Benvenuti ad Aviano e l'area

Italy is rich in culture and history, and the best part is we don't have to travel too far to experience it!! We wanted to get a good feel of the region- Friuli Venezia Guila- that we will be living in, so we jam-packed this last weekend with local sightseeing.

We started on Friday with a "Benvenuti" tour offered by the base (and by offered, we mean mandated!). We went from Aviano to Polcenigo, a small, historic town with incredible charm. There we were greeted by geese and trout in the beautiful Gorgazzo spring. It was some of the clearest water we had ever seen...clearest and most inviting!! But no swimming here!!

Next, we headed to our first open-air market in the neighboring town of Porcia. Italian markets host a variety of booths containing anything from produce to purses. Since the market is held each day of the week in a different town, usually the same vendors can be found traveling to multiple towns throughout the week. It was such a fun place to walk through and shop. We already have the regional market schedule posted in our hotel room!! Caleb even scored a free peach by using his exceptional Italian and outstanding knowledge of the local customs...or because he smiled at the lady and she liked what she saw!

After the market, we traveled a little further to the largest city in the region, and the capital, Pordenone. We walked through the city to see the historical center of town, grab a cup of coffee in a local cafe (or water for Jordan!), and stop by a local chocolate shop, Pasticceria Peratoner. They had every kind of chocolate you could imagine...even chocolate sculptures and outfits! We were also scheduled to visit St. Mark's Cathedral, but a funeral was taking place so we were unable to take the tour.

From Pordenone, we hopped on a train and rode down to Sacile, or "little Venice" as it is often called. The bus picked us back up in Sacile and we drove through the city on our way out to Budoia, our lunch stop. The group was treated to an excellent lunch at Ciasa de Gahja, a lovely hotel and restaurant. We were hungry by the time we arrived, but it was well worth the wait!

And finally, we ended our day at the Podere Gelisi Antonio winery in Villotte di San Quirino. At the winery, we were able to take a quick tour of the vineyards and production room, as well as enjoy a wine tasting with the owner, Mr. Sergio Gelisi. Recently, Mr. Gelisi acquired the contract to produce wine for il Papa...the Pope! These grapes have to be grown separately, organically, from the rest of the vineyard, and they have to be harvested manually. According the Mr. Gelisi, the wine won't be ready for il Papa until next spring! He also had a stunning garden of roses to compliment his incredible vineyard. It was a perfect end to a great day!
On Saturday, we ventured by train to the city of Padova. Our afternoon mainly consisted of walking, walking and more walking, and experiencing a truly Italian city lacking much American presence. The city center was bustling with yet another market and everyone was out and about. We were able to visit two churches, Basilica of St. Justina and Basilica of St. Anthony. Both were incredible houses of worship, each very different from the other. It is said that the bones of Luke (or St. Luke) are in a tomb in St. Justina, and the bones of St. Anthony are located in his basilica. We also walked by the University of Padova; founded in 1222, it is the second oldest university in Italy. When these Italians say old, they mean old!! All in all we had a whirlwind visit to Padova, and while we weren't blown away by our trip, it was another valuable learning experience.

It was another fun filled weekend of exploring and adventure, and we are loving Italy more and more with each place we visit. And knowing how rich our region is made us appreciate this blessing even more.

Ciao