Bassano Del Grappa, Italy

Bassano del Grappa is a smallish town near Asolo where we stayed. Its claim to fame is grappa, an 80-proof liquor made in the region. The traditional form of grappa is pretty nasty, (one of our crew thought it tasted like gasoline). The flavored grappa on the other hand is almost palatable. The town actually got its name because it lies at the base of Monte Grappa, not because of the alcoholic beverage.

The main landmark in Bassano is the 12^th century wooden bridge you see behind me in this picture. For obvious reasons, it's called Ponte Vecchio (old bridge).

Another shot of Ponte Vecchio with Monte Grappa in the background.

Distilling equipment as shown in the Grappa Museum. Yes, there is a grappa museum.

Silly shot of me imitating the statue in a park in Bassano del Grappa. The inscription says "Sei la mia patria", which as close as I can gather means "You are my homeland."