{"id":11274,"date":"2015-02-04T20:46:40","date_gmt":"2015-02-04T20:46:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=11274"},"modified":"2017-05-10T12:31:33","modified_gmt":"2017-05-10T12:31:33","slug":"meeting-mantova-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/meeting-mantova-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Meeting Mantova"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We are staying in Italy for the time being (yes it’s still freezing – currently around -10!), but moving on from Sirmione to Mantova<\/a> (or Mandua as it’s called locally!)…<\/p>\n

Compared to Bardolino<\/a>, and to some extent Sirmione<\/a>, at least in terms of how busy it is, and the amount of visible tourists, Mantova is like a breath of fresh air.<\/p>\n

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Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 2007, and with very good reason – there are historical artefacts at every turn (most of which completely appeal to Small People, see Statue below!), and with the first approach into the city not unlike that of Venice<\/a> (it’s surrounded by artificial lakes (created purely for defence purposes back in the 12th century), not a lagoon however), and with streets that make you catch your breath pretty much as soon as you’ve left the car park, Mantova is a fantastic place to spend a day or three…<\/p>\n

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We arrived on market day, vibrant and bustling, and with stalls that not only take over the entirety of the impressive square, but many a side street too.<\/p>\n

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Most are dedicated to local produce as you might expect from this part of the world, but aside from the spectacular food on offer, there are also traditional drapery stalls, stalls selling beads, buttons and bobbins, and then the less traditional (but very popular with the Small Girl) Hello Kitty stall (apart from this, it is relatively tat free though refreshingly!).<\/p>\n

After a couple of hours market perusing, and with whetted appetites from all that gorgeous produce, luckily for us we stumbled upon Tiratappi<\/a>, and made it just in time for a lunchtime table (they eat early here it seems).<\/p>\n

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Here we sat for a couple of hours appreciating the good service, the beautiful light streaming in through the window, two children being happily fussed over by the waitress, and the delicious (and generous) dishes, many of which have a Sicilian influence (my glorious pumpkin mousse with speck didn’t last all that long!)…<\/p>\n

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With full bellies, we stumbled out into the sunshine, and with the market packed away, and streets relatively quiet, we wandered happily for an hour or so more, making the most of the late sunshine as we walked.<\/p>\n

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Mantova you are completely memorable, and I haven’t quite finished with you yet… \u00a0More soon!<\/p>\n

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Share me:<\/h3>