We decided that during our time in Florence, we would take an evening trip to Bologna by train. The trip only takes 36 minutes each way so we purchased our tickets in advance online. The trip cost $15 USD each way, per person. When we arrived in Bologna, it was raining pretty hard. We had come prepared with rain coats and umbrellas. The rain slowed down almost immediately after we arrived. Due to the rain, there were not many people outside and we enjoyed a deserted Bologna. I actually really think that rain and grey clouds really suits Bologna.

Between you and me, I really wanted to visit Bologna to try their Bolognese sauce. In fact, I had done extensive Instagram research to find the best looking Bolognese sauce in Bologna. I found Osteria dell’Orsa. We headed there for dinner after walking around the city. The restaurant wasn’t open yet but we weren’t the only ones anxiously waiting to eat some pasta. Once they opened, we were promptly seated and brought menus. I showed the waitress the Instagram photo I had found and she was shocked that a couple from California found their restaurant all the way in Bologna. We noticed that everyone in the restaurant was ordering the same dish as us. I knew we had chosen the right place for our first authentic Bolognese pasta dish. After ordering a beer and a Coke, our food was brought out to us quite quickly. I don’t think I will ever forget the moment the dish was in front of me. It also came with a giant bowl of Parmesan cheese aka my favorite cheese in the world besides extra sharp cheddar cheese. I was in cheese and meat sauce bliss. Their Bolognese pasta is the best pasta dish I have ever had in my entire life. No lie, I have a photo of the food on my bedroom wall. I am confident that one day, I will go back to that restaurant and eat it again. Until then, the photo will have to cure my cravings.

After the meal, we walked around Bologna in a delightful food coma. We killed some time before our train by shopping. We found a store called Pull and Bear. We had never heard of the store but it had cute clothes at affordable prices. The store was closing for the night but we managed to purchase a few items. Andrew scored a new rain jacket for a pretty good price. I later found out that Pull and Bear is quite popular in Europe. I wish we had one in California! Bologna was awesome and ended up being one of my favorite parts of Italy. I wish we had more than one evening to spend there but I probably would have eaten way too much Bolognese sauce if we stayed any longer. Go to Bologna. Eat pasta. You will not regret it.