On arriving in the area of Bologna we realized we were...
Debbie said:
Ferrara does not appear in the Jewish guide to Europe book we're using. We might have simply passed it by had not the campsite proprietor offered us an "official" guidebook. Reading it we were reminded that there's interesting Jewish history here. The Jewish museum and the inside of the functioning synagogue had closed for the day with tours only at 10, 11 and 12.
However, nearby we found our way to the two streets of the Jewish ghetto. It's not often that you get to see what the streets of a ghetto look like. These two views are in each direction from Piazza Lampronti, named for the rabbi, medical doctor and philosopher who lived in the area from 1679-1756. Lampronti is also the author of the most used (20 Volume) Talmudic encyclopaedia.
Ferrara is famous for the non-existent garden of the Finzi Contini family, made famous in the novel (then movie) by Giorgio Bassani Garden of Finzi Contini. While we did not go looking for that garden we did go to the Jewish cemetery of Ferrara which looks very much like a garden. While its gate was closed (the inscription reads: "The House of the Designated Time for Every Living Thing"),
we were able to get a photo of some of the area inside.
While searching for the ghetto, we entered a building that had a large atrium. Set up there, were a number of sculptures or, perhaps, sofas made of corrugated paper.
On the way to Venice we passed through an amazing thunderstorm. At 5:30 in the afternoon it was darker than at 9:00 at night. Nonetheless, as we arrived in the campsite at Venice (the location of which only Gertrude knew), we were surprised by this vista:
After settling in (with a view of Venice out our front window), we went for a short walk to watch the sun set.
