Friday, November 19, 2010

Inedible Bologna—Mostly

Someone asked why I didn't connect with Bologna when I first arrived. Well, I think it is because, unlike Florence, Siena, Montalcino, Alba, even the part of Rome I normally inhabit, Bologna does not qualify immediately as a sort of fairy tale town where one can instantly forget time and feel as though it is 1500 again. Oh, I DO remember the 1500s in Montalcino...my favorite year of time! Ha! No kidding, I do! Ask my hypnotherapist...

As I stayed in Bologna, I began to unravel its secrets and uncover more of its charm. I am still not putting it my list of favorite places, but I guess I need to go back when I have time to actually visit the city and not stay glued to a rolling pin for half the day. I think I entered a total of two churches, zero museums and zero nada nada nada. Of course I made time for restaurants, but those will remain for other posts.

In the meantime, here are some photos and thoughts.

Coffee machines. I have an obsession with an old espresso machine made in the early '60s by Faema. The E-61 is now considered a classic because of its styling, but more so because of its very functional, efficient and delicious "group head", now referred to as the E61, and used on many "pro-sumer" espresso machines made in Italy and gobbled up by foreigners like me. I've owned two such machines and have loved them greatly. Number one machine is with the Son-of-Rammack-Lady in Oakland and performs flawlessly.

Well, on my first day in Bologna, no, second, I encountered two of these machines, very rare I must say, within an hour. One in the breakfast room of my hotel, the other in a coffee shop near my pasta school, though this one was a reproduction. The next day, I encountered another at the All'Osteria Botegga where I had some great food.

Here they are...whoops, I can't find the photos of my hotel's machine, strange. I'll keep looking. But the last in this series is one of Faema's new machines. It just doesn't have the class of the old E-61s!


CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE....
 
Faema E-61 Reproduction, Bologna

Close up of Faema E-61 Group Head, Montalcino

Faema E-61, Bologna
 
Faema's Recent Design, Alba

Now, some random shots of Bologna:


Old porticos, Bologna

One of the original porticos, Bologna

Artichokes, Bologna

Artichokes, Bologna

Part of Piazza Maggiore, Bologna

John Lennon Memorial Mont Blanc, Bologna

Amazing cheese shop, Bologna

Loggia, Bologna

The famous towers, Bologna

San Domenico, Bologna
More soon...and back to food. What else is there???

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