I have never been to Bologna. I love Tuscany and there is so much to do there that I have never ventured into Emilia Romagna. Strange, really, because it has just as much history.
Bologna was founded by the Etruscans, it was a papal city and claims to be the gastronomic capital of Italy. Wow, pretty daring claim for a country where food is as much of an art form as the latest Ferrari. But let's be fair: This is where tortellini and Parmigiano Reggiano come from. And whether you consider it the best Italian sauce or not, this is the home of Bolognese. The region is known as La Grassa, the fat one, because of its bounty. Everyone has different reasons to travel but I love historic towns and somehow I did not associate Bologna with fortifications and honey-hued architecture - but rather with industry. Well, I am not afraid to admit that I was wrong. The historic centre is replete with attractions. Take the virtual tour at www.bolognaturismo.info and you will see what I mean. The 12th century Piazza Maggiore can hold its own against many other much better branded towns, surrounded by squares, museums, theatres, fountains and plenty of la dolce vita. Its university was founded in 1088, and the Asinelli and Garisenda Towers, symbols of aristocratic power and wealth, are the picturesque survivors in a city that had around 200 of these high towers - some as high as a 30-storey building - in the 12th century!
Until recently Bologna was not particularly accessible unless you were driving around the country. Air Malta has just added it to its seven other Italian destinations, filling a niche created by low-cost airline Meridiana that ran the route long enough to generate interest in the town but not long enough to put it firmly on the "must do" list of the Maltese.
Air Malta will be flying to the Guglielmo Marconi Airport every Monday and Thursday as from December 17.
Our national airline is paying a lot of attention to Italy. It recently expanded its Rome service to three daily frequencies, it introduced direct services to Venice and Naples, and increased its intra-European flights from its Catania base. It also reached a code-sharing agreement with Italy's largely privately-owned airline, Air One.
Air Malta's official statement summed up the approach: "These services show our expansionist vision for Italy. We strongly believe that the Italian market holds exciting opportunities to Air Malta and we are ready to take advantage of these new market developments and opportunities," Joe Cappello, the airline's chief executive officer was quoted as saying.
There has never been a better time to go: Air Malta included this new route in the Thank God for Wednesdays campaign which kicked-off three weeks ago. Every Wednesday, the airline offers three destinations starting from the low price of Lm3 / €6.99 one-way (excluding taxes and fuel surcharge). You can go to Bologna between December 17 and March 27. It is no use saving on the flight and then having to pay full whack when you get there: check out hotels available via Flyaway Tours and Europcar car hire is also available.
Basic Bologna
• The city has 400,000 inhabitants but about one million live in the metropolitan area, including over 100,000 university students.
• Guglielmo Marconi Airport is now the third most important international airport in Italy, experiencing a growth of 8.5 per cent last year over 2005.
• Bologna is not only a tourist destination. It is also the hub for exhibitions and its Fiera district is the second largest in Italy and the fourth largest in Europe. The motorshow is considered the most important in the world but there are others like Cosmoprof, Lineapelle, Saie, Saiedue and Cersaie.
20071013-lifestyle--italy2.jpgFood, glorious food
This is the home of tortellini. There are many varieties but the ones in Bologna are stuffed with meat, prosciutto, mortadella, Parmesan and are served al brodo (in broth).
Pork is the undisputed king. A traditional dish is cotoletta alla bolognese, a cutlet covered with prosciutto and cheese. Cold cuts are another speciality of Emilia: the glory of Bologna is mortadella. Nearby cities provide prosciutto from Parma, salami from Felino, coppa from Piacenza, ham and zampone (stuffed pig's trotter).
Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the most famous cheeses in the world but the city also boasts squaccherone, a very soft cheese.
Finish a meal with the typical pan speziale, a Christmas cake made with dried fruit.
The most famous wine of the area is Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine grown between Bologna and Reggio Emilia.
Air Malta decided to take superstition and turn it on its head. It has chosen "13" as the symbol of its latest campaign. You can book a one-way flight for just Lm13 - before December 13. You then travel between January 13 and March - you guessed - 13. And to add to the element of luck, 13 people will win 13,000 Flypass miles.
The offer is valid to over a dozen destinations, including London's three airports, Paris, Rome as well as tourist destinations like Casablanca, Budapest and Athens, and business destinations like Brussels, Zurich and Milan.
Bologna was founded by the Etruscans, it was a papal city and claims to be the gastronomic capital of Italy. Wow, pretty daring claim for a country where food is as much of an art form as the latest Ferrari. But let's be fair: This is where tortellini and Parmigiano Reggiano come from. And whether you consider it the best Italian sauce or not, this is the home of Bolognese. The region is known as La Grassa, the fat one, because of its bounty. Everyone has different reasons to travel but I love historic towns and somehow I did not associate Bologna with fortifications and honey-hued architecture - but rather with industry. Well, I am not afraid to admit that I was wrong. The historic centre is replete with attractions. Take the virtual tour at www.bolognaturismo.info and you will see what I mean. The 12th century Piazza Maggiore can hold its own against many other much better branded towns, surrounded by squares, museums, theatres, fountains and plenty of la dolce vita. Its university was founded in 1088, and the Asinelli and Garisenda Towers, symbols of aristocratic power and wealth, are the picturesque survivors in a city that had around 200 of these high towers - some as high as a 30-storey building - in the 12th century!
Until recently Bologna was not particularly accessible unless you were driving around the country. Air Malta has just added it to its seven other Italian destinations, filling a niche created by low-cost airline Meridiana that ran the route long enough to generate interest in the town but not long enough to put it firmly on the "must do" list of the Maltese.
Air Malta will be flying to the Guglielmo Marconi Airport every Monday and Thursday as from December 17.
Our national airline is paying a lot of attention to Italy. It recently expanded its Rome service to three daily frequencies, it introduced direct services to Venice and Naples, and increased its intra-European flights from its Catania base. It also reached a code-sharing agreement with Italy's largely privately-owned airline, Air One.
Air Malta's official statement summed up the approach: "These services show our expansionist vision for Italy. We strongly believe that the Italian market holds exciting opportunities to Air Malta and we are ready to take advantage of these new market developments and opportunities," Joe Cappello, the airline's chief executive officer was quoted as saying.
There has never been a better time to go: Air Malta included this new route in the Thank God for Wednesdays campaign which kicked-off three weeks ago. Every Wednesday, the airline offers three destinations starting from the low price of Lm3 / €6.99 one-way (excluding taxes and fuel surcharge). You can go to Bologna between December 17 and March 27. It is no use saving on the flight and then having to pay full whack when you get there: check out hotels available via Flyaway Tours and Europcar car hire is also available.
Basic Bologna
• The city has 400,000 inhabitants but about one million live in the metropolitan area, including over 100,000 university students.
• Guglielmo Marconi Airport is now the third most important international airport in Italy, experiencing a growth of 8.5 per cent last year over 2005.
• Bologna is not only a tourist destination. It is also the hub for exhibitions and its Fiera district is the second largest in Italy and the fourth largest in Europe. The motorshow is considered the most important in the world but there are others like Cosmoprof, Lineapelle, Saie, Saiedue and Cersaie.
20071013-lifestyle--italy2.jpgFood, glorious food
This is the home of tortellini. There are many varieties but the ones in Bologna are stuffed with meat, prosciutto, mortadella, Parmesan and are served al brodo (in broth).
Pork is the undisputed king. A traditional dish is cotoletta alla bolognese, a cutlet covered with prosciutto and cheese. Cold cuts are another speciality of Emilia: the glory of Bologna is mortadella. Nearby cities provide prosciutto from Parma, salami from Felino, coppa from Piacenza, ham and zampone (stuffed pig's trotter).
Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the most famous cheeses in the world but the city also boasts squaccherone, a very soft cheese.
Finish a meal with the typical pan speziale, a Christmas cake made with dried fruit.
The most famous wine of the area is Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine grown between Bologna and Reggio Emilia.
Air Malta decided to take superstition and turn it on its head. It has chosen "13" as the symbol of its latest campaign. You can book a one-way flight for just Lm13 - before December 13. You then travel between January 13 and March - you guessed - 13. And to add to the element of luck, 13 people will win 13,000 Flypass miles.
The offer is valid to over a dozen destinations, including London's three airports, Paris, Rome as well as tourist destinations like Casablanca, Budapest and Athens, and business destinations like Brussels, Zurich and Milan.