Last day in Portogruaro

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Today is our last day in Italy so time to relax, pack our bags and say some farewells. It is also Republic Day for Italy so we went to the city centre to listen to a wind orchestra playing some well known classics plus the Italian song which everyone stood up and sang. The Italian flag was flying, banners were up, there were flowers and many, many people celebrating the day. We cycled back home via a little country road. A nice way to end the visit. In the later afternoon we went and paid a last visit to the farm and Guilia and Giovanni. This time I had pen and paper handy to write down memories from harbouring Uncle Percy (Piero) as a POW during the war years.
Guilia might be very old but her memory is sharp. The stories were just getting a little more personal and funny when we had to leave! Despite Giovanni's disablility, you can tell from his eyes when he is taking what is going on around him. They were both pleased that we had come to visit. Lindsay and I shared some presents from New Zealand with them as a token of our gratitude. It would be hard to beat the hospitality given to us and we have learned so much about Italy. The country is beautiful both in the lowlands and the mountains but we have to say that the Dolomites are spectacular and beyond any mountains we've visited before. The environmental preservation is to be envied everywhere despite the large population. The culture is interesting and certainly different to NZ. The politics are difficult to understand and obviously not the best given the elections and general dissatisfaction. People are friendly and hospitable and somewhat volatile at times 😊 but it blows over fairly quickly. The history is amazing, spanning so many years - you are surrounded by it every day. The country is very modern, has fantastic engineering structures but makes a point of preserving the past. And the food? Well, it's different too. There's the usual expected pasta and pizza that we all eat but it is also varied. Not at all like NZ food.
Yes, we liked Italy a lot and it would be hard not to add a return visit. We'll see. All thanks to the Santaliana family and especially Diego for his patience and enduring translation service beyond the call of duty.

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Photos

Republic Day in Portogruaro
Republic Day celebrations in the town square in Portogruaro

At the farm
The family and myself at the Annone Veneto farm