Their designs are attributed to the hand of Palladio but all seem to have been finished by

Their designs are attributed to the hand of Palladio but all seem to have been finished by someone else. As you head down to the Piazza Matteotti at the far end, you pass several palazzi: Thiene, Capra, Pojana, and Barbaran. The street meanders along, lined with cafes and arcades, and crossed by narrow alleyways. He is commemorated in hotels, cinemas, and other local landmarks and the town's main thoroughfare is, predictably enough, the Corso Palladio.In Vicenza, you can survey his work effortlessly by taking a gentle stroll down the Corso; start in the Piazza Castello and head north east, which guarantees that you leave the best till last.

Traditionally a textile centre, it now has a thriving chemical industry; but it also manages to remain one of the most attractive small towns in northern Italy.At first sight - and certainly if you take any notice of the leaflets put out by the tourist office - Vicenza would seem to be something of a one-horse town, the horse in this case being the 16th-century architect Andrea di Pietro, aka Palladio. The other is that with the streets deserted, the architectural glories of the place can be seen at their best. In the early 1400s Vicenza was a prosperous artistic centre, which came under the protection of the Venetian republic. The first, and possibly the most important, is the chance of a decent meal: lunch is taken as seriously here as anywhere in Italy. Arriving in Vicenza at lunch time (an hour from Venice by train) offers two opportunities. As the streets go quiet, little can be heard but a gentle chink of cutlery on china. During the working day people bustle about, but as soon as midday has passed, shops begin to close and the frenetic pace of life calms.

Tradition dies hard in the small towns of Italy. Annoyingly, this option applies only to those born in the first half of the year; it expires on 1 July.. The US airline Reno Air is giving upgrades to first class to any economy passenger who can prove it is their birthday. But suppose a mobile phone user (of whom there seem to be hundreds aboard every train these days) learns en route of a good reason why he or she should not continue with the European portion of the trip.The passenger is surely not going to be asked to pay the full fare, even in the post-privatisation railway wonderland? Legal counsel would be appreciated.No subterfuge is needed for the next top tip - just being born on the right day. You show the ticket at Glasgow Central station to buy your cheap trip to London, then hand in the Euroticket for a full refund.If premeditated, this sort of behaviour breaks the rules.

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