Today is my favorite day! When I travel in Italy, I can’t wait for market day. Each town has a designated day for a pop up outdoor market. This tradition goes back to the medieval traveling markets. Vendors can go from town to town with no overhead, and the townspeople can plan their shopping around market day. This has been going on for centuries.

It will take a full two hours to visit the large market in Arona just to walk end to end. More time will be needed if we linger at the stalls. It is crowded and we have to park far from the market and walk over. All the lots nearby are a circus of cars vying for an open spot. We decide a nice stroll through the park is more appealing. So we park by the lake and walk around to the ferry dock where the market begins.

You can find most anything at the market. Clothes, household items, bedding, luggage, food….it is all here. Bargains are waiting for me! I love market day! I love the hunt for bargains. Women throw clothes in bins. They go back and forth looking for the illusory “best deal”. I find a few, but the joy is really in the hunt.

We encounter one ill tempered salesman…out of hundreds of stalls. I stop to admire an all weather jacket that I think would make a nice Christmas gift. The man starts asking me questions in Italian. He seems angry and aggressive. I say “mi dispiace, non parlo Italiano” (Sorry, I don’t speak Italian). He peppers me with questions, “Where are you from. Do you work? What kind of jacket do you wear?” I say, “I don’t know how to answer the question as I wear many kinds of jackets.” He yells “ you can’t touch my jackets your hands aren’t clean they will ruin the finish. This is for your education!”

I am very confused. Everyone in the market handles goods with abandon. You have to touch and weigh and feel to know what you are getting. There is no sign asking me not to touch (I can read some Italian). The jackets are not in plastic. I haven’t even picked on up. I was actually just looking for a price, thinking I would buy the jacket. There was no visible tag, so I touched the collar to find the price. I am too old to scolded like a child, when I have done nothing wrong. I leave as he yells after me. No sale. There ever will be a sale, even if I encounter him in another town later in the trip. I wonder if he always chases away business?

After all that shopping, we stop at Muu House, another American themed pizza and steak house. At night they offer all you can eat pizza. By day they offer a three course lunch. I have the pasta with olives and tuna…then an angus chopped steak….and a salad…..and espresso. And I moo all the way to car in stuffed misery.

We venture farther up the road to Varallo to see the Sacro Monte de Varallo. This pilgrimage area on the top of the mountain is a series of over 40 chapels decorated with scenes from the life of Christ. Each scene has dozens of life size figures carved by Ferrari. The earliest chapels date to 1514. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a marvel.

We start down the mountain path, and as I put my hand on the rail, something moves. A lizard does not appreciate me disturbing its afternoon sun. He reluctantly scurries away. Looks like he would like to scold me as well. I scurry toward the chapels.

The earliest chapels deal with nativity themes. The chapel buildings are modeled after buildings in the holy land. Inside we find wise men and shepherds. The statues are surrounded by frescoes, giving a 3-d effect. They take my breath away. I don’t love the raggedy wigs, but someone obviously thought they were a nice touch.

About halfway through the path of chapels, we reach the basilica. It is an impressive church and the focal point of the mountain. Painted archways and marble columns draw your eye toward the altar. It is ridiculously beautiful and I have to sit and take it all in.

Even in the sanctuary, the combination of carving and frescoes create visually stunning effects. The prophets and the apostles float on clouds around the pulpit and upward toward the dome over the altar. There is a glass canopy on the floor that is really a hidden dome for the crypt that sits between marble columns.

Steps lead downward to the crypt of the mother. This small chapel is adorned all in white. A wooden Madonna lies in a glass coffin. You can walk a circle around the coffin as you pray. People have tacked photos, baby bibs, and prayers throughout the chapel. I can’t tell if the artifacts are to pray for a successful birth or to mourn the loss of a child or both. It is clear this is an active pilgrimage site.

Elsewhere in the basilica, people leave rosaries and sacred hearts. There are photos of cars and funeral notices. Priests wander outside in long robes. The sacred mountain clearly still has a steady stream of visitors, despite its remote location.

We take our time, drinking in the experience. We crawl into the tomb of Jesus on our hands and knees. We stand behind a red curtain to view the crucifixion scene. We go up and down stairs and then up and down the sides of the mountain, visiting chapel after chapel.

In each chapel, I marvel at the number of statues and the detail of each one. A few stations are closed for renovation. I think it is wonderful that they are being preserved, because many statues are peeling paint and losing hair. Given their age, they look fabulous. Even in disarray, they are impressive.

Our tour done, we need to leave the mountain. We travel on tiny, narrow roads. We have to drive over another mountain to get home. Along the way, we find ourselves behind a farmer escorting his wayward cow down the highway. He is herding by following behind in a jeep. We have no choice but to join the bovine parade.

You are never sure what you will find on a mountain road in Italy. But if the sun is shining, your trunk is full from market day treasure, and you were able to walk the sacred mountain….we’ll call that a wonderful day. The relaxed views of Lake Orta as the sun is setting is definitely a bonus. I won’t worry about the cow. We will eventually get home.