Azaleas brighten Piazza Garibaldi with a pop of red — Padova, Italy.

At Piazza dei Frutti, we're surprised to see a market in full swing — Padova, Italy.

The market continues over at Piazza delle Erbe ... on the other side of Palazzo della Ragione.

Fruit and vegetables galore at the market ... Piazza delle Erbe — Padova, Italy.

Architectural detail from Palazzo delle Debite ... Piazza delle Erbe — Padova, Italy.

Casa di Ezzelino .... once the residence of the tyrant Ezzelino di Romano — Padova, Italy.

Rock Pigeon ... this one kept shooing away other birds that wanted to perch on the railing — Padova.

Tobiolo Fountain (by Amieto Sartori) @ Piazzetta della Garzeria — Padova, Italy.

Like Bologna, this city also has porticos — Padova, Italy.

A cart filled with hydrangeas — Padova, Italy.

Café Pedrocchi; opened in 1831, it's a combo of neoclassical and gothic revival styles.

Cappella degli Scrovegni at the Arena Romana, which is a beautiful park these days — Padova.

Sculptures on the grounds of the Musei Civici Eremitani — Padova, Italy.

Inner gate at Palazzo Mantua Benavides, which is now a hotel — Padova, Italy.

Charming streetscape on Via Porciglia — Padova, Italy.

Looking up Via Porciglia — Padova, Italy.

Mural on Via Pietro d'Abano — Padova, Italy.

Antique door on a side street — Padova, Italy.

Nighttime stroll ... Palazzo Moroni, the municipal palace — Padova, Italy.

Nighttime stroll ... Palazzo della Ragione from Piazza delle Erbe — Padova, Italy.

Nighttime stroll ... Piazza dei Signori with the Torre dell'Orologio at the far end — Padova, Italy.

Nighttime stroll ... Chiesa di San Clemente on Piazza dei Signori — Padova, Italy.

Reliving memories from our 2015 Rome trip with gelato from the gelateria we went to there — Padova.

Padova: Street Photography

April 23 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

We prefer not to tie ourselves down to timed tickets, but my research into things to see and do in Padova — and the suggestion from our host to make sure we pre-book the Cappella degli Scrovegni — had us re-thinking our go-with-the-flow strategy for our getaway.

In the end, today turned out to be a combination of planned and unplanned activities. The next few days will likely fold out in the same manner.

With two timed appointments on today’s schedule — one this morning and one tonight — we set off from the apartment shortly after 9:00a to explore Padova. It was a beautiful day … sunshine and blue skies, but a bit chilly to start. It warmed up quickly enough, however … in less than an hour our jackets were off and in the lightweight backpack we had brought along just for that purpose.

We strolled along streets and piazzas in the Centro Storico — crowded and noisy … lots of student groups visiting the city; we sought respite on streets off-the-beaten-path and in peaceful, quiet parks; we visited grand palazzos; we climbed 190 steps to check out aerial views of the city; we had a delicious lunch in an obscure osteria; we wandered the exhibits at two museums; we visited a chapel and a church; and we went for a nighttime stroll … mostly so we could wrap up our day with delicious gelato.

Yes, it was a packed day … with lots of wear and tear on our feet.

I will write separate footprints for each of the places where we spent any appreciable amount of time throughout the day. In the meantime, here are some of the things we saw on the streets and squares we wandered today.Read more