badgerjenvstheworld

On the final day in Ravenna, I wanted to see a few more mosaics before we had to catch the train at noon to Bologna.  The Basilica of St. Apollinare was quite breathtaking- so large in scale and yet quite basic in structure. The mosaic motifs were gorgeous again and you really needed to take your time, put down your camera, and soak it in.  There is quite a lot going on- frescos, naves, mosaics representing the Apostles, scenes from Theodoric's life, scenes from parables, etc. I'm sure I missed quite a few things.  After the Basilica, and last minute shopping in the gift shop (I bought a little mosaic kit to recreate one of the common motifs- still need to get on that!), and a quick cappuccino, V and I were off to Bologna for the final 3 days of our trip.  A side note: I have referenced a few times that I enjoyed a cappuccino or latte after 10 in the morning. Well, if you read any sort of travel guide about Italy, you will be bombarded with the advice that if...

On day 2 in Ravenna, we headed out to hit up as many of the UNESCO World Heritage sites as possible. I have pictures, but really they just don't show how gorgeous and intricate the mosaics are. It was pretty incredible to be walking around churches and places that have been there since the 400s- really cool experience. At one point, I put the camera down and just enjoyed the atmosphere and tried to be as present as possible.  Sometimes, I think we try to hard to take the perfect picture or capture each and every moment, and by doing so, we actually miss that moment. I mean, most of us take digital photos and download them to the computer...and then do we look at them again? Maybe while we are deciding which ones to post to Facebook or Instagram or perhaps to a blog (ahem), but then they just sit there on our computers. Isn't it better to take a mental picture? Truly be there in that moment and just soak it all in?  I don't know...just my thoughts... We stopped for lun...

Well, I can't seem to stay on top of this blog at all. Last year was crazy! As Head of the Secondary School, it was a full on year. This year, I'm going to really try to take time outside of school for myself- and not bring work home. Part of that is to stay more on top of the blog. As I've always said, this blog is to keep friends and family updated on my travels and life. It's not ground-breaking or anything, just a digital postcard/ letter if you will. Anyway... this past summer my travel buddy, V, and I went to Italy for a week. We went from Milan to Ravenna to Bologna. And it was amazing! We were only in Milan over night, so not much to report there. Our first real stay was in Ravenna. And I was so surprised and delighted by the city. I had never heard of it before and it really is an unexpected gem. I have so many pictures that I'm trying out flickr albums. Let me know what you think- and be sure to check out the descriptions of the photos for more i...