Author Archives: wpadmin

Scaling the Marmolada by Via Ferrata, Italy, 9-2014

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Once a year I get together with three of my cousins and a couple of friends and scale a mountain, preferably one with a glacier where we also have to climb a bit. This year’s choice was the Marmolada, the queen of the Dolomiti mountains in Northern Italy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmolada). We chose the highest of the five summits on the ridge, the Punta Penia. We drove to our starting point near the town of Canazei. The area is called South Tyrol, it was the site of heavy mountain combat in World War I (http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/marmolada.htm). After hiking for an hour and a half we reached our beautiful hut for the night, the Rifugio Contrin (http://www.rifugiocontrin.it). After a good night’s sleep we started our tour and reached the “Forcella Marmolada” in a couple of hours.

Marmolada1

That was where the real fun began. A “via ferrata” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_ferrata) is an “iron path” that leads up the steep rock face. We all brought a via ferrata kit which served to attach the climber to the metal cable. Every few yards one has to disconnect the carabiners one at a time to continue to the next rock joint. This enabled us to scale the steep rock face that would otherwise have been impossible to climb. Below you can see the entire course starting at the bottom right.

Marmolada Westgrat Klettersteig

 

Two hours later we reached the end of the via ferrata and the beginning of the glacier. Here we took out our crampons, attached three people to one climbing rope for protection against falling into a crevasse, and marched to the peak.

Marmolada

We then descended along the glacier, on the diagram above on the bottom left. An antique single person lift then took us to the bottom of the valley. It was a fantastic two day tour!

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Celts, Salt and Skulls in Hallstatt, Austria, 8-2014

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The aged surface of the skull was intricately painted with tendrils of ivy and flowers adorning the precious piece. Details from its past life were carefully scribed in old German with a Maltese Cross placed just above the vacant eyes that gazed forever into eternity. Who was this person who had inhabited this skull? And who were the others that rested in the small room below the St. Michaels Church overlooking Hallstatt Lake in Austria. This candlelit ossuary has been the resting place for many of the former residents of the small town with over 700 painted skulls and 500 undecorated ones that have been carefully arranged in family groupings. This unique collection of skulls in the Beinhaus (Bonehouse) is the largest of its kind in the world representing a long tradition of the Hallstatt people in honoring their dearly departed in this unique manner.

 

The charming village called “the Pearl of Austria” occupies a narrow space between the steep granite faces of the Dachstein mountains and Hallstatt Lake. The emerald waters plunge to 126 meters and runs 5.9 kilometers long making it a popular destination for scuba diving. Its depths is home to a aquatic treasure the Reinanke fish that is found here and in only one other lake in the region and makes for some delicious eating.

Soaring peaks preside over this idyllic setting and hold another hidden cache of wealth deep inside the cavities of the dark stone. Hallstatt is the site of the earliest known salt mine in the world and this valued white mineral has been mined here since 5000 BC. The area in and around Hallstatt has been inhabited continuously from Neolithic times with both Celts and Romans establishing their roots here. Acknowledged for its universal value it has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for Cultural Heritage. The pristine beauty and recreation possibilities of Hallstatt and the greater Lake region of the Salzkammergut has since earlier times been sought out by the nobility. It was the choice for the summer residence of the former Austrian/Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph and his court who had established elegant estates in the region and today it continues to lure visitors from around the world. The Chinese have even gone one step further and have replicated their own version of Hallstatt in the province of Guangdong.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/xeroxed-village-chinese-secretly-copy-austrian-unesco-town-a-768754.html

Despite its diminutive size the town has a informative museum that traces its historical roots and the importance of salt and iron to its development. The Hallstatt Museum exhibits a rich display of iron goods and Celtic artifacts that offer a  look into its fascinating past. Two other places of interest are the touring of the local salt mine complete with an underground lake and the other entails boarding a cable car, or hiking, up to the stunning Dachstein Ice Caves. They both offer a special exploration into the beauty that lies within the caverns of these limestone alps and definitely merits a visit. Another highly recommended excursion is our restaurant of choice the Seewirt Zauner. This Gasthaus is known for its regional fish specialities and one can indulge in the delicate Reinanke and enjoy a glass of fine Austrian wine. Yummy! In addition to its cultural offerings there are many opportunities to participate in sporting and outdoor activities that abound in the region. Hallstatt is a sparking gem among of the riches to be found in the Salzkammergut region.

http://www.hallstatt.net/home-en-US/
https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/en/austria/poi/430010148/hallstatt-museum.html
https://www.salzwelten.at/en/hallstatt/
https://dachstein-salzkammergut.com/en/news/opening-times/summer-operation/opening-times-caves/
https://www.seewirt-zauner.at/en/restaurant-2/

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The Magic Flute on Lake Constance, Austria, 7-2014

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The lilting music of Mozart wafts in the open windows of our house during the summer nights. If the breeze is particularly strong sometimes its almost too loud. Oh the sacrifices one must make for art! It’s summer in Bregenz and it’s festival time. And that means that the Viennese Symphonic Orchestra is back in town. Every summer the who’s who of classical music ascends on our small capital and the city is vibrant with cultural activities such as world music, dance, and theatre of all kinds are to be had here on Lake Constance. But the crowning glory of Bregenz is our world renowned floating lake opera the Bregenz Festspiele. This year’s opera was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute. And magic it was. The singing was heavenly, the stage spectacular, and the setting breathtaking.

Every two years the Festspiele stages a world class production that engages the top talent in the opera world and this year was no exception. The director for this elaborate production was David Pourtney with the stage designed by Johan Engles and the costumes and puppets designed by Marie-Jeanne Lecca. Together they created a vision of the fantasy world of Papagayo and Prince Tamino who set out on their quest to free Princess Pamino from Sarastro’s evil hands. The stage was a Shakespearean interpretation of dreams and nightmares complete with forests, monsters, rotating globes, pyrotechnics, and acrobatics. But cutting edge staging aside for me the outstanding performance by Soprano Daniela Fally as the Queen of the Night singing “Der Holle Rache” aria was the highlight of the evening and was simply superb. The power and sheer beauty of her voice was wonderful to behold as was all of the performers. The Bregenz Festspiele did Mozart proud with their staging of his iconic The Magic Flute. I look forward to the 2015 production of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot.

http://bregenzerfestspiele.com/en/

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Relaxing in Berne, Switzerland, 6-2014

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The Aare river glimmered emerald green in the afternoon sun as it wound around the medieval capital city of Bern Switzerland. Quiet laughter and animated conversation flowed from a group of young people as they floated down the swift moving currents. Lovely bridges arched over the waterway and on the shores there were a few fisherman lazing away the warm weekday. The Bernese alps loomed invitingly in the background making for a picture postcard setting. Franz and I recently visited the capital of Switzerland and it certainly deserves the accolades that have been lavished on this “City of Fountains.” Since 1983 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site and its medieval buildings and cobblestone streets thronged with a diversity of people. The inner city is a potpourri of different cultures, impeccably dressed residents, camera toting tourists, and fresh faced university students. And this melange makes for a vibrant vibe to this riverside town that’s been in existence since 1191. But there’s also a leisurely pace to the place as well with numerous sidewalk cafes, public gardens, and ornate fountains that are everywhere. I remarked repeatedly just how desirable a place Bern would be to live in. The homeowners take obvious pride in maintaining the beauty of their gardens and homes and it was wonderful to walk along the river admiring the roses and manicured lawns. The natural beauty and high quality of life is evident on this locale on the Aare.

We had decided to give Airbnb another try. The first time we used their service, we were not too impressed. But since we were staying for only a few days we booked a room in an apartment in the center of the old city near the Zytglogge clock tower. Since 1530 this famous clock has clanged away and its nearby residents are accustomed to it, but for the unfamiliar visitor it takes some getting used to. We found the apartment quite easily and the situation was ideal. The apartment was brightly decorated with architecture themed photographs and our room was tidy and furnished with a comfortable bed that overlooked the old city. We had access to a small rooftop garden to relax after the day. We were happy with our choice, the couple were friendly and helpful, their small child was cute and well behaved, the price reasonable, and it was a great location to explore the environs.
http://www.bern.com/en/city-of-bern/attractions/clock-tower

After settling in our room we set out on our exploration. We began our tour at the neighboring Zytglogge clock tower. In earlier times this elaborate astronomical clock with its moving figures was used to measure travel times in conjunction with stone markers along the cantonal roads. Quite ingenious. We strolled the arched corridors lining the streets that house shops of every incarnation and desire. Bern is a mecca for the avid shopper. Although we’re not big shoppers we admired the artistic display windows and enjoyed the spectacle. Our wanderings brought us to the House of Parliament with its green patina dome and elegant gardens. The building dates from 1852 and represents the “idea of Switzerland” and is composed of three main parts and 38 important Swiss artists have contributed their work to honor the glories of the Swiss past.
http://www.bern.com/en/city-of-bern/attractions/house-of-parliament

Our exploration lead us along the river until we reached a kiosk that housed a bocce ball court. We’re not familiar with the fine points of bocce ball and it was interesting to watch the rival teams play a competitive yet quiet and friendly match. We spent the rest of the day strolling about the city and found a delightful bar in the center of a small park to relax our feet and indulge in people watching. I find it so interesting to observe the locals during their leisure hours and I get insight into the culture of a place. The bar was busy on an early Friday evening with animated but a low level of conversation. As soon as we sat down a loud voice shouted and pierced the relaxed scene. A disturbed man with disheveled clothing and long hair and beard made his way through the park and restaurant yelling words and phases to the effect of being saved by Christ the savior. The reaction of the people was telling. The people looked up to see what the disturbance was, assessed that he posed no real threat, and went back to their own business. No one really reacted or became agitated, and everyone just let him be and they continued on as if nothing had happened. The locals calmly allowed the crazy guy to continue on his way.

As for our evening meal we happened upon an informal yet creative restaurant specializing in organic vegetarian food. The restaurant name is Tidbits and it was busy and we soon realized why. The selections were numerous and tantalizingly displayed and the price was very reasonable, especially for Switzerland. After our healthy and tasty supper we retired for the evening.
http://www.tibits.ch/en/restaurants.html

The following day we woke up early eager to continue our explorations. After a modest breakfast of croissants and coffee we resumed our wanderings and came upon a grittier section of town where graffiti art adorned the concrete faces of the roadway underpasses. A small building housed a cultural venue that features cutting edge art exhibitions, concerts, and theatre. I spoke briefly with one of the organizers about the venue and the challenges they face in keeping such a space open so that the young people of Bern have a place to exhibit and express their art that was often at odds with the prevailing conservative bent of the city.
The young man told me that during the eighties this place used to be a place for some known anarchists and prevalent drug users but this was in the past and today unfortunately its former reputation is still associated with the place. I walked away quite impressed with their perseverance and desire to keep their venue open despite the difficult political hurdles in making it possible to have such a place to express their culture and alternative vision of Bern. http://reitschule.ch/reitschule/?infos

After viewing the cutting edge in modern Bern we turned our sights to the Alpinum Botanic Garden that offers the visitor a vast array of alpine plants including plants from other parts of the world as well set in groupings reflecting the areas where they are found. After admiring the well tended landscapes we continued on our river stroll until we reached the Bear Park with its grassy slopes, shady trees, and natural swimming pools specially designed for the living symbols of Bern, the resident bears Björk and Finn. After admiring the furry creatures we boarded a bus and made our way to the countryside outside of Bern. Our destination was the Paul Klee Museum. Despite it being located near the noisy freeway the museum itself is spectacular. The center opened in 2005 and was designed by the famed Italian architect Renzo Piano. The structure occupies a site on the rolling grassy landscape and its forms blends into the prairie like setting. The rhythmic steel curved roof rises above the three buildings that house 4000 of Klee’s works in the collection. The exhibition was titled Journey to Tunisia, 1914: Paul Klee, August Macke, and Louis Moilliet. The exhibition followed the trip of the then unknown young artists as they travelled to North Africa by rail. This journey to Tunisia was to influence the direction of their respective work but the greater art world as well and went down in the annals of art history as a testament to early modernism. The innovative architecture of the complex and the exhibition was a true artistic journey and was well worth the bus ride.
http://www.bern.com/en/city-of-bern/attractions/botanic-garden
http://www.inexhibit.com/case-studies/zentrum-paul-klee-bern

We boarded the bus back to the city to seek out a relaxing place for our lunch. And we found just a spot located right on the river with a spectacular view. The Casa Novo outdoor terrace is perched right above the Aare and we lunched at the riverside restaurant where we had a tasty salad with crunchy baguette that we enjoyed with fruity prosecco to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Life doesn’t get much better. But it did. In the evening we enjoyed an intimate meal in the old town that was recommended to us by a friend. The restaurant’s name is the Metzgerstuebli and the food was excellent and our waitress welcoming. We began our meal with a glass of prosecco (of course) followed by a lemon soup and a delicious warm goat cheese salad. For our entree we chose succulent young lamb infused with rosemary and a red wine sauce, mashed sweet potatoes, fresh asparagus, green onions, and we paired our fare with a full bodied red Languedoc wine. For dessert we had a refreshing homemade sorbet. A wonderful meal, with a wonderful husband, in a wonderful city. Life is good.
http://www.restaurantbern.ch/restaurant-metzgerstuebli

We woke to another glorious summer day. After breakfasting in the old city center we ventured out into the open market bustling with the local folks. The main street was lined with stalls laden with home made goods, handcrafted items, and tasty food stalls. It was a delight for the eyes and for the tummy as we worked our way through the booths that ended at the plaza of the impressive Cathedral of Bern that dates from 1421. The majestic Gothic 100 meter tower graces the skyline of Bern and we admired the intricate Last Judgement sculptures that the church is famous for. The Gothic design is impressive with its elegant arches, restrained decoration, and towering interior space. There was a wedding that was taking place that day and it was wonderful to see all of the preparations, the lovely flowers, and the beautifully clad wedding party. We said our goodbyes to our gracious hosts and bid the city adieu and set off for our next destination: the City of Lucern.
http://www.bern.com/en/city-of-bern/attractions/cathedral-of-bern

Mountain Biking in the Bregenzerwald, Austria, 6-2014

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On a very hot June morning my friend Alejandro and I set out to explore the local mountains by mountain bike. We went from Bregenz to Dornbirn and then started scaling the “hinterland”. At Kehlegg we reached a point high above the Rhine valley. Continuing on through the woods on dirt roads we climbed higher and higher until we reached our destination, the Weissenfluhalpe. Sharing the view from this lovely spot were numerous mountain bikers and countless cows that are spending the entire summer in lofty heights on fat meadows.

Weissenfluhalpe

Alex arrived with a bang, his rear tire exploded exactly as we pulled up to the hut. We decided to have a “Radler” first, a refreshing drink mixed from beer and lemonade, it translates to “biker”. After a short break we proceeded to fix Alex’ bike. Since we didn’t have a spare tire we cut up the old inner tube and created a few layers of protection under the gash, and then put about half of the normal pressure in the tire. We were wondering how long this temporary fix was going to last. But alas, we made it down the other side of the mountain to Bezau, the main town in the Bregenzerwald. After a wonderful raspberry cake at the Café Natter we decided to continue our quest. We jumped on the main bike path through the valley and cruised (I cruised and Alex hobbled) to Andelsbuch. From there the bike path is the old railroad track of the narrow gauge Bregenzerwald train (lovingly called the “Wälderbähnle”), http://www.waelderbaehnle.at. The train now runs only from Andelsbuch to Bezau because there were several land slides in the gorge of the Bregenzer Ache, along which the train used to run. After Egg the track dives down into the gorge and stays next to the river all the way to Kennelbach, close to Bregenz. Currently the track is only maintained until the campground in Doren, http://www.camping-bregenzerache.at. After that it becomes very difficult to navigate, there is a half collapsed bridge and two tunnels to cross, and countless small land slides cover the track and make you carry the bike for up to several hundred meters. We had planned to do it, but progress was seriously slowed by the continuous flattening of Alex’ tire. He had to work at least twice as hard as me during the whole ordeal. We were considering what to do next at the campground when a very nice man overheard us and offered us to drive us to our car. We had been on the road for around 5 hours by then and gratefully accepted this amazing offer.

biking the Bregenzerwald

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The Most Serene Republic of San Marino, San Marino, 12-2013

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Today is the last day of 2013. So to close the end of the year we took a tour of the coastal regions of the Po River Valley in the Province of Rimini. It was quite interesting. The information available for the area had been quite kind to this strip along the Adriatic that had long ago seen its glory days. Unfortunately it’s downright unattractive. The main road from Ravenna to Cattolica is packed full of concrete blocks lacking in any architectural personality. And what’s peculiar about these drab structures is they have such tiny windows although there are full sea views available. As to why they don’t take advantage of this my guess is that the air conditioning costs are probably pretty high to keep the humidity levels bearable during the steamy summer months. I could only imagine the mosquitos feasting on the sunburnt bodies of the corpulent tourists that flock to this swath of coastal track. The beaches and empty wall to wall hotels were closed for the season as were the numerous concession stands that rent out beach chairs and a square of sand to bake in. The shores were lined with a plethora of faded Little Tykes play structures. For me they were a symbol of this area. Shabby, dated, and plastic. These were our impressions of this most curious of places.

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The city of Rimini is a well known destination for packaged tours that pack in the hordes of sunbathing tourists during high season. It offers the sun seeking masses nine miles of sandy beaches with thousands of hotels, bars, restaurants, as well as decked out discos pumping the latest techno pop tunes for the nightlife partier. Its other claim to fame it was the hometown of the famous Italian director Federico Fellini. If Fellini were alive today it would be interesting to see what kind of film he would make here now.
After getting more than our fill of this monument to mass tourism we drove through Rimini to San Marino about 10 miles away. It’s an easy drive and the inland countryside was surprisingly rich in agricultural land and the landscape similar to that of Croatia which is located right across the pond. The same evergreens and salt loving shrubbery and plants grace the hilly landscape. The roads are narrow and not well maintained but they are popular with bike riders who whizz by in their colorful cycling fashion.

We drove through the hilly terrain of the north-eastern Apennine Mountains until we reached the Republic of San Marino. The hilltop microstate is perched high above the surrounding plains with a commanding view of the lands that lie below. It’s small, covers only 24 square miles and has a population of 30,000. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world with low unemployment, no national debt, a stable economy, and a budget surplus to boot. They are also highly protectionist as we were to find out. They have one unique regulation they have instituted in order to “protect” their rich elderly men from foreign gold-digging housekeepers. The minimum age of housekeepers is kept at 50 years so that enticing foreign young women cannot snatch up some of the available older men of means to attain citizenship and money. Somehow I don’t think this has been a big problem for the feisty old men. In addition the land is handed down only through the male line. It seemed that women’s rights were not a priority for this conservative society .

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The tiny republic has a Disneyland like quality to it. The stone buildings are meticulously maintained with ultra cleanliness and perfect facades but it exudes an air of artificiality. It’s a city made for mass tourism from its underground parking garages to its numerous tourist kiosks that are well organized and tailored to handle the large hordes of tourists that flock to the city for a few hours during high season. It seems that every seating area is designed for the perfect photo shot. Even on New Year’s Eve it was teeming with busloads of tourists (like us minus the bus) making the obligatory trek to view the highlights that the fairytale city has to offer. During our wanderings we stopped for a bite to eat at a small cafe shop. We had a sandwich with mozzarella cheese, tomato, and arugula served on a a piadina flatbread that was quite delicious. After our obligatory round of the city we made our way back through the undeveloped coastal backroads and looked forward to the New Year’s Eve festivities back in Ravenna.

New Year's Eve 2013

Ringing in the New Year 2014
After our day’s excursion we returned late and had not yet made a reservation for dinner. But with luck we found a table at the same place we had dined at the previous night. The hostess lamented that it was so early, for Italians yes, but for us perfect. The name of the restaurant is Ca’ de Ven and our meal was delicious, the service knowledgable, and our waitress charming. The restaurant is housed in a lovely 15th century building with aged brick walls and a beautiful restored interior that lent an authenticity to the bustling ambience of the establishment. In addition it has a fine wine cellar that offers a large selection of wines from the fertile Emiglia-Romagna region. They also have a great happy hour with all kinds of cheese and cured meats such as prosciutto and salami and other goodies from the area. We began our meal with bubbly Veneto Prosecco and an antipasto platter served with piadina flatbread. Our second dish was steaming gnocchi with smoked goose breast garnished with radicchio and we had a glass of white Albana wine. For our main course we chose a succulent lamb with asparagus and potatoes and paired it with a deep red Burson. What a wonderful feast to close 2013 with.

After devouring our dinner we stepped out to stroll the streets of Ravenna to partake in the revelry of the evening activities. We found the city to to be lively but subdued and that fit us just fine. We are a tad leery of big Italian New Year’s crowds. A few years back while ringing in the New Year in Rome we had experienced a dangerous situation when someone set off a series of firecrackers in the middle of the crowded Piazza del Popolo and the massive crowd reacted accordingly. It was a frightening episode and one we do not care to repeat. But in Ravenna it was a merry but mellow mood as we wandered into the Piazza del Popolo il salotto di Ravenna where a live jazz band played to an appreciative audience. We enjoyed the music and toasted to the end of 2014 in one of the most beautiful of Byzantine cities. Buon Anno!
http://www.cadeven.it/index.php

New Years Day 2014
To welcome the first day of 2014 we drove along the Northern Adriatic coast from Ravenna to the Po River Delta where the fresh waters empty into the coastal lagoons. We stopped in the sleepy town of Lido de Volano. It was quiet and there was practically no traffic although there were remnants of the previous night’s partying with its tell tale fireworks strewn about. It was a nice day to travel because there was very little traffic. Along the coast almost all of the businesses were closed until the summer season when the vendors would return to hark their wares to the throngs of tourists. We enjoyed the quiet drive through the rich agricultural delta until we reached the Po Delta Regional Park where we took a stroll among its well preserved ecosystem that supports water fowl and the much needed wetlands.This protected landscape stood in stark contrast to the concrete jungle of Rimini.

From the marshy environment of the park we drove to the UNESCO World Heritage site of the city of Ferrara. The medieval inner city was a maze of streets that lead the unwary driver through narrow alleys and dead ends. And unwary I was. I found myself driving through closed pedestrian areas and I had no choice but to continue on until we found our way out of the labyrinth. Fortunately for us it was New Year’s Day and the streets were pretty empty so luckily I had displaced only a few wary pedestrians. Oops! Unfortunately everything was closed but we were still able to enjoy the red bricked architecture and to wander through the streets admiring the well preserved facades and the crowning achievements of 12th century architecture the San Giorgio Cathedral, the Piazza della Repubblica and Etense Castle, and the Palazzo del Municipio. We’ll definitely be back to further explore this gem. After our delta drive we began our journey homeward via the Brenner Pass. Happy Travels in 2014!

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A Master Architect in Vicenza, Italy, 5-2014

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After our short jaunt to Venice our next stop on our whirlwind tour of the Veneto region was the city “where the world’s most excellent tragedy was performed” at the World Heritage site of Teatro Olimpico (Olympic Theatre) in Vicenza Italy. For me this side excursion was more of a pilgrimage. As some of you know in my work English Alive Theatre I have written and my students have performed my adapted fairytale musical theatre pieces and other plays as well. So for me visiting this testament to beauty of the performing arts was exhilarating to say the least. The theatre was designed by the renown Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio in 1580-1585 and his theatre creation was based on a classical Roman theatre that he adapted into an elliptical form complete with a semi circular seating area and “is one of the oldest surviving theatre stage sets still in existence.” It was here that Sophocles’ Oedipus the King was performed in 1585 for the grand opening of the theatre. And it must have been beyond magnificent.

Olympic theatre2

Unfortunately Palladio died before he could see through the construction of his masterwork project. The stage was designed and the work completed by the Vincentine architect Vincenzo Scamozzi. The elaborate stage set that he designed with its trompe l’oeil street scenes visible through the central archway and his innovative use of perspective views within his work was nothing short of breathtaking. I was in awe of the grand scale and richness of the interior and felt the need to whisper as if I were entering a sacred space.

After visiting this architectural wonder we set out to admire some of the other 23 buildings that Palladio designed within the beautifully preserved city center that has profoundly influenced European architecture and other countries worldwide. Among some of the highlights were the Renaissance Basilica Palladiana in the central Piazza dei Signori with its 1172 Gothic clock tower, the Torre della Bissara that stands at 82m high, the Chiesa di Santa Corona, an austere church that dates to the 1200’s and was built to house a thorn relic from Christ’s crown, the Loggia del Capitaniato with its characteristic four column facade where we viewed an exhibition titled Non Dimenticateci! about the Italian involvement in World War I and the devastating trench warfare and the tragic loss of life. The city of Vicenza is quite a treasure waiting to be explored and is well situated for walking to appreciate this tribute to the finest of Italian architecture.

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