Perfect day in Vicenza

I hope today’s entry doesn’t disappear, and then appear in both forms twice…the mysteries of the internet…anyway, here’s hoping! We have had a lovely time today - the weather prediction was correct and we didn’t even take umbrellas with us for the day excursion to Vicenza. Got a train at 10.10am…we had to skip breakfast at our favourite place downstairs as it was so busy and the train only goes every hour, so we hotfooted it to the station and had a 45 min train ride to Vicenza. We haven’t been there together since our very first trip in 1987. It is a lovely town with a Roman history and very famous for the wonderful buildings designed by Palladio, the famous architect of the 1700s…full of arches, columns and huge palaces. We bought a ticket which would take us to 4 sites…the first and probably most impressive was the Teatro Olimpico - an absolute amazing theatre designed by Palladio (but finished after his death) and built in the shape of an amphitheatre which had originally been there…it has a permanent set made for the original play performed - Oedipus Rex - with intricate buildings, streets and statues - and perspective…

Then we went into several galleries, all in these enormous buildings (we got plenty of exercise ascending to the upper floors - each level the equivalent of about 3 normal ones!).. so it was all good and fun…when we were galleried out we sat in the main piazza and had a break. We had had coffee, and I had juice and a croissant when we first arrived, so the chips and nuts they always provide with drinks were welcome, and on the way to the station we had another break while waiting for the train.

Lovely arriving back in Venice after a day trip, with no baggage! The train both ways was full of people lugging bags and we felt carefree. The train just goes from Venice to Verona, via Padua and Vicenza, and back, but being Saturday there were so many people…

Now back and relaxed. Amr has gone off to the laundromat to do our accumulated washing as we have time before our booking at a La Rivetta at 9 o’clock. So I am relaxing with my feet up and looking forward to dinner (where we went on the first night - our favourite)!Read more