Saturday July 30: A hike and a lunch...

Last Saturday we did our lunch/hike at Lago Moncenisio.

Starting with a wonderful (as always) lunch at the "Gite D'Etape Le Toet" which sits above the lake.   Cheese, Polenta and sausages in a light broth.  Actually I would like to know what is in the broth because it is very good poured on the polenta.  Seems to be a basic chicken or vegetable broth with onions, some herbs, and maybe, some saffron (I think this is what makes it unique).  In any case the combination is really good and we like it the best of the refugio style places we lunch at.  Besides the food, the view of the lake from the deck is very nice.  


Desert was great as well.  I had their oustanding varient on French toast (I really don't know how they get so much butter injected into these things!) and topped with home made blueberry preserves.  Queen Bee had a crepe.

Like a typical refugio, they offer sleeping quarters as well as food.  They have a web site at...  www.giteletoet.com

Lunch was followed by our traditional Saturday nap on the grass in a field above the lake.  A few pesky bugs kept it from being as restful as some time but we were able to relax reasonably well.

Eventually we got a little restless and decided to take a walk along one of the gravel roads above the lake.  The area is a mix of small working farms, hiking trails, a cluster of restaurants on one side of the lake, and some of the most awesome scenery you cane imagine.

A man and his young son were cutting hay while we walked the path.  It seems that it would be very isolated life.

Grassy rolling slops climbing up steep mountain faces.  Late in the day the setting sun highlighted the shadows and textures in a wonderful show of natural effects.  I am not really going to do justice to the scenes with words so I'll let the remaining photo's give you a glimps of this part of the world.

Saturday August 13: Lago Verdi and Lunch

Queen Bee and I went on a typical Saturday hike/lunch outing.  This time we tried a new destination recommended by a friend of Queen Bee's.  We visited Lago Verde in Valle Stretta just across the French boarder.  It is a little west of us.  After some confusion driving though Bardonecchia, we got to the parking area at about noon.  The sky was perfectly clear and the temperature was a little over 70F so it was perfect for an afternoon walk.

The hike to the lake was about 40 minutes and was generally up hill for the first 15 minutes or so, then became wide and easy.

After crossing a foot bridge over a stream with impressive cascades, the last 15 minutes was a little steep and tricky with some irregular footing over rocks but not really difficult.

There were quite a few people at the lake milling around and taking photos.  The lake has a very strange green hugh that makes it very unique.

We stayed for about 15 minutes to take some photo's .  The return was much quicker.  About 30 minutes as  it was down hill for a significant portion and we knew where we were going.  (no lost motion).

Lunch at the "3rd Alpini" refugio was great.  The normal variation on the refugio set menu...  misc appetizers (anchovies in pesto, fresh cheese with tuna sauce, bean salad, sliced cold meats) and a main course of polenta and sausages in sauce.  Desert or cooked cream (pannacotta ?) for me and a blueberry crisp for Queen Bee.

All followed by a brief nap on the grass before the drive home.  It's nice that we can visit such wonderful places within a 90 minute ride in car.  It is something we are going to miss when we no longer live in Val di Susa.

The views along the walk were wonderful.  Similar to the vistas we have seen in the Dolomites earlier this year.  We hope to visit this general area some more late in the year.  It should be wonderful for a day trip in the fall.  Some more pic's below...