Bologna

We drove from Lugano to Bologna - not an uneventful journey. We arrived in the city late, but not too late for a wonderful meal at a restaurant near our hotel, which was in the center of the old city.

Sky and True had Tagliatelle alla Bolognese (as we discovered, the Bolognese eat fresh, flat tagliatelle noodles but not spaghetti, which is a dried southern noodle). Anna had a wonderful veal liver in balsamic vinegar sauce and I had veal in cheese and a white truffle sauce. We had a bottle of wonderful, light, sparkling rose wine that was a beautiful to look at as it was to drink. Unfortunately, we were far too engrossed in the meal to take pictures.

Our hotel was the Hotel Orologio, named because it is near the big clock on the Piazza Maggiore.

By chance, we had managed to get an apartment with a separate entrance from the hotel. It was a wonderful place to stay.

The Piazza Maggiore is the main square in town. You can see the big clock in the upper left corner.

There was a great restaurant across the street where True had his own pizza.

We spent a lot of time walking. The weather couldn't have been better.

There is a very nice fountain with a statue of Neptune just off the piazza.

Milk seemed to be the theme of our vacation.

The city is filled with porticoed streets.

We wandered around and came unexpectedly upon the twin towers of Bologna. They were built by competing families and have become symbols of the city.

The tower that began to lean was cut down in size allowing the other family to win.

Sky had done some research and was looking for the best gelato shop in town. He led the way.

We eventually found it. The gelato was indeed worth the walk.

Later, we spotted a "Nutellaria," which sold food made with Nutella. It turns out Nutella comes from this region of Italy. It was invented during World War II when cocoa powder was rationed and a man named Pietro Ferrero used hazelnuts, which grow in the region, to extend his chocolate.

True got a Nutella pizza for the trip back to Switzerland.

He ate it in the back of the car.

All of it.