Who Needs Romeo When There's Grappa?

We took our time leaving Verona on Friday morning. We visited the Castel Vecchio and its stunning bridge, had one last view of the old city, and attempted to get gelato before our 12:30pm train (I say "attempted" because stupid gelato shops open at 12pm, and we didn't want to miss our train).

We arrived in Bassano del Grappa in the late afternoon, and met our friends at the station. After checking into our apartment, we strolled Bassano in the early evening. I have to say: Bassano del Grappa is a tiny slice of perfection. It's small, but stunning. The picturesque little piazzas are filled with both gorgeous medieval architecture, and locals happily drinking Aperol Spritzes. The town's 16th century Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) and castle feel so perfectly Italian and scenic that it's hard to remember they're real, and not theme park re-creations.

There aren't many tourists in Bassano del Grappa- it's a bit remote and off the beaten path. The local community is so tight-knit that Nardini Distillery, Ponte Vecchio bridge's famous bar, will serve takeway glasses of apertivo to customers, who then wander away and walk along the bridge to enjoy their drinks. These customers are trusted to return those glasses, unbroken and unstolen, post-apertivo. Nobody steals the glassware, or hurls them off the bridge for funz. As a big-city dweller, I find this amazing. Let's be honest: In London, this bar would run out of glassware in one evening, and all of them would later be found shattered at the bottom of the river.

We had aperitivo with our friends at this famous (but tiny) bar. Nardini is one of Bassano's original grappa producers, and they also sell a top-secret liqueur called "Mezzo e Mezzo." It's apparently an apertivo of vermouth, bitters, and rhubarb grappa; it's also insanely delicious and perfect as a pre-dinner cocktail. (I say this as someone who had one cocktail. OK maybe two.)

We strolled to dinner at an osteria nearby, where I ate too much gnocchi and drank way too much table wine. While the food was not as impressive as Verona's Pane e Vino, it was still yet another Italian meal that I liked. Amazing!

I turned down dessert in favor of post-dinner gelato. But...during our late-night post-dinner walk back to the flat, I was once again thwarted. I say "thwarted" because stupid gelato shops CLOSE at 11pm. So, the score of Me Getting Gelato In My Mouth is Italy 2, Denise 0.

The hunt continues tomorrow. Czytaj więcej