Bologna might not have its own cat café like Rome or London, but lovers of the cute felines shouldn’t worry: there’s still Calamario. Now, this shop isn’t about cats, in theory. It is actually a well known and rather posh gift shop that has been adorning the very central Via De’ Carbonesi for long. I first … More Bologna’s secret cat parlour
Sandra bought this house when she was in her mid-twenties. Not only because she fell in love with the place but also, she tells me, because this is the area where her grand parents fell in love, got married and then got married again (50 years later: golden wedding anniversary). It’s a secluded place, surrounded … More Crickets and green and country chic: Ca’ Maranghi in Val di Senio
When the “afa” strikes hard, locals tend to take their car or hop on a scooter and drive up to “i colli”, where temperatures are always lower and the leafy green offers a fresh solution for those seeking refuge from the truly suffocating heath of the most intense summer days. But since the hills aren’t always … More 5 urban oasis for seeking refuge on warm summer nights
Yesterday was partita day, and years of experience taught me that it is useless to display any detachment or mental independence from the biggest ritual of the Country: you’d end up alone in your living room feeling sad while everyone else gathers in front of the tv screen, like old farmers gathering in front of a … More Nothing is created, nothing is destroyed, art is recycled (in the country): Sementerie Artistiche
The last days of june are usually the warmest of the year. And they are also the days when Il Cinema Ritrovato takes place. This particular coincidence is a real curse for me: every year my cinéphile soul must fight against my heath-fearing, unusually pale body. But stuffing oneself with licorice and mineral salts is … More Paradise for cinephiles and bon vivants: Il Cinema Ritrovato
«Only you can wear that, darling, with that lovely thin figure of yours». They have the rare gift of complimenting you in hyperbolic ways, with you knowing they can’t be honest and simultaneously, happily sinking into that sea of sheer, unapologetic flattery. They are Fratelli Broche, performing artists and owners of the vintage shop with the same name in … More Indulging in a vintage feast: Fratelli Broche
A perfume that echoes love? Here you are. A scent to make you experience pure bliss? There you go. Something rounder, less spiced, slightly fruity, a little bit softer, but sensual, and yet delicate, by no means impersonal, and oh, also, possibly reminiscent of a certain feeling of longing? Lady (or Sir), you’re served. Antica Profumeria del … More Getting lost in scent paradise: Antica Profumeria del Sacro Cuore
Want a definition for the perfect comfort food on a saturday lunch? First, you need to step out of your home. Then walk or ride to Piazzetta Pasolini and Piazzetta Anna Magnani, aka the courtyard and gourmet dehors of the local Cinématheque, and there you are. Il mercato della terra is one of the several … More Chestnut soup + farmers’ market = Saturday’s comfort delight
Flaneur in Bologna 