Day 7 (Wed 10 September) - side trip to Bologna Yesterday, while we were in Padova, the River Countess sailed onwards from Chioggia to Porto Rivo, just inside the Po Delta. We rejoined the Countess there on our return from Padova. That evening we enjoyed the Captains Gala Dinner as we set sail upstream on the River Po to Polisella. During the night we experienced a strong electrical storm with significant rain. In the morning we prepared for our next outing by bus from Polesella, crossing the Po from the Veneto to the Region of Emilia-Romagna and then travelled south to Bologna through rich and well-maintained agricultural areas. The high-quality produce from this region contributes greatly to it reputation as the gastronomic capital of Italy. The commercial centre of Bologna has an interesting mixture of commercial and academic interests with the Universita di Bologna being housed in a variety of buildings that are spread throughout the commercial centre. The university, reputed to be the oldest public university (founded in 1088), seems to sit comfortably alongside its commercial neighbours making the city centre a vibrant place where gown meets town. The architecture of this area is an interesting mix of Gothic, Renaissance and modern buildings. There were 2 highlights to our short visit: first, our visit to the Anatomy Theatre in the Palazzo dell Archiginnasio revealed to us the history of early surgical techniques and the study of human anatomy by dissection of human cadavers. The theatre is adorned with an engraved wooden ceiling depicting the signs of the zodiac and the walls have a number of wooden statues of important scholars of medicine. The second highlight was a demonstration of pasta making at the Cantina Bentivoglio followed by a great lunch that featured the cuisine and wine of Bologna. We came away with an appreciation of why Bologna has the reputation for excellence in gastronomics. The bus trip back to Polisella was a sleepy affair.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 23:15:43 +0000
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