In the land of the Savoy

We set off not too early in this October that feels like July, and in the Milan area we get stuck in traffic. We continue to Venaria Reale, park the car and arrive in front of the Reggia just as the show with the fountain's water games is taking place; the fact that it happens only once at midday is a bit disappointing. First of all we go into the Reggia: beautiful rooms, lots of paintings, some rooms bare; it's not what we expected, especially given the entrance ticket of a full 12.00 euros. The surrounding park is large and fairly well kept, recently redone, and for that reason many areas are still being tidied up. We decide to go to the lakes of Avigliana; we walk around the Small Lake, a short route along the lake and through the woods; the heat makes the air muggy and a little hazy. We begin looking for the B&B L'Antico Borgo, booked on Booking.com at 65.00 euros a night.

Arriving in Caprie, the street isn't found by the satnav; we drive around a bit until we discover it is in the historic centre of the village. We leave the car and walk towards the sports facilities of Caprie; we have dinner at La Sosta. The next day our destination is the Sacra di San Michele; we see it there, on top of the mountain facing us, but reaching it is almost a mirage. One could walk up from Sant'Ambrogio, but we prefer the car; we stop at the locality of San Pietro, where we see the sign for the mule track leading to the Sacra. So we take about an hour's walk in the silence of the chestnut wood. We reach our destination; a shame about the haze that hides the view over the valley. We go in to visit the church and the fortified building, including the tower of the fair Alda of legend; the atmosphere is quite fascinating.

We haven't planned the afternoon well; perhaps we could have gone to Agliè, we hear talk of Moncenisio, and we feel the urge to return where we had passed in a hurry back in June 2003. We drive through the whole Susa Valley and stop for lunch in a lost little village. Arriving at the pass, by now in France, the sky turns an intense blue, the lake water reflects it, it's only 18 degrees and a strong wind blows; we take a nice walk, despite the cars speeding along the road. We return to the valley, the sky turns white, we stop in Susa, a town of Roman origin, complete with the Arch of Augustus. On the last day, after another chat with the B&B owners, we set course for the Castle of Racconigi, which really is a marvel.

We buy the tickets straight away (for just 5 euros there's the guided tour) and go in immediately....we discover that for the whole day there would have been no other alternatives! The guide is a bit gruff, always hurrying the tourists, but since the visit lasts 1 hour and 30 you really shouldn't linger too long in the rooms. The magnificence and luxury of the Savoy are lavish here, and the stories and intrigues of the royal family are fascinating. We come out hoping to visit the Castle Park, but because of the strong wind that has risen since the morning, the park is closed as a precaution. We continue towards the province of Cuneo, up and down the hills, heading for Alba. We quickly visit the historic centre and perhaps waste too much time getting something to eat in the main square. The wind blows relentlessly all the way home, where we arrive with 13 degrees.