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The Italians say it way better than we do in English, so here’s what it looks like in the vernacular:

        Bologna, la dotta, la rossa, la grassa

Which is to say that this city is famous for being well educated (the first university in the West, dating from 1088); red, from the ubiquitous color in roof tiles, but also in modernity from its leftist politics; and well fed (this city is considered the exemplar of la cucina italiana).

Christine and I are happy to be here, for the first time, because during our Florentine first year of eight of living in Italy, Greece, and Austria we blithely accepted the widespread notion that Firenze, geographically close by, is far and away more important and beautiful and artistic and worthy etc., etc.

Now we know better.