July 2015 in Italy: Heat, Culture, and Heritage—A 4-Star Trip

Let's set the scene…

A pristine blue sky

Bright sun

The shrill, unceasing song of the cicadas

A flat, green-and-blue landscape: the Po Valley

A vacation spot, in a village surrounded by crops—vineyards, fruit trees…—with the comfort every vacationer dreams of…

The stage is set for a few days immersed in the culture of our Italian friends.

magical places…

Throughout this journey, the Garrigues family will have discovered,

First, SAN LUCCA at the start of the trip, and then, of course, BOLOGNA, with its monuments and churches,

Next, the gems that are DOZZA and BRISIGHELLA, as well as a guided historical tour of BAGNARA DI ROMAGNA

Then we marveled at the highlight of the trip: RAVENNA and its mosaics, which were analyzed, explained, and brought to life by a knowledgeable guide who led us through the city for three hours.

In the church of SAINT APPOLINARE, we paid tribute to all this beauty with an impromptu rendition of “Jerusalem”…

We were able to explore FERRARA in every direction—the cathedral, the castle, the medieval city,

And finally, COMACCHIO, a little “Venice” with its canals

The trip will end with a visit to TUSCANY on the way back, and a tour of LUCCA, with its charming streets, churches, squares… and shops…

A concert…

The choirs performed alongside two choirs from BAGNARA for a Friday evening concert, held outdoors in the courtyard of a fortified castle.

We’ll always have fond memories of this concert, which took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere, capped off with a particularly delightful finale: a hard-earned pasta dinner… and a brisk nighttime walk back…

…Sun, sun, …

Admittedly, we sweated a lot,

Fortunately, for everyone’s sake, we were able to enjoy the air-conditioned bus, cool hotel rooms, the hotel pool… and the Adriatic Sea… The sea temperature was nearly 30°, after all, and we had a view of a magnificent cruise ship carrying some 3,000 passengers…

A 4**** trip, I tell you

Everyone will tell you that the scenery around us is getting more and more impressive year after year, not to mention the rest stops, picnic areas, and the quality of the meals… The atmosphere is friendly, with good cheer reigning supreme.

And so… we can’t wait for next year…