Veneto Italy: The Dolomites to the Adriatic

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Verona Italy: Summer Opera Festival | Photo 03

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We started our trip in Treviso and stayed at  “Col Delle Rane” in Caetano, S. Marco (Treviso) Italy. Cajeran was the old name of the town and it means “Hole of Frogs” There once were two small ponds in front of the villa where frogs made their home.  After World War II one of the ponds was filled with war debris and covered. The frogs moved on to the second pond. “Col Delle Rane” means hill of frogs in remembrance of the pond and the frogs that lived there. 

The original house was built 300 years ago with the original villa in the center.  It was originally for the workers of this hill (vineyards). The farmhouse was reconstructed between 1988-1989 and the Agriturismo originally opened with 6 rooms.  It was the first Agriturismo in the Treviso Province with rooms.  The swimming pool constructed of stone was built 3 years ago in remembrance of the pond and its frog inhabitants.  Today the hotel has 14 rooms and 4 apartments.  In Treviso, Agriturismo are only allowed to have facilities for 30 people.  The law may change in September and the hotel, which has another building, can be expanded and add additional rooms and a restaurant.  Today there is a beautiful building with large windows overlooking the vineyards and the pool where breakfast is served.  The farm has vineyards and orchards where they grow apricots, kiwi and the vineyard production are about 60% Procescco grapes. The breakfast included fruits and apple juice produced at the farm, homemade jams, homemade pound cake, meats, cheeses, breads and honey.  The Agriturismo had bikes and in the evening we rode through the vineyards where we met many locals walking, riding horses or jogging.

We stopped at a market and purchased “Sopressa Vincentia" (an aged salami produced in the region), Asiago cheese, melon with Prostitute (Berico-Euganeo) and being that is was cherry season, we feasted on fresh picked cherries for both breakfast and dessert. The hotel had several tables outdoors where we enjoyed our local specialties. The entire Gallina family were perfect hosts and took a great deal of time to help each guest plan their day and gave the story about the farm to me.

We choose “Col Delle Rane” because the areas we wanted to visit were easily reachable from Treviso in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Padova (UNESCO site), Bassano del Grappa, Asolo, Marostica (famous for cherries) Treviso (famous for Radicchio rosso di Treviso), Asiago (famous for Asiago cheese) and Venice. Also the "Strada  del Prosecco" and the wine regions of Soave, Bordalino and Valpolicella were on our itinerary. Other wines of this region are: Recioto, Amarone, Torcolate, Tocai Rosso, Garganega, Verduzzo, Raboso, Moscato, Cabernet Franc, Pino Nero, Pino Grigi and Merlot. Prosecco is a sparkling wine made in the style of Champagne.  It is a light dry wine mainly served as aperitif, but partners well with fish and light first dishes.  The region is also famous for its grappa production. And we made it a point to do a little grappa tasting in Bassano del Grappa at the Poli Distillery where we tasted chocolate, coffee and strawberry grappa.  I found them a little sweet and preferred the Mascato, Cabinet and Merlot Grappa. There is a museum with the history of distillation of Grappa. Other areas close by are Lake Garda (a very popular summer resort), Vicenza (UNESCO site) and Verona (UNESCO site). Castles and aristocratic houses dot the countryside and villages with the thermal spas attract visitors enjoy these wellness spas in an environment of past times. The climate is suited to viniculture and orchards are grown along side the vineyards producing peaches, kiwi, plums, apples, cherries and aprocots. The villages we visited were very small and at least 3 can be visited with a good travel plan in a day. There is a canal that runs through Traviso and some shopping, but the small village of Asolo is considered the “Pearl of the Province”.

The guests at the hotel were very friendly and some either had once lived in the area at one time or had visited the hotel many times in the past.  One guest recommended the Locanda Sandi vineyard and restaurant in Valdobbladene.  The Locanda Sandi is one of the largest vineyards with Prosecco being about 80% of the grapes.  They have a lovely wine tasting building with chairs outdoors overlooking the vineyards. Late in the evening we sat outdoors in the terrace lit with soft lights surrounded with flowers and ate snails in an herb sauce, and veal with porcini mushrooms.  A large table was arranged with many different vegetables such as roasted eggplant and zucchini, roasted red peppers, rosemary potatoes and a variety of salads.  Porcini mushrooms are picked in woods around Asaigo and are an important part of the local cuisine. A basket full of blankets rolled up and tied with ribbons were available so that if you got cold in the evening you could put one over your shoulders. It did get a little chilly and we took advantage of the blankets.

In Asiago we enjoyed pasta prepared with a white asparagus (grown in the area of Bassano) made with Asiago cheese and a sauce of Asiago cheese with Speck and one with zucchini flowers were specialties and surprising light.  One evening we had dinner a small Agritursimo next door where the restaurant is opened only on the weekends and feasted on roast duck and homemade pasta and of course Prosecco as we ate among the chickens, goats and families enjoying an evening out.

A music and beer festival was being held in Montebelluna and we ate at recommended pizzeria listened to jazz being played in the Piazza.  Several groups were stationed throughout the town and café’s were crowded with locals enjoying beer and Prosecco.  We watched demonstrations or karate and fencing and local dancing and felt like we were part of the local crowd.  A guest recommended the pizzeria but said that since it was also a restaurant they didn’t have as many varieties as another recommended pizzeria located just at the entrance of town.  There must have been 50 selections of pizza on the menu and the pizzeria we didn’t go to had a very long line waiting to get in.  I can’t even imagine how many were on the menu as we were told that they had a much larger selection.  The crust was thin and crispy and very light but every large.

The region is considered one of the biggest producers of sports equipment and sports clothes and shoes in Italy and the world www.factoryoutletsitaly.com/regions.htm. There are many factory outlets through out the region.  Geox, Nordica, Diadora, Benneton, Asolo, Prince, Kastle, Rollerblade, Killer Loop and Tecnica for example are just a few.  Prices are about 35% less. This hotel is in a great location for business people who are on buying trips to visit these factories and many of them came and went during the week of our stay.

The train station in Montebelluna was easy to get to and taking the train is the easiest way of getting to Venice. It took about 1 hour and 10 minutes with one change in Traviso. As usual there were many people in Venice but it is still such a beautiful place and like no other in the world.  So much has been said about Venice, that the pictures will tell that story.

Next in Part II, we will move on to Verona and opening night at the Arena di Verona.

http://www.coldellerane.it/en/home.asp