My friend Shireen was studying at John Hopkins University for the first year of her MA so I got a cheap flight down for the weekend. One of my favourite things about Eupropean countries that aren’t England, is that you can arrive on a late flight, meet a friend at midnight and find a quiet little bar/cafe to catch up in for the next three hours!

Bologna is a beautiful place to spend a few days. Cobbled streets, pavements shaded under porticos with your street views framed by a hundred archways. Unfortunately the Bologna residents love their dogs, tiny yappy, annoying dogs that shit all over the pavements and the pooper scooper is clearly not a cool accessory for your italian about town. Result, you have to watch your step very carefully to avoid any unpleasant surprises!

The city more than compensates for it’s occaisional slip ups (!) with fabulous coffee, great cafes, amazing food, astonishing views from the top of its two towers, adorable plazas and the best ice cream I have ever, and probably will ever taste in my life!