Month: April 2025

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Ivrea, Italy – Lake Sirio Repose

Ivrea, Italy – Lake Sirio Repose

After a day of familiarizing ourselves with the town Ivrea, it was time to do some hiking and see the surrounding countryside. Though probably not known to the layperson, the lakes and surrounding area were formed by glacier activity around 9700 BCE. All five lakes and the long, gradual hill in the distance that is not a mountain of the Alps, are actually glacial moraines from that time. Here, after a long hike, we were able to repose along Lake Sirio for a long and needed lunch, as well as a magnificent view.

The Five Lakes Hike

In and around Ivrea are hiking trails known as the Five Lakes Hike through which part of the Via Francigena trail also passes. None of the hiking trails are difficult, per se, however many of the surfaces are poor, so hiking shoes or a good trekking shoe is commended.

Unfortunately, due to time and the weather, we were unable to visit all of them and had to forgoe seeing Lake Nero and Lake Campagna. Luckily, they appear very similar to the ones below that we were able to visit, so no harm done.

Lake Sirio

Our first lake that we encountered was Lake Sirio, perhaps the largest of the five and it has the comenserate amount of lake resources around it for swimming, sunbathing and other activities.

The trail winds around this lake perhaps three quarters of the way and then veers off into the woods towards Lake Pistono. We followed the trail and then made a wide circle back around, essentially making a circle, to revisit this lake and have lunch at Restaurant Il Cigno.

Lake Pistono

Lake Piston is a smaller lake and only offers a few trails to get close to the lake. We found this lake surrounded by more water, which also means more insects, so bug lotion or spray is recommended, they are voracious!

This lake has one distinction, it is home to one of the Big Benches, which can be found throughout Piedmont in different areas and settings. Such projects make it fun and interesting to get out and find such silly objects. However, having said that, most are in areas that are out of the way and may present difficulty for some. But if you are able, the sights can be beautiful, so go for it!

Lake San Michele

A smaller lake and closer to Ivrea is lake San Michele. Though we had some bother getting there and visited the Chapel of the Three Kings unintentionally, since the Italians with money just love to block public access to things, even roads, if they can do so.

So, we were unable to continue our travels using the Via Boaro, since it is blocked by a gate and a fancy house with video surveillance, so if you have the same idea – don’t bother. Instead, use the Via Cascinette and Via Lago San Michele roads to get to the lake. There is a lake park entrance that may be used, or you can continue on Via Lago S. Michele and see the lake once you round the bend in the road.

Churches And Chapels

Though not known for the churches or chapels, there are a few that can be visited in the area. We found the following when we continued our Five Lakes Hike the next day. The Sanctuary was open, but the chapel appears closed, perhaps for good.

Restaurants

Il Cigno

We made note of this restaurant on Lake Sirio when we were outbound headed for Lake Pistono and made plans to swing back around for lunch. It has amazing seating right along the shore of the lake with marvelous views of the Graian Alps.

The food is good and prices are reasonable. We were here during the off-season, but one can easily imagine that it gets quite busy in the summer, especially on the weekends, so plan accordingly.

Ristorante Pizzeria da Romano

Not far from our hotel, Hotel 3T, along the Stata Stradale (SS26) is the Ristorante Pizzeria da Romano. We ate here one evening only because we did not want to venture from the hotel, who’s restaurant unfortunately was closed.

Here is where you will find all the locals looking for excellent pizza at great prices. We ordered a salad, two pizzas, half liter of wine and water for around thirty Euros.

La Gustiera

Another good place to eat, but come early if you do not have reservations, is La Gustiera Osteria. Located on Via Quattro Martiri, La Gustiera offers a select menu every evening of authentic Piedmont cuisine, perhaps half fish and half meat, so something for everyone’s taste.

Trattoria Monferrato

Almost directly in the old city center on Via Gariglietti is the Trattoria Monferrato. Having trouble finding a place to eat elsewhere, we found a table free here on a Saturday just by luck.

The food here was very good, a cross between home cooking and something made by a chef. The pork filet with gravy was delicious, along with a side of potatoes and some wine the meal was very enjoyable. Knowing the difficulty we had finding a place to eat, we shared our large table for six with a German couple from Frieburg and had a very entertaining conversation about them traveling through Italy on E-Bike.

Our Hotel

We stayed at one hotel for the entire weekend on the north side of town, only to have more convenience leaving on our hikes.

Hotel 3T

A rather modern hotel with most amenities. The hotel staff can be a bit problematic on the weekends, since we had to ask a few times for towels and toilet paper. So, attention to detail is not a priority.

Another drawback was the restaurant, which was closed for dinner, so we had to go every night, which can be annoying if you had a long and tiring hike. However, the hotel is clean and the bed and pillows were very comfortable, a big plus when you need a good night’s rest.

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Ivrea, Italy – A Piedmont Weekend

Ivrea, Italy – A Piedmont Weekend

If you are into hiking and enjoy a really good weekend excursion, then the Metropolitan town of Turin has something great to offer, the tiny little town of Ivrea. Known for being part of the Via Francigena[1]The ancient pilgrimage route from England to Rome. and Five Lake hiking area, it is a great place to spend a few days.

Getting There

This town can be reached in just under an hour’s train ride from Porta Nuovo in Turin. The Regional Veloce (RV) runs directly from the main train station, through Porta Susa and onto Ivrea. Unfortunately, the line no longer continues to Aosta, so those who are stopping over have to use the bus service to continue their journeys.

The Hotel

We stayed at the Hotel 3T on Via Sant’Ulderico, a modern hotel that has most of the amenities. One thing I disliked about this hotel, at least during this time of year (Spring), is that the thermostat makes you believe you have control over the temperature in your room, when in fact you don’t!

The Town

The town is cut in two by the Dora Baltea river, which offers a few courses for avid kayakers and seems to draw them from all over. The river here cuts right through the native diorite rock, which can be seen everywhere you look and presents a dark geologic hardness that makes it such a stable building foundation; practically everything, including the hospital, is built on it.

There is not much to the town itself, just the Lungodora, or walkway along the river, and one central main street where one can find most of the shops, cafes and other stores.

Castle Saubauda

A large rectangular castle built in the fourteenth century by the Savoy family. It is only open certain times during the year and one has to reserve their guided tour ahead of time. We were only able to see the outside and sometimes at night it is lit up in different colors.

Ivrea Cathedral

Actually known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of Saint Mary, or Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, is very close to the castle on the hilltop. It is in need of restoration and there are several, apparently small projects already underway inside the cathedral.

Inside the cathedral is actually quite impressive. The nave is well decorated with ceiling frescoes and religious art. It is quite dark and reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel before that was restored and suffers from decades, if not centuries or candle and other smoke.

The Crypt

The main attraction of the crypt are the frescoes. When possible the caretakers of the cathedral have installed lighting, so that you can adore without the need for using the flash on your camera, which you should never do.

Restaurants

Moma

Moma is actually a bar and restaurant, so you can stop their early for a drink before dinner, or wait until 7PM and dine there as well. They have a fairly good selection of food which may be considered cosmopolitan and some Piedmont dishes. Both of our dishes were very good and came with rather large portion size which is unusual of Italy.

References

References
↑1 The ancient pilgrimage route from England to Rome.
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Porto, Portugal to Turin, Italy – Interesting Views

Porto, Portugal to Turin, Italy – Interesting Views

Here are some interesting views on our trip back to Turin, Italy from Porto, Portugal. Luckily, the weather was perfect on both ends of the trip so our flight was totally uneventful.

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Lisbon, Portugal – Additional Sights

Lisbon, Portugal – Additional Sights

On our last couple of days in Lisbon we went across the bowl[1]I note this because it is the lower flat portion of the city the rise gently to the north. and visited the sights in and around the oldest part of the city, Alfama. Then after that we took the 15E Tram and visited Belém, the most important part of the city with respect to ports and its historical noteriety.

Alfama the Other City

This area includes the Moorish Castle of São Jorge and a number of the overlooks that the area enjoys. Of course, there is also Lisbon Cathedral, which actually looks like it might have been destroyed by the great 1755 earthquake and rebuilt afterwards, but the cathedral and area were largely spared from any damage due to that quake.

Perhaps contrary to popular belief, Lisbon and Porto are very busy ALL YEAR. It appears that since RyanAir has a HUB in Porto, everyone and his cousin comes to the area for at least the weekend and many for the entire week. This not doubt puts real stress on Porto, which I can not imagine during the summer when it is really hot and full of tourists.

Lisbon on the other hand is a larger city and can handle more people, however, it has the double wamy of having cruise ships dock as well. So expect the lower parts of Lisbon to be always crowded.

Some walk from the Chiado part of town, where our hotel was located, and across the promenade of R. Augusta, is a totally different part of the city, Alfama. Here you can find the Santa Apolónia train station; in fact, check any train ticket you have that travels to Porto or beyond, and you might notice that it might not be necessary to go all the way to Oriente train station, some of those trains actually start in Santa Apolónia.

If you walk the area it is quite steep, so be prepared, or for those less inclined to walk and climb, take an alternate mode of transportation like the 12E Tram, a Tuk-Tuk or the bus.

Church of Our Lady of Grace

The Church of Our Lady of Grace stands on top of one of the hills on this side of the city. It has a beautiful ceiling in the nave, but the altar is rather plain and typical among other churches we have seen.

Adjacent to the church is the Convent of Grace, which is temporarily being used as a modern art museum. However, it is nice just to drop in and see the fascinating Portuguese tiling that adorns the walls.

Castle of São Jorge

The Castle of São Jorge is a large Moorish castle with a commanding view of the overall area of Lisbon. It has a surrounding wall with a central castle and a number of amenities, including a cafe and a restaurant.

Though you can purchase tickets at the gate, we found the entire staff appeared to be very confused and we got numerous conflicting stories as to what was available, when and where we had to queue in line. We decided to purchase our tickets online, this was actually quicker and more convienent. However, we still had to stand in a line for about an hour, and it isn’t even tourist season, so bring your patience.

Church of Saint Vincent de Fora

The Church of Saint Vincent de Fora is actually pretty far from everything else, but still walkable. From the Church of Grace and some of the observations points, it can be easily seen in the distance, usually with the National Pantheon dome looming in the frame.

The interior is actually quite spartan and perhaps not worth the effort. However, for a fee you can enter other portions of the grounds like the sacristy, which is known to be far more opulent than the church itself. Having been in so many churches in the past few months, we decided to save our money and continue our travels.

Belém the Port City

Noted in history as the port from which Vasco da Gama departed for his adventures to India, this port town’s most noticeable attribute is it tower. But there is also the monastery, its cloister and the church, all of which represent fabulous examples of the late Gothic Portuguese Manueline style of architecture.

Jerónimos Monastery and the Church of Saint Mary of Bethlehem

When you exit the tram the first thing you notice is the Church of Saint Mary of Bethlehem across the street. Then the Jerónimos Monastery comes into view, as an extension to these architectural marvels.

Belém Tower

The Belém Tower, or more precisely, the Tower of Saint Vincent, stands just off shore and was actually a lighthouse in the past.

Restaurants

Rendez Vous

After we visited the Church of St. Vincent we stopped at a small restaurant along the way back called Rendez Vous. They have sort of an eclectic menu which probably does not appeal to everyone, but we found the food and wine very good and would commend the place to anyone looking for something a little different.

References

References
↑1 I note this because it is the lower flat portion of the city the rise gently to the north.