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SUMMER IN FRANCE 2006

CROSSING THE ALPS VIA

THE COL DE MONTGENEVRE (1854m)

TO AN ABBOT'S PALACE IN ITALY

Link to Wikipedia page on alpine passes

Starting Point - Gordes in Provence

Dom P had firmly locked away the cameras - it was to be just a relaxed driving day across the Alps.  But the Dutch and German campervans thinned out as he headed north into the roads less / not travelled by tourists, and the temptation became too great as the car climbed the beautiful broad valley past the Lac de Serre-Ponçon  and on to Briançon and the Col de Montgenevre ....

The restored and working Abbaye de Boscodon, which uniquely in our experience claims to have a copyright on any photos taken of it ... an interesting feature of religious communities regaining control of abbeys etc (often with the help of public funds) is that they often seem to become less accessible - see, for example, Citeaux !

Italian destination - the Cistercian Abbazia di Chiaravalle della Colomba (1136) near Fidenza, and the 15 room **** Hotel della Commenda in the beautifully "deeply restored" 1400s Abbot's Palazzo (below) - now firmly on Dom P's favourites list, especially after Barbara, who handles the restaurant, remembered him and the wine he chose from a year ago!  To get there leave the A1 at "Fiorenzuola" and head along the main road (via Emilia) for Parma.  The Abbey is signposted to the left twice, the more obvious time being the second in Alseno.  This very reasonably priced four starer is also an ideal base for those wanting to be next door to where Giuseppe Verdi was born and lived.

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