Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Brisighella: Spa town or Bates Motel

At last some rustic Italian scenery, it seems that we all took separate routes from Padova down to here but the consensus is none were really up too much.
Morna and Ross opted for down the motorway one junction and off on to a central “A” type road. After 30 miles of “A” road following van after van through small little service type areas we decided that the motorway was at least going to be quicker. The motorways or Autostradas as they are known are a solid conduit of HGV of various types it seems nothing in Italy is transported by rail. 60 miles later to the south of Bologna we finally found some rustic charm, we followed a “B” type road for about 15 miles through little farm hamlets  and up into the hills.
More about Brisighella and the hotel later on but it seems tranquil but slightly odd……….

The hotel in Brigishella is an austere 1960s extravaganza with no life and character. The girls went for a walk around the town and found the Terme (spa). It was deserted with a grotty swimming pool and buildings closed up and unkempt. We expected the tumbleweed to blow over at any minute. On a grey afternoon it had a spooky feel. We continued into the village where  the restaurants were closed and the locals stared. We could feel eyes following us from behind screens. We returned to the hotel with a feeling of foreboding.


Later we set off to find somewhere to eat, having been offered a choice of 3 dishes at the hotel. Yum. Again the suspicious looks followed us around. We found a restaurant offering good views and sent JB on a reconnaissance. He concluded it looked hopeful so we climbed the 100m to the restaurant to find the most fantastic restaurant set above the village with views of Tuscany. The meal was top class. We couldn't praise our lovely hosts enough. Finding such a place was so unexpected. As Ross often says, motorbikes take you to places you would never otherwise see.

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