The trip didn’t have a huge amount of planning or precision behind it, but by the time we set out we had a 6 ½ week trip mapped out and accommodation along the way locked in.
It was quite a strange feeling sitting in Terminal 5 (for the second time that week) about to set out on this trip which had been in our minds for so long. One thing was certain – for us it would be the La Dolce Vita tour – the sweet life.
First stop – Milano
We started with two nights in Milan – carless – a chance to find our feet (and explore this famous city) before we set off. Slightly disappointingly, our lack of planning was shown up for the first time, when on the bus into Milan from the airport we read that tickets to see ‘The Last Supper’, displayed here, should be purchased months in advance. Whoops – as Paola at our accommodation told us – ‘don’t worry – it’s just a painting’.
We did however get straight into our work in Milan. Before we knew it we had explored Milan’s huge Duomo (3rd largest in Europe) – this included climbing the 165 steps to the roof top where you can walk around on the sloping tile roof which is lined with carved spires and figures. We saw many other churches while in Milan – although probably the most memorable was our visit to Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio – which we stumbled on by accident (a momentary lapse in otherwise flawless map-reading). The church itself was stunning, but we happened to arrive as guests for a wedding were also arriving – so we spent the next hour or so people watching – admiring the ‘beautiful people’ as they arrived – if ever there was a reminder that the Italians are a fashionable bunch – this was it. We also spent some time relaxing in the sun in Parco Sempione (Milan’s vast central park) where the Italians walk, play sport, eat gelatti and make-out.
It will come as no surprise to those of you who know us well, that being such cultured beings, we quickly arranged tickets to the opera at ‘La Scala’ – Milan’s famous home of opera. OK, so the tickets were dirt cheap and we were on the 6th tier with limited view of the goings on down on the stage below – but it was a great opportunity to see this incredibly lavish building with six tiers of ‘box like’ seating in a horseshoe shape facing the stage. The opera itself was Lulu – a seemingly scandalous affair in which Lulu (a scantily clad woman) manipulated husbands (who seemed to drop off at a great rate of knots). Mich loved it – only falling asleep twice (once during the first half and once during the second half).
We also instituted a regime of regular gelatti (to keep us sustained during our rigorous sightseeing schedule). The best here was from a Gelateria called ‘Chocolat’. Late on Saturday it had a queue down the street (even though it is a bit out of the way) – we gave it a try and were not disappointed – a must stop on any Milan itinerary.
Cunningly, there was little scope for anything other than window shopping – Saturday shops were closed for May Day celebrations and there is limited Sunday trading. It was very cool however to wander down the cobbled lanes of the Monte Napoleone area – lined with huge flagship stores (and head offices) of the big Italy fashion houses - Versace, D&G, Prada. To do so safe in the knowledge we had no chance of slipping into one made the experience so much more relaxing for one of us…. and perhaps frustrating for the other.
Stylish people in the the fashion district
Piedmont – The Stomach of Northern Italy
If Milan is the heart of Northern Italy, then Piedmont would have to be its stomach! The ‘Slow Food Movement’ started here – whose philosophy centres around fresh local and seasonal produce, prepared in traditional ways, with an emphasis on quality over convenience/speed. It also is home to the famous (and very pricey) white truffle and its poorer cousin, the black truffle. Never one to pass up a good meal, it seemed like a natural next stop.
As if the focus on food is not enough to entice one to this lesser travelled region – they make some of the Italy’s best red wines here – the rich and robust Baralo and Barbarescos both made from the Nebbiolo grape. As it happened our accommodation here was out in the countryside just out of the small village of Alba in the heart of the Barbaresco appellation on a winery (Ada Nada). Our room looked out onto vines and our host Anna Lisa greeted us with a glass of Barbaresco (for us) in hand. Perfect.
Our first eating experience here was fairly comical. We arrived in Alba around 3pm on Sunday afternoon – a bit late for lunch even by Italian standards. Not dissuaded by this we popped into a little place (Osteria dei Sognatri). The owner greeted us - while we could have a main, it was a bit late in the day for entree and primi. Upon learning we were Kiwis the rules all changed – antipasti were served, primis arrived and succulent mains followed (rabbit and pork – yum!). The novelty of having ‘Kiwis’ was a bit surprising, as we didn’t really feel like we were ‘off the beaten track’, but next thing I knew I was on the owner’s cellphone speaking to ‘Jeff’ (I assume the only other Kiwi he knew) and who, in a favourable coincidence, was a winemaker at one of the area’s best wineries – and so it was we found ourselves with a visit and tasting agreed for the following day.
The comical nature of our visit to Alba did not stop there. Our visit happened to coincide with a flag throwing festival. It seems the Italians in this part of the world love an excuse to dress-up (people after my own heart) and this day they decided to dress-up in medieval kit (colourful stockings for the men). In teams, presumably linked to historic families/territories and which consisted of a marching band (lots of drums/trumpets) and flag throwers, they performed in the town square before a mock king and queen (who had also taken the opportunity to dress up). We later learned that in Alba they dress-up whenever they get the chance. My favourite being an annual donkey race (which they hold as a tongue in check response to the neighbouring and rival town’s (Asti) annual horse race which celebrates a historic victory over Alba in one of many previous times of war between the two. Alba itself was a pretty town –and our pick of the various places we visited in this area.
As agreed with our ‘friend’ Jeff, we found ourselves the next day at ‘Marchesi di Gresy’ for a tour and tasting. We never did meet Jeff (he was out working on the vines ahead of some bad weather), but Marina took us through the winery (including a huge underground cellar, which was carved under the hill where the grapes are grown) and through the wines. By far the best and most comprehensive of a number of tastings ‘we’ did in the area – and nice that the Kiwi connection had opened this door for us.
The track from our place to Treiso
Another happy coincidence was a restaurant we discovered up the road from us. From our accommodation there was a dirt track that led to a tiny little hill top village – Treiso. We visited it one day and noticed that for a small place, it had a very flash looking restaurant. We dug out an article in which top London based Italian chef’s talk about their favourite Italian restaurants (the vast majority of which happened to be in Piedmont) and noticed that the place in Treiso was a pick of Giorgio Locatelli (whose cookbook we love).
With it being just around the corner from us – we couldn’t pass up a meal at this place ‘La Ciau Del Tornavento’. I did a 7 course wine matched degustation here – due to the dietary constraints that come with pregnancy Michelle had to reluctantly settle for a la carte. Neither of us was disappointed. We were also treated to a tour of the immense underground wine cellar here – the second room of which is sealed with a foot thick ‘bank vault’ like metal door. With 50,000 wines from 1,200 producers in this collection, I guess the concern for security/care of the wines is understandable. (Left - in the cellar - something to aim for!)Continuing the theme of slightly strange eating experiences, the restaurant was busy on a Monday night, partly due to the group of 50 or so PwC partners – senior partners from around the world on various automotive clients who had been bussed here (for about an hour) from Turin – the home of Fiat for a meal – testament to the reputation of this place (which on a clear day, we are told, has views to rival its food!). Slightly surreal to be so far from and yet so close to PwC. Despite the sophistication of the restaurant, we were also reminded of the fact that we were in the ‘countryside’ here, by the wild deer we encountered on the road leading up to the restaurant – if only I could have got a picture of the deer looking back at us through the vines…..
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