Anothor place that we booked through monastery stays was Foresteria Valdese di Torre Pellice. Torre Pellice is the historical capital of the Waldensians (Valdese)  and  the centre of the Italian Protestant community. Torre Pellice is a gorgeous town 45 kilometers southwest of Turino, in the region of Piedmont and nestled in the Italian Alps. We took the train from Turino to Ponerolo and then caught the bus to Torre Pellice. We arrived during “siesta” time so we went to a little local bar close by for a prosecco or 2 and waited for the accommodation to re open.  It was a really nice way to relax after a big day of travelling.

Once we checked  in to this delightful accommodation, we went out to explore the town. We quickly discovered that the only language spoken here was Italian. To be expected. We used our limited Italian and found the more that we tried to speak in their language the more they tried to help us. Everyone made us feel so welcome and were so friendly. Even the dogs were friendly to us. My room here was large with windows that opened out to the most spectacular view. I felt like singing “The  hills are alive with the Sound of Music” The breakfast that was included in the rate was excellent. Dinner was also available for a small price. We did in fact have dinner here twice. Mostly because it was so very cold that it was easier to stay in rather than walking in the cold.  The 3 course meals for dinner where wholesome and delicious and cost 7 euro. We also had free internet access during our stay here.

It was very cold even during the days.  My winter coats from Australia were not warm enough. Luckily while we were there the weekly market day was on so I purchased from one of the market stalls a lovely hooded jacket with faux fur trim.  This jacket which looks stunning was so inexpensive . I also purchased knitted gloves and scarf for very little. I walked away with a lovely warm, very warm. outfit,  I was delighted as it is not the sort of thing I would expect to buy at markets. As with most street markets in Italy the atmosphere was great and everyone was so friendly. In Torre Pellice, there are many cafes, bars and restaurants. Eating out was very affordable with excellent choices. The atmosphere was charming particularly in the evenings. Torre Pellice is probably out of the way for most of us, but, if you ever have the opportunity to visit, I can highly recommend it. It is delightful.  It is quite close to both France and Switzerland. We met folks from both these countries where we stayed who visit Torre Pellice often for bush/mountain walking. The Foresteria is very reasonably priced so they visit this area often.