04/26/2026 Walks

Slept okay, read some in the night but got back to sleep. Woke up feeling a little worn down, wondering if I have caught Ann's cold. We packed our stuff up, I had a shower and some bread and water for breakfast, and we were moving by 8:00. Laura stated, correctly, that our likely best bet to get to the train station on time was to walk there and avoid the risk of missing a bus. So we did, eventually entering the station at a high point and taking lots of stairs down to the actual station. I was hoping to get a coffee in the food court nearby but no luck. We were able to get seats, not together, on the train back ti Firenze. It got really crowded during the 90-minute ride, I updated my blog and watched the landscape pass by. Off the train, just a short wait, then on a new train to Bologna for a fairly short ride. This was a bullet train, reaching speeds up to 270 kph (165 mph). A lot of it was underground. Trip was quick, we arrived in Bologna around 11:15. Walked over to the neighborhood where our Airbnb was, it was a little sketchy on the way over, but the neighborhood itself is fine, just on the edge of better areas and apparently in the midst of improvements. We ate lunch at a Greek place close by, pita sandwiches were very good, and cheap. We toasted the day with grappa, which really provided a kick. The Airbnb itself is very nice, well laid out, pretty, and tidy. I was tired, needed a little rest, so I took a nap. Meanwhile, Ann and Laura were discussing where to go in the afternoon. We ended up walking over to a main piazza, more upscale area. There was a protest going on pleading the case of the Palestinian people. We went to a Gelateria near the square, my pistachio was delicious, good flavor and creamy. We kept walking, but I started feeling a little out of sorts. Kept back from them and just focused on making it back to the flat. We ended up walking about three miles. I started feeling worse when we got back. Head started aching, maybe it was a headache from missing caffeine in the morning. I eventually took a couple of ibuprofen. Ann and Laura went out to dinner, but I wasn't up to that, so I stayed back and focused on not getting sick. Eventually the ibuprofen started kicking in, and I felt better. I watched an episode from second season of Young Wallander, then went to get a pizza for dinner after they returned. The delivery place I went to was doing a booming business, it was interesting to watch the comings and goings of the food delivery guys. The pizza, however, was terrible. I ate it just to get the fuel, but it was the worst meal yet on this trip. Felt much better after eating, no congestion and headache was gone. So, the end of the day was a good one.