DAY 34: Ebony & Ivory

After yesterday’s No Child Left Behind episode, our American posse toured the sights of Ravenna in the chilled, misty air. And it only took 4 hours… the San Vitale houses some of the most impressive mosaics in Europe. Small glass tiles no bigger than a lima bean illustrated the vast ceilings, naives and balconies surrounding the altar in a rainbow of colors. So far, I am more impressed by mosaics than frescos because from afar, they look like paintings, but once you walk closer, you realize the amazing highlights, shadows and landscapes are “Chiclets-by-numbers,” and can’t help but be blown away. Imagine lying on rickety scaffolding 70 feet off the ground, trying to not only glue tiny tiles upside down, but achieve symmetry and balance at the same time. My donkeys and lambs would look like a Kindergartner’s rendition of sea creatures. To achieve expressions and gestures all while telling a story is a TRUE art form. I almost had to lay down due to over-awe-ness… so I did lay down, on a church bench, and drifted into another time for a few tranquil moments. Next door the Mausoleo Di Galla Placida was a smaller entity who’s interior was entirely made up of mosaics featuring Flora, Fauna and peace doves dive-bombing into holy water. Although little light was allowed, the gold tiles illuminated the space enchantingly (clear tile+gold leaf+another clear tile, pressed together). Rosy cheeks and sad eyes stare down at you silently as if they’ve been locked away for centuries… blue and green filigree framed arches surround a baptismal pool transformed into a coin-filled wishing well.

The second half of our morning included the Battistero degli Ardni, Sant Apollinare Nuovo (churches) and an Archeological Museum who’s name escapes me, but along with the two prior, mean absolutely nothing to you or I. The museum stood out to me most as it contained ancient writing tablets, seals and architecture facades… as advanced and intelligent as we deem ourselves today, the abilities and ideas people had hundreds of years ago- without ANY sort of technology, viable transportation or arguable vocabulary- is remarkable. Inventing alphabets that enable communication, ability to tell time and governmental rule is definitely overlooked by the masses. I loved seeing chunks of stone with names and symbols carefully etched… perhaps in the spirit of Saint Valentine, I imagined the process of writing a love letter. Cave men pounded their chest to show affection; Roman’s were thrown into a lion’s den to prove their strength and ability, so the notion of delivering a 400-pound rock that says “I Love You” to a neighboring village really meant something. And it takes a few minutes to find the right mineral consistency and remove it from the side of a mountain, so they probably started rock hunting in November… and if it cracked around New Year’s they were totally getting dumped… Another lasting impression was the Easter calendar- the rarest, most significant in the world, it determined which day to celebrate Easter Sunday, all depending on phases of the moon. I can hardly figure out a train map let alone create a calendar for the future existence of humanity. My final How’s They Do That? moment was the ivory throne of Archbishop Maximian- originally ebony with 27 panels of intricately carved ivory biblical scenes decorating all surfaces except the flush seat. In short: Wedgewood’s wet dream.

A few groupies piled into “Al Passatore Pizzeria” for lunch… caprese (EVOO, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil) pie for this girl. Nothing mind-blowing but I didn’t throw it away. A few of us girls lounged and gabbed with a little vino rosso and as a communal Burt’s Bee chap stick was passed around, Jesse proclaimed, in sync with our current conversation piece, “Burt’s definitely a player… look at all these lips he’s been on!” Perhaps you had to be there, but it struck a cord. The restaurant had been closed for an hour before noticing we were the only people in the place… I’ve found Sundays are nonexistent in Europe, so the walk to the hotel left little to explore. Back in the dollhouse… our room with 4 girls and 3 beds is a really nice loft, but the ceilings are angular and Bob the Builder considered NO ONE over 5’5”. I feel like Vyruka in Charlie’s Chocolate Factory walking into shrinking rooms with optical illusion ceilings and walls. I found 4 goose eggs while shampooing my hair this morning from getting up in the middle of the night, hitting my head by the bed, and again in the bathroom trying to find the light conveniently fixed in the opposite corner where the ceiling goes from 6 feet to 4 feet in 3 steps… Leftover pizza from lunch, prunes and a blood clementine for dinner… I’ve developed an obsession with blood clementines…

The art keeps getting better and better! Ecstatic to arrive in Firenze (Florence) tomorrow for 10 days. Ciao ciao ciao ciao ciao…