Jaunts around Italy
Thanks to my brother's passion for the 16th century Italian architect, Palladio, Andrew and I and our two sons were invited last summer to join Steve in Italy to celebrate his 50th birthday. Being an architect and urban designer his idea of celebrating in style was to rent a restored Palladian villa, Villa Saraceno, for two weeks. Th
e villa slept sixteen, so Steve and his family and my parents stayed for two weeks and our family of four and various friends stayed for either the first or second week. This meant two birthday parties for Steve!
Because Villa Saraceno was booked far in advance we were able to find great deals on flights (just over $400 for Andrew and me and the boys flying on EasyJet out of Gatwick to Venice San Marco) and on car rental so we decided to extend our Italian vacation to include a week in the Northern Lakes Region.
We flew into San Marco Airport and drove about two hours west of Venice to Noventa Vicentina. We stopped here for a quick lunch and we found a typical Italian trattoria where, for just Euros 38 for the four of us, we enjoyed a basic but very tasty Italian meal in a room filled with locals-mostly Italian men on their lunch break. It was an authentic Italian experience! There are plenty of these small eateries tucked away where you least expect to find them and worth seeking out if you want to experience the real Italy.
VILLA SARACENO
After lunch we drove to Villa Saraceno at Finale, just south of Vicenza, and were amazed at how gorgeous the place was. Because the villa was never completed, this one, unlike other Palladian structures, is asymmetrical in design. We learned that Villa Saraceno (http://www.thebigdomain.com/search.php?propertyid=59) sat empty for a number of years and then was bought and restored by the UK-based Landmark Trust (www.landmarktrust.org.uk).
The Trust still owns and manages the property. The more historical parts of the villa are open to the public for two hours every Wednesday afternoon during the summer so, at that time, the current renters are asked to make themselves scarce.
Villa Saraceno sleeps only sixteen and the Land-mark Trust is rigid about this. My only complaint was that the villa has no swimming pool.
VERONA
With such spectacular accommodations, however, we would have been happy to just hang out at the villa and listen to the cicadas sing but it's close to so much Italian art and history that we took acouple of side treks.
Our first stop was Verona (www.verona.com), the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. We first visited the Piazza Bra and its magnificent Roman architecture, home of Verona's famous July/Aug opera season. Entering Piazza Bra we were surrounded by towering sets from the opera Aida and we envied those who had tickets to one of the performances. Check the Verona web site and book ahead if you're an opera buff.
Our next stop was Casa di Giulietta, Juliet's house, on via Cappello. Popular myth indicates that the spectacular balcony was the one Romeo climbed. History disagrees, but the setting is so utterly romantic that it's more fun to believe the story! My favorite part was the entranceway with its thick walls covered in love graffiti and love notes stuck on with chewing gum. Everyone seems to get caught up in the romance of it all. Very close to Casa de Giulietta is th e Piazza dell'Erbe, a rather tacky market place. It's worth wandering through the market, however, and then through the Arco della Costa to reach the picturesque and elegant Piazza dei Signori, a real hidden treasure.
VICENZA
If you're a fan of Palladio and his buildings, the city of Vicenza and it surroundings offer many examples of Palladian architecture, the most spectacular of which is La Rotonda (http://ville.inews.it/erotonda.htm), 5 Euros. It is breathtaking in its design and symmetry.
PADUA
My favorite local city, however, was Padua, which, although small, offers spectacular art and architecture as well as some great shopping. A highlight was visiting the chapel Musei Civici Cappella Degli Scrovegni (http://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/). Located in the Giardini dell'Arena, on the Corso Garibaldi, the chapel features Giotto's famous 14th century frescoes that illustrate the lives of Mary and Christ. Although you are allowed only 15 minutes to view the frescoes (following a 15-minute waiting period when the air is neutralized to protect the artwork), the chapel is worth the wait. You need to book ahead, especially in high season (12 Euros; arrive 20 minutes early).
For something similar that's cheaper and less time-consuming and, frankly, almost as spectacular, for just Euro 2.50 you can visit the Battistero del Duomo di Padova. Here you can enjoy a cool, peaceful, and relaxed viewing of the stunning Affreschi di Giusto de'Menabuoi. The Duomo is also surrounded by neat cafes were you can sit and people-watch to your heart's content.
HEAD for the HILLS
Taking a break from city touring we spent a day driving into the hills around Finale starting at the peaceful monastery and war memorial at Monte della Madonna near Teolo. From here we continued to the enormous Benedictine Abbey, Abbazia Benedettina, at Praglia, where you can buy local wine. For lunch we went to Trattoria Baiamonte near Castelnuovo, discovered and recommended by brother Steve. The owner and chef, Tomaso, provides a spectacular meal served with Italian charm.
PASS the PASTA
One of the added extras not mentioned in our Villa Saraceno brochure is the opportunity to have meals cooked for you by the villa's housekeeper, Elisabetta, and her husband Fabio. The couple lives in an apartment next to the villa and they will, with 24 hours notice, cook an evening meal for your party in the villa's kitchen. Elisabetta and Fabio presented us with a wonderful homemade four- course meal for less than Euros 20 per person. Wine is also available at a reasonable price. We were so enthusiastic about the couple's pasta that they offered to give us a lesson in how to make this, and also pasta sauce, the Italian way. For a nominal fee, and a few hours the following afternoon, we enjoyed a professional, and fun lesson in making pasta and pasta sauce!
NORTH to the LAKES and MALCESINE
Having enjoyed a glorious week with Steve and family and friends basking in Italian culture and in a spectacular setting, we reluctantly packed our family of four and headed north to the lakes region. After a two-hour drive on the autostrade we crested Passo S. Giovanni and enjoyed our first scenic view of Lake Garda, our home for the n
ext week. The town of Malcesine, located lakeside and at the foot of Monte Baldo, was chosen to cater to son Morgan's love of going up and down mountains.
I found the Villa Stellina apartments online (www.villastellina.it) and our host, Signora Franca Zeni, welcomed us to her family run complex, which consists of three apartments. Each offers underground parking, lakeside views, andaccess to the above-ground swimming pool and barbecue facilities. For just Euro 92 per night, plus Euro 36 for final cleaning costs, we enjoyed basic but comfortable accommodations just a ten minute walk from the center of town, the cable car, and Lake Garda. We thought it a great deal and perfect for our two active boys. Lake Garda is so popular with German-speaking tourists that most restaurant menus in Malcesine are in both Italian and German. The cable TV channels were almost entirely German.
Lake Garda is probably best known as a world class wind-surfing and sailing destination because of the predictable winds. The surfers and sailors appear in the early morning and late afternoon when the winds are strongest and the surfing at its most challenging. It was thrilling for the boys and Andrew and I to watch as they spun and raced on the crests of the waves with the winds.
LIMONE
Lake Garda itself is vast and you can drive around it in a day but, if you do, you won't have time to stop often along the way. The area offers plenty of choices for entertaining two culture-saturated young boys. Our first excursion was taking a ferry across the lake to the picturesque village of Limone. The boys had fun getting fake tattoos and we found the most enormous lemons. It's a pretty village and we wandered off the tourist track to find some of its hidden treasures. Limone has a market on the first and third Tuesday of each month Otherwise, there's good shopping but it's fairly pricey. I found the markets a much better value. The roundtrip ferry ride (7.50/6 Euros) from Malcesine to Limone takes 20 minutes each way.
MONTE BALDO
Our next excursion was riding the nearby cable car up Monte Baldo (www.funiviedelbaldo.it/eng/malcesine.asp) and with the hot weather in Malcesine we enjoyed the cool alpine breezes as well as the high elevation views. We also enjoyed another round of gelati before again climbing aboard the cable car. At the halfway station we hopped off the cable car and walked down the rest of the way via the Strada Panoramica winding down the long route. We stopped for a welcome al fresco lunch at an elegant little roadside bar, Ristorante Bellavista.
After our cable car adventure we and the two boys decided on a change of pace taking in a theme park called Movieland, which is part of Canevaworld (www.canevaworld.it) near the southern point of Lake Garda. The boys enjoyed a number of rides such as Rambo, ScoobyDoo, Powerpuff Girls, and Terminator. A family ticket (price depends on the height of the children) gave us the option of a second day free on the same ticket. Food was basic theme park fare but with an Italian accent.
THE BEAR NECESSITIES
The next day we headed for the Dolomites to soak up more Italian mountain scenery. The drive took us up past the town of Riva del Garda, past a lovely turquoise lake called Tenno, and through meandering mountain passes and alpine meadows. We motored past hundreds of puffing cyclists to the lakeside town of Molveno where we bought panini and fries from a big lunch truck. We enjoyed our picnic next to the deep blue lake and son Morgan convinced us that our appetites were sharpened by the pure mountain air.
From Molveno we drove higher into the Dolomites to our destination, a bear sanctuary, Spormaggiore Trentino Area Faunistica. The two-acre sanctuary is home to a handful of brown bears and is expanding significantly. The entrance fee is minimal and a great little gift shop supplies all your bear needs.
The next morning Andrew took the two boys on a longer ferry ride from Malcesine to Riva del Garda and I used the morning to wander around Malcesine's Saturday market. I found plenty of leather products, ceramics, and gifts.
Our last day was spent on the water. First, we ferried over to Riva del Garda and rented pedalos for just Euro 8 per hour for the four of us. We peddled our small crafts out to test the iciness of the lake's water. Our two boys jumped in and out of the icy water very quickly and discovered how fast their lips turned blue. Andrew and I swam later in nearby Lake Tenno and then we enjoyed a tasty pasta meal at Ristorante Mama Giosi.
VENICE
The next day we packed up and said goodbye to Malcesine and Lake Garda and drove back to the Venice area. We had found a hotel about five minutes from San Marco Airport, Hotel Altieri (www.altierivenice.it) in Mestre, which allowed us to use public transportation into Venice. We caught Bus 4 for just 1 Euro per person, riding into the Piazzale Roma. From there we caught the Tragetto into the heart of Venice and walked from the Lido to Piazza San Marco.
Andrew and I wanted the boys to see as many highlights of the city as possible in order to entice them to want to return some day.
We fed the pigeons in Piazza San Marco, we took photos of the boys in front of the Bridge of Sighs, and then we looked for the best deal on a gondola ride. For 80 Euros (expect to pay between 80 and 100 Euros) we had the traditional 45-minute tour of the central Venice canals. Our gondolier didn't sing but he was the son-in-law of one of Venice's four remaining gondola-builders. He provided us with a fascinating history of the Venice gondolas.
The four of us then wandered around the city until we found a quiet piazza that wasn't overcrowded with tourists. We settled in here for a leisurely al fresco meal at twilight while being serenaded by wandering musicians. Yes, our visit to Venice couldn't have been more clichéd but the four of us enjoyed it immensely.
A PALLADIAN FAREWELL
On our last day in Italy we drove north of Venice into the mountains to visit one of Italy's most scenic spots, the village of Asolo at the foot of the Dolomites. Asolo was so beloved by poet Robert Browning that the townspeople named a street after him. We enjoyed a traditional Italian lunch at the Ristorante Due Mori in the Piazza D'Annunzio where our choice of drinks was a jug of water or a jug of wine. We also browsed the open-air bookstore on the main piazza and then drove to the nearby town of Maser to visit another of Palladio's famous buildings, the Villa Barbaro. This spectacular work of architecture we thought was a fitting end to our family's Italian holiday. No doubt about it, one visit to Italy and you're hooked.
Next stop: Sardinia. ...Stay tuned!
-- Marjie Thorne lives in Britain with her husband and two boys. She has been a freelance writer for the past 15 years.
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