Great Day Trip, Meal and Discoveries . . .

Today I leave this great town of Ravenna and head back to Venice with a short stop in Ferrara. Yesterday, I was on my way to find that Wine Bar that was recommended along with La Gardela by Shannon, but before I did I wondered around a bit and hobnobbed with the local scene. Just past Campo Papoplo there is a small but highly cute Merry Go Round. Local families brought their little kids to have a go around while "Merry Go Round" type music is playing in the background. Very cute, very family oriented. Ravenna actually reminds me a lot of Prague. There is a energy around and it feels comfortable. I could actually spend two nights in Ravenna. I'm so glad I came and spent the night. It really took the pressure off to zip in and zip out of the Mosaic structures.

Last night I had quite a wait for La Gardela to open and I was starving, so on my way to find that wine store I also stumbled upon this very cool, colorful (being the visual person that I am), neon hip kind of Bar/Caffe. They had everything, drinks, these really good looking pastries and coffee. I ordered my prosecco and a little pastry and it was sooo good. Well, there goes the wine bar idea. It was very enjoyable and gave me a chance to just chill! Next, I find La Gardela. I was holding a print out of the two reviews made on Slow Travel and its funny that the waiter recognized the picture of one of their meals and he said it was very good. It was my secondi item. I had a lasagna for the primi. All I can say is it was so delicious. Pictures to come of course. The reviews were spot on right and I had a great time talking with my waiter because he had a friend who lives in California. The service was excellent and I was so glad for the recommendation. Shannon and Colleen really know their stuff.

AnnieNC, if you are reading this, thank you for the comments you made on Ginger's thread. That was just so cool of you. I have to tell you that your blog had really inspired me to visit as many churches (and there are a lot of them) while in Venice. Tomorrow there will be a big annual mass at the La Salute church. It is a fiesta where the big high priest will perform the mass. It is said that the whole (or most of it) of Venice might be there so I will need to get there an hour before. It starts and 10:00 am. A temporary bridge was even built near the church over the Grand Canal. This is so it will be easier for the general population (locals) can easily attend the mass. Interesting!

I have gone in several churches (small and large and which I will list later when I get home) and I still have two more that I am interested in seeing. I can definitely see your attraction to them. They offer art, history, belongingness, spirituality and maybe even hope. When I attended Mass at the La Salute (created by the Venicians as gratitude for the health from plague-I think this is what history states), I say what appeared to be a ill Italian in a wheelchair with what looked like her sister and family. They were praying before the Mass for about 30 minutes. During mass I had to look over a couple of times and I just knew what they were praying for. Who knows what this woman had or if she will recover but one thing for sure people still has to have hope. Even, when in my parents state, with doctors telling us that there was no cure and no operation that would help them we still had hope. It made me a little sad when I looked over at them but if this church and its significance can give some comfort to this family then it is very special and so I must attend that annual fiesta to celebrate what this church means to the people of Venice.

So thank you AnnieNC for bringing attention to the wonderful churches of Venice and I plan on following your blog as you bring more attention to these historical and also meaningful structures.

Well, breakfast seems to be ready.