While driving along we passed by San Sovino, the birthplace of Piladio and the location of an extensive library... since lost... if I recall correctly. Many days have passed since so forgive any inaccuracy.
I also recall a story from Venice where an explosion out to sea caused part of a wall to collapse. The architect was blamed since it fell down and was sent to prison. They wouldn't believe him. I'm not sue how this story was related but it shows how back then, when you created something, you really invested yourself in your work.
We also passed Padova where Casanova was in the monastery causing immaculate conceptions. This is also the location of the Scaveni Palace, painted by Joto.
I think there were more stories... anyway...
First stop, Vicenza. This is the Silicon Valley of Italy. Just a quick visit. Andrea Piladio designed their square, Piazza dei Senore, and their forum which until recently was still being used for this purpose. It's being renovated at the moment. There was a big statue of him in the town. He was bald and looked all pompous and aristocratic. The people of Vicenza were quoted as saying that "everyone else has museums, we're a living museum". This was a very nice town, quiet. There were few tourists. It was starting to heat up. After coffee with the others, I decided to find the Theatro Olimpica.. the Olympic Theatre. After much searching, I asked a shop assistant where it was. I got the question out OK but then I couldn't understand the response. Luckily the other assistant could translate. They were happy and friendly. The theatre was pretty impressive. They had three entry ways to the main stage, one in the middle and two at the sides, and even these forked. They built in some perspective into the set too... It would have been quite good to watch since they'd be able to hide characters among the streets and alleys in the set. I've not seen anything like it before.
Back on bus, travelling along the Brenta Canal... we were running ahead of schedule since it only took an hour to get out of Venice rather than the normal two. It was great to get out of the heat and into the air conditioning of the bus.
Next stop, Marostica. It is famous for asparagus, including the white kind. Human chess is a big thing here too. Yes, it's what it sounds like. It's a big event. Everyone in the town will back a side and the winners will obtain great honour. Marostica is one of those walled cities up in the Alps. When you stand within the square, you can see a hill in the background with the protective wall running along it. It has watchtowers every so often along it. I decided to go have a closer look. Unfortunately, I couldn't get as close as I would have liked, my path was blocked. I got a few pictures of it though. How cool would it be to have a wall like that around your property. :-) That was a quick visit but I was glad I got round the back.
Time for a snooze before the next stop... Bassano. This is the town with the famous bridge by Paladio, the great renaissance architect. Bassano is also called Bassano da Grappa. The "Grappa" was added to the name. Grappa used to be given to soldiers to give them more energy... I'm not sure about the practicality of such a move but I guess if it worked. They get a lot of flooding here. They even have a castle. I decided to go for a walk before eating, trying initially to get a better shot of the bridge. I walked along the river bank as far as the path went. I then followed a narrow path with walls either side, about five metres in height. At this point I thought I'd just wander till found a nice place to eat. I found this brilliant Pizza place... it was just what I wanted margarita with pepperoni. I was starving by then and the weather had decided for sure that it was going to be hot. The coke hit the spot. Oddly, I still had slightly fat fingers... hmmm.
Everyone seemed to have already met up by the time I arrived back at the bridge. They were commenting on the particular grappa they had tried. I didn't feel like it. Apparently something to try here was Appero Spritz (I forget the exact name). Time for a "pee pee" break... I had the wonderful experience of seeing one of those ceramic "holes" for the first time. I can't even think how one goes about a number two and still maintains some form of dignity... I don't wanna know. It's all wrong. It's up there with the bide no one uses. Anyway...
Back on the bus... Another two hours to Cortina, capital of the Dolomite region, heading toward the ski resorts. On the way, we passed Pesangno, birthplace of Antonio Canova. No breaks on the way. This is where they have a horse race on ice and where you can find eagles. Since it's reasonably close to the border of Austria, Austrians come here... naturally.
This is an area of secrets, it's where people would cross to go on their pilgrimage to Rome. Subsequently they'd be robbed for their money and the tools of their trade (this is how they would make it to their destination, using their trade) and they'd then get killed, never to be seen again. Apparently the area is full of secrets and bodies! This is also the place where hundreds of children just disappeared, still with no answer - this incident is the where the story of the Pied Piper comes from. This is also where, for sport, the British would come to cause avalanches and see if they could cross the valley before it hit the valley floor. Paragliding, hanggliding and rock climbing is quite popular these days in the Dolomites.
There is a lot of proof that there was great influence from the borders over the Alps. Apple Pie or Strudel for example and with the opera house in Milan. In Balsamo, even still, menus in restaurants are in Italian and German.
The Italian's loved Napoleon for kicking the Austrians out. He then pronounced himself king. Napoleon was apparently a crude, disgusting man. Another side of him was shown in his obsession with his love. He would write three letters per day to her. His riders were taking too long to deliver the letters so he decided to build a tunnel through the alps... thus the Simplon Path. It saved 300 miles for his riders. What love can't do! :-) They then started blaming him for it being so cold in Milan 'cos he was the one who put a hole through the Alps. Even now, bad weather is blamed on him. On a different note, I find it amusing that Napoleon stole everything he could lay his hands on. Like a painting in the ceiling of the Doge's Palace back in Venice and the horses on top of St. Mark's Basilica. Although he did give those back eventually. In fact, for statues of horses, they've certainly traveled more than some real horses, they went everywhere! :-)
Another tragic story was of the damn that was built in the region. The three architects advised it was a bad idea but it went ahead anyway. There were strict instructions though that it should never be filled. There was a lot of rain one day and they ignored the advice, allowing it to fill. As a result, there was a landslide and 90% of the 6000 inhabitants were drowned. One architect hung himself, one was killed and the last went to prison but didn't last long inside.
We were also told about the selection of the lead cow... Every year they select the strongest cow from the herd, it's the one that will have the bell attached and since the others are trained to follow the bell, this lead cow will 'lead' the other cows to higher ground. I wouldn't have cows were so smart!
Anyway, as we're bussing it through the Alps, we have brilliant views. My simple words can't capture the strength, and at the same time calm, that the peaks convey combined with the greenery of the tall trees.
After much snoozing, we arrive at our hotel, il Ancora in Cortina d' Ampezzo. It felt like a ski town. Interestingly, seven dogs live in the hotel, they're quite the pampered lot. One of the youngest, I forget her name, a boxer, came to say hello when we were admiring the view from Lyn & Dave's patio. Later, when three of them were taken for their walk, the other four were on the roof barking, likely disappointed at not being included. Dogs seem to be quite acceptable in the area, people seem to walk into shops with them too like it's not a problem at all.
I decided to go for a wander around the town and take a few photos. Then, before I knew it, I had decided to see how far up the mountain I could go, to see if there were better pictures to be taken on higher ground before I needed to get back for dinner. Since I got to Italy, walking seems purposefully to find a better shot, no matter the distance, seems to have become my thing. After taking what I found out later to be the long way round, I started to ascend. And no, not in some odd glowing wispy light thing like Daniel Jackson! More up. I went past all the residential houses and past the final ski resort hotel.
Along the way, I noticed an old man tending to his garden at the base of one of those ski lifts. I didn't interrupt him, it looked therapeutic for him. Until then, I had been receiving my own therapy... I was listening to Linkin Park's album Minutes to Midnight again. It really is quite good in my opinion. By this time the track I was taking resembled more of a four wheel bike track but just as I could see the final lone house on the hill, I was noticing a thickness in the air and the clouds were descending fast. I was getting cold and I had to go back. I had got far enough that in front of me was only the one house about 100 metres away and a huge mountain towering over and around it whilst behind me you could see the cluster of houses in the valley and directly opposite, cottages among the green of the valley hillside. It was peaceful up there. Just as I was leaving the clearing again, the residents from the house I hadn't conquered drove nearby and honked their horn. I guessed they were just saying hello.
I decided to gamble taking the bike track back 'cos it seemed to be heading in the right direction and I didn't want to take the long way back. Eventually I made it back to town. First I found our bus so I knew I was in the right area but it took an additional 15 minutes to find the hotel. When I arrived, I thought I was 20 minutes late but it turned out that I still had 10 minutes to spare... Brilliant! Just enough time for a brief shower.
The meal that night was really good. And dessert was exceptional. It was cool 'cos there was a lot of effort taken in the preparation. The used the silver covers on our plates and uncovered them in unison, this required four waiters.
One particular waiter stood out. I forget his name but he spoke broken English but was very personable and friendly. He also liked to talk and have a joke with people. The women thought that his appeal was in the expression in his eyes. He was a funny little Italian man.
So after dinner, bedtime!
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