Avigliana - San Michele

On Saturday we took our first side-trip of the semester.  As it turns out, the roommates and I were the only ones who signed up, so it was a kind of bonding experience.  We left in the late afternoon for Avigliana, a small town upon a hill that traces its roots back to the middle ages!

In the background you can see the Alps - so beautiful!  The streets were extremely steep and made of cobblestones, I was surprised to see several people on bikes - are you kidding me?  I could hardly walk up the hills.  There were old medieval structures, churches and houses in addition to old watch towers - apparently this was a prime spot for viewing possible invaders over the mountains.  We also visited Avigliana lake, an incredibly serene, picturesque area frequented by many Torinese looking to get away for the weekend.

We then went for dinner at Piedmont's most famous pizzeria, Toto e Macario, where we ate truly delicious pizza in the Napoletana style.

And yes, I did finish it.  Ok fine, all but a little crust.  I couldn't risk getting too full on crust!  They call this pizza "capricciosa" or capricious.  Maybe you can see why, as the toppings are: olives, mozzarella, ham, salumi, artichokes and mushrooms.  Oh my.

Next we drove about 30 minutes up a winding road to the top of a hill (mind you it's about 11PM) to see a famous medieval church.  We finally arrive and find our way in the dark to this magnificent, foreboding structure that almost looked like Hogwarts from Harry Potter.

The Sacra di San Michele is built quite literally from the rocks upon the hill.  We walked so far to get here, it was almost like a pilgrimage.  I couldn't imagine how they arrived here in the days before automobiles.  We made it just in time for the last tour of the evening and wow, what an experience.  We could see out across the land for miles and miles (or should I say kilometers and kilometers?)  Either way, it was unbelievable and undoubtedly worth the trip.

This is the view from the Sacra.  The exposure here almost looks like everything's on fire.  I wish I could somehow convey the beauty of this place to you.  I felt so on top of the world there, like an explorer of distant places and as though I were truly seizing the day.  

Note: the writing in this post may appear terse, as I have to run to class.

I miss everyone and hope you're all doing well!  Lots of love!