Am I the only person who feels like they sound nothing like themselves on blog posts (or Facebook posts, for that matter)? Anyway, the next day in Ravenna . . .
Mausoleum of Theodoric the Great.
I am not sure if I just thought the sky was nice or if I really liked
the place. I did find it interesting. In a city so renowned for its
beauty, this mausoleum could be considered a annoying blemish. But I
found it rather refreshing. The lady at the hostel thought I was crazy
when I asked about it. She said only the Germans ever want to go there.
It just seems so crude.
Basilica di San Vitale. Definitely the most famous in Ravenna.
That upper line that looks like a water mark is actually where the floor was in the 18th century (I think that date is right. Some religious figure decided to see what was underneath. It is amazing what one learns by eavesdropping on the tourist guides. The whole basilica is about 20 ft. below the actual surrounding ground.
This dome just doesn't complement the mosaics, but then again neither does the original floor. An interesting conglomeration at the very least.
Here's the outside. This is the most interesting part of Ravenna. All of these amazing Early Christian building are so plain and just downright ugly on the outside. I think that is what makes it so breathtaking. You walk inside and expect to see simply more of the same and you don't. And none of it seemed gaudy, much to my surprise. Certainly not very Italian.
Next stop: Mausoleum of Galla Placidia.
I hope I am not boring anybody with unnecessary pictures.
Some random ruins had a small mosaic museum.
Dante's Tomb.
San Francesco
Next pictures are under the altar down those steps.
Okay, I am now up to date. Finally. Now I have homework, that I need to do before I go to Ireland next week. Ciao.
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