A Rainy Days Magic
Bologna’s Market Street
The scent of freshly brewed coffee is in the air.
The narrow market street is full of people; it's been a rainy day, but that didn't hold us back from discovering the beauty of Bologna. So we joined a walking tour (freewalkingtouritalia.com). With umbrellas and rain jackets, our heads hidden beneath them, people pass by with bags of fresh fruit, handmade pasta and more groceries, the sweet scent of oranges and coffee fills the streets.
I take a deep breath of the charm and loveliness this beautiful city, 2 hours from Rome, holds. I heard it is the food capital of Italy, which made me plan a trip to eat as much pasta as I can. The dinner on my arrival day here in Bologna has been fantastic, but more about that later.
We stroll along the market streets, which stretch over Via Pescherie Vecchie and Via dell'Archiginnasio, with numerous like-minded people visiting Piazza Maggiore, Biblioteca Salaborsa and many little shops that offer homemade pasta, fresh bread that smells so rich I can feel its crunchy crust and flavourful soft heart just by passing by.
I learn that Mortadella, Tortellini in Broth and Salame Rosa are the famous foods from Bologna, and the Salumeria (Butcher) Simoni is the place to go for excellent Meat Cuisine. The days spent here have been fantastic and a pleasure to the body and soul.
I am staying in a small hostel located in the centre, near the art school. In the evening, I go for a run, and the pleasant temperatures of late October let the crowds still stay outside and enjoy at plenty of corner shops, wine, and aperol spritzes, along with more digestifs.
The sun set a while ago, and I am jogging down the street. The sky is a perfect dark blue backdrop to the mostly orange and terracotta-coloured buildings. In the dimmed streets, some of them are tagged with spray paint, which looks wonderful and captivating. Slowly but surely, the restaurants start to open. Italo Disco music is played somewhere in the distance, and I am passing by an adorable shubby dog who's lying in a comfy bed in front of a restaurant. My belly rumbles, and I may have pasta for today's dinner.
07.November 2025
