Yesterday, we had plans to take the 9:40am train out of Santa Maria Novella to Ravenna. There would be a stop in Faenza and there, we would transfer to a bus that took us to Ravenna. That slight inconvenience changed the price from 30,00 euro to only 8,35 euro, so we obviously went for it. Me, Andrea, Grace, Jeff and Carla were all on board waiting for the train to leave, but Maggie R was really cutting it close. When the train pulled away, there was no sign of Maggie and her later reports informed us that she had taken off her shoes and took off running down the platform to get the train. She was right behind it when it left without her. So, she had to take the 30,00 euro train at 10am, but at least she had the option for something else.
We arrived after Maggie, because her train had been a faster one, and we all got together and checked into the hotel. It was called Hotel Mosaico and had 4 stars, but we only paid 30,00 a person because it was in an ugly location, next to the train station. That was perfect for us anyway. Andrea, Grace, Carla and Jeff shared a 4 person room, and Maggie and I shared a double across the hall. We would have easily all fit in the 4 person room, but it was nice this way anyway because we could all have our own beds, and eat breakfast legitimately. The hotel was GORGEOUS inside. The bathrooms were all mosaic-ed, so it was very pleasant. I wanted to steal the mosaic-ed mirror, but it was too big to carry, and I don't steal.
Once we put our things down, we set off to see Ravenna and search for the mosaics. We didn't have to search very hard. We found the Basilica di San Vitale very quickly and bought a complete ticket for that church, and all the others in Ravenna for only 8,50. Words can't even describe how beautiful these mosaics were. First off, the structure of San Vitale was so unique and I absolutely loved it. Instead of the more typical cross-shaped design for a church, the inside was round, with arches and columns to separate the "inner" circle from the "outer." Above the alter and all around that area were gorgeous, sparkling mosaics. The entire floor was also mosaic-ed. I was astounded at the amazing condition the mosaics were in. They looked practically new, but had actually been there since around 500 A.D., when the church was built. I read that mosaic is a type of art that withstands damage really well, and it made sense that they were in Ravenna because it's a town on the water and any art would have had to hold up against the salt air.
Foto di Ravenna "Basilica di S. Vitale" a cura di Globopix.
After San Vitale, we saw il Mausoleo di Galla Placidia and that too, was filled with gorgeous and shining mosaics. There was also some kind of baptismal pool in the middle of the mausoleum with lots of different money currencies that people had thrown in. I was able to take some great pictures, thanks to the intelligently designed natural lighting that came through the door.
After the mausoleum, everyone had worked up quite an appetite, but it was too difficult an hour to find a restaurant. (Everything closes at 2:30 and then re-opens at 7 for dinner). It was around 3, so we were out of luck. We did manage to find a little bar that doubled as a tiny and tacky restaurant, so we had no choice but to eat there. When we walked in, I felt as if I were in an American diner. There were fake flowers on the tables and stupid gold candles, and those ugly diner-type pink and green colored tablecloths. The waitress was incredibly tanned and pretty crazy. She had an Indian, sparkly bindi on her forehead, even though she was Italian! I think she was just really excited to have a few customers, so she certainly gave us friendly treatment. We all ordered different plates of pasta and despite the fact that this place was deserted, everything tasted delicious. We left around 4 to finish our tour of Ravenna.
We saw the Battistero Neoniano and then the Basilica di Apolinare Nuovo. They were both equally beautiful and unique. I really loved how the architecture was so simple. It really made me appreciate the complexity of the art of mosaic-ing. I can't even imagine how long it took the artists to make those things. They were absolutely breath-taking.
After we saw everything we wanted to see, we found a mosaic artisan and his store, and I bought a little mosaic turtle. It's really cute :) Then, we went to the supermarket and went crazy buying food for dinner. We got champagne, wine, 3 types of pecorino, mozzarella, 3 baguettes, olives, olive oil, prosciutto, salami, apples, chocolate, cookies, cantucci, and probably even more stuff that I can't remember. We brought it all back to the hotel and showered. Then, the night got fun.
When we had arrived that afternoon, the people in the 4-person room had received white bathrobes. Maggie and I, in the double room, hadn't gotten them, so we asked for 2 at the front desk, and they kindly gave them to us. Once we were all showered up, we put on our bathrobes, popped the champagne, and enjoyed the spread that Grace had kindly set up in their huge room. The hotel had satellite TV, so we put on music channels and danced and played games. Several times throughout the evening, someone made a point of looking around the room and saying: "We are all wearing white bathrobes right now." It really was a funny sight to see, especially because they had hoods.
Anyway, I hadn't stayed in such a beautiful hotel in a really long time. They had all the amenities that I always forget about, like a mini-fridge, a bidet, an awesome shower, a blow-dryer, and ROBES! The bed was enormous and unbelievably comfortable, and we had a great flat-screen TV, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Breakfast this morning was in quite a variety and absolutely delicious. I ate yogurt and granola, which I had really missed from home. We took the train back today around 1:30 and had to stand because all of the seats had been reserved. It wasn't bad though, especially considering the fact that it only cost 15 euro to return, instead of the 30 euro for the fast train. Now, I'm home and I have a lot of work to do. I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but I was interviewed for the Avon Foundation internship in NYC this summer. There are 4 other Holy Cross students up against me, but I think that it went really well. The interviewer even asked me to send over the articles I had written for Holy Cross' newspaper, and the Powerpoint presentation from my research experience at Salve. I think that's a good sign and I can't wait to hear back! I will be interviewing with another company soon, as soon as they get in touch with me. That one is for Edward Street Child Services in Worcester and for them, I would be doing research on effective education tactics for young children, and the importance of parents' education of their children at home, in addition to at school.
Tomorrow night, Elisa is taking us to La Giostra for dinner. It is supposed to be amazing and very expensive, and Holy Cross is paying! Then, we're going to see an Italian orchestra. I can't wait!
More updates later. Ciao!
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