Buongiorno a tutti,
I hope you are well and dreaming of Italy. Or better yet, preparing to travel to Italy very soon! Rome is full of life at the moment, having just celebrated her 2776th birthday. In fact, we stumbled upon an incredible historical re-enactment on our walk around the neighborhood today and it was a delight to watch the gladiators walk toward Circus Maximus!
This week, I have some very exciting travel plans. I’m heading to my beloved Bologna to take part in Devour Food Tours’ new Bologna Food Tour, so stay tuned on Instagram and in my next newsletter to hear all about it. Did you know, when I first left Australia, I actually moved to Bologna originally?
And the following weekend, I’m off to Tuscany to lead our week-long food and wine discovery tour in this dreamy central Italian region. I’m so excited to see our guests discover Chianti Classico, charming Arezzo, cheese-obsessed Pecorino, peppery Tuscan extra virgin olive oil, meet local artisans (and baby goats!), and discover some stunning, off-the-beaten-path hilltop Tuscan towns. If that sounds like your idea of heaven, we have some final places still available on our late October tour (early October is already sold out) or in Spring or Fall 2024.
As promised in my last newsletter all about travels in Genoa, today I wanted to share with you what Katy from Untold Italy and I got up to in Piedmont last month. Keep reading to find out more and bookmark a few places for your own trip to this elegant region.
Our time in Turin
We had a very quick trip to Piedmont where I got to play tour guide in Turin and show off my old ‘home’ to Katy from Untold Italy. We were visiting on a Monday, which is never a great day no matter where you are. Whilst many of the main attractions were closed, we were able to visit Palazzo Madama which I recommend if only to climb up the very top for a wonderful view over Piazza Castello!
We lunched in Piazza del Risorgimento, one of the most important for the unification of Italy, at Farmacia del Cambio. It’s a lovely historic bar connected to the famous Michelin-star restaurant next door -Del Cambio.
We wandered under the porticoes on Via Po to take in the gorgeous view of Piazza Vittorio Veneto and spied the Monte dei Cappucini church and Superga Basilica in the distance. The Palazzo Reale was closed but we enjoyed the view from the outside before exploring down the cobblestoned streets of the Quadrilatero and popping into the best place in town for a bicerin.
We met up with our local guide who we work with for the Untold Italy Piedmont tour and enjoyed aperitivo together at Caffe Mulassano.
The pressure was on when it came to organising dinner - we had only one night for Katy to try the very best! So, of course, I took her and some friends to my favorite restaurant in town, Osteria Antiche Sere.
We feasted on tomini cheese with bright green salsa verde, special local raw sausage, agretti cooked in butter, pepperoni with bagna cauda , vitello tonnato, agnolotti with roast beef sauce, washed down with a delicious local Barbera d’Alba from Bartolo Mascarello and a wonderful digestif of bitter herbs to end. Ah Turin, you are one of the most delicious cities in Italy!
A day in pretty Langhe
The following day we were up bright and early for a beautiful day exploring the UNESCO heritage-listed Langhe countryside. Most famous for Barolo wine, we set off to one of the wineries we visit during our Untold Italy Piedmont tours for a tour and private tasting. The view is just to-die-for here!
Next, we had a wander through pretty La Morra which is one of my favorite towns in the region. My partner Andrea’s great-grandfather was the Mayor, Doctor and Vet here once upon a time, so it holds a special place in our hearts. You can’t miss the wonderful view over the entire Langhe countryside from the Belvedere here either.
After a little wander (it’s very quiet in March!) we set off to the capital of the wine region, Alba! Famous for Ferrero Rocher and off course the best white truffles in the entire country, no trip to Langhe is complete without a detour here. We popped into Inaudi truffle shop and stocked up on truffle oils and salts. Plus, I bought Andrea's favorite treat - anchovies with black truffles!
With tummies rumbling, we set off to one of the most beautiful villages in Italy (really it's an official thing!) Neive for lunch. We went to one of my tried and trusted places and enjoyed glasses of Barolo and tajarin pasta with ragu. Delicious!
That’s it for now! Tonight, we are off to eat at a Roman restaurant that has a months-long waiting list - Santopalato. It was made famous in Stanley Tucci’s Searching For Italy, so I’ll be sure to report back.
Buona settimana,
Liv