Gonging Gorzano

Our journey back towards France took us to the little village or farmstead of Gorzano.  It has a population of a few hundred and is about 50 km from Turin.  Our AirBnB accommodation was a newly renovated apartment which is part of a 100 year old farm house literally in the back yard of the village church...

The great grandfather of our host, Giulia, actually gave the land at the front of his property to the church.  Makes quite a pretty picture out the windows of our new place... only thing was the church bells bonging every half hour 24 hours a day!  Strangely enough we got used to them quite quickly and it didn't affect our sleep.

The front of the church makes quite a good picture too...

Check out the terrace we had with this place ...

... the perfect spot for a refreshing ale or bubbly wine, and also the site of our first ever encounter with a hummingbird hawk moth!  A moth that flies like a hummingbird to each flower to suck out the nectar.  Sorry, you'll have to google it.  He was too quick for me to get a picture - I tried many times, although it was after a couple of those refreshing ales...

Not far from Gorzano is the original capital of Italy, Turin.  We were stunned by its beauty - the huge arcades, arches and galleries...

... the palazzi (palaces),,,

... and the twin baroque churches...

On returning to the sleepy hollow of Gorzano, there were a couple of locals building what seemed to be a spaceship?!  Are we in a town of some sort of weird sect planning on leaving the planet? 

No, actually they were building a show ride for the local Gorzano Fritto Misto festival.  A 6 day hoe in on all things fried - meats, vegetables, and even fruit and biscuits!  Unfortunately we had to leave the day before it started..