be larger than St. Peter's Basilica in Rome,  unfortunately, remained unfinished because of a lack of funds. Today, the incomplete face of the main facade disturbingly distracts the overall beauty of the square. Beside that drawback, I really enjoyed walking around the Piazza Maggiore because there are tons to see. Behind the Piazza Maggiore are maze of alleys with a heap of shops and grocery stalls. My favorite streets to walk along were Via Pescherie Vecchie, Via degli Orefici, and Via Drapperie. We went to a butcher shop along one of these narrow alleyways and purchased slices of the best tasting prosciutto available in the shop. Sorry piggy, but you were absolutely savory and delicious! Along the way in other shops, we also sampled cheese, bilberries, and gelati. 

Piazza Santo Stefano
Around the Piazza de Porta Ravegnana area, you can walk any direction and find beautiful buildings and churches. We decided to visit the medieval religious complex at Piazza Santo Stefano that was recommended by our travel books. To get to Piazza Santo Stefano from Piazza de Porta Ravegnana we headed southeast along Via Santo Stefano. At Piazza Santo Stefano, also known as the Seven Churches Square, you will find the remaining four churches standing next to each other. The square was originally built during the 8th century on a pagan temple dedicated to the Roman goddess Isis. At the Santo Sepolcro, the polygonal church, is where San Petronio's tomb lies. San Petronio was a bishop of Bologna in the 5th century. The quiescent square seems to be a great place to take a break from a long walk, to read, to think, or to enjoy a nice brown bag lunch.

FOOD:

Gelato on a stick

Pizza we ate at Regina Margherita

It's hard to find a poor meal in Bologna. After all, the renowned Bolognese sauce got its name from here. As much as I wanted to exercise gluttony in Bologna, the drawback of visiting in August is that most of the good restaurants are closed. As a result, we had to settle for what was opened for business. Why is food so tasty in Italy? I believe it's because Italians put passion in making their food and they use quality local produce, which I can attest with the meals we had. When it comes to pastas, most mediocre restaurants in Bologna would be equivalent to a fine dining experience in NYC. On the other hand, I didn't find that to be true when it comes to pizzas. It's not because the pizza we had in Bologna wasn't good. On the contrary, I couldn't resist biting into the bubbly and delicious dough. I think it's because New Yorkers make great flatbreads too. In fact I believe NYC could be a competitive contender when it comes to cooking these disc-shaped breads topped with tomato sauce and cheese.

La Sorbetteria Castiglione
OMG! Thank goodness this shop, located on Castiglione 44, was opened! If you like gelato, this is a must go place! This culinary stop has absolutely the best gelati I ever tasted in my life!! Although it took us a while to find this place isolated within several walking distance away from the Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, sampling gelati here wound up being the best decision we had made in Bologna. The Venchi franchise, one located near the towers at Orefici 23, is also very good, however, La Sorbetteria Castiglione is indescribably tastier. I tasted the passion and love that had been put into making the ice cream at La Sorbetteria Castiglione. With each spoonful, we allowed the creamy, flavorful, and rich consistency melt delightfully into our soul. Our level of satisfaction here undoubtedly surpassed the dinners we had! Man, I'm salivating and feeling quite nostalgic at the moment thinking about this place that is sadly an ocean away! http://www.lasorbetteria.it/

Trattoria Regina Margherita

Tasty seafood linguine

We searched for opened restaurants and finally settled to eat at this Trattoria located via Santo Stefano, 40. Though I didn't see any reviews for this place in Tripadvisor, I thought the meal we had here was delicious. This is what I meant by mediocre restaurants in Bologna being equivalent to an exquisite restaurant in NYC. The restaurant didn't appear to be all that remarkable, but had a waiting line. My friend and I ordered a seafood linguine and a pizza pie to share. Fresh seafood and al dente pasta, I thought the dish was absolutely savory. Pizza was large and amazing too, but again, not something that I can't find in NYC. We enjoyed our meal here and had no complaints. But still in the back of our minds, we couldn't forget the gelato at La Sorbetteria. That meal topped everything we ate during our stay at Bologna. http://www.trattoriadelrosso.com/


TRAVEL EXPENSE: (excluding attraction fees and food):
Aerobus: €4.50 one way
Local bus: €1.00 per ride
Hotel: my portion - $57usd for 2 nights
Flight: from Cologne to Bologna - $103usd on German Wings

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Italy-Modena 
After Bologna, we decided to travel on Trenitalia rail to visit two other Italian cities before we headed to Geneva, Switzerland. Purchasing tickets from the ticket booth in the Central Station at Bologna is fairly simple. However, you must remember to validate your ticket at one of those yellow machines before getting on the train. Otherwise, you might be fined a penalty by an onboard conductor when you are on the train. We purchased second class regional train tickets heading to Milan (~1 hr) and separate tickets on a faster train from Milan to Geneva (~4hrs). Doing it this way allowed us to make brief stops along the way at Modena and Parma. Gliding pass endless green vineyards and succession of farmhouses and ancient ruins, the rail turned out to be a great choice while we sat back appreciating the view.
http://www.trenitalia.com/ Another useful place to check for rail info: http://www.raileurope.com/

Modena
In the past two years I have been trying to improve on my cooking skills after years of being mocked by family and friends of how bad of a cook I was. Crushed after being reprimanded by my ex on how I could possibly ruin a salad by drenching it with balsamic vinegar, I said to myself that I will not be chided again and began to learn to be a better cook. I started with basic salad dressings. And that is how I learned that the best balsamic vinegars are from Modena. Initially, I really wanted to go on a culinary adventure of balsamic vinegar tasting to perfect my dressings and further my knowledge. However, majority of the places turned out to be too expensive, closed, or out of our way. We planned on staying at Modena for only the afternoon before we headed to Parma so our activity had to be time efficient. In the end, we gave up on the vinaigrette and went to see the other thing Modena is known for: the super cars. Modena happens to be one of Italy's main centers of the automotive industry. Outside the Modena's train stop is a bus ticket booth where we purchased round trip tickets to Modena main bus terminal. The ride takes only 5minutes and costs €2. Once we got to the main bus terminal we needed to transfer to another bus (#800) that took us to Maranello, Ferrari's hometown. That's another €2.30 for another 35minutes. Ask the bus driver to notify you when the bus reaches Ferrari Galleria, located via Dino Ferrari 43. Once you see the Ferrari store or the Ferrari office, the Ferrari Galleria is about 5 minutes walk away.

Personally, I am not one who wants to spend time at museums when I travel. But, I like fast sports cars and enjoy fantasizing about owning or driving one myself some day. An absurd thought that perhaps I could test run a Ferrari at the Galleria had me succumbed to checking the place out. When we got to the Galleria, we only saw incredible beauties parked at their assigned spotlights. I thought the entrance fee (€13) included an opportunity for me to touch the wheels or sit inside the cars. Nope. Needless to say, I was quite disappointed. Apparently, the Ferrari factory and its test track are by invitation only. The Galleria is opened to the public but does not offer any packages that allow customers to ride a Ferrari. However, we learned that there are nearby souvenir shops that do. Those shops are not affiliated with the Ferrari museum. So if anything goes wrong it would be a risk that you will have to take. Prices ranged about $70+ for a few minutes thrill. My friend and I opted out of it due to a language barrier and the long wait. I guess my ride on a Ferrari will have to wait until I get one myself one day. ha!   http://www.ferrari.com/Italian/About_Ferrari/Museo-Ferrari/Pages/Home-Museo.aspx

TRAVEL EXPENSE: (excluding attraction fees and food):
Regional train: from Bologna - Milan ~€15 one way
Bus ride to Galleria: €3.30 one way

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Italy-Parma

Parma
After leaving Modena, we had about only two hours to explore the city before the sky turned black. We stayed at the Astoria Residence Hotel for its convenience. We had only the evening to explore Parma because the next morning we board an early train to Geneva and the hotel was only 100 meters away from the station. The hotel is not one that I would highly recommend, though it probably fares better than staying at a hostel. This is the first hotel that I've been that actually has its entrance locked at night. A paradox since I didn't know whether to feel safe or unsafe. The old lobby was gloomy and our room lacked luminance with beds smaller than normal twin sized under a worned grimy rug. Despite the slight discomfort, I am not a high maintenance traveler. I have no complaints as long as there's a bathroom and a bed to sleep on. On a brighter note, the employees at the hotel welcomed us with great hospitality.

As soon as we dropped our luggage, we grabbed a map from the hotel and headed out to tour around Parma. The lady at the front desk recommended that we visit the nearby Piazza della Pace. From our hotel to the Piazza della Pace, we were surprised to see many deteriorating buildings. The vicinity felt quite ghetto and clustered mostly by immigrants and lower income groups. As we got closer to the Piazza, the scenery gradually shifted to mostly charming elegant buildings harboring local cheese shops, fashion boutiques, and gift stores. The Piazza della Pace also appears to be a social gathering area. There were many people lounging around in front of the Palazzo della Pilotta, an existing complex built during the 16th century. I am sure there are a few other things to see in Parma but by the time we got to the Piazza, most of the stores were closing up.

Palazzo della Pilotta

One thing I can definitely attest to about Parma despite the brief hours we were there is the amazing food! This small city is best known for its Parma cheese and ham, Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto di Parma. The Barilla pasta factory is also located here. There are plenty of excellent restaurants in Parma and we could tell by simply looking at the decor of the restaurants and smelling the permeating aroma. After reviewing some of the recommendations we've read from our travel guides, we located Gallo d' Oro nudged behind a small quiet alley at Borgo della Salina, 3. The meal we had there

was absolutely out of this world. The food at this restaurant is definitely high quality and top notch. The complimentary bread with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil could be our entire meal and we would be satisfied. It was that gratifying. Undoubtedly, we ordered a cheese and ham platter to sample various parts of the pig. We also ordered home-made pasta and a tender pork dish. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are around Parma!  http://www.gallodororistorante.it/

TRAVEL EXPENSE: (excluding attraction fees and food):
Hotel: my portion - $43usd for 1 night


Third Stop: Geneva, Switzerland
... to be continued ...