My day in Bologna was a real treasure because I spent it with Haruko, a friend I made last November when we were both staying at the same flat while attending an Italian language immersion school in Florence. She now lives in Tokyo, and by a wonderful coincidence was in Italy while I was there, so we arranged to meet in Bologna for the day. We didn't see many sights, but I had one of the best meals of my life....an exquisite flavor that I'd travel to Bologna again to eat.
Haruko and I met at the train station, as she was coming in from Firenze and I was arriving from Ravenna for the day. It was a teary meeting, since we were both so happy to see each other, but after a few minutes, it seemed as if it was only last week that we'd been together. We went to the tourist information center to get a map and headed for Piazza Maggiore, the historical center of town. I was interested in going to an area atop a hill that is reached through the longest portico in the world...actually a series of 666 porticoes. We didn't manage to get there, but there are porticoes all over Bologna, and I'm certain we walked through at least a thousand of them anyway! It seems I already have several reasons to return to Bologna and spend more time there.
We started out our day having la colazione, or breakfast. In Italy this consists of un caffè, usually a cappuccino, and la brioche, a pastry.
We saw Bologna's own Torri Pendenti, or leaning towers, though we didn't attempt to climb them. On entering Piazza Maggiore, we came across one of the well-known features of the town, la Fontana di Nettuno, Neptune's Fountain, decorated with statues by Giambologna. His rendition of Neptune was considered distasteful by some sources, with a well-endowed Neptune and women with water spurting from their breasts. Another spot we visited was the Majani chocolate store, where they've been in business since 1796. We walked by Bologna University, the oldest university in Europe.
When it was time for lunch, we had trouble finding the right place, but somehow stumbled onto il Ristorante Clavature. There was construction going on next door, so it got a bit noisy while we were eating at an outdoor table, but it was worth putting up with for the fine meal I had. In Italy, the menu usually includes Antipasti (appetizers), Primi (first course, usually pasta), Secondi (second course, usually with meat or fish), Contorni (side dishes, usually vegetables) and Dolci (sweets, or dessert). Sometimes Insalata (salads) are also offered. I rarely order more than Antipasti and Primi, but also like to get Dolci when they sound especially inviting.
(As an aside, I'm sure you've all heard of or eaten tiramisu. Did you know that the literal meaning of "tiramisu" is understood as either "keeps me up," or "carries me up,"....as in "makes me high?" Tiramisu is a light composition of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in a coffee-like mixture, then layered with mascarpone (an ultrarich Italian cream cheese) and topped with cocoa powder or grated chocolate. Haruko's boyfriend Alessandro refers to it as "tiramigiù," or "keeps me down," though I'm not exactly sure why...Think of this next time you have some.)
I ordered Tortelloni di Zucca con pancetta croccante e aceto balsamico. This translates into pasta stuffed with pumpkin, with a light sauce featuring crisp bacon and balsamic vinegar. (Tortelloni are small pasta stuffed with various fillings, folded over and shaped into a ring or hat shape; a smaller version of this is called tortellini). I can't sufficiently describe the taste, but it was heavenly....both sweet and sour, and incredibly satisfying. I don't much care for heavy red or white sauces on pasta, and the ultra-light consistency of the one on this dish was perfect. Haruko had a curry dish, and we shared a quartino of red wine, which is basically half of a regular-sized carafe, enough for each of us to have a glass. In Florence last year we often went out for gelato, so we continued that tradition by eating Sicilian gelato later in the afternoon.
We were both sad for the day to come to an end, and had trouble saying goodbye. But Haruko is intent on moving to Italy in the next year, and I'm intent on spending more time there, so we feel pretty certain it won't be long before we meet again.
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