Wednesday 2nd September - Roof garden We had a nice lunch, sandwiches and a beer. Wished that people wouldn't smoke when they are eating! Sat and chatted and waited for 2.00pm to come round. Almost got sick of waiting and got up to go and the doors of the Cripta Responi opened and in we went. The building used to be the home of some famous people and now is open to the tourists that flock to Ravenna to see the mosaics. The garden was lovely and the founta...

Wednesday 2nd September - Campanile We were headed for the next stop on our map the Campanile di Saint Francesco a large church in the centre of the town. Once inside it was not that different to others that we had been in. Jan and Jane just wanted to rest the feet so sat this one out. The crypt was the only real difference in this church as the mosaic tiles on the floor were covered with 2-3 inches of water and we thought that this was to protect them in so...

Wednesday 2nd September - Mosaics Ravenna is on the tourist maps for one reason, its 1500 year old churches decorated with the best Byzantine mosaics. Known in roman times as Classe the city was an important port and after the fall of the Roman Empire in about 540AD the Byzantines made this the western most port of their empire until they were kicked out 200 years later. The Byzantines built churches and had the beautiful mosaics lain mostly on the floors bu...

Wednesday 2nd September - Ravenna The ship docked in the port of Corsini at 7.00am and although you could sense that the ship had stopped there was not a bump against the wharf or anything else to tell you we were there. We had purchased a shuttle bus ticket from the ship for €22 each return and after breakfast we headed downstairs and out onto the wharf to catch the bus into Ravenna only to discover that I had forgotten my sunglasses. So back I traipse...