Trip Report - Vicenza and Lake Como
Jun 12th, 2005 | 08:13 AM
#1
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Trip Report - Vicenza and Lake Como
We started out in London and Soutwest England (looked on Fodor's UK section if you want to see the report). We had 1 & 1/2 weeks for Italy, including two days for the Bernina Express and Chur, CH. We are not big foodies so there will not be a lot of food in this trip report.
We flew on Easy Jet from Bristol to Venice and picked up a four door Alfa Romeo. We ended up driving on secondary roads to Vicenza(it was rush hour on the A4 and traffic looked horrendous, and I had picked up a car at the airport but not any Euros. Failure to pick up the euros was a life lesson but that's what traveling is about.)
We had seen Vicenza previously (a three hour lunch break from a train ride) and were glad that we could return. Vicenza (and areas nearby) is just dripping with architecture by Andrea Palladio and others.
In my opinion, the pedestrian center of Vicenza is a truly beautiful area.
Thanks to some comments from Fodorite's, we booked three nights in the Due Mori (Two Moores) in the old part of Vicenza. Although not air-conditioned, we loved the hotel. A clean, large room, which looked to be recently renovated with breakfast (roughly Euro 100 per night for a triple).
Vicenza has a large historic area, with limited auto acces over large blocks of the old city. This is very nice for the tourist but difficult for drivers (we found a city parking deck a few blocks away which we used several different times).
Dinner for the first two nights was pizza and similar. The are several different pizzerias that have tables set out in the now pedestrianized streets of the historic part of the city (very convenient to our hotel).
We flew on Easy Jet from Bristol to Venice and picked up a four door Alfa Romeo. We ended up driving on secondary roads to Vicenza(it was rush hour on the A4 and traffic looked horrendous, and I had picked up a car at the airport but not any Euros. Failure to pick up the euros was a life lesson but that's what traveling is about.)
We had seen Vicenza previously (a three hour lunch break from a train ride) and were glad that we could return. Vicenza (and areas nearby) is just dripping with architecture by Andrea Palladio and others.
In my opinion, the pedestrian center of Vicenza is a truly beautiful area.
Thanks to some comments from Fodorite's, we booked three nights in the Due Mori (Two Moores) in the old part of Vicenza. Although not air-conditioned, we loved the hotel. A clean, large room, which looked to be recently renovated with breakfast (roughly Euro 100 per night for a triple).
Vicenza has a large historic area, with limited auto acces over large blocks of the old city. This is very nice for the tourist but difficult for drivers (we found a city parking deck a few blocks away which we used several different times).
Dinner for the first two nights was pizza and similar. The are several different pizzerias that have tables set out in the now pedestrianized streets of the historic part of the city (very convenient to our hotel).
Jun 12th, 2005 | 08:44 AM
#2
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Our first full day in Italy was in the car, rapidly visiting things nearby.
Our first stop was Marostica, a medieval walled city nearby. We loved Marostica and took some ecellent photos there. Marostica is set adjacent to/ abutting a mountain. One interesting thing is that the medieval wall (which is still fully intact) goes to the top of this mountain. This setting against the mountain gives a very nice back drop for taking pictures.
Marostica is one of the towns where they sometimes allow chess games where people become chess pieces on a super sized chess board in the middle of the town square.
We heard two days later that you can drive up to the top of the mountain and the top of medieval wall, but we missed our chance.
On to Bassano del Grappa. We had a nice lunch (sandwiches and pizza) very near the end of the old bridge. We poked around a little bit but it was market day and Italian market days are more hectic than what I had experienced in France.
We had hoped to go to Asolo but decided instead to go in search of Palladio's Villa Cornaro which was maybe 20 kms away. We found the villa in Piembe Dese, near Padua. The villa has an impressive facade but is currently only open for tours on Saturdays (despite what my book may say). A helpful owner of the bar and gelateria across the street allowed that Villa Emo (in Fanzolo)had both its grounds and main floor open. After a discussion with wife and child we headed off in search of Fanzolo.
Our first stop was Marostica, a medieval walled city nearby. We loved Marostica and took some ecellent photos there. Marostica is set adjacent to/ abutting a mountain. One interesting thing is that the medieval wall (which is still fully intact) goes to the top of this mountain. This setting against the mountain gives a very nice back drop for taking pictures.
Marostica is one of the towns where they sometimes allow chess games where people become chess pieces on a super sized chess board in the middle of the town square.
We heard two days later that you can drive up to the top of the mountain and the top of medieval wall, but we missed our chance.
On to Bassano del Grappa. We had a nice lunch (sandwiches and pizza) very near the end of the old bridge. We poked around a little bit but it was market day and Italian market days are more hectic than what I had experienced in France.
We had hoped to go to Asolo but decided instead to go in search of Palladio's Villa Cornaro which was maybe 20 kms away. We found the villa in Piembe Dese, near Padua. The villa has an impressive facade but is currently only open for tours on Saturdays (despite what my book may say). A helpful owner of the bar and gelateria across the street allowed that Villa Emo (in Fanzolo)had both its grounds and main floor open. After a discussion with wife and child we headed off in search of Fanzolo.
Jun 12th, 2005 | 08:58 AM
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We were searching for Fanzolo. Serching for something in Italy is how you see some of the differences in two countries. I my opinion, one of the things you need to drive Italy is a willingness to make mistakes. You also need a patient navigator. We had a large scale map of Italy but you navigate by hopping from village to village. Not all of these villages are on the map. After several wrong roads and wrong turns, my wife had given up on us finding Fanzolo.
I was driving on the "it ought to be in this direction" principal and had even said "A couple of more minutes or we turn around", when my wife sees Fanzola 5 kms ahead. So take heart everybody driving in Italy can be done (successfully).
Touring the villa was nice experience. The first floor of the main house is open. The front and rear gardens are also open but are currently being replanted (you can see the layout but there are very plants in the gradens).
Motored back to Vicenza.
I was driving on the "it ought to be in this direction" principal and had even said "A couple of more minutes or we turn around", when my wife sees Fanzola 5 kms ahead. So take heart everybody driving in Italy can be done (successfully).
Touring the villa was nice experience. The first floor of the main house is open. The front and rear gardens are also open but are currently being replanted (you can see the layout but there are very plants in the gradens).
Motored back to Vicenza.
Jun 12th, 2005 | 09:14 AM
#6
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Our second (and final) day in Vicenza focused on Vicenza itself. We toured the the Teatro Olympico, which is the first enclosed theater built in Italy.
I had a map of Vicenza in the Palladio Guide that I had bought, so we walked around checking off wht we could.
Late in the day, we got to Palazzo Barbarano (#11 Contrada Porti, Vicenza). This is the museum set up by the city to explain the overall idea of the villas and also talks about specific villas. I don't know the tourist info office did not mention this museum to us when we were there, but they didn't.
I had a map of Vicenza in the Palladio Guide that I had bought, so we walked around checking off wht we could.
Late in the day, we got to Palazzo Barbarano (#11 Contrada Porti, Vicenza). This is the museum set up by the city to explain the overall idea of the villas and also talks about specific villas. I don't know the tourist info office did not mention this museum to us when we were there, but they didn't.
Jun 12th, 2005 | 09:29 AM
#7
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My typing abilities are marginal and I apologize for that.
Food Report - At the western end of the historic/pedestrian center tucked one block away from the main street is Porto Castello, which was one of the trattorias recommended to us by the hotel.
The owner speaks more English than at a lot of the places we ate and was most helpful.
I had the traditional antipasto of toamato and mozzarella slices and veal scalapini. A very good meal. Tiramisu for desert. I ordered a wine from his list ('Classico'), he apologized for being out, he recommended a less expensive wine which I found to be a good recommendation (excellent wine).
After a walk, we went to one of our gelaterias. We were traveling with our ten year old son, so we had to have gelato at least once every day (even after desert).
Next am Riva del Garda.
Food Report - At the western end of the historic/pedestrian center tucked one block away from the main street is Porto Castello, which was one of the trattorias recommended to us by the hotel.
The owner speaks more English than at a lot of the places we ate and was most helpful.
I had the traditional antipasto of toamato and mozzarella slices and veal scalapini. A very good meal. Tiramisu for desert. I ordered a wine from his list ('Classico'), he apologized for being out, he recommended a less expensive wine which I found to be a good recommendation (excellent wine).
After a walk, we went to one of our gelaterias. We were traveling with our ten year old son, so we had to have gelato at least once every day (even after desert).
Next am Riva del Garda.
