I’ve lived in Bologna for 28 years
I speak English, French, Italian
I am Journalist
When I was 26 I left Bologna for London, then I lived a lot in Milan and a little bit in Berlin. At 39 I came back, with an open heart and a new thrill: I was really understanding, really seeing my town, I was ready for it, for deep diving into its beauty and for looking at it with an "insider/outsider" perspective. I realized how lucky I am to be surrounded by history, and I never take my "portici" for granted: whenever I walk by Piazza Maggiore at night, with the many golden lights in Palazzo D'accursio, or grocery shop in Via Peschierie vecchie between fish stalls and littler artisans' shops, or have a walk in Villa Ghigi with my red town just underneath, or watch an open air Fellini's movie for free in the heath of a July night, or just look at the funny "umarells" (local elderlies, mostly male, fascinated by any street work), I feel blessed. I also have a blog, called Flaneur in Bologna, where I share my "born again" passion for this lovely mini-mentropolis of mine. Oh: I'm 43, work as a journalist and love yoga, laughing, the Saturday Night Live and gelato.
I had a fabulous experience with Marina. It was great to see both the typical tour spots (but maybe from a different angle) as well as the off-the-beaten path sites- that were customized to my interests. Experiencing a city is always more memorable when accompanied by an insider's perspective. Marina also gave me ideas for what I could explore more in depth on my own- and gave us spectacular dining recommendations.
October 2024
Like walking around town with an old friend. Nothing more needs to be said!
August 2024
Marina gave us a cultural and historical walkabout in old town Bologna that was very interesting. We recommend her highly.
May 2024
Marina was wonderful and happy to accommodate us as we wanted to enjoy central Bologna but we were all pretty tired. We really enjoyed her conversation and topics and enjoyed the evening with her!
April 2024