From Puglia we drove north, hugging the east coast of Italy along the Adriatic all the way, to an overnight stop in the world's 5th smallest country.
San Marino is an independent country that basically consists of a single, scenic, spectacularly high mountain of rock with three towers on top. On this late afternoon in September it was raining, but in the moments when the rain stopped the views from the top of the surrounding countryside of Italy were fabulous nonetheless.
The next morning, in what was by now heavy, pouring rain, we turned further inland and stopped for lunch in Bologna.
A few hours here were not enough for me, as I liked this city instantly. It is La Città Rossa - historically, the stronghold of the Italian Communist Party and anti-fascist movement. The squares are vast and colonnaded, the buildings solid, massive, impressive.
It also has a vibrant feel, with lots of young people, not surprisingly, as it's home to one of the oldest universities in the world whose alumni include Dante, Petrarch and Erasmus, the home of the Erasmus exchange programme and site of the equally famous Bologna educational agreement, hence known also as La Dotta, the Learned (city).
Though we were there primarily on account of its third epithet - La Grassa, the fat one, acknowledging Bologna's status as food capital of Italy. This is the region where parmesan, mortadella, parma ham and balsamic vinegar have their origins, and all were in abundant supply at Tamburini, where we went to shelter from the rain, buy olive oil, sausages and cheese to take home ...
Antica Salsamentaria Tamburini, Bologna
and share a tagliere of salumi, cheeses and bread.
Republic of San Marino and Bologna, Italy, September 2016
Puglia trip
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