No rain this morning, so we had a early morning walk to the Rialto bridge to say goodbye to Venice before returning to the hotel for breakfast, packing and checkout.
We decided to use the Vaporetto (public transit) to go to the train station, a total of 10 stops along thr main canal, which was full of boats carrying goods to and fro, taxi boats, gondolas crossing the canal, and the occasional law enforcement. Got to the train station, and all was easy. We found our platform, got our assigned seats, sat down and plugged in our devices and off we went. The train was high-speed and modern, our seats confortable and the spring countryside fresh and green. Soon enough we were in Bologna and it was easy to find a taxi, not outrageous fare to the hotel, and easy checkin to the Royal Carlton Hotel, which is space and roomy heaven after our more cramped experience in Venice.
First order of business was checking out the Tagliavini collection of antique keyboard instruments at the San Colombano museum. Harpsichords and organs back to the 1500s, clavichords, dulcimers, early fortepianos and the pianofortes that evolved. Beautiful old church restored to house the collection. My only criticism: it would have been great to have pieces recorded on the instruments that were still playable as part of the audioguide.
We subsequently grabbed a piadina lunch at the local bar, a delicious Montepulciano wine, and off for a little nap followed by an evening stroll and late dinner at a happy discovery: Traittoria Bolognese, an unassuming little place that served up a delicious pasta with sausage ragu and out of this world “cotolette di Bologna” and some of the best spinach I have ever eaten. We needed no dessert and slept the sleep of those whose minds, senses and bodies had all been stimulated.
It was a great first impression — Bologna is much more a living, wotking city than the “tourist central” parts of Venice we saw. Much to like.
No comments:
Post a Comment