Bologna

Bologna is a strange mixture of antique and modern. It's not uncommon to see an internet cafe in a building that is 1200 years old. Like most Italian cities, it was originally set out in a circular plan, with a wall (la mura) surrounding it to keep out invaders with only a few entrance ways. Using my imagination I can picture guards at each gate dressed in suits of armour. Today however, you are as likely to find kids with fringed jackets and slouchy boots (hello, are the 80s coming back?) at the entrance. In fact, today driving through Bologna, we saw an ancient section that looks like a castle. I was properly awed at the history in front of me when my husband casually mentions "oh yeah, that's where one of the biggest gay clubs in Bologna is now. " Like I said, a strange mixture.

In a way the city wall still keeps out invaders, at least by car. You need to have a permit to drive into the centro storico. Unless of course you are on a scooter. I have seen some adrenalin junkies in my life, but never like these Italians and there vespas! We almost killed one today who decided to cut us off at a light. You haven't seen anything until you see a man on a scooter with a cigarette in one hand and a cell phone in another, navigating a roundabout.

One of the most charming aspects of Bologna is the color. Everywhere you turn the buildings are colored either yellow, orange or red or some range between. There are delightful palazzos, towers, statues, artwork, and the famous porticos. The porticos are arches covering the sidewalks. Often you will find frescoes painted on the portico ceilings unexpectedly by simply looking up while walking. My new job is located on Via Santa Stefano, one of the main roads in the city, with one of the most beautiful porticos. I am going to be teaching conversational english at the aeronautic college my husband went to. I was suppose to start already, but due to some bureaucratic confusion (oh, Italian bureaucracy, that's a whole other blog! sigh....) I wont start until October 6th. It's also the road Flavio grew up on, so every time we go there it is like a walk down memory lane for him.

The strange dichotomy of new and old is everywhere. Many people here live in houses or buildings that are several hundred years old. The engineers and contractors here have some unique challenges to modernize them while preserving the historic aspects. At our house for example, there are some pretty amazing attributes: a stone terrace, marble flooring, a vineyard. However, there certainly aren't fiber optic cables, or without the recent major overhaul my in-laws did, even adequate electrical voltage to run a dryer. The clothes had to be hung out on a line to dry every day. It's a chore to update the houses, but I am grateful they did.
I, for one, like modern conveniences!