30 August 2013. Ravenna is famous for its Byzantine mosaics and the tomb of Danté. We didn't dock until noon so we did not have a lot of time in the city to look around. After lunch, we got in line for a shuttle bus into town. The line was long and the sun was hot so our friend Suzanne sat in a chair that had been holding a box of maps. She figured she could hand them out and sit for a while. People started asking her questions. She did her self-elected job well.
While we were waiting in line other folks were walking by headed for the beach. One of them was the tenor from the group of opera singers that every female on board the ship had fallen in love with. He graciously stopped to have his picture taken (his girlfriend took the picture) with Caroline. I don't get why they think he is so hot, Chuck says tongue in cheek.
We got tired of the bus line wait and hired a taxi to take us into town (a good decision). The old town is a similar to other places we visited. Small streets, shops, and old buildings. Ravenna was a bit different because it was full of bicycles. The old streets had white bricks that were designated for bicycles and the darker bricks for pedestrians. Cars were rare and were mostly delivery vehicles, taxis, or local residents. We visited 4 of the sites with the mosaics and one church. The mosaics were beautiful. Here are a couple of examples.
It was hot, and we needed to get back so we stopped for a cold drink and some french fries while we called a cab.
The show on the last night of the cruise was a "Prairie Home Companion" show. This is a shorter version of the radio program. Tonight we were treated to "Guy Noir, Private Eye" and "Lives of the Cowboys" featuring Tim Russell, Sue Scott, and Fred Neuman (sound effects). Plus the Guys All Star Shoe Band played. The DiGi sisters sang a couple of numbers. And of course, the News from Lake Woebegone, Garrison Keillor's monologue about a small town in Minnesota. If you have listed to the show, but never seen the people, here are some pictures.
Fred Neuman Sue Scott
Tim Russell Garrison Keilor
After dinner, we finished packing, put our bags out in the hallway to be collected, and headed for the last music performances of the cruise. Chuck went to hear the last part of Heather Masse while Caroline went to the closing party in the Crows Nest, to save a seat. We enjoyed some great music, dancing when it made sense, and watching our fellow cruisers on our last night aboard. Caroline had a chance do a swing dance with Todd (the dance instructor) to "Do Run Run" sung by the DiGis. They danced really well together.
Off to bed at about 12:30 to get some sleep before getting up pretty early. We were scheduled to debark (what an odd word) between 7:45 and 8:00.