Birthday "Trip"

Nancy's birthday today; I suspect that she has had better ones.

Today was the day we drove to Ravenna from Rome having first acquired our previously reserved rental car.

A Fiat Panda

Significant events include:

• my getting lost three times, 
• my driving the wrong way down a one way street, encountering a bus, backing up to get out of the way, and getting directed in the proper path by an irate bus driver
• my driving into the pedestrian-only area around our hotel

Other than these cheery bits I suspect that the narratives of our journey would differ significantly between Nancy and myself. Interested parties should request the oral version(s).

Frazzeled and late but we did make it here. We checked in. I moved the car onto a street where parking is legitimate. We had gelato and coffee. The boat has been righted.

Tonight, we planning to have dinner at a restaurant a block away featuring local "typical" fare; "show them our card for a special discount." Let's hope that it's a good birthday dinner.

---

So the recommended restaurant was closed on Thursdays. The other recommended place next door looked pretty minimal.  As did the restaurants on the block back to the hotel, the piazza beyond the hotel, and the piazza beyond that. I was however still carrying the restaurant map provided by the hotel and saw that on the back side of one of the piazzi was another restaurant.  Pretty minimal. Pretty discouraging.

Then I saw a lighted restaurant sign; it said "restaurant". Wasn't sure it was worth walking the additional block to see if the restaurant was really open but we did.  And it looked kind of nice on the outside so we went in. Taberna Boaria in Ravenna. If you are ever in Ravenna don't miss it. Superb. The best meal we've had in Italy and frankly the best I've had in quite a while. An excellent birthday dinner and an excellent end to a birthday.