I would urge you to visit the wonderful city of Bologna and if you do I would urge you to stay in Michela's excellent apartment. We were a family of four and it suited our requirements exactly - spotlessly clean, comfortable, stylish, well equiped, perfectly located for excellent local restaurants and only a short walk to the historic centre of the city.
Michela was a thoughtful and highly informative host - always responding to messages quickly and making sure we had plenty of useful tips on the best places to see and eat! She also added thoughtful touches such as making sure there was soya milk in the fridge when she learned one of our daughters was dairy allergic.
The apartment itself is in a vibrant but relaxed neighbourhood in an old building but decorated in a modern style. Situated at the rear away from any street noise and with a balcony to sit and enjoy the view over the "secret canal". A shame though that it had been drained for essential repair works - nothing Michela could do about that - but we made up for any disappointment by taking a daytrip by train to Venice. Another great reason to visit Bologna - it is brilliantly connected to nearby cities such as Florence, Modena and Parma.
The apartment is perfectly located for the fascinating cultural experience that Bologna has to offer - the grand shopping avenue of Via Indipendeza (pedestrianised and a street party at weekends!), the historic Piazza Maggiore, the famous leaning towers, the wonderfully atmospheric Basilica Santo Stephano and the vibrant nightlife of the University district are all within easy walking distance. There is also of course a great culinary experience too and the apartment is right in the heart of many of the city's best local and traditional restaurants - no need to walk into the city centre. We ate very well right on the doorstep, including dinner and then on our final day Sunday lunch at nearby Trattoria Dal Biassanot. Recommended by Michela (and Rick Stein on a recent TV Long Weekend), it's a perfect traditional trattoria and our best food memory of a great trip.
We will definitely return to Bologna, not to visit any missed sights, but just to soak up the city's unique atmosphere, enjoy an unspoilt Italian experience and stay again in Michela's apartment.