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| I walked up beautiful Viale Farini to the bus terminal in front of Ravenna Station to head for my final destination in Ravenna. Well, it is not exactly in Ravenna, but this site I was looking forward to the most is situated in a small hamlet called Classe, about 20 minutes away from Ravenna Station. | I waited for my bus to Classe for more than 30 minutes or so. Since it is in a countryside, buses run infrequently from Ravenna. |
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| As I saw a bus to Classe, I felt so relieved and finally departed. I enjoyed the view of a field of sunflowers from the bus. | I could recognize the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe from a distance. Although my bus stopped near Sant'Apollinare in Classe, I didn't get off there. I thought this was not a bus stop I was supposed to get off at and believed there would be another bus stop right in front of Sant'Apollinare in Classe. So I stayed sit on a seat. However, there was no bus stop in front of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, and it just passed! I said to myself, "Oh My!" I instantly became so scared thinking if and how I ever go back... I had waited for a bus for over 30 minutes at the Ravenna bus station so would I wait again for another 30 minutes to catch another bus to return in the middle of nowhere?! There were only two aged people in the bus. I could easily tell that they were locals and they wouldn't understand English. I knew even a bus driver wouldn't not understand me. What is worse, it was almost 18:30! What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? I was panicking as a matter of fact! My bus kept running further and further in the fields of nowhere. And it finally stopped in a residential area still in a field. A bus driver turned off the engine and left the bus with no annoucement. It was eerily quiet. Where is he gone? Where on earth is this place? At this point, I was the only person who was in this bus. Should I get off the bus also? Or should I stay inside the bus? I couldn't help but believe that this bus would go back exactly the way it came. So I just prayed and stayed sit. And yet, I was still worried if the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe would be closed for the day by the time I returned. The bus driver came back to the bus and turned on the engine. I wasn't really expecting he would understand me even if I explained, but I walked toward him before the bus resumed running. "Would this bus go to the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe?" He said nothing, but nodded his head. A bit relieved and just hoped that I could somehow reach the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe before it closed. |
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| As I saw the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe in the distance, I was just so blissful and happy, and was being very careful where I get off the bus. | Never had I expected it would take this long to get to the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe. This is the back of the Basilica. |
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I ran to the entrance of it. |
And I made for the gift shop where they sold tickets, and ask what time they would be closed. The shop clerk said, "Seven." I barely made it! He was smiling as if he had been watching me all the way in the bus. |
