Where have you been?

 Only everywhere, suitcase in hand, off to London, Brussels, Berlin, Athens, Tirana, Bucharest, Paris, Rome.... the list goes on. 

I’ve often thought if I got “grounded”, I would die. Welcome Covid 19. Welcome home. I didn’t die, I adapted surprisingly well. My big exciting trips are now to Asolo or Venice. I guess it’s a preview of retirement, only I thought that would mean stepping up my travel, not slamming on the brakes.

Living one day at a time. No long term plans. Tomorrow is enough.

The kiss on the bridge

Valentines day. The old bridge. A group kiss.
I'm up for it. It was scheduled for 9:00.
I showed up at quarter to 9 to find about 10 people wandering around on the bridge and a group of drummers for a bit of background music.
Another washout, I thought... so I went for a beer up the hill to wait until 9.
OK, 5 to 9.
Chapstick: check
Camera: check
Glasses: check
Ok, lets roll.
At this point there were about 50 or so on the bridge and the wooden columns were adorned with heart shaped balloons.
A woman was dressed in a rainbow colored chador..( ok...)
and someone was trying to get something organised.
So when do we kiss?

My Bassano del Grappa

I was not born here, but I have lived here since 1990. I don't know if that makes me an honorary citizen yet, but I love my town. I will be here to tell you what it's like to live the true Bassano del Grappa experience.

The first thing you have to know about is the "Ponte Vecchio" the old covered bridge designed by Andrea Palladio back in 1569; it's been rebuilt dozens of times. This bridge is the symbol of the town and it's pulsing heart.

The second thing you need to know is Nardini. Nardini is the oldest grappa maker in the world, dating from 1779, and the old "grapperia" on the bridge is the traditional meeting point for all Bassanese.