Blogs from Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Europe

Parfois le soleil tape tellement fort qu’on en perd un un peu la boule... du coup... je vois que j’ai préparé ce blog mais ne sais si je l’ai publié... Un tien vaut mieux que 2 tu l’auras, donc je prends le risque de vous le publier.. Bien entendu, aujourd’hui 5 juillet nous sommes bien loin de là... pas de bonnes connexions durant le reste du voyage... espère pouvoir le rattraper... Sommes au bord du lac Majeur... et tout ok... Abbaye de Pomposa Pour en savoir vraiment tout : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbaye_de_Pomposa Mais, allons à la découverte de la célèbre abbaye de Pomposa, une abbaye bénédictine située sur le territoire de la commune de Codigoro (province de Ferrara) qui, avec son majestueux clocher, domine la verte plaine environnante appartenant au territoire du Delta du Pô, inscrit au Patrimoine ... read more

I drove south from Padua to Ravenna on the autostrada today. Italian highways are, in my experience, as good as any in Europe (or the US) and the drivers are as good as any, too. Italian drivers have a bad reputation, but to me European drivers in general follow too close and pass to frequently. It's not just in Italy. I arrived at the old city around noon and set out immediately to see the sights. Ravenna is famous for its Byzantine-style church mosaics, created 1500 years ago when the Eastern half of the former Roman Empire briefly held sway in this area. Here are a couple of photos of a clean-shaven Christ, the usual way he was represented prior to the Middle Ages (see photos). In the first he is the Good Shepherd and in ... read more

When I was in college the second time to get my teaching degree, I could not get any education classes my first enrolled semester. So I took Children’s Literature and Fun Classes. One of the Fun Classes I took was Art History 101—seriously, introduction to Art History. I had been blessed to live in Europe and had seen a lot of art masterpieces but had no idea what I was looking at. I thought, “This will be a giggle.” I cannot tell you how that class changed my outlook on not only art but history itself and how art and history literally dance through the ages. Second semester of my quest to become a teacher, I took all education degree required classes (I mean, really, I already had a college degree; wasn’t like I needed electives) ... read more

In mid-March I got on a train with few belongings and fewer expectations. To set off so unburdened confers a freedom I have sought to replicate in my life over and over again: the freedom of travel. On this day, success. We set off early in the morning in a group of six: my family of four, a student, Katie, and our R.A., Matt, on a train bound for Bologna. I stepped off the train at Ferrara, alone, and sent them on their way. Once on another train, this one headed to Ravenna, I found that feeling of utter freedom steal over me. I had no responsibilities for the moment, and was bound by nothing but my own whims and desires. I was, briefly, a traveler once again. The Italian countryside unfurled before me as the ... read more

We had a bit of a wander around the tiny town this morning. Although cars do get into the houses, the streets are all only just wide enough for one car and the turns are very tight. Still, it does not deter the Italians from their fast driving pace! We are staying in Ravenna for the next couple of nights so we decided to have a look around. The Basilica of Sant’Appolinaire in Classe was built in about 500-550AD and is a classic example of an early Christian basilica with its central nave and aisles each side. It has been exceptionally maintained and the mosaics in the apse are simply beautiful. The colours still shine vibrantly after nearly 1600 years. In the aisles, the carved marble sarcophagi of the archbishops stand, dating from around 550AD to ... read more