Ravenna

At about 6 pm, I started thinking about dinner. I always forget that on Friday and Saturday nights, it is hard to get a table. I wasn't that hungry (even though I hadn't eaten since breakfast!) and considered skipping dinner or going to the market for some prosciutto and cheese to bring back to the room. But I decided to go for it. I figured if I arrived when they opened, there might be a chance.

There were two places that interested me. I walked past the first at 6:50, and it looked good. 2nd was still closed, but I waited at the door until 7 pm. I asked for a table for one and told them I would not stay long. I knew there might be a late reservation, and I could have the table until then. Bingo! I had to promise to be out by 9 pm, which was fine with me.

They had a tasting menu for 55€, which I chose. I also ordered a 1/2 bottle of wine--Albina, which is a local white grape. There was a mixed group of women next to me--one German, one Lithuanian, and one Italian. We spoke a little, and I wanted to know how they met. But the Italian wasn't into talking to me, so I minded my own business... Back to the food! It started with an amuse bouche of some sort of beet cream. Next was a carpaccio of amberjack. (This was the only course that fell flat). The pumpkin ravioli with shrimp and tomato was great. My favorites were the shrimp wrapped in some sort of crunchy "strings" and the crocker fish. I had an amaro with dessert-it was like a bay leaf amaro I had in Portland. It was all worth the euros!

I was out by 9pm, and headed home. It was cold out, but it felt good. There was a cocktail bar across the street from the B&B and I decided to stop in. It's called Fargo and they serve a little food...TexMex! Very strange to see guacamole in Italy. I had a negroni, paid and went across the street to bed.

As I was getting ready for bed, I realized that I forgot my purse at the bar. Panic! I literally fell out of the building as I ran back to the bar. They had it for me...phew! That would have been a disaster. My passport wasn't in it at least...

With the adrenaline rush, I was wound up and decided to use the giant marble tub in the bathroom. The water never really got hot, but it still felt great. I was in bed around 11pm.Read more