16/06/2021 - Bologna

Today we discovered the city of Bologna from a very special perspective. We took a bus from our accommodation and it only took us 10 minutes to reach the city. We explored Piazza Maggiore and took a look inside the Basilica San Petronio. Right in front of it, we met our guide. Unfortunately, we forgot her name :-(, so we'll call her Andrea. We booked a food tour and today it was just the two of us searching for the delicacies of Bologna with Andrea. We started with breakfast at Café Aroma. We had a sweet pastry and a coffee. But not just any coffee. This espresso bar offers many special types of coffee, like Caffe allo Zabaione or Caffe Fiordilatte. Our nose and taste buds were delighted with this start to the day. Then we visited Mercato delle Erbe, where there was an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Our tour continued to Le Sfogline, a small shop that makes fresh pasta following family tradition. We watched the employees quickly shape a small filled piece of pasta. We tried it too, and it looked pretty good, but it took us too long. Andrea also bought some fresh pasta. We strolled through the bustling streets of the city, passing small shops and open stands, until we reached Mercato di Mezzo. Our fresh pasta was cooked for us and a typical Ragu sauce was added. It was a small but very tasty lunch. Andrea then took us to various stores full of delicacies. She picked up a few things here and there, filling her bags. Then we went to the oldest Osteria in the city. People don't go there to order food, but to order wine and bring their own food. We sat down comfortably and unpacked all our bags. Ham, salami, cheese, olives, dried tomatoes, spreads, all kinds of delicacies from Bologna. Plus a glass of wine and we were more than satisfied. We even had some leftovers, so dinner was already taken care of. Now we just needed a sweet ending to complete our food tour. We got that at an ice cream parlor. We were able to taste three flavors and it was a truly delicious treat.