Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dressed in a hideously unfetching outfit (perhaps a pair of underpants and rubber
gloves), the candidate undergoes a variety of humiliating tortures, all the while being
fed deadly alcoholic concoctions, much to the glee of the assembled crowd. It's a
far cry from togas and mortar boards, and it says a great deal about the local sense
of fun. You can catch sight of these ritualistically unceremonious ceremonies—
called
goliardie
—around the Palazzo Bò, usually in July and September.
NIGHTLIFE
Many of the bars and cafes in and around the Ghetto are a great place to rub
shoulders with the students of Padua University; cruise around the neighborhood
until you find an atmosphere to your taste. Gearing itself to trendy adults,
Lounge
Aperitif Miracle
(Via San Francesco, 15)
lays claim to “probably the best barman
in the world”; ask for Mauro Lotti by name, and then ask him to whip you up a
superb martini. Alternatively, join the grownups at
Godenda
(Via Squarcione, 4/6;
%
049-8774192),
a fabulous wine bar in the center of town. There's an excellent
selection of vintages, and snacks and meals are available.
I'm a sucker for any venue that offers good people-watching, and one place I
usually can't tear myself away from is the friendly
Paparazzi Fashion Café
(Via
Marsilio da Padova, 17;
%
049-8759306; www.paparazzi.it; Tues-Sun 6pm-1am),
where cool, funky types sip equally cool cocktails before heading for the clubs.
Stand at the red marble bar, or grab a seat under the rows of paparazzi pics, while
the DJ plays selections from his very own compilation album. Panini and fresh
salads are also available, but you'd be forgiven for getting hung up on the cock-
tails and the human eye-candy. Note that while Paparazzi opens early, things only
start heating up after 10pm.
The city's principal indoor theater is
Teatro Verdi
(Via dei Livello, 32;
%
049-
8777011),
which hosts classical music as well as professional comedies and dra-
mas; the season runs from September through April or May. During summer,
events at the Roman Amphitheater are particularly varied; expect Spanish salsa
dancers, film screenings, and rock bands to fill a program that changes daily.
SIDE TRIPS FROM PADUA
Take one, or all three, of these worthwhile side trips from Padua.
The Riviera del Brenta
Palladian-inspired villas, built in the heyday of Venetian aristocracy, line the
Brenta Canal, which stretches between Padua and Venice, providing a marketable
venture for tour operators who've clung to Riviera del Brenta as the romantic term
to lure visitors on expensive boats chugging up and down the waterways. A Brenta
boat cruise isn't my favorite outing—they're expensive and crammed with boat-
fuls of package-deal groups. Nevertheless, the trip does allow you to observe
around 3 dozen villas from the deck of the boat, stopping at three for a close-up
inspection and tour. The inconsistent operating hours of these villas means that a
boat cruise greatly eases the fuss you'll need to go through trying to plan your trip;
there's not much emphasis on customer satisfaction, however, and some of the
villa stops feel a bit truncated.
Popular cruises include
I Batelli del Brenta
(
%
049-8760233; www.antoniana.
it)
and
Il Burchiello
(
%
049-8206910; www.ilburchiello.it),
both of which will
