Wednesday and the mountains



This morning the army weatherman informed the population that today would be the driest of the week so we decided to drive up into Villa Nova, a tiny village in the foothills of the alps for a mountain walk. The tops of the mountains were shrouded in cloud as we drove up through the valley to the end of the road. All of the rain has made the mountain streams - here, called torrents (which they were today, thundering down) - full cascades and we followed Val Pellice the river of this valley, up towards it's birthplace.





Granite outcrops dripped with water and spring flowers were plentiful.




We crisscrossed the torrent on sturdy wood bridges and climbed up the stoney path.



We weren't sure if we would avoid the rain and decided to stop for lunch on a patch of grass at the side of the path as the clouds began to descend towards us.



here we are perched on a small clearing above the racing waters for lunch.



As usual Jasper amassed a collection of rocks, but instead of carting them home, he decided that throwing them into the raging waters was a must!





We wandered back down past more beautiful blooms, and the bright green of new leaves.







Viv and I in front of fast moving snow melt water.



Sequoia, exhausted by all there was to see...



We were lucky and instead of rain we had warm drafts of humid air caress us. Our legs aren't used to these steep paths - especially with the extra weight of Sequoia strapped to me and Jasper on Zoran's shoulders so we turned back after an hour and marched back down to Villa Nova, the little village constructed of stone where we began.

Some mountain animals.



Back into the cluster of houses which make up Villa Nova.



We drove home and the children fell asleep in the car after all of that mountain air! Home in time for tea, and tonight we made a toast to Giogio and also to Viv, remembering the day they met.