Well, I am really behind. Thankfully, it is Saturday and hence laundry day. I am camped at Il Collaccio, eagerly awaiting lunch time. But, more on that later. After my delicious meal at San Domenica, we were back on the way to Bologna. We checked into our hotel and decided to wander around. We ended up heading toward the city center. When we checked in, we found out that it was a national holiday. That explains why there were tons of people out and about and why the square was INSANE. We decided to sit and people watch. Thankfully, we chose a random cafe and were able to sit outside right on the edge, drink and watch the world pass us by. I opted for hot chocolate.
All it needed was a plate of churros to take me back to Spain. It was thick. Stand your spoon up in it thick. It wasn't sweetened, so they provided some sugar for me to add if I wanted. I decided against it, since the richness would have been destroyed. It was good. After resting (like we really needed it), we headed on our way to do sight seeing and shopping.
That is the Fountain of Neptune and a close up of one of his nymphs. I hate to admit it, but after sightseeing (and I use the term very loosely), we decided that we wanted a light something to eat. And of course, after eating the delicious food at San Domenica, nothing was going to match up. We ended up at Bistro 48 in Bologna. I didn't get a picture of the food, but I can tell you that it was good. Was it knock your socks off good? No, of course not. But I wouldn't let that stop me from going back. I opted for the Tagliatelle al Ragu (traditional ragu alla bolognese). Of course eating the traditional dish in the city where it came from always makes it better. It was filling and tasty. My aunt opted for a seafood salad that was packed with fresh seafood and from what I understand was very tasty.
The next morning, we were up and headed to Ravenna. Ravenna is known as the City of Mosaics. They have the largest collection of mosaics that are still in their original condition and they are beautiful.
By the time we arrived in Ravenna, it was time for lunch. Our option for lunch was the Bella Venezia. Something I learned- if you ask for roast beef, it will be served thinly sliced, cold and covered with a sauce. Mine came with a balsamic sauce on top that was actually very good. However, what I really wanted was a piece of meat, not lunch meat on a plate. We also started with gnocchi and tomato sauce. It wasn't that great. The sauce tasted like it was from a can. Not a great start to Ravenna. My aunt accidentally ordered liver. Not a fan and never have been. Thankfully, we were able to recover with a trip through some of the beautiful churches that were decorated with the mosaics.
After wandering around for several hours on a stomach that wasn't happy with our lunch choice, we ended up at Ca' de Ven.
Much better than lunch is all I can say. The tables are set up so that you end up eating with people you don't even know. We were some of the first people in there, but by the time we left, it was packed. The food was very good. I opted for the pasta with a cream sauce, sausage and peas. So darn good. I also got a mixed salad since I wanted to balance out the richness with something at least somewhat healthy.
Overall, it was a mixed side trip. While Bologna is a place for foodies to head to just to check out, I feel like Ravenna is the better option to stay for a while. Thankfully, in my next blog, I'll show you the first meal that I got to make at our house. Finally, some home cooking!
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