November 16-17, 2014 – The return trip

Upon waking in Udine we find a beautiful day with the sun shining. We decide to find something to see and an interesting place to eat on our way to our hotel near the Marco Polo airport.

Our first stop is at Castello Sassoldo not too far from Aquileia. It is a fortified town from the 11th century founded by a Lombard family. It has been turned in to a B & B and event center. Although everything seems locked up tight, it is a pretty walk through a charming village.

Castello Sassoldo
Castello Sassoldo
Working water wheel at Castello Sassoldo
Working water wheel at Castello Sassoldo

After our drive and walk we stop for lunch. I have found a place near Treviso that serves regional food, Ponte Ottavi Trattoria. It looks like an unassuming family place and has its own parking lot, always a plus.
Ponte Ottavi Trattoria
Ponte Ottavi Trattoria

We walk in and ask in our best Italian for Pranzo per due? Mostly everything we say is a question because then they can answer si or no and we will understand them. Some consternation ensues. What’s this? English speaking people? What are they doing here? Who can wait on them? A charming, smiling lady comes to help us. She apologizes for her English which is tons better than our Italian. They have also helpfully set us down next to a local who speaks English that he learned listening to British TV and radio.

Since everyone is being so nice and trying so hard, we decide on their specialties for lunch. They have made an onion soup which they say is just like French onion soup. (Except it’s not) Their real specialty is grilled meats and tripe (guts). I order the meat and John eats the guts.


So I eat my very not cooked enough onions in the onion soup and John loves his snails (of course). My plate of grilled meat seems like it has been boiled first and then grilled. I give a lot of to John. He loves his tripe. Everyone is so happy that the American likes snails and guts. We are a great success.

Here’s distrubing picture that they have over the bar.

Breast spigots?!
Breast spigots?!

We say our arrividercis and make our way to the agriturismo where we are staying for the night. It is highly rated on Booking.com. Who writes these reviews? At 9.6 I expect something pretty terrific. This is not but it’s only one night.

The next morning we make our way to the airport a short distance away. We fly from Venice to Frankfurt to Toronto to San Francisco. I would write more about these flights but I don’t want to relive them.

Although the weather did not cooperate we have had a wonderful trip. It is always so much fun to visit old and new places and always such a pleasure to come home.

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