My Italian Journey: Sunday 17 May: Day six. Bologna to Ravenna

The train from Bologna to Ravenna takes just over an hour and stops at Imola, Castel Bolognese, Solarolo, Lugo, Bagnacavallo, Russi, and Gado before reaching Ravenna. I carefully record all the names. I’m struck by the neatness of the countryside: vineyards, fruit trees, fields of vegetables, and well-kept houses, stations, and places of business. There is a feeling of wealth and comfort. In the distance I can see the Apennines, and I think of my father briefly escaping there during the war. I think of him as well being transported across Italy to Germany in appalling conditions with little food and drink. Like its surrounding countryside, Ravenna feels comfortable, tranquil, and wealthy. As I take the short walk to the centre I do not pass any charity shops, nail bars, or boarded shops, something you see in almost every town in Britain. Ravenna was the Western capital of the collapsing Roman empire in the 5th century and later became part of the Byzantine Empire. It’s famous for its…