Our visit to Ravenna had exceeded our expectations. I'm glad we had stayed the night; we enjoyed our dinner, and the relaxed, pleasant vibe of the city. We really enjoyed our suite at the Casa Masoli. It was so comfortable and spacious and took us back in time and waking up to this in the morning sure does make a statement!
Breakfast was included in our night's stay, so we packed and headed down to the quaint dining area.
Breakfast was basic but quite satisfying.
After breakfast; we freshened up a bit, stored our bags....our train back to Bologna wasn't until 1230, and decided to take one more walk around Ravenna.
It seems like many cities in Italy have their own "leaning tower". Ravenna is no exception. This is the Torre Comunale (Torre Civica) which leans slightly to the west.
As we made our way back to Casa Masoli, we walked thru what is considered Ravenna's Main Square; Piazza del Popolo. Things were quite lively as there seemed to be some kind of bicycle event for families. Folks smiled and waved at us, folks congregated and chatted, what I'm assuming is a Girl Scout Troop marched thru the square as older folks caught up on the latest news (and gossip). It made for a wonderful scene.
We grabbed our bags; thanked the woman who runs things, we'd had a lovely stay. Great sights, good food, wonderful people, what more could one ask?
The train ride back to Bologna was a quick 90 minutes and change. We walked to our apartment, dropped our bags and headed on out.
This being a Sunday, Bologna was buzzing. The streets full of students, visitors, and locals enjoying their Sunday. It seemed like everyone was out and about on this beautiful day.
Of course every visitor just "needed" that selfie of Asinelli Tower.
It was fun just wandering the streets and alleyways people and pooch watching.
We passed the Chiesa de San Martino.
And somehow found ourselves at Palazzo della Mercanzia.
This has been Bologna's center of trade and commerce since the 14th century!
And guess what? There was some "trade" happening on this day as well as right down the street on Piazza Santo Stefano, the monthly Antiques Market was happening.
It was fun browsing thru the different stands. Though our favorite by far was a particular used book seller...… whose "assistant" was hard at work!
All this walking and browsing made me want a snack.
So we headed off to the Quadrilatero and back to Af Tamburini. Which was quite busy as usual.
We just got a cheese sandwich and headed off to eat it at my favorite spot; on the stairs of San Petronio Basilica, where we could watch Bologna pass us by.
We love sitting on the stairs and just people watch.
Soon enough it was time to head back to the apartment for a nice nap.
This would be our last evening of this vacation and I had made a reservation at a well regarded restaurant for dinner.
You know, I hadn't read much about Emilia-Romagna over the years. A colleague of mine had mentioned his daughter going on an exchange program to Bologna, which is when, beyond all the food stuff, I started learning about the region.
From the warm and friendly people, the amazing food and ingredients (how can you beat Balsamic Vinegar, Parmesano Reggiano, Prosciutto de Parma, and of course culatello), to the history, I wonder why more people don't travel to this region.
great post! always enjoy reading your travels!
Posted by: kat | Saturday, 15 June 2019 at 01:28 AM
I'm glad you enjoyed the post Kat!
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 17 June 2019 at 06:51 AM
Breakfast spread looks nicer than most hotels over here! The bookseller pup is so adorable.
Posted by: Junichi | Monday, 17 June 2019 at 09:43 AM
That pup was really cute Junichi! And breakfast was a nice bonus considering that it was around $115 a night!
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 17 June 2019 at 09:56 AM