For our stay in Bologna, we rented a one-bedroom apartment, which was set on the quiet street of Via Nosadella, and yet, it was only a few minutes away on foot, from anything we could have needed. To our delight, our host had left a bottle of Prosecco, a bottle of water, some pastries, as…

At the end of last week’s post, we were on the grounds of the Santuario della Beata Vergine della Salute, seeking shelter from the rain inside a small grotto with an existing chapel, while the birds from the pen, pictured above, roamed around us, looking for something to eat. After about twenty minutes, the rain…

It only made sense that in a city like Abano Terme, you would find a school that specializes in the hospitality industry, like the institute pictured above.  I imagine that many of the area’s hotel and restaurant workers were graduates of this school, and others like it. On this cloudy morning, our first destination was…

The Duomo di Abano Terme, also known as the Chiesa di San Lorenzo Martire, dates from 1780, even though a church by the same name existed on the site as far back as 1077.  The church we see today is the work of the architect Domenico Cerato, with the exception of the facade, which was…

For those who do not want to walk, there is a shuttle that takes you from one end of the town to another. Quinto Elemento was once a very popular pizzeria, but sadly, it is abandoned today.  The sign still catches one’s attention, though! If one has the urge to pass the night away dancing,…

Behind our hotel, on Via Cornelio Augure, #7, we found the NaturaSì Market.  This is a wonderful organic supermarket selling everything, from dairy products and fresh vegetables, to meat and fish. From where we stood on the other side of the street, we could see steam rising off of pools of the thermal water.  We…

A large portion of Viale delle Terme is for pedestrian use only.  Cars are strictly prohibited.  The street is lined with hotels, shops, and cafés.  Along the street, there are places to rest, with tables and benches, as well as public art. The Hotel Trieste was first opened in 1912.  During WWI, it housed the…

Our next destination was the Hotel President Terme, in the charming town of Abano Terme,  a scant ten kilometers away from Padua.  Train service, from the central station in Padua, is available, and relatively easy to do, considering that it was such a short trip.  However, for that very reason, and the fact that we…

We continued to explore the Botanical Garden. The glass structure you see in the picture below houses the famous “Goethe Palm” tree, so called because the poet referred to it in an essay he wrote.  It is the oldest plant in the entire garden, having been planted in 1585. Pictured below is one of three…

We arrived at our next destination for the day, the Orto Botanico di Padova, or the Botanical Garden of Padua.  Founded in 1545 by the Venetian Republic, this is the world’s oldest academic botanical garden still in its original location.  The garden covers approximately 22,000 square meters of land, and is run by the University…

The Chiesa di San Francesco Grande can be found on Via San Francesco, and dates from 1414.  The portico in front is made up of 37 arches, all with terracotta decorations.  The lunettes of the porch were decorated with frescoes depicting stories from the life of San Francesco, by Francesco Squarcione, but, sadly, these are…

The Auditorium Cesare Pollini, now known as the Auditorium Claudio Scimone, is the theatre affiliated with the music school, the Conservatorio di Musica Cesare Pollini, and dates from 1878.  It can be found at Via Carlo Cassan, #17. The Museo Storico della Terza Armata, or the Historical Museum of the Third Army, is a museum…