TURIN

The last 2 days have been spent in Piedmont in the city of Turin as my son Sean is here working this week.  He is one of those hard working, hard living people who put up the stages and rigging for huge, outdoor concerts, this one is taking place in the big Stadio Olympic.  It has been a most interesting few days eating, drinking  and spending time with the crew.  The food is great, the hotel is lovely and I feel spoiled riding around in their cars and buses with Sean taking care of everything.  I'm most unused to having people taking care of things for me so am enjoying it.
The centre of Turin has the lovliest architecture all built when the House of Savoy was ruling the area and there's still a large Roman district that was discovered during excavations and is now left uncovered.  We enjoyed exploring it during a free day.

Sean in Turin

Dominik and Sumi happy crew

Aileen with Sean Turin

CINQUE TERRA, LIGURIA

The 5 villages of Cinque Terra are among my favourite Italian places.  I just never tire of their houses in all shades of Terracotta, faded Pink, Tan, old Red and Brown all topsy turvy on top of each other built in to the rocky terrain.  There are very frequent trains running between them and a ticket is good for 6 hours so it is easy to visit all of them and have a stroll around.  They are tiny, just one main street and winding passages with terrific views of that kind of turquoise sea that is usually seen only in travel brochures.

 The town below right is Vernazza and it was almost destroyed in a huge mud slide a few years ago but has been rebuilt almost as it was before.  There's a pic above of the mud running through the main street.

Vernazza today

I have to tell you about a great restaurant in Levanto with the kindest of hosts.  The name is L'Articiocca and the owners are very concerned that their Bio food is good and the producers are local.  It is a beautiful place with excellent choice of wine and when I was there Aronne del Oro was singing in his Mediterranean style and playing guitar with his talented friend Alberto as if they were having a musical conversation with each other.  If any of you go to that area be sure to go there.

Aronne and Alberto

owners of L'Articiocca Clara and Hermano

Camoglia

SERMIONE, LAKE GARDA

Driving along from Soave towards Liguria it seemed a shame not to visit more of Lake Garda so I found a really good camping place named San Francisco near the lovely town of Sermione at the south of the large lake.  Luck was with me as I got a site right beside the water although I don't reserve anything since I never know how long I will stay anywhere.

The flowers are in full bloom and the smell of Jasmine is everywhere.  Of course this area is so very popular so there are lots of visitors about enjoying their Gelato.  It is so easy here to fall in to the habit of a daily ice cream and a relaxing hour when it is time for an Aperitivo.  For the last 2 years the main drink before dinner seems to be an Aperol Spritz or a Venizianer.  It's a lovely custom especially when it is so warm and sunny.

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 I went to visit the town of course and below is the main entrance

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medieval Wine Festival in Soave

Soave is the town famous for its wines and it is surrounded by lovely vineyards.  It is not very far from Verona.  I camped here for a few days to enjoy the festivities and thought you all might like to see a few pictures of the medieval costumes.  There was a "Fountain of Wine" where one could buy a glass of Soave White Wine for only 50 cents and then could return with the glass as many times as desired all day.  Can you imagine how that would go over in Kenmare or anywhere in Ireland?  Here the people are so used to wine that most of them just didn't bother participating and there weren't many strangers about except myself of course and I needn't tell you I enjoyed it.

Castlecerino above Soave

Even the prisoner can get a glass from the Fountain of Wine

BURANO

In Venice on a perfect day with Rose, Graham and Tess Brown over from Scotland.  I haven't met her in years and we had a grand time.  A convenient way of not getting too hot and tired in Venice is to buy a 12 hour card that allows rides on all the vaparettos and buses and costs only 18 euros.  We made full use of it by taking a long ride out to Burano - that is the island not too far from Murano where there are many glass blowing factories, most tourists go there.  I've always preferred the colourful little houses of Burano centre of lace making indeed women are sitting outside their houses and in little groups working with their nimble fingers

 

Rose, Graham and Tess

 We finished off a great day at a local tiny restaurant Al Ponte with good wine and a large platter of antipasto

 

SUNSET OVER LAKE GARDA

sunset on a cloudy evening over Lake Garda

 

BASSANO DEL GRAPPA

a drink overlooking the Brenta river

We all went up to visit the grand little town of Bassano del Grappa with it's famous Ponte Vecchio and memories of the brave Italian Alpini troops.  It was originally built by Andrea Palladio in the 1500s based on the site of a 12 century wooden bridge.  It was destroyed during the war so had to be rebuilt.
Hemmingway wrote of the fierce action that took place in the area just north of here.  Now it is the most peaceful, beautiful town.

taken from above this does not show the bridge at its best

 

ROSE'S VISIT

I am staying here in Vicenza where I used to live.  Visiting very good friends Irma and Silvano who own the excellent restaurant Da Berno which is a little way outside of the city.  They also have a perfect little B&B just next door in a beautiful old house which they have restored.  Their two children Enrica and Loris also run this family business and all the guests enjoy their friendliness.
My childhood friend Rose who lives in Vancouver, Canada is staying in Padua (25 minutes away) at the moment with her husband Graham and his sister June (lives in south Africa)  They all came here to overnight in the B&B and explore this city of Palladio.

Lovely breakfast together

ready for a celebration for a 100 year old neighbour

Rose and I in garden
Theatro Olyimpico

LAKE GARDA

The back roads in Italy are so beautiful and now that I have time I never take the Autostradas, up here in the mountainous regions between Bolzano and Trento there are so many curves and views of the snow capped peaks that there is a painting around almost every corner but not much parking since the roads are narrow and there are high cliffs on the side.
I meandered in Brandy all down the side of Lake Garda with it's turquoise water through the little towns where every second shop is a Gelateria with dozens of ice cream flavours.  An excellent one was made of mascarpone with figs.
Had a lovely dinner high up overlooking the lake with a friend Galia who lives near here in a big, cool house.

leaving Merans quiet streets

Sunset over Garda

Galia

MERANO

Dropped in to good friends in the beautiful town of Merano and ended up staying for a few days.  It is a famous Spa town and has the cleanest, liveliest river running through it.  I stayed with Concetta and Paul, friends that many of you know from Chiang Mai and Italy.  They live in a great apartment up on the Tappeiner Way - a lovely walking path above Merano.  Even here it is not warm but had a nice walk through town along the racing river with a few other people who were visiting from Regensburg.

the giant

OBERAU TO ITALY

All the posts this trip are about food, drink and rain.  It is the most peculiar Spring ever.  I left Augsburg in a down pour and drove through all those lovely scenes like Oberammergau without being able to enjoy a walk or picnic.  The whole region is post card perfect.  Mountains still glinting with snow on the peaks, green green meadows, traditional houses and wood carvers, cows grazing - lovely even in the very heavy rain.  I stopped in to friends in Oberau near Garmisch for afternoon rhubarb cake and coffee and ended up sleeping right outside their door in the VW after a lovely dinner.  The rain was just too heavy to continue.
I had decided to keep costs down and not use any toll roads or Autostradas so went down to Italy on the old roads passing many beautiful villages via Austria into Innsbruck and then over the border to Matrei etc.  Diesel is much more expensive in Italy than in Ireland, Germany and Austria.  I have loved Vipiteno (Sterzing) for many years and used to go there weekly when I lived in Italy both for skiing in winter and hiking in Summer.  Stopped there for the first real coffee and met up with my friend Olga.  Went for a bit of a stroll around with umbrellas still required and all the outdoor cafes and seats empty.  Here, more than in Germany, there are the signs for places to let, shops changing hands frequently, hotels closed down etc.
On the news things are not any better.  Monsanto is winning all the rights to tamper with our food - the citizens of Turkey are battling with the overbearing police although their protests are peaceful and legitimate.  I feel very lucky to be trundling along through these beautiful places having put concerns aside for the moment and hopefully for the next few months.

bavaria in the rain

Italy at last