Well, after 3 weeks or so we have reached the end of our European epic. It has been fitting to conclude our journey where it started, in Frankfurt hosted by the amazing Krebs family. The Krebs, much like Germany itself, are outstanding. We were met at the airport and provided with an apartment for the night, which was set up perfectly for us and included a present of exquisite German tea (that Nadine especially loves) to take back to NZ.
Not long after being dropped off I dashed off for a cheeky 9 holes at Frankfurter Golf Club, the oldest club in the region. It was a parkland course, very long and brutal. My first shot went deep into the woods! But I exacted my revenge and by the time I reached the clubhouse had kept the score close to my handicap, which these days is around 9. Along the way I had a close encounter with a fox, who went to check out my ball in the bunker! Unlike Mr Ed, the horse in Tresivio, he didn't respond to my whistle and made his way out of sight into the Forrest. Nadine, who stayed at the apartment, would have loved the experience. Such encounters with nature are special.
Bettina arrived around 8pm and we all went off for dinner. Enjoying a lovely meal and good intellectual debate before drawing stumps for the day. Today Bettina took us to a lovely wine growing village overlooking the Rhine river. Germany has everything. I can see why people want to come and live here.
We are now finalising our affairs, including closing off the blog, before flying out tonight to Perth via Singapore. Only two nights in Perth stand between us and our home and lovely doggies. We feel ready to return to work and our life in NZ, having enjoyed four fantastic counties but also knowing that we live in one of the best places in the World - windy Wellington!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Venice
We drove into Venice airport and said a fond farewell to our rental car, which had been our second home for the month and looked after us very well. We returned it in good condition, which was a very sound effort given we drove on the right hand side of the road, in a left-hand drive vehicle, mostly had no idea where we were going and travelled at speeds far greater than we were accustomed to and not far short of the speed of light.
The airport is right on the sea so we walked to the docks and caught a speed boat taxi to the hotel. This was a spectacular way to greet Venice. It felt like something out of a James Bond film. The night was warm, the sun just relinquishing its hold on the day and the lights of Venice were fast approaching.
Upon arrival we dropped off our bags at the hotel, an old monastery called Centro Culturale Artigianelli, and then went for a quick and cheap meal at an adjacent restaurant. After dinner we couldn't bring ourselves to return immediately to the hotel as it was such a lovely night and Venice beckoned! Strolling alongside the canals, through squares, past shops selling art and antiquities and observing the the vibrant international flavoured Italian culture at play, was extremely romantic and two hours passed very quickly.
We woke early with the flu. Unbelievable! I had it worse than Nadine and was too ill to even think about getting up and stepping out. Nadine, however, ventured out for a little while (to do the washing), though returned after lunch to join me for the afternoon marathon nanna nap. We slept through the entire afternoon and early evening, awaking feeling well enough to venture out for dinner. We ate a lovely little restaurant not far from the Hotel that served up a delicious tomatoe, basil and mozarella salad.
Venice has a number of universities and exuded the excited, intellectual vibrancy that we had observed in other student cities on our travels - Amsterdam, Utrecht, Paris and Avignon. The lack of cars in the streets increases the sensual experience - you see, smell, and hear so much more.
I woke up the next day still with fever but determined to get out and see Venice. We decided that walking accross the city and then catching a ferry to Murano island was the best way to take in as much as possible. So off we went. We didn't get far, as the streets were flooded. Venice is sinking 5mm per year and at high tide the water rises up through the drains and over the banks of the canals flooding the walkways and city squares. On such occasions, which occur more frequently in Autumn and Winter, very loud sirens sound to inform inhabitants to put on their Wellington boots - and they do, regardless of whether they are elderly people doing shopping, businessmen in suits, couriers carting goods or retailers selling wares. It is incredibly interesting watching a city go about its day in Wellingtons. Of course, we were unaware of the floods and the need for Wellington boots so had three choices: go back to hotel and wait for the water to subside, walk around in bare feet or go back to the hotal and change into jandals (thongs - for the Aussies). We chose the later option and this proved genius and refreshing, as we were able to walk inencumbered across the city and had very clean feet by the time we arrived at out destination.
Murano island is famous for its glassware and it didn't disappoint. Watching the men at work was enlightening; these people are artisans creating beautiful things. Apparently it takes around 12 years to learn the craft well enough to sell the production. It is not everyday that one is in Venice and on Murano island and accordingly we made sure to purchase a few momentos and buy some presents!
Murano is an enchanting place. It has a very slow and relaxed pace, no cars, lovely canals, colourful houses and warm air. Being there was very special - dispite the flu that kept fighting for survival.
We returned to the hotel, had a shower and then rushed out to dinner, needing to get across the otherside of the city to a restaurant that was recommended by a friend. On the way we ran across an idle gondella and gave into the temptation of taking a gondella ride to the restaurant. This was the highlight of our entire European trip. In floating effortlessly through the silent side canals of Venice, past the grand palaces and the ancient houses (one was built in 1100), we were swept up by the current of love that has inspired so many before us. Venice is a magical place.
Photo of the day:
The airport is right on the sea so we walked to the docks and caught a speed boat taxi to the hotel. This was a spectacular way to greet Venice. It felt like something out of a James Bond film. The night was warm, the sun just relinquishing its hold on the day and the lights of Venice were fast approaching.
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| Water taxi from airport in Venice |
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| Remaining wetlands near airport - what Venice is built on |
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| Hotel room in Venice |
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| Venice at dusk |
Venice has a number of universities and exuded the excited, intellectual vibrancy that we had observed in other student cities on our travels - Amsterdam, Utrecht, Paris and Avignon. The lack of cars in the streets increases the sensual experience - you see, smell, and hear so much more.
I woke up the next day still with fever but determined to get out and see Venice. We decided that walking accross the city and then catching a ferry to Murano island was the best way to take in as much as possible. So off we went. We didn't get far, as the streets were flooded. Venice is sinking 5mm per year and at high tide the water rises up through the drains and over the banks of the canals flooding the walkways and city squares. On such occasions, which occur more frequently in Autumn and Winter, very loud sirens sound to inform inhabitants to put on their Wellington boots - and they do, regardless of whether they are elderly people doing shopping, businessmen in suits, couriers carting goods or retailers selling wares. It is incredibly interesting watching a city go about its day in Wellingtons. Of course, we were unaware of the floods and the need for Wellington boots so had three choices: go back to hotel and wait for the water to subside, walk around in bare feet or go back to the hotal and change into jandals (thongs - for the Aussies). We chose the later option and this proved genius and refreshing, as we were able to walk inencumbered across the city and had very clean feet by the time we arrived at out destination.
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| High tide in Venice |
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| Beautiful Venice |
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| Parallel parking in Venice |
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| Venice gondola |
Murano is an enchanting place. It has a very slow and relaxed pace, no cars, lovely canals, colourful houses and warm air. Being there was very special - dispite the flu that kept fighting for survival.
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| Murano village |
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| Murano glass sculpture |
Photo of the day:
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| Venetian ambulances |
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| Venetian grocery shops |
Back to Carenno
We arrived back in Carenno about 2pm to a wonderful warm welcome from Beppe Raso. Lunch was laid on and involved even more food than we really needed - but this didn't stop us from finishing everything that was offered! A diet is on the cards.
We spent the afternoon and evening with the Raso family sharing our incredible experience. Italians are very empathetic people and fully participate in each other's lives and events, which makes recollecting experiences such fun. We talked for hours about many things and developed a wonderful bond.
Sunday morning we had a long breakfast as per usual with everyone sitting at the table together. Afterwards, Beppe, Delia, Nadine and I took Flash for a walk around the village. We were fortunate enough to witness the annual horse trading fair. The trading involved a breed of horses used as working horses in the mountains. The horses were very strong, but also hansome with light brown bodies and blond manes and tails. There were various food stalls at the fair and we couldn't resist buying some fresh salami and cheese to take on our journey to Venice.
After a beautiful lunch with a special sausage and vino we started our 2.5 hr drive to Venice......It was hard saying goodbye to Beppe, Delia, Margerita and Martina but we know we will see them all again in the future.
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| Lunch with the Raso family |
We spent the afternoon and evening with the Raso family sharing our incredible experience. Italians are very empathetic people and fully participate in each other's lives and events, which makes recollecting experiences such fun. We talked for hours about many things and developed a wonderful bond.
Sunday morning we had a long breakfast as per usual with everyone sitting at the table together. Afterwards, Beppe, Delia, Nadine and I took Flash for a walk around the village. We were fortunate enough to witness the annual horse trading fair. The trading involved a breed of horses used as working horses in the mountains. The horses were very strong, but also hansome with light brown bodies and blond manes and tails. There were various food stalls at the fair and we couldn't resist buying some fresh salami and cheese to take on our journey to Venice.
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| Carenno farm fair horses |
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| Martina, Margarita, Delia & Beppe Raso |
Monday, October 4, 2010
Family time in Tresivio
The trip from Lecco to Tresivio was very picturesque, driving north along the eastern side of Lago di Como and then beyond through a valley flanked on both sides by very large snow-capped mountains. Extensive tunnels enabled a swift passage through the mountains, as many of them are so steep and sheer it is impossible to build over or around them.
It was surreal arriving in Tresivio. Not only is it an extremely beautiful village surounded by mountains, the dream of finally connecting with my italian heritage was being realised.
My Great Grandfather, Cesare Croci, was born in Tresivio. It must have been very hard for him to leave such a beautiful place and his family when he emmigrated to Australia in the 1920s. He was not alone in making such a bold move. The 1920s were difficult economic times in Italy and many young and able Italian men were compelled to emigrate to far off places in search of work. Cesare's brother, Giovanni, died when he was 16, falling though a deep hole when up in the mountains. In moving to Australia, Cesare left behind his four sisters, Natalina, Lucia, Maria and Angelina.
Many parts of Sondrio, the region in which Tresivio is located, is listed as a UNESCO heritage site due to the ancient vineyards built along the carved out mountain terraces. Tresivio, like many of its neigbouring villages, has that anciant feeling about it, as if the families living there had done so since the dawn of time and without much change. It is not a wealthy area in terms of industry, being hard country and just too far from the major centres, but it is very rich in history and culture.
Upon arrival we drove straight to the house of Luciana Moretti. This was the name given to me by my Grandmother many years before when I was living in Germany and contemplating a trip to Italy (that never eventuated). Luciana is the daughter of Cesare's sister Natalina. Luciana had no idea we were coming and were not entitely sure of how we were related as the details were sketchy. It seemed sensible to ensure we could communicate who were are and why we were there so we arrived armed with a letter translated into Italian by our new friends Martina and Margerita that set out the story very poetically. This letter proved a Godsend because when no one answered our knocks at Luciana's house we waved down a passing vehicle and gave the driver the letter.
The driver, Michele Borriello, totally embraced our cause and walked the streets of Tresivio, calling out 'Senorita' and thereby drawing out the local women from their houses, until he found someone that new something about Cesare. One of the ladies remembered my late uncle Anthony who had visited Tresivio over 20 years before and showed us where Luciana's son's lived - about 500m down the road. We went down there and knocked on the door. Sure enough we met fellow decendents of Cesare Croci's parents. It was amazing!!!
In the course of the next 30 minutes we met Luciana Moretti and her two son's and their families: Franco & Giovanna and their son's Omar and David; and Luca & Savina and their 3 year old daughter.
Franco and Luca live in the same building and share land on which they grow grapes and produce wine, grow vegitables and raise chickens. We were fortunate to try the homemade vino and it was wonderful! A lot different from NZ and Australian wines but perfect for the climate and the local food. We were really inspired by the loving family environment that these people shared, a custom that seemed as ancient as the surrounding mountains. After a few hours of trying to speak with broken italian and english, we departed for our hotel for the night having been invited following day for lunch.
The hotel was very nice and interesting with some great art and furniture scattered around. Nadine and I relaxed in front of TV, allowing the big day to sink in. Breakfast the next morning was served in an old cellar, which was spectacular. Italy just kept dishing up all sorts of surprises!
12.30pm arrived and we headed off to Franco and Giovanna's house for lunch. They had prepared polenta in an outdoor oven, on which they also roasted chestnuts, and we were presented with a feast which took us the next 5 hours to consume. Thank god for Amaro - a liquer made from a herb which helps digestion.
Despite us knowing very little italian and Luciana and family knowing very little english, we were somehow able to communicate and managed to have some wonderful conversations over the course of the afternoon. It was additionally special because Franco and Giovanna were celebrating their 16th wedding anniversary!
In the early evening we piled into two cars and drove about 1km up the road to see Cesare's old house, which is still standing next to the houses of his two sisters Lucia and Maria. The houses were very delapidated, as you can imagine given their age and that they haven't been lived in for a very long time and the cost of restoring them is prohibitive. Cesare's house is now owned by people living in Milano that have partially renovated it and use it for their summer vacations. However, there are many old houses just left standing but derelect.
So on that note we said our fond farewells to our new family (and friends), swapped Skype addresses and made promises to write and visit again. What struck me most by the experience was the unconditional love expressed by Luciana and her family. Even though we had only met the day before, could not communicate as effectively as one would wish and were from different parts of the world, we were family and this meant everything to them and to us. They were very happy that we found them and expressed this happiness through their wonderful hospitality.
We drove to Varenna and caught a ferry over to Bellagio - apparantely George Clooney has a house nearby, although much to Nadine's disappointment we didn't bump into him in the supermarket buying toilet paper! Bellagio is a very pretty community, although very expensive. If travelling to Lake Como we recommend you stay somewhere undiscovered by the tourist masses as places like Bellagio are designed to extract as much cash from you as possible! In this way it was much like France, which is prodigious in maximising its return from tourism.
The next morning we headed back to Carenno via Varenna to meet Beppe Raso and stay with him and his wonderful family again......
Photo of the day:
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| Entering Tresivio village |
It was surreal arriving in Tresivio. Not only is it an extremely beautiful village surounded by mountains, the dream of finally connecting with my italian heritage was being realised.
My Great Grandfather, Cesare Croci, was born in Tresivio. It must have been very hard for him to leave such a beautiful place and his family when he emmigrated to Australia in the 1920s. He was not alone in making such a bold move. The 1920s were difficult economic times in Italy and many young and able Italian men were compelled to emigrate to far off places in search of work. Cesare's brother, Giovanni, died when he was 16, falling though a deep hole when up in the mountains. In moving to Australia, Cesare left behind his four sisters, Natalina, Lucia, Maria and Angelina.
Many parts of Sondrio, the region in which Tresivio is located, is listed as a UNESCO heritage site due to the ancient vineyards built along the carved out mountain terraces. Tresivio, like many of its neigbouring villages, has that anciant feeling about it, as if the families living there had done so since the dawn of time and without much change. It is not a wealthy area in terms of industry, being hard country and just too far from the major centres, but it is very rich in history and culture.
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| Mountains surrounding Sondrio region |
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| View from mountain above Tresivio |
Upon arrival we drove straight to the house of Luciana Moretti. This was the name given to me by my Grandmother many years before when I was living in Germany and contemplating a trip to Italy (that never eventuated). Luciana is the daughter of Cesare's sister Natalina. Luciana had no idea we were coming and were not entitely sure of how we were related as the details were sketchy. It seemed sensible to ensure we could communicate who were are and why we were there so we arrived armed with a letter translated into Italian by our new friends Martina and Margerita that set out the story very poetically. This letter proved a Godsend because when no one answered our knocks at Luciana's house we waved down a passing vehicle and gave the driver the letter.
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| David outside Luciana Moretti's house |
In the course of the next 30 minutes we met Luciana Moretti and her two son's and their families: Franco & Giovanna and their son's Omar and David; and Luca & Savina and their 3 year old daughter.
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| Franco, Omar, David, Luciana, Savina, Luca & daughter |
Franco and Luca live in the same building and share land on which they grow grapes and produce wine, grow vegitables and raise chickens. We were fortunate to try the homemade vino and it was wonderful! A lot different from NZ and Australian wines but perfect for the climate and the local food. We were really inspired by the loving family environment that these people shared, a custom that seemed as ancient as the surrounding mountains. After a few hours of trying to speak with broken italian and english, we departed for our hotel for the night having been invited following day for lunch.
The hotel was very nice and interesting with some great art and furniture scattered around. Nadine and I relaxed in front of TV, allowing the big day to sink in. Breakfast the next morning was served in an old cellar, which was spectacular. Italy just kept dishing up all sorts of surprises!
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| Breakfast the Della Porta hotel |
12.30pm arrived and we headed off to Franco and Giovanna's house for lunch. They had prepared polenta in an outdoor oven, on which they also roasted chestnuts, and we were presented with a feast which took us the next 5 hours to consume. Thank god for Amaro - a liquer made from a herb which helps digestion.
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| Franco making polenta in outdoor stove |
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| Giovanna' dad, Omar, David, Luciana, Me, Giovanna & Franco |
In the early evening we piled into two cars and drove about 1km up the road to see Cesare's old house, which is still standing next to the houses of his two sisters Lucia and Maria. The houses were very delapidated, as you can imagine given their age and that they haven't been lived in for a very long time and the cost of restoring them is prohibitive. Cesare's house is now owned by people living in Milano that have partially renovated it and use it for their summer vacations. However, there are many old houses just left standing but derelect.
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| Cesare Crocie house |
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| David drinking from fountain outside Cesare house |
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| San Antonio - street of Cesare |
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| Lucia's house (Cesare's sister) |
So on that note we said our fond farewells to our new family (and friends), swapped Skype addresses and made promises to write and visit again. What struck me most by the experience was the unconditional love expressed by Luciana and her family. Even though we had only met the day before, could not communicate as effectively as one would wish and were from different parts of the world, we were family and this meant everything to them and to us. They were very happy that we found them and expressed this happiness through their wonderful hospitality.
We drove to Varenna and caught a ferry over to Bellagio - apparantely George Clooney has a house nearby, although much to Nadine's disappointment we didn't bump into him in the supermarket buying toilet paper! Bellagio is a very pretty community, although very expensive. If travelling to Lake Como we recommend you stay somewhere undiscovered by the tourist masses as places like Bellagio are designed to extract as much cash from you as possible! In this way it was much like France, which is prodigious in maximising its return from tourism.
The next morning we headed back to Carenno via Varenna to meet Beppe Raso and stay with him and his wonderful family again......
Photo of the day:
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| Grotto on hilltop |
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| Best transport for Tresivio streets |
Friday, October 1, 2010
Lecco
We drove 2 hours from Biella to Lecco, or specifically Carenno, and to the home of our new friends the Raso family. Its a long story but a chance encounter with Mariapia (yes the restaurant owner) in Wellington led us to the home of Beppe Raso, his wife Delia and two daughters Martina and Margarita.....oh and of course their dog Flash!
Carenno is in the mountains and the very narrow and winding road put Nadine's nerves on edge, particularly when a local came screaming down the hill on what seemed our side of the road and sometimes it just didn't seem possible that two cars could fit on the road. We made it through in one piece and no scratches - except for those on the hand rest caused by Nadine's fingernails.
It was a little overcast when we arrived and the temperature was about 10 degrees colder than Biella and took a little adjusting to and involved more layers of clothing. We had a wonderful dinner with Delia, Martina, Margarita and Anya (german friend of Martina complete with irish accent) and were so warmly welcomed into the family that we instantly felt a part of the family. Watch out because we may never want to leave this sanctuary.
On Wednesday Martina took time out from her studies to take us and Anya to the city of Bergamo about 1 hr drive from Lecco. There are two parts of Bergamo - the citti alta (upper) and the citti base (lower). We went up to the citti alta which was surrounded by a massive fortressed wall around the entire city. We walked around this and the lovely little cobbled streets of Bergamo, had the most amazing pizza for lunch in the central piazza in the sun. Bliss.
Bergamo has three of the most amazing churches (all next to each other) that we have seen throughout Europe. The size, sculptures and detail in the churches is mind blowing.
We took the cable car up even further and found a lovely park ontop of the fortressed wall and admired the view over the city, abeit it was masked a bit by the fog.
The day was so relaxed and wonderful that we felt compelled to get a momento to take home, and bought a little painting of the central piazza from a local painter.
The perfect day ended with another delicious dinner lovingly provided by Delia. Delia is an architect by training and teaches architectural type drawing at two secondary schools in the Lecco region. Martina and Margarita are both studying at university, one policitical science and the other art, and both speak very good English.
On Thursday we languished about for half the day with 'the girls', enjoyed the sun, played with Flash and Martina and Margarita translated a letter into Italiano for David to take to Tresivio in his search for his family.
Photos of the day:
Carenno is in the mountains and the very narrow and winding road put Nadine's nerves on edge, particularly when a local came screaming down the hill on what seemed our side of the road and sometimes it just didn't seem possible that two cars could fit on the road. We made it through in one piece and no scratches - except for those on the hand rest caused by Nadine's fingernails.
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| Lecco & Lake Como |
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| The hillside village of Carenno |
On Wednesday Martina took time out from her studies to take us and Anya to the city of Bergamo about 1 hr drive from Lecco. There are two parts of Bergamo - the citti alta (upper) and the citti base (lower). We went up to the citti alta which was surrounded by a massive fortressed wall around the entire city. We walked around this and the lovely little cobbled streets of Bergamo, had the most amazing pizza for lunch in the central piazza in the sun. Bliss.
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| Truely the best pizza in the world |
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| Anya and Martina |
Bergamo has three of the most amazing churches (all next to each other) that we have seen throughout Europe. The size, sculptures and detail in the churches is mind blowing.
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| One of the 3 Bergamo churches |
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| Bergamo church |
We took the cable car up even further and found a lovely park ontop of the fortressed wall and admired the view over the city, abeit it was masked a bit by the fog.
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| Bergamo citie basse |
The perfect day ended with another delicious dinner lovingly provided by Delia. Delia is an architect by training and teaches architectural type drawing at two secondary schools in the Lecco region. Martina and Margarita are both studying at university, one policitical science and the other art, and both speak very good English.
On Thursday we languished about for half the day with 'the girls', enjoyed the sun, played with Flash and Martina and Margarita translated a letter into Italiano for David to take to Tresivio in his search for his family.
Photos of the day:
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| Swan plant |
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| Bergamo citti through fence |
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Beautiful Biella
It was with great delight that we arrived in Italy. I have always held a deep fondness for this country, most probably derived from the fact I am 1/8th Italian. The journey through the tunnels from France felt like a home-coming of sorts. This land is part of my ancient history.
We were also very tired after our tour of France and in need of some R&R. Fortuitously one of the golf courses I had pencilled in to play provided accommodation at a very reasonable price, so we immediately headed there. The golf course, La Betulla (meaning Oak trees), is located about 15 minutes from a lovely town called Biella in the province of Piedmont.
Northern Italy is the industrial might of Italy, being the source of much of its tertiary production. Biella is recognised for its production of fine clothing, especially cashmere products. For those keen on dressing well, there are many outlets stores offering such fine apparel at very cheap prices (in NZD terms). For example, the most esquisite cashmere suits can be purchased for NZ$500, approximately 50% of the price paid in NZ.
La Betulla is worthy of some detail. It is the home of one of Europe's top 10 golf courses and is the playground of wealthy families living in the region. Given this status we were surpised by how welcome we were made to feel by the club and and by unpretentious nature of the members and the establishment. There are some clubs that exclude by their exclusiveness. La Betulla, on the other hand, is exclusive because of its inclusiveness and gentlemanly conduct. The waiting and room staff were simply wonderful, always responding to our needs before we realised them ourselves. We are learning a lot from the Italians about the meaning of hospitality.
The La Betulla Golf Course has the best greens I've ever played on. Tee to green I hit the ball almost as well as at any other time in my life, being close to regulation on most holes. If I had chipped and putted to the normal standard then I would have challenged par. But the greens were too fast, and anything not hit in the hole would slide at least two meters past. On down hill putts, the ball would roll some 20 feet past! Chipping the ball close was next to impossible, meaning up and downs were in short supply.
There was something very special about the fairways and surrounding woodlands. Golf was played to the sound of singing birds and leaves rustling in warm summer breezes. Life seemed to slow down to a snails pace, and golf enjoyed moment by moment, shot by shot.
By the time we left La Betulla we were fully relaxed and ready for the next stage of our journey. It was the holiday we needed within our holiday!
In the hills (mountains by Australian standards) just above Biella is a lovely catholic sanctuary housing the Black Madonna, a sacred religious artefact from the 4th century AD. It was a Sunday and so Nadine and I went to mass, experiencing the Liturgy in Italian. Notably, there were very few younger people present, which has been the demographic trend all through Europe. It seems the Church is struggling to attract the younger generations. Discussing this with some Italian friends, it would appear the reason for the decline concerns the apparent inconsistencies between the teachings of Jesus and 'the way' of the Church, with its vast wealth and disconnection from the everyday man and his or her issues. Personally, I think the problem stems from the separation of philosophy and religion. Bereft of robust intellectual challenge and scrutiny, religious institutions seem to forget their purpose and use the inexplicable to generate power and wealth - a major turn-off to the average Joe. The Church needs more Plato and less Aristotle.
We took a side trip to Turin (or Torino), a lovely little city. It is famous for two things: Fiat cars and the Shroud. Nadine and I will remember it for its rainbows and lightening! Nadine also had coffee for the first time. It was served up with choculate and cream - simply perfect.
Photo of the day
We were also very tired after our tour of France and in need of some R&R. Fortuitously one of the golf courses I had pencilled in to play provided accommodation at a very reasonable price, so we immediately headed there. The golf course, La Betulla (meaning Oak trees), is located about 15 minutes from a lovely town called Biella in the province of Piedmont.
Northern Italy is the industrial might of Italy, being the source of much of its tertiary production. Biella is recognised for its production of fine clothing, especially cashmere products. For those keen on dressing well, there are many outlets stores offering such fine apparel at very cheap prices (in NZD terms). For example, the most esquisite cashmere suits can be purchased for NZ$500, approximately 50% of the price paid in NZ.
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| Biella mountains |
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| Biella town centre |
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| Le Betulla golf club |
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| Le Betulla living room |
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| Le Betulla dining room |
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| Le Betulla bedroom |
There was something very special about the fairways and surrounding woodlands. Golf was played to the sound of singing birds and leaves rustling in warm summer breezes. Life seemed to slow down to a snails pace, and golf enjoyed moment by moment, shot by shot.
By the time we left La Betulla we were fully relaxed and ready for the next stage of our journey. It was the holiday we needed within our holiday!
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| David playing golf at Le Betulla |
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| Happy golfer |
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| Sanctuary Oropa |
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| Sanctuary Oropa |
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| Cycling Italian style |
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| Typical Pharmacy in Italy |
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| Torino piazza |
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| Pizza and coffee |
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| Busker at traffic lights in Torino |
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| Torino market aftermath |
Photo of the day
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| Thunderstorm in Torino |
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| Botticelli strikes again in Torino |
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