From Lago Blu via Chianale, Costigliole Saluzzo, and Cuneo to Limone

Day 17 (September 17, 2020)

Today we had the pleasure of having breakfast in the beautiful Lago Blu at over 2,600 meters above sea level in the morning sun. Then we hiked down to the village of Chianale in about an hour. A wide path, already well-traveled by many cows, where we greeted almost half the village with Ciao, Bongiorno, and Bundi.

Once we reached the bottom, we had some lemonade and Alex and Simi had a focaccia. Then we discussed the next leg of our journey.

We decided today to cover a good stretch by wheels. First, we hitchhiked to Costigliole Saluzzo. It was a bit difficult as it was the beginning of the siesta and not many cars were coming from the mountain pass road, but eventually a man in a green Peugeot took all four of us.

In Costigliole, we were overwhelmed by the heat of the plain. We had lunch in a backyard enriched with a fig tree bearing ripe fruits. Then we took the bus to Cuneo, which we almost missed.

In Cuneo, we had time to go shopping in the big supermarket before the train to Limone left.

At half past four, we were finally back in the mountains. Limone is a pretty tourist town. After a visit to the pharmacy and an ice cream, we struggled uphill again, until we found a nice spot by a stream. Here, we set up our tents, one before and one after the bridge. After everyone refreshed themselves in the cold stream, we cooked a cozy meal of buckwheat with beans and bell peppers.