Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Ravenna is a city of about 160,000 which is the capital of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of central Italy. It was the capital of the Western Roman Empire during the fifth century, then part of the Ostrogothic and Bysantine Empires.  Population-wise it is the 24th largest city in Italy, but like Juneau, it has expansive land mass and is the second largest city in area with over 653 square kilometers.

Ravenna Train Station

We were staying near the train so we started exploring there.

Those of you with keen eyes may notice the fine Italian dining experience on the right side of the station -  yes that really is McDonalds.

This might be  a time to mention if you want to see pictures close up, you can click on any picture and get a better view.

Three long blocks up from the station, in a pedestrian only zone, we encoutered the Piazza del Popolo (People's Square).  The restaurants along its edges, move their tables out into the square under big umbrellas.  Today with mid-90s most had fans trying to cool the diners. (One place even had a self-made mister by putting a stream of water onto the fan.)

We bypassed the formal restaurants for a little hole in the wall place that featured Piadini. Piadina Romagna is the regional dish - its a flatbread that can be filled with savory or sweet fillings.  Sort of an Italian soft taco/ quesadilla combo.  Ours was ham (proscuitto) and a local cheese, with a bit of salad thrown in.  It is first grilled quickly on both sides, then the fillings added,   

Pretty good!

La Tonda - featuring Piadini

Scott's scooter has been negotiating the streets and cobblestones well.  Some of the sidewalks are a bit of a challenge - no handicap access points.   For getting up or down only a couple of inches, Scott can lift the scooter up or down.  For places with steps, we tag-team maneuvering it.

the leaning tower of Ravenna -
they seem to be trying to shore it up

By the time we got home from our first exploration we were hot and tired and immediately adopted that Mediterranean custom - the siesta.  Amazing how refreshing a nap can be.

For dinner, we weren't sure how the scooter would do after dark, so we walked the four blocks down to the Mercado.  The sun had set about 8 pm, but as we came out of the restaurant about 9, the city lights came on.  From this picture of the same block Scott was on (above) the restaurants on the sidewalks had come to life and were doing quite well despite it still being hot.

That was it for our first day in Ravenna.