Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II

We left Chamonix after breakfast. It was the most stunning day so we appreciated the last look at the glorious mountains. We decided to travel back to Italy, via Switzerland and the St Bernard Mountain pass, rather than go through the Mont Blanc tunnel. The route was exquisite with mountains on all sides. A very windy, steep drive along a lot of Tour de France roads. At the actual pass is the original St Bernard Monastery, which still exists as a refuge for pilgrims and travellers. In winter the road is closed and can only be accessed via skis. It is on the pilgrim route, Via Francigena , an ancient route from Canterbury to Rome - maybe one day ….. The pass sits at over 2000m in altitude. The original monks were there to rescue travellers in the snowy conditions. They used the St Bernard dogs to help them. The breeding program for these dogs from the original St Bernard’s are still here today. We saw them going on a walk. This is also the border to Italy. We crossed the border and had lunch sitting next to the lake.

We headed to Bergamo for the night, another recommendation from a fellow pilgrim. Bergamo is a beautiful city located in the center of the Lombardy region, 60 kilometers northeast of Milan, a city full of history and tourist attractions. The City of Bergamo is divided into the High City “Citta Alta” steep on the mountain, the oldest part of the city, fully walled, it has historic buildings and palaces and important tourist attractions. and "Lower City “Citta Bassa”, modern, almost all developed at the beginning of the twentieth century, rich in business and wide boulevards very special for walking.

We enjoyed walking around the old city. We made it just in time for Mass at the beautiful Cathedral and then had a lovely dinner sitting outside on the Piazza Vecchia, enjoying the cooler evening air. We continued our exploration walk before heading back to our accommodation in the centre of the new modern city, which was bustling with people.

The city was much quieter and peaceful in the morning. They really are lucky to have such beautiful cities.Read more