I was a little weary of Bologna at first. As we drove up to our hotel the first night I could not figure out exactly how I felt about it. I loved the country side of Poppi so much that being in another city was sort of upsetting. I soon realized the complete opposite.

 

As soon as we got here we went out to dinner. We were confused at first because everything was closed. Once we found a place and sat down they gave us drinks but no menus. After about 20 minutes, we thought maybe the kitchen was closed and people in Bologna just did not eat or something. Finally, we got up the courage to ask for menus. The waitress looked confused but grabbed some for us. She ended up being very nice, and tried her best to speak English to us. The food we got was amazing, I had the ravioli and it may have been the best pasta dish I have had here in Italy. Then we got dessert which also ended up being to die for.

 

We ended up asking our waitress why everything was closed and why no one was eating and she told us that one, it was a Sunday so some places were closed, and two, it was still early for dinner. It was 8:00 pm. Now we knew Italians ate late, but that was not a problem in the cities with more tourism because they stay open for the tourist! Now that we are in places with less tourists, we can start to truly experience how Italians live, and of course eat.

 

Then today, after having some amazing gelato and visiting the University of Bologna, We had another pleasant experience at lunch. The people are so nice here, and the food is even better. We ordered pizza and salads and were not disappointed.

 

To end the night Megan and I sat outside to do some homework. We talked to the owner of the hotel we are staying at, and of course he was a sweetheart as well. People in Bologna have proven to be so friendly. He talked to us about how he loves the United States, and how Italians think of the U.S. as New York City and such, but he thinks of it as the west and the country side. This was a refreshing thing to hear, because I always thought the people here did not like America or Americans all too much.

 

Overall, Bologna is a beautiful laid back city. Although my initial response was questionable, it has proven to be a great place full of friendly people.