Trailing Umberto Eco in Bologna

Admittedly, one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Bologna was to sample the spectacular food. Bologna, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, is widely touted as the culinary capital of the country. And that is saying quite a bit, considering that the entire nation of Italy is no slouch when it comes to food. I also wanted to catch a glimpse of Umberto Eco, professor of semiotics, linguist, and world-class writer. While I was not disappointed when it came to the food of Bologna, I did miss the chance to mingle with Senor Eco. I tried, believe me. My sister and I were staked at the University for several hours, waiting out a rainstorm and searching for glimpses of the high-profile Eco. Alas, no sight of him.

Here are a few pictures of what we did see in Bologna:

This was the first church we encountered during our long walk into the city center. We found a terrific hotel in an all-local neighborhood outside the city center. It was thrilling to walk around as the only non-Italians. People stared at us like we were aliens. We loved it.

An authentically medieval town center. This city is unchanged and devoted to its traditional ways.

The Fontana del Nettuno in the city center. Everyone tended to congregate around this statue at all times of the day.

The Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi. I absolutely love the porticoes and frescoes that lined virtually every street. Bologna was a feast for the senses.

The iconic twin towers, the symbol of Bologna. Of course, one of them was under renovation. Towers like this are spread throughout Bologna, and no one knows their true purpose or exact origin.

Me in front of one of the many elaborately ornate fountains in the city.

Beautiful stalls of fresh fruit and vegetables lined the narrow streets of Bologna. Laura and I contemplated buying a bunch of grapes or some gorgeous melons, but we naturally gravitated towards gelato, pasta, and pizza.

This was the most beautiful fresco that I came across in the city. Many of the arches in the porticoes were graced by bright paintings like this one.

Proof that we really did try to find Professor Eco. The Universita di Bologna is the oldest university in the Western world. Yes, even older than Oxford. I was certainly inspired walking around the university. We even hung out in the student center for a bit. I fine-tuned my coffee-ordering skills in Italian. Note: if you want an iced espresso, ask for a "shakerato." Delicious!

I was quite taken with this little rock garden. I especially love the little statue the garden is built around.

The imposing, life-size Neptune. Oh, the sky was that blue for most of the trip!

I can't recommend Bologna enough. Definitely visit this vibrant, medieval city when you're in Italy next. And be sure to sample some of that extraordinary cuisine!