McLaughlins Take France: Ravenna and Venice Italy

Last week we had our first big "international" trip to Italy! Why Italy, you ask? Jeff chose it as his birthday trip! Two of his favorite cities are in Italy - Ravenna and Venice.

So on September 1, we took a taxi, an airplane, two busses, and two trains to end up in Ravenna, Italy for the first part of our trip. Ravenna is known for its beautiful mosaics. Ravenna used to be the capital for the Western Roman Empire from 407-476. While the city is inland a bit, it is connected to the Adriatic Sea and contains a great number of Roman and Byzantine artworks. The latter is why we went to visit it. Jeff loves mosaics.

We took the regional train from Venice to Ravenna.

We were awake for the first train...

...asleep for the second. Traveling is hard work!

Good thing the train stations have the best cappuccino to keep this mom awake!

It did not disappoint.

I will not take the time here to describe in detail all the different places we visited in Ravenna to see the mosaic art. Just know that it was a lot and they were all unique and beautiful. But I will include a variety of photos so you can see some of what we saw. I think the most amazing thing the kids and I observed, is that all the other places we have visited had phenomenal architecture on the outside and tremendous art on the inside. In Ravenna, the buildings are rather plain, but the insides are majestic with their minuscule tiles of art. The following photos are from the Basilica di San Vitale, Battistero deli Ortodossi, Battistero degli Ariani, Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, and Chapel of Sant'Andrea. Jeff also went to visit the Basilica of Sant'Appolinare in Classe, while the kids and I went to the beach.

Even the signs are beautiful.

This is a crypt under the floor of the church. It is filled with water and coy fish.
On the floor, underneath the water, are beautiful mosaics.

A ceiling view. I am always drawn to the deep blue.

Can you imagine how difficult this must have been to do on a cieling?

Just taking in the beauty of the baptistry.

Rather plain on the outside, compared to what we have seen in France.

Another gorgeous ceiling.

Each place got more and more impressive with how elaborate the mosaics where.

This was a labyrinth Will was walking.

All the way up are mosaics.

Another piece of art on the floor!

The last place we visited (Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo) was the most impressive.

In many places we visit, Edy and Will light a candle. Here they are enjoying a moment of quiet.

In addition to mosaics, we had some wonderful meals and a lot of gelato. I had found a place recommended on Trip Advisor for the best trattoria to visit while in Ravenna. It was a small, intimate restaurant, with not a single word of English on the menu. So we turned ourselves over the the owner and he ordered for us. We had the most amazing meal we have eaten thus far. He brought out four dishes for us to share that were so unique that we couldn't decide which one we like the best. Everything was freshly made, including the pasta. It was a memorable night.

The first night's dinner was at Trattoria La Rustica in Ravenna.

The second night we had dinner on a square at Il Roma in Ravenna.

Together.

This Gelateria was perfection, as you can tell...

But the highlight of Ravenna, for me and the kids, was our trip to the beach. It was so spontaneous that I didn't even pack bathing suits, sunscreen, or towels. We were looking for something to do, other than seeing more mosaics, and we realized we were just a 20 minute bus ride to the Adriatic Sea. The kids and I thought we would just go and check it out, maybe dip our toes in the water. But when we got out there, we found a pier that was about 2.5 kilometers long. We decided to walk out and explore. Once we got out and back we were sweating beyond belief. So we grabbed some food at a roadside stand, rented two beach chairs and an umbrella for just 12 euros, stripped down to our underwear, and went swimming. The water was so warm. We swam and ate for three hours, not wanting to ever leave.

The bus ride out. Edy and Will plotting what they will do on the beach.

Walking the peer!

What unique sea walls!

Watching the ships leave the harbor.

Finally time to swim!

Not sure what this was, but it was delicious!

Reminiscing about using these phones in 1997 when I studied abroad in college.
I can almost remember my AT&T calling card number!

Ciao Ravenna!

After two nights in Ravenna, we took two trains North back to Venice! Venice sure does not disappoint! Unlike the last time we were there fifteen years ago, when Jeff and I stayed in a questionable hostel, ate nothing so we could save all our euros for a gondola ride, we lived this trip up! Jeff found us a two story, two bedroom apartment on the island of Cannaregio It was so quiet and peaceful there. We also bought vaporetto passes so we could ride the water boats as much as possible. We even dined at one of the famous cafes on St. Marc's square. And finally, all four of us go to take a gondola ride. It was dreamy.

Besides the above, we also visited a Navy Museum, St. Mark's Basilica, Murano, and crossed every single bridge looking for places where the filmed the movie "Italian Job."

Venice was one of our choices when we were talking places to live overseas. But after a few days there, we were excited to return to Paris. While we love Italian food and culture, we longed for the straight streets, wide sidewalks, and cooler temperatures of Paris. (Venice was hot that week.) Finally, we realized that Paris has become our home in just a short amount of time and we missed it.

All in all, we were grateful for the family time away but just as grateful to be home, in Paris, with each other, for another 10 months.

Enjoy our Venice pictures below! Merci beaucoup!

Betsy

Every where you turn is another breathtaking view.

These three!

Jeff explaining what he loves about St. Mark's Basilica. - the mosaics!

View from the roof of St. Mark's Basilica. Here we are looking down upon St. Mark's Square.
We ate at a cafe on the left side of this picture.

We also climbed up the tower pictured here.

Happy to be here, even though we were blinded by the sun!

Wishing my colleagues back in Northfield a happy first day of school.
I miss you MaryBeth, Bridget, and Charlie.

I have no idea why, but people all over St. Mark's Square were holding food out for pigeons to land on them. Yuck. Also, you can see water in the square, in the background of this photo. That is because it was almost high tide. Since Venice is made up of islands, the square floods during high tide.