(Padova, Italy)

To break up the journey from Orvieto to Madonna di Campiglio, we decided to spend a couple of nights in Padova (often referred to as “Padua” in English). This is a small university-oriented city just west of Venice that sees only a fraction of Venice’s tourist traffic. It was also the setting for Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”.

We were able to stay on the same train all the way from Orvieto to Padova. I quickly hopped off the train in Firenze (Florence) to take the worst travel photo ever – see above. Alas, upon arrival in Padova, our first impression was not great. As with many European cities, the train station is not located in the best part of town.  There seemed to be an awful lot of people just hanging around the train station.  It took a 15-minute walk to the true city centre for the city’s charms to become apparent. We really warmed up to the place after that.

Padova has three grand piazzas within a one-block radius. Although I am sure that these are even more vibrant in the summer, there was still lots of gelato and other similar treats on offer. While I took photos during both the day and the evening, I prefer the later pictures. It’s all quite medieval, but still very much alive. Just a few blocks away, all the high-end shops you can imagine (Prada, Gucci, etc.) are there…but we preferred the more unique shops that are supported by a large university population. I bought some music here as  well as a pyjama in the rare “extra tall” size.  More importantly for the short term, we also found a promising local pizzeria for dinner.

At Pizzeria al Duomo, I selected the Rucola e Grano pizza. The description promised rucola (rocket) and other toppings….as well as shredded Grana Padano cheese and a vinaigrette! I thought this was unusual, but it all made sense when the pizza arrived and I saw just how much rucola had been piled on top. No side salad was necessary!

The next day was a busy one and some of the details will  have to wait until my next post.  However, amid all of the food and culture, we also had chosen this as our laundry day.   Limiting our luggage was essential because I was bringing my ski boots from Canada, not wanting to risk blisters (or worse) with unfamiliar rental boots in Europe.

This laundromat was entirely self-service and we had an initial challenge (as always) when getting started.  Some other patrons took pity on us and gave us a hand with the vague posted instructions.  Once our laundry was in motion, my wife stood guard at the laundromat while I returned to a nearby take-out place we had spotted the night before: it was lunch time!   The place is called Capatoast and they specialize in…toast!  This was toast with a gourmet flair.  Mine had cooked local ham and cheese, porcini mushrooms and truffle sauce.   The sauce was strong – I could still taste it hours later.

After the laundry was finished, it was only fair that our labours were rewarded by gelato on the Piazza Signori.   We enjoyed it in situ on some strategically placed steps along with a bunch of students.  Stay tuned for more on Padova!