NIGEL'S RAMBLES: Sea and Montains

This year our holiday was shorter than usual, but we managed to pack a lot of contrasting places into the week.

We started in Val d’ Aosta, the smallest region of Italy.

Aosta was founded by the Romans and the town has some important remains of this period.

The Forum which is now below the present ground level is quite spectacular with its massive arches, the modern flooring and lighting adds quite well to the atmosphere to the place.

The Roman Forum, Aosta, AO

I saw the theatre during a light show they put on in the summer, so I was able to get some photographs with a sense of theatre, much nicer than the standard sort of photographs I took during the afternoon.

The Roman Theatre, Aosta, AO

The Colligiata di Sant’Orso has some nice medieval cloisters. The column capitols have some beautiful carvings.

Colligiata Sat'Orsola, Aosta, AO

It was now time to explore the mountains. Monte Bianco, Western Europe’s highest mountain is incredibly imposing whether cloaked in cloud or resplendent on a cloudless morning. I managed to do a short walk with Gabry in Val Veny up to a point below Lago Mirage. The weather was very changeable, but we agreed that bad weather adds to the drama in these mountains.

Monte Bianco, AO

Val Veny , AO

Monte Bianco, AO

We had a taste of the Gran Paridiso park in Rhemes Notra Dame valley. We saw marmot up close and chamois in the distance high in the mountains. Gabry and I climbed up to a snow field that remains all year long.

Gran Paridiso park, Rhemes Notra Dame valley.AO

We stopped for a very good lunch in Les Combes at the top of a torturous mountain road, In this isolated small hamlet the last two Popes spent their summer holidays.The views from this village are very nice.

Strangely this village has remained untouched by the mass tourism that one would imagine would be drawn here by its famous visitors.

Les Combes,AO

The Popes holiday cottage, Les Combes,AO

Les Combes,AO

The valley is full of castles. I managed to see a few of them.

Saint Pierre, AO

Castello di Fenis, AO

La Salle, AO

Villenueve, AO

Next stop was the Lange in Piedmont. One comes here for one reason, to drink good wine and eat good food.

Vineyard

The landscape here is also quite interesting. From la Morra the view of the vineyards stretching far over the horizon is worth seeing.

La Morra,CN

Capella della Madonna delle Grazie, La Morra,CN

We stayed in an what was a monestry in Cherasco, an incredibly quiet little town near Bra. At midday there was hardly a soul to be seen on the streets. The architecture is typical for this area of Piedmont.

Monestero di Cherasco, CN

Cherasco, CN

To finish our holiday we had a couple of days in Sanremo a typical Italian Riviera seaside city were we have stayed often before. The old towns are always worth a visit even though I know its narrow alleyways well. There is always something new to experience here.

La Pigna, Sanremo, IM

During an evening walk around the port, we were rewarded with the sight of a recently arrived fishing boat full of Swordfish being washed and gutted before being sent to market.