We were headed to Milan today, but we extended the short trip from Turin into a full day's exploration. First up was Ricetto di Candelo, yet another of the "most beautiful" villages, but very different from those we've seen thus far. This medieval compound, with its walls and some towers intact, was originally a fortified warehouse for the wine and grain produced in the area. Currently, it contains a couple of restaurants and a few art galleries, but the main draw for us was the fact that the whole place feels so medieval! The buildings are built of river rocks, stones, bricks, and wooden beams; neither "prettied up" nor over-restored, it feels as if the farmers and local lord just up and left things for 21st-century visitors to wander through today!
Next up was Orta San Giulio, a lovely town on the shores of Lake Orta. On this warm Sunday afternoon, it was crowded with visitors, and the many parking lots in the upper town were crowded. We walked down to the lake and found the restaurants and shops in old town and its large central piazza were doing great business. The piazza fronts the lake and the docks where boats were shuttling passengers to the pretty Isola San Guilio, midway across the lake. It was a lovely scene, but the crush of visitors during the summer must be terrible!
Our last of the "most beautiful" today offered a very different experience. Vogogna, with a castle overlooking the old town's quiet streets, was practically deserted. Though it was evident that this is a functioning town, except for a couple of churches, things were pretty closed up this afternoon. It was nice, though, to see a group of teenage girls kicking a soccer ball around the medieval covered market hall.
Our apartment in Milan is another great one -- and we have a garage for the car, which is a perk we especially appreciate after our parking challenges in Turin. We have two days here, and tomorrow's forecast promises rain, so we're going to find our umbrellas and see how things turn out.
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