Someday When I Have More Time . . .

. . . and the weather is better, I would like to come back to Emilia-Romanga for another visit.  Although this region is not as glamorous as Tuscany, it is very rich in history.  I feel I have barely scratched the surface, and yet so much of the rest of Italy remains unexplored!  Right now I am pausing in my packing to have breakfast and a closing word with you.
This was not my best trip ever, but most of the time I enjoyed myself.  I saw some beautiful places, and I certainly ate well.  Ravenna was the highlight for me.
Bologna does make a good base.  The city is beautiful and elegant, and the historic center easy to navigate.  It has rail connections to anywhere in Italy you fancy.  If you like really long day trips (I don't) you can reach Milan, Venice, and Rome.  Florence would make a very reasonable day trip.  Good food and drink is abundant.  I just resent that I lost over an hour each day just getting to and from town.
The number of beggars also bothered me.  They are to be found anywhere in Europe, but they seemed particularly thick on the ground in Bologna.  Nearly every block in the town center had someone holding out a cup or a hand.  My theory is that in this kind of weather, the porticos provide some shelter.  Most of them are young and able bodied, so I don't know what the story is.  Maybe it's the bad economy?
And despite the efforts of the European Union, people smoke, and a lot of the puffers are young. Since they can't smoke indoors, they are smoking on the street.  It's hard to avoid.
But the place I am returning to has its own issues.  Compared to where I live, European cities seem so very livable.  They were created for people not automobiles, and the historic centers at least retain that human-centered quality.  The streets invite strolling and the licking of windows.  The bustle is pleasant not frantic.  Everything--even the grand buildings are on a human scale and many open spaces exist as piazzas and parks for people to gather and linger.  Everywhere you turn you will find something to please the eye.
Molto grazie for coming along with me on this trip!
Ciao