We left Turin in a rain storm, just getting into our carriage before the rain really came down hard. It poured most of the way and we saw several instances of lightning as we traveled to Cuneo, giving us the foreboding feeling that perhaps we had made a terrible mistake.
Piazzale della Liberta – Cuneo Train Station – July 2021
When we arrived, it was still raining terribly hard and we were trapped in the train station for a little over fifteen or so minutes. But I checked my phone and the weather radar application on it gave every indication it was going to pass soon, and thankfully it did, though it would continue to threaten us for the remainder of the morning.
Corso Nizza
Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – Corso Nizza
Cuneo appears at first sight to be a clean, very well kept city. In many respects, unlike its larger brother to the north Turin, it has every indication of being a very pleasant place to live. One rarely finds any graffiti and the number of animals seems much less than other cities in Italy, and Europe over all.
The Reading Man – Via Nizza – Cuneo – July 2021
As the man on Corso Nizza will suggest, sporting his shiny clothes and shoes, everything is just perfect in this little city.
Park and Flowers – Corso Dante Alieghieri
Collonades – Corso Nizza
Piazza Galimberti
via Roma
Patti – via Roma
Maritime Alps – via Lungogesso Corso Giovanni XXIII
The main attraction is Corso Dante Alighieri, which after the main piazza, Piazza Galimberti, turns into via Roma. It is a traditional historic center promenade, with its wide street and classic Sampietrini, it offers a great place to walk and many places to shop and eat.
The Bell Tower of Cathedral Santa Marie Del Bosco on via Saluzzo
Having only spent the day here, we carefully chose our place to lunch, after researching several opportunities prior to leaving. Fortunately, Cuneo provides many top places to eat, most of which open at or around 12:30 and will close by 2:30 to 3:00, in traditional Italian style.
Restaurants – 4 Ciance
Our first choice was Osteria dei Colori, but it was no longer open for lunch. After that, it was the process of elimination and we finally ended up at 4Cinace.
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This restaurant is typical of today’s fine dining establishments, part art, part harmony, mostly excellent food. Paired with an excellent wine and you are in for a delicious time.
Piazza Galimberti – Panorama
Cuneo appears to be an excellent place to live. Very close to the Maritime Alps and the sea, one can easily get to the beach for a weekend get-away. Nestled close to the Alps it must be an easy drive to the mountains during winter for a quick ski holiday. Or, just stay home and enjoy the city itself, dining in one of its many excellent restaurants or Osterias.
Well I finally took the plunge this year, I shipped one of my bicycles to Italy. It almost found its way here faster than ourselves, thank you Send My Bags! A quick and fairly economical way to transfer your belongings across the ocean, if you are so inclined.
My Newly Arrived Bike Box
Of course there were some things to buy, I just could not take along everything I needed because of the weight and limited space in my luggage. This included a new pair of shoes and helmet (doesn’t really pay to risk that in the knock-around world of baggage handling).
My First Couple Of Rides In Turin
I didn’t actually ride inside the city, it is not worth the hassle and interruptions given by the classic grid of roads, with all of their signal lights. Instead, due to our proximity to the eastern hills of Turin, my thoughts immediately turned to the quiet roads above. I quickly learned that having a 28-11, 10-speed cassette on my wheel is not entirely suited for the climbs around this area.
My first ascent was up Borgo Po took longer than I was expecting. It actually took a day to recover and I quickly learned just how flat Wake and Chatham counties are back in North Carolina. But good training nonetheless and something different for a change.
On the way up Cavoretto Hill
My next ascent took me up Cavoretto Hill and the hopes of a nice one hour ride up and then down using a small one lane road that winds its way passed a park. I cannot say enough about how much construction is being done to the roads in and around Turin, they clearly have gotten their Covid monies from the EU parliament. Almost every road or street here has a hole in it with men frantically digging and replacing something.
A view from the top of Cavoretto Hill
Construction forced me to change my plans and turn around at the top of the hill and descend to whence I came. Though I wasn’t entirely unhappy about the choice (having reached my maximum heart rate) I felt a bit tired and annoyed. I took another photograph, since it was such a salubrious (oder bekömmlich) day, I had to just take advantage of supreme clarity of the air.
My last attempt up Cavoretto Hill, trying to find a different way
Of course not wanting to go down the hill the same way I came, I tried a few other alternative routes, which of course almost made me almost contribute one of my lungs to the hill before leaving it.
The Way Up I guess is the Way Down
I finally relented and viewed the way down with some misgivings and thoughts of failure. But, after discovering that my Garmin had wigged out on me again and did not track all of my heart rate information coming up the hill (most likely due to the terrible conditions in which I had to mount the damn thing on my bike, more on this soon), I was finally okay with just going back down the hill for a rest and returning to my apartment.
Back To The Subject Of This Post
Well, as I had alluded to in the subject of this post, necessity is the mother of invention. After my bike arrived, I quickly re-assembled it and discovered, much to my chagrin, that I had forgotten an essential piece to my smooth operation. The bike was fine, I could get flats, fix them and pump them up and ride on my way. What I couldn’t do is see my Garmin, which would normally be mounted on my handlebar stem. In my confusion before we left, I had forgotten to throw this essential piece in the box…!
I can fix this, all I need are some rubber bands, tape and something to hold my Garmin
Being an avid problem-solver, I remained undaunted. The problem was just one of securing the device to the handle bar stem. Since I already knew how Garmin solved this issue, coming up with something similar didn’t seem too far out of the realm of possibility.
Therefore, after installing three (3) rubber bands, a piece of double-sided tape (made by folding tape back onto itself) and an artfully carved wine cork, I had something temporary I thought. It looked like hell, but after more than a dozen rides, seems to function fine for the most part.
The Rube Goldbergian Garmin Stem Attachment Solution
As you can see in the above photograph, the solution looks ridiculous. Though I must say the cobbled streets here tend to drive it to its engineered extremes, one should definitely use the device’s strap in a loop around the stem to secure it. For in the event that it get’s jarred loose (though I admit the photograph above does not show this), and it will, its fall onto the road would more or less destroy it.
Component Comparision – Garmin and Rube Goldberg Solutions
For those interested in a similar solution the components are listed above.
The Way It Should Attach
Finally the envelop holding my Garmin Attachment plastic showed up in the mail and I am now happily riding the cobbled streets of Turin and its surrounding environs without a care in my bumpy world!
Not to make light of the pandemic, but we have shaken off the disease for now and are finally back in Turin after nine long months of rest and relaxation in North Carolina. Having gotten vaccinated some time ago, we booked a non-Covid flight and hoped for the best.
Leaving the States
Our flight was full and everyone thankfully wore masks. It did however leave an hour late, because there are just some people in this world who either cannot read directions, or just live in the own alternative reality. So, it took an hour out our lives so that the crew could find their bags and leave them behind.
So, some advice: If you cannot, or simple do not want to follow directions, please DON’T TRAVEL!
The train from the airport to Milan was about half full and it appeared that things in Italy were getting back to normal.
Standing on the platform at the airport
However, when we reached Milano Centrale, we discovered that this big city still suffers from post-pandemic stress. Just the shear lack of passengers and movement within the train station, was a bit disconcerting.
Where are all the trains and passengers?
But we finally made it back to Turin and found our apartment essentially how we left it. With a little cleaning and adjustments here and there, if anything just to knock out the dust (caused by lack of use), everything was back in good working order.
A beautiful day from our kitchen
Turin Restaurants Are Alive And Well
Luckily we found the restaurants, Osterias, Piolas and bars in Turin all open and waiting for business. We wasted no time in sampling what we had missed for the past nine months, finding the food just as appetizing and delicious as when we left.
Ristoranta Sciamadda
A restaurant on our list of places to visit, the Ristorante Sciamadda is a very busy place during lunchtime in Turin.
Sciamadda Street View
Pernambucco in the glass
Pernambucco – An infused Orange Liqueur
Pat’s Roasted Calamari
Our Minestrone Genovese Soup
Erick’s Octopus with Potatoes – Ligurian Style
This restaurant specializes in typical Ligurian Seafood fare and at very reasonable prices. They have a good wine list and sell wines by the glass or bottle that will match nicely with anything you pick from the menu. Appertifs are something different though. If you ask for a Sambuca, you will most likely be politely rebuffed and suggested to try one of the Ligurian Appertifs. I chose the Pernambucco which was chilled and very refreshing. Infused, I can only say that it tastes like a mixture of oranges and lemons and is quite refreshing. So do not be dismayed, though I would not put it in my caffé!
Piola Sabauda Osteria
Kind of a play on words, since Osteria and Piola actually mean the same thing. Piola derived from the local Piedmonte dialect and Osteria a general term used in Italy to define an establishment that has homestyle cooking. This term apparently tacked onto the end of some restaurants to attract non-native Italians and tourists familiar with that term only.
Agnolotti Al Ragu Bianco with Parmesan CheesePlin al Sugo D’Arrosto – Another AgnolottiPiola Sabauda
For lunch, Patti had the Plin al Sugo D’Arosto and I had the Agnolotti al Ragu Bianco. Both were very good, well seasoned and served with a mixed salad provide a sufficient lunch for anyone. We are going to have to stop this, or we are going to put on too much weight..!
As everyone clearly knows by now, we have suspended our travels for a time, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions that were put in place on travel. After we receive our vaccines and travel starts to open up, we hope to be traveling again soon. Stay tuned, stay safe and check back in the near future!
The plateau of Ritten is one of the great places to hike and enjoy the Alto Adige. Fresh air, sun and absolutely gorgeous fields and woods brought me right back to my own childhood. Their are tons of insects and birds here and I never got tired of hearing the constant whizzing, whining and chirping. Stress relief for one’s soul and probably one of the big reasons why so many come here to relax and enjoy life. I know we did.
Hiking Oberbozen And Ritten
Ritten is a fabulous place for hiking, with a myriad of trails for all levels, one can hike for days across this area and almost always find a place to stay, eat or hike, with proper planning of course.
View from Ritten Plateau – Oberbozen
Ritten Cable Car
The way up is easy, with your multi-day Alto Adige pass you can take the cable car!
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A good twenty to thirty minute ride with spectacular views, the cable car can be boarded just north of the train station. It climbs the nearby mountain and then across the Ritten Plateau to Oberbozen. Here, you can either start your hike, or continue to other points of interest using the plateau’s mountain train service.
There is also an Information Center just outside the cable car entrance in Oberbozen. So if you intend to hike, purchasing a map is a very good idea, the cost at the time of this writing was €3.50.
Oberbozen Train Station
Old Rack Rail or Cog Rail Train
Since we went to the Oberbozen twice we actually have a short video of descending on the cable car as well.
Maria Himmelfahrt
Our first hike was a rather easy trek to the Church of the Assumption of Mary, or Maria Himmelfahrt.
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It is marked as a twenty minute hike, but we found that must be for a very fast walker. In fact, we would say that it is perhaps true of all the times that were posted (but then again, Schneckie was along). I would have preferred them to post the distance in kilometers, then try to guess how long it should take us to hike it!
Erdpyrimaden Oberbozen
One of the great geological oddities to see are the Earth Pyramids. Some of the rocks that you will see there balanced on the top of tiny pyramids of sand seem likely to have been intentionally placed, and yet it is all only a 25,000 year old geological oddity of a glacial domain and erosion. The process is somewhat shown in the chart below.
How the Earth Pyramids are formed
The hike to the Earth Pyramids from Oberbozen is not far, about a half an hour. However, there are several spots you can view them, which at the time can appear very confusing.
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The best vantage point we found was at the very end of the Erdpyrimaden trail by the farmer’s field. I would call this the Haupt Erdpyrimaden, and have so marked it on Google Maps.
Haupt Erdpyramiden Oberbozen
Patti by the Haupt Erdpyramiden
Erick by the Haupt Erdpyramiden
Patti, close up, by the Haupt Erdpyramiden
There is another lesser set of Earth Pyramids further down the trail in a wooded area. But they are not as spectacular as the previous ones. Aside from that, it is rather technical and more dangerous to get any closer to these to take any better photographs.
You hike further down Trail 23 passed a barn
Back into the forest, then you notice another outcropping – Rivallaungraben
Rivallaungraben Erdpyramiden sign
Rivallaungraben Erdpyramiden
Hiking Down To Bozen/Bolzano
We decided after the Earth Pyramids to continue our journey on foot, instead of walking the trail another half an hour to forty minutes to Oberbozen. This turned out not only to be adventurous, but very rigorous, as in the trail actually becomes quite steep and challenges anyone’s thigh muscles to hold on.
Great views
Vineyards along the way
The trail
Erick on Trail 23, going towards Bozen/Bolzano
We can attest that it does NOT take an hour and fifty minutes to hike from Oberbozen to Bolzano, it is more like two and a half hours. Anyone who has done it any quicker has cheating, using roller-blades or other devices. It was also rather warm out, forcing us to pace ourselves somewhat in order to conserve what energy we had left.
Panorama on trail
The route is rather simple, taking Trail 23 to the Earth Pyramids first, you continue along down the mountain until you hit Trail 6, and then take that the rest of the way into the city. You will exit somewhere very close to where the cable car took you up the mountain.
Restaurants
Hotel Post Victoria
Situated along the trail of the Maria Himmelfahrt is the Italian Ristorante Post Victoria.
Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic
Beef bouillon with herb celestine
The View
Patti enjoying life
They have good Italian food at very reasonable prices and amazing views of the Alto Adige Alps. A great was after a hike to Maria Himmelfahrt to recharge those stomach batteries with food and wine to continue your journeys.
Der Schwarze Katz
The Black Cat or Schwarze Katz was a discovery after climbing off the mountain in pain and hunger. You will find it at the end of Trail 6 coming into the North of Bolzano.
Pasta e fagioli
Caprese Mozzarella
It was actually rather busy when we got there which was around one o’clock or a little afterwards. Limping and tired we sat down ready for what ever they were willing to throw at us.
Continuing our adventure in Bolzano, we found it has a number of good museums and many castles to visit, actually one of the denser areas for castles in Europe. We were lucky enough to have time to see two great museums and one of the better castles. If you are ever in Bozen/Bolzano, these are all great places to visit.
Museums
Südtiroler Archäologiemuseum
The South Tyrolean Museum of Archeology is the present home of Ötzi, the five thousand and three hundred year old man that was found frozen in an alpine mountain pass.
Südtiroler Archäologiemuseum
Visitors will learn who made the discovery and how, as well as many keen facts on the later removal and care for the iceman. It is amazing how many artifacts were found along with the body, all of which can be seen in the exhibits. Ötzi himself is viewable from a portal of glass, though which you can see most of the details of his frozen form. The room keeps him at the conditions in which he was found on the mountain-top.
Ötzi
Naturmuseum Südtirol
The South Tyrolean Museum of Nature is a rather small museum that provides a good educational foundation for the natural areas surrounding Bolzano. You can learn about all of the habitats and ecology of the forests and fields of the neighboring countryside, as well as its geology and climate.
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There are many hands-on exhibits for children, most of which are still accessible with the proper attention to hygiene, in this time of pandemic.
Castles
Schloss Runkelstein
Schloss Runkelstein
If you walk from Bozen/Bolzano to the castle, you will note that it is not just a thirty minute walk, but rather more like forty-five minutes.
You will pass the old Electric Dam
The parking lot across the street from entrance
The entrance and trail up
Probably one of the larger castles in the area, with a location right next to the Talferbach, one of the many rivers (what we would call a stream in the States).
Gate in surrounding wall
The fortress wall
Entrance to Castle
Coat of Arms
Display and Marker
After 45 minute walk in the sun, Weizenbier
Schloss Runkelstein was built in 1237 near the road that north of Bozen up to the Ritten plateau, or Ober-Bozen. This was to avoid the Eisack river gorge. However, the road eventually passes through this very gorge and on through to the Brenner pass, making it a valuable piece of real estate for trade. It was actually built as a fortress to protect the local population. Not until the 14th and 15th centuries was it then converted by aristocracy into a castle.
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The castle contains great stories about Tristram and knights of the round table. There are several very good frescoes to enjoy and some very interesting period architecture. With any good castle, this one will take about forty-five minutes to hour to thoroughly discovery all it has to offer, including the views.
Our next blog will detail out hiking trip to Ober-Bozen and the Earth Pyramids.
The city of Bolzano, or Bozen, is a very modern city, fully equipped with everything that a modern person would want, trendy shopping, restaurants, very good transportation facilities and some very good hotels with all the creature comforts. It is more or less in the heart of South Tyrol.
Piazza Walther
The Tickets
Bozen/Bolzano offers a very good ticket package for travel and entry into many museum, castles and other venues in the surrounding area. The tickets are also good for the cable car and many trains, including the train that runs to Meran/Merano. The three day pass cost €30 at the time of this writing, but you will find that after a few cable car rides and museums, it has already paid for itself.
Südtirol AltoAdige MuseoMobile – Tickets For Two
The City
A mixture of the modern and the past, they have cleverly sculpted modern buildings, museums and stores into the fabric of past buildings. Of course, keeping in mind the past at all times, even the old hotels protect frescoes and other art when renovating, this is even evident outside.
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The Laurin Hotel
Our hotel stay was at the Laurin, a beautiful four star hotel near the center of the city. It has all of the comforts of home and more.
The Hotel Laurin
The rooms are spacious and full of amenities, including slippers and spa robes. So if you are looking for a place in Bolzano to pamper you, this hotel should be on your list.
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The Franciscan Monastery
The monastery is in very good condition with a portico that has a painted ceiling and several frescoes that depict the establishment of the Franciscan church.
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The Franciscan Story
The following frescoes can be found in the church and offer a pedagogical study of the monastery and its teachings.
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Bolzano Cathedral
This cathedral is known for its colorful roof and it does have one with a very distinctive pattern.
The Large Bronze Doors
Tower up close
The Roof from the Piazza
The Beautiful Altar
Restaurants
La Torcia
Very good Italian pizza and food for a very good price. They have the traditional wood fired pizza oven and very good wine from the tap.
Ristorante La Torcia
As you can see below the pizza looks amazing and it was delicious as well. The desserts, like most desserts in Tyrol, are amazing.
Pizza Prosciutto
Pizza Melanzane
Profiterole
Gelato and Lava Cake
Der Weisser Rössl
A Tyrolean restaurant offering all of the local special. It is actually rather large inside and probably can handle hundreds of locals and tourists at a time. However, while we were here they hardly filled the back garden area and a few tables inside, a sad sign of the times.
Weisser Roessl
The food however is actually quite good. I particularly enjoyed the Hungarian Gulash soup.
Onion Soup
Hungarian Gulash
Risotto
Wurst Teller
The Franziskaner Stuben
We ate at this restaurant for lunch and enjoyed it thoroughly. Try the Gnocchi plate or any pasta dish, they are great.
The fourth largest city in Switzerland and split by the Reuss river on the Vierwaldstättersee, or Lake Lucerne, lies Luzern. A pretty little city with ample bridges and pedestrian streets, where one can easily spend a few days relaxing and enjoying the fine Swiss hospitality of the people here, who speak a dialect of German called Alemannic. I found it impossible to understand and difficult sometimes even when they spoke High German, their dialect’s influence on their pronunciation being that profound.
Luzern On The River Reuss
Hotel Ameron
Our hotel was rather well situated. A block or two got us to the train station one way, the other we can cross the famous Kapellbrücke, or Chapel Bridge. So, it is an excellent place to start a tour of the city.
Hotel Ameron
The Chapel Bridge
The first, and most conspicuous point of interest to see, is the Kapellbrücke. Restored in 1993 after a major fire, some of its paintings survived and can be enjoyed with a casual walk across it to see its namesake church, Saint Peter’s Chapel, or just to get to the other side.
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The above is a slideshow of the bridge and its adjacent water tower, or Wasserturm, but the tower has nothing to do with holding water. Rather, it is named so, because it is standing in water. It has had several uses in the past, but recently it now has a tourist shop located within, which is currently temporarily closed due to lack of tourism in the area.
The Spreuer Bridge
This Spreuer Bridge also spans the Reuss river and has a more interesting structure adjacent to it, a turbine house and assembly for generating electricity. It is no longer in use, and was closed in the 1970s due to high maintenance cost and difficulties finding parts.
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The bridge also contains the similar paintings as can be found on the Chapel Bridge, along with a small altar celebrating the Madonna.
When it was originally built, the destroyed by a storm, then rebuilt, then renovated
A short poem
Maria and baby Jesus
The Altar Chapel
The Altar Chapel
The water from the Reuss picks up speed rapidly after this bridge, as it is confined to a smaller space for the turbine to use. The rapids are swiftly moving and create quite a noise. Unfortunately in the video below, I thought the bridge was the Chapel bridge at the time, since it does have a small chapel or altar within it, so please ignore that comment.
The Musegg Mauer
The Musegg Mauer, or wall, is a long and imposing edifice of the city. It climbs the hill rapidly on the side of the Spreuer Bridge, starting at the Nölliturm, and ends almost at the other side of the city before Zürichstrasse, with the Dächliturm. The towers are arranged as seen below, some of which, like the Wachturm, can be visited.
The Towers and Their Arrangement
Information about the wall
Here is a short slideshow of our walk around the wall, up the Wachturm and along the top of its wall for some way.
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Using the legend provided above, you should be able to identify each tower by its unique shape.
Luzern The City
The rest of the city is geared toward shopping, eating and tourism. It is clear that some shops have fallen on hard times have closed, others are temporarily closed or are opening on modified schedules. Here are some views as you walk through the city.
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One thing to note, the city is full of interesting looking doors and cornices. If you keep your eyes open you may see a few things you likely not see elsewhere.
The Lion Monument
Hidden across the Zürichstrasse and in the same area as the Glacier Garden, is the Lion Monument of Luzern. A carving out of solid rock in a very quiet and tranquil place in the middle of a city.
Glacier Gardens
The Lion Of Luzern
So, if you are looking for a relaxing spot to end your day of walking the town, this park will provide the quiet you need. It is open to the public for free, however, for the Glacier Gardens, there is a fee of 12CHF per person.
Overlook of Luzern
Restaurants
The Rathaus Brauerei
If you are hungry and need a bite to eat while walking around, or just need some good Swiss food, the Rathaus Brauerei may fit your needs. It has customary Swiss fare at a reasonable price. They even have expresso and a good selection of wine and beer to wash it down. We had soup, water, wine a large mixed salad, an order of Wurst with Sauerkraut, expresso and Sambuca, all for the reasonable Swiss price of 63CHF. I say reasonable, because all food in Switzerland is expensive. By the way, they have great mustard here, enjoy!
My Salad and Wurstchen Plates
Well that’s it for what we call a whirlwind tour of Luzern. Normally, we like to stay awhile in a place to get the real feel for it, but it was more of a waypoint for us on our way back to Turin. We were glad we stopped by to enjoy what it had to offer, even though it was still very quiet due to the affects of the pandemic.
