Italy - Ravenna

Dedicated to Cyclists

Turns out I'm not in Ferrara at all. I changed my mind late last night, as seeing the medieval sites of Ravenna (a former Byzantine capital and haven for the poet Dante, as in Dante's Divine Comedy) first means I don't have to backtrack later.

I almost succeeded in seeing all the sites in seven hours. I would have had ten, and been travelling on to Ferrara tonight, but a very confusing and annoyingly expensive hassle at the Bologna train station delayed me. Basically, they issued a bus ticket from the train station machine, and by the time I found someone who could help me find it, it had already left. Fortunately, the refund will be posted back to Australia (!?), and I publicly shamed an attempted pick-pocket while waiting around the station.

Ravenna has really struck me for the number of cyclists. They are everywhere! It's like an environmentalist's civic planning dream. There are hardly any cars around the central area at all. Oh, and the church mosaics I came here for are lovely, but I'm yet to see the best couple of sites. Gorgeous colours and precious stones as tesser.

On a final note - I did find the "real" spag bol in Bologna, and it was excellent. Salty and with few, if any, traces of tomato. Now I'm off to collect a photo CD, and see what Ravenna has to offer dinnerwise!