Author: Erick Griffin

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Côte d’Azur – Nice – Part Two

Nice – The Old Town

A small triangle of the city of Nice exists, what was originally the old city. If one were to trace it on a map, they would start from the Petit Train monument along the coast, then around Castle Hill, down the Promenade du Paillon (which actually is a covered up old river) and back to the monument. Within this triangle, the visitor will notice the streets are ever so narrower and older, this is the old city.

The best thing to do here, is just take a half a day, usually around lunch so you can enjoy one of the many restaurants. There are also plenty of shops and other tourist venues you can visit, to satisfy any knickknack itch you may have.

We walked along the Promenade, up to Giuseppe Garibaldi Square, then to Castle Hill and made our way back down the hill to visit the old city, after having lunch of course.

Niçose Cuisine

In Nice some of the best restaurants to visit specialize in the Niçose style of cooking. This is a blend of French and Italian influences that go back many generations. They offer daily specials and usually an adequate, if not great selection of French and Italian wines.

Restaurant Voyageur

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Restaurant Voyageur

One very good restaurant that is the epitome of Niçose style, is Restaurant Voyageur. Not only is the food great, but the service is very good and they understand English very well.

Restaurant Saëtone

Another very good restaurant is Saëtone. This one is rather small, so you must get there early if you hope to get a seat for lunch. They usually have a very dedicated lunch crowd and every chair and table will be full by the time lunch hour is in full swing.

Both of these are situated on Rue d’Alsace-Lorraine. Of course, before heading out always check the times for when they are open and have a backup plan. You can always get there to find the restaurant to be closed, for whatever strange reason. We found the Voyageur to be the more dependable of the two.

Museum Marc Chagall

A short walk from our hotel is the National Museum of Marc Chagall. We had to take a circuitous route via the Avenue Biassini to get there, but it wasn’t too much of a problem. If you are walking, it is on a hill, so keep that in mind.

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Marc Chagall Museum – Tickets For Two

The entrance fee for the museum is at this time 10€, so we bought tickets for two plus one (Ericka).

The works by Chagall include most of his Bible-inspired works, including Noah’s Ark, Descent from the Cross and Adam and Eve Expelled from Paradise.

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There is also the blue rose testing window that was created for his work, for the Metz Cathedral.

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In a far corner, there is also a wonderful mosaic across a reflecting pond, where one can quietly sit in the room and contemplate the mandala.

Of course, the best and my personal favorites are the blue stained glass windows. These are fantastic and remind me of the stained glass windows of Saint Stephan’s Church in the Altstadt of Mainz, Germany.

Clément Cogitore

While we were in Nice this young visual artist and movie maker had some very interesting displays. Some may not like his artistic talents, since they usually display less color and movements, and may appear almost machine-like. But those who enjoy movies and computer games with a dystopian twist will probably be captivated by them. What follows has been broken up to make just one of the videos I saw there easier to upload.

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Côte d’Azur – Villefranche-sur-Mer

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Villefranche-sur-Mer

Sitting less than two miles from Nice is Villefranche-sur-Mer, a mere walk away. Since this little port town is also part of the Côte d’Azur SNCF train system, we decided to do just that, one sunny day. We took a walk over the Mont Boron and took the train back.

Walking From Nice

If you are lucky enough to visit this quaint little town on the sea while no cruise ship is in the bay, then you would be as lucky as we were the day we decided to walk there from Nice. A frequent stop of cruise ships Villefranche-sur-Mer is the most used cruise ship docking port in France. Luckily we were spared both the site and the influx of tourists that accompanies such an ocurrence.

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From the old city of Nice, we ascended Mont Boron, which I must say is much higher on the side of Fort du Mont Alban than we experienced on Castle Hill, Mont Boron’s smaller cousin. However, there are very good paths that switchbacks all the way up to help you with the ascent.

Fort du Mont Alban

The fort from the outside appears to be a four-sided bastion fort. Made entirely of stone, it stands impressively on top of the mountain. Unfortunately, entrance cannot be gained and it appears to be closed.  There are no indications that it has ever been opened to the public.

With the exception of walking up the front stairs to the main door, there appear to be no other entrances on the other sides.

After getting our fill of the view from this vantage point, our walk to Villefranche-sur-Mer continued by finding the path to the town about a hundred meters to the left, leaving the fort. On your map, this path may be called the Chemin du Fort du Mont Alban.

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Patti Descending the Chemin du Fort du Mont Alban

The path starts off easily without much slope, but it progressively gets steeper and less developed the further down you go, until you finally hit the town itself. So, care should be taken.

The Town On The Sea

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The Bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer from Mayssa Beach Restaurant

From the path you will exit via a walkway to the Avenue du Fort. Since we were thirsty and starting to get hungry, we followed our noses down and finally found the Avenue du Marechal Foch. We found a cafe there for a quick drink.  Then it was off to find a restaurant. Ericka found one overlooking the water called Mayssa Beach. A good pick, great service, excellent view and good food at a reasonable price.

 

After haven eaten and relaxed a bit, we decided to walk the Quai de l’Amiral Courbet. The town is actually quite small and has very narrow streets. Enjoy the following photographs from this little gem on the coast.

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Côte d’Azur – Èze-Village

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The tiny medieval town of Èze-Village sits like a barnacle some fourteen hundred feet above the sea. From this perch you can see miles of coastline. The other part of the commune Èze-sur-Mer sits directly below it, very close to the sea. Historically, it is very old, going way back before Roman times. As I write this, I must confess some incredulity as why anyone would build something back then so high up and away from the sea. The only answer I can come up with is for protection from what I can only conjecture.

Getting There From Nice

To get to Èze-Village (tourism) from Nice you have several public commuting options, in order of difficulty. You can take the bus directly there. The route was 82 at the time of this writing, but this may change, so check the bus schedule. The easiest was to do this is at the Information Center at the Nice Train Station. Keep in mind that buses depart from different places in the city, so you will either have to walk or make other arrangements, bus or tram perhaps, to get there. If a direct bus route is not to your liking you can also take the SNCF train. These run along the coast and depart from Nice regularly and stop at Èze-sur-Mer. You will then have to take the bus to Èze-Village atop the hill, or, hike up the hill which will take about an hour.

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Èze-Village – From the Bus Stop

For those who experience motion sickness take care, as any bus ride you take will require the necessary sedatives or medications. The roads are very windy and have numerous switchbacks!

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The Nietzsche Footpath – Length Over 2km

For those who cannot see their own toes and cannot touch them without bending their knees, I would not consider trying to hike up the mountain. It is somewhat treacherous and steep. We used it to return and on the way down we saw an older couple who were going down and having trouble (read shortness of breath, etc). The Nietzsche Footpath is impressive, it is not a real footpath but more like a hiking trail and has probably taken its share of victims over the years. Be smart and do NOT ignore the sign at the start.

Not knowing these options ahead of time, we decided to take the bus directly from Nice. Before it even arrived, there was quite a group of people waiting at the stop. If you do have motion sickness issues you may want to wait for a bus that is not packed or ask someone on the bus once you are on, if you may have a window seat. This is especially true if your bus driver, like ours, must have dreams of driving Formula One race cars! If your bus is as crowded as ours was, you may not be able to look out. So again, be prepared, you’ve been warned!

The Botanical Garden

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Èze-Village – Overview from Botanical Garden

At the summit of this beautiful little town, sits a Botanical Garden. Called Èze Botanical Garden it displays vegetation that typically grows along the Mediterranean coast. The entry fee for us was 5€ and you pay right there before you go in. It’s probably money well spent since the views are amazing and they obviously use the money to keep the garden up, which I must say is in fantastic condition.

There are also several places in the garden to take photographs.

The Botanical Garden also has an excellent view of the Devil’s Bridge (I know every town and country seems to have this bridge, but it’s pretty cool to see anyway).

The Perfumeries

In Èze-Village there are several Perfumeries where one can make an appointment to actually spend time with a certified Perfumologist and mix their own fragrance. The two major ones that sit next to one another, are Galimard and Fragonard. We chose Galimard, for whatever reason and found the whole process quite intriguing, though completely out of my league (I just do not have the nose for it). The cost at 80€ each can be considered high but includes you walking away with your own scent. Which, if you consider would be in the range of 50€ to 60€, probably is not a bad deal for expert help.

Getting Back To Nice

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Tagliatelle al Ragu, Salad and Wine – YUM!

After all of this, it was time for lunch. We found a nice little place right at the beginning of the village called “Mets Vins Chics“. They serve all kinds of lunch fare and wine at reasonable prices. If you do come to this area, you may notice how closely related the food in this area is to the neighboring Italian cities and towns. With the historical fluidity of borders and commerce, it should not be a surprise and it sure tastes good!

Once finished with our meal, our daughter Ericka wanted to check out Fragonard as well. They have somewhat of a larger showroom but unfortunately no longer mixed nor sold the fragrance she was interested in. So we left there, kind of disappointed.

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The Nietzsche Footpath – Treacherous, like his Philosophy

It was time to head back and I decided to take the Nietzsche Footpath and the SNCF train back to Nice. The path is very steep and one must take care to make sure you do not slip and fall. It is also very long and will take you approximately 40 to 45 minutes just to descend. Then, there is another 5 minutes or so to walk to the train station along the road where the path exits.

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Èze-Village is a very nice, interesting place to visit. There is not much there save the view and the garden, so I would suggest bundling it with something else, like the Perfumery, to make it worth the time and expense.

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Côte d’Azur – Nice – Part One

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Nice – The French Riviera

Nice and the Côte d’Azur conjure up thoughts of beautiful weather, money (rich people) and vacation. It is a destination that many people have on their bucket-list of things to do; if not for the casinos, then at least for the sun and crystal clear light-blue sea. It was after some trepidation on my part and a pause in our other travels, that we decided to go to Nice for another short holiday.

Whenever possible, we travel via train since it is more cost-effective and has one of the better, if not the best, Eco-friendly footprints. The trip took us surprisingly just over five hours from Turin, most likely due to a mixture of train schedules and the routes involved. However, one of the advantages of being retired is time is the one commodity you have in abundance.

Since this was not actually a last-minute decision, we were still able to use a modest amount of planning and coordinated the trip with our daughter Ericka, who joined us the following day. She flew in and using the Côte d’Azur (I must say) fabulous metro/tram system which now links up with both terminals at the airport, we were able to meet her at Terminal 1.

Our choice of Nice was due to many factors. First the train station is large and one can travel to many different places taking advantage of both regional and special coastal trains. It also happened to be in the center of the Côte d’Azur, the famous vacation coast which attracts visitors and tourists from both France, Europe and beyond. Nice has been expanding their metro and transportation system and it seems to be paying off; it did for us. If you are staying for any amount of time you can buy a 10-trip (not day) transportation pass for 10€ (that’s a 30 percent discount or 4 free trips). Though we did not use them all, we used enough to do better than break even.  We then handed them to someone at the hotel, so they could use the rest.

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Our Hotel

We stayed at the Hotel Belle Meunière, a short two-minute walk from the main train station and our domicile for our travels. Though our room was not much to look at per se, one has to understand the hotel is actually under renovations. The outside of the hotel is very well-kept and seems to be an old historical landmark of some kind, since they have obviously tried to keep it sound. The inside however, is somewhat confused but manageable.  It is obviously a converted manor house. It is therefore, not really a hotel but more of a hotel/pension fusion, if there is such a thing.

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Hotel Belle Meuniere РA Ni̤ois Experience

We found the price and location with respect to the train station very acceptable and there are also very good Niçois restaurants nearby. However, the location also worked somewhat against it as well, since areas around train stations tend to be a bit dirty. This is also true of the area around this hotel.  If you are really into the beach, you might prefer something closer to the shore, though they will be more expensive. Though I would not give it any Michelin stars, it was manageable and the staff go out of their way to make you comfortable.

Nice From Inside and Above

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Notre-Dame de Nice

Nice is a typical European city. It has a core or old city surrounded by many environs or suburbs that have their own distinct look and things to see. One of the more prominent sights along the main Avenue Jean-Médecin in Nice, is the Roman Catholic Gothic basilica called Notre-Dame de Nice. Like Notre-Dame de Paris, it also has a large rose window on its front but is much younger, smaller and is not a cathedral (it is not even designed after the one in Paris). It will at least make you stop and take a photograph.

Castle Hill

Another must see is the overlook of the city from the Colline du Château or Castle Hill. It is a modest walk from the old city up the hill to the East, before you are able to enjoy the vista.

There are several points along the way up to stop and enjoy the view of Nice.

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Patti and Ericka – Enjoying The Waterfall After The Climb Up The Hill

There are also other things to see on Castle Hill, including a waterfall and an overlook of Villefranche-sur-Mer, the next town over, though somewhat obscured by trees on the walk down.

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The above are a collection of our initial photographs as we walked through the city.

We also have favourite place in France, called Charlot Premier in Nice, which does excellent oysters.

– Roger Moore

More on Nice and our other travels to come…

 

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Turin – Villa Della Regina

Also known as the Queen’s Villa, the villa is situated in the Borgo Po district of Turin. Though the villa was first constructed in the 16th century by Cardinal Maurice of Savoy, it did not come into fame until the Savoy family ascended to the throne in 1713.  Since the Duchess Anne d’Orléans, who was married to Duke Victor Amadeus II still owned the premises it automatically became known as the “Villa della Regina“, or the Queen’s Villa.

More History and Tourism

In 1865 the Villa became a boarding school for girls until World War II, when it was later bombed and received extensive damage. Finally in 1994 the Tourism ministry or Turin finally obtained it and started restoring the structure which had badly fallen into disrepair. It was finally opened in 2006 to the public for tourism, but even now shows signs of decline with the difficulties of the Italian economy.

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Examples of Landscaping Issues and Disrepair at the Villa

The Villa Inside

After purchasing a ticket which costs €5/person (unless you were lucky enough to enter on a free day, check the Turin website for dates), the Villa’s main hall is a real wonder and in very good condition.

 

The King’s Rooms

The visitor next sees the rooms the King would have when he was at the Villa. All of the floors in the Villa are parquet, with few exceptions.

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There is a short hallway with another beautiful ceiling before entering the Queen’s rooms.

The Queen’s Rooms

The rooms that consist of those for the queen are unfortunately not in as good a condition as those of the King’s. This is most likely due to the extent of the damage from the bombing during the war to be more concentrated in this area.

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Once you have finished the Queen’s rooms you find yourself again back at the Main Hall and your way out to the grounds, which at one point in their lifetime must have been beautiful, all the hallmarks are there.

The Grounds

Though poorly kept and in some cases falling still further into disrepair and eventual collapse, they are nonetheless impressive. The fountains though still functioning stand their vigil over empty pools of water that once might have kept chinese carp or goldfish but now just harbor algae.

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Villa della Regina – Roman Style Garden with Statues and Fountain

Finally, more photographs of the grounds and surrounding area.

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Turin – Museum Wanderings

Recently while taking a break from planning our next big set of travels for September and October, we decided to visit another set of museums in Turin which one could call unusual if not down right odd. I would say odd because when one thinks of a museum, at least the first one below would not immediately pop into one’s mind.

The cost for each of the two museums above was €5 each. However, one can purchase a €10 entrance pass which includes the first two museums as well as the Museum of Fruit.

Museum of Criminal Anthropology

This Museum of Criminal Anthropology is located on the same block as the Museum of Human Anatomy. At via Pietro Giuria, it is housed in a somewhat unassuming building and if you were not actually looking for it you might pass by it altogether.

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Entrance to the Museum of Criminal Anthropology

The building inside, like so many in Turin, has a grand architectural style inside and was probably under the influence of one of the many great architects that have worked in this city.

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The Beautifully Adorned Ceiling before the Entrance to the Museum

So as to not bore you with the benefactor’s history of this museum, you may visit the website to learn more if you wish, let’s just say that once inside you get a very good idea of just how backward science and medicine were in those days. The main displays in this museum are those of skulls and artifacts from criminal patients who were often labeled crazy or insane. Many of the skulls were labeled with the crimes that each of the individuals committed, all of course written in Latin.

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Cases Housing Patient Skulls

The adjacent side of the floor contained numerous examples of the implements used in many of the crimes that were committed.

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Knives and other Handmade and often Strange Implements used by the Patients

If I were to sum up my thoughts of this very interesting museum it would be one of great curiosity. Not only for the obviously poor people who were involved and in some cases mistreated and misdiagnosed by their treating physicians, but for the times in which they lived. Many of which would have benefited from our medical knowledge of today, perhaps to the point of never turning to crime. As for the doctors and scientists involved it must have been a time of great discovery, however misguided some of them employed their influence and knowledge.

It took us a little over an hour to visit the entire museum and we would recommend it, though we would consider it a bit on the morbid side.

The Museum of Human Anatomy

On via Corso Massimo d’Azeglio and the adjacent street and same block as the previous museum one can visit the Museum of Human Anatomy. This is another museum where some may not be appropriate, especially if they are uncomfortable with anatomy, blood, brains or guts. So plan appropriately.

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Museum of Human Anatomy

It can however be used as it had been in the past, as a very good pedagogical device for learning more about oneself and what composes the human organism. Having been used in the past as part of the medical university system in Turin it still offers valuable insights to visitors.

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Internal Entrance to the Museum

This museum is also housed on a single floor. As you begin your tour you first learn of basic anatomy and view examples human and other animal skeletons.

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The Introductory Case showing Human and Animal Skeletons

Once you move through the internal entrance door, after purchasing your tickets, you will see examples of human dwarf- and gigantism. This is followed by displays of the anatomical differences between the human sexes. After that, each successive colonnade displays in both wax and actual human form (samples that have been preserved in solution) specific areas of the body.

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Curios filled with Human Anatomical Samples

Finally in the back of the museum one will find an in-depth study of the human nervous system, brains and actual examples of how individual nerves are routed and connected in the body.

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A Large Figure showing how very important Anatomical Features are related

I would greatly encourage anyone with children to visit the museum. Though not for everyone, it can be used as a great teaching aid and perhaps put some young mind on the path of becoming a doctor of medicine or forensics. It’s also great just to learn how the scientific community in the late 18 and early 19 centuries learned about and taught anatomy.

Museum of the Risorgimento – The Apartment

Our next visit was actually triggered by an offer on Turin’s official website of free admission for a tour of the apartment associate with the Museum of the Risorgimento. The Risorgimento of course was the political and social movement that consolidated different states of Italy into a single state, or what became the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century. It began in 1815 in Vienna and was completed in Rome after it became the capital Italy in 1871.

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The  part that we actually saw is not open often and is not actually part of the museum proper, but rather an adjunct to it. Special tickets are provided at a specific time during the day, so you must watch the website for when these are available.

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Cities and Towns where Baroque Architect Guarino Guarini had influence

The apartment and the museum itself owe their legacy to Guarino Guarini, an influential architect or the baroque style of his day. He is responsible for many important architectural works of this style, none more so than the examples he left in Turin. However, he is also responsible for many other important works in a wide area that covers both Italy and France, as shown above.

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Emanuele’s rooms as styled after the Baroque influences of Guarini are impressive. Though one can say the gold leaf is a bit overdone the parquet flooring is amazing, even though it is showing its age.

Though our self-guided tour took all of thirty to forty minutes it was nonetheless well worth the time, since absolutely no other expense was incurred (thank you Turin!) for us by doing so. If you are also fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit these impressive rooms and architecturally significant buildings, we suggest you do so. We found them very compelling.

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Turin – Treats On Or Close To Our Street

Having resided in Turin now for six months we are getting more and more time to explore. Sometimes it’s a monument we haven’t seen before or a shop that looks unfamiliar. Most of which, in the past months or so, have taken quite a walk to get there and back. So we decided one day this week to have lunch and a coffee and see what we could turn up, right on or very near our own street, via Giovanni Giolitti.

Lunch

A nine or ten block walk from our apartment, past the Piazza San Carlo, is a small fresh pasta place called Brün. Actually located on via Vittorio Alfieri, which is technically one and the same with via Giovanni Giolitti since they are in fact one and the same street.

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Brün – via Vittorio Alfieri – Pasta Fresca

Brün resides in a very clean-looking building just past the Piazza San Carlo. It’s entrance sports a business shingle at street view that is quite easy to see as you are walking.

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Brün – Modern Interior

Inside the owners went with a more modern and efficient layout and design than you would probably see elsewhere in Turin. Their main claim to fame here is their pasta, which is made fresh daily and comes in  three price tiers and about eight styles, from the customary Italian Tagliatelle and Spaghetti, all the way to the more expensive and delicious ravioli – Agnolotti.

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We both decided on the Tagliatelle, but served two different ways and both were absolutely delicious. The pasta was served on plates of recycled paper and the utensils were also of recycled plastics. Each plate costs less than six Euros.  Add two glasses of wine and both can eat a delicious lunch for under fifteen Euros easily!

Dessert

After paying for lunch we walked out of Brün only to take a short walk up via XX Settembre and around the corner to visit La Romana, located on via Santa Teresa.

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La Romana – via Santa Teresa

From the outside it looks expensive, which normally in Turin still means delicious but pricey. However after looking what they had to offer we thought the pricing was more or less inline with what we would expect.

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La Romana – The Coffee and Gelati Bar

The inside is a very modern decor with employees that also speak English, so you will have no problem ordering your Gelato and other desserts (there are many). We opted for the Gelato.

The store has much more to offer and appears to do all of their baking on site. In fact, while you are eating your gelato you can see the Baker make desserts behind a glass. The centerpiece of the store is a large glass enclosure with all of the day’s high-caloric offerings. All look very appetizing and we are definitely going back, not only for the Gelato which we think is as good as or slightly better that Fiorio and Grom, but to purchase and bring home a cake or tort.

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Coffee

After dessert it was time to cap it off with an early afternoon coffee. What better place to go than down the street and around the corner to the Piazza San Carlo and Caffè Torino.

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Caff̬ Torino РEarly 20th Century Decor

Caffè Torino is one of Turin‘s hallmark coffee bars where one can enjoy a Campari or Aperol Spritz, coffee, tea or any number of tall drinks. They also serve some light fare in the event you are hungry.

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Patti’s Caffé Macchiato

Patti had the establishment’s caffè Macchiato and I had a caffè (espresso) with a shot of Sambuca. The Sambuca sweetens the espresso a bit making it a caffè corretto. Each coffee came with the customary Torinese shot of sparkling water to cleanse your mouth once finished.

Make no mistake, Caffè Torino is modestly expensive when compared to other places where you can indulge in coffee around Turin (the home of coffee in Italy). We spent more on two cups of coffee and a Sambuca then we did on our pasta lunch with wine! You are however paying for the atmosphere. Therefore, if you choose your drinks wisely (or not), you can manage a very nice experience without an enormous bite coming out of your wallet.

All in all, we had a great lunch right on our own street and just a short walk away. Bear in mind all of this did take us close to three hours, or an hour lunch-break, if you are on Italian time!

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Susa – Old Roman Appeal

If one were to take Trenitalia from Turin Porta Nuova west to its logical end, one would find Susa, a quiet little alpine town built by the Gauls sometime before the Roman Empire. Excited? You should be, we were and were not disappointed.

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Susa Station

We entered the town via the train station, an hour’s ride from our main train station in Turin. As we traveled down the Susa Valley, somewhere starting around Avigliana, we slowly became surrounded by hills, then mountains.

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Train route down the Susa Valley

Upon reaching Susa, we were encircled by Graian Alps. , especially Rocciamelone which sits just due north of the town.

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Overlooking the Park of Augusto, with Rocciamelone towering overhead

We had arrived around eleven o’clock in the morning, ready for some serious tourist trekking of the town and a peak at the food festival they were having this weekend.

Gauls and Romans

The town, like many very old towns in Italy, enjoys a rich history dating back before and including the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire ascended into existence after the Roman Republic, Susa became a voluntary part of it in the 1st century BC.

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Ceasar Augustus Arch, Susa, 8 BC

The arch was positioned along the Via Cozia (today known as Via delle Gallie), the road that led to Gaul. Its age and architecture are impressive, it is also amazing that it has stood in such good shape for over two thousand years!

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Roman Aqueduct Terme Graziane and Gates

The aqueduct above is impressive itself and was built to feed water to baths somewhere, however it actually disguises a dirty little Gaul secret. The wall that connects to it on the left masks a set of holes carved into the rocks that were supposedly used to collect blood from Gaul sacrifices. Nice right? Those Gauls knew how to party.

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Patti on the grounds of the Civic Museum for Roman History

Susa Around Town

If you are not so inclined to delve deeply into the Roman history of the area, it is easy enough just to enjoy the town itself.

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Cathedral of San Giusto

There is the old Cathedral of San Giusto, which was built in Romanesque style.

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Dora Riparia’s Glacial Blue color in Susa

The Dora Riparia makes its trek through Susa carrying its aquamarine glacial waters. It eventually is joined by other tributaries, especially the Cenischia, before it reaches Turin and joins the river Po.

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Susa Torre, Comune di Susa

The Torre in Susa, a building obviously repurposed over the years.

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Piazza della Torre, Susa

Pizzeria Ristorante Italia

Finally after a few hours enjoying the absolutely gorgeous weather and amazing scenery it was time for something to eat. We decided the street food we saw was not going to slake our thirst nor satiate us, so we ventured away from the center of town, which we also found much too noisy (they do allow cars to flow through it). From the Piazza Trento we walked down the via Francesco Rolando and found an obvious favorite, Pizzeria Ristorante Italia.

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Inside Pizzeria Ristorante Italia

The restaurant was actually quite busy; the photograph above being taken before the mass of locals entered in small groups to eat their lunch. Many of which ordered the blue plate and much to our chagrin got served before ourselves. Oh well, it wasn’t like we were in a hurry, being retired is so nice…

Susa A Great One Day Adventure

We had a marvelous time in Susa and want to come back in the Fall and perhaps Winter to enjoy the change of season and their Christmas market respectively. So we encourage you, if you are ever in the vicinity of Turin, do not dismiss Susa as a possible day trip. Check their calendar first, just in case they have something special going on. Even if they don’t, a one day trip just for the history will be worth it. Until then, here are some extra photographs of Susa for your enjoyment.

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Avigliana – A Valley Jewel

A short trip by train just outside and to the west of Turin lies Avigliana, a medieval town some would call a small city.  However, regardless of its size, it is charming nonetheless.

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Turin Porta Nouva to Avigliana via Trenitalia
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Avigliana Train Station

We arrived on a picture perfect day with only a few clouds hovering over the mountains to the North and West and no threat of rain whatsoever in sight.

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Abbey Sacra di San Michele

As soon as we left the train station we could see the Abbey Sacra di San Michele perched on the Monte Pirchiriano to the West. From Avigliana this is also an easy sight to visit if you are traveling by car. However, even if you are traveling by train and on foot it is also possible if you have the time. It lies some ten kilometers from town and has history that dates back to the tenth century. Our trip centered more on the historic part of town and visiting the lakes, which promised to be magnificent.

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Our ascent to the town was along a more or less direct route from the train station. Instead of following the signs near the train station, we walked via San Giuseppe to via Porta Ferrata.  Once you reach the fork in the road take the right branch which will bring you to the Church of Santa Croce and an uncommon overlook of the Susa Valley. Coming back down and continuing a bit further we came across the Porta Ferrata, an old medieval gate that dates back to the 13th century.

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Panoramic view from the overlook at the Church of Santa Croce

We had now spent a little over an hour walking through the narrow streets and alleys, exploring those little areas that afforded us access. From the spine of the hill on which the town sits, one can get some great photographs of the mountains, including historic landmarks.

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From via Dell’Orologio the Torre dell’Orologio and cupola of the Parrochia SS. Giovanni e Pietro

From the via dell’Orologio we quickly descended the historic center of town to make our way to the lakes. (It is best before you leave to download any maps as well as familiarize yourself with your overall route.  We found cellular service in the town a bit spotty, so if you are addicted to travel-by-phone only, you may run into difficulties and feel lost at times.)  However, if you are lucky enough to find the main road, via Garibaldi that leads to Corso Laghi, you are all set; the maar lakes are South on that road.

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Lago Grande di Avigliana

After about a fifteen or twenty-minute walk we came across the first lake, Lago Grande, meaning “large lake”. The term maar comes from the fact that both of these lakes are essentially volcanic craters. The volcanoes are of course extinct, but since the lava domes they once had have collapsed, the depressions have filled with water making these amazing lakes. The green tint comes from a mixture of mountain glacier runoff and algae. However they got there, on a beautiful sunny day they are just amazing to see and enjoy.

Residents must enjoy the peace the lakes and mountains offer them since it appears that no motorboats are allowed on the them, only sailboats and others that require human power.  We also witnessed several people swimming the width of the large lake which must be close to one kilometer.  There is also a diving school on the East bank of the large lake where you can take diving lessons. Though we were within a short walk to the smaller lake we decided not to go, We had both walked over three miles and were starting to get a bit tired.

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Patti enjoying the weather and a rest from all of our walking

The stroll back into town took another twenty or so minutes and we were now both hungry and looking for something to eat.  We had thought about eating somewhere along the lake, but none of the restaurant menus there appealed to us.  So we headed for the main piazza in town, piazza Conte Rosso.

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Chiesa de San Giovanni

Retracing our route back to the piazza and up the long street stairs of via Garibaldi we see the Church of San Giovanni from under the Porta San Giovanni. The church stands there almost confused that it is no longer held up on the one side by a building that most likely once stood there. It most likely had been torn down centuries ago, but the scars from its lost companion are still obvious in the relentless sun. The facade, which one must say is somewhat unique, dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries and seems to borrow from several styles.

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Piazza Conte Rosso

Piazza Conte Rosso is a working piazza, with cars co-mingling with pedestrians.  From here one can see the ruins of the old castle on the hill, Castello di Avigliana. There are also several caffés and bars here, as well as the restaurant, San Michele.

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Ristorante San Michele

The food at Ristorante San Michele is very good and moderately expensive. There are daily specials and several dishes that are unique to the Piedmont. They also serve bio wine which is environmentally friendly, from the Piedmont, quite unique and is very, very good!

If you are in the area of the Piedmont or Turin and have a few hours or a day extra, then Avigliana might be a very relaxing choice for you. There is definitely enough to see and do, you can rent boats on the lakes and swim, and there is more than enough to eat and drink.

Here are some other photographs, enjoy!

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Cinque Terre – Manarola & Corniglia

Our plans for visiting Cinque Terre were for spending most of our time in Monterosso, which we felt was the more livable town, and visit the other four. First, Vernazza by hiking to it from Monterosso, then taking the train and by-passing the subject towns to have lunch in Riomaggiore.  Subsequently, taking the train indirectly back to Monterosso by way of the other two smaller towns quickly in the afternoon.  This means that even with an approximately two-hour hike in the morning to Vernazza, you too can visit all the towns this way too!

Manarola

Manarola being a smaller town has few things to do, but its a colorful little town and is busy with activity.

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The Main Street
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Busy With Tourists

Manarola will also remind you that it’s still a working fishing port, or that’s what they want you to believe at least.  As you head toward the old port you will increasingly come across boats that have been dragged up from the shore and stored along the street sides.

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Of course there is always the sea to visit and a short walk down to the seaside is a must.

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Taking In The Seaside Is A Must, Here Swimmers Can Dive From The Rocks
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There Were Plenty People Swimming Even Though There Was Technically No Beach

If you have to eat in Manarola we can definitely suggest the old Cinque Terre Gelateria, they have gelato, unlike some others we have come across (and there is bad tourist gelato around), that is just amazing.

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Cinque Terre Gelateria – A Big Thumbs UP!

Corniglia

After jumping on the train again we found ourselves in the last of the five towns, Corniglia.

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Corniglia Train Station

This town has the dubious distinction of having four hundred plus steps to reach it from the train station.  While my wife Patti and daughter Ericka decided it was a bit too hot to attempt to summit our last town, I took on the challenge.

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A long walk awaits you prior to your climb

In the baking heat, and it was reaching low to mid 90’s each day here, before you even reach the stairs you are, shall we say, uncomfortable.

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The stairs switchback and forth
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The view is amazing
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If you climb too far, this will remind you its the start of a trail too!

The stairs are well-kept and there is some shade along the way where you can rest.  Since I am no longer in my twenties, I availed myself of the shade twice (before I blew a blood vessel or suffered a stroke).  Fortunately when you reach the top the town has strategically placed a fountain where one can top off their bottle of water (thank you!).  If you continue you will quickly realize by the signs that you have gone the wrong way and you will meet the customary trail signs to the next town.  Turning around you should notice the town and your mistake.

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Getting to the center requires a little navigation, but you will eventually pop out close to the town center and where the bus stop is.  Even climbing the steps and taking several short breaks I was still able to beat my wife and daughter to the town center, but I admit that was on a busy touristy day!

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Town Center
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Next to the bus stop
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The Cappella dei Flagellati Corniglia

Climbing the stairs to the right of this church yields an uncomprimising view of the water.

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The Mediterranean Sea

…and that just about sums up our visit to Cinque Terre.  Though a lot of traveling is involved, walking, hiking, climbing and sittings on buses and trains it is more a less worth it.  However, one can also make the argument that it is a bit of a manufactured tourist trap and part of an industry to help the locals out and/or inconvenience them, some times its difficult to tell.  We leave that thought for the reader to consider before visiting.