Ravenna Wrap-up

My palazzo in Ravenna has an Internet accces point, so I bought one hour for €3. Not sure that I am saving anything over my cell charges to make a post, but it is easier to type on a full keyboard. Although it took me five minutes to find the @ sign, since the keyboard layout is not the same here as at home.

Well, here is a brief recap of my time in Ravenna. As I mentioned yesterday, Ravenna is a city of mosaics. I visited some of the key sites yesterday, and completed the "must see" list today. I started with a 20 minute bus ride to Classe, a small town about 5km outside of Ravenna and the locale of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, not to be confused with Sant'Apollinare Nuova, which I saw yesterday. The mosaics here were created in the 6th - 7th century and are composed primarily of intense gold and green background and representing "The Transfiguration of Christ" Hopefully my pictures will convey the detail and beauty of the work.

Lunch was across the street from the bascilica. I almost kept waking since the tour bus was in the parking lot and the restaurant was filled with, heaven forbid, Americans; yes, an entire bus full of them. That is probably the most I have seen on this trip. Oh well, I was hungry, so I sat in an area occupied by some locals. After the overeating I managed last night, I thought I would have a light lunch. So I ordered Crostini della Casa and a Caprese salad. I expected a few small rounds of toast topped with local ingredients. Oh, no... portion size is out of control here, as I found out last night. I had 4 large sliced of great Italian bread, each topped with a different ingredient, including prosciutto, tomato sauce, an unknown bitter green, and cooked ham. Each was topped with melt in your mouth mozzarella cheese. Then the caprese salad was a plate full of more mozzarella and tomatoes over a bed of bibb lettuce.

OK, enough food talk. When I returned to Ravenna, I went to San Vitale, the location of what is said to be the best mosaics in the area, so say the experts. For me, there were all very impressive.

My last stop of the day was at Loggetta Lombardesca, with a lovely interior loggia, and an art museum. For my good friend Deirdre, make note that I may be reaching my limit of madonna e bambino paintings and I haven't arrived in Florence yet.

Tomorrow I leave this lovely city for the villa and the international crowd of travelers. While I look forward to their company and a chance to communicate in my native tongue again, I will miss my solo travel and the opportunity to go where my feet carry me.