We were so happy to welcome our first visitor from the USA, my brother Nick. Many of you know Nick (yes, we have a lot of Nicks in the Padula family!), if you don't, I wish you did! He's always up for a good time, knows his way around Europe, and speaks solid Italiano! Unfortunately Danielle couldn't make it, but don't feel too sorry for her - she had just visited Italy with Maria in July!
We were so excited to host Nick that we went into overtime finishing our preparations for the apartment (i.e., a final IKEA run to get a very comfy Tarva bed and kitchen table) so if you plan to come to Italy, we are now officially open for visitors!
Not quite the Ritz...better than an Airbnb
We timed the visit to match my Fall break in late October, so we had a chance to explore Italy during some great weather. Read on for details of our travels and shenanigans (if you know Nick, think of this post as a family/friend scrapbook to remember a great 10 days; if not, it's the perfect travelogue to get you thinking about and planning your trip to Northern Italy! Highlights:
> Hanging out in Chieri and Torino: We made a point to hit all of our new hangouts, sampling the best coffee, wine, and food, including the requisite pilgrimage to two Eataly locations.
Having a visitor helped inspire us to seek out some new fun spots in our now-familiar environs (1) Ever eager for a nightcap, Nick found a new place to end the evening, AgriGrill, where I think we invented a new concoction - an espresso with Bailey's (the Bailey's wins, and you go straight to sleep). (2) A hidden gem of a sushi place, Kombu, run by Alberto, an English-speaking local, and a couple of chefs from The Philippines!
(aperitivo at Eataly in Chieri and the famed Mole Antonelliana in Turin)
(l to r) : Loitering outside Eataly Torino, more loitering in Palazzo Reale, due cappuccini
> Day Trips to the Piemonte countryside: We hit the road in the Black Panda (stay tuned for a separate post!), in search of local wineries. First stop was about 20 minutes away in Pessione, a town of only 1,500-ish inhabitants, but significant as the home of the historic Martini & Rossi plant (at the corner of Via Martini and Via Rossi, of course). The plant does not have a tour of the production facilities (yet), but hosts a cool museum about the 2,500-year history of wine-making in the region, and especially the advent of the vermouth business in the 1800's.
We learned a lot, and sampled a lot! The exact origin of the martini cocktail is somewhat unclear, but almost everyone knows you can't make one without vermouth like Alessandro Martini's elixir, made at this very factory.
Since several of the readers here are professional or amateur bartenders, or at least "bartender-adjacent" (you know who you are!)...you might enjoy the video below. The museum had this beautifully-stocked bar with a video screen built into it, featuring a how-to lesson on various cocktails, like my favorite, the Negroni. Check out the pride and the craftsmanship in this video (key word - "Botanicals")!
Our second stop was a small family-run winery near Asti, where the Rovero family partners with Milin Agritourism to offer an intimate and generous tour and tasting. Our timing wasn't ideal - a Tuesday at the end of the harvest season - so we were lucky to find anyone there, and were rewarded with a pleasant, unhurried discussion with new friend Enrico.
He and Nick-the-wine-maestro exchanged their respective expertise and we learned about Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes, and Rovero's secret weapon, its Grappa.
The third stop was perhaps the most serendipitous of all. While he was with us, Nick learned that his company had contracted to be the US distributor for a winery in our region - Batasiolo Wines from nearby Alba! So we called and arranged a last-minute tour of this fantastic winery just before closing time - and when they found out their new USA sales dynamo was in the house, we got the VIP treatment and even met the President of the winery, Fiorenzo Dagliani.
(l to r) Nick with new friend Enrico, a look inside Batasiolo's impressive operations
> A Drive to the Mediterranean Coast: Once the school break started, we wanted to get out of town and hit the coast. We went straight south towards Genova and turned right (West) towards San Remo, a charming little town on the Ligurian coast.
San Remo's heyday was probably back in the 1950's, but it has an allure as a chill, swingin' coastal tourist haven; one of its claims to fame is that the classic song "Nel blu dipinto di blu," better known as "Volare," was first performed at the San Remo music festival in 1958.
But our main attraction to San Remo was that it sits right at the midpoint of a beautiful bike path, La Pista Ciclabile, that runs for 24 kms on the "Riviera dei fiori." We found a cute boutique hotel - the Hotel Belsoggiorno - with a fabulous breakfast and free bike usage, and just blended into seaside life in the area.
We biked the entire path, including many tunnels, stopping along the way for food and drink, of course. And a trip to San Remo would be incomplete without a visit to its famed (fin de siècle-style) casino. The boys only lost a little cash but Barbara made up for it on the slots so we ended up "even steven."
[On left: Great days along the bike path]
The casino at San Remo
Another fun excursion was to drive just 40 minutes east along the coast - after15 kms of amazing views, we crossed the border into France and the lovely seaside town of Menton. Temperatures were just warm enough to allow for a swim in the (chilly) Med. It was one of those wonderful warm-but-not-hot, lazy days you hope to spend just staring at the sea, as coffee time blends into wine time.
Menton just across the border; Monaco sheltered (by the sea) while it shelters (income)
> A weekend in the big city: For our final weekend we took the train from Torino to Milan (a quick 48 minutes!), so we could see the big city and send Nick off to the airport on Sunday. It was our first real venture into Milan - wow, we wondered why we hadn't visited sooner. It's known of course as a fashion capital, and the home of da Vinci's "Last Supper" and arguably the most beautiful Duomo in Italy or even the world.
Another great aspect to Milan is its proximity to famed Lake Como, home of George Clooney, Madonna, Donatella Versace and even Sly Stallone! We tried to match the itinerary Danielle created (from her trip there earlier in the summer), but this time of year things were closed (or too crowded!) so we just had to wing it. But after some gelato and an artisanal gin and tonic (they give you a solid pour of gin, and let you add the tonic!), we took a boat around the lake and headed back to Milan.
(l-r) Villas all around the lake; the ceiling of Como's cathedral; a gin and tonic, Italian style
Back in Milan, so much to see; we definitely could have used more time. We'll be back in December when the kids visit (yay!), but Milan looks like a fun weekend getaway place for the future.
Of course we went to see the Duomo (at least the outside) and it is as impressive as its reputation (an iPhone picture does not do it justice). Other highlights included (1) Spending time just outside the main tourist area in the Navigli region, where they have taken some no-longer-in-use canals and built a vibrant food and nightlife scene all around and (2) Seeing all of the green development happening now all around Milan, such as the these "tree buildings!"
One thing about Milan, it takes its reputation as a fashion capital seriously. It's equal parts inspiring and intimidating to walk around this town; everyone is very well "put together" - do not venture out in Milan in sweat pants or cargo shorts! But it's otherwise a very welcoming and fun place to spend a weekend for sure.
Nightime along the canals of the Navigli; exterior of the the famed Duomo.
<-- Green buildings on a gray day
All in all, a wonderful time with Uncle Nick and a relaxing break from the first 8 weeks of school. Time to get back to the routine; counting the days until Christmas!