We chose the town of Omegna, on the northern end of the Lago di Orta, in Piedmont, as our last stop for this trip.  We would stay here for a few days, and then travel by car to the airport in Milan for the flight back home.  We had booked train tickets from Rome to Milan, and then had hired a car to meet us at the train station in Milan, and take us to Omegna, approximately two hours away.  The day began on a slightly sour note, as when we arrived at the train station, we were told that there was a two hour delay for the train to depart due to track conditions in the north, around Bologna.  The previous day had been a stormy one in that area, and the heavy rains caused terrible flooding, the extent of which we had no idea until now.  Lives were lost, property was damaged, and some areas were still under water.  Still, things didn’t look too bad, as the train eventually arrived, and we were able to board. Soon, we were on our way, or so we thought!  We were taking the high-speed train, and what should have been a two hour and fifty-five minute ride ended up taking us almost five and a half hours.  Once we arrived in Milan, we then discovered that the driver who was supposed to pick us up had been given other jobs, and now we had to wait for another driver to finish what he was currently working on, and then come to meet us.  We finally arrived in Omegna a good six and a half hours later than we originally thought, and it was raining.

We had rented an apartment on one of the main streets in the town.  The apartment was on the first floor (second floor in the USA), and the landlord, who lived below us, brought us some prosecco and potato chips, which helped sooth the anxieties of the horrible travel day we’d just had.  By the time we were ready to head out, all of the supermarkets and shops were already closed for the day, and exhausted, we simply decided to grab a couple of panini at a nearby bar, and head back to the apartment to sleep.

The following morning, even though the skies had not yet cleared, the rain had stopped, and so we took advantage of the dry spell, and headed out.

The Chiesa Evangelica Metodista is at Via Fratelli di Dio, # 64.  It is one of the only three churches in the province which follows the religious doctrine begun by John and Charles Wesley in the 18th century.  The building dates from the late 1800’s.

Our first goal for the day was to get some groceries to keep in the apartment, and so we finally found the supermarket, on the second floor of a small shopping center.

Later that evening, the rain moved back in, and so we took advantage of the fact that we had groceries, and cooked dinner.

Coming Up: We explore more of the lovely town of Omegna.

<em>Note: This blog is written in English and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any translations which may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please check out our archives for more posts from other Italian destinations.  Grazie!</em>