Northern Italy 1

Each area differs in culture and feeling in Northern Italy. If you go high on an air balloon you can see val D'Aosta from the air. It is a bit freezing and if you do not look over the edge and you are not scared of heights it will be a great buzz. IN the middle ages , the alps did not offer enough protection so the medieval kings built hundreds of castles. YOu can see the matterhorn from the air balloon over Aosta. Descend next to an ancient castle high in the mountains. Then head to Ivrea on the way to Alba where they hold a festival that is strange. They use oranges to celebrate an old story from history. They have tons of oranges to throw at each other and the oranges hurt when they hit you. All the town is throwing oranges imported from Sicily. Teams are selected from the neighbourhoods where they live so rivalry is fierce. Oranges cover the whole town and then someone has to clean up. That is when you leave town.

Stay in a castle is about $150 per night around Alba and there is buried treasure in the form of truffles one of the worlds most fine delicacies. A truffle is a kind of mushroom. Dogs are used to hunt for truffles and the dogs are worth ten thousand dollars. They dogs find truffles that are worth about fifty dollars. Every family has a secret place to find truffles. It tastes much better than it smells. You can try a truffle in a traditional meal in Alba in NOrthern Italy. With spaghetti they taste delicious and it is well worth the hype. Lick your plate clean because truffles will cost you a bundle.

One of the best ways to get around in NOrthern Italy is by train. Trains are cheap enough to take around NOrthern Italy. Milan is the fashion capital of Milan and style is on every corner. The Duomo is the worlds most famous gothic cathedral. The city has an important christian heritage and they were first given freedom to practice in Italy. The roof of the Duomo is a great place to look over the city of Milan. MIlan is the design capital of Italy and maybe the world. The golden square is the place to be seen in Milan if you are a fashion tragic.

The Opera house of La Scala in MIlan is very important and it is very hard to get tickets. So book well in advance if you like opera. It is not everybody's cup of tea. If you want you can find an old diva to teach you how to sing opera.

Parma is the cheese and the ham capitals of the world. The parma ham and the parmesan cheese are beautiful and delicious. Parmigiani production has not changed in centuries. Milk is made into cheese using vats and then storing in cellars up to two years. The cheese makers tap the cheese to tell if it is good or bad. Parmigiano cheese is the best tasting cheese in the world. The cheese makers are masters of their trade and the taste is unique.

NOrthern Italy Resources

More Northern Italy towns to visit

Places to visit in Northern Italy:
The Alps
Aosta
Alba
Milan
Parma
Modena
Mantua
Verona
Cortina
The Dolomites
Venice

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