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Published: June 29th 2011
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Ten years ago we drove to Florence and have had nightmares ever since. Today, with the help of our on board navigator, leaving Florence in morning rush hour traffic was a breeze. We leave Florence knowing we have seen what we came to see. It was hot and beginning to get crowded but full of excitement and activity.
We started our trip by heading for Forli on the eastern side of the mountain range that forms the backbone of Italy. The road zigzagged its way to the summit and down the other side. It was slow going but the scenery was great. Passing signs of “chains to be fitted” and “snow ploughs” gave a hint of what it must be like in the winter.
Forli was not really our destination but just somewhere for the GPS to aim for. We really wanted to get to San Marino so we could say we have been to another country on this trip. In the distance, as we headed south, we could see numerous high peaks with signs of habitation. One peak stood out from the rest. It had a very steep bluff with a building perched precariously on the edge. As we got
closer it was obvious that this mountain top town was San Marino. What a great drive up. The road twisted and turned until we finally reached a carpark near the top. Walking wasn’t on the agenda today so we took the lift up a steep cliff face to a magnificent viewing spot. We had a great talk with the young woman looking after a souvenir shop. She was proud to be a resident of the Republic of San Marino, a republic that is much older than Italy. She told us of the very heavy snow fall in March and looking down on the snow covered countryside. It must have been fantastic.
Leaving San Marino we headed for Ravenna, a town with basilicas that are renowned for their mosaics. The basilica we visited was Basilica di Sant’Apollinare in Classe and on entering it was obvious to see why it is so special. The apse mosaic work was out of this world and to think it has been there since the 800’s AD. The colours of the mosaic pieces are vibrant and the effect is stunning. The interior is quite unlike that of other churches we have visited in Italy, being quite
plain except for the mosaics. These treasures were being enjoyed by quite a number of visitors even though it was getting late in the day.
Time was catching up with us so we sacrificed money for time and took the A14 Autostrada to Bologna. What a welcome we had. All went really well with Miss GPS until the critical moment when we had to make the final right turn to the hotel. Gathered on the road near the hotel was a line up of young ladies waiting to entertain anyone willing to stop. This brief distraction meant we missed our turn and had to retrace our steps. We were well prepared on our second drive by and arrived at our hotel feeling weary but quite excited about the day’s trip.
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