Porticos and Piazzas

Wow I can't believe I've been here in Bologna for two weeks now and I'm only just getting around to writing a post about it. I'm in love with this city. It's small enough to feel manageable and familiar but big enough that you constantly encounter new places and people. One of the coolest things about Bologna is the portico system- almost every street has them lining both sides, so when it rains you don't have to bring an umbrella! Today I went for coffee in the centro with some friends and brought my camera so I good finally show you some snapshots of the city.

This is Piazza Verdi- during the day students come here to hang out and eat lunch and on any night you can find it completely filled with groups of people drinking and talking and meeting others. It's the hub of student nightlife in Bologna.

These are the two towers of Bologna. There used to be almost 200 back in the Medieval Era but many fell or were knocked down. You can climb these for an incredible view of the city and surrounding countryside, but there's a superstition that if students climb them they won't graduate in time.

This neighborhood right next to the main street and piazza is my personal favorite. It's full of gourmet food shops, designer clothing stores, and outdoor cafes.

This is the main street, Strada Maggiore, that runs along the Piazza Maggiore and has all of the big stores and restaurants. There are always tons of people here and street performers every few yards. Often they will have events like jazz concerts or book fairs in the Piazza Maggiore and for me it's the place that feels most like a bustling big city. The piazza is surrounded by old castles and churches, including my personal favorite church San Petronio.

One of my favorite things about the city (aside from the porticos) is the mixture of homeyness and modernity. For example there are chain supermarkets and bookstores and pharmacies but there are also tons of weird and wonderful specialty shops. On my way home I pass a lightbulb store, and painting supply shop, a clothing boutique where all the mannequin heads are pictures of Michele Obama, a store dedicated to lavender aromatherapy, and a shop that appears to only have 6 ski jackets in it.

I'm smitten with Bologna and these few photos hardly do it justice. Also they're not so great because I felt weird whipping out my camera here- I don't feel like a tourist, this is my city! Right now I'm working on a food post and then maybe I'll play tourist some more to show you the secret spots this city has, or at least the ones I've found in two weeks! I can't wait to spend the whole year here and see it in the snow and spring.