The day after our Venetian excursion ended, the three of us made our way to Bologna, for one of the most fun weekends of my entire time abroad. As it turn out, several monuments in Bologna that are important to Kappa Sigma are also major tourist attractions on their own, so we set out to see those. First was the Torre Degli Asinelli, which is one of two towers left in Bologna. Apparently, there were dozens of towers in Bologna at one point, but all except two have been destroyed throughout history. Here it is (on the right):
I had heard rumors of the letters Kappa and Sigma being carved into the tower, and since you are allowed to go inside of the tower and climb to the top, we were able to see some actual carvings. It was very cool.
In addition to the tower, we explored the city, using the University of Bologna and our hostel as end points. Bologna overall is a fairly big city with a good deal of public transportation, though we were content to walk. It also is very modern, with lots of tall buildings; very different from Rome which looks ancient and has buildings that are no more than five stories high.
After a long day of sightseeing we were hungry for dinner, and we went to an awesome restaurant recommend by a friend. It was off the beaten path, down some dark forsaken alley, but it was true Bologna style Italian food, and likely not seen by many tourists. We paid about $50 per person, but we were continuously brought a generous array of food including authentic Bologna from Bologna, a giant wheel of cheese, and other foods I have never had before and can't remember the name of. Wine was also included in the $50, so I think it was a great deal, and it was really fun to have an authentic Italian meal outside of Rome to see how the styles differ.
Finally, I don't usually speak too much about night life in my blog, but it really stood out in Bologna. After dinner, we were eager to find the good spots to hang out at night. We ended up in an alley right by our hostel, (win), and discovered that Bologna is open till about 4 am, same as Rome. There are club promoters hanging outside handing out tickets and club passes, and everyone just hangs out in the small alleyway. it does seem like there are a lot of young people, I mean high school young, who go out at night, but it seems like they all know how to have a good time. It wasn't until we saw a group of people trying to light their friend on fire that we decided to call it a night and move to a new place.
Bologna was a great city overall, I got to travel to the birthplace of Kappa Sigma with some great friends, meet some really interesting people, and eat some great food. One last entry to go!
"Toward evening I got out of this ancient, venerable, and learned city, and extricated myself from its crowds, who, protected from the sun and weather by the arched bowers which are to be seen in almost every street, walk about, gape about, or buy and sell, and transact whatever business they may have. I ascended the tower, and enjoyed the pure air. The view is glorious. To the north we see the hills of Padua; beyond them the Swiss, Tyrolese, and Friulian Alps,—in short, the whole northern chain, which at the time was enveloped in mist. Westward there stretched a boundless horizon, above which the towers of Modena alone stood out. Toward the east a similar plain, reaching to the shores of the Adriatic, whose waters might be discerned in the setting sun. Toward the south, the first hills of the Apennines, which, like the Vicentine Hills, are planted up to their summits, or covered with churches, palaces, and summer-houses. The sky was perfectly clear...
ReplyDeleteThe Leaning Tower has a frightful look, and yet it is most probable that it was built so by design. The following seems to me the explanation of this absurdity. In the disturbed times of the city, every large edifice was a fortress, and every powerful family had its tower. By and by the possession of such a building became a mark of splendour and distinction; and as, at last, a perpendicular tower was a common and every-day thing, an oblique one was built. Both architect and owner have obtained their object: the multitude of slender, upright towers are just looked at, and all hurry to see the leaning one. Afterward I ascended it. The bricks are all arranged horizontally. With clamps and good cement one may build any mad whim..." (Goethe 1786)