2024-10-12
(Day 8 of #100DaysToOffload)
It's my first day in Bologna! Let me go through all what happened.
I stayed up from Friday to get the bus to Stansted Airport. I got the bus at midnight (after finishing everything up for work so I won't have to deal with any major issues when I get back) and didn't end up sleeping on the bus. I got to the airport, waited about a bit, queued up for the check in, realised I couldn't actually check in until four hours before my flight, sat about for two hours reading, went to check in again and got through this time. I then went to security where I had additionally inspections both for my person and for my luggage - clearly I must look suspicious! It only took half an hour in all though, so I was left at half four waiting until boarding for the flight began at 07:05. So I sat and read for another couple of hours, and at half six went to a food place that was unusually empty considering how packed the airport is and had some hummous and flatbread.
Getting on the plane, I was filled with wonder, and a bit of surprise when it took off all of a sudden! I did sleep for a bit but also spent a good amount of the time just staring out of the window at the view.
Arriving in Bologna, I made a bit of a mess of it. I couldn't find the bus stop initially, and after asking was directed to where the buses comes from. I looked around for a bit, eventually noticing the 25, and got that. I couldn't figure out how to pay, but there is a machine about halfway up which can be tapped with a card to pay (I'm not sure if you need to tap when you get off as well, I did not). Sadly, Italian buses do the same thing English ones do, and do not tell you where you are at. As a result, I rode it for a bit, before realising it was actually taking me the wrong way, and so alighted, walked the roughly half an hour back, getting continually lost and walking one way for a good part before realising that I needed to go the other way. For instance, I followed Via Zamboni down and then went left at the two towers, going down Via San Vitale. Then I realised I was heading the wrong way, so went back and up the other way, going up to Via dei Guidei. I got a bit confused when it went onto Via Canonica, but then realised the small side street I passed by, Vicolo San Giobbe, led me through to Via Guglielmo Oberdan, which I could then take to Via Altabella, taking me to Via dell'Indipendenza from which it's easy to get to Via Ugo Bassi and then to the hotel at Via Monte Grappe. But it took a lot of steps and required a bit of back and forth.
The streets are pretty confusing though, and there are many little side streets and alleyways. In addition, the main streets are *incredibly* busy. I've never even seen that many people in London.
Most of the streets in this area are classified as "area pedalone", which I assume means that they are only accessible by pedestrians. Strangely, there are quite a few bikes around, including even motorbikes occasionally, that seem to mix in with the people. Because they cycle sensibly, it doesn't seem to be a major problem, but it does seem a little out of place to see bikes, or even a motorbike, on a pedestrian street.
So, I'll divide it in two. Firstly, architecturally and aesthetically. It is absolutely stunning. There is really no other way to put it. It very much does feel like you are walking around an ancient European city, and many of the streets are incredibly quiet if there are not a lot of people. For instance, going along Via Zamboni, I ended up carrying my suitcase as opposed to rolling it, as I notice that the rolling resistance of the suitcase was actually the only major source of noise on that street. Once I picked it up the suitcase, it was lovely and quiet, with the occasional rattle of a bike that went past, but generally just... quiet. Tranquil.
This was a stark contrast to the streets I was on only a moment before that: those around Piazza di Porta San Donato. Those streets are horrid, and loud, and congested, and nobody seems to obey the traffic signals, and just... ugh. Now, kudos where it's due, most of the pavement is dedicated to a cycleway, which is nice to see, and there are actually riders as a result. Down Via Zamboni, the street portion is for cycles (a lot of rented e-bikes but many pushbikes too) with a separate, raised walkway for pedestrians. It is wonderful.
In terms of people, secondly: there are a lot. It really is a city, and there are people all over - I actually came to Bologna thinking it would be quieter (than say, Rome or Venice). Especially around lunchtime it seems that just everywhere is full of people. I did find a place near the hotel, and got a pizza and some sorbet after. They also added shortbread as a complimentary gift (which is definitely not vegan but I ended up eating it anyways, out of courtesy, and they were delicious). All of the streets are packed with people. It isn't really so bad, but it is actually more urban and dense that somewhere like London, and because of the way it is designed, it encourages more people to be on foot, which increases the appearance of business.
I didn't grab a proper meal this evening, but instead walked around the city a couple more times, exploring down some of the streets I hadn't done yet. There are a lot of shops, and though many don't interest me, I would like to actually spend a day or two exploring the city. I do sort of need to work out what to do; I want to spend a day or two in Florence, which means figuring out where the train is and how to get it (I think just get a bus to Bologna Centrale, or maybe even walk it (it seems like nothing is more than a half hour walk away here - in fact, it seems to only be 1.5km away so not even 20 minutes).
I listened to an Anti-fascist demonstration in the middle of Piazza Maggiore. I was handed a leaflet, and it seems to be about the introduction of new laws by Giorgia Meloni that are particularly harsh. I did not actually realise that Italy had a right-wing leader; I had heard they had some issues with corruption in the government, but assumed they just had a fairly centrist government. So I can put Italy in the camp of Poland, and Hungary, for instance, that have pretty extreme governments. All countries need their issues, I suppose.
I just walked about the streets. I saw a ventriloquist band, where a man had set up puppets to play instruments and had music on in the background. He controlled the marionette with the violin. It was quite entertaining. There was also an extremely talented young man busking. Each of these people seems to attract a crowd around themselves. It is nice to see - I saw it last at Covent Garden too.
I sort of want Italy to be a paradise, and even on the first day, I am very quickly realising it isn't. I am having of course the surface level tourist experience, and am not really understanding it well by way of not knowing the language and integrating with the culture. But even in terms of the city design (outside of the nice parts), and the desire for it to be fairly quiet, and these kinds of things, and of course potentially governmental issues, it is of course not perfect. But still, I am really enjoying it here on my first day.
I've got six full days from tomorrow - Sunday to Saturday inclusive. The final Sunday I'm most going to be just sitting at cafe's reading because I'll be waiting for the flight back. So, what do I want to do?
Also, I need to find a place to get breakfast tomorrow!
I'm also finding it very helpful to have mobile data, I find. That said, I am slightly abusing it... I've gotten through 400MB in one day. I need to keep it minimal.
Tomorrow, I won't go to Florence - I'll leave that for Monday or Tuesday. Then, I can research what is to see in Florence. I should probably snap a photo of the statue of Neptune - there is water coming out of the mermaid's nipples, it is very strange. I'll do some browsing and photographing of Bologna tomorrow, maybe see if I can do the towers.
That's all! See you next time. I've rambled quite a bit...