Past Blast: Bologna

Nettuno in front of Bologna's Palazzo Comunale

This north-central Italian city, home to the world's oldest university, is often confused America-side with the ground meat sausage baloney. FYI if you want a 'baloney' sandwich in Italy, ask for the Mortadella. And Mortadella does originate from Bologna [buh-lone-ya], so I suppose it is one of the more delicious minor mistakes you can make.

The Arcades

The streets of Bologna are famous for their miles of arcades [covered walkways, not video games]. This means that while in most Italian cities you are constantly dodging minicars in the streets, in Bologna you are guaranteed safe passage. Keep an eye out for the city-mandated crimson window shades as well.

Torre degli Asinelli [Torre Garisenda behind]

Northern Italian towns also tend to have medieval familial towers, and Bologna is no exception. Although less than 20 exist today, at one point there were an estimated 180. Does a local dispute have a neighboring family banging on your door? Just retreat into your handy personal tower and, I don't know, wait it out or throw Mortadella at them.