Italy Is Out There

It’s been a little longer than expected since the last blog post and this is not because there has been nothing to say. In fact, it’s the complete opposite.

It’s funny, when I first arrived I felt like my days were longer. I didn’t really know anyone and I had hours by myself just to soak up the culture and eat (all) the food, writing and blogging away until my hearts content… this has now changed.

My days are going so fast and they are so full that I struggle to find time to make a to do list, let alone blog!

But I have now carved out two hours for myself and I’m sat under a tree, on a hot sunny day, in a park I was introduced to last night. Laptop on and typing fingers limbered.

Originally I wanted to do separate blog posts for each of my new adventures but, as it is, I feel that a combination may have to do.

The school I am with is brilliant in that it is not just about learning the language, they also want you to experience the culture and see new places. Since the last blog I have been lucky enough to visit both Ferrara and Ravenna – both wonderful and heart-wrenchingly beautiful places.

Firstly, Ferrara…

It. Is. Gorgeous!

If you ever get the opportunity to go I thoroughly recommend it. You have everything from fascist architecture; imposing pastel coloured town houses with frescos and pillars at the door, to winding mazes of alleyways in the Jewish Ghetto. A wonderful Cathedral constantly in fear of earthquakes, a fortress and medieval memories scattered in between.

It was a day of walking around, mouths open and eyes wide.

The pictures don’t do it justice.

The end of the days saw us sample the traditional fare at, what claims to be the oldest Osteria in the world – the place where Copurnicus discovered the sun was indeed the center of the universe; genius sparked at the bottom of a bottle of wine.

I empathize.

Ravenna was completely different but beautiful in it’s own way. Known for its mosaics, the town had a Mediterranean vibe; a result of its Constantinople heritage.

We walked in the first of the churches and already I was impressed, but it got even better with every church we entered.

For a town with relatively few tourists in comparison to the big centers of Rome and Venice, Ravenna, I thought, hosted churches more beautiful than the Duomo’s in both Florence and Milan.

They were so intricate you felt like you were in a Romanic temple.

By far the best one was Basilica San Vitale – Oh my word it was just amazing! The dome looked 3D, the way it was painted made you just stand with your head back, gawking. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

When I eventually tore my eyes away you looked to your left and there was the stunning Mosaic, all shiny with gold leaf and so well kept that it looked like it had been installed yesterday.

The tragedy of Ravenna is that it is a city which is slowly sinking. It was built on swampland and there are reminders everywhere. From an archway whose tip is now the only part still visible, to a goldfish filled pond in the crypt of a church (that was an interesting sight), Ravenna is going down!

It was only fitting after a day of church going that that day ended with a bottle of wine and the breaking of bread among friends – taking our own communion and giving thanks for the experience.

The last two weeks have opened my eyes to all the places I am missing out on by staying in a Bologna bubble.

Don’t get me wrong, Bologna is amazing and I am still finding new places every time I meet new people. It’s like a whole new city when you walk it with another person – they have their own routes and their own spaces that have been locked away from me when I stayed in my own Bologna box.

I am not even halfway through this incredible experience and my travel journal is already nearly out of pages – every day I am doing something new, seeing something different, meeting new people and I cannot explain how liberating it feels.

It’s like the world is mine to discover, Italy is out there (next stop – Cinque Terre).

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