And so, our adventure continues. Up early to prep for departure from Sicily — Liz and Mike to Bologna where we will meet with sister Carla and her husband Les, and Charlie and Jane to Catania, where they will spend one last night in Sicily before flying back home to the U.S. In our industry, we clean, shower, make coffee, and cook all at once, which makes us blow the circuit breaker and kill the power. So, we finish up our breakfast, our cleaning, and our packing in the dark. One hour to Catania, and we are in the chaos of the Catania airport, where life is busy, lines are long, and Sicilians are arguing with each other and with the gate agents. We hug and kiss our fellow travelers, Charlie and Jane, goodbye.

 

An unexpected turn of events

Our plane had been to meet Carla and Les at the Bologna airport, since we would be there an hour and a half before their scheduled arrival.

But things don’t always go according to plan. With a three-hour delay in Rome, Liz and Mike did not arrive in Bologna until well after Carla and Les.

But we found each other soon enough, and took a cab from the airport to the Hotel San Donato in the City Center. The cabbie was a master as navigating the narrow streets and the trip was affordable.

Jet-lagged and bleary-eyed, Carla and Les needed just a moment to drop their bags in the room, and we were off to get a first look at beautiful Bologna. The Hotel San Donato is a lovely spot, well-situated by the two famous leaning towers of Bologna, with a rooftop deck that offers a spectacular, panoramic view of the city’s tile roofs.

 

A rare experience at the Cathedral of San Pietro

Strolling is always the best way to get ones bearings in a new place, so off we went. The door to the Cathedral of San Pietro was open, and the padre was there on the steps to let us know that tonight was the night to tour the bell tower, which is open only once a year.

Liz and Carla were of the “no, never mind” mindset, but Mike and Les were first in line, so up they went. Turns out that the higher you climb, the skinnier the passage becomes until your shoulders are nearly touching the walls.

Those going up need to pass those coming down, making it a very touching moment for both. Enough adventure one day! Exhausted, we came back to the hotel for a great night’s sleep.

 
Click on the PLAY ARROW below to listen to the bells!

Or try this link (Maybe! It works on my Mac…)

 

Click on any photo below for full screen slideshow.
SWIPE or use spacebar to PLAY/PAUSE.

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