Back to Lo Stivale: End-of-winter 2017

I’ve just completed the ‘Back to the islands’ series. However, there’s more from Italy. And there’s more from Italy in winter. So, here’s the new ‘Back to Lo Stivale’ series, with the highlights of the end-of-February trip to (initially) Bologna in 2017.

 

I came for the gelato

…and it changed my life!

At this point, I bake every day, I started a baking blog in 2019, and I plan to open a sweet business.

 

While I don’t like running, I ran a lot… after trains

Note: They were all successful!

We caught the Bologna to Florence train at the last minute (we ran to the train station because the Anzola dell’Emilia bus to Bologna came later than envisaged).

We needed to return from Arezzo to Florence by train because there was no bus to Cesenatico. We then ran across the Florence train station to catch our connection to Forli.

 

To end our trip in glory, we also ran to catch our last train, from Ferrara to Bologna.

 

I ate a lot of tasty pizza

in Florence, at Gustarium, the yummiest of the trip;

in Pistoia, at Pizza San Francisco /which has been permanently closed, unfortunately/;

 

, and in Arezzo, at Teorema del Gusto.

 

Don’t throw oranges – I didn’t like Florence

/monkey see no evil emoji/

 

…but the way to Piazzale Michelangelo is glorious, and so is La Bottega d'arte di Emma Draghi!

Plus, I loved Ponte Vecchio and the way that the city is centred around it.

 

Some places got under my skin!

I admit – Marcel admits it, too, I am sure –: our trip was intense! We tried taking in places we wished to reach, but we also got to unexpected ones and were surprised!  

We loved Siena! In the evening and early in the morning, too! Spring felt just around the corner and the scenery all the way to Arezzo was classically Tuscan.

 

Lingering in Arezzo was not in the cards, but it happened and I found my ultimate views of Tuscany there! My Dad used to have a lady friend in his late teenage years from Arezzo, so it felt interesting walking its streets from this perspective.

Ferrara was our favourite place. It had been painted online in very dark colours. We enjoyed it to the full when we got there, together with its great energy, the hospitality of La Cambusa, and the pane ferrarese.

 

A presto!