Ways to Travel: Random thoughts from a random mind

Thursday morning found us spending almost two hours over breakfast again, as we visited with Gabriella and talked about everything under the sun, including the EU elections being held on Sunday. It was interesting to get a local’s perspective on the state of politics and politicians in Italy.

Our plan was to vacate our room by 10 am, leaving our bags at the B&B while we took a bus out to the one outlying monument we wanted to see ---St. Apollinare in Classe, But Gabriella said as there was no one coming in to stay in our room Thursday night, we should just leave things in our room until we returned, so that we could freshen up before leaving town.

Gabriella told us where to catch the bus to Classe, and off we went. The 8 km trip was short, and it was interesting to see some of the countryside outside the old center of Ravenna. St. Apollinare in Classe is another monumental building from the 6th century, decorated with more amazing mosaics.

St. Apollonare in Classe - nave

And the decorations of each of the places we visited were different , but equally beautiful.

St. Apollonare in Classe - mosaic detail

It was definitely worth the trip.

By the time we were ready to return to Ravenna it was already after noon – so we decided to stop for lunch before going back to the B&B to retrieve our bags and head for the big city. The bus let us off only about a block from the wine bar recommended by several Slow Travelers, as well as Gabriella – and we enjoyed a light lunch at “Ca de Ven”. I enjoyed a huge plate of prosciutto and sweet juicy melon along with my glass of wine – a perfect lunch for what was a very warm day.

Prosciutto e melone at Ca' de' Ven

After our lunch break we returned to say a final farewell to Gabriella, and left for Bologna. (and we won’t talk about the fact that I had failed to notice when reading the timetable that there is NO train in the 2:00 hour – though there is on an hour every other hour of the day!)

We loved our stay in Ravenna – it is quiet and tranquil, with an old center that is almost vehicle free. We enjoyed watching everyone from little children to very senior senior citizens using heavy duty bicycles as they went about their daily affairs, and to get the sense that we were in a small town where everyone knew his neighbor, and enjoyed being part of the community. It welcomed us as visitors, and gave us a gentle entry into Italy.

Our arrival in Bologna threw us into culture shock! After the quiet of Ravenna, the noise, and crowds and cars, and motorcycles, and traffic overwhelmed the senses. We were glad to arrive at our hotel – Hotel Paradise – in a relatively quiet side street away from the busy traffic. We were welcomed warmly, and found our room to be sparkling clean and spacious – and the wireless working like a charm!

I had a long list of restaurants recommended by fellow Slow Travelers, but by dinner time we were ready for something simple and close to the hotel. We asked the receptionist for a recommendation, and she suggested a reataurant a short walk away, in the student quarter – Ristorante Mascarino, on Via Mascarella. It was a good suggestion – wonderfully tasty traditional Bolognese food at a reasonable price, with a delightful young waiter with whom we enjoyed a friendly conversation. I had a simple ravioli dish and a wonderful insalatta mista; Bill ordered a grilled dish without knowing for sure what he was getting, but was delighted when the waiter put a dish in front of him with 5 succulent grilled small loin lamb chops and a small salad. We shared a contorno of grilled vegetables, a ½ liter of wine and a bottle of water, and left feeling very satisfied. Interestingly enough, when I was looking over Matt’s notes on Bologna, I found the restaurant was one Matt had recommended at the same location, but with a different name.

The area was definitely high energy—there was a huge group of college age people congregated outside a small used book store when we went into the restaurant – and by the time we left the crowd had grown even larger, and everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time – there was lots of talking, and laughter and general merriment, fueled by many bottles of beer.
We enjoyed a post –prandial stroll around the area before returning to the hotel for the night.