Odds & Ends before Easter

Here are shots Giuditta took in the last while.
The above cake is a traditional Easter cake. Many shoppers here take 2 or even three home for this weekend. It costs just over 5 Euros ($7); it's in the shape of a cross, and has a bit of custard filling with that Grand Marnier flavour. The cake tastes like a sweet bread, but not a sweetbread. In the Iperco-op, there are more than 20 different Easter cakes, some with sprinkles on the top and marshmallows inside, and some with chocolate outside and choc. chips inside. They are all packed in wonderful big boxes, like the one above, with a ribbon handle.


Blackbird on our window ledge, overlooking the Iperco-op.


We presented papers at the Sixth Annual Conference in Memory of Marco Biagi -- this is an international conference on labour law and industrial relations. It was held from 16-18 March, at the Biagi Foundation in Modena (about 20 min. train ride from Bologna). The Foundation's insignia behind us is a drawing of the bicycle Biagi was riding when he was shot and killed by the Red Brigade, outside his house in Bologna, in 2002. For details, have a look at this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Biagi.


Streetsign near Bologna's train station. Not only is there a bus (which goes near our apartment!) called The Rosa Luxembourg, but here is a sign advertising parking on Gramsci Street. Via Carlo Marx, Via Stalingrad, Via Lenin and Via Allende are in a suburb Omri calls the Red Block.

Omri and a new friend we made at the conference (above). Behind is an antique rather politically dubious candelabra we found in an antique sale in Bologna.

Omri and some friends in front of a huge sculpted egg, in honour of Easter, we found in one of the piazzas downtown. On the "egg" is a drawing of the famous "Neptune" sculpture which is in the Piazza Maggiore, Bologna. See photos of the Neptune --
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/giambologna/neptune.html
Below: is the giant egg.





This is the McDonald's counter on Via dell'Independenza, a main street in downtown Bologna. As you see, they serve beer! Really. We took these three beers out to the McDonald's patio -- I couldn't resist a shot of the restaurant, the beers and even the "happy meal" placemat on the tray. Cost around 8 Euro ($12).



This is the Duomo, the main cathedral in Milano. We went to Milan (about two hours by bus from Bologna) on a city bus tour as part of our Biagi conference. Giuditta took this shot at sunset so you can see the dozens of wonderful gargoyles almost leaping up at the spire.
Below, is the Duomo in the daytime. Note the gargoyles.


At the Biagi dinner-- we are laughing.


This is the wonderful Galleria shopping centre in downtown Milano.