We got up very early (5:30A) so we could get cleaned up and eat before trying to make a train just before 10A to Ravenna – otherwise it’s after noon.

A room in the Ferrara hotel – it’s quite modern

We checked out (too bad – this was one of the best hotels we’ve stayed in) and made the 9:22A train! It stopped everywhere…

We made it to Ravenna and the hotel, Hotel Bisanzio. The room wasn’t ready when we arrived so we left our bags and went looking for lunch. We stopped at the local tourist information shop since it was on the way.

A bicycle rental stand – bicycles are used all over the place

We ate quick sandwiches at a little place called Cupido – simple, quick and tasty sandwiches made with Italian flatbread.

We started our tour with the Museo Nazionale di Ravenna; this is part of a complex with the Basilica Di San Vitale and Mausoleo Di Galla Placida. The only part of the museum we visited were the frescoes from Santa Chiara – they are quite lovely – we did walk around two cloisters which had some sculptures.

We then went to the Basilica, which is amazing – the mosaics were amazing.

Lastly we visited the Mausoleo, which is a small cross-shaped brick building – the mosaics were wonderful. There are three very old tombs inside, one dating back to around 500AD.

We walked over to Piazza Duomo and sat in the park for an hour (I almost fell asleep a couple times) waiting for things to open after siesta.

To kill time we crossed over to Naturalmente Burger and had Coke Zero with fresh strawberries, which were fabulous!

The Duomo finally opened – it was nice, not one of the more amazing duomos I’ve experienced in Italy.

However, next door is the Battistero Neoniano – as usual, the baptistry was really over-decorated and so amazing. I took so many photos in an attempt to map the mosaics.

You can buy one ticket to see a number of the important sights in Ravenna.

I took us the wrong way and we ended up at Tamo, which is a museum on mosaics – how they developed and were made. Aviva wasn’t thrilled but I was enthralled.

We then walked over to our original destination, Basilica Di San Francesco. The interesting bit about this church is the crypt, which has mosaic floors and they are underwater.

Around the corner is the Tomba di Dante Alighieri, which was one of our key targets for today. Dante ended up in Ravenna after he was thrown out of Florence; Dante is a celebrated character in Ravenna. The tomb can be hard to find – it’s typically approached from the garden behind it, which has a bell tower, a mound of ivy with a sign and a garden with tombs and decorative gates.

We got back to the hotel and got our room.It’s an old place that’s been redone inside – our room is quite large by Italian terms, with a nice bathroom and a closed-in shower, plus a sitting area separate from the bedroom.

We had dinner at Ristorante la Gardela – it was good if a little slow.

Card for Ristorante la Gardela

A couple of gelatos later and we were in our room ready to crash.

Location:Via Salara,Ravenna,Italy