A little Italian roadtrip

This year in Bavaria in the month of June we were granted three long weekends so we decided to make the most out of two of them and take some road trips to neighboring countries Italy and France.  One of the coolest things about living in Munich is the close proximity to many other places...we are pretty much dab in the middle of Europe here, with the borders of France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Croatia (to name a few off of the top of my head) just a hop in the car away.

For the first long weekend we decided to drive down into Sud-Tirol through mountain roads, taking the long and slower route to our destination of Padua.  Below is a picture of a section of the Brenner Pass-an elevated highway through the mountains-sorry the picture is a little rough, but at the speeds they drive over here a shot was hard to capture!

So, off to Italy we go.  First to Trento where we booked a room in an old palace and had a little wine and a few snacks to relax before dinner.

You have to love Italy...they always bring you snacks when you have a little wine or cocktail.  Drinking is mostly done paired with eating, so they always provide you with a lovely little nibble.  I adore the presentation in the little silver serving dishes perched over doilies...very refined, no?

We had left a very cloudy day behind in Munich, and woke to this beautiful view from our hotel room's little patio.  Some serious majestic view...

After a quick trip into Trento, we were on our way headed south...but a few pics of Trento and the gorgeous frescoes that decorate the buildings.....

From Trento, we put the GPS on "alternate route" and wound our way toward Padua via two-lane mountainous roads.  Since we weren't in any hurry to get anywhere, this was perfect and provided us gorgeous views of the scenery.

In Padua we walked the city and lounged at cafes.  We visited the Cappella degli Scrovegni, a small chapel built by a son of a Usury-a man who lent money with exorbitant interest payments attached-to pay for his sins and to, he hoped, free his father from purgatory which is where all Usuries went to repent their sins on Earth.

There was some interesting art surrounding the chapel, but we couldn't take photos inside.  Here is the Wikipedia page so you can get a look at it (or a full sized reproduction in Japan, which is a little weird-but it gives you an idea).

Padua is the home of the oldest Universities in Europe, dating back 800 years or more.  It tends to be overshadowed by the other Italian cities that are close...Venice and Florence.  But, it is worth the trip to see it on its own.

We had a few sunny days here and decided to hop over to Venice for one of the afternoons.  The train ride from Padua cost us 3 euros one way and took about 25 minutes.  So easy and affordable!  This was a big decision for us...we have not been back to Venice since the very first time the Hub and I traveled there while we were dating.  I always say that this was the trip where we found out that we could really be together...traveling is an important step in a relationship, and during that trip he woo-ed me with a hotel on the grand canal.  It was a perfect trip, with a huge harvest moon that illuminated the corridors and waterways.  It was, in a word, perfect.  I had been reluctant to return-I didn't want to break the spell that Venice had cast over us...but we had a sunshiney day and we decided to take the trip. 

What a different (and equally lovely) city that met us!  The first time we went in October...warm days, cool nights.  This time, we felt the direct heat of the sun and saw the throngs of tourists that we had escaped  on our first and not during prime time visit.  Bustling, busy and thriving...what a nice compliment to our first encounter without overshadowing it....

How can you not gush about Venice?  We caught a late train back to Padua and were headed back to Munich the next day...but not before I found my favorite velvet espadrilles and snatched up this lovely rose colored pair!

Arrivederci, Italy....we'll be back soon!