Ferrara

“I need a pair of tight, lime green jeans”

- Marco, on trying to fit in in Europe

This blog is brought to you by the number 3 (which is the name of the mobile network that we are using), AKA our new toy, AKA what is known in Italian as an “Internet Key.”

If a USB key and a cell phone had a baby, it would produce a Tre Chiavetta Internet. Using our chiavetta we can supposedly access the interweb machine from anywhere in Italy. We shall never be blogless again (allegedly – I want to believe. I really do but I’ve been burned by electronics before. Remember Tom-Tom, anyone?)

Today, after a very uneventful drive (Tom-Tom seems to be in a conciliatory mood) we arrived in Ferrara, a medieval city an hour from Ravenna. We’re staying at a lovely B & B that was previously used for law offices that was previously used as a monastery.

(In the style of Polka Dot Door): Our unit has a little foyer with a big red cabinet. Can you guess what’s inside?

(In the style of The Price is Right) It’s a fuuuuull kitchen! Electric stove with exhaust fan, fridge, dishes, cookware and sink.

It’s totally crazy what you can fit into a small space here!

Today we toured the Castello Estense, a four-towered castle, avec moat, that was built at the end of the 14^th century and then added onto in subsequent centuries. The castle was home to Ferrara’s powerful Este family.

Here we are in the dungeon.

The dungeon is what you would expect: dark, windowless but surprisingly roomy! I actually think my apartment in Ottawa was smaller than this dungeon.

Literary Learning of the Day: in this dungeon Parisina d’Este, wife of Duke Niccolo d’Este III, was murdered with her lover, Ugolino (the duke’s illegitimate son). The murders were the inspiration for Browning’s My Last Duchess.

At the castle you can climb up the tower here for an amazing view of the city via these horrible and perilous 122 steps.

Over the years the castle has been stripped of all its furniture. It’s basically a series of giant, empty rooms with nice ceiling frescoes. Because there’s no furniture, the castle peeps have set up these huge “floor mirrors” so you don’t have exert yourself and crane your neck to admire the ceiling.

Very thoughtful! Incidentally, this picture is typical of what I look like on vacation.

After the Castello, Marco and I wandered around the town. We saw a great antique market with amazing furniture.

Following a rest back at the hotel, we saw Il Duomo, a 12^th century Gothic/Romanesque cathedral dedicated to St. George.

Small Italian Town Learning of the Day: it seems that no matter how small your small Italian town is, it is worthy of a massive cathedral.

Following the cathedral we wandered again. We saw an open-air food market.

Fashion Learning of the Day: this picture illustrates how to properly combine your dude scarf with a coloured pair of jeans and coloured suede shoes.

Tomorrow we will breakfast in our hotel’s private medieval palazzo with these guys, who seem to live there:

(I almost stepped on the small one. Oh no…)

Ci vediamo a Pauda! Ciao ciao!