Piemonte Dining

Antico Caffè Callisano

In the vaulted arcade of Alba’s Piazza Duomo, this 18th-century confection of pink marble and gilt is the preferred first stop for truffle hunters seeking an eye-opener on market mornings in November.
3 Piazza Risorgimento, Alba; 39-0173/442-101; coffee and pastries for two $10.

Caffè al Bicerin

The signature bicerin (melted chocolate, coffee, and cream) has been served at this Turin landmark since 1763. 5 Piazza della Consolata, Turin; 39-011/436-9325; pastries and hot chocolate for two $6; www.bicerin.com.  

Caffè Converso

You, too, might spy Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini downing an espresso at this ornate turn-of-the-19th-century café and bakery. 199 Via Vittorio Emanuele II, Bra; 39-0172/413-626; coffee and pastries for two $6.

Ciau del Tornavento

The 45,000-bottle wine cellar, peerless cheese selection, and adventurous modern Italian food are the draws at this restaurant, where ho-hum ambience is redeemed by stunning views. 7 Piazza Baracco, Treiso; 39-0173/638-333; dinner for two $152.

Grom

This new-school gelateria meticulously sources all ingredients—from cream and eggs to add-ins like cornmeal cookies and coffee. 1D Piazza Paleocapa, Turin; 39-011/511-9067; gelato for two $6.

Guido

An old-world warmth suffuses the service in this dramatic, modern room; the kitchen turns out contemporary riffs on traditional Piedmontese comfort foods. 19 Via Fossano, Pollenzo; 39-0172/458-422; dinner for two $190.

I Bologna

Owned and operated by an esteemed Bologna wine-making family, this trattoria cooks impeccably fresh, flavorful renditions of esoteric regional classics. 4 Via Nicola Sardi, Rocchetta Tanaro; 39-0141/644-600; dinner for two $100.

La Bottega del Vicoletto

A great place to stock up for a picnic, this shop cooks up dishes to go and offers local cheeses and rare provisions such as venison prosciutto. 6 Via Bertero, Alba; 39-0173/ 363-196; picnic for two $25.

L’Angolo di Paradiso

Dining at “Da Cesare,” as the locals call it, is like being in chef Cesare Giaccone’s kitchen. His signature capretto, or roast baby goat, is cooked on a spit in an open fireplace in the restaurant. 12 Via Umberto, Albaretto Torre; 39-0173/520-141; dinner for two $180.

Osteria de la Rosa Rossa

Book early to get a table at this casual, homey osteria serving seriously delicious snails. 31 Via San Pietro, Cherasco; 39-0172/ 488-133; dinner for two $28.

Osteria LaLibera

This sleek corner room attracts an international crowd for its inventive preparations of market-to-table fresh ingredients. 24A Via Elvio Pertinace, Alba; 39-0173/293-155; dinner for two $100.

Piazza Duomo

In a pink minimalist space, chef Enrico Crippi serves avant-garde Italian food made with rarely seen ingredients like hop sprouts and goat’s beard. 4 Piazza Risorgimento, Alba; 39-0173/442-800; dinner for two $178.

Chess Players

Then:

Now:

Hopefully never again (go to 2:05):

Theatre Londontown

• 39 Steps – Criterion – COM
• All About My Mother – Old Vic – DRA
• Avenue Q – Noel Coward – MUS
• Awake and Sing! – Alameida – DRA
• Billy Elliot – Victoria Palace – MUS; no TKTS
• Blood Brothers – Phoenix – MUS
• Boeing-Boeing – Comedy – COM
• Buddy – Duchess – MUS
• Cabaret – Lyric – MUS
• Chicago – Cambridge – MUS
• Country Wife – Haymarket – DRA; M- Sa 1930; W and Sa 1430
• Desperately Seeking Susan -Novello – MUS; M-Thu 2000; F 1700 & 2030; Sa 1500 & 2000
• Dirty Dancing – Aldwych – MUS
• Emperor Jones – National – DRA
• Fiddler on the Roof – Savoy – MUS
• Footloose – Playhouse – MUS; M-Thu 1945; Fri 1730 & 2030; Sa 1500 and 1945; TKTS GBP 27
• Grease – Piccadilly – MUS
• Hairspray – Shaftsbury – MUS
• Herge’s Adventures of Tin Tin -
• Jersey Boys – Prince Edward – MUS
• Joseph/Dreamcoat – Adelphi – MUS; M, W-Sa: 1930; Tu 1900; W & Sa 1500
• Kean – Apollo – DRA
• Les Miserables – Queen’s – MUS
• Lion King – Lyceum – MUS
• Lord of the Rings – Drury Lane – MUS; M1900, Tu-Sa 1930; Thu & Sa 1400; TKTS GBP33
• Mamma Mia! - Prince of Wales – MUS
• Mary Poppins – Prince Edward – MUS
• Monty Python Spamalot – Palace – MUS
• Parade – Donmar Warehouse - MUS
• Phantom – Her Majesty’s - MUS
• Present Laughter – Lyttleton – COM
• Rafta Rafta – Lyttleton – DRA
• Rhinoceros – Royal Court – DARK COM
• Saint Joan – National – DRA
• Shadowlands – Wyndham’s – DRA; M-Sa 1930; Thu and Sa 1430
• Sound of Music – Palladium – MUS
• Stomp – Vaudeville – PERF
• Wicked – Apollo – MUS
• Woman in Black – Fortune – THR

My Picks for this fiscal quarter

• Boeing Boeing (COM) – Theatre Locale: Panton St SW1 4DN. 0870-060-6622. Tube: Piccadilly Circus; M-Sa 1930; Thu & Sa 1430 & 1930. 2:35
• LOTR (DRA) – Theatre Royal Drury Lane; Catherein St, Wc2B 5JF. 0870-830-0200. Tube: Covent Garden; M 1900; Tu-Sa 1930; Thu & Sa: 1400 & 1930. 3:00 with 2 intervals.
• Rafta! Rafta! (DRA) – National Theater Lyttleon; South Bank SE1 9PX; 020-7452-3000; Tube: Southwark; M-Sa 1930; 2:35
• Love’s Labour Lost (SHK) – Globe; Bankside SE1 9DT; 020-7401-9919; Tube: Southwark; Su 1600. Last perf
• Macbeth (SHK) – Gielgud; Shaftsbury W1d 6AR; 0870-950-0915; Tube: Piccadilly Circus; M-Sa 1930; Sa 1430. No discount tickets.

Piemonte Restaurants

Traditional eateries -

• Antica Torre (Barbaresco) – excellent pasta (Tajarin, Agnolotti), rather basic wine list. Booking needed.
• Grappolo d’Oro (Monforte) – best value, good food, nice wine list, good also for groups
• I Bologna (Rocchetta Tanaro) – Raffaella “Barbera” Bologna’s aunt makes the best ravioli
• La Stazione (Santo Stefano Belbo) – Genuine food, good value, a family place. Treacherous road.

Young trattorias with good wine lists:

• Osteria dell’Arco (Alba) – delicate, genuine food, good wine list, fair prices (Slow Food)
• Osteria Veglio (La Morra) – very nice ambience, good food and wines, young team. Nice lookout point. Park near bus stop.
• Osteria La Salita (Monforte) – relaxed osteria, top wine list, short menu with excellent food
• Enoclub (Alba) – very good service, nice food, good wine list, in a cosy brick-cellar

Creative Cuisine

• Piazza Duomo (Alba) – the best creative cuisine: light, elegant, even after 10 courses, hype
• Il Cascinalenuovo (Isola d’Asti) – very good modern Piedmontese, top wine list and service
• Antinè (Barbaresco) – elegant star-rated regional cuisine, top-value, huge Barbaresco selection
• All’Enoteca (Canale) – reasonably creative cuisine, very good wine list and service
• Tornavento (Treiso) – inventive cuisine, super wine list and a spectacular panorama window
• Borgo Antico (Barolo) – In a “post-modern” winery, elegant tables, excellent cooking. Too formal. You could be in SF!
• Da Renzo (Cervere) – star-rated trattoria, specialities: frogs, snails, Piedmontese beef
• Locanda del Pilone (Madonna di Como/Alba) – very creative chef, a nice place in the hills
• Guido (Pollenzo) – a big name in Langhe cooking, in the setting of the Culinary University
• Al Centro (Priocca) – classic fine cuisine, elegantly served, a bit formal, try Roero wines here

Cesare – Allegedly a “must” for every Langhe visitor: start with the creative salad of the season. For main course the special is capretto (baby goat grilled on the open fire)l. But Cesare is completely crazy! At present he cooks in his private house for maximum 25 diners. Prix fixed at E75. No substitutions. We decided not to risk it. If he decides not to cook that night, there’s a sign that says “Gone Fishing”. Crazy.

BEST WINE LISTS

• La Pergola (Vezza d’Alba)
• Tornavento (Treiso)
• Osteria La Salita (Monforte)
• Da Felicin (Monforte)

BUSINESS HOTELS ALBA – There is no charming hotel in Alba. But some people nevertheless prefer staying in town where they can at least find a drink after dinner. Best place for an aperitivo or digestivo is La Brasilera:

• I Castelli – With car park and all the comfort of a 4 star hotel, but not really charming
• Motel Alba – Newly renovated, swimming pool, parking, but in the industrial zone
• Hotel Savona– Best position in the centre, still a bit old fashioned
• Langhe – Relatively quiet position, rooms rather modern

The nicest hotels are situated in the hills around Alba. The first four have a pool, which is not a bad thing in the sometimes extremely hot season from June to September:

• Relais San Maurizio (Santo Stefano Belbo) – in an ex-monastery on a hill, good restaurant
• Castello di Villa (Isola d’Asti) – Swiss-managed wonderful castle, perfectly renovated
• Villa Beccaris (Monforte d’Alba) – wonderful position, different room categories, quiet
• Villa Tiboldi (Canale) – fine little hotel on a hill in the vineyards, nice restaurant
• Corte Gondina (La Morra) – a beautiful villa, cosy four-poster beds, view of the Barolo zone
• Locanda del Pilone (Alba) – a luxury agriturismo 5 km out of Alba, star-rated restaurant

Most of us wine enthusiasnts love to spend more on food and wine, often prefer simpler places but they want a clean room with efficient bathrooms and good beds:

• Cascina Barac (San Rocco Seno d’Elvio) – a winery with comfortable rooms in quiet position
• Casa Nicolini (Trestelle/Barbaresco) – very nice, air-conditioned rooms, good food available
• Cascina delle Rose (Trestelle/Barbaresco) – cosy agriturismo in the Barbaresco hills
• Le Torri (Castiglione Falletto) – family-run hotel with a good traditional restaurant
• Grappolo d’Oro (Monforte) – central hotel with apartments, good restaurant

Material World

Original:

 

Then:

Now:

And, for fun:

Driving Langhe

The Langhe is crisscrossed by tiny country roads, with alternative routes possible between its villages and hamlets. This drive plots an itinerary among the most interesting sights of the central and western parts of the region and follows the most scenic roads. Still, it is worth branching away from the set route if you’d like to explore some of the area’s many other byways. Most of the region’s roads are unclassified (they have no number) and follow north-to-south-running valleys and ridges, and that there are few lateral links across the hills from west to east. While Alba makes a good point of departure, you could just as easily start the drive from Bra and nearby Cherasco, a gracious little village, and join the itinerary outlined below at La Morra. We used Serralunga d’Alba as it is centrally located.
 
Leave Alba on Corso Enotria and the S29 road south and, after a few hundred yards, turn right on the winding road that climbs to Diano d’Alba. The town is home to a decent Dolcetto red wine as well as the brick-built San Giovanni Battista, a 16th-century parish church that affords sweeping views over the region. From here strike west to the village of Grinzane Cavour, dominated by the redoubtable 13th-century Castello Cavour. The castle is now home to both a wine museum and the Enoteca Regionale Cavour (Piazza Castello 5, tel +39 [0]173 262 159. Castle: up to seven guided tours daily except Tuesday & January; museum $), one of 12 regional enotecas where you can taste and buy local wines. The castle is also the seat of the Ordine dei Cavalieri del Tartufo e dei Vini di Alba, a trade organization that, among other things, holds a charity truffle auction in November.
 
Proceed southwest from Grinzane Cavour via Gallo d’Alba toward La Morra. 2.4 km east of La Morra stands the Abbazia dell’Annunziata, where there is another wine museum, the Museo Ratti dei Vini d’Alba (tel +39 [0]173 50 185, by appt. Monday-Friday). Hilltop La Morra (3) commands breezy views and preserves a charming medieval center, as well as the Cantina Comunale (Via Carlo Alberto 2, tel +39 [0]173 509 204), which serves as a visitor center and public enoteca for 50 local wine producers. Wine in La Morra has a particular fame; Julius Caesar stopped here to sample a local vintage, recording the occurrence in his memoirs.
 
From La Morra drive south the short distance to Barolo, the village that gives its name to the most famous of Piedmont’s red wines. About a hundred different Barolos and other wines can be bought at the Enoteca Regionale in the Castello Comunale Falletti di Barolo (Piazza Falletti 1, tel +39 [0]173 56 277, closed Thursday & January), which is also a visitor center and home to another small museum of viticulture. Visit as well the cantina of the Marchesi di Barolo (Via Alba 12, tel +39 [0]173 564 400), Barolo’s greatest historic producer.
 
Country roads lead 5.8 km southwest from Barolo to Monforte d’Alba, another center of Barolo production, including the outstanding wines of Gianfranco Alessandria (tel +39 [0]173 78 576), Aldo Conterno (tel +39 [0]173 78 150), and Domenico Clerico (tel +39 [0]173 78 171). Drive north 9.6 km along the picturesque road through Castiglione Falletto and turn right before Gallo d’Alba to Serralunga d’Alba, among Le Langhe’s most striking villages, thanks to the majestic Castello Falletti (Via del Castello 1, tel +39 [0]173 613 358, closed Monday), built in 1340. The village’s Bar Centro Storico (Via Roma 6, tel +39 [0]173 613 203) and Bottega del Vino (Via Foglio 1, tel +39 [0]173 613 604) are good places to buy wine and snacks.
 
Follow more pretty roads south via Roddino and Serravalle Langhe to Bossolasco, a gloriously situated village that is popular with visitors in summer. Just under 12 km to its west is the village of Dogliani, known for its excellent Dolcetto wines. To learn more and make purchases stop by the Cantina del Dolcetto di Dogliani (Via Torino 58, tel +39 [0]173 792 282). Otherwise, follow the road south from Bossolasco to Murazzano, another lovely hilltop village, its tree-ringed summit dominated by a solitary tower, the sole remnant of the village’s medieval fortifications. The village is known for its eponymous cheese, widely available in local shops.
 
From Murazzano drive southeast to Viglierchi, where a road strikes east toward Monesiglio, worth a detour for the Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Acqua Dolce. This tiny 13th-century Romanesque church (near the village on the outskirts of the hamlet of San Biagio) has rare early frescoes. If time is short, ignore this detour and take the magnificent ridge-top road north via Mombarcaro and Niella Belbo as far as Cravanzana. A short way beyond Cravanzana, take a right turn down to the Bormida Valley and Cortèmilia, a village of Roman or earlier origins. The village can also be reached on a valley-bottom road from Monesiglio. Today, Cortèmilia is the commercial and light-industrial capital of the Langhe, but it preserves medieval pockets among the more modern buildings of the two quarters (either side of the river) that make up its old heart.
 
At Cortèmilia you could continue east along the valley to visit Acqui Terme. If your base is Alba, however, the scenic S29 leads northwest and homeward for 30.5 km through still more lovely countryside. Climbing steeply from Cortèmilia the route runs first through Castino, dipping and winding between hills and valleys to Borgomale, dominated by another 13th-century castle.
 
Just beyond Borgomale, at Benevello, more diversions present themselves, notably the road northwest to Mango, with another castle, the Castello dei Marchesi di Busca. The castle is home to the Enoteca Regionale Colline del Moscato (Piazza XX Settembre 19, tel +39 [0]141 89 291, closed Monday & Tuesday), where you can buy sweeter Moscato and Asti wines, and the Ristorante Castel di Mango (tel +39 [0]141 89 141, closed Monday & Tuesday). From Mango you could return to Alba via Barbaresco to the northwest, the village that gives its name to the second of the region’s great red wines. Here, too, there is another Enoteca Regionale (Via Torino 8, tel +39 [0]173 635 251, closed Wednesday), best seen in conjunction with the premises of Angelo Gaja (Via Torino 36, tel +39 [0]173 635 255), one of Italy’s most celebrated wine producers. If you do not make this detour, the route from Benevello to Alba, via Ricca, is straight ahead.

Basilica Superga

A classic Sunday outing from Torino, this little St. Peter’s stands on a wooded ridge 10 km NE of centro. It was erected by Vittorio Amedeo II after the Madonna answered his please for victory against the French in an important battle during the War of Spanish succession. Built by court architect Filippo Juvarra between 1716 and 1731, it lacks the audacity of Palazzo Madama but has refined authority over the dense oak forests around it. Take the tramvia a dentiera (rack tramway) from the Sassi stop in Piazza Modena. The restored 1930s trams are electric and leave every hour on the hour between 0900 and 2000, and until 0000 on Tuesdays.

Museo Egizio

In the Castello area, this is the surprise trump card in Torino’s sightseeing agenda. The Savoy family dabbled in Ancient Egyptian knick knacks since the 16th century when it acquired the Mensa Isiaca, a bronze tablet with heiroglyphics that stireed the Renaissance appetite for mummy lore. It was later revealed to be a Roman copy but no matter. Carlo Felice in 1824 bought up the huge hoard of Bernardino Drovetti who, as French consul in Cairo, amassed the world’s biggest private collection of Egyptian artifacts. Today there are 30,000 items. Mummies. Reconstructed tombs. A rock hewn temple. It is not as impressive as the British Museum collection in it Egyptian rooms but is so complete. 0830-1930. Closed Monday. Spring E5 for the audioguida.

Mole Antonelliana

Its prupose is unclear but it is omnipresent as the first and last thing you see/recall about Torino. Mole (pile or mole hill) designed by the engineer/architect Alessandro Antonelli was to be the new Torinese syngagogue but structural issues and a lack of funding caused work to grind to a halt in 1872. It was completed in 1897 but the Jewish community made alternate arrangements. In 2000, it was chosen to be the house of Italy’s Museo Nazionale de Cinema. Its showy but not always rewarding collection of cinematic memorabilia (posters, sets, costumes) comprise magic lanterns, optical trickery and primitive projection equipment. Take the elevator in a glass cylinder to the viewing platform for a fabulous panoramic view of the city. On a clear day you CAN see forever. Tue-Sun 1000-1900. Sat 1000-2300.

Parco Valentino

Parco del Valentino (Orto Botanico, Viale PA Mattili) is where the most car dependent grid planned of Italian cities comes to sprawl shirtless on the grass, canoodle, jog, walk the dog or try the quadricycle. We had a near complete disaster on this expedition as manipulating this brakeless wonder is dangerous to one’s scapholunate ligamentous complex, I soon learned! In the center is the Castello del Valentino, a 16th century Savoy residence, now off limits to us as it house the Architecture Faculty of the Politecnico di Torino. For curiosity, visit the bizarre Borgo Medievale, a lifesize reconstruction of a rural Piemontese village from the 15th century complete with drawbridges and crenellated towers, providing a backdrop for wedding pictures and built for a long forgotten Expo in 1884. Parco open Sat, Sun 0900-1300, 1500-1900. Borgo open 0900-2000 daily.

Piemonte Grappa

Grappa (“grape stalk”) is a fragrant grape-based pomace brandy 40-70% alcohol w/v (80-140 proof) of Italian origin made by distilling pomace, grape residue (skins, stems and seeds) left over from wine making after pressing, originally designed to prevent waste by using leftovers at the end of the wine harvest season but it quickly became commercialized, mass produced and sold worldwide. . For white grapes, gently pressed skins are usually not fermented with the must, but rather bagged. Red vinacce is fermented, and gains alcohol as it provides tannins.In Italy, grappa is primarily served as a digestivo, or after dinner drink (as opposed to an aperitivo, or before dinner drink like Campari), to aid in the digestion of heavy meals. Its flavour depends on the type and quality of grape and the specific distillation process. You can add it to coffee to create a caffe corretto or drink the espresso first and then a few ounces of grappa in its own glass for the ammazza caffe (“coffee killer”)Though tradtitionally a northern Italian product, the best known distilleries are in the north east, as in Friuli and Veneto. Premium monovarietal grappa is exported from Toscano (Brunello di Montalcino) and Piemonte (Moscato, barolo and Nebbiolo). The most well-known producers of grappa are Nonino, Berta, Sibona, Nardini and Jacopo Poli. Most grappa is clear, indicating an un-aged distillate though some retain very faint pigments from the original fruit pomace. Recently, aged grappi are becoming more common, taking upon a yellow, brown or red hue from the storage barrels. After 12 months of cask-aging, grappa can be labeled as “invecchiata” and “riserva” after 18 months. A newer technique in grappa production is soft pressing.

Piemonte Leisure

Absolutely lovely immersive experience.

Air:

Flew in/out from Munchen/Frankfurt to Torino. Security thoroug at each. Suggest pick up Moscato d’Asti or similar low alcohol for inflight consumption at Duty Free after Security clearance. Middling selection of wines (non-Italian) on Lufthansa. Poor selection of wines (SF Bay area) on United at $5 per tiny bottle poured out into plastic cups. United continues its 25th year as my Most Hated Airline in the World, and never seems to care much about this distinction. I only fly it to expend all the mileage accrued during years at University.

Hire Car:

Drove through the Langhe via Hertz (booked online). NeverLost GPS unavailable but ViaMichelin directions printed beforehand completely accurate. Watch out for the roundabouts as clock positions are approximate and not exact, but signage is very clear. Petrol pumps not bizarrely discordant and there is one immediately outside the hire car return centre which is literally across from Baggage Check-in. Get the largest car you can as you will have more baggage on returning, guaranteed. Decline insurance if your credit card covers it (AmEx does not cover in Italy; VISA and MC do). Return with a full tank for obvious reasons. Suggest automatic transmission for ease in hilly regions. Air-conditioning mandatory as Langhe air quality consistently poor. Signposts are small, non-reflective and may be posted only unidirectionally in bigger cities. Part of the adventure is in getting lost but be patient for usual rewards.

Torino Airport:

Usual fluid restrictions through Security gate so do not enter too early. Small airport. Limited duty-free supplies. Limited last minute souvenir pick up opportunities. Some eateries. Security adequate.

Lodging:

* Torino – Grand Hotel Sitea. Booked direct via hotel website. Piero. E135 per night incl BKF. AmEx, VISA. *****

* Mombaruzzo – LaVilla Hotel. Booked direct via hotel website. Nicola/Chris Norton. E90 per night incl BKF. Cash only. ****

* Nizza Monferrato – Cascina Christiana. Booked direct via hotel website. Peter Kaplanski. E90 per night. Cash only. **

* Serralunga d’Alba – L’Antico Asilto. Booked direct via hotel website. Elena Picedi.E95 per night incl BKF. Cash only. *****

Dining (we opted for the degustazione – typical large meal- whenever optioned; all prices in Euros are for a meal for 2 including cover charge, taxes, 1 bottle of sparkling water and 1 bottle of wine, unless otherwise stated):

* Perbacco (Via Mazzini 31, Torino 10123; 882110). Typical. No menu. Degustazione. Brilliant food. Best grissino. Great service. English spoken. AmEx. E85 (2 wine bottles) *****

* Caffe San Carlo (Pza San Carlo 156, Torino; 011-56-17-748). Piazza meal. Very slow service. Limited menu. A la carte. Limited English spoken. AmEx. E30 ***

* Café Norman (Via Pietro Micca 22, Torino; 011-195-03477). Aperitivo. Drink the house aperitivo with massive platter of small plates, we counted 24. Limited English spoken. AmEx. E36 *

* Lampara (Via Andrea Doria 23, Torino; 011-81-27-403). Pizza. Never have pizza north of Lazio. Service slow. Trendy bar. English spoken. AmEx. E24 *

* Alla Locanda (Pza Marconi 3, opposite the post office, 14047, Mombaruzzo; 0141-77-51-06). Typical. English menu. A la carte. Brilliant menu. Exciting condiments. Great service. Good desserts but skip the bonet. Limited English spoken. AmEx. E54 (2 wine bottles) ****

* Rabaya (12050 Via Barbaresco, near Marchesi di Gresy vineyard, Cuneo, Via della Stazione 12; 0173-635223). Typical. No menu. A la carte or degustazione. Excellent food. Charming chef. Ask to go down to see the cellars for wines back to 1939. One wine list for “reds and whites”, another for barbarescos –each wine *list* is a spiral binder slightly larger than the New York Times Sunday Edition. Eat “fuori” (outdoors). Limited English Spoken. Cash (AmEx connection was down) E43 *****

* Locanda Frazione de Bardone Ristorante (very difficult to find; parking challenging). Typical. No menu. A la carte. Some English spoken. Meat trolley par excellence. Very dodgy to find the place and we only stumbled upon it by asking locals for directions. Booking needed. AmEx. E131 (2 wine bottles) ****

* La Curia (Via Alla Bollente 72 15011 Acqui Terme; 0144-356049). Typical. A la carte or degustazione. Menu has English and German subtitles. Yummy saltines they made more of for us. Adjacent enoteca with small plates and very mature Barolos to sample, drink or buy. Fine grizzini outside Torino. Best desserts. AmEx. E44 (2 wine bottles) *****

* La Sosta (Via Roma 9, 14040 Montabone; 0141-76-2538). Typical. No menu. Degustazione. Simply the best meal I have ever had. Full marks. Limited English spoken. Wines, aperitifs, digestivos, grappi, liqueurs incredible. I would take the death defying drive (with limited signage) again and again. Incredibly inexpensive. Let Luca decide what you should eat, as cooked by Locanda, his wife/chef, after you explicitly indicate your dietary allergy/intolerance/sensitivity. Booking needed. Cash only. E64 (3 wine bottles; this is not a typographical error and we did not previously know the owner/chef) ******

* Schiavenza (12050 Serralunga d’Alba, Via Mazzini 4; 0173-61311). Typical. Degustazione. Very bright lights. Very quiet ambiente. Limited English spoken. AmEx. E42 (2 wine bottles) ***

* La Rose Dei Vini (Localita Parafada 4, 12050 Serralunga d’Alba; 0173-613219). Typical. Degustazione or a la carte. Family owned and catering to locals. Hostess very business like. Best spectrum of cheeses outside of a hotel/inn breakfast. Best pasti tasted. No English spoken. Cash only. E54 ***

* Locanda del Borgo Antico (Via Boschetti 4 in Cascina Lo Zoccolaio, 12060 Barlo Direzione Monforte d’Alba; 0173-356-355). Not typical. Trendy modern restaurant with hushed pastels and ultramodern décor. A la carte or degustazione. American karaoke music. Expensive. Death defying drive with limited signage guideposts. Booking needed. English spoken by Brioni suited corporate type. AmEx. E95 **

* An osteria we did NOT dine at – Osteria Veglio (Fraz. Annunziata 9, 12064 La Morra, Cuneo; 0173-509341). We did not have bookings because of the variable distances driven and uncertainty of locations. We arrived much earlier than usual dining times in Piemonte (typically 2000, local) and, while the osteria was mostly empty, the tattooed hostess rudely threw us out without even checking for reservations, possible accommodation outside or a later reservation time, each of which was specifically requested in non-accented Italian. Considering the death-defying drive we made to get to this place, this was not appreciated. Skip the booking at this non-hospitable osteria. English not spoken.

* A ristorante we canceled our booking at – Da Cesare (Via San Bernardo 9, Albaretto Della Torre, Cuneo; 173-520-141) as we were multiply warned that the chef is a bit eccentric, the menu is fixed with no substitutions permitted (we have a few restrictions) and priced at E75, not including beverages, we were too wimpy to take the risk. English not spoken.

Wineries visited (Bookings needed. English spoken. Cannot purchase wine at site but listings of enotecas and foreign importers available easily on request. We did not personally know these wine makers before hand but arranged all bookings via prompt email before leaving home.):

* Marchesi di Gresy (Azienda Agricola Martinenga, Barbaresco, Cuneo; 0173-62-5221; marchesidigresy.com). Full spectrum of tasting. Cellarmaster Jeffrey Chilcott is a genial host. Educative. Easily reached if you ask for Martinenga. ****

* Noceto Michelotti (Azienda Agricola Noceto Michelotti, Strada Bogliona 15/17, Regione Noceto, Castelboglione, Asti; nocetomichelotti.com). Graham and Margaret Kresfelder are genial hosts. Tessa the intern showed us about the winery. Barbera and grappi outstanding. Easily reached. ****

* Distillerie Berta (Via Guasti 34-36, Frazione Casalatto, 14046 Mombaruzzo; 141-739528; distilleriaberta.it). Excellent overview of distillation process. Educative. Good spectrum of tasting with amaretti con grappa. Courteous and friendly Alice Forin. Easily reached as by the road side. ****

* La Spinetta (Via Carzello 1, 12060 Grinzane Cavour, Asti; 333-186-5454; la-spinetta.com). Middling tour. Subpar tasting. Business like approach. Emphasis on bactericidal antiseptic quality. Usual hostess unavailable. Look at detailed map on website as approach challenging. *

* Conterno Fantino (Via Ginestra 1, Monforte d’Alba; 0173-78204; conternofantio.it). Just uphill from centro Monforte d’Alba. Picturesque grounds. Brad the intern from New Zealand showed us about the winery. Chiara Giachino. Good tasting. Easily reached. **

* Sandrone Luciano (Via Pugnane 4, 12060 Barolo, Cuneo; 173-560023; sandroneluciano.com). Great grounds. Detailed educative tour even for us Barolo cognoscenti. Very personalized tastings. Barbara Sandrone. Owner and his daughter very personable and darling. Keep aside a couple of unhurried hours. Easily reached but you will hit it immediately upon exiting the motorway headed towards Barolo centro. *****

* Pio Cesare (Via Cesare Balbo 6, 12051 Alba; piocesare.it). Park anywhere in the clearly marked multiple parking lots in Alba, some free and other E0.80 per hour, and walk over. Absolutely comprehensive tour, education and tasting. Matteo Gobino. Perfect English. Best Barolos and Barbarescos we tasted. Easily reached. ****

* Massolino (Piazza Cappellano 8, 12050 Serralunga d’Alba; 0173-613138; massolino. it). In the little medieval town of Serralunga d’Alba. Small production facility. Lost emails precluded our planned tourand were limited to perfunctory tasting in the packing facility, standing upright but were still charged E10 per tasting!. The only place to charge for a tasting, which was odd. Danila Bertola, very businesslike. Met Franco Massolino, who is personable. Easily reached. **

* We rang to cancel our appointments at Braida (Via Roman 94, 14030 Rochetta Tanaro, Asti; 0141-644113; 39-0141-644113; Giacomo Bologna; braida.it) and Elio Grasso (Via Ginestra 40, 12065 Monforte d’Alba; Marina Grasso; eliograsso.it) owing to insufficient time available between a bit of sightseeing, some well deserved siesta, and quite a bit of shopping for typical products. This should not reflect on these wineries, who were each prompt and accommodating to our requests.

We bought quite a bit of honey, oils (olive, infused olive, truffle, hazelnut), dried pasti and funghi (not truffles) , condimenti, amaretti, cioccolati, gianduia, Langhe grappi and assorted relishes. You cannot bring home cheese, cured products or anything unsealed. Truffle products will set off the sniffing dogs in airports and border patrols so it is best to avoid purchase for home purchase. You can easily make yourself a complete meal by shopping at the local vendors. In larger towns, Di Per Di, Di Per Di Express (like Tesco or Safeway) and Gulliver’s can fulfil your shopping needs. Oviesse is good for limited travel clothing or luggage emergencies. We found bargain luggage at a EuroTree (think Pound Store or Dollar Tree) where we conversed with the owners in Mandarin.

Lessons learnt:

* September/October are the best times to visit. It will be harvest time but less tourists, most conducive weather, truffle hunting season, several local festivals (Douija d’Or, Sangre, Palio d’Asti) and less traffic make it appealling enough.

* Would book the entire villa in Serralunga d’Alba and use it as a base camp for all travels in the Langhe. Courtyard, loft facilities for children, self-contained kitchen (with microwave and coffee machine) and proximity to local food and beverage shops make it the obvious choice. Regardless of where you book, outline all requests (room size, smoking/non, payment method, checkin/out times) explicitly beforehand to avoid frustration. Recommend taking your own bath products consistently.

* Some knowledge of preliminary Italian greatly enhances the experience but do not fret. If you simply use buongiornatta, scussata, grazie, prego and vado trovare/dove, you will be more than fine. For a more immersive experience, pick up Point It, The Traveler’s Language Kit (Graf edition) from flight001.com, my favorite travel store.

Buon Appetito as I need to work off all the poundage immediately.

Telling You

If you’re not savvy enough, this is the order of the impressions of this trite song – Judy Garland, Joan Rivers, Ethel Merman, Kate Hepburn, Julie Andrews, Carol Channing, Little Eddie (Gray Gardens), Rosie O’Donnell, Bernadette Peters, Ms. Rivers, Ms. Hepburn, Ms. Garland, Little Eddie, Ms. Channing, Ms. Rivers, Ms. O’Donnell, Ms. Peters, Ms. Andrews, Ms. Merman and Ms. Hepburn.

Emmy Awards

Watching it as too tired to do anything productive, reasonable, educative, intelligent or entertaining.

2000: Freshly sliced tomatoes, toast points, Capra cheese and 100% pomegranate juice at the handy. Green tea with jasmine leaves brewing.

2001: An animated song and dance routine. This is worse than Snow White at the Oscars but it’s my first Emmywatch ever.

2002: Cut to an awkward TR Knight during an Isaiah Washington/Seinfeld cast joke. Fair and balanced. It’s on FOX after all.

2005: Ryan Seacrest keeps clapping his hands. He is so short and trying to be funny. Why all the age of consent jokes about Ms. Pannetierre?

2010: Ray Romano is already 10 seconds too long. Is the silent ceiling mirror ball cut a censor image?

2016: Mr Terry O’Quinn is wearing a shiny pink shirt with a shiny sparkly tie. He should win.

2022: A mean Paula Abdul joke.

2027: Ms Heigl tells the invisible announcer how to get hooked on phonics. I hope she wins just for that.

2030: This western themed miniseries or whatever is going to win loads of awards, I can just tell.

2051: It is possible I fell asleep but Xtina can wake me up any time. I think Mr Tony Bennett might still be asleep though.

2058: Is Mr Duvall drunk and/or delirious? Calgary to Texas much?

2109: Mr Duvall now thanks “Chinese girls”. Drunk?

2110: Mr Doogie Howser makes an icky joke about age-of-consent. He should be so proud to be gay.

2111: Seacrest is not seen most of the time. This is a good thing.

2150: I think I fell asleep again. I must be tired. Helen Mirren to the rescue joking about the drive out music.

2153: Lewis Black – how hilarious! how pre-aneurysmal!

2207: Al Gore expands and fills up all 102″ of my screen. Fait accompli.

2209: Milk jokes about a copresenter’s decuvee? Classy bit, Mr. Garrett.

2225: Mr Seacrest tells us he is not gay. We care.

2233: Amazing Race wins. Should I watch it again after all these years?

2247: A drunk Sally Field starts screaming hysterically and then forgets what to say about the war

2253: A good sized America Ferrera (recently Photoshopped down for Glamour) wins. She seems sincere or a very good actor.

2257: Remember when Mr. James Spader used to be hot in Supernova. He does not really thank anyone but looks puffed, like Captain James T Kirk.

2308: Show ends. Highlight for me - Jersey Boys. Why?

Italian Electricity

Electricity in the EU (and thus Italy) exits the wall socket at 220V cycling at 50 Hz. Stateside, it exits the wall at 110V at 60 Hz. Also, the sockets are different. You need a PLUG ADAPTER, which is an interface between our flat-pronged plug and Italy’s two (or three) round prong socket, letting you plug into the wall but this does not convert energy into the American 110V. If your appliance is designed to run only on 110-120V, then you will see smoke and perhaps a bit of fire. This is not very pleasant. You will thus also need a step-down power converter or transformer to safely step the voltage DOWN from 220V to 110V. You could get along with a plug converter for most of today’s small electrical devices designed to run on dual voltages (laptops, most new battery chargers and small electrical goods designed for world travel). Check the device and/or power brick for electrical input specifications:

The device labeled as above only needs a plug adapter to work in Italy, since it can use any voltage between 100 and 240, as long as its AC voltage alternating at 50 or 60 hertz. This is a ”universal power supply” and such a battery charger can be used throughout Europe with the right plug adapter.

Hair driers and curling irons are the horrors as they cannot be used in dual voltage situations without voltage conversion. In addition, they use high voltage and current (thus, higher power). You will need a large power converted or power transformer to convert Italian higher voltage to our lower voltage. Or you will end up really frying your hair. Buy one for a few euros in any European airport or metro. If you buy a power converter, be sure its power raring meets or exceeds the power rating of the single device you use with it. This information is on the body of the device nearest the power cord.

Power Sockets and Plug converters for Italian electricity -

	Here is an Italian power outlet of the type you might find in a kitchen. On the left is a typical power socket, in the middle is a Schuko Grounded socket for large appliances. On the right is a power switch. An adapter plug will fit into the two outer holes of either socket.
	Here is a normal Italian power socket. To access it with an adapter that connects to a typical American power plug, you’ll need an adapter like the one shown below.
	Have many chargers? Need more outlets than the common hotel room has available? A simple plug expander might do the trick. You can buy these in Italy at any hardware store for a few Euros.
	This plug adapter is all you need to convert the US rectangular pronged plug to the round prong Italian power plug used in most Italian homes and hotels. This adapter is ungrounded, which is why it does not have a third, center prong. This is fine for devices which are insulated (having a plastic body, for instance). Hotels usually have their own hair dryers so you need not worry too much unless you are headed to the countryside.

Ganesh Chaturthi

An important Indian festival, one of two I compulsively observe, and lasting ten days starts today, typically in late August or September and beholden to the lunar calendar. It ends on the day of Anantha Chaturdashi when images (clay statues) of the Elephant Lord Ganesh are immersed in the most conveniently proximate body of water. While most popular in my birth home state of Maharashtra, it is performed all over India and in Indian communities world wide. It assumes collosal proportions in Bombay and in the surrounding belt of Ashtavinayaka temples (8 deities) wherein all of the population, in literally millions, descends upon the streets in processions leading to the sea, dancing and singing to the rhythm of melodious yet LOUD cymbals and drums. In 1893, the reformit Lokmanya Tilak transformed the annual Ganesh festival from from private family celebration to a grand public event to bridge the gap between Brahmins (as is my family) and non-Brahmins) for an appropriate context to build new grassroots unity in nationalistic strivings against the British rulers. Ganesh has an appeal for everyman and serves as a good rallying point. Mr. Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesh in large pavilions (mandaps) and established the practice of submerging all images on the tenth day. Of all my childhood memories which were important to the family and did not involve travel of any kind, this one is the best and most resolute. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to you.

Piemonte Basics

Piemonte is one of the several regions of Italy and is best known for its wine and gastronomy, even though historically it was the seat of governance and is responsible for the Unification of Modern Italy as we know it. Much of Italy’s highest quality of wine originates here (the highest quantity of DOC wine comes from Toscano, and only 45 varitetals from Piemonte). Alba and Asti are the principal wine-producing provinces. The Province of Alba incorporates Barolo, Barbaresco, the Langhe and Roero. The Province of Asti is known for Dolcetto, Barbera and Moscato. Torino is the capitol of Piemonte. It was the historical capitol of unified Italy, slowly losing its importance to Firenze and Roma as the country grew Southward. After a sorry period of industrialization and high crime, it underwent significant refurbishment to prepare for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. It is not yet well advertised for its tourist potential, but is favored by locals for access to the several mountain resorts. It is classically located between the Swiss Alps and the Italian Pennines. Cuneo is a provincial capitol used as a base camp for mountian excursions. Ivrea is an hour’s ride north, known for its famous Carnevale di Ivrea, which involves a lot of orange tossing, parades and food. Vercelli is known for its rice fields (arborio used in risotto, a traditional Piemontese delicacy) and the food fair (Sagra della Rana) dedicated entirely to frog meat (frogs are attracted to rice fields) in the first week of September. Most North Americans have not visited Piemonte and the US is not even featured in the charts issued annually by the Piemonte Vistors Department; 40% are from Switzerland and 30% from Germany. Nearly all of the rest are Italians. The hills bordering France and Switzerland are ideal for dry farming most grapes which are deep rooted to withstand dry weather as stressing intensifies natural flavours. Genetically modified grapes (and other foods) are verboten by law in Piemonte, which is also home to the white truffle of Alba, the soft rounded hazelnuts of Asti and an enormous array of artisanal cheese and herb products. In the last twenty years, the government has focused on specializing in traditional areas of production and, since 1986, become the epicentre of the Slow Food Movement that defends traditional products. It has set up the Unviersity of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, for both training and research, and organizes the annual Salone Del Gusto, the leading food and wine event of the world held in the Lingotto Fair Centre every two years. Piemotne also hosts the Wine Show and Vinum, CioccolaTo, Fiera del Bue Grasso in Carru and the World Auction of the White Truffle in the Castle of Grinzane Cavour. The latest Michelin Guide resulted in Piemonte being the region of Italy with the most star-rated restaurants.

Piemonte Gastronomie

Piemontese cooking is classic and autumn is the richest season for the Langhe (“tongue”), the land of Barolo wine and the soil of truffles, when it is time to harvest the grapes. King Carlo Alberto once asked the Marches di Barolo for a taste of the wine and was responded by three hundred oxen carts, each with a carrata (800 liters) of the rich wine. True grissino (fresh baked bread sticks) is made by hand, is very crispy and thin and a meter long. It was made for the young prince Amedeo (son of King Vittorio Emanuele II), whose fragile health precluded an adequate diet unless lighter dough was used. Pasta is always made fresh daily using the lightest Ligurian olive oil and incredibly orange Piemontese range eggs. Agnolotti is pasta made with eggs and stuffed with beef, pork or rabbit, flavooured with sausage, parmiggiano, eggs and herbs. Risotto is a rice dish with wide grained rice that may be covered with truffles and comprise the entire meal, enriched with funghi porcini (mushrooms found by pigs), fondue, eels and frogs from the river Po, or little brids on a spit. The secondi (second course) reflects the French influence: Brasato al Barolo (braised beef with barolo) or Finanziera (a stew of boiled meats with pieces of pork, veal, turkey, beef and vegetables accompanied by pickled sauce and sals verde, made with parsley, garlic bread crumbs all drenched in vinegar with hard boiled eggs, olive oil and pepper). Cheeses from the area include Tome delle Langhe and Brus. The best Tome are soft within with a thin pale yellow crust, often conserved with oil and herbs. Brus is the color of Earth and is spread like jam on toast points but it burns. Cambio in Torino boasts a bronze plaque (“Conte di Cavour 1848-1861″) where the table  was reserved for the first meal for the first Prime Minister of Italy. Cioccolati (“chocolate”) was produced in Torino even before the Suisse and the cioccolatiers Giroldi and Giuliano were already famous in 1700, when the Suisse made it their first industry. Peyrano uses nine different types of cocoa in production. Barrati & Milano and Caffarel ae other famous cioccolatiers. The Montblanc, chestnuts and whipped crème, originated in the Varaita Valley in Cuneo and was named after the nearby Mountain Mont Blanc. It is not of French origin.Trifolai (truffle hunters) dig for Piemontese diamongs, the white truffles or Tuber magnotum, at the break of dawn. They grow deep in the soil under trees and are difficult to find. You cannot cultivate or farm them. This is why a kilogram costs US $1400. Truffles are in season all year round. In early autumn, the quarry is the Black truffle (which is lightly colored within) and from October to early Spring, the hunt is on for the White Alba truffle. They may be eaten raw in small quantities when grated over pasta, risotto, eggs, salads or meat dishes. The truffle market is in season in Alba every Saturday morning. No printed menus. Usually the proprietors tell you what is available and is happy to suggest, surprise and stuff you up. Mostly, you need only select from large platters of antipasti carried from table to table. You only have to order the vino. A typical Piemontese meal starts with between four (minimum) and ten or more antipasti. Each is served individually and the dishes are eaten one by one. First come the cold dishes, next the hot ones, and then many home-made pasti. Risotti are popular as Piemonte is the biggest rice producer in Europe. Amateur diners give up here. The cheese plate appears. For dessert, look for hazelnut cakes served with a Moscato Zabaione.

Piemonte Formaggio

Raschera is name for Lago Raschera at the foot of Mount Mongioie is in Cuneo, whose sweet cow’s milk generates this semisoft cheese with seasonal changes in flavour. Spring and summer cheeses are sweet, fresh and tart. Winter cheese are solid and vobrant. Raschera is round or square with a red/tellow crust. 32% fat content.

Bra is named after the place where this round hard cheese was originally sold. The traditional hard unpasteurized version ripens from cow milk for three to six months as it darkens with intense flavor. The young soft pasty variety ripens only 45 days from pasteurized milk. A table cheese, it is used for grating and melting. 32% fat content

Castelmagno is made from partially skimmed cow milk (with some ewe or sheep milk added). Evening milk is left to ripen overnight and morning milk is then added for strong taste and unusual texture. The cheese is cylindrical with a crusty natural red/yellow rind with some gray molds and yeast, left to ripen in damp cellars and drying rooms, occasionally being turned and washed to grow microflora that lead to the pungent yeasty aroma. Blue cellar molds penetrate the rind forming streaky veins and a spicy flavor for this after dinner cheese that is used to make gnocchi. 34% fat content.

Piemontese Toma (“volume” cheese) can be made in the plains or mountains from the milk of several races of cows and may be whole or partly skimmed, raw or pasteurized. It is typically made of whole milk and is a soft paste with a smooth supple texture and pale yellow/brown ring. It is sweet, pleasant and delicate. 40% fat content.

Robiola di Roccaverano is a milk white table cheese uses nearly 85% cow’s milk (with addition of goat or ewe milk), with a delicate soapy granular pasty structure matured for three consecutive days. It contains ash (7%) and protein from the sand bank. 45% fat content

Murazzano is cylindrical milk white uncrusted soft cheese from sheeps’ milk or a mixtue with no more than 40% cow’s milk. Praised by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History, it is unripened full fat cheese that is soft, springy, mellow, delicately aromatic and a hill cheese. 50% fat content.

Six Years

Piemonte Shopping

Enoteca Regionale del Barolo
Sommeliers pour wine from a cross section of Barolo’s producers.
Castello Falletti, Barolo; 39-0173/56277; www.baroloworld.it; $4 for a flight of three wines.

Il Bacco
A superb, tiny boutique cellar with some of the best wines in the region.
87 Via Roma, Barolo; 39-0173/56233.

I Piaceri del Gusto
This wine store’s deep selection of books (in many languages) on Piedmontese wine and food complements a cellar of excellent, hard-to-find bottles.
25 Via Vittorio Emanuele II, Alba; 39-0173/440-166.

Tartufi Ponzio
This shoebox-sized shop has an extensive selection of outstanding sauces, vinegars, and oils, many of which are made with the shop’s winter stock-in-trade—white truffles.
26 Via Vittorio Emanuele II, Alba; 39-0173/440-456.

Britney Spears

Sometimes more is less. Much less.

Perfetto Torino

Last day! Linger over breakfast at the hotel cafe, then take the car to Castello di Rivoli, a manor house (so royal) remodeled as Torino’s finest contemporary art venue with Sol LeWitt, Rebecca Horn and Tony Cragg! Dinner has to be at Combal.O (Combal punto zero), the signature restaurant guided by Michelin starred Davide Scabin. The cyber egg is caviar, black pepper, egg yolk, vodka and other goodies ina shiny gelatine shell punctured by a scalpel (yes!) and gulped down. head back to town for the sindone (Shroud of Turin) which is not on display until 2025 at the 15th century San Giovanni cathedral. You could see a reproduction though. The renaissance facade is austere with ancient gravestones and a great triptych in the second chapel of the right aisle. Just outside is the Roman gate tower and ruined teatro, remnants of the original Roman settlemen of Augusta Taurinorum, founded by Julius Cesar. Tour the Piazza della Repubblica, Europe’s largest open air market, to visit Bicerin for a warm melange of blended espresso and drinking chocolate sipped through a cloud of whipping creme while you choose a delicious hot hot freshly baked cookie handed to you. Step across the square into Santuario della Consolata to see several ex votos, naif paintings thanking the Virgin mary for salvation from shipwrecks, oxcart crashes, falls from EuroDisney rides and other assorted mishaps. Explore the Quadrilateralo Romano, renovated for the 2006 Olympics. Autopsia Vestimentaire shows of avant-garde imaginative designer clothes. Aperitivo time (already?) at Pastis, posh as a Left Bank bistro, for a Punt e Mes vermouth with an orange slice and, of course, loads of hors d’oeuvres. Cab it to Antiche Sere where Antonella Rosa runs her old-styled tratorria with amazing desserts like the panna cotta, a creme caramel rich enough to warrant a warning label.

Tomorrow, we’re off to Asti baby!

red and the stunning desserts (the panna 

Perfetto Torino

head to Caffe Barrati & Milano, a multistoreye coffeehouse where the well-healed chat politics and stock up on sweets. Tour the Galleria Sabauda showcasing Italian and Flemish old masters like Mantegna, Fra Angelico, Rembrandt and Van Eyck. Head to Via Maria Vittoria, the center of the local antiques trade. Stop at Tina Biazzi where Tina will chat to you about art nouveau and its key fin-de-siecle artists: Galle, Daume, Majorelle. Visit the Libreria Antiquaria Pregliasco with its amazing selection of antique books and prints. You could meet Arturo, the soft spoken aggressive bidder/proprietor if you are lucky. Get ready for some good stuf now – three blocks northon Via Montebello is Mole Antonelliana, a white elephant. After extensive abandonment, it is a cluttered but extensive exhaustive movie museum with a neon and Plexiglas bar as atmospheric as a film set and an observation deck with amazing city and Alpine views. Wander down the art galleries of Via della Rocca lingering in the tree-lined Piazza Maria teresa (are we in Londontown?) and the Parisian Piazza Cavour. Walk two blocks east to the River Po and walk along it to the Parco del Valentino. It is aperitivo hour again so get a glass of barbaresco or some spumante in a flute at Le Vitel Etonne. Do NOT load up on the hors d’ouevres. Some good music by the RAI Symphony Orchestra in the recently remodeled Auditorium RAI. Check daily listings.

Perfetto Torino

Arrived at night. Awake in comfort in double deluxe room in Le Meridien Turin Art + Tech, the only five star hostelry in town and a former car factory. Breakfast in the second floor cafe some other morning but taxicab it to Piazzao Castello in centro. Beneath the porticos is Caffe Mulassano where you order a cappuccino as dense as the gilt wood and marble decor with a selection of baci di dama, candied chestnuts and other bite size confections on display under bell jars at the bar. Head to the Museo Egizio (in nearby Piazza Carignano). Forget the mummies and granite statues of Sachmis (fierce lion goddess), check out the papyrus love letters, bridal trousseaus and reed sandals that show you daily life is not all imperial. Stroll down Via Roma, the shopping street from Piazza Castello to Porto Nuova rail station. Arcades on both sides remind me of Bologna. Shop for fine food and go to Confetteria Stratta, loved by the torinesi for its gianduiotti (hazel nut chocolates) and boxed assortments. Around the corner is Steffanone, a deli with balsamic vinegar, fruit mustards and rare Piemontese cheeses from nearby mountain farms, including Montebore, layered like a wedding cake.

Nip across to La Badessa (in nearby Piazza Carlo Emanuelle II) where house specialties are ancient. Cab it to the GAM (Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea) for some contemporary art work. Head to Il Posto (“The Place”) for the torinesi ritual of aperitivo, a pre-dinner dirnk taken with endless free tapas-style morsels. The finger food can get heavy. Dine at Ristorante del Cambio, under whose chandeliers Count Camillo Cavour orchestrated the reunification of Italy. Unfortunately, the opera is not in season until October at Teatro Regio but be sure to check the schedule when you are in town. We just about have time to jet lag.

Italiano Driving

Key phrases:

• accendere i fari: switch on head lights
• autostrade: motorway
• camion TIR: heavy vehicles
• centro citta: downtown
• dare la precedenza: give way
• deviazione: detour
• divieto di: no (verboten)
• divieto di sosta: no parking
• pedaggio a/casello a: toll for motorway
• rallentare: slow down
• senso unico: one way
• strada a doppie corsie: dual carrriageway
• strada panoramica: scenic route
• strade sensa uscita: no entry
• svolta a destra/sinistra: turn right/left
• tutte le direzioni: all routes
• si puo parcheggiare qui? can we park here
• si deve avere il disco orario? do we need a parking disk?
• per quanto tempo si puo parcheggieare qui? how long can I park here?
• andiamo a… we are going to..
• quel e la migliore strada? what is the best route?
• l’autostrada sara intasata? will the motorway be busy?
• il passo e aperto? is the pass open?

Alba Basics

Alba predates the Roman civilization and was connected to Celtic and Ligurian tribes in the local region. The town is on the site of Alba Pompeia, founded by Roman consul Gnaeus Pompepeius Strabo while constructing a road from Aquae Statiellae (Acqui) to Augusta Taurinorium (Torino). It is the birthplace of Publius Helvius Pertinax, the shortest reigning Roman Emperor. After the fall of the Empire, it was repeatedly sacked by Burgundians, Lombards and Franks. In the 11th century, it became a free commune (city state) and was a member of the Lombar League. Montferrat and the Visconti fought over it and it later became possession of the House of Gonzoga. Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy conquered it twice while later France and Spain battled for its possession. The Treaty of Cherasco assigned Alba definitively to Savoy. In October 1944, it was liberated by partisans who established the republic of Alba, for a few weeks not under the fascist dictatorship of Salo. Asti and Alba are considered twin cities.

Grilled Vegetables

This could not be easier. Cut them into pieces that will cook quick and even, no more thatn 3/4 inch thick. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes before grilling to keep them from drying out. Pat dry with tissue/towel and then brush lightly with oil to prevent sticking. Do not over cook. For first timers, use a grilling basket. For veterans, smoke over apple wood chips.

• Asparagus: snip off ends, soak for 20-60 minutes, grill by turning every minute and remove when tips brown. Mix sesame and olive oil for flavour.
• Bell peppers: slice through middle longitudinally, destem and remove white ribs, brush lightly and grill on sides for 3 minutes each
• Chili peppers: brush with oil, grill on each side 3 minutes; to reduce the gheat, destem and deseed
• Corn on the cob: gently pull back husks (do not remove), remove silk and cut off the very end, soak in cold water for 30 minutes, dry and brush with butter, fold husks back down and twist tie the ends, grill for 7 minutes, but avoid burning 
• Egg plant: cut lengthwise (if small and disks, if large), soak for 30 minutes, pat dry, brush and grill for 3 minutes
• Garlic: cut off root ends of whole bulbs, brush and place cut side down on hit fire and grill until skin brown, usually 10 minutes
• Mushrooms: rinse off dirt and pat dry, brush with oil and gril 5 minutes (6 minutes if large) using a basket or topper for small mushrooms
• Onions: remove skin, cut horizontally 1/2 inch thick, brush and grill for 4 minutes
• Tomatoes: cut in half, top to bottom, brush with oil and grill cut side down for 3 minutes
• Potatoes: wash thoughly and pat dry, rub with oil and wrap in foil, gril 40 minutes, turning occasionally
• Zucchini and small squash: slice 1/2 inch thickness, brush with oil and grill 3 minutes per side; small squash can be cut down the middle and halves grilled

Nizza Monferrato

Nizza Monferrato has been decorated for Military Valor for the War of Liberation because of the sacrifices of its population and activity during World War II. It was founded in 1225 to relocate people after destruction of castles from parts of Alessandri. It rose around the abbey of Saint Giovanni in Lanero. It underwent several changes of ownership until the Savoys claimed it for their own Duchy in 1703.

Grinzane Cavour

Grinzane Cavour is a comune (municipality) in the Cuneo Province in the Italian region of Piemonte, about 50 km SE of Torino and 45 km NE of Cuneo. It borders the municipalities of Alba and Diano d’Alba. Originally simply known as Grinzane, it switched names to homage Camillo Benso, Count Cavour, who was mayor of the city for 17 years. Its main attraction is the massive castle, Castello Cavour, and it is also known for its literary eponymous award.

Originally simply known as Grinzane, it switched to the current name in homage to Camillo Benso, Count Cavour, who was major of the city for 17 years.

The main attraction is the massive medieval castle. Grinzane Cavour is also the seat of the eponymous literary award.

Asti Basics

Asti is pre-Roman as well as iterated as a Roman colony (“Hasta”) of which few ruins remain. During the 10th to 13th century, Asti grew to become one of the most powerful independent cities of western Italy with extensive trading rights to the Roman empire before the rise of Firenze. It was known as the city of 100 towers (there were 120) and Asti’s cathedral is the biggest in Piemonte. It changed ownership frequently, first the Savoys in Torino, then the Viscontis in Milono until it fell under the Duchy of Savoy in 1575. It was later occupied by Napleon. It is the birthplace of the famous italian poet Vittorio Alfieri and the Palio d’Asti is tun in the Piazza Alfieri each year in September during festival week. Piemontese cuisine blends hearty peasant fare of the contadini farmers in the Sagre Parade with the fine dining of the royal Savoys in Torino. Other festivals include the Fiere Carolingia (medieval festival) in May and the truffle festivals in October/November. There is the annual wine barrel rolling race in Nizza Monferrato, the donkey race in Agliano and the re-enactment of the siege of Canelli.  Asti is small enough to walk around but a hire car is needed to tour wine country, thought you could rent a local bike. Asti is reached via the A21 Torino-Bologna autostrada or the A6 from Genoa or Milano. By rail, get to the main Torino-Genoa-Firenze-Roma trunk line. This is a good place for veteran Italian returners.