Friday, June 22, 2012

Bologna before heading to Pardova

From Florence we made our way toward Venice. Today we travelled to Bologna and ended up in Padova. Each time we stopped on this trip, we had a new guide. They were all great, knew their history and were able to tell it in a way that was interesting but factual. Wish I could remember all the tidbits.

On the day we were in Bologna, they were celebrating a national holiday. June 2 is Republic Day, the day Italians celebrate the birth of the Italian Republic. Thus we got to see a bit a parade and the raising of the flag. The plazza was crowded with folks. And of course, a lot of shops were closed.

Interesting to note are the arches everywhere. Seems back in the medieval era when the city became crowded, they added on to existing structures by extending the second floor. They couldn't add to the first floor because there would be no where to walk or take their horses if they did so they built the arches to hold the added rooms.

We drove to Pardova where we stayed. I guess because it was cheaper than staying in Venice.

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