Thursday, December 1, 2011

Day 188 - Forever Walking up Stairs and Leaning Towers in Bologna

I haven't worked out in a while, especially after a pretty adventurous experience in Nepal. But after retiring my sneakers before heading to Europe, I find myself with a less active travelling experience, where it's easy to travel in each city without having to walk that much. That, combined with all the yummy food (including junk) I've been eating, and I've gained a little chub and lost a little muscle.

So it came as a surprise when I took a walk around Bologna and outside of the city center to a place I was told had "wonderful views." I headed in that direction and noticed the beautiful stretches of arcades that Bologna is famously known for, walked around a hilly park area, and found myself at the bottom of a path that lead to the Basilica Della Beata Vergine Di San Luca. Little did I know how far I would have to walk up to reach the top! Out of breath more than a couple times, I had to stop for some water and a seat, watching the pigeons above drop poop bombs wherever they pleased. I eventually reached the top, only to find out that the church wasn't open to visitors! The view wasn't that great either since most of it was obscured by the trees in the surrounding area. Still, a good chance to work my underworked body a little, and it was nice to see autumn all around me.

It turns out that there is more than just one leaning tower in Italy, most famously of course in Pisa. But there happen to be another two right in the center of Bologna called the Asinelli and Garasandi Towers. The tilt of the buildings is probably a lot less extreme compared to Pisa, but you could definitely see the slant from a distance, but also when you look at the base of the tower.

It was a quick tour of Bologna, and I head to Florence next!






Lunch in Bologna

The chef and ristorante owner



Leaning Towers in Bologna

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