Bologna

      I couldn't believe the last part of Italy was already here. In the blink of an eye everything I planned for months was coming to an end. Next would be France, Kate's part of the trip, but until then we hoped to make the most of our last week here. This also meant it was the last few days with Steph, Lauren, and Kristen. We all became so close that the thought of carrying on without them felt a bit strange; a bit unnatural. We did our best to ignore the nearing end and arrived in the gastronomic capital of Italy  with open hearts and empty bellies. Kate per usual was prepared with a list of gelaterias and dishes to try. We would at the least not be going hungry in the city referred to as "the fat".
    Although not a common visit for most tourists the five of us instantly felt connected to this diamond in the rough. Home to one of Europe's oldest universities  and laced in detailed architecture this historic city screamed creativity, beauty, and a genuine lifestyle. Of 100,000 university students 80,000 live in Bologna, which gives an idea to the young vibe that pulsated the arched covered streets. There was something so amazing about this place....it's beautiful in an old way and yet gives off a slightly edgy city feel. The buildings seem to contain no uniform structure yet the detail and trimming  of each provides for a unique balance. Its old yet new. More than anything it is alive.
     We spent as much time as possible strolling the different parts of the city and enjoyed grazing in and out of cheese shops, clothing store, cafe's,  and gelaterias. We licked down flavors like pumpkin and cinnamon, Sicilian cannoli, and the infamous Giuseppe- a swirl of chocolate and vanilla mousse transformed in to a light and fluffy gelato.  We found it only appropriate to take breaks from our long walks around the city to enjoy small pastries like mini chocolate cheesecake, croissants, and creme filled doughnuts. We slurped macchiatos  in the cutest coffee shops ( turns out i have become a fan of espresso) napped in parks, visited nearby towns, and walked until we were too tired to do anything besides sit and eat again.

     When our last meal together approached  we sat down at a pizza place we distantly  drooled over the previous day. Unlike typical Italian pizza, these were huge with a thicker dough to cushion the hefty toppings. Between the five of us we split three pizzas: 1. pesto 2. proscuitto with arugula and shaved parmesan 3. margarita with oregano and tomatoes. The pizza was mind blowingly delicious and eating it became somewhat of an explosion, an  uncontrollable American eating frenzy. It was a great last meal together.
     After the girls departed Kate and I were fortunate enough to find hands down the best gelato shop and restaurant in existence. Bold statements some may say but unless I find better I am sticking to it! We returned for gelato three times in two days and easily could have returned each day for the rest of our lives. With flavors like cream of pine nut and caramel walnuts, cream of ricotta with dried fig, marscerpone with coffee and cocoa beans, and ameretto egg cream and rice candy how could we possibly be unhappy?! The flavors were all so different than anything I have had before but the quality seemed perfected to a science. It was love!  The bliss continued our last night as we ate tortellini with pumpkin and ravioli stuffed with rabbit and a side of smoked goat cheese. The best wine, a Pignoletto, accomponied the meal and we had no choice but to joyfully raise our glass and give a big loving toast to our darling Bologna.