Odd Job Italiano: The Italian Job

Wednesday 16th Sep

Holiday Inn proved quiet for sleep despite dodgy location on perimeter of Malpensa Airport. Good breakfast - by Italian standards, where included breakfasts often consist of a coffee and a cellophane-wrapped dried cakey thing expiry date 10 years in the future - cereals, fruit, scrambled eggs, wurstel, beans, cheeses, cold meats, juices, croissants, cakes, toast etc... fyi I didn't eat everything!
Countryside around Malpensa is heavily-wooded, thick with undergrowth and creepers, very verdant, considering it is the end of summer and by all accounts Europe has had a very hot summer. They must get a heap of rain here.
We picked up lease car - Peugeot 208 and took off in a westish direction for Borgomanero to get Tim sim card and go to supermarket. I say westish because by the time you have driven in what seems like circles through country, little towns with roads not made for cars no idea what way is up, took hour or so to drive 40k.
Job done lovely drive (albeit nervewracking) 160 odd kilometers to Ceresole Reale, which is about the last town before the Colle del Nivolet in the Gran Paradiso national park. Route all along has little groups of stone houses perched precariously up the hill. Local stone houses also make use of the slate which abounds and they don't skimp - these are huge chunky slabs of slate, most at least an inch thick, some up to 3nches. Conditions were against us due to low cloud but we continued up the hill to the Colle - death defying drive on narrow winding roads clinging to the side of mountain, no guard rail, hairpin corners and of course when we got there, no spectacular views as heavily fogged! For those not in the know Colle del Nivolet (or Colle de Nuvolo in Italian)is where they shot the bus balanced on its axis over a cliff in the 1960's film "The Italian Job" This is something F wanted to see - hence the blog name.
Anyway stuffall for us to see, should be fantastic view to Lago Agnel) so back to Ceresole Reale for tea. Of course as is the Italian way the ristorante didn't open til 7. Funny thing very quiet little town in the off season. We were the only diners in the restaurant and also only guests at Albergo Meublè Sport di Daniela Moretti where we stayed. Food was good, we both had veal,and we are talking real veal here if you know what I mean. Mine was saltimbocco (jump in the mouth) and good tiramisu for dessert.
The town has a permanent population of 100 although the number of houses would suggest much larger number, but obviously seasonal with the place swelling in winter for xcountry, nordic sking and summer for hikers. Visitors are mostly French, Swiss and German. The little school is the smallest school in the world - 2 students only.
We only saw the daughter, a young dollybird. Made me wonder what there is for a young person in a place like that, with the bright lights of Milan and Turin within cooee, but maybe there is enough action in the season to sustain her interest.