Jason, risotto alla marinara (seafood); me, house specialty graminia con crèma e salcicchia e (but "senza" for me) funghi. 375 ml house red, melone con prosciutto for antipasta, flor di zucca fritto (fried squash blossoms) contorni. Squisito! Afterwards, what with winter coming on (though not here, it's painfully pleasant again today), I did a bit of shopping, first at Calzedonia (fun stockings for winter), then at Coin (splurgey beautiful gloves and hat, Christmas present for my sister), finally to the gourmet shop directly next to the hotel for a few other gifts (and somehow I still picked up more stuff on the way to the taxi stand - a pound of 2 year old parmesan for €9).

We spent the morning at the church of San Petronio, which is terribly small and cute compared to most churches we've been in (four churches together, Lombard-Roman style, 11-13th centuries, including a terribly sad chapel dedicated to the airmen who died in World War II, the wall covered with their photos ... what a heavy toll it took on just this one town!)

We are on the cheap train to Venice now - 26 for the three of us instead of 23 each on Eurostar - a great savings. I will miss lovely Bologna and I look forward to returning. (Also look forward to having a computer again. Sorry no responses to email or lj at present.)

We're going to get married. It is true love.

Tortellini.

Limoncello.

Clonk!

In front of Pizzeria Da Emilia, fresh from Amico Aspertini exhibit at the National Gallery of Bologna. I have many mosquito bites from Rome and my camera's batteries are dead. Thanks to my US lj'ers for your reviews of the debate last night. Respond to this post with your address and I'll try to send you a postcard. Bologna is lovely and low stress with the most outstanding food I've ever seen; everyone should vacation here once!

This is the view out of our window at the Albergo Della Drappie (right off of the central plaza). We slept until 10 - well, I was up earlier but _mia sorella_ is quite beat so I let her sleep. We're going to go in search of cappuccino and a chocolate caldo in a few minutes. Suspect today will be really low key, just the art museum, strolling, and shopping. Shadowdaddy and a big yummy dinner tonight!

I'm sitting on the couch with shadowdaddy, drinking limoncello and looking at pictures off the back of the camera. I've unpacked all of my goodies - the fresh tortellinis (regular and pumpkin), some prosciutto, fresh motz, booze booze booze, and piles of yummy modena vinegar. I got to see a Raphael (the St. Cecilia in the gallery at Bologna) and two Botticellis (both Madonnas, at the Galleria Estense in Modena) and great gobs of amazing architecture. I drew a picture.

I ate so much. Most of it was really good, and the stuff that wasn't really good was either great or still a million times better than anything I'll ever get here. I'll write about it later, probably somewhere else than here. I don't think there's a lot of people on my flist who really want to hear me wax ecstatically about potato gnocchi with butter, sage, and white truffles, but ... man. So much food. So good. Time for salads for penance.

Also, I dreamed last night that I was dating Dick Cheney, who was watching his "past hits" on TV. He also had a thing for golden showers, which he claimed not to like but wanted to hear about. And valkyrikaren had moved into my house and become friends with Cathy Federici and some other people who were living there (including, I swear, lollipop), and I was sad because I didn't know where I was supposed to live anymore.

Will try to catch up with LJ. Must clear luggage out of hallway. Must take shower. See y'all.