Day trips from Bologna: Ferrara, Modena, Ravenna

Usually my days here are filled with a combination of work at the Goethe Zentrum, inflicting my shockingly bad accent on new Italian besties in the hopes of one day becoming fluent, and being a bit of a tourist with fellow year abroaders. But while Jason was visiting, the first two activities were off the agenda as he doesn't speak Italian. So after I'd shown him round Bologna, introduced him to my other English friends and initiated him into the art of the apperitivo (my main tips being to sit near the food table so as to get first pickings when a new tray of treats is served, and not feel any shame in refilling your plate over and over), we decided to venture further afield. Bologna is well placed for getting around the rest of Italy, and Ferrara was our first port of call, followed by Ravenna, and finally a rainy Monday in Modena.

Ferrara was our favourite of the three, largely down to the impressive d'Este castle, which comes complete with moat, drawbridge and dungeons where you can still see the graffiti carved by 16th century prisoners. We also saw the synagogue and former Jewish ghetto; the city has always had a strong Jewish presence and is the setting for one of the books I'm studying at the moment, Il Giardino dei Finzi-Contini. The garden itself is fictional, but it was interesting to see some of the other locations from the novel, although these represent a more sombre part of Ferrara's history. Today, the pace of life there seems quite chilled out; known as the 'city of bicycles', the sound of their wheels over the cobblestone streets made a welcome change from the whirring motorbikes which terrify me in Bologna.

Ravenna is famous for the mosaics which adorn its churches. They are so intricately detailed that it's hard to imagine the effort and time that must have gone into creating them, but on a less intellectual note, I liked how brightly coloured and shiny they were, barely having faded over the thousands of years. One of the chapels is decorated with hundreds of mosaic birds, a nice contrast to the depressing frescoes of Judgement Day which you normally see in churches. We were also able to visit the tomb of Dante, meaning I can definitely justify the trip as 'educational'. He died in Ravenna where he had sought political refuge, though apparently the Florentines are still trying to gain custody of his remains, which I think is a bit rich having exiled him in the first place.

Meanwhile in Modena, the compact city centre was just the right size for an afternoon trip. The Ghirlandina tower and cathedral in the central square are its most notable sights, and were impressive even in the pouring rain. In fact, the whole town is very picturesque; like Bologna, its streets are full of pretty red and orange buildings and grand palazzos. One of these is now a training academy for the Italian military, and as we sheltered from the rain we could see them begin their drills.

Every time I visit a new city, I can't help imagining what my year abroad might have been like if I'd gone there instead. Ferrara, Modena and Ravenna all made good day trip destinations, but for me Bologna is the clear winner. They probably all have more to offer the longer you stay there, and the rain may have had something to do with it, but none of them quite matched Bologna's atmosphere or activity, and it was always comforting to return to its busy city centre in the evening - scary motorcyclists and all.