Bassano (not Alberta)

Right, so. A late start and some perservation led us to an afternoon in Bassano del Grappa, a very pretty city in Northern Italy's Veneto region. We were looking for the 13th century Ponte Vecchio bridge and we did indeed find it, even though it looked about as modern as could be. An ancient wooden bridge obviously needs to be upgraded on a frequent basis. It afforded a lovely, bucolic vista over the River Brenta. On one end of the bridge was a brandy factory, on the other, a grappa distillery. One can only imagine the states of staggery from those to chose to partake in both in one go. The view was lovely and really showcased this lovely Medievil village.

As always, we searched out the piazza's (three, adjoining, a lovely surprise) and then to the duomo Chiesa del'Donato. Completely deserted. This is where St. Anthony apparently stopped for a night or two back in 1223 (we saw his cell, and a tiny chapel). Most of you know my affinity for St. Anthony, because he is the patron saint of lost things. IE, car keys, earrings, passports. He is also anti starvation, supportive of American Indians, amputees, animals, Brazil, the elderly, expectant mothers, fisherman.... it goes on and on. Suffice to say, he's a pretty good guy to have at your side in an emergency, so it was nice to see where he once laid his head.

Most of the businesses were closed, I guess Monday is their day of rest, but there were a few lively places in the piazzas and everything else looked calm and lush. After a few hours of wandering, we headed back to Verona using the secondary highway system, taking two hours instead of one - but relieving a lot of the Autostrada stress. This last picture is for my sis, and she will know why. ♥