February 19: Bologna

We awoke to rain in Pisa so we drove to Bologna where sun was waiting for us.  After quite the adventure looking for a free parking spot, we made our way to Osteria Dell’Orsa for lunch.  We were not the only ones with this idea as a huge crowd had already gathered in front of the popular restaurant. We met a nice family from the area who offered a few recommendations.  So, when in Bologna, order the bolognese, which we did with lasagna and  tagliatelle.  I also ordered the chicken cutlet with prosciutto covered in a tasty cheese sauce.

Next, it was off to a quick tour of the city center, which had a huge cathedral.  It appears that we had just missed a parade/celebration as confetti and streamers were all over the plaza.  Bologna was the most diverse city that we’ve been to in Italy.  This fact along with an abundance of college students and local families gave an intense energy.

Finally, it was a 3.5 hour ride to Cortina d’Ampezzo, the pearl of the Dolomites.  I was expecting to be driving this long and the last half hour was white knuckled with lots of tight turns on the serpentine road up the mountain.  We eventually settled into camp at 7:00 pm.