Visit to San Michele in Bosco
Saturday, November 17th, 2018
I have 2 or 3 regular conversation partners here which whom I speak English (for their benefit) and Italian (for mine). It’s called a “tandem” when the object of the conversations is to improve each other’s command of the language. So last Sunday I went with Dina to the hospital where she works as a teacher for kids who are hospitalized. It is a hospital but a large part of it is quite old and in it’s previous life it was monastery. When Napoleon was in Bologna, it was a military barracks and then a prison. Now it is a major orthopedic hospital.
It is situated in the hills just outside of Bologna with a magnificent view of the city. Since I’m describing the outing I’ll start first with where I met Dina. It turns out that there was a little market or primarily fruits and vegetables from local farms – a farmer’s market. But there was more. Food “on the hoof”.
I think that those below are guinea hens and those above are pigeons. In the cage behind the guinea hens is at least one turkey – much smaller than those in the U.S.
various other fowl – there were also ducks and geese.
Rabbits. Big ones that I don’t think are meant to be pets.
A stand for crafty things
After arriving at the end of a windy road into the hills we first took in the view.
A foggy view of the city – the tallest structure is one of the famous two towers Asinelli. The most prominent of the symbols of Bologna.
The view from inside. Here you can see the terrace outside.Â
The window in the above photograph is tiny in the following picture. What you really cannot see from this picture below is that there is a odd optical effect. For some reason the corridor acts as a telescope. When I was at the other end of the corridor the tower Asinelli looms much larger.
A very long corridor with doors on either side which were rooms for monks and now are doctor’s offices.
What a dramatic stairway.
The central part of the church which attached to the monastery.
This was once where the monks ate. Nice environment for meals, eh?
The larger of the two courtyards. I think that’s a well in the center.Â
The other cortile with what is certainly a well in the center.
Well, that’s all for today. I hope that you enjoyed it. Thanksgiving, that uniquely America holiday, is next week and I am invited to a potluck and am tasked with bringing a dessert. I am going to attempt a pecan pie. I’m on the hunt for the necessary ingredients.
November 18th, 2018 at 7:18 am
Hi Joe,
Beautiful pictures. The farm market is definitely a little more “earthy” than the one we go to in Santa Monica.
We just returned from two weeks in Europe: Munich/Salzburg/Augsburg/Baden-Baden/Strasbourg/Paris/London (!). Loads of fun.
Planning a trip to Ireland/Scotland in Spring. – – and maybe a year in Ireland in 2020., to avoid the noise of the 2020 election.
Let me know if this is a good way to stay in touch.
Peter
November 23rd, 2018 at 5:03 am
Thanks for the comment Peter. Yes, we usually don’t have animals at the market that we’re inviting to dinner as part of the menu. Sounds like you’re becoming a giramondo (globe trotter). I hope that one of these days you can drop by Bologna for a couple of days. It’s just a cheap Ryanair flight from a bunch of cities in Europe (I’m counting Great Britain in that).
You can keep in touch this way or via email or Whatsapp. If you have whatsapp I can send you an email with my phone number here. International texts are free of course.
Joe
November 18th, 2018 at 9:59 am
Joe, great photos! Have a great ex-pat thanksgiving.
November 23rd, 2018 at 4:58 am
Thanks for the comment, Jan. A Thanksgiving in Bologna post is next. Un bacio.
Joe
November 18th, 2018 at 7:25 pm
Enjoyed that…Very interesting. That is quite a hospital with rich history and art work. Loved the market photos too! Happy Thanksgiving and good luck with the pecan pie.L
November 23rd, 2018 at 4:56 am
Thanks Lori. I always love to get comments. You’ll see from my next post that I did indeed have good luck with that pie.
Joe