Bassano del Grappa

We were awake this morning at 6:30am. Not because we wanted to but because the people next to us in the VW campervan were up early and had to open all there doors to start cooking outside in the rain. To top it off they had a kid that kept on shouting and whistling and running around Wanda.
It was still raining and had been all night, it was a proper miserable day outside and to top it off our new Wi-Fi aerial that I had fitted last year had sprung a leak and we had water coming through the ceiling into the cupboard.
By 9am we were both dressed. Ellie had, had her shower and now the inside was just as damp as outside so I googled where we could find a B&Q like store and found a Eurobrico 6 miles away and we decided to head there whilst it was still raining to get the stuff I needed to get the Wi-Fi aerial off and reseal it once the rain stopped.
I really needed WD40 as this makes silicone rubber just peel off and was so surprised they had it. Then we found some silicone flexi sealant but had to improvise on a spanner because they didn’t have one big enough and opted for plumbers pliers instead. Then we headed back to the Motorhome park up. The roads were more like rivers than roads and the river we crossed over was an absolute torrent of raging white water.
Back at the park up it was now midday and it was still chucking it down. Our neighbours in the campervan had left and in place of them was a German campervan. Luckily our end space was still available so we could back it in and still have the curtains open on my side of Wanda.
We had lunch of Wanda toasties and put the tv on and then just chilled in Wanda for a few hours.
Finally, just before 3pm the rain finally stopped and the cloud abated and blue skies appeared. Infact if the ground wasn’t wet it looked like a summers day outside.
Taking our chance to explore, we left Wanda and headed right out of the Motorhome park up and straight away we were at the rampart walls of the old city. These ramparts run for 2 miles and have 24 towers built in and go from the lower castle at ground level, 150 meters up the hillside to the upper castle. It was erected in the late 13th century and except for the odd repair it is all original and when it’s open you can walk the entirety of it.
At the ramparts we turned left and then went under the archway of one of the towers and into the town square. In the Center of the town square is the human chess board made of red and white marble. And at the other end of the chess board is the lower castle itself.
Posters for the next human chess games were dotted around and they are being held next September but the stage is being set up already and there were giant TV’s dotted around showing past games. It really does look amazing.
After taking some photos we headed into the lower castle paying €8 each. The castle is 14th century and mostly original except for some parts that have been rebuilt since WW2. This lower castle plays as the backdrop for the human chess games and houses all of clothing worn by the actors. They are all based on original 14th century clothing and to make the games happen over 500 extra people are needed not including backstage production staff or the horses involved. All of the weapons used are original. It really is a fantastic sight and we hope one day to be able to come back and watch it.
After the castle we headed out of the square to the old 13th century church. We love looking around European churches and the artwork in an Italian church really is unrivalled.
From that church we went to another older church that used to be part of an old 12th century friary and here we picked up the panoramic pathway to the upper castle.
The path leading up the 150 meter hillside is unbelievably steep and is made up solely of flint cobblestones. We were actually surprised it was even open. Treacherous wasn’t the word and none of it was level and we were slipping going up.
At the top we arrived at the upper castle which is closed for the season and to our disappointment the view from the top was crap so we turned around and headed back down trying not to break our necks.
Back at ground level it had now just gone 5pm and we took a slow walk back to Wanda through the beautiful Italian side streets looking at all the old houses.
Back at Wanda it was drying out and I got the stuff we had brought from Eurobrico earlier and climbed on the roof and cut away the sealant on the Wi-Fi aerial. Then removing the aerial I gave the roof a good soaking in WD40 left it for a couple of minutes and then scraped it clean with a knife. Then I dried it with kitchen roll and reapplied the silicone binding agent to the base of the aerial and reseated it. Then I climbed off the roof and did the bolt back up with the plumbers pliers and then went back to the roof to run my finger around the seal. It looks like a good job and providing it doesn’t rain tonight it should seal and dry nicely.
At 6pm Ellie made dinner and then we both decided to get in our pyjamas early and just watch crap in our phones until 8pm and then we put the tv on and chilled out for the rest of the evening. This is another free night, so far we haven’t paid for any park ups. The challenge now is can we complete the trip for free?Read more