Next on Alex's list was Vicenza. We knew that the Villa La Rotonda was on the outskirts of the city but we wanted to Poladio's city and opted for the city centre tour. W e parked in the car park in the Camperstop book that also allowed an overnight stay, although we intended to move on that afternoon. The cost of €7.70 covered the motorhome (without an overnight stay) and a bus pass for up to 5 people for 24 hours – very reasonable, we thought. We caught the bus in to the town and were surprised to find that we were at the other side of the town in no time. The reason for this became apparent later – we were not in the car park that we thought we were from the Fodor Italy Guide map.
The Italians (and / or the EU?) must be investing a fortune in renovating and cleaning historical buildings and some of the Vicenza buildings were receiving the treatment. Palazzo della Ragione in the Piazza dei Signori was such a case but it was very scruffy and will look fantastic when the work has been completed – make a note to see it in 2008 or 2009. We visited the Teatro Olimpico and were complete taken by it. As you will see from the photographs, the stage is amazing with its permanent backdrop of streets and the many statues. We were delighted to find that the entrance ticket allowed us entry to 5 other buildings including the civic museum (also Paladio's Palazzo Chiericati ), the archaeological museum and the Palazzo Leoni Montanari. We were are to pay all of these a visit even if they were briefer than we would have liked.
Although we concentrated on the Paladio buildings, we thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the city and there are many beautiful buildings by architects other than Paladio.
We got horribly lost on the way back to the (wrong) car park but eventually realised our mistake and arrived back safe and sound, but tired and hungry, at Henrietta.
After a very late lunch we set of for Lake Garda and Camping Amici di Lazise. The motorway was the quickest way to get there but the number of lorries on the route made it less pleasant. This motorway along the northern Adriatic coast is a very important trade route and the number of lorries of every nationality (except British) is quite incredible.
We arrived at dusk at the campsite and, as normal at this time of the year, had our choice of pitch. The campsite is small (unusual for Lake Garda, which has many huge campsites) and must be very crowded in the summer.
A great culinary success was had in the evening. We had so enjoyed the Radiccho Risotto that we had in Treviso and I wanted to try to recreate the dish. The Treviso Tourist Board had published a recipe in their leaflet "Wines and Flavours" and, although, it missed out a vital measure (the quantity of liquid), by combining it with a different recipe in Italian on the rice packet, I was able to cook it. It really was very good, not quite as good as the Treviso restaurant but that was almost certainly down to the lack of good stock. I will certainly cook it again but I suspect that it will have to be in Italy as I will struggle to find radicchio in the UK.
Photos: Teatro Olimpico stage; and arena; Palazzo Chiericati ceiling showing Phaethon and his chariot – the sharp-eyed amongst you will spot that the horses are stallions and that Phaethon's style of dress is similar to kilted Scotsmen!; Roman sandal in the Vicenza archaeological museum.
The Italians (and / or the EU?) must be investing a fortune in renovating and cleaning historical buildings and some of the Vicenza buildings were receiving the treatment. Palazzo della Ragione in the Piazza dei Signori was such a case but it was very scruffy and will look fantastic when the work has been completed – make a note to see it in 2008 or 2009. We visited the Teatro Olimpico and were complete taken by it. As you will see from the photographs, the stage is amazing with its permanent backdrop of streets and the many statues. We were delighted to find that the entrance ticket allowed us entry to 5 other buildings including the civic museum (also Paladio's Palazzo Chiericati ), the archaeological museum and the Palazzo Leoni Montanari. We were are to pay all of these a visit even if they were briefer than we would have liked.
Although we concentrated on the Paladio buildings, we thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the city and there are many beautiful buildings by architects other than Paladio.
We got horribly lost on the way back to the (wrong) car park but eventually realised our mistake and arrived back safe and sound, but tired and hungry, at Henrietta.
After a very late lunch we set of for Lake Garda and Camping Amici di Lazise. The motorway was the quickest way to get there but the number of lorries on the route made it less pleasant. This motorway along the northern Adriatic coast is a very important trade route and the number of lorries of every nationality (except British) is quite incredible.
We arrived at dusk at the campsite and, as normal at this time of the year, had our choice of pitch. The campsite is small (unusual for Lake Garda, which has many huge campsites) and must be very crowded in the summer.
A great culinary success was had in the evening. We had so enjoyed the Radiccho Risotto that we had in Treviso and I wanted to try to recreate the dish. The Treviso Tourist Board had published a recipe in their leaflet "Wines and Flavours" and, although, it missed out a vital measure (the quantity of liquid), by combining it with a different recipe in Italian on the rice packet, I was able to cook it. It really was very good, not quite as good as the Treviso restaurant but that was almost certainly down to the lack of good stock. I will certainly cook it again but I suspect that it will have to be in Italy as I will struggle to find radicchio in the UK.
Photos: Teatro Olimpico stage; and arena; Palazzo Chiericati ceiling showing Phaethon and his chariot – the sharp-eyed amongst you will spot that the horses are stallions and that Phaethon's style of dress is similar to kilted Scotsmen!; Roman sandal in the Vicenza archaeological museum.
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