Una spiegazione di Bologna (An explanation of Bologna)

Allow me to explain.  Many of you who read this have been all over the world and seen many, many places (or perhaps have not...it doesn't really matter).  The point is, I think I need to explain exactly what Bologna is.  Let me start with what it is not: it is not Florence.  It is not Rome.  It is definitely not Naples or Milan.  And though I joke about all these Italian cities sort of melting together in a "seen one, seen 'em all" sort of way (and this statement does have truth), Bologna is really una cosa diversa - something totally different.

I realized this the other day when I was walking down a little side street and happened to see a record store.  So I obviously went in, only to find myself in a little Italian "High Fidelity" situation (John Cusack movie, centering around this type of record store, highly recommended).  And as I was flipping through the 99 eurocent records with my friend Veronica, both of us musing about how we should just buy lots of records to decorate our rooms, and as I leafed through a free schedule of music and culture events in Bologna for September, I couldn't help but think: huh.  This feels a lot like Ann Arbor.

And then I realized that this is exactly where I am.  I am in an Italian Ann Arbor, or any other sort of university town.  The population of Bologna is around 150,000 people, and nearly 100,000 of that is students.  I feel pretty slow on the uptake, but I think it's because the students still haven't really come back yet (after all, classes don't begin until September 29th at the earliest...and even that's being optimistic.  Two of my courses don't begin until October 13th!).  

Having realized this, it all makes sense now - there are organic-fair-trade coffee shops, independent record stores, music festivals, and obviously tons of bars geared to a college crowd.  In fact, the number of pizzerias open late into the night should have been the most obvious tip-off (name one college campus that doesn't have late-night food).  It is for this that Bologna feels different to me - it's actually more familiar than I thought.  I can't really send postcards that show off some well-known monument or a famous church, and it's not like the city is known for marbled paper or leather or gold (no, it is fortunately...and unfortunately for my pant size...known for food, but I can't exactly ship that home).  In fact, I hardly knew anything about Bologna before I came here - it's no wonder I wasn't expecting something like this.  But frankly, I am still not surprised that people don't put this on their list of places to go (although they should, since this is truly some of the best food of Italy).

So yes, I will take pictures, and I will send letters, etc etc.  But I now I realize - and I want everyone else to understand - that what is so special about Bologna is perhaps not quite as tangible as the Trevi Fountain or the Duomo of Milano.  But this is what makes it such a great place to shack up for a year.