Day 11, 12, and 13

In an attempt to "catch up" I'm going do a few days together.

DAY 11: Today we were unsure what was appropriate dress. This morning we went hiking in a national park. We suggested that we take a picnic lunch and our host/guide told us that we would be meeting someone important at a famous restaurant for lunch. How do you dress for hiking in the Alps followed by a formal lunch?

The hike was beautiful in the Gran Pardiso National Park. We had hoped to see Ibex.  They have horns that can grow over 3 feet, but we had no luck. This is alpine chamois.

After our not as formal as previously thought lunch we headed to the Sarre Castle. Built in the 12th century, the Castle was purchased by the Savoy family in 1861 as a summer home and hunting lodge.  The home had the heads or horns of nearly 2000 animals, the majority being Ibex.

Surprisingly, Victor Emmanual helped to preserve the Ibex population by declaring the Gran Paradiso a royal hunting ground. Later his grandson turned it into a national park.

Then we went to the tourism office to see some the history of the city. Due to its location in the mountains the city was a hub for the Roman Empire.  It is surrounded by the Alps and with a system of towers they could send messages to each other. The current city is built about 15 feet above the original. We were able to see an arch, city gate with walls, and an amphitheater all from Roman times.

Roman amphitheater

DAY 12: This morning we tagged along on Laura’s vocational visit to the Fort of Bard which now serves as a museum about the history of the area. The fort was built in the 11th century, then destroyed by Napoleon,  and finally re-built in the 19th century.

 
The best part of the Fort was the rotating exhibit - an Art collection owned by the Austrian Royal Family. The collection included pieces from the 14th century. I was able to see original works of Rembrant, Peter Paul Rubens, Pietro Da Cortona, Fredrich Von Amerling and many more. By far my favorite was a work by Giovanni Palo Pannini, a work containing many famous buildings all together but in an incredibly awesome way. Photos were not allowed in the Museum.

actual Roman road and city gate

A mile marker, reads XXXVI or 36 (miles to Aosta)

Next we had a long ...long lunch, it was traditional for the area and consisted of the traditional four courses but the 2nd and 3rd were a barley or chestnut soup and then potatoes and sausages.  Both were very different from anything we have had so far, but we are very close to Germany and they migrated here in the 11th century.
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We finished up the day at a meat factory.  They make tons of different types of salami and Joey would of been in heaven. After a private tour we were able to sample the different types they make. I did try some even though it was uncooked since there was no way it had a chance to spoil before it was eaten.

DAY 13:  Today we leave Aosta. Hopefully we will have internet at out next hotel. I’m sad to see the view from my window go, but very excited to spend the next few days in Genova. I noticed I have stopped taking photos of the food; it is possible that I’m just always full so the food seems less interesting or it may be that the food is similar to that of the states. There is a lot of meat and potatoes served in this region.