Home #reallyontheship Ravenna and Bologna, Italy

Ravenna and Bologna, Italy

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June 19-20, 2024

The arrival in Ravenna, Italy also heralded the end of our semi-private yachting experience . Throughout the Africa segments only 700-800 passengers wandered the Serenade – a ship capable of carrying 2200. For the next several weeks, we will be completely full. Before dealing with this, John and I with our friends – fellow bloggers Leah and Steve (www.frugal-vagabond.com and YouTube – @frugalvagabond) joined us on a side trip to Bologna, an easy hour train ride away.

Why Bologna? It produces some of the best food and wine in the world. The train from Ravenna to Bologna is only €16 pp and our hotel – the Royal Carlton, was only three blocks from the train station. We checked in, grabbed a lovely lunch at a small cafe a few blocks from the hotel, then met up with our excellent sommelier and foodie guide, Sarah, who I found on the Withlocals app. She escorted us to a series of four wine shops and cafes where we enjoyed a selection of DOCG wines from the Bologna region paired with cheeses and other local goodies.

Pignoletto – straw colored, clear with light toast – one of my favorites from the evening
A toast to a great day! (left to right: Sarah, John, myself, Leah and Steve) We enjoyed a Gioja wine – described by Sarah as a “red wine in a white robe” – bright with crisp apple and citrus.
The real reason Mona Lisa is smiling – there’s an out of frame bottle of a dark Lambrusco (enjoyed at a tucked away wine shop that only sells local wines)

No, Leah was not being naughty – she was checking out the accoustics in a special corner of a market
Bologna once had many canals – just a few remain
And Pisa is not the only city with a leaning tower – the one here is leaning and beginning to twist- note the external supports and the base is closed off to the public.

The next morning we enjoyed a quick breakfast then explored for a few more hours before our noon train back to Ravenna.

Centuries of Román ruins under the public library in Bologna (which can be seen through glass panels along the library floor- just not as clearly) – free to enter (though a donation is requested).
The Bologna Cathedral – the city ran out of money to complete the structure – the upper floor never clad in marble and what was supposed to be a “cross” shape never finished
But the interior was still spectacular

We returned to Ravenna on the noon train, and took a few hours to explore before returning to the ship.

Leah records a video of the artwork painted on an underground pathway in Ravenna
Another church with a leaning tower (near the train station)
Outside the Basilica of Saint Vitale

The main attraction of Ravenna – the mosaic trail – where multiple cathedrals, churches and museums display amazing mosaics made from gold and Murano glass tiles.

Inside the Basilica- yes – all that is tile.
Inside the Basilica
Even the floors are amazing
Inside the Museo Arcivescovile

After melting in the heat for two days, I was happy to return to the ship and very good air conditioning!

Next up – Trieste, Italy and Croatia!

One Comment:

  1. wjoellen3
    June 25, 2024 at 3:52 pm

    I would have gone artistically NUTS in Ravenna.
    I took art history classes at LSU when I lived in Baton Rouge,The Renaissance, early,one semester,then later the next.Then I back tracked to Medieval.
    Did you go the Padua?
    The Scrovegni Chapel,Giotto…
    It’s sorta Mecca for art history ‘nuts’
    Happy Trails❤️🎨❤️

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