Hotel Fiera Bologna

... decided to not be present for my arrival. I have found an internet cafe and decided to write. I also was able to post a few more pictures but on Facebook so I'll send you links and hope they work!<br><br>http://www.facebook.com/al bum.php?aid=110883&amp;id=514314153&amp ;l=2e1a71a8f0<br><br>http://www.faceboo k.com/album.php?aid=114357&amp;id=51431 4153&amp;l=719f9180c6<br><br>Give it a try!<br>Love to all!<br>Benita<br>

Short train ride from Florence after a hair raising trip trying to return the rental car in confusing, congested and traffic restrictied Florence (don't rent a car downtown go to the airport). Bologna is an university town (even Johns Hopkin has a campus). Very historical town with a great plaza area like most towns and a great antique market.

... an hour. No one follows these limits. I know because Mandi and I found ourselves on such a road, on singlespeed step through bikes, getting passed by Porsches, Minis, and giant semi trucks headed north at 100 km an hour. At first we thought it would get better. Then we resigned ourselves to our fate. We were going to do this, no matter how crazy it was. And that's how we ended up biking nearly ...

... desk clerk our passports and she looks for the reservation and takes a while to find us in the system. And she tells us our room is Monet. So now I'm really curious about what this room is like. We get in and the place is huge, especially by Italian standards, king bed (actually 2 twins pushed together... not really that comfy but who can complain), satellite tv with English programs, a fridge, a thing to make your pants ...

... br><br>Francesco kindly let me crash again in Bologna as the midpoint in the long trainride back to Milan. I was greeted by his flatmate Denny, a skinny 24 year old guy who is also a complete nutter. His hair cannot be described, but if you tried the words mohawk and mullet would both float to the surface before you brain spluttered in confusion ...

... I diagnose the coverage, and put Mario on a post. He ran a great route, albeit slow developing one, weaving his American defender before breaking to the post. I have to get used to having as much time as I do behind this offensive line. I also need to stop giving defenders so much credit, including American's, and just trust my instincts. Instead of waiting the extra instant, I felt pressure that wasn't there, mostly the clock in my head screaming that I ...

... we also saw the "Fontana di Nettuno" Neptune's Fountain I think it's translated to. It was built in 1566 and features many beautiful (and quite graphic) bronze statues. Off Neptune's Piazza is the Bologna public library and we went in to have a look. The library is built over some ancient Roman ruins and half the floor is that thick glass stuff so that you can look underneath. In Italy, because they keep finding old buildings etc when they're excavating, they ...

... in Bologna. It was only 40km away via the back roads, but we wasted an enormous amount of time stuck in traffic en route, and barely halfway there decided to cut our losses, find an autostrade heading north and look around in Verona instead. <br><br>Once in the middle of Verona and crossing under the enormous Porta Nuova, a huge piazza opened up to form the forecourt to the third largest surviving Roman arena in the world. The first century open amphitheatre ...