Pinerolo to Saluzzo

August 24, 2016

South to Saluzzo, the Staffarda Cistercian sanctuary and the Ostelli del Po.

August 24 Wednesday 45kms

Pinerolo to Saluzzo

South to Saluzzo, the Staffarda Cistercian sanctuary and the Ostelli del Po.

A shorter day but plenty of action. Finding quiet roads continues to be a challenge. We leave our hosts at Il Baciass bnb after a quiet chat at the gate. We have the impression that as a caring and thoughtful couple, interested in their environment and active in the outdoors, they had a feeling of uncertainty and slight unease about the state of Europe and Italy. Clearly the stresses of refugees and terrorist threats are a worry to some, though in the big cities life just goes on.

Our route takes us through the old town of Pinerolo, a city with an important trade and strategic past which time has passed by a little, as do we, though not before exploring the duomo and the narrow streets. The town was once under French control and some of the architecture reflects this. These towns must look spectacular in winter, with the back drop of snow covered mountains. Monviso stands out on the horizon, a perfect pyramid at 3841 metres.

Leaving Bacchiasso to head to Pinerolo and south.

Monte Viso, the sharp peak in the horizon remains distinctive for some distance.

The road south is busy with traffic despite being designated as minor. The white line of the shoulder is deceptively reassuring and I kept thinking of how a Sam Hunt style poem might go as I pedal along:

‘Only a painted white line,

but it’s protection of a kind,

And when it’s gone…’

Inevitably a thundering truck shatters my reverie and the muse deserts me.

We cycle with the blue Piedmonte peaks on the horizon.

Cycling in Italy tends to be the experience of the erratic- you rejoice to find that white line but then as suddenly as it appeared, it goes; the magical surprise of the unexpected cycle path raises the spirits enormously until a few hundred metres later it drops you onto the edge of a hectic highway or presents you with an unsignposted fork or simply peters out. Hawkeye and logistical approaches are essential though at times it all seems like a gigantic plot to foil the trusting cyclist.

When the road drops us at the door of the beautiful Cistercian abbey at Staffarda we are indeed ready for the relief it offers. It is cool on a sweltering day and quiet after the road’s traffic. Apparently this order of monks sought out of the way places to set up and sleep, grow things, eat and pray. Alcohol was a no no, as was meat and no heating except in one room because this is where writing and illustrating was done and they didn’t want their ink to freeze. Despite all this they still managed to get recruits. Their chiuesa is a revelation after looking at so many baroque styles- simple white plaster with a faded red stripe pattern. The only anomaly was a hugely ornate golden altar piece added in the 16th century- presumably they had a massive momentary lapse or change of heart.

Staffarda Abbey (Abbazia Santa Maria di Staffarda) is a Cistercian monastery located near Saluzzo.

This ostentatious piece seems our of character with the simplicity of the rest of the Abbey.

Lunch under the arches is probably considerably more tasty than the average Cistercian monk enjoyed.

After lunching in the beautifully arched and cool picnic spot outside, we cycle the remaining few kilometres to the Ostelli del Po. Surviving the busy bridge crossing, we are relieved to turn into the steep downhill driveway of the hostel where we meet Marco and his Peruvian wife who welcome us and give us a room and 2 dormitories to ourselves. Later we find a quiet back road to Saluzzo and the local Lidl for supplies. This route takes us through nectarine and kiwifruit orchards, some of which have loads of windfalls- say no more! We notice several African workers returning to their hostel, an old farm building, so clearly they are able to get work in some areas. So often we have seen lone African men walking the streets of towns and cities and the question of what care they are given, if any, by state or charitable organisations comes to mind. Later we would see many plying their trade on Ligurian beaches, trying to sell stuff that nobody seemed to want or need- who’s in charge? Who supplies the useless tat?

The Po river here looks pretty pristine- it’s a shame to think of what gets into it further downstream- lessons for New Zealand rivers! Although we had thought we were out in the wilds of deserted countryside, it appears we miscalculated- at about 9:00 as our thoughts turn to sleep, the sound system of what seems to be a country and western club fill the dark space around the hostel. Shouted instructions coordinate line dancing and we drift off to ‘Achy breaky heart’ and not a few other country gems. No one does the Wild West like the Italians.

Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles)
Total: 3,275 km (2,034 miles)

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