Bologna will always hold a soft spot in my heart. A little kingdom not on the usual list of tourist destinations though it can be found on every major train line running through the Italian peninsula making it very accessible.
Perhaps that's why the culture, fun and the standard of life is so good here. Protected by its medieval walls the city centre welcomes you in like an old friend and reveals a mix of people from all kinds of backgrounds. Traditionally having been the mid-point for Italian migrants from north and south.
Bologna is a very vibrant city that never stops giving, in fact one could say that it is relentless in its offering. You might find yourself walking to fetch some groceries from the local market or going across town to meet a friend for a coffee and the city will throw something your way to see how you react. Across the many piazzas, notably Piazza Verdi by the university, you'll find people standing on soapboxes passionately sharing their thoughts. This may at first seem like something out of a play or some newfangled form of performance art. Although we may mistake it for that, it's not so. Italians just prefer the old-fashioned way to debate present day matters.
Activism is
entrenched in
Bologna's culture,
in its streets and its walls. Wherever you look, you will find food for thought and political slogans scrawled on the walls. This anti establishment attitude was always encapsulated, for me, in the many bike protests taking place, of which there were a few in my year there. The largest one, however, was the European meeting of Critical Mass, an international organization that stands against excessive car use and consumption of petrol. To see “bike-punks” descend on Bologna from all over Europe and protest by blocking the streets with all kinds of inventive bike constructions and playing pedal generated music was incredible to participate in.
RUFFLING ROBES AND SECRET DANCING: WHAT BOLOGNA HAS TO OFFER
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