Currywurst mit ketchup: Still in Veneto

Saturday 6th October

Back roads drive (just as stressful as the motorway but in a different way) to Villa Pisani on the Brenta River (canal really by this stage of its' course) in a town called Stra just out of Padua. The huge Venetion pile, built early 1700s, had an interesting history, was bought by Napoleon in the early 1800s ... original Pisani family had gambling issues. The next owners were the Habsburgs of Austria. Then in 1930s it was the site of a meeting between Hitler and Mussolini. The house was huge but the rooms were walkthrough only and very dark, so the frescos were hard to see. The rooms appeared to be furnished with left over chairs from 100 other Venetion villas, and just occasionally there was mention of a piece of furniture in the information provided, there were some v impressive chandeliers.. I wondered were they original to the house in any period? but no info was provided.
The garden also huge complete with follies in the distance, thick with statuary and and glasshouses for potted citrus to winter in - apparently a source of income at some stage in the history of the house.

Villa Pisani

Ceiling fresco of the Pisani family by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Folly in the garden, just a facade and bit of depth

Bathroom 1700s style

Very beautiful monochrome fresco byFranchesco Simonini

Statuary in the garden

Sunday 7th October

Lunch at Frank's cousin.... apparently her daughter is doing languages and wants to come to Aust.

Monday 8th October

Big uphill hike today to PriaFora. It is a hole - 5 metres in diameter- in the top of the Monte Novegno above Arsiero (the town in which we are staying). The hole is visible from the road approaching the town and its' claim to fame is that at certain times of the year, the sun shines through the hole and appears to be a bright light shining through the mountain below the crest. Well I didn't have the pleasure of the sight, sun is at the right angle in September, surfice to say I had the pleasure of a 5 hour footslog to approach the hole from the other side!