Some days are upside down or...

an interlude in the Italian travelogue.

Now we all have had those days where nothing goes right; or the lovely days where everything is coming our way. We have days that look dark and days where we border on euphoria.

However at number 15 we also have days that are totally upside down: of the four fairly regular inhabitants, one is on his way to foreign parts; another is in bed reading (having gotten a couple of bits of paper work done); another has gone through 3 friends trying to find someone to have lunch with (totally work avoidance although she would have happily lunched with any of her good friends). So what’s upside down you might ask? Well the fourth inhabitant has actually gotten a “bee in his bonnet” and sorted out 1’000 documents. Yikes – we are not used to this.

The other two inhabitants (cats Cléa and Babette) are right side up - loving the presence of so many people with whom to cuddle and to be given attention, including sleeping on one of my typing hands.

Oh, yeah – son has decided that he could have lunch with me – so have managed to postpone my tasks for an hour or so: perhaps I’ll be more motivated upon my return.

More mountains and churches – a walk through history

Italy 4 Varallo Sesia

After a good night’s sleep (getting a hotel room always improves the chances of sleeping decently, funny thing that) and breakfast it was off to discover the many historical points of Varallo Sesia, most of which are linked to churches in the large sense of the term (some are chapels, some pilgrimage sites, others churches, etc.). The Collegiata of San Gaudenzio was first as just across the street: paintings by Ferrari.

 

Bell Tower of the Collegiata of San Gaudenzio

Inside the Collegiata of San Gaudenzio

Giacobini sepulchre in the Collegiata of San Gaudenzio

The pope visited Varallo Sesia in 1984

Collegiata of San Gaudenzio as seen from Sacro Monte

Next was the 15^th century Santa Maria delle Grazie and Gaudenzio Ferrari’s 15^th century fresco depicting the life of Christ, which covers an entire wall (one can pay to light up the fresco). 

The Lady of our Graces inside.

The Fresco

Then it was on to the top of the hill and the Sacro Monte di Varallo. An UNESCO Heritage site, it is one of the most famous Piedmont pilgrimage sites, the oldest Italian and foreign one of its kind.  It blew my mind away. Didn’t count all of the marvelous chapels with painted sculptures of the life of Christ, but later learned that there are 45 (and no I am not going to publish pictures of all of them).  The “minor basilica” from the outside gives no clue to the splendor of the Baroque style inside. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacro_Monte_di_Varallo for those interested in learning more.

map of the Sacro Monte di Varallo

vaults and earthquake bars

Adam and Eve, one of 45 separate frescoes and statues

Part of the Last Supper

Note the detail in the expressions

Again part of the more than 800 painted life-size statues of wood and terracota

details on one of the "window" boxes

Post number 40 - with statues and frescoes behind

A plaque in honor of the English writer Samuel Butler and his "Ex Voto"

The minor basilica

Inside the minor basilica

The coffee shop itself was a splendid Art Deco room and needing to use the facilities I was flabbergasted to see a tile wall that was round (how they managed that without any seems I certainly don’t understand). 

Dining room of the Sacro Monte restaurant

detail in the dining room

detail on the linen table clothes

 A few more photos from around town in Varallo Sesia

In a courtyard

Reflection

Sheltered flowers

wall mask

Spring has sprung

Interesting chimney pots

The Collegiata and town seen from Sacro Monte

The perfect tulip

Then it was winding roads and a village restaurant where just the anti pasti would have been more than sufficient, but was followed by fresh pan-fried trout. No room at any point on this trip for dessert!

The afternoon was spent in Fobello, a small mountain town, which was the home to Vincenzo Lancia and his son Gianni Lancia – yes there is a Lancia street. It is also one of the villages with the best preserved traditions in costumes (a particular stitch) of the area.

Fobello

Fobello, home to the Lancia family

Then back to the Lago d’Orta and a room overlooking the lake. Life is tough.

View from Madonna del Sasso overlooking the Lago d'Orta

Lakes, mountains, churches and the soft warm air of Italy in the Spring

A first stop for coffee and on to Lago Maggiore, the longest lake in Italy, but also a lake that is located not only in two Italian regions (Piedmont and Lombardy) but also in the Swiss canton of Ticino. A discussion with the parking attendants and money into the machine as well as the purchase of boat tickets; a walk along the lake front before boarding the boat that stopped on three islands: the Isola Madre, the Isola Pescatori where we had lunch at the Albergo Ristorante Verbano (a daily menu that put most of the others that I have ever enjoyed to shame).  The last stop was the Isola Bella and yet another church. Here also we talked to a very eccentric woman (her dress in bright spring colors along the lines of a Cossack woman with a hat, drawn-on eyebrows, etc. made her really stand out from the crowd – would have taken her photo had I dared. She spoke fluent French, Italian, German and probably many other languages but no time to prolong the conversation with a group at our heels.

Italian church bells are very different.

Sail boat sculpture on the edge of the lake

lots of wrought-iron gates.

Off to the Borromeo Islands

Isola dei Pescatori - lunch at the Verbano Albergho

Albergho Verbano's terrace overlooking the lake.

Entry was beef carpaccio (very thinkly sliced)

The main fresh fish on a bed of al dente vegetables

Isola Bella - the "palace"

Buildings on Isola Bella

the San Vittorio church main alter

Yet another church facade

Plants in full bloom

The white peacocks are famous.

Leaving Stresa behind, we stopped in Omegna on the Lago d’Orta for that most typical and beloved treat – a Gelato, then on to Varallo Sesia, where finding a hotel with room was a bit difficult: never mind – a couple of drinks later (turns out that there was going to be a car rally come Sunday), there was a no show and so we didn’t have to look further. I have often said that I tend to be lucky – this is continually being born out. Dinner after the luxurious lunch seemed rather redundant (never mind a total lack of hunger) so settled for a beer and a sandwich.

date of the main floor from the Sant'Ambrogio church in Omegna

Sant'Ambrogio church, Omegna

The Sacro Monte in the distance as seen from the hotel window!