01 October 2007

Neighborhood Tour

View of Grandubbione from the end of our road
Agnelli Fiat Family Private Church in Villar Perosa

When friends and family come to visit for the first time we usually do some sort of variation on a tour of the neighborhood. Actually whenever any of our guests arrive for the first time we usually recommend some variation on the neighborhood tour. Of course timing and transportation or the lack there of has everything to do with what variation gets taken. Seasons, day of the week,(don't get me started on the "low cost tour of Italy/Europe on Monday" rant as that is another blog entirely) time of day, siesta time, August, and all of the variables that makes sightseeing in Italy a challenge for the average tourist. As one of our guests said, you have to be very organized to see and do what you would to do, other wise, "Domani", tomorrow or next time...a familiar phrase, which doesn't always work for our guests, but perhaps it keeps people coming back to Italy, because you just can not fit it all in. Well perhaps not, but them again, it might be the food. I know the food culture is for me one of the reasons I feel so at home here.
Then we moseyed through our "Abitare in Valle" valley museum open on Monday contrary to the rule that all Italian museums are closed on Monday (Rome & Florence excluded). So it was a fun day's outing here in Val Chisone neighborhood

Ghironda or sometimes known as a Hurdy Gurdy
Hannibal's bridge and the Dubbione river with Egret
Legend has it that General Hannibal camped here somewhere around 218 AD with his men when he passed through the alps with his elephants. He was recruiting the local tribes to make up for some of the purported 15,000 men he lost whilst making his 15 day march through the alps on his way to conquer Rome.



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