Mt. Viso Monarch of Western Italian Alps

Source of the Po, Mt. Viso straddles the France/Italy border.

As I have said elsewhere on this site, only italy can lay claim to a portion of all the major alpine regions, as the mountain chain curls its way north and east and defines Italy's northern border. The western portion is well worth exploring and dominates the horizon as you ride north toward Turin on the Po valley floor. All of these mountains can be examined more closely, as is Viso here, by climbing long, sun drenched valleys lined with villas and cheerful flowering trees and plants.

I did follow this road further up, but it afforded no better views of the mountain for all the effort. It was not a lost cause, however. For some reason I noticed my left ankle was badly swollen and tight. I was not sure what had happened...i did not recall a twist or strain or bite of any kind, yet the ankle was so swollen the bone was barely visible! By great fortune, the infant Po came adjacent to the road's many switchbacks. I soaked my foot in the chill waters, and the next day, the swelling was gone. I christened the area Po Les Bains, thus scoring one on my Austrian friends, who are constantly claiming medicinal properties to their spas, baths, and springs.