Human-Powered Amusement Park

A couple of months ago our friends the Crandalls told us about Osteria Ai Poppi, a restaurant with a human-powered amusement park out back. It is less than an hour from where we live. We looked up some videos online and could not wait to go. So we drove out on the Saturday of Columbus Day Weekend.

We started out simple enough, just a four person swing in a tree tunnel. About 30 seconds into this ride I was so nauseated I felt ready to give up for the day. Getting old.

 Then we stepped it up a notch. This is a bicylcle loop-the-loop that is very fun but also very uncomfortable and a lot harder than it looks. I failed both by myself in the single cage and with Ashley in the double cage. I need to go back here with Tann Jones or Greg Trifilo. And some padding for my rear.

We then moved to the zip line, which wasn't the biggest we've ever seen but was still pretty fun.

Next up was the spinning swing. This was number one or two for the kids, they absolutely loved it. From my perspective, it was EXHAUSTING.

 You can see the happiness on Jubie's face.

Isaac pulling a "superman" while I put some muscle into it. Not sure how much Jubie was helping, but the effort was appreciated.

 One last pull.

 And I'm spent.

Ready to get nauseated? Watch this next one:

Next up was the contender for best kids' ride, the roller coaster:

From there we moved to the gyro, which looks like it would cause havoc with a middle-aged vestibular system, but this was actually much better than that danged swing.

 \Isaac was technically too you, and slipped out of the foot straps at one point, but there was no one around to enforce the rules. Until I showed up.

The contraption behind the gyro was my favorite of the day, a tilt-a-wheel with a 360 degree cage on each end. If you walked backwards and forwards the right way you could go all the way around, which Ashley and I were finally successful at.

 It was fun, I promise.

The food at Ai Poppi was also excellent and very cheap. The whole family ate for 35 euro and the formaggio, salsiccia, polenta, and funghi were all delicious. Once we finally had our fill of food and fun we drove on to a town we had seen before but had never stopped at: Vidor.

The town is beautiful and nestled between two small hills. The main duomo is down below and another church is on top of the hill, reached via a road with the 12 stations of the cross on it (of course). Juliet was not happy to be here for some reason.

The fountain in front of the town hall. You can see the name of the town on the hill, Hollywood Sign style. The name is significant because Gaga grew up in east Texas near a town named Vidor.

The campanello had gouges in it that we are pretty sure were made by artillery shells during WWI, since this whole area is a big WWI site.

So that was enough of Vidor. We moved on to the Prosecco Road region where we had been last autumn with the Crandalls. It was a lovely late afternoon with the leaves still on the vines but the grapes already picked.

Jubie was in a better mood once we got her some grissini to eat at Ca' Salina, where we loaded up on Giorgia Prosecco (sulfite-free) and dry Moscato Rosato.

The whole area is terraced for grape vines and absolutely gorgeous.

 Goof balls!

What a way to spend a Saturday.

And no day on Prosecco Road would be complete without a stop at L'Osteria Senza Oste, AKA L'Oste Che Non C'e', AKA the Inn Without An Innkeeper. A family keeps a fridge & pantry stocked with various sausages, cheeses, bread, and grissini. We sat outside and ate pork sausage with Prosecco, pork sausage with Refosco, and lamb sausage with Refosco.

We finished out the night at an amazing gelateria in the Centro Storico di Vittorio Veneto, which is one of the coolest towns we have ever visited anywhere. And it is only 30 minutes from our house. Why it took us over three years to get there I have no idea. We need to go back during the day to take pictures. The buildings there look like they were yanked from the Grand Canal in Venice and plopped into the gateway to the Dolomites.

We are definitely going back to Ai Poppi as well. We need to bring the Jones and Trifilo families. I will conquer that bicycle loop.