BOLOGNA, ITALY

One of my favorites things to do when in

a new place is to go out early in the

morning and explore before the

place is filled with people.

I couldn't wait to do that in Bologna.

We stayed in an apartment in the city

center a short walk from the Piazza Maggiore.

There are enough monuments and curiosities

in this area for several days of leisured

exploration.

This young couple took the opportunity

to get an uninterrupted picture of

themselves before the area was

swarming with people.

No other city in Italy has as many

porticoes or covered walkways as found

in Bologna.  In the city center there are

barely any stretch of pavement not topped

by an ornate, arched covering.  I was totally

taken by them.

In Italy visiting the food stalls are on the top

of our list.  Here they were surrounded by

small food shops.

We found this charming little trattoria to

have our favorite lunch.

Grilled Vegetables and pasta, and wine

of course.  Yes we are on vacation.

John and I are not meat eaters but

in Italy we will eat ham, and the

prosciutto in this region is the best.

Topped with some arugula and parmigiana

reggiano with a splash of some

of the best olive oil.  One word, Heaven.

I got a little obsessed with this

fabulous rusted fence.

Besides being known for their ham,

this region is second only to Sicily

for the amount of fish caught in its waters.

Trying new things is half of the

fun of traveling, we could not

resist ordering octopus ceviche.

It was incredible to say the least.

A little creative photography from our waitor.