5 hours driving and many epics views later I sit on my hotel bed with this amazing view. Feeling a tad too city-gal next to all the other holiday-makers who look like Regatta threw up over them, I think I misjudged this place. Apart from not buying my holiday wardrobe from Millets I also didn’t count on there being so many people about! We just ventured to the supermarket for supplies (Gin and babybels) and it was like Centre Parcs on a Monday – quite the contrast to our journey here.

After prunes, ham, croissants, cheese and hotdogs for breakfast (aka continental) we set off in search of a good cappuccino and and Italian square, preferably with a view of two arguing Italian mama’s, we hit upon Asolo, a beautiful hillside town and drank the best coffee cheek to cheek with Lycra-clad cyclists (we’d nearly ran over a few on the drive up, the least we could do was listen to their 2-wheeled chit-chat).

Asolo was amazing but so needlessly quiet – clearly the Lycra was putting visitors off.

Bassano del Grappa was our next stop, primarily because I’d read that the Bassano museum gave out free grappa and nothing bad ever came from free Grappa. It turns out the museum was actually quite interesting, even pre-free-drink. But the walk through the quiet streets down to the old covered bridge, Ponte Degli Alpini, was quite the highlight and sightseeing fuel to warrant a return to the automobile. 

We were going to be grateful for the extra ‘fire-water’ in our bellies for this next stretch – the windiest hairpin bends up to the world war 1 battlefield and memorial ground of Monte Grappa. The views were totally epic and made all the more glorious by bells with cows attached to them and even more opportunity to kill a few cyclists. Obviously the war memorial is totally sad but I’m on my holiday and I am going to be an ostrich on this one, sit out the horror and just enjoy the view.

Finally our sightseeing was coming to an end and all that remained to happen was to get to our digs waaaay up in the hills. I’ve got to admit, I was a little nervous about this booking – it seemed a little twee and I’ve watched a lot of programmes about the cleanliness of ski-chalets but I am pleased to report it smells very fresh and it has a bidet – all my boxes ticked.

Ciao from Al & Rich. Hang on tight for more Italian adventures.