"From a friendly guy, by whom I booked the hotel in Bologna, I got an instruction on how to get to the hotel. Only in the case of IQ similar to a shoe, would it be a problem to find it. Only on the bus I had to ask when to get off," Dragana continues her narrative. She got on the right bus, looked around, noticed an old couple and asked where to get off. In the background a woman was sitting, probably an employee at the airport. All three got in conversation that was more similar to quarrelling. "I can't tell exactly what the subject of discussion was, but my question was certainly the source of all the arguments. They quarrel in a minute. But then all of a sudden they all turned and unanimously said: Exit here. Their choice was correct. I just hope, they haven't experienced any mental damage due to my query," she adds.
Ice cream for 12.90
Dragana, still impressed about the positive mood in the city, explains about the good will of all who crossed her path; about the people who are a bit chaotic, but open and friendly; about the society where you don't feel like a stranger. In Bologna she stayed during the weekend. The road, full of cars and other means of transport, was changed into a giant pedestrian zone, where a crowd of people was strolling. "Six or seven hours I walked around the city. And then I said to myself: If I'm already in Italy, I have to try an ice cream. Long line in front of a pastry shop… You know the rule: where there's a crowded, it must be good. The scene was crazy. Glass cabinet with countless flavours of ice cream convinced me. Four women were throwing scoops of ice cream and they were all speaking something to each other. I wonted three scoops, mixed flavours, if possible. But first I had to order somehow," tells Dragana. The Italians have a different system of serving ice cream. You choose the size of the ice cream cornets instead of a number of scoops.
"This is 12.90," said the cashier. "OK, that's gotta be a good ice cream," she thought and paid for the ice cream in the value of a dinner. Then a man took a cornet, filled it, passed it to her and she headed off. Not a moment passed when she heard someone shouting. As if somebody was calling her. She turned around and saw the ice-cream man. He was holding something in his hand and ran after her. "What is that?" Dragana wondered. She stopped; he came up to her all out of breath, and blurted: "I thought you wanted three cornets. For three people." In the midst of crowded Bologna he gave the rest of the money back to her and apologized. "I could have hugged him! Not because of the money, but because of the attitude. It's nice to see that there are still good people in this world," thought Dragana. He said goodbye with the words: "Have a good time and come again for an ice cream!"
Wine shop in a bookstore?
Saturday night. Bologna. The musicians play on every corner. Streets are alive. Dragana joined the crowd that followed the moving superb band. "In the accompaniment of music we walked through the streets, some chanting, and some dancing. Then all of a sudden the group stopped, people brought tables and chairs and the party continued. "It's like you're living in a residential quarter and with the neighbours agree that each bring tables and chairs, pastries, and drink. In short, everyone contributed something. And it had nothing to do with pubs or bars," explains Dragana. They were generously offering snacks and drinks; they were hugging, singing, dancing and chatting.
Dragana was excited watching all the action when a pleasant smell attracted her to the bookstore. "Why the pleasant fragrances come from the bookstore?" she wandered and of course entered the building. In the late evening there were, next to the shelves full of children's books, kids playing. She climbed the stairs into the first floor. "Oh, that is the reason for that delicious scent," downed on her, when she saw all the cookbooks next to which the chefs had their show. "Prosciutto, olives, cheese, and pasta in a hundred and one ways. Someone in the corner reading a book just order a meal. A great marketing move," explains Dragana. Theme of the third floor: wine. Bookstore and wine bar in one, where visitors smelled, tasted and enjoyed the wine.
New morning, new shock
Breakfast in Italy would not be complete without a true Italian latte macchiato. Dragana asked at hotel reception where she could drink the best coffee in the city. With the given instructions in her head and a suitcase in her hand she headed off and after a few minute walk, she spotted a coffee shop, from which the phenomenal smell of coffee was spreading. It was a small, genuine, but almost completely busy Café, where fast-speaking Italians enjoyed Sunday morning. "In the corner I saw an elderly gentleman, who, for a second, reminded me of Marlon Brando in The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola: a classic, almost mafia-like tuxedo, sunglasses inside the Café, walking stick and slow, calm and deliberate movements." Is it really a stereotype?
As she was looking around the Café and deciding whether to take a pancetta, mini pizza, bagel with mozzarella or something sweet, the bartender asked: "Would you like to order?" Finally, she looked up to order the best Italian coffee in the city and . . . "The bartender wasn't Italian, not even European, but… Chinese?! OK, maybe he is just an employee. Well, it is not exactly an advertisement for the best Italian coffee in the middle of Italy. But, God forbid, they said it is the best Café," reconciled Dragana. She ordered, Chinese smiled and showed her the only free spot at the bar. "In a couple of minutes another Chinese flew from somewhere and started preparing my coffee. OK?! So, the best coffee in the centre of Bologna you can drink in the cafeteria full of Italian guests and tourists. But the managers are Chinese. However, I can say that both, the coffee as well as the service was excellent."
Next destination: Venice
In the middle of the usual crowds in Venice Dragana found herself with overstuffed suitcase, which she was dragging on paved roads. In addition, it looked like it will start to rain. Despite all, she was enthusiastic about all the great sights of Venice. "Well, it is necessary to disregard the occasional 'smells' of sewer, which was probably, due to the weather on this day, even worse," explains Dragana. The admiration of Venetian architecture was loudly interrupted. It was her stomach. It was about time for food. However, "the prices for typical and atypical Italian cuisine in restaurants have been astronomical. So I had to go to plan B." She headed to the store. She did not experience that kind of crowd in the store in years ("Since the time of the embargo, in Serbia, when for a litre of milk and 500 gr. of bread you had to stand in line since 5:00 AM," Dragana describes the situation clearly). For addition, she was dragging a suitcase with her. When she finally got through to a giant, half-empty refrigerator, she picked a salad. In the Bread section healthy wholemeal pastries were mission impossible. "I grabbed a first edible loaf and after a successful waiting at the cash-register, as Sylvester Stalone in movie Rocky, victoriously went from the store. Soon a question arose: Where to consume purchased? My stomach was growling even more as the food was nearby. In a panic I was looking for a solution: Is there a bench? Oh, it's all full. What about on the bridge? Dragana, nooo, you cannot do that. The place is full of tourists taking pictures. They cannot have you in a background with bread in your mouth. And pigeons! I will not give them my bread, I'm too hungry. "
As the light at the end of the tunnel McDonald’s showed up. For Dragana, sportswoman in spirit, fats, sugars and other carbohydrates were not an option. But now the entry into the kingdom of junk food was inevitable. "I had to buy something, if I wanted a corner, where I could eat my salad," explains Dragana full of remorse. This, of course, was not everything. Once again she found herself in a long queue. Prices of the menus have been overrated ("7,80 for the normal cheeseburger!"). Only ice cream was acceptable. When she finally came to the counter, the cashier kindly asked her what she would like to have. "Ice cream," she replied. Dragana did not miss the obvious gaze, accompanied by a strange grimace, when a cashier saw a transparent bag in her hand. But Dragana did not allow that stare to confound her. Happily she went to the table, emptied the contents of the grocery bag and turned her back to neighbouring eaters in order not to see, what was on the menu in the middle of McDonald’s. Thanks to the crowd there was no incident. Her stomach was satisfied: "Well done, well do. Now we can go on!"
