It was another early start that Thursday morning, so we could catch our train to Bologna. We went via Ferrara, where we needed to change trains, and there was a two hour wait, so we put our bags into a locker and explored for a bit. Firstly though we got a coffee in a cafe, and experienced for the first time the Italian-style cafe tables with the legs that jut out at the top - a trick to avoid hitting your knee on, especially when a table cloth obscures the legs. It was a chilly morning for June. Ferrara was a very nice town, and we loved the town hall, a medieval brick castle with a moat. We walked in and there was a council session in progress.  Then it was on to Bologna. We arrived in time to have an exploration of the town in the afternoon, and I saw this little window by the footpath through which there was a canal visible which you couldn’t tell was there just in the street. I had to take a photo of it. The first night we had dinner in a street-side restaurant which had a smallish wooden platform outside, surrounded by small plants to make a hedge. We both had delicious carpacio (our first!) for entree, and then of course Spaghetti Bolognaise for mains. It certainly tasted genuine!

Next day, Friday, we looked around more of Bologna, especially in the university district, walking along the long cool collonades there. At one point I was accosted by a Gypsy woman, who made out like she was asking me something and grabbed my wrist around my watch, but didn’t seem to try to remove it. That evening we had our second ‘square meal’, where we bought a bottle of red, some crackers and cheese and sat in a spot in Bologna’s main square and watched the evening life. Much cheaper than a restaurant and still lots of fun!