My first day trip with the CET program. It was super stress free having plans and reservations made for you. This made the day in Bologna super smooth and enjoyable.
We drove an hour and a half on a bus which wasn’t bad, most people just slept. Our group of friends decided to use the bus ride to talk as if we don’t already spend everyday together.
The weather was foggy for the majority of the day which added to the cool ambiance that Bologna offers.
When we arrived the 30-40 of us split up into groups of two and then head tours during the day. We did the first half of our tour and then went to a tasting where we had “Molte Bella”, which was like a type of ham. I am not a huge fan of ham but the texture was super smooth and I actually really enjoyed it.
We continued on to our tour before the included lunch. Our tour guide was hilarious and was giving us all the humor behind the fountains and statues.
Lunch was so good. I had the best bolognese pasta, which is what Bologna is known for, and some chocolate cake. The venue was gorgeous with hundreds of old wine bottles and vintage art work — which I am absolutely a sucker for.
After we stuffed our faces at lunch, my friends and I did a little shopping (maybe a little more than we were planning to). We went to Pull & Bear and other boutiques down one of Bologna’s main road.
Bologna, in my opinion, seemed like a combination between those in Rome and Florence. It has narrow, village-like streets similar to Florence, but then also larger busy streets and long strips of shopping like Rome.
However, the Italian lifestyle and aesthetic is static throughout the country. The buildings all seemed to have either red, orange, or yellow tints to them. The fresh markets are located down narrow roads with lots of people grabbing the best produce and poultry. Everyone seems to walk slow as if there is no reason to rush — which is a great culture change from America.
All in all, Bologna was great and my friends and I got our bags from the bus, grabbed a drink, and are now on our train to Venice!
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