We are officially stranded in Chivasso, Turin where it is cold, snowing heavily and the car is engulfed by the white stuff. We can’t leave today, but we are warm, we have internet and we have hope. Hope that tomorrow it may not snow. There is also a pizzeria across the road where we are warmly greeted as locals, we have been there every night, and the food is very good. Chivasso is a nice town, there could be places far worse in which to get stuck.
You may be wondering why the usual yappingdog is not present. Well, the YD is out playing in the powdery snow with her umbrella, picture Mary Poppins on ice. So I’m afraid you are left with me to misinform you of our adventures so far.
After leaving Nice, beautiful sunny Nice, with our beachside tans, we crossed into the glitz and glamour that is Monaco. On show, was an ice hockey tournament between Monaco and a team from the Czech Republic, right in the heart of the marina, over a swimming pool. At the marina, we had a small breakfast where we took in the spectacular sights and scenery before making our way through the clustered city, passing buildings and monuments which were ‘graced’ by others in the past; some pics:
Swimming pool in summer, ice hockey in winter
Check out the size of these balls!
The marina from the Royal Palace
The main marina, splendid!
The Royal Palace
About the only locals actually working
The Monaco Cathedral, married and now resting here, Prince Rainier and Princess Grace
Looking out to the very bluewaters of the Mediterranean
Statue of Grimaldi, the man responsible for Monaco
Tribute to Fangio, racing car legend
Leaving Monaco, the French-Italian Alps
Having enjoyed our visit to Monaco we ventured on with the task of trying to get across the treacherous Alps. We knew there had been snowfall recently, so we advanced with caution. Cars were motoring in and out slowly as we approached the ski resorts, the drive itself was a scene of white mountains, and in most, made for stunning views. Finally making it to the border crossing, a 3.5 km narrow tunnel through the mountains, we reached Italy, only to be greeted with cold icy conditions. Eventually and slowly we arrived at our hotel just north of the city of Turin.
Turin is a beautiful city, even though it is known for being industrial. It is not littered with as many tourists as other cities but it still has a lot to offer. We took advantage of the day there was no snow, to do some sightseeing before this recent dumping; some pics:
Near Cuneo, where the 2008 Tour de France went through
The Royal Palace in Piazza Castello, and me
The reason to visit Turin; to see the replica of the Turin Shroud (the real one is kept in a sealed box)
Altar of San Giovanni Battista (church of the shroud)
The Last Supper by Da Vinci (also a replica)
Turin landmark, 167m high tower affectionately known as The Mole
Parisian style arcade in Turin; 'La Galleria'
Directly outside our hotel; the snowy streets of Chivasso
So now all we can do is sit, eat pizza and pasta and wait. Let’s hope the snow stops in the next couple of days as Milan awaits. Until next time, keep on ploughing.
