Ferrara and Bologna in bicycle

My last post was about Chioggia and river Po. I had just left the river path and was returning back to civilization meaning back on roads with cars, traffic lights, bus stops, zebra crossings and pollution. It was actually rush hour and there was high traffic congestion. I was happy though to be near my destination, not needing to bear imposed conditions of civilization for more than a few miles.

I could finally see the city walls and felt excited, but my destination was outside the centre, on a long straight highway. Actually the address was tricky to find, because the property was not exactly on the highway. I went back and forth and just then realised that I had to follow an unpaved path to reach the property. A rabbit hopped steadily in front of me, I could see the property. It was a farmhouse converted in flats immersed in farmland and orchards. What a surprise when I arrived! My hosts were at the entrance waiting for me and waiving at me with enthusiasm! In that second I realised that in other’s perception what I was doing was a hard venture. I had cycled about 80 km that day, more than 300 km since the start, in the heat, alone, with limited resources. I was enjoying so much my life that I completely forgot to consider my trip as a challenging mission which required physical and mental strength, determination and courage. The reactions and comments of people I met on my way, including the warm welcome of my hosts, made me aware of it. As far as I was concerned, the whole journey was just pleasure, pure enjoyment and fun.

I arrived to the place treated as a champion: with homemade dinner, shower, bed and most of all with generosity and caring, much like in the Mediterranean way. I can’t remember the name of my hosts, he was American while she was Ukrainian, freelancer and great cook. They were in Italy for job purposes and were travelling quite a lot. Dinner was so abundant with many different dishes on the table, all strictly vegan. How long did it take her to prepare all that, I was thinking. And how tasty vegan food can be! Was it just because I was extremely hungry after all the cycling, or was it genuinely good?

After dinner we went to Ferrara for a beer and a stroll in the town centre. I had never been in Ferrara. Don’t be surprised if Italians haven’t visited many of their own cities. Italy is literally packed with culture and architecture. During the flowering of Renaissance Italy boasted the most highly developed urban network, its surface densely covered with cities interspersed among strings of smaller towns. Ancient Rome, Middle Ages and Renaissance contributed to the high urban density and rich road network that is today part of Italy. For those who haven’t been in Italy or have been just in the main tourist destinations, Italy is so rich of beautiful towns, serially overlooked, Ferrara is one of them. It is ringed by medieval walls, the interior is mostly pedestrian and built in reddish brick as most of Emilia Romagna’s architecture and the pavement is cobbled. The main attraction is the Estense Castle, which rises from its moat literally in the centre of the city. Tourists and locals hang out on the piazza at dusk when the heat is not suffocating and the atmosphere becomes quite pretty, with the illuminated castle on the background.

Next day, after a rich breakfast prepared by my host and a warm farewell, I left for Bologna. Ferrara – Bologna was the shortest route of the whole trip and again somehow boring. There was no cycle path that connected the two cities. I chose to take secondary low traffic roads that go through villages, instead of taking the busy motorway. It was nevertheless tediously boring. I can recall a pretty country church with its bell tower damaged and cut in a weird way (earthquake?) and a museum dedicated to past farming, raised in the middle of nowhere, completely empty and silent, which reminded me of a haunted place. There was no entrance fee, no assistants or people working there, creepy enough. I left it with rush.

I arrived in Bologna in the afternoon and had a couple of hours of spare time to stroll around the historical centre before my host would come and pick me up. I left the bike in a garage and had a refreshing ice pop, as every day, in a cute bar. Walking Bologna is relaxing, the historic centre is fairly big but manageable in an afternoon, without the need to use public transport. Bologna is definitely an unrated city, off Italy’s well-beaten tourist track. What is amazing about Bologna is that it contains a bit of all attractions for which Italy is famous: a hanging tower like in Pisa, canals like Venice, beautiful architecture, amazing buildings, tasty food such as tortellini, ragù, mortadella and the oldest university in Europe! Indeed it felt like a lively student city (the university buildings are worth a visit). I was also impressed by Bologna’s women, they were so elegant, in a way that resembled past ages when ironing blouses and matching bags and shoes was a daily act of self-care.

Whenever you will talk to a local, you will learn about the 7 secrets of Bologna. I will reveal you just one of them: the secret of wireless phones in the archways of Palazzo del Podestà. If you whisper in a corner, your words will be heard clearly from the diagonally opposite corner. The system was used in medieval times to confess lepers.

Writing from my new flat is a completely different thing. Although I still have the job situation problem, I can finally be more relaxed. I wake up in the morning with noooo rush, I have all the day in front of me and I can dedicate it to whatever I want. I have internet back on so I can write, learn, read and chill. I have always experienced home as a hell place, boring and with nothing to offer. I used home basically to sleep and to carry out my duties (cooking, cleaning, studying). My daughter would spend much time at home but whenever I was around, I would take her out. Now I am experiencing a different way of living home and am finding it awesome.

#Italy #EmiliaRomagna #Ferrara #Bologna #couchsurfing #vegan #castle #towncentre #Rennaisance #Italianfood #university