I had goals today–mostly around food–surprise surprise!

So we began the day at the Mercato delle Erbe, indoor market. It is a small market, very nearby, with beautiful looking produce etc:

Next we went into the Sala Borsa, the library and the Scavi/Archeological Excavations under it. I loved coming across this old friend in one of the hallways in the children’s section:

The excavations were very interesting–all grayish white stone in layers and textures, some as old as the first century BC. I learned about Aldrovandi, who is considered to be the father of the study of natural history and his gardens.

Next goal: Eat piadine in Bologna. So after a bit of research, we went to Al Vecchio Mulino. The little place was empty when we arrived slightly before lunch time so we were able to take our time figuring out what to order among the many options. Piadine are really like quesadillas and they were sfiziose/delicious! I had speck scamorza and grilled vegetables on mine. Ken had prosciutto, grana and truffle cream. We sat inside on wooden stools and enjoyed.

For the evening, I wanted to get some large stuffed pasta and I had seen a counter at the Mercato di Mezzo which would be perfect. First we walked over to the oldest park (since 1664) in Bologna, Parco delle Montangnola. I liked this turtle fountain at the center:

We walked back into the center of town and had a fun little dinner and drinks sitting outside at the food hall. The pasta was delicious! One was stuffed with mortadella and cheese and the other with asparagus. My first Negroni of the trip went down easy.

We wandered back into the Piazza Maggiore for the night show:

Our three nights in Bologna, with the beautiful and plentiful porticoes, worked out great!

Here’s Ugo Bassi, one of our main landmarks: