I must clearly be getting old, because this year I am kind of rejoiced by the little surge of Christmas markets that is taking over Bologna. It must be because they are quite small in size and graciously assembled (most of them), but I’m welcoming them so much that each of them will have its … More Christmas Market Porn. A French affair
So I’ll be busy all week end with an intensive yoga Teacher Training. But you, you really cannot miss Bilbolbul, this festival of comics books and graphic novels that takes Bologna by storm, and dive deep into this happy ocean of drawings, colors and parties. Just forget the old idea of comics as the main icon of slightly offensive nerds&geeks stereotypes. … More Ready, steady… BilBOlBul!
Some festivals are precious gems. Take Archivio Aperto, brainchild of Home Movies’s archive, a collection of vintage films (mostly amateur) from the 20s to the 80s of the last century. Based in Bologna, Home Movies naturally hosts mostly local audiovisual documents donated by families and collectors, in an enticing display of rétro formats: 8mm, super8, 16mm, 9,5mm, … More Ancient city, vintage films and rétro weekends
I’m rather lucky, as I happen to live near a street that is the best in town when it comes to vintage shopping. And this provoked quite a revolution in my shopping pattern, since I changed from skeptic to enthusiast in a handful of seasons and a few very happy sessions. So, if you are looking for … More Meet Via San Vitale, Bologna’s vintage street
Everybody has her own way of eating ice-cream. Some sit politely and enjoy it in a plastic cup with its nice little spoon, others prefer to grab a cone and lick it in fast circles while walking. I’m the cone&walk type, which doesn’t mean I don’t savour every little lick. As a matter of fact, I noticed that I eat my … More French-kissing whipped cream. Bologna’s top 5 according to a bunch of girlies
«Yes, from Damasco.» Smiles, goes back to pouring hummus into my plate. «I arrived in Bologna two years ago.» He’s tall with huge eyes. «There’s only six Syrian families in this town.» And that’s as far as my conversation with the man behind the counter of Sham will go. Opened at the beginning of July, Sham is … More Soul food served with love and shyness: Sham, first Syrian take away in Bologna
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
Flaneur in Bologna 