strolling at donkey's pace. May, Sunday 26th

have you ever done a donkey trekking? i've heard it's a trend in walking holidays.

on a sunny sunday morning, the last day of our blog tour in Vicenza's lands, we walked skin to coat with a female donkey named Silvana, along a path that vanished among the olive trees.

donkeys are nice companion to walk with. not too slow, not too fast, they give you time to look around when they stop to taste that tempting tuft of grass. also, they could take your backpack if the hike is too hard for you, and they have that shaggy coat which is so soft on the ears and nose! they make you smile and distract you from the effort and the heat, when they want to play stubborn and refuse to cross a water trickle. 

Martino with the donkey | San Bernardino cave facade

our hike's destination was a cave name after St. Bernardino, where we had a brief refresher on the prehistoric period. i felt like a third grade girl listening to Martino, our guide, who talked about the Neanderthal man traces left here, one of which is a fireplace of 170000 years ago. {seriously, 170000! i had to write it down, cause so many zeros confuse me}

now i want to buy a donkey.

{olympus om10 + fuji superia 200}

colli Berici. May, Saturday 25th

in the first part of our trip in Vicenza province, we breathed the mountain peace of the Altopiano di Asiago. then, with the Vicenza's historic center behind us, our eyes got the power of wander on the lavishly green hills surrounding us. we were ready for the last part, an exploration of the Colli Berici, gentle hills south of Vicenza.

Berici hills map and local products

a roadtrip on the Berici hills {colli Berici} is a journey through the local taste and products. in my mind, now that i'm recollecting those memories, voices and flavours cross each other, to tell the same story, of simplicity and care.
we visited some organic farms, slept in agriturismi with homely atmosphere, drove up and down the narrow streets, looking at the little towns life through the car windows.

i've selected three particular memories, to summarize my experience in the Berici hills. 
the first image that impressed me was the gray sight of the incompiuta, in Brendola. incompiuta means unfinished, and this church is the proof that the crisis was a matter in the past centuries, too: the client did not finish paying for it, and when he died, the work was suspended and never started again. so, the unfinished church still lies there, grim and fascinating, home for crows.

incompiuta di Brendola

the second memory is a feeling. you've seen the map above, where i draw all the local products that are made in the Berici; among those, there are two i like the most: sopressa {aged salami made with the best pig cuts}, and grappa {alcoholic beverage, a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy}. the two rooms, in two different places, where i've seen the sopressa aging, and the distillery equipment, gave me the same feeling. the light and the smell were different, of course, but they were both dark and muffled, chilly and aromatic. and, first of all, the two rooms have the same atmosphere, the one you can feel in places that are rich in traditions handed down from father to son, manual labor, trade secrets. i love this kind of places.

the salami aging room in Agriturismo Monterosso - the Brunello distillery

the third and last memory is a gesture. at the olive oil tasting, and while Marianna was making the goat cheese, the starting gesture was the same: they draw a cross. with the spoon on the cheese, with the oil on the salad. a gesure of blessing.


info
Brunello distillery
via G.Roi, 51 - Montegalda (VI)
@grappabrunello

Agriturismo Monterosso
Via Monte Rosso, 18 - Brendola (VI)