LIGURIAN GHOST TOWNS PART 2

It was nearly lunchtime and we were very much looking forward to finding a small trattoria in Castelvecchio, a tiny village few miles from Zuccarello.

The bus took us up the mountain road and as soon as we reached our destination and stepped out, we were greeted with cold and clean mountain air. Our driver, Roberto, parked the bus on top of the hill and we walked down the stone steps, following  a sign pointing to the historical centre. Castelvecchio was established by the Clavesana family in the 12th century and I imagine that those steps may have been there for a very long time indeed (well before the invention of cars, anyway). 

It soon became obvious that November may not be the best time to come here if you expect to be fed. We must have made quite a noise descending to these old streets, but not a single person came out to the window to check who was disturbing the peace.

  We did wake up one cat, though. She was having a well earned mid-day nap  next to a vespa and she did not look too pleased to see us.

The autumn colours on trees and wall creepers were absolutely stunning in the sunshine.

Don't get me wrong - I would not have missed this place for anything, it was just so unexpected to be wondering through a totally empty place.  It was a bit creepy, to be honest. But very,very beautiful.

After seeing at least two lifeless trattorias, we saw a third, which seemed to be open. The door was open and we were met  by the owner, who said that they were not open for business, unfortunately.
"Everybody are out picking olives, that's why all the places are closed," he said.
A-ha. That explained a lot.
We walked back to the bus and Roberto drove us through the mountains, crossing the border from Liguria to Piedmont. Next stop Garessio and luckily, an open restaurant, Osteria del Borgo Antico, served us a delicious meal.

Ormea was an unplanned stop, but after lunch we had a brief walk in the immediate surroundings. Very close to the restaurant, there was a house with several trompe l'oeil paintings. This is still a skill strong and alive in Italy.

The light was fading already and we made one final, very brief stop in Ormeo.

The air was cold and crispy, already late in the afternoon. But I have to say that the snow peaked mountains were a perfect ending to this day. Amazing, what you can see and do in just one day!