Hopefully you are enjoying your holiday by the sea, in the mountains or in the urban panorama of a city. Holidays are about charging our batteries and taking a bit more care of our inner self. At Fill in the gap, we are pro-holidays, but we never stop meeting amazing people, even if we are in a more relaxing mood. We love travelling, mixing with locals and discovering the very best of the place we are visiting. This time we have chosen somewhere in Italy, as apart from the amazing food, which we all know, it makes us reflect on how a city, in this case Bologna, can have a positive impact on people’s everyday lives, on how important ideas can be self-funded and why the greatest things in life do not necessarily have to be linear.
Without having any intentions of being sociable, we pop into a nearby café, where we would like to have a coffee and start our day. The person behind the bar is more than welcoming and willing to help, so we take advantage of asking some questions other than about the coffee ingredients. It’s not the first time we see a Bologna Pride 2018 sticker on the door of a business and we ask if it’s something that the municipality of the city gives to certain shops. Giacomo, in perfect English, explains to us that, in contrast with the Prides in Milan and Rome that have become major and sponsored by well-known brands, Bologna decided to handle the whole thing differently and be self-funded. If someone is interested in placing the Bologna Pride logo on their shop, they should be a member of the organisation that promotes LGBTQ rights. Each member can give the amount of money they want and this way, the Pride keeps its financial independence for its launching and running. Along with the sticker, a tip jar for the organisation is also provided, in case someone is interested in supporting the cause directly. The Lampadina Café went the extra mile and they also created a special edition take-away cup to raise awareness and spread the word about equality. We are more than glad to start our day with their great coffee and their pro human-rights attitude.
Not far away from the café, we pass by the Piazza Maggiore—Bologna’s main square—where a huge screen and several chairs are set up for tonight’s filming. Apart from the fact that films are a great source of education, the atmosphere around the big screen is more than magic, especially at night. For Italian films there are English subtitles and vice versa. If someone feels like bringing their own chair, wine or food, they can do so. Even if you are moving around the city by bike, you can stop and enjoy a few minutes with the rest of the crowd and feel like you are forming part of a vibrant city. Free access to an open air cinema like this is something that every sunny city should adapt to its summer activities.
We keep walking and getting absolutely amazed by Bologna’s beauty, while noticing a postman delivering bills, letters and postcards by bike. According to the Municipality of Bologna, “Promoting bicycle use as an alternative to motor vehicles is one of the most significant commitments for sustainable development, contributing to the reduction of emissions of polluting gases into the atmosphere and to the decongestion of urban traffic…To encourage a reduction in car use, it is essential to create a continuous, safe and well-recognizable network of cycle connections, as well as integrating with other forms of mobility.” We totally agree and we hope that other cities outside Italy will also follow this excellent example.
Time to pack our things up and continue our trip. Thinking about the Square of Miracles and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which we also visited some days ago, we realise that sometimes the things that are imperfect and that undergo a great change are also the most interesting ones. This particular monument, which became famous due to its flaw and tendency to lean, embodies the absolute right to succeed, without being perfect. The most fascinating things in life are neither easy, nor straightforward, but they are the ones that keep us moving.
