Here are some of the beautiful flowers and other flora that we found interesting walking around Moneglia. Most of these are of course prevalent along the Ligurian coast, and in most cases Italy. Enjoy!
Moneglia – A Strip Of Sandy Delight
Amid the current restrictions and travel new requirements, we have finally decided to venture out and take a long needed break from our lock-down. Craving sun and some nourishment for the soul, we headed south again to the coast, in the hopes of some solitude and reinvigoration.
Moneglia
A three hour and some minutes travel from our home here, is the tiny little town and comune of Moneglia. Situated in a bay on the Ligurian coast, it is a small strip of sand that most travelers would tend to overlook, but it is actually quite delightful.
Initial Reflections
The town itself does not offer many attractions like museums or other diversions, but provides all the essentials for a comfortable holiday. Though there are a several hotels to choose from, we decided to stay at the three star Piccolo Hotel.
The accomodations here are very comfortable and are currently going for a very affordable price, so no complaints. Though one hates to see anyone enduring hardship because of the current situation, one side effect is, it is a very enjoyable time to travel, you definitely will not find many crowds, if at all, anywhere.
Ristorante Tender
This is a very good restaurant with an excellent wine list and is fair to moderately priced, depending on your appetite. Patti and I had a wonderful meal here on our first evening, which of course lasted the customary two hours. Though quiet, there were a handful of couples and locals that showed up, other than that, it was a very peaceful Monday evening enjoying the coast.
We paired the above with a fine, dry Italian white wine, water, the customary after dinner café and Sambuca. Unfortunately I didn’t take a photograph of the wine and cannot remember it’s label off the top of my head, but it was a Vermentino. In my opinion, this style of wine is totally underrated. It is usually a clear off-white, crisp and dry wine, offering just a hint of fruit to compliment what ever you are eating. It goes very well with salads and seafood. Patti and I discovered this in Turin and usually have it with our lunches.
If you are looking for your fish fix, the Ligurian coast is the place to be. Most restaurants here have excellent menus based on products from the sea. There is also a very nice fish monger, or fish store, just a stone’s throw away from our hotel on via Vittorio Emanuele, if you are looking for something to take home and cook.
Last but not least, a shot of Moneglia Bay and the Ligurian Sea at dusk.
Pranzo Italian Style
In Italian the word for lunch is pranzo, and with no surprise, it has its etymological roots in Latin. If you walk the streets of many small towns and cities in Italy around noontime, most restaurants will have a Pranzo Menu, outlining their lunch deal for the day. It appears customary that most Italians take lunch out, giving them yet another reason to socialize and catch up on the news and opinions of the day. It is considered to be the most important meal of the day. So, on any given day most restaurants here will be a-buzz with eating and talk, as the local population descend to get their midday meal and earful.
Pranzo a Torino
Since things have started to open up again, we thought a short blog on some of the restaurants we have visited, just walking the streets of Turin, was in order. They are arranged in order of price, service and quality of food, from best to better.
Ristoranti
Gastronomia Ferrero
This is actually a Ristogastronomia, or what we would call a Deli-Eatery. It is a fusion of a Delicatessen and restaurant, which also serves food for take out. Gastronomia Ferrero is located on Via Antonio Bertola, Turin and is an easy walk from the city center. To eat in, you just choose from the many fine things they have on display for a hot meal, or choose something from the deli if you are looking for something like a sandwich or panini. They have many pre-cooked foods to choose and the menu appears to change often, so going back does not necessarily mean you will get bored with the same old selection.
All plates are made of paper and totally recyclable. Though, if you order something more demanding like we did, they will bring out silverware so you can manage meat or other entries that stronger tools. The food is very good and the pricing a bit more on the moderate side, but well worth the visit. And yes, if you eat in, you select your food and they serve you, along with what ever beverage you had in mind.
Our meal of rabbit and a side with wine, water, coffee and an apértif, ran a bit on the high side and came to 42€. Highly recommended nonetheless.
Pizzeria La Fila
La Fila pizzeria is located just down the road from the previous restaurant at Via Principe Amedeo, 3/A, Turin; and yes, make no mistake, it is the same street. Like some southern states in the US, streets often change their names across intersections, so the traveler should be aware!
This restaurant serves traditional pizzeria fare, including pizza and other hot pasta and spaghetti dishes. It has a good wine list and there are salads and desserts one can choose to round out your meal. Though I didn’t feel like taking a photograph of my Lasagna, since I was starving, so I only took one of my salad and my wife’s Spaghetti alla Vongole.
Our meals of salad and pasta with wine, water, coffee and an apértif, was more moderatly priced and came to about 31€ and change. Very good food and service at a good price; a recommended stop if looking for open air, piazza eating.
Da Peppino
This restaurant is right on the border of the old historic district and offers a fixed price lunch at very reasonable prices. So, if you are working on a very fixed budget, this could be one of your stops, while out shopping or traveling the city center or historic district. As you will see, we ate a lot of food, along with wine upgrade (a glass is included in the lunch menu), dessert, coffee and an apértif, and it all came to just 24€! Two can eat here easily for less than 20€.
Da Peppino is located on Via dei Mercanti 7, Turin and does not appear to have an issue attracting people to lunch, so you may want to be prompt. If you are more of the planning type, they do accept reservations.
We really enjoyed this restaurant, though the pigeons at times were a bit annoying. The service was very good and the food was simple, but very tasty. And one cannot complain about the price, enjoy!
City Life with a Virus – Spring in Turin
Sorry that it has been a while since our last update, but life has been rather restrictive and boring for the past couple of months, in fact since March and we think, rightly so. Though we could have continued to write entries about mundane, everyday things, we chose not to; since we wanted to keep our site more about our travels, than about extraneous matters. With the exception of writing about our former brief, quixotic brush traveling through the primordial pandemic soup, we offer the following brief update on the virus and life trying to return to normal in Northern Italy.
Still Remains – Turin
When we left last November to return to the States, Turin was still a bustling, energetic city, full of promise and as they say, “La Dolce Vita“. While we were gone, the Pest, as one can say, struck. It has ravaged this poor country, leaving noone unaffected. Like in the States, you probably know someone who has been touched by this trajedy. I know we have.
Though we knew, before we left, there was a serious outbreak, we pushed ahead, while taking the proper precautions, ever eager to return to our apartment and hopeful that it was not as bad as everyone was saying. However, upon our return, we were welcomed by a silent city, a quiet Turin, where only still remained.
Not only were there few people on the streets, there were no cars, no conveyances of any kind. We left a city and returned to a morgue, an apocalyptic version of what we had left. Even though the church bells still rang, it was not a call to the faithful, but just one of keeping time, or worse yet, for the dead. All the churches had been closed. The streets that border our apartment building, which once bursted with activity, were now silent.
We quickly learned not to venture out unless absolutely necessary. We monitored Italian websites for information from the government, as well as the latest numbers from the hospitals, which I may add were in a day-to-day struggle to maintain care. It remained this way for more than two months, as the virus took its toll among the denizens of northern Italy. We were inside so much, my wife and I remarked that we couldn’t believe there were leaves on the trees already, when we finally ventured out for a time.
Virus Precautions
Through quarantine measures and effective government, the numbers slowly started to get better in late March. And not until recently, the numbers of new cases have improved enough that Italy started taking actions to re-open its economy. But the government knew that this had to be done like opening a bottle of fine Barolo, slowly and with purpose, not like Prosecco with wild abandon. In any case, they also knew it was important to honor the victims, as well as those who worked on the front lines, the doctors, the nurses and all of the hospitals with an aerial salute, or flyover. They lost a lot of their own keeping everyone safe as possible and most alive.
Turin, along with the rest of Italy, has adopted a very rigorous staged redeployment of its re-awakening. I must admit, the procedures, at all levels of government, appear to have been well thought out and targeted for each particular region, and in some instances municipalities. Each particular type of business has been given clear requirements for re-opening and accepting clientele. Far be it for me to say that some of these requirements are over the top or not needed, but we are dealing with a virus that has devastated parts of this country. So, we wear the masks that have been provided to us when and where we are told, perhaps more for our safety than others.
Spring in Turin
On a lighter note, the Spring here has been, I would think, more normal or average. It had its rainy period followed by periods of bright blue sky and cool, crisp air. It has remained so up until now. Unlike last year, which was rather warm early on, this year appears to be tracking closer to normal weather patterns. Even today, the early morning brings temperatures in the high 50’s to low 60’s, with the later day and evening climbing to around 75, with low humidity. Not bad for a comfortable late Spring. It is also amazing how great the air is here has been without all the traffic. And don’t think the Italians haven’t noticed either, in fact, there are rumors of new regulations brewing to stem the nasty air that is so prevalent in the Po River valley. One can only hope. Teslas for everyone!!!
The Dora Riparia is flowing vigorously as usual, due to the seasonal Alpine runoff. It’s noted for its grey waters, probably due to the grey rocks and limestone that it dissolves as the water makes its way down to Turin. Viewed up close one would swear it’s liquid concrete, but no, it’s just muddy grey water.
In contrast, as can be seen by the waters of the River Po above, it too has been flowing forcefully for some time. Partly due to a lot of snow and rain that the mountain areas received during the March and April timeframes. Though not running above flood stage, it was getting close to it.
Conclusion
So we hope to be traveling soon, we have actually booked places for mid June and hope to be venturing around locally in the coming weeks. So, be patient and please stay tuned, we look forward to some new adventures soon!
Coronavirus And Our Return To Turin
After a lengthy and very nice holiday vacation in the States, we have finally returned to Turin. It was not without its drama however, no thanks to the Corona virus.
Into the Unknown
Having made our plans to return months ago, we continually monitored the situation unfolding with the virus hoping to mitigate any surprises. Never under-estimate the best laid plans of mice and men. The day before we were to leave, it finally really hit us with an email from Delta informing us that our flight had been cancelled. We had three choices, rebook for an immediate opening to get us to Milan, delay our trip and rebook for sometime in May, or get a refund. We thought about our options for a while, a short while.
On the one hand, we could try, at least before its too late. If we get stuck somewhere we could hopefully make other plans to get to our destination. We already had a trip to Naples booked and coming up soon, we wanted to keep those plans, if at all possible. We also had to take into account our growing boredom sitting around Cary, while paying for an apartment in Turin.
On the other, there was the virus and all the complications entailed with it. We even considered it might be safer in the U.S., especially if there were a severe breakout and one of us were to get sick. Keeping all this in mind, we threw caution to the wind, bought a stock of travel wipes, rebooked through JFK and Paris to Milan, and headed into the unknown.
We were rebooked through AirFrance from JFK to Paris. Though the flight was packed, it was totally without incident, with the exception of the flight attendant ramming a cart into my knee halfway through the night. The only unfortunate thing was, the flight was the midnight red-eye which totally screws with my circadian rhythm. The good news was I never hear one cough or sneeze while I was awake, perhaps the really sick ones stayed home!?
Onto Milan
Going to Milan was totally different. This was the first indication, that the attention to the virus was having real affects, people are scared and are really staying home! The plane from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Milan was more or less empty.
Luckily once we arrived in Milan most train services were still operating. The schools are of course closed for a few weeks and there is some reduction in long haul routes, but for the most parts you can still book and travel to most places.
Milan Hotels and Streets Vacant
We arrived in Milan around 7 P.M. From the main train station, we had a quick walk over to the Just Hotel, our accomodations for the night, only to find that it was closed! They did however, have a sign informing us that the Glam Hotel across the street had taken all of their reservations. It was while we were reading this sign, that two unknowns tried to pickpocket us. However, since we were wearing long coats and had burglar-proof stuff on, they had a big problem. So, they sprayed our pants with a dark brown colored paint and said we had gotten something on ourselves, probably from a bird. 
They shot it in such a way so you could not clean it without taking off your coat, which is what they want you to do. Don’t fall for this one! It is, or course, only meant to distract you. There are of course no birds out at that hour, especially in a city. They were just trying to distract us. Well to make a short story even shorter, we quickly realized what was going on and quickly wandered our way across the street, avoiding all contact with them. They would of course not enter the hotel, confirming the ruse.
After a quick clean up we headed out across the street for a quick bite to eat. Milan is empty. When I say empty, I mean empty. There are very few people around and definitely NO TOURISTS.
Milano Centrale – Back To Turin
Our biggest surprise was the next morning at Milano Centrale, the always bustling train station with hordes of tourist, vacationers and commuters, as a heart pumps its blood to all its organs, totally anemic.
The trains still run, but there are frankly few on board, including ourselves. We left on the 10:30 A.M. Italo (originating from Naples) from Milan to Turin and we were the only ones in our carrage. Naturally, with all that’s going on, that can be a good thing.
We finally arrived in Turin around 11:30 to finds things, more or less, the same. Though the were plenty of children around due to school being suspended, people were still going about their work. It is good to be back.
Autumn in Turin
As an adjunct to writing about places we have visited, I thought it a good time to provide some quick thoughts on my daily experiences living here. Just random thoughts that come to mind wandering around or just opening the window in the morning. A minor part of anyone’s stay, and often overlooked, are especially the smells that one encounters, both good and bad.
Chocolate Festival
Yesterday we visited Turin’s Yearly Autumn Chocolate Festival. This event takes up an entire piazza and a fair length of via Roma. There is not only chocolate here, but other edible treats from all over Italy and nearby European Countries (e.g. Austria). Though the sites are amazing, the myriad stacks of chocolate bars, bark and balls, the smells are to die for.
From white, dark and milk chocolate, to marzipan and other delicacies; one quickly starts running short of change and hands to carry all of the boxes and bags. After someone experiences this, and then throws in the smells of cooked chestnuts and coffee on the street, a strong association is built between these, the beautiful Autumn weather, and Turin.
The Po River
This Autumn the Po river is still swollen from a lot a rain the surrounding area received during October. This is a good thing too since this week the city was also hosting the Silver Skiff Regatta, or boat race. There are several boating clubs along the Po and you can often see the clubs practicing and exercising during the week.
The river itself is very nice and has parks lining it on both of Turin’s southern banks, so you can take a nice long walk in the leaves while hardly noticing any buildings at all. Here you get that leafy smell that everyone associates with Autumn.
The other thing one notices in Turin, and for the most part Italy as a whole, they do NOT use herbicides on vegetation. In some cases vegetation is actually left to grow unimpeded, leading to the thought, where did the U.S. go wrong? Why do we poison everything? What is so bad about weeds or bugs for that matter? In the photograph above an American would think, “Get out the RoundUp”, an Italian, “What can I eat?”
From An Apartment Window
From our apartment you can gauge the pulse of the city just by smelling the air. As for any typical city the quality of the air is dominated by the lack or abundance of traffic. But there are also other factors as well.
In the early morning, prior to rush hour, the clean mountain air has rushed down during the night and early morning hours to provide a respite of fresh air. If you open your shutters and windows early enough, you get to experience this pleasure. Otherwise, you are met in the morning with the pungent, often times, noxious smell of diesel and the morning rush hour. The street our windows open to, is an active bypass for those trying to hop through the piazza to the North and avoid the ZTL (zone of limited traffic), a short stretch of street that is directly in the front of our building. This last for a few hours and then one gets a treat for what ever lingers in this corridor of buildings.
Later, after the evening rush hour, you are witness to one of the few puzzling things about Turin, the smell of burning wood. As though hundreds or fireplaces have been lit at once, it wafts in around six or seven o’clock. This is not specifically for heat, but rather for the hundreds of brick ovens that have to be fired up burning oak and other woods, to cook evening pizza and focaccia. It is one of the oddities living here and one of my true favorites. Having been brought up with a fireplace my whole life, it is a booster shot for my soul.
Such are the remarkable things that anyone can enjoy when living or even visiting here, the information and experiences are out there, you just have to let them in.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Finally, more photographs of the grounds and surrounding area.
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.
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.
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.
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. Â 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Upon reaching Susa, we were encircled by Graian Alps. , especially Rocciamelone which sits just due north of the town.
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.
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!
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.
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.
There is the old Cathedral of San Giusto, which was built in Romanesque style.
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.
The Torre in Susa, a building obviously repurposed over the years.
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.
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.
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. Â However, regardless of its size, it is charming nonetheless.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Â We also witnessed several people swimming the width of the large lake which must be close to one kilometer. Â 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.
The stroll back into town took another twenty or so minutes and we were now both hungry and looking for something to eat. Â We had thought about eating somewhere along the lake, but none of the restaurant menus there appealed to us. Â So we headed for the main piazza in town, piazza Conte Rosso.
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.
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.
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!
