First impression of Bologna coming from the train station included a lot of graffiti, which surprised us.
But our impression quickly changed. The colonnades covering the sidewalks everywhere have a lot of charm. Food is amazing and affordable, maybe best we had in Italy. I think there were five cafes within two blocks of the apartment, each with different selections of pastries, panini, and fresh squeezed juice.
Also check out Mercato Delle Erbe, a place many locals eat, we only found because a local man in a shop suggested it to us.
The summer festival included multiple nights of live jazz we listened to while dining at a table in the middle of a closed off street.