Travel: BERGAMO, ITALY

*check out my last Italian travel adventure (to Verona, home of Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet) here!*

One thing that I love about Italy is how much Italians love it too - the number of times I've asked Italian people what their favourite place in the world is, only to have them answer somewhere in Italy, is truly testament to how beautiful this country is. 

I got a glimpse of it's beauty upon visiting Verona - wandering along the river and admiring the views from up high, but even that was nothing compared to the most recent destination I've visited, Bergamo, which proved it's beauty both in it's landscapes and it's food too. 

The good decisions began first thing, when we purchased day travel tickets for 16.50 Euro, allowing us to travel to Bergamo from Como and back, and would prove their worth even more once we'd arrived there. Being close to two hours long, the journey to Bergamo wasn't short, so I'd worked up quite the appetite by the time we arrived. First stop on the agenda: food.

I was glad I didn't let myself be sucked into the first cafe we passed, as it was when we reached Tresoldi La Boutique Del Pane that we found heaven. I opted for a pear and chocolate cake, but had to stop myself halfway through when I saw the slice of pizza my friends brought over. This Margherita was cooked to perfection with just the right balance of tomato and cheese, and the slice of Quattro Formaggi I bought afterwards was just as delightful. We'd been in Bergamo for less than ten minutes, and I was already happy. 

We carried on up the main street to the funicular which would take us to Citta Alta, the old town. This area was utterly gorgeous - narrow streets flanked by high buildings, Christmas decorations strung above our heads, and welcoming shop windows selling clothes, gifts, and oh so much food. We passed artisan gingerbread makers, fresh pasta, and patisseries. I physically couldn't help myself from going in to one and buying a 'polenta e osei', a traditional Bergamasque sponge cake covered with yellow almond paste and decorated with chocolate or marzipan birds.

We admired the pretty checkerboard church before continuing on our way, although we didn't make it very far before we got distracted. There, on our right, were the most stunning focaccias we'd ever laid eyes on, and dozens of them. You want mortadella and cheese? You got it. Burrata and tomatoes? Sure. Prawns and rose marie sauce? Of course. Grilled vegetables? No problem. Every kind of topping you could imagine was stacked high onto these soft pieces of focaccia, so of course we had to try them. 

The queue was long, but worth it, although I must warn you that the servers are VERY generous (it's pay by weight), so you might want to get just one slice between two. We opted for an aubergine and burrata option, and tomato, burrata, and salad. Divine, although I struggled to eat much at all given how full I was already! 

On we went, wandering slowly through the streets and stopping occasionally to pop into one of the little shops. We ended up at another funicular (told you that day travel pass would prove it's worth) which took us up to Torre Castello San Vigilio. When I tell you that the views from the top were some of the best I'd seen in a long time, it was no word of a lie. 

We walked up to the castle, and were greeted with 360' views as far as the eye could see. The horizon stretched on for miles, towns down in the valley and great mountains stretching up behind them. It really was breath-taking. This seemed like the perfect place to rest for a while, so we stayed, taking photos and chatting to other visitors, before the sun started to set. 

This made for a visually spectacular wait for the funicular as the sky lit up with yellows, oranges, purples and blues. You know I'm a sucker for sunsets, and this one didn't disappoint. This was quickly turning into my favourite day in Italy so far, and it wasn't even over yet. 

Back in Citta Alta, we cruised back through the streets as darkness set in, pausing at Piazza Vecchia to stand under the lights, snowflakes and baubles that had been erected outside the Biblioteca Civica Angelo Mai. I'd been wanting to see an Italian Christmas town, and this one seemed to do the trick. 

Still feeling full from the day's eating didn't stop me from picking up one last culinary delight that I'd admired on the way up - a slice of Torta Trentina al Cioccolata at the Nessi bakery. It was even better than I'd imagined - soft and squishy, like a mix of chocolate mixed with dates, and topped and tailed with a thin layer of biscuit. I truly regret not buying a whole block of it after I got home and discovered I couldn't find anything called 'Torta Trentina' anywhere on the internet! Readers, if you know this recipe, or anything like it, I need you to send it to me! 

It seemed like everyone had the same idea to leave Bergamo around that time, as we had to queue a while for the funicular back down, and quick march our way past the city Christmas lights in order to catch the train home. Worth every minute. 

Fear not though - our day was not quite over, as we were bringing a special surprise back home with us - fresh scarpinocc, a type of ravioli made with cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, and amaretto that had been recommended to me by an Italian colleague (I love having local friends!) We cooked it at home, it's freshness meaning that it was ready within minutes, and served with butter and a generous helping of parmesan. A genuinely perfect way to end a perfect day. 

Tip for visiting Bergamo:

- I cannot stress this enough: do. I know I still have plenty of Italian cities yet to visit, but I think this might be my favourite yet. The landscapes change rapidly between one part of the city and the next, and I don't even have to tell you that it's worth it just for the...

- ...food. Oh my gosh, I have never been so satisfied. Everything I ate was not just good, it was excellent. I would go back just for exactly the same food as I had this time, and that's without even having tried the plethora of eateries that this beautiful city has to offer. My stomach and I will certainly be back. 

I hope you enjoyed today's blog post on Bergamo! If you did, do let me know on Twitter @CiarasCountry or in the comments below, as well as giving me suggestions for where else in Italy I ought to visit! I'd love to hear all about your travel adventures too... More Italy blog posts coming soon, thanks so much for reading!