Walking Tour of Padova

Aloha Everyone,

The medieval palaces, churches and arched city center represent historical Padova.  

In the morning, J.J. and I visited the Basilica of St Antony, Prato Della Valle and museums inside Palazzo Zimmerman.

A wonderful lunch at a restaurant where the handwritten menu gave us a large selection of vegetables and seafoods.

University of Padova, one of oldest, greatest and progressive learning institutions is associated with such illustrious individuals as Galileo, Petrarch, Copernicus and Dante. Current student body of 60,000 invigorates the city with their youthful energy.

The tasty, freshly roasted chestnuts we purchased from a vendor spoiled our dinner appetite, but they were delicious!  

No idea who was the white-haired and robust designer was, but we watched the ongoing outdoor fashion show at Caffé Pedricchi. Our dinner was at Breck. They advertise as "Fast Food" but a chef skillfully prepared dishes to our specification. 

Our impression of Padova is very positive. It is more relaxed, low-key, but definitely a dynamic university town amidst the medieval setting.

Aloha -- Cathi

Inspiring Giotto's Frescos in Cappella degli Scrovegni

Aloha Everyone,

One of the "must see in Padova" is Giotto's frescos in Cappella degli Scrovegni. Considered the turning point in European art, this was the break out from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the Renaissance.

J.J. and I purchased the Padova Pass which allows us to enter most of the museums and exhibits, and free rides on trams. However, as the most popular tourist destination in Padova, you need to get reservations to access the Scrovegni. Arriving early, we were invited to tour the Civic Museum. 

A 15 minutes video presentation on Giotto's frescos was followed by 15 minutes of viewing. Then the buzzer went off and our group of 25 were ushered out. The small groups is for humidity and temperature control. It allowed everyone time to enjoy and appreciate this amazing Giotto masterpiece. For me, they were more impressive and dramatic than what I studied in my art history classes.

The rest of the day we took it easy. J.J. and I enjoyed cappuccino at a little café in the town center; stopped at the fruit market to purchase some wonderful locally grown grapes; and buy additional supplies at a supermarket 

Most restaurants in Italy open from 12:00  noon to 3:00 pm for lunch. They reopen from 7:00 or 7:30 to 11:00 pm for dinner. Tonight we dined at our hotel's restaurant. Our warm appetizer of sardines cooked with onions; J.J.'s sea bream; and my grilled vegetables were excellent examples of sea coast Italian cuisine.

Aloha -- Cathi

Venezia, Revisited

Aloha Everyone,

Most museums in Italy are closed on Mondays. Therefore, we decided to revisit Venezia where the entire city is a historical, cultural and artistic experience.

In the Middle Ages, Venetians became Europe's most successful middlemen for East-West trade. It was a glorious, but a turbulent period for the city. Today Venezia has only 58,000 residents. The huge crowds are tourist.

According to geologists, Venezia  is sinking at the rate of 1-2 millimeters a year. This is mostly due to geological factors and compression of the land beneath the city. The bigger problem is "acqua alta" (high-water). It's frequency has increased from fewer than 10 times a year to more than 60 times a year.

High benches stacked in the Piazza San Marco are for aqua-alta serving as pedestrian walk-ways when the piazza gets flooded.

Venezia is one of those places you could visit hundred of times and always discover and learn something new.  

Aloha -- Cathi

Simple Everyday Italian Dishes

Aloha Everyone,

This morning, after a hearty breakfast at the B&B Hotel, we took a taxi and moved closer to the center of the city. For those of you who are interested, B&B Hotel is a chain which started in Brittaney, France in 1990. Today there are 252 sites in France as well as in Italy, Spain and Germany. Clean, spacious and modern rooms with free WiFi, breakfast, plus no penalty to cancel before 7:00 pm. J.J. and I made a mental note to book rooms directly on our next trip.

Our current accommodation at Hotel Al Cason is in the same category. After the train ride to Venice and long walks yesterday, J.J. declared " a rest day!"  

So it might be appropriate that at the half way point of our Italian adventure, today's blog is on the assortment of Italian dishes we have been enjoying.  

Aloha -- Cathi