Venice Day 2 - Discovering the Hill Towns of Veneto. 2

It's not just all about Venice, so today we booked a tour out to the Veneto
hill towns. With a big smile and that Italian charm, Marco was waiting for
us as we exited the terminal.
Our first stop was medieval Marostica. Walled and cobbled stoned like so
many of these small Italian villages. Overlooked by a castle high on the
hill with a wall that reminds you of China. In the square, a giant chess
board permanently laid out, where the famous living game of chess is played
every two years. Real people and real horses are used in this game that
revolves around the legend where the fate of one young lady was decided by
its outcome.
Walking across a magnificent Palladian bridge we entered the beautiful town
of Bassano del Grappa. A street market was in full swing in the middle of
the square, surrounded by beautiful buildings, with frescoes still visible
on their outer walls. True to its name, we visited a small Grappa museum,
where you were rewarded at the end with a tasting. Honey, blueberry,
chocolate and coffee, an array of flavours that seem to take the edge of the
normally sharp taste of Grappa.
Asolo was Marco's choice for lunch. On his recommendation, we ate at
Ristorante Cornaro, and what an excellent choice it was. Garry and I shared
a "White Pizza", delicious with its's cheese filled base and it spicy cheesy
topping. Backed up with a lovely crisp salad and washed down a jug of
Prosecco.
We visited Villa Barbaro, one of Palladio's most celebrated works. Like a
Roman Temple it stands high on a hill overlooking its vineyards. But it was
the beautiful frescoes that adorn the walls that take your breath away. The
only down side is that you can't take pictures, which for me always taints a
visit a little bit. So, I guess Mr Google will have to take care of those
pictures.
Our day finished driving around the green rolling hills of the prosecco wine
region. Stunning views of terraced slopes thickly planted with grape vines
and beautiful stone villas that dot the country side. We stopped at
Ca'Salina for a taste of their award-winning prosecco, Italy's answer to
champagne.
Well I can't tell you much about the drive home, as I slept most of the
way.. The grappa and prosecco made sure of that.