Wednesday, November 1, 2023

All Saints’ Day Hike to Canto Basso and Grammar Lesson

View from Canto Basso toward Val Brembana Tracks from Quintino Alto to Canto Basso and back On trail 533 heading to Maresana
Left: View from Canto Basso toward Val Brembana.
Center: The tracks of this hike.
Right: On trail 533 in the Fall.

Duration: 6 hours (includes lunch)
Elevation: 610 m
Length: 15.5 km
Location: Colli di Bergamo

All Saints’ Day is a holiday in Italy. With a day off in the middle of the week for this holiday, an Italian friend proposed a walk together. We ended up doing a loop hike from Quintino Alto (up to Maresana on trail 533) and onwards to Canto Basso. Then, we backtracked to have lunch at Trattoria del Moro (our old standby). 

We drove to Monterosso and parked (with our friend), but you could take a bus there (number 6) or just simply walk from Bergamo (it’s not that far).

Talking with our Italian friend, we got schooled in the use of “chi” versus “quelli che ” and to never use “chi che”, which we did a few times. For example: “C’è chi viene salvato” or “Ci sono quelli che vengono salvati” are fine and both roughly translated as "There are those who are saved". Chi is for singular and quelli che for plural. You never use chi che together like this: “C’è chi che viene salvato”. 

The whole amiable conversation-lesson while walking revealed this to me:
  • If my accent in Italian doesn’t give me away, then
  • My pronunciation and wrong stressed syllables will, and if not that then
  • My word choices and ordering will, and if not that then
  • My subtle use (or lack of) the correct idioms to match the situation, and if not that, finally
  • My lack of cultural literacy and understanding of references I simply missed by growing up elsewhere.
After further thinking about this, I realized that always being a little bit of “stranger” is a superpower. It’s an advantage and I should celebrate it as such. So what if my language isn’t perfect.

 
Tree and fungus Tree and fungus Chestnuts on the ground
Left and center: fungus on trees. 
Right: Chestnuts for the picking.

Start of Via Quintino Alto The trail 533 continues on to Selvino Trail 533 marker
Left: The start of Quintino Alto.
Center: The trail on Canto Basso continues to Selvino.
Right: Trail marker for 533.

Tagliolini ai funghi Piatto bergamasco cassoeula Coppa pera e gorgonzola
Left: Trattoria del Moro - tagliolini ai funghi.
Center: Trattoria del Moro - cassoeula - a typical winter dish in Bergamo. 
Left: Trattoria del Morro - coppa, pera, gorgonzola.


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