Grado and about

We came to Grado with a mission. Megan had bought a new Olympus OM-D camera in Germany, and it had mysteriously failed. We put it in for service last time we were in Ljubljana, realising that we'd have to travel back there to pick up the repaired unit. So, we rented a car for a day from Trieste Airport after failing to find a public transport solution. We caught the bus to Trieste Airport, which is really just outside Monfalcone, and picked up our car.

Alpine views at Triglav

Alpine village at Kranjska Gora

Beautiful Alps

Rather than return by the same direct route, we decided to divert and go north around the Triglav National Park, an alpine region famous in Slovenia.  We then crossed the Italian border at Tarvisio, and looked at all the ski resorts in the area.

Italian cafe at Tarvisio

Closer to home, we stopped to visit the fortress town of Palmanova. This town is an example of a star fort built by the Venetians in the late Renaissance, 1593.

The Star Fort of Palmanova

To celebrate the Christian defeat of the Turks (mainly by Italian and Spanish forces) in 1571 in the War of Cyprus, the superintendent of the Republic of Venice commissioned a revolutionary new type of settlement. Palmanova was designed as a fortress in the shape of a nine pointed star. Between the points of the star, ramparts protruded so each point could defend its neighbours. A moat also surrounded the town, with three heavy double gates to provide entry. The fortress town came under Austrian rule in 1815, until it was succeeded back to Italy in 1866.

The central square, where troops were marshalled.

Central monument

Public buildings fronting the square

The main cathedral

Unusual water tower.

Palmanova was designed and built at great cost in align with all the humanist principles of the time, as a utopian kind of community. However, no one chose to live live there, so in 1622, Venice was forced to offer criminals free building lots if they would agree to settle there. One more utopian dream goes bust!  However, the inside of the cathedral was breathtaking.

Main nave of the cathedral

Window altar

Church detail

Organ built into the wall of the church.

We had to look at the walls of Palmanova, since it was built as a fortress. It was damn hot, but we did our duty and inspected the battlements.

Double gate into Palmanova

Part of the battlements of Palmanova

Aqueduct supplying the fortress

And then back to Grado. It was quite a trip to pack into one day. We spent another day just enjoying Grado, taking a trip to the beach. Then, we couldn't justify hanging around in a high priced marina. Besides, Venice was calling. So we headed off and spent the night in the middle of a vast lagoon in Lignano, surrounded by clouds of mosquitos.

The town of Lignano Sabbiadoro, from our anchorage in the lagoon

Rainy day, but a welcome drop in temperature. We're starting to wonder about the distance we have to travel to Sicily and the time remaining until the weather starts to turn. Better get a move on then, so its off to Lido di Jesolo, last stop before Venice.