Il Cavicchio Agriturismo Bologna

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.

... as a necessary evil to feed the racing budget. Well that explains why the cars cost so much. The technology and the workings going on inside the F1 building can't be expressed. It must be seen. But with the same no photo rule as with the production I can't show you anything. (They actually have you visit the gallery/museum and encourage taking photos before the factory tour begin, whilst secretly taking notes ...

So we spent a bit of time the night before we got here trying to secure some accomodation. We found the hotel online and it seemed like a good value even if it was a bit out of the way. Whats a 20 minute bus ride anyway. So we get on the bus, which is the right bus going in the wrong direction; we found this out when we got kicked off at the last stop. So we get off and then get on the next bus headed in the other direction ...

... are packed with tourists... We visited funny art exhibitions that where part of the biennale and had lots of fun trying to understand it. In the evening we joined Nico and Cristina for a yoga class! What a day!

The next day we left Venice direction Padua. We decided to cycle more south, direction Livorno or Rome (where we can take a ferry to Barcelona). On the way we will visit our friend Andrea, that we met in the ...

... much away in the groin area. Anyway, just my opinion! In all seriousness though, well worth seeing. Had a quick bite to eat and somehow ended up in a leather store, both wearing a jacket. We both think we are pretty switched on when it comes to quick talking Italians, but in this instance, we got beaten hands down. I managed to muster up enough strength to say no (despite loving this jacket I had on), but knew that Tiff wanted to add another bit of ...

... THE pilgrimage destination) in this area, since the 1600's apparently. While we didn't climb up the 666 porticoes (unbelievably we took two separate buses with only a small, aimless walk up a hill that was fruitless and we were saved with my working knowledge of the language and a nice young man who gave great directions in a combination of English and Italian). The autobus driver, who saved us the 7 km walk up the hill, was interesting and spent most of our ride disparaging ...

... in Moscow’s Red Square in anticipation of a public anti-government demonstration and coming face-to-face with Hitler’s last surviving bodyguard at the site of his Berlin bunker, to name but three. But never, ever would I have imagined that I’d get to tour the manufacturing plant for Ferrari.

After leaving the factory we went to the nearby Galleria Ferrari, the museum open to members of the public. Name any generation of Formula One ...

... to fly back to dublin and start the house hunt. it's kinda sad in a way, but also welcomed, b/c i am feeling the toll of the road, but moreso b/c i am anxious to get back to canada and see jennie already... which is probably more than a bit overdue *sorry* and finally, pics are up! the leaning towers of bologna, and me enjoying some tagliatelle al ragł (didn't get a chance to sample lasagne or tortellini; two other inventions of bologna)

... with lugging my luggage down the streets and sweating: Tony start making more money with your projects. I'm ready for business class flights!! I took a taxi to my hotel, which was just a 5-minute ride, but would have been to long to walk with my luggage. I had already purchased a bottle of Vin Santo and Cantucci, as well as a pretty ceramic salt & peppershaker, which sits in a round plate. Hotel Paradise is a small hotel, with about 18 rooms ...

... Expecting disappointment I tried the first door, knowing that you need to knock to be allowed in. I picked the wrong door. Some Italian woman was yelling at me and banging on a glass barrier at the entrance. The banging ****** me off. Then I found the basilica. It was small and pretty and not ornate. I saw the bell that I was meant to ring. After pressing the buzzer I stood there thinking that I would never get in because of the holiday. And then ...