70 outandaboutlive.co.ukSeptember 2019
lagoon shore ha d pl enty of wildlife.
At the wa ter’ s ed ge we spotted a pair of
Africansacred ibis and,on the campsite,
a nuthatch flitted among the branches
around our‘van and the comical antics of
the jays amused us.
In the warmevenings we strolled around
the site watching the dance of the fireflies
accompanied by the repetit ive mournful call
of a scopsowl.
Following atip-off from a site neighbour
we visited Palmanova, a town inside a
sixteenth century Venetian star-sh ape d fort.
We walked intothe small town thro ugh one
of its gates andwere soon in the impressive
Piazza Grande with six roads radiating from
it, statues flanking ea ch junction.
This lo vely town was built as an
experimental Utopian community as well as a
defensive fo rtress city against the Ottomans.
But, it struggled to attract residents an d
resorted to payi ng people torelocate.
The nature r eserves gu ide came up
trumpsagain, helpingus discover the
stunningCornino Lake. This clear vivi d-
turquoise lake is surroundedby trees
and high crags. Griffon vultures have
successfully been reintroduced here and
they circled above our heads as we walked
the circumference of the lake.The campsite receptionist wasconfident
Monte Festa, a conical peak 1,055m (3,461ft)
high, was aneasy walk. Visible from the
campsite, it looked tough. If we hadknown
that it would take us five hours to ascend we
might have reconsidered!
The cli mbingstarts at the villa ge of
Interneppo, with a microclimate perfect
for butterflies. Local artists have used the
butterfly theme to createcolourful wall
murals and poetry.
We had magnifice nt views over Lago di
Cavazzo from an overhanging pl atform and
stumbled on the track through two dark
tunnel s cu t thro ugh the cliff side. Hot and
weary, we almost abandonedour trek 100m
(328ft) from the top, but aclear, cold , spring
savedthe day. With replen ishe d w ater
bottles we took the steep path up toMonte
Festa’s ruined fort that is testimony to the
WWI battles fought here.
As we desce nded thunder rumbled
around the val ley, but westayed dry and
returned after ei ght hours of walking. Too
weary tocook, we ate at the ca mpsite bar
looking back to Monte Festa across t he lake.
Continuing to work our waythrough the
guidebook, we discov ered the breathtaking
Cellina Gorge. After bu ying fresh bread and
local cheese in the pretty lakeside villageUS AND OUR ’VAN
Ca rol Kubicki...
and her husband, Anthony, use
their DevonTempest to pursue
their hobbies of walking
and cycling while exploring
the historical and natural
environments2015 DevonTempest on
a Renault Master MWB.
This is our second Devon
Conversions ’van. At 5.3m we
think it’s enormous and, with a
washroom, also luxurious