When I was planning this holiday, vacation as it were, I was initially wanting to spend a couple days in Geneva and a couple days in Lausanne, and a couple days in Venice. I was going to go to Geneva since that's where Sofia was flying out of, and I wanted to go to Lausanne because the Olympic Museum is there (I'm kind of obsessed). When there was nothing open I decided to just go to Venice and then go to Vienna. On the second to last night I was in Venice, it occurred to me that Vienna might be a little too far, and I didn't really want to take a night train to Siena. So I settled on going to Padua and Bologna. I wanted to go to Padua as well because I had studied the Arena Chapel earlier this year, and wanted to see it in person. But alas, I couldn't find anything there. I then wanted to go to Assisi, since I had studied that as well, but it turns out that since it's a small town, you need to have at least two people to book anything...(anyone want to go with me?). So I finally decided to go to Ravenna and Rimini.
I chose Revenna because I remembered something art history related there. I got in on a Sunday, and it being a small town, nearly everything was closed. I had kind of forgotten places like that existed having lived in NYC and London where at least something is open. As I got lost for the second time that day, I was hungry and stumbled across a Japanese restaurant. I decided that I needed a glass of wine, and got some nice Sauvignon and chicken teriyaki. I'm sure someone could tell em a better pairing...Jackson...but it was a good meal all the same.
The next day I decided that I would find out what this city had to offer. Seeing as most of the museums were closed Mondays, I was left with the churches. Besides Ravenna wanting to be the 'Cultural Center of Europe by 2019', I was just guessing the great art would be in their churches anyway. I decided to start my journey at the Basilica di San Vitale. It was the biggest, and in the back of my mind it had something I should know. I bought a ticket for 4 other churches along with the Basilica. When I walked in I knew why I had know this place. It was the mosaics. The ones in this Basilica were of Justinian and Theodora. This had in fact been a great port city and this is where Justinian had decided to establish his capital in the west. The mosaics were quite impressive, even with the multiple school groups going in and out. I kept going in and out, as well, and it kept impressing me. Even the dome painting was impressive. There is a garland painted on the ceiling, but it's painted so realistically that I could have sworn that the church had hung it that morning.
Next I went to the Archaeology Museum. They had some impressive inscriptions and art there. I dont' think I was supposed to take pictures there, but I took one of a candelabra made by Bernini. What I also like about this place was that the introductions plaques to each room had an explanation of why the pieces were grouped together and what their importance or function was. I feel so many times, especially in America, that museums don't explain why the artwork is important, or museums just take for granted that the visitor should know why the artwork is important. Anyway, I digress. I went nest to the Baptistery where there were more impressive mosaics. This was indeed the city of mosaics.
The last place on my ticket was the Basilica Sant'Apollinare Nuovo. I didn't know what was inside, but I had walked by it many times as it was my reference point to find my way around the town. Once inside, I realized I had also studied these mosaics as well. Of course I can't remember anything about it really, which kind of makes my point above moot.
For dinner I sat at a cafe in the main square and did some people watching. I was ready to go to the beach.
I decided that I would go to Rimini after Ravenna, not because of any particular reason, except that it had a beach, and I wanted to go. I never really thought of myself as a beach person. I didn't grow up near a beach, and when we went to the lake in June, it was still kind of too cold to lay out in the sun. But that was all I wanted to do now, sit in the sun and do nothing. As I got off the train there was something different in the air. It felt like a modern city, not a modern city that was preoccupied with it's past, like a lot of Italian cities. Someone had told me that Rimini was like the Miami Beach of Italy. Okay, I could handle that for one night. Not that I have ever been to Miami Beach, but this didn't remind me of the image I have in my head. But that may also be because it is early April, and not peak season for beaches.
I checked into my hostel and just wanted to go tot the beach. It was after all almost 3:00. When I got to the room, there was a woman there who greeted me, and started chatting to me about this and that. I kept telling her that all I intended to do was go to the beach and do nothing. The pleasantries lasted about 30-45 minutes ending in "I'll come with you to the beach." Sigh. We sat on the beach for about and hour and talked, and my relaxing day ended in taking an hour walk along the beach. Not something I was planning on doing on my day of doing nothing. Although pleasant, and the woman was nice, I wasn't looking to do exercise. Oh well. I had a nice dinner with the other woman staying in the room. It consisted of Tagliatelle and ended with gelato. The two things I took out of the conversation - tobacco is significantly cheaper in Italy and you can get a speedy divorce in Mexico. The next day I would be off to Siena to meet up with Lisa. Io amo Toscana!
Pictures coming soon I promise :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment