Camper Rally in Recoaro Terme

Camper rally organised by the 'A. Palladio' Camper Club of Vicenza. We were thinking of leaving on Thursday the 4th, but, due to bad weather, we were thinking of skipping the rally; then on Friday the clearing skies made us change our minds and we set off for Valli del Pasubio: a lovely little village set against the backdrop of the Little Dolomites at about 400 m above sea level.

As there was no square able to receive 142 campers, we were placed in three different areas, in two town car parks and at the sports field; the registration fee paid was 25 € for two people, and in return we were offered Recoaro products, guides who accompanied us on Saturday, divided into three groups, to the Pasubio Ossuary, to the Museum of Old Trades, to a concert in the 17th-century church with a Serassi organ, a visit to an old mill and an old sawmill, both powered by water wheels, to a salami factory and to the gates of the village where an excellent honey is produced. Included in the registration fee, on Saturday at noon, was a lunch with excellent bigoli in meat sauce and a plate of soppressa and cheese, specialities of the area.

On Saturday afternoon, in pouring rain, we moved to Recoaro Terme over the Xon pass (668 m above sea level), a beautiful panoramic road with bends and hairpins; unfortunately we saw nothing because of the rain. Having parked the campers by the central springs, after the welcome from the authorities, a refreshment and a tasting of the five qualities of water, accompanied by a lovely young lady, we visited the bunkers built by the Germans, carved into the mountain close to the spa, where, in wartime, the supreme command of the German army was housed.

In the evening everyone to dinner, in three restaurants, at 15 € each; our group was assigned to the Asnicar Bertoldi restaurant, where we tasted the local speciality: 'Gnochi (with a single C) with the Fioreta (with a single T)', of which I got the recipe and soon I want to try cooking them; I won't find the Fioreta — a liquid ricotta produced only on site — but they advised me what can replace this ingredient. To follow: yellow risotto with mushrooms, duck with a fabulous sauce, roast potatoes and spinach; for dessert a good strudel and plenty of Cabernet wine; I, the usual greedy one, went back for seconds of everything and many others followed me.

On Sunday morning the weather was kind to us, a beautiful day; we met at the cable-car square, where a virtuoso of the accordion performed various well-known pieces, then costume dances accompanied by a small orchestra and finally the strudel offered by the pro-loco, which could not be missing. With the cable car, at the special price of € 4 each, we went up to Recoaro 1000, where: in summer you can take beautiful walks and in winter you ski, going up on a second chairlift to 1700 m above sea level. Back to the camper, lunch and return home, happy to have spent a lovely weekend in the company of many friends, among them also a couple, Mino and Carla, who were in the Samarcanda group.