We arrived in Bologna just before 6 this evening having travelled 400 miles from Bari in a stopping train. We got to Bari from Patras in a huge ferry which was only very lightly loaded. That took 16 hours.
We left Athens at lunchtime yesterday by bus and it took 3 hours to Patras. The new railway line looked good all the way to Corinth then it seems to disappear. We were told that it is unreliable beyond Corinth. It certainly looks rickety at Patras.
We left Athens with T shirts, shorts and sandals. At Bari it was cooler and it was raining! So it was long trousers, long sleeved shirts, sensible shoes and waterproofs. Quite a shock to the system. But the sun was shining when we got to Bologna. Maybe it will be warm in Loughborough!
Addition to post, written on Monday 27th.
I took some photos in Bologna on the Sunday morning and got them uploaded to Flickr this morning. Bologna is a city of arcades, like many Italian cities. They seem to extend for miles.
Sunday morning in the arcades of Bologna
One of the main sights of Bologna is the “Due Torre” – “Two Towers”. These tall towers were erected to impress. Especially the families who erected towers not as tall as yours. And to keep the populace in their place. In Florence they were reduced in height when the City Council got power away from the powerful families. (Sometime in the 1300’s). In San Gimingamo they still exist. In Bologna these two survive.
The Due Torre in Bologna
Nearby is the Fountain of Neptune which is very pretty and is decorated with some interesting ladies.
The Fountain of Neptune in Bologna
And the interesting ladies:-
Part of the Fountain of Neptune, Bologna
Part of the Fountain of Neptune, Bologna
Then we set off for Zurich, where we now are.
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