Trip - Day 13

Saturday, June 11

We sleep in a little later than usual, and enjoy the extra rest. Then we're off to George's Yaris and we continue our drive over the Alps to Italy. We pause at another medieval town in Italy called Venzone. This small town is still a walled city, was devastated by an earthquake in 1976 and has rebuilt itself by actually placing each brick back in its original place. A few buildings remain in ruin as a reminder of that terrible time.  Brigitte takes time to shop in one of the towns Lavender emporiums.

From here we drive, and then lunch at Osteria di Villafredda. Once the farmhouse for a vineyard, and now a rustic yet elegant restaurant. After lunch we drive to Villa Manin, sprawling palace once used by Napoleon. We are disappointed to learn the magnificent gardens no longer exists.

Our next stop is Villa Zane, a bed and breakfast near the town of Treviso. Villa Zane's owner, Giacomo, greats warmly greets us. The building dates back to the 1500's, and the current family has owned it since the early 1800's. Great detail has been placed in the rooms here. My room is a comfortable 3-room suite with a bedroom, modern bathroom and sitting room, and everything is extremely cozy and clean. Outside there is a veranda with comfortable seating, and a large manicured yard. 

Once we settle in, we head off to the nearby town of Treviso for dinner. Brigitte's guides us through the busy town, where people outnumber the cars. Many of the buildings are designed with porticoes allowing pedestrians the ability to walk with overhead shelter. the architecture is similar to Venice. This is a very popular town for young and old alike. Many restaurants and shops are found among the old buildings. This walled in city dates back to Roman times 89 BC. It is the home to Benetton and DeLonghi, and was under Venetian rule, then later under French rule (Napoleon) and then part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, and 1866 back to Italian domain. We have a lovely dinner, and stroll over to the Domo afterward. We had limited time for photos inside because a service was just starting.

We head back to our rooms and ready for the big day to come.