Bassano del Grappa, Italy

This is my final post from this trip. When we left Austria and crossed over into Italy, my spirits lifted. As we crossed the border there was confusion, the autogrill stop was a mess, things seemed mildly chaotic, the drivers were maniacs. Home! Strange isn't it, what we bring into our heart that feels like home. The Stoic One said I would be happy once I got to the "home of my people" and he was right. Italy is far from perfect, but for me it is real, the good and the bad mix easily. I'm not afraid to look under the covers in Italy, all the mess is right out there in the open to see.

So Bassano del Grappa. A sweet little town. Here are some photos.

A twenty four hour clock tower that was originally built in 1430. It has had a few updates in the last 600 years. 

The town has the look of some of the buildings in Venice, and indeed its history has been strongly influenced by Venetian culture.

The Ponte Vecchio, not the one in Florence, is the symbol of the city. It goes over the Brenta River. The bridge was originally designed by Palladio in 1569. It's been destroyed and rebuilt several times. We saw bullet holes in the buildings next to bridge a remnant of one of the wars.

A bit of Italian patriotism as you walk across the bridge.

And what would a return trip to Italy be without some food shots.

And finally, the grappa museum. Fun place to wander.

And there you have it folks. A fascinating trip. One of the things we wanted to do when we moved to Italy was to explore nearby countries, and yet it has become harder and harder for me to leave Italy, for I have fallen deeply, madly in love with this chaotic, mess of a country. Yes, it isn't perfect, and yet......

On the other hand, I was also quite taken by Slovenia. I was suprised at how great all the roads were on our trip, except for the dreaded E45 in Italy. The rest of the roads were very good. We stayed on the main highways and had no problems.

I was surpised at how much you can learn about a country by their road signs. In Austria, a very common highway sign was "Be Fair Take Care". It must be an effective admonition for the Austrians to drive safely, as it is used frequently.  I can't imagine it having much effect in the US, and I doubt it would even be seen by Italians zooming by. 

It was a fascinating trip with good friends. Can't wait for the next one.