Day 1 Ravenna

 

As we ended our time in Venice, we walked through the light rain on the train station and sat to have some breakfast, espresso and cappuccino included.  Ronnie had eggs, bacon and beans, I had the Nutella crepe.  The eggs in Italy are so beautiful- bright orange yolks delicious.  My Crepe would have been perfect without the chocolate sauce on top.  But still..it was Nutella.  

I thought we off to a great day.  Tickets already purchased for the train on the train app, at the train station with plenty of time.  Settled in for our first leg to Ferrara. 

In Ferarra we had to rush to the city train that was supposed to go to Ravenna.  There was another couple on the train that was also going the same place.  We ran to catch the connection with the 4 minutes we had.  On the train were a group of young kids- looked to be around 7^th/8^th grade.  They were goofy, funny, annoying…as expected.  All of a sudden, a few stops before Ravenna the train reached Ponte Maggiore and said no further the tracks ahead are flooded so we are not going any further.  The train station in Ponte Maggiore had no staff and just a snack bar.  The young man working the snack bar was very helpful.  He had a number for a cab driver.  There were 8 of us trying to get to other cities- 4 to Ravenna and 4 to another city.  We were so blessed to find this taxi to drive us 1.5 hours to Ravenna with the other couple.  It was expensive but split it was worth it over taking the bus that would have taken us over 3 hours and no idea where to get the bus.  Even better, the gentleman and his wife were from Canada and he had lived in Cleveland in the 70’s and worked at WMMS as a DJ.  It was really neat to talk to someone again who had a Cleveland connection. 

But now…we get to Ravenna.  It was a trek because even on the way here roads were closed and the taxi had to take detours.  

But finally at the B&B.  It is nice, clean, we get breakfast in the morning and they gave us suggestions for dinner and told us were to go for the Mosaics and Date’s tomb etc. 

We just looked at some sites.  Ronnie and I decided to try Dante’s tomb and get a little appertivo.  We do not know if it is the weather or what is going on but so many things in Ravenna seem closed, including the Museum and Dante’s tomb.  So these are the best pictures we got.

Just liked the street names.  

We then stopped on Piazza di Popolo and had a nice appertivo of drinks and antipasto with the traditionale piadina bread.  I had a Campari spritz, Ronnie a beer.  It was really good and a perfect afternoon/early evening snack. 

The restaurant- Mr. Dante's had a pomegranate tree

Then back to the B&B for a little nap where Ronnie realized the plug converter was left at the hotel in Venice, so another adventure to a phone store where we bought a converter and then a nap. We definitely saw was would be the "bad part" of Ravenna.   Yes…adventure after adventure. 

Finally we wanted to head out for a little walk and some dinner.  We walked around Ravenna looking for somewhere to eat.  We finally went to Aqua e Sale and had a fantastic meal.  Ronnie, who normally orders fish every where we go, had the beef with roasted potatoes, I had branzino with a salad and we split the fennel and orange salad with olives.  While sitting there it began to storm outside, so we found a place at the perfect time.  

The beef was grilled perfectly and there was so much of it.  Perfectly seasoned.  The right temperature.  Ronnie even brought some back for a midnight snack.  

The Branzino was perfectly crispy skinned and so well seasoned.  And who else remembers orange and fennel salad!  I just had to have some!

When we were done eating it was done raining and we started to walk back to the B&B.  Next to us was Bere Pizza- check out the show inside that we stopped to watch from the street.  They were tossing pizza to music and just having fun. 

 

Right next door was a bar and we had ourselves a little nightcap- whiskey for Ronnie and a craft cocktail for myself.  Fellini had a cool jazzy vibe with remixed music that fit the atmosphere.  This was located in Piazza John F. Kennedy.   

We just sat, enjoyed each others company and decided tomorrow is another day with no real travel, just walking, and hopefully no rain.  In Italy everyday can turn out to be a fantastic day.  We are going to see the UNESCO mosaics and if the sun stays out maybe go to the seaside for a bit.  Step count today was lower then the other days with the travel, but still over 11K. A beautiful end to a crazy day.