From Cinque Terre, Italy the plan was to drive to Bologna. With Pisa and Florence so close, it just seemed ridiculous to not make an appearance on the way. We do not regret this decision. Italy has so much to offer in the way of history and well preserved monuments. Both Pisa and Florence were well worth the pit stops.
Because we were on a time crunch, we pretty much bum rushed through both locations. So as far as information goes, we know nothing. But we did get some pretty sweet pictures. So today, I share the first leg of our four week European road trip from Cinque Terre to Bologna Italy, where we stayed two full days.
Stop 1: Pisa
The sole purpose of stopping in Pisa was of course to see, The Leaning Tower of Pisa. We grabbed some breakfast and then it was straight on to Florence.
Stop 2: Florence
We were in Florence for a grand total of two hours. We went straight to the information center, got a map, drew our route and owned our tourist duties for the day – take as many pictures of all the things as humanly possible. I’ll spare you every angle of every building. Florence was beautiful and we’d love to spend more time in this area of Italy some other time.
The craziest part about Florence was the Cathedrals and statues. Having been at Machu Picchu just two months prior, it was insane to use to think about the fact that these gorgeous cathedrals were constructed in the same time period as the Incan Ruins. This is not a dis on Incan architecture at all. It was just interesting what can be done with different resources in different locations.
Can we talk about these sculptures? Sure, the front is impressive…but the BACK SIDE! Whoever sculpted these backsides had a very good understanding of posterior chain anatomy. Also fairly positive no man looked like this 1000 years ago. Unless of course the Italians were up with the anabolic steroids. Who really knows? Not us, because we learned nothing about these statues.
Final Stop: Bologna
Our two full days were spent in Bologna. And we decided on Bologna as one of our locations based on two things; food and the Lamborghini factory/museum.
Bologna itself has little to offer in the way of Italian architecture when compared to other Italian cities. But the food is to die for, and although the Lambo deal was Nathanael’s idea, I can’t deny how impressed I was. The Ferrari Factory is also in Bologna. We didn’t visit, but I am sure it is amazing. You can also visit Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano if you’re a foodie who loves meats and cheese.
Recap
We LOVED our airbnb in Bologna. It is nicer than the pictures suggest. High ceilings, lots of natural light, and the host was awesome. It is a bit outside of the city center but public transportation is cheap and you can easily walk as well.
If you’re going to Italy, at least stop by Bologna and get a reservation at Broccaindosso. We were lucky enough to get in the first night there without a reservation. But made sure to get a reservation for the following night. So yes, both nights we at at Broccaindosso. And it did not disappoint.
I am sure anywhere you get pasta in Bologna will be amazing. There are shops in the main square with floor to ceiling windows where you can just sit and watch the pasta being made from scratch. So mesmerizing and fun.
Overall, Bologna is a livable town with great food, and lovely people. Make a pit stop for some pasta if you’re ever in Italy. It’s worth it.
Next up we head to the Balkans for Split and Dubrovnik, Croatia and Kotor, Montenegro!
If you missed it, we were in Rome, Greece, and Cinque Terre, Italy before heading to Bolonga – see previous blogs for details!
