It is still raining on the banks of lake Maggiore. Today we took a long drive to the city of the Kings of Savoy, Venaria Reale. It is sunny there. The drive took just under three hours as we rejected the autostrade in favor of backroads.. We saw farm houses and vineyards as we meandered through farm country. Brand new combines and beat up tractors made their way through small town intersections. Autumn leaves fell onto golden fields.

The gps took us on a “short cut” through rice fields. Although the one lane road with two way traffic was already unnerving, the deep ditches full of water inches from our tires made the 10 miles extra interesting. Thankfully there were only a few other cars (probably farmers wondering how we got into their fields). We, however, were blessed with our first ever up close look at a rice farm. We also had the good fortune to encounter a large fox, a pair of cranes, and a wide variety of smaller birds. Sometimes detours off the highway are well worth it.

After unexpectedly being dumped onto the autostrada just outside Turin, we navigated city traffic until we reached the peaceful town of Venaria. With surprising ease, we found parking and a large ticket office. The only confusing part can within the ticket office. There was no information about what you were queuing up to purchase. This was a problem, because we were here due to the fact that the sun was shining. I hadn’t done much research beyond dry and palace to tour. When I got to the front of the line to talk to a salesperson, I was met with a blank stare. When I asked about information… blank stare. Not a don’t understand you but let me try to help stare. It was a “you don’t exist to me” stare. Finally, in frustration, I asked for “dua bigliettos”. She handed me two tickets and the information I had asked for prior to purchase. Armed with tickets and a map, we headed out to explore.

The palace was much larger than I expected, with extensive gardens. We wound through former servant areas that had been turned into museum exhibits about the Savoy family and the extensive changes the building had undergone over the centuries. The rooms were large, but unfortunately most of the furnishings were lost. So we looked at a lot of sparsely furnished rooms with some of the recovered art collections.

Things changed as we traveled into the kings area. Even the architecture screamed power. A great hallway that rivaled the Versailles hall of mirrors ( I liked this one better), greeted us with a cheery parquet floor. The white sculpted ceiling was a picture of understated elegance.

We stopped for lunch at a terrace cafe. I ordered a panini drizzled with balsamic-a. The palace workers queued up behind us and were aggressive in getting served. I wondered if the hunger games were about to break out. It was clear that two American tourists were a nuisance in there otherwise ordered day. The guy in line behind us almost climbed into my husband’s back pocket as he pushed to get to his sandwich.

However as I sat and lingered over my food while drinking in the expansive views of the garden and of the French Alps…my pushy friends inhaled their sandwich, slammed back their cappuccino, and left. Hurry and stress…things I left behind in America. Things I had not seen elsewhere in Italy. These Torinos were intense.

The next stop was the royal chapel. It was beautiful and elegant. Giant panels of medieval art told the stories of the Bible. Statues honored old testament figures and modern saints. The acoustics were great and I couldn’t helping singing. Ave Maria rang out in perfect echo. I smiled to myself, looking up to see my husband watching me with amusement. Oops.

The tour ended in the stables, which is now home to the royal barge. A gilded throne for use on the water, the barge was created to make a statement. It was not clear where this floating grand canoe would be used as there are no large bodies of water nearby. Perhaps it was just used to float the garden canal, a distance of perhaps a half mile just beyond the rose garden. Maybe it traveled with the Savoys.

The stables also housed gilded carriages and golden harnesses for the matched teams that provided the horse power. It seemed the Savoys traveled in style.

I wandered the gardens, but they lacked luster. The groundskeeper had let them turn to end of season ruin. The Neptune fountain and grotto, however, represented the former glory of the garden. Recently restored, the fountain was dazzling in the fall sunlight. The restoration team, left enough of the original foundation and ruins intact that you felt antiquity amidst the modern facade.

After a necessary gelato, we were back on the road. We decided to take a northern route to Lake Maggiore. We had enough of rice fields for one day. As we headed into the mountains, the views from the car were breathtaking. It was a much better road than the morning’s farm country, despite the hills. Our car didn’t go up the steep inclines very fast, but it made it. Sure, we had some unhappy Italian drivers aggressively riding our bumpers and creating the infamous Italian third lane as they passed us (usually on a blind curve); but over all it was a pleasant and scenic drive…..at least for me, because I wasn’t the one behind the wheel.

Traffic got a little intense in the town of Ivrea. I was quite taken with the town. Castles, waterfalls, churches, and snarling ridiculous traffic. I would love to go back, but I may have to find another driver. My usual chauffeur isn’t sure he wants a repeat.

Our drive got a little longer due to numerous traffic jams. We never saw a cause. Perhaps it was just Italian rush hour as everyone headed home through very small towns, round abouts, and one way streets. The end effect was arrival in nearby Arona well past our dinner time. We decided that it made sense to park the car, take a leisurely stroll along the lakeside, and enjoy the ultimate comfort food. Pizza! We ate like royalty…..at least I did…I don’t think the chauffeur was happy with his choice. At least the queen was happy.