chasing byron

after checking out every last-minute fare on ryanair, i found one that was myseriously affordable (65 quid return, including tax) - to a mysterious town in italy called forli.

well. can you ever go wrong in italy, particularly in emilia-romagna, the culinary capital of a country awash in good food? so we booked it.

rented a car and zipped over to ravenna, spent our days at the beach at marina di ravenna
our evenings shopping, dining on seafood & gelato


and even managed to get some kulchur by way of byzantine mosaics at the basilica san vitale.

it's a lovely little town - quiet and beautiful, and everyone gets around on bicycles.

some memorable meals:

_bresaola with parmesan and rucola, at the cantina at the albergo cappello, a beautifully restored palazzo-turned-B&B

_orata on a bed of crispy potatoes at the osteria di tempo perduto on via gamba

_ lovely, light fritto misto at the ristorante la gardela on via ponte marino

we stayed at the hotel byron right across from the sorbetteria - how convenient! - and around the corner from the mercato coperto, where we were able to buy delicious, hot piadine, filled with oozing aubergine or potato & speck or cheese, for just 2 euros.

the story goes that in 1819, lord byron _who had left england saying: ''The only virtue they honor in England is hypocrisy" _ followed a young italian woman from venice to her hometown, ravenna, where he wrote "don juan" and his ravenna diaries.


i love this excerpt from the hotel web site:

He was courted and collected invitations, he used to find time for and go on long horse rides to keep himself in shape. When he was unable to ride he travelled around in his elegant black carriage which he had especially built in the Napoleonic style. He frequently visited the Borgo San Rocco, outside the city gates, where he mixed with the modest folk who found it difficult to understand his Italian.