Grace on top of church

View of Torino

Superga

Cows

Yesterday we were going to go to the sea for the day but silly me, I listened to the forecast and it said rain so we didn't go.  Well it didn't rain here and I doubt it rained there, but as it was we went back up to Superga, the large church up on a hilltop that once served as the burying place for the royals.  Had it been clearer there would have been an amazing view out over the city and to the mountains beyond.  Even with the hazy day it was something to see.  We took a cog-rail train up and back which was fun.  The walk up to the top of the church for a scenic look around was really steep and really long.  We just kept going around and around and around.  My calves are killing me today.  Those monks must have been in terrific shape.   We were so high up we were above the fog and mist that shroud the city this time of year.                                                                                                                                                                 Then today we spent the afternoon in Carignano, the grandparent's town, for their local festival celebrating Jerusalem Artichokes.  Yes you read that right.  Every community has festivals celebrating some local delicacy.  Around here towns celebrate asparagus, peppers, truffles, wines, even tripe.  Carignano gets a root that isn't even cultivated but picked by the side of the road.  It's like celebrating dandelion greens.  Having never tried them before, Grace and I shared a little tub of these nubby roots, sliced and deep fried.  They were actually pretty good with a taste somewhere between potatoes and nuts.  We were warned however that Jerusalem Artichokes have an unpleasant side effect.  They cause extreme gas.  I can vouch for that.  For some reason I don't understand though it was explained to me, at the end of the festival, a herd of enormous cows sporting even more enormous leather collars and bells and some festooned with white bows on their heads, are run through the town with everyone cheering them on.  We cheered too, I just don't know why.  They left behind a horrible mess that we had to navigate through to get back to my in-laws.    xxoo me