Hello dear followers and new comers!
Hope you're doing good. Fancy undusting some travel memories before conditions allow for fresh experiences? My humble apologies for the embarrassing quality of some pictures but this trip is rather old, back to the time I was totally off social media. With the social hysteria that followed this somehow pathetically equalled to being dead but I'm not here to complain - besides, this allowed me to focus on more substantial things in life. Also sorry if any images don't show, not my fault - I've uploaded multiple times and a couple of them still read "image" instead. Usually when you click them they come up.
What a weird "trip in a trip" it was trying to geo tag pictures without any gps data and what a joy it is to see the free powerful tools we have today to do so, of course as long as your memory and skills allow you to deliver. I managed to locate images that even back in the day had no idea where exactly they had been taken. This also contributed in filling some blanks in the whole story as well. So, grab your helmet, seat comfortably on my saddle and be my pillion for one more trip around mama Europe:
Back in the day I had already two motorcycle trips on my back, a long one around 8 European states, 6000km long, which lasted for more than a month and another smaller one up to Sicily (might be hosted on a next post of mine if I retrieve enough good material about it). Therefore, I wasn't really into making one more trip abroad on my bike, especially in late October when the weather is still fine in Hellas but can be far from biker friendly anywhere around Europe except the Mediterranean coast. However, I couldn't resist some friends proposing me to meet up South of Frankfurt for a bikers meeting. As if this wasn't enough reason I also got invited to be a judge for a food competition at Bologna. Who cares about bad weather, here I come!
Fancy the rainbow above? The gifts of a rainy weather while I am on the ferry to Italy and we're still at North Greece which makes it not so optimistic for the weather I'll face when I will reach my destination. Next day the ferry enters the port of Ancona with one hour delay. Not the first or the last delay so keep this in mind in case you have a strict schedule on your trip. Weather is rainy but not enough to make me wear my waterproof gear though I drive under heavy rain for a little while as I head North West. After an almost indifferent route on the 16 and 9 I reach Bologna and then I head for Savigno, South West of the city. A few km South of the village is a farm where my friend Silvia works and offers to host me. A very generous person with Italian father and a mother from Crete. I struggle a bit on the farmers muddy roads with my full loaded bike but with her instructions from the phone (almost no gps back then) I manage to arrive at the place which would give me full green view for the next days:
As a payback for her hospitality I try to improve her Hellenic as she asks me to keep talking my mother tongue whenever I try English instead. An ultra thick blanket she hands me will help me survive in her little farm house and later at night she drives me in her car up to Bologna for my first time in the city to meet some friends of hers for drinks. What a lovely one it is! The (often historic) beauty is obvious from the first steps - we're talking about the city that has the oldest University in Europe. A walk at Piazza Magiore is definitely among the highlights with the marvellous Palazzo d'Accursio:
and the impressive fountain of Neptune:
It's night and the only camera I have is my phone's but still I can't skip picturing the famous two towers of Bologna, mainly cause one is very tall and (most impressively) the other is leaning! :
Look at this to have an idea of the inclination:
A guy tells me at the spot that they had to cut it down 30 meters shorter for security reasons.
I will never forget the great aperitivos we try in various bars downtown where with just a few euros more on your first drink you are given the ultimate weapon: A dish, which allows you to take advantage of the free access to a delicious rich buffet. I'm still in Italy so imagine what a rich buffet looks and tastes like. I felt sorry though for the fact that we found no space in this sweet medieval place with a cool Jazz band nailing it:
Next day I take advantage of a non rainy morning to walk around the farm and see what is what:
Seems that the owner is a part time biker too:
The "parking lot" never runs out of green:
Some funny little signs on the way:
Pigs of all sizes:
Silvia spends most of her time inside the "Formaggeria" and I am tempted to see what's behind this funny wall:
Inside is where all those delicious cheeses are born:
At noon Silvia drives me in her car once again to Bologna so I manage to see the city in daylight this time. We walk through and open market where I am a bit surprised by some that were for sale:
That toddler seems to share the same surprise:
Around an hour later Silvia takes a shot of me at Bologna's metro for the "Hellas follows me everywhere I go" folder:
At a bar later I picture one of the craziest creations I've ever found in a bar:
The funny thing is that believe it or not, it looks pretty close to the owner of the bar - I just didn't feel like picturing him for...rather obvious reasons...
The canal of Bologna was drained for (as I am told) isolating and maintenance works so I manage to picture its dry version of it:
As we walk the kinda cramped backstreets of the city Palazzo Grassi with its wooden columns attracts my attention:
Time to see the famous medieval towers of Bologna in daylight this time. Symbols of the wealth of the rich families that used to own them, you can imagine that they were a perfect fit for "size matters". "Torre Guidozagni" this one:
Not tall enough for you? See "Torre Prendiparte" then:
There's a reason the entrance looks like a jail - I am told that it actually was.
I must admit at this point that I am drooling by looking at those fantastic stores around Bologna like this one:
One more shot of the leaning tower of not Pisa, Bologna, with a bit more light this time than the previous one:
Look how tall is the other one next to it:
Once again Palazzo d'Accursio, in a brighter image than the previous time but still under gloomy and unfriendly conditions photography wise:
Palazzo del Podesta, a few steps away, is definitely an attraction too:
We cramp ourselves in a bar before we head for the venue where I am invited to be a food judge - remember that competition I told you in the beginning? So we end up at a place with large tables where a bunch of guys from Abruzzo fight, sorry cook against ones from Emiglia Romagna. This night is so exceptional with warm and open hearted people from both regions of Italy that it doesn't matter who won, they both did in my book. I only pictured the start of this unofficial event (hence the plastics):
I was too busy later with the hedonistic part of the event.
With a heavy stomach I cover myself under an even heavier blanket to survive the lack of heating on a cold and wet October night at rural Emiglia Romagna.
I have to split the post here cause I get a length error (though I think I've posted longer ones in the past).
Stay tuned for part 2!