Ravenna

[livingbyfiction]

I'm struck by Byzantium.  16 hundred years ago, this village was the seat of empire.  I boggled at mosaics commissioned by Justinian and Theodora.

If Theodora's whore-to-empress story doesn't impress, how about this from my guidebook:

Across the grass from the basilica is the tiny Mausoleo di Galla Placidia named after the half-sister of Honorius.

Comments

[leahbeatle]

Wow, your pictures are SO much clearer than mine were in Ravenna. Most of those places were not well-lit, and I didn't do well with low light photography. It was a truly gorgeous place, though, and the color that lasted in those mosaics was amazing- did you see the Basilica of St. Apollinare? I take it you did go to the Galla Placidia Mausoleum, which was my favorite spot in Ravenna. REALLY no light in there for pictures, however- which, come to think of it, is probably why the pictures do not do this place justice. Those Byzantines- so inconsiderate.

[livingbyfiction]

I loved Galla Placidia's mausoleum, and then this tour group with an articulate guide walked in. She explained everything, like "See the two deer on the bottom panel? They are from the psalm 'as a deer yearns for water so my soul thirsts for thee,' but vegetation prevents the deer from drinking at the stream because during life we are trapped by our bodies. In the panel directly above, two doves drink from the fountain because the soul has been freed."

My technique for low-light photos:

1. Acquire point-and-shoot with image stabilization technology.
2. Lengthen the exposure a bit.
3. Set the self-timer so your trigger finger doesn't jog the camera.
4. Take 3 shots of everything.