Bruno, June 2007
This was a trip to re-provision Christine, and show the St
Agnes Coffee
Club the treasures of the Piedmont.
No, that's not a treasure, that's my wife!
Swimming lessons going ..... swimmingly
Drying off
Lunch at MHasta - superb as usual
San Pietro complex from a new angle
The mysterious relief over the side door to the baptistry from
the cloister
Count Federico Cotti de Ceres, last of his line, who founded Asti's
(?first) public hospital. Not much about him on wikipedia.
While Christine took the shoppers round Serravalle, I took
Piet to see Aqui Terme. Here is the pulpit of the Duomo.
And here the town branch of the bollente, which allegedly produces 560
litres (per hour) of water at 74.5 degrees (too hot for your elbow).
The other branch comes up at the old Roman baths, and their whereabouts
remain shrouded in mystery, since the signposts just peter out ...
unlike the bollente.
Next day, Turin ... here in the Piazza Castello, behind the Palazzo
Madama (whose front resembles a rather overdecorated wedding cake).
And here the much more restrained Palazzo Reale.
In the background, you can see the cupola of the Duomo. It
was to see this cupola (designed by Guarino Guarini, for the
chapel of the Shroud) that Piet had wanted to come to Turin.
But it was burned down in a fire five years ago, and is now
(like so much in Italy), in
restauro. Here is the somewhat less noteworthy
dome of S Lorenzo (I suppose the Savoys must have intermarried with the
Medici at some point).
Monument to the Green Count (the savoys were only Counts in those
days), who took part in crusading action on the coast of Turkey, and
was responsible for restoring one John V Paleologus to the throne of
Byzantium.
By the time this monument was set up in 1853, the Savoys were
kings.
And this is the palace in which Vittorio Emanule II was born.
After whom the city named this gallery - a double win,
because it protects from the summer sun, as well as the winter rain.
After a long walk south from the old city centre, we discovered to our
annoyance that the restaurant which Christine wanted to go to was
closed (whether permanently or just for the day, no one knew), and we
had to find an alternate. An interesting location, because
the owner had taken all the photographs with which the walls were
decorated. But would you ask Antonio Carluccio to take your
portrait? No. Nuff said.
This sign records the fact that nitro-glycerine was discovered
in the house in front of which it is fixed. Considering the volatility
of nitro-glycerine, it is quite remarkable that the house was there
long enough for them to put up a notice. The sign also notes that
nitro-glycerine has "multiple uses".
Next day, Nizza for the market, but first a glass of Moscato.
Then lunch at the Due G, and a little difference of opinion about who is entitled to the last of the Grappa
The buffet in Cuneo station, where we went on our last day, was quite
retro. We just missed the train which runs under the Col de
Tende, through France, and back into Italy, coming down to Ventimiglia.
So long wait, drinks ....
The train was too fast (and spent too much time in the tunnel) for
photos to be easy. Next time, I shall have to grit my teeth and
take a car.
We discovered that the train for the return journey allowed passender
to stand beside the driver. I think the town above is La
Brigue, and I was able to get the camera out of the window, thus
avoiding the kind of random rorschach filter which affected the
downhill view of our journey:
At San Dalmazzo, a monument to the deported
And on the way home, a quick visit to Neive, to see the countryside, grab a sandwich, and sample the moscato.
S Michele, and the wine bar where the moscato is served.
Last evening of the holiday, we decided to visit the village feastday
at Alice Bel Colle. Here the preparations for the concert.
Here Clemens sampling the Farinata, a kind of damper made with chick-pea flour.
From the castle mound, you can see at least 50 kilometres all round.
Unfortunately, I had left the tripod in Amsterdam. Oh well,
there is always next year!
The people in this picture may well have seen things as fuzzily as my camera!
