Today I wake up to a lot of noise and commotion outside my window. I am surprised by a event that brings women together to have fun, get exercise, and support a good cause. It’s the Treviso in Rosa, a run and walk race that seems to bring every women in Veneto into town.
The line of women in pink t-shirts seems endless. Over ten thousand women participate.
It is inspiring to see all this coming together, women of all sizes and ages. Here they are in action.
My Italian instructor Elena and her boyfriend Daniele pick me up for a trip into the countryside. We have lunch in a town called Falzè where I order fettucini with tomatoes and aspargus. I have a little trouble twirling the fettucini around my fork. Elena says that Italians don’t use the spoon, so I don’t either, but maybe because the noodles are so thick, I have trouble from twirl to mouth. Still delicious.
The menu has a very comprehensive list of what allergens might be found in various plates. Italian restaurants are very aware of possible food allergies, but I have not seen such a comprehensive list before.
Venetian villas are scattered throughout the hills, many part of the UNESCO World Heritage Palladian Villas of the Veneto. We visited this villa, Villa di Maser, also called Villa Barbaro. In the mid-1500s, two Barbaro brothers commissioned the architect Palladio to design this villa on the site of their medieval home.
Inside frescoes by the painter Paolo Veronese cover the walls and some ceilings, but unfortunately photos are not permitted. The grounds are beautifully maintained, with very old rose bushes and wisteria climbing up the walls.
The Nymphaeum with its ornate facade was used to collect and distribute water on the estate, along with providing a place to play.
We head on to Bassano del Grappa, a town that suffered from both World Wars. Now it is a thriving town with many tourist attractions.
This tree on the Viale dei Martiri (Street of the Martyrs) is just one in a long row that commemorates the 31 partisans who were hung on the trees here by Nazi-Fascist forces in September 1944. On each tree hangs a plaque showing the partisan’s name and date of death.
Bassano’s Town Hall overlooks a vast piazza that today is hosting an artisan fair.
We enter a wonderful bookstore called Libreria Palazzo Roberti. On the front of the building is a sign that says Napoleon stayed in this place from September 1796 to March 1797. He had just won the battle for Bassano and was conducting his Italian campaign during this period.
The bookstore, covering two floors and many nooks and crannies, contains an incredible selection of books on every subject imaginable. I am reminded of the bookstores of yore in Berkeley. I hope this jewel can be preserved, especially when so many excellent bookstores have been lost.
Daniele gets permission to open up the floor above the bookstore, an area that is used for special events. The walls are covered with very well-preserved paintings that Napoleon must have enjoyed when he stayed here.
Weather forecast says it will rain at 7pm, but so far it has held off. We cross the Ponte Vecchio, to gaze at the Brenta River.
The Ponte Vecchio, designed by Palladio, has room for many people to cross at one time, which must have useful for the many soldiers marching across to fight in World War I.
We take a selfie on the bridge…
and stop for a snack and a glass of grappa, for which Bassano is renowned. The menu offers many types, and Elena suggests the taglialtella. a little milder than most grappa as it is cut with infusions of orange peel, marasca, and other substances that soften the bite.
The streets of Bassano del Grappa are crowded with young people having a good time on a Sunday evening. Daniele says it will even get more crowded as the night goes on, in which case I am glad we are heading home.
A very full and fun day, thanks to my wonderful guides Elena and Daniele.