Day 9 - Visiting the Hills and Winery in Valdobbiadene: Marcel and Julia

 Day 9 - Visiting the Hills and Winery in Valdobbiadene: Marcel and Julia

Enjoying the grapevine-covered hills of Valdo

Marcel: Today I woke up at around 7 and got ready to go to the school in Valdobbiadene. Upon arrival, the whole group walked around a temporary market in the Piazza Marconi and hiked up a large hill in Valdobbiadene. After much hiking, we reached a self-service restaurant that overlooked rows of grapevines. The whole walk was around 20,000 steps and was very tiring because of how hot and sunny it was at the time. While walking back from the  restaurant, we saw some stone sculptures before we reached the school again. 

Meeting up at the Giuseppe Verdi School

At that point, we had a two-hour break to eat lunch, and I went out to get gelatos. After lunch, we walked around 10 minutes all the way to a winery where we saw the process of making Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine. After learning about this process and seeing how they bottled it, we walked back to the school where we dispersed. I got more gelato, and afterward, went home with Tommaso (my Italian host student) and at 6 PM, I went to Julia’s host’s house to eat dinner.

The unusual interior of the Osteria senza oste (restaurant without staff)

Julia: Today we first walked around the hills of Valdobbiadene and while it was very hot and tiring, it was absolutely worth it because of how beautiful the hills were. There were rows upon rows of grapevines and rolling hills speckled with lovely Italian homes. It was truly magnificent. 

We walked to a little caffè on the hillside that was famous for not having any staff. You could simply walk in, leave some money, take something, and leave. I was astonished at how trusting this system was and pondered over the reasons why it wouldn't work in America. We then sat for about ten minutes just looking at the view and getting to know each other a bit more. Since the Italian students are finished with school, they get to come with us on all of our day trips which I have found to be extremely fun. I love getting to know the Italians and how their culture differs from our own. 

Machinery for bottling the Prosecco wine

After lunch, we visited a wine cellar that specializes in making Prosecco (since Valdobbiadene is famous for Prosecco) and learned about the process of producing it. While we obviously could not taste the wine, it was very interesting to hear about the company and look at the different stages of production. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed Valdobbiadene, and I cannot wait to see more of it!

Location: 31049 Valdobbiadene, Province of Treviso, Italy

Comments

  1. RcaragherJune 12, 2023 at 9:57 PM

    Delightful to read both of your accounts- from the descriptions of the hillsides, to 20000 steps (oh my), to the learning (and not tasting:-) about Prosecco production, to hanging out with your hospitable friends- so much fun to hear about the connections. The photos are amazing! Fascinating to read about the staffless cafe- and that is not due to robotic automation but rather trust.

    ReplyDelete
  2. La Srta. DiederichJune 14, 2023 at 7:52 AM

    How exciting that your Italian hosts are able to join you for your daytime adventures. These relationships are ones to treasure.

    ReplyDelete

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