Bassano del Grappa

One of our most special days so far, confirming that travel is enriched by the people we meet along to way. We were invited to stay with Alina, a young Italian lady we met on the Camino at our retreat in Rabanal. Although we were only together for a short time (2 nights) she and Jane connected immediately. She had to stay there for a week while she recovered from tendonitis and now believes she was meant to be there as she was able to spend days with the priests and brothers to help deal with the recent loss of loved ones. We met again briefly when she arrived in Santiago which was such lucky timing as we had just returned from our bicycle trip.

On our way from Bergamo to Bassano, we stopped for a walk,, an ice cream and lunch at Largo de Garda, a huge lake surrounded in the north by mountains. It is a very popular Italian summer holiday spot.

It was lovely arriving at Alina’s home to a warm welcome. We set off for a walk to her home town where she acted as the walking tour guide while we shared Camino stories. We had an aperitif (one of those things the Italians do that we have embraced) with her mother and sister on on of the main squares of the town. We then walked home for a shower before heading off into the mountains to one of her favourite restaurants which was just like in the movies. We ate the most delicious, authentic Italian meal as the sun set …

The next morning was raining lightly so we had a slow start before finishing the guided tour walk. One of the favourite stops was her favourite ice cream place where her cousins works. It’s hard to keep,describing the food but wow, you could actually taste the fruit in the sorbet and I had a cassata like never before. We did some food shopping and then went home for lunch.

Ok, now the food Alina made for us …. It was wonderful to experience how important food is in their culture. When we arrived she offered us a drink served with strawberries in a juice. Then after a rest and before heading out she gave us a tart she had made with her own homemade orange jam / marmalade. In the morning for breakfast we had toast with her homemade marmalade, fruit and muesli and then another tart. And then before leaving she made a “quick 2 course lunch” with beans and a caprese salad and then pasta with a homemade tomato sauce. All this in less than 24 hours but it was her way of inviting us into her home and feeling welcome.Read more