Thunderstorm over Aargau

 This series of photos shows several favorite things:  color, weather, and Switzerland.

The location was in rolling hills southwest of Zurich, looking south toward Lucerne.

North Philadelphia to Milan

 Alan and Cyane departed Philadelphia at the regional rail station above.  
  18 hours later, arrival was at Milan's Stazione Centrale, clock shown to left.  Construction was completed during the fascists' rise to power in Italy (1931) and is a monument to imperial ambitions.
  
  The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, below, may be the first and most successful pedestrian shopping mall (1865-1877).
  
  Milan has many expressions of distinctive design, old and new.

Bologna Colors

None of these pictures are photoshopped, retouched or enhanced in any way.  These are the real colors.

Start of Apennine Hike: Passo del Cerreto to Northwest

 We started a short hike in the Apennines at Passo del Cerreto at 1261 meters.  This is the meeting of two cultures and two biomes. To the west and south is the Mediterranean culture of Tuscany with olive groves and large settled powerful cities.  To the east and north in the region of Parma is a more harsh continental climate, cuisine based on butter and cheese, and small scattered small towns in the mountains.

Passo di Petra Tagliata, 1780 meters

Day 1 of Appenine Hike: Hot and Humid Afternoon

 Martina and ? are the caretakers at Rifugio Citta de Sarzana, where we had a nice break.

Starting out, it was so hot and humid that things seemed blurry and hazy.

Alan walks across a giant talus slope toward the evening rest stop at Prato Spilla.

Day 2, Morning Climb to Ridge

 As we climbed to the ridge, it was still relatively clear.  This view is looking back southeast down the chain of the Apennines.

The ridge was 1,700 to 1,800 meters; the path follows the top.

A wind from the east blew over the Ligurian Sea, bringing moisture and clouds as the day wore on.

Day 2: Afternoon Clouds

Apennine Flowers, July

Rifugio Mariotti

Rifugio Mariotti is an alpine hut in the system run by CAI, the Italian Alpine Club.  It is at 1260 meters in a high valley above Parma in the Po valley.  Bunks and food available.  Run by Marcello Montagne and Martina Bruschi.

The Rifugio Mariotti is on the shore of a perched glacial lake.  The lake is seen from above in this photo; the Rifugio is barely visible on the extreme left side of the lake.

In this photo, the lake is perched up near the top of the slope and the Rifugio is barely visible.

A Clear Morning

  


After three days of hiking in the clouds, it was exhilarating to see the spine of the Apennines to the southeast, above; the view out toward the sea, right; and path ahead, seen below.

For the first time on our hike, the con trails were visible - echoing the rock strata.

Ups and Downs

 The long slope down to the right led to our final destination of Bosco.  It was about 10 km and 1,000 meters down to the town which is barely visible in the distance.







  The meal at the Albergo Ghirardini in Bosco, below, was a definite 'up.'  This is, after all, the land of prosciutto and parmesan.