We took a day trip to Asti. Which was a disappointing place, although to be fair given how bad I was feeling after the night before (see end of previous entry) I might not have been the best judge.
But basically it is not a very attractive place and most of its historic sites just follow down one particular road, Corso Alfieri
Inevitably we went to the main civic museum, and there found that it was really five museums along the road, and one could see why they bundled them as the main museum was by far the best. Thibault was keenest to see the temporary exhibition of works by the Dutch engraver MC Escher, who specialised in drawings that created optical illusions
Amongst the exhibits was a room with sloping floor and geometric tiles which gave the following illusion of relative sizes between us!
The civic museum, and the temporary museum were all in the Palazzo Mazzetti, which was entertaining enough
We had dismissed the Sant'Anastasio Museum as we went past it, perhaps unfairly, but since it was included in our ticket we went down and looked at the gothic remains
The courtyard of Palazzo Alfieri was far more attractive then the interior exhibits.
The Roman House was very disappointing both in terms of the remains - just a few foundations, and the sign boards which hardly brought the place to life. Just the one fragmentary mosaic
Then finally back to the cathedral that we had passed on the way in. Half was shut off due to restoration but it was rather a revelation inside, the gothic exterior hiding exuberant later frescos
We got an earlier train home. Asti didn't detain us long
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