Conegliano

We arrived in Venice after nearly 24 hours of travel (the last 30 minutes of which was glorious, in a water taxi across the lagoon from the Marco Polo Airport), and pretty much collapsed in our lovely room in the Hotel Bellini. Joan selected this hotel for its proximity to the railroad station, since we would be staying there for just one night. Although the location is not the prettiest in Venice, there were some lovely views, and the hotel rooms and service were impeccable. We napped some, then strolled to an early supper, and after-supper ice cream at Florian's in the Piazza San Marco. A good beginning for our adventure!

The next morning we carried our suitcases the few steps to the railroad station, and headed for Conegliano, a town north of Treviso that is a center of Prosecco production and sale, and the site from which our B&R tour would begin the following day.

In Conegliano, we stayed at the Hotel Canon d'Oro. While waiting for our rooms to be prepared, Joan enjoyed her first prosecco, the dry light sparkling wine for which the region is famous. After getting settled, we went for a walk, stopping for lunch at an outdoor cafe, and proceeding to take an extended walk through the town.

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The Cathedral of Conegliano

We followed an itinerary that Joan had downloaded from the Web before leaving home. It took us to the unusual arcaded and frescoed Cathedral, past the home of the cinquecento painter Cima da Conegliano, and eventually (after much huffing and puffing), up to the Castle that dominates the hillside town. We thought that this trek would be a good test of our fitness for the walks to follow; how wrong we were!

Surviving towers of the Castle of Conegliano


Here we are stopping to refresh ourselves at a lovely cold fountain, about a third of the way up to the castle.