We crossed from France to Italy and I was again amazed at the way languages change when we cross a line drawn on a map. We had one spare night between other bookings and chose the seaside town of Finale Ligure, thinking we would get a night on the coast. Everything was really expensive though so we ended up at an agroturismo (like a B&B on a farm) in the hills. When we got there the weather was wet and cold! The building we stayed in was so old and beautifully renovated but the smell of rising damp really put me off. The challenges of maintaining these old buildings must be enormous.
We really enjoyed this area. We decided to explore the nearby town of Finalborgo and much to our amazement it was a stunning medieval town that was alive with activity. We had walked a looong way down a hill to reach it so we decided to get a gelati to give us a boost to get back up the hill. It was one of the best gelatis we had!
The track we walked along was ancient. It was made of small cobblestones which weren't easy to walk on at times. We saw this sign so I later investigated Queen Margaret. It turns out that she was wedded off at 15 to a much older man, had 7 pregnancies in the next 6 years, of which only one resulted in a child who lived past its infancy. She died, 7 months pregnant, at 21. As bad as all that sounds, she and her husband apparently got on well, having many mutual interests. She travelled along this very road when she was on her way to meet her future husband for the first time.
Looking down on Finalborgo from above.
Finalborgo streets.
We ate at a nearby osteria (local eatery) and I was finally able to get some minestrone. Italian food is very regional and, if the dish doesn't come from that area you generally can't get it. Surprisingly, we had struggled to get enough vegetables lately so the minestrone was a welcome change.
This was just a stopover though on the way to our key destination. We arrived in Diano d'Alba the next day but the town wasn't the destination - the whole region was. It's one of the most stunningly beautiful regions of the world in my opinion. It's the Langhe region in north-west Italy.
Man has been growing wine grapes here for centuries and, over time, has created a special landscape. It's so gob-smackingly beautiful and unique that this landscape is now UNESCO world heritage listed. Neat rows of grape vines cover the rolling green hills and are scattered around gorgeous villages and grand castles, all perched strategically on hilltops. It's amazing!
We stayed in a B&B perched on top of one of the many hills. The view was sensational however we didn't really see the full extent of it until our last day as it was cool and hazy most of the time. It was only then that we saw the huge Alps rising up behind all this stunning scenery.
We had come to this area briefly five years ago and were keen to spend more time here. We had four days this time and we made the most of them. Apart from the stunning landscape, the walking was wonderful and the food was great. But the big appeal for John in particular was the wine. Barolo and Barbaresco are famous wines and both are from this region.
Near our accommodation was a castle at Grinzane Cavour which was a perfect destination to walk to. It was now a museum dedicated to wine - of course!
The artwork on some of the ceilings inside was amazing.
That stunning view looks even better when framed by castle windows.
Part of the interesting history of the castle is that this is where a major foray into improving grapes for wine in the area happened. It was the foundation for what would become Barolo wine.
Everything was about wine. Even the local bank's logo had grapes on it.
The towns were beautiful - pastel coloured houses with terra-cotta tiled rooves and coloured shutters lined the narrow streets.
The weather was a bit unsettled but we saw amazing "Jesus rays" (as one of Courtney's friends called them when they were kids) on one of our walks.
Our friend Barry (in France) had told us a story about how he got into trouble from a policeman for letting his dog pee on grass in Italy. I had never heard of this before but we found this sign on one of our walks.
We did a wine tour in Barbaresco. The cellar was amazing!
The last time we were here was at a similar time of year. We found this amazing restaurant at the time and enjoyed it so much that we returned again. Last time we timed it for the first white truffles of the season. It was really special as this was the first time we'd ever had them. Sadly, we were a bit early this time but it was still wonderful even if the view was obscured by fog.
We had a special meal in the region most nights! This pic's for you John K.
While we were there, the white truffle season started so we were able to get some. We had it on pasta and the truffle it was grated from was enormous! The flavour was mild but wonderful.
I don't usually do the food photo thing but this was one of the most delicious deserts I've ever had - a symphony of chocolate and hazelnut with wine reduction. Wow!
Thanks for the tips JK!
Another restaurant was a highlight but for different reasons. Just two minute's walk from our accommodation was an osteria and the woman who ran it was crazy! She had her own unique way of doing things. You couldn't ask questions about the menu until she explained the whole menu to you whether you wanted to hear it all or not. She told John to stop speaking Italian cos it was terrible and when she saw some Canadians putting pepper on their meal she said, "No!". We had heard that it's rude to wipe the sauce from your bowl with bread and, as John was doing exactly this, she swiped the bowl out from under him before he had finished. We recognised though that she was on the spectrum and, to her credit, she made a bit of a joke of her apparent rudeness once she got to know you. The food was good and we really enjoyed the place.
We kept getting caught out by the freebies given at some of these restaurants. At the two better restaurants we ate at, after we placed our orders, free nibbles were given. At the end a platter of small desserts appeared even if we had already eaten dessert! We were so full!
Drives around the area were sensational. Viewpoints were everywhere as there were so many hills. Roads wound lazily from one hill to another and there was another breathtaking view around every turn. Where the land wasn't perfect for growing wine grapes, it was just right for hazelnuts and hazelnut plantations were almost as common as grapes in some areas.
This is truly one of the special regions of the world. It's a magical blend of stunning beauty, amazing wine and special food. Incredible!
Ciao!
Heather and John
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