Tolè; A Little Place of Wonder

      There is this beautiful town on top of the Appenine mountains. The place is called Tolè. It is a fraction of Vergato, a province of Bologna. Not much is written about this place and you can only find a little information about it on the internet. It can only be reached by car or by bus which arrives just a few times a day (less on summer).  It is best to visit this  place during summer since the air cool and there are clean fountains everywhere where you can drink and freshen yourselves. There are a lot of feasts especially at night. Some are music festivals where they invite talented performers to entertain the audience for free. 

Musical events are offered to the people for free.

Pretty artworks attached on the walls.

Houses in the middle of the forest.

    A little church serves as an indication of the town center. It has a little piazza outside and some benches to sit on. There are about three hotels and a supermarket. It is also near a pool with a discotheque for young people to enjoy themselves at night.

Potatoes are well protected here.

     The fields of Tolè during summer are golden and there are pretty bales around. In the middle of this are pastel-colored houses with painted walls. The paintings depict the appearance of the place long time ago. There are little areas or vicoli with little themes on it. Some are for cats and the others are for fairytales like Snow White and Pinocchio. The roads are well developed and you can ride a bike or jog peacefully.  The view is breathtaking. The terrain is full of wildflowers with hundreds of colors. You can also hike up to the top of the mountains and observe some wild animals like deers and birds roaming around. 

Art is everywhere.

Paintings on the walls

A little area dedicated for cats.

Cat sculptures

Wildflowers are everywhere in every color.

Wildflowers and blue skies.

The fields are golden with bales all around.

Fields of gold

The roads are well developed for people to walk or ride a bike.

Tolè is best in summer.

Summer in the Countryside!

Just a while ago, I went for a short bike ride around the countryside. I'm surprised by the beauty of summer. The fields are golden although the red poppies are dying.

Fields of gold

I picked some chamomile flowers for a sweet tea.

The Most Beautiful Park in Italy

    Last month, my friend and I went to visit a place dubbed as 'The Most Beautiful Park in Italy'. It is this 60-hectare paradise named Parco Giardino Sigurtà. It is a perfect place to visit during spring.  You can hire a golf cart or a bike to roam around. It has ponds, fountains, a mini-zoo, a hermit-house, function hall, bar, rose plantations and off course its famous tulips. Each flowerbed is carefully arranged by color, height and kind. No need to go to Holland! There are also different kinds of trees, shrubs, herbs and flowers!

Bees are busy this time of the year!

The ground is large enough for kids to run around without hurting themselves!

It includes ponds and fountains too.

Just a kilometer away from the park is this beautiful town called Borgetto. It is an old village situated near the river of Mincio. It's one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Borghetto is a unique town where you can feed a swan while drinking cappuccino.

Love locks.

Boating after breakfast?

'Good luck',  the bucket says. There is always something interesting everywhere you look.

Hello Spring!

Christmas in Bologna

Bologna will always be one of my favorite cities. There is always something interesting each time you look at a certain direction. Last December, I went for an interesting walk around the city. Thank God there is no snow! Here are some of the pictures I took!

I went on top of the Asinelli Tower first. It is 97 meters above the ground and the view is just breathtaking! You have to pay 3 euros to enter but it is really worth it.

The San Lucca Basilica with a glorious sunset.

The city center is open for people to walk through during the weekends. I really love the atmosphere.

A wonderful view from the top of the Asinelli Tower.

The Two Towers of Bologna looking beautiful as ever.

The man inside this shop is playing the theme song of the movie Amelie on his piano. It really made me study my piano pieces again!

A tribute for Nelson Mandela in Piazza Maggiore.

A woman goes for a bike ride at Parco Margarita, Bologna's largest park.

A family plays with their dogs.

A street performer along via Independencia.

Hiking in Bologna!

    Italy is surrounded by hills and mountains. The most famous is the Apennines. Apennine Mountains are a mountain range consisting of parallel smaller chains extending 1,200 km along the length of Italy.

  When I have a free time, I would go to the mountain with my grandmother or with my cousin and spend a lot of time hiking. Yesterday, my cousin and I went for a hike in one of the mountains of Bologna. Our route is from the Bosco di San Michele to the Forte Bandiera. It is a very hot day so we brought about 3 liters of water.

Our trail started here. It is located just below the Church of San Michele

cooling canopies

During the rest of the hike, you will be guided by these signs.

These are unmatured figs that can be found along the trail.

Sigs that guide you along the way.

my cousin enjoying the view!

Beautiful villas can be seen along the hillsides.

Finally, we have arrived. In here you can see a wonderful view of Bologna and have picnics too!

A heart-shaped track ended our hike. =)

The trail is about 8 kilometers and took us about 3 hours to finish. It was a very rewarding experience! You can get more info (in Italian) here: http://www.bolognawelcome.com/da-vedere/itinerari-suggeriti/params/Percorso_3/ref/San%20Michele%20in%20Bosco%20-%20Forte%20Bandiera

in English here:

http://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/places-to-see/suggested-itineraries/params/Percorso_3/ref/