After a day of food with Delicious Bologna, this was our second holiday in Italy on this trip. Who knew May Day (here it’s their labor day) was such a massive holiday? Concerts, labor unions recruiting, people everywhere crowding the streets. It was a good day to stay low-key, or at least try.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca

We started early with a trip up to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, located on the forested hill of Colle della Guardia overlooking Bologna. We opted for the San Luca Express, a little train that runs up and back from right near Piazza Maggiore. While we’re not opposed to getting our steps in, we weren’t up for walking the world’s longest portico — nearly 4 kilometers up to the Sanctuary. Beautiful, and packed!

Basilica di San Domenico

Back down to the city center for a light lunch and the Basilica di San Domenico. In contrast, there was almost no one there. This basilica was a real treat — not much from the exterior, but the interior was stunning.

Porticoes, Rest, and One Last Dinner

The remainder of the day was spent strolling under the porticoes, resting, then a nice local dinner at Il Passatello di Bologna. Off to Rome tomorrow for one day before boarding the Sun Princess!