Wonderful Bologna

Michael and I had a another walk around Florence, making sure that we rubbed Il Porcellino’s snout ourselves to guarantee our return to this magical city.  Then it was a half hour high-speed train trip to Bologna. We were a bit surprised that most of the journey was via tunnels, so we saw very little of the countryside.  We arrived in Bologna to find the station absolutely jam-packed with people, all milling about seemingly aimlessly.  It seemed a little odd, however we pushed our way through the crowds, out of the station and across the road to our hotel. It wasn’t until later in the evening that we received a message from James, telling us that he and Amber’s flight had been delayed departing Bologna, as an unexploded World War II bomb had been discovered not far from the airport and 10,000 homes had to be evacuated whilst the bomb disposal unit removed it.  I think that would explain the crowds at the railway station.

When I was looking online to see if I could find out any more information regarding the unexploded bomb, I discovered a shocking incident took place at Bologna’s main railway station in 1980 – The Bologna Massacre.  A neo-fascist group carried out a terrorist bombing, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 200.  Michael and I visited the station the following day to view the memorials to the victims.  The bomb detonated in an unattended suitcase in the waiting room, and the original floor tile marking the place where the bomb exploded has been left in place and a glass panel has been placed over a big crack in the wall.  The station clock has been stopped at 10:25, the time of the explosion, as a further memorial.  

It was lovely to be back in Bologna, as it really is a beautiful city with plenty to see but not so large as to be frantic. 


We spent the next two days wandering the streets, enjoying excellent food and wine and generally immersing ourselves in the relaxed atmosphere.  I think that Bologna is my favourite Italian city – Rome and Florence are wonderful too – but Bologna somehow feels homely.  It was hard to tear ourselves away when it came time to leave.