Piemonte

With overnight bags packed, no reservations and not really knowing what to expect we head to Alba, Piemonte about an hour south of Torino to attend the annual truffle festival, which this year is celebrating it's 80th .  The town was alive with tourists from all over the world all wanting to try the many offerings of the tartufo vendors. 

The fine art of truffle shaving

After spending a few hours sampling a variety of tartufo products and enjoying a lunch of pasta with white tartufo shavings, we emerged with shopping bags in hand filled with more tartufo products!!   Fresh truffle pasta-ravioli, tartufo cheese, tajine(a thinner version of fettuccine) speckled with pieces of black tartufo (not to be confused with the more desired white) and flourless hazelnut cake.   Piemonte is rich with hazelnut trees and Alba is home to Ferrero, maker of nutella and Ferrero Rocher chocolates.  Of course, we couldn't leave without our own white truffle and 50 euro bought us a small (very small) truffle which we were assured by the vendor would be enough for the 4 of us.  Grate it on either plain pasta with olive oil, risotto or fried eggs he insisted!!   Fried eggs…. what a waste of 50 euro we thought!!

Relaxing at a bar sipping frothy cappuccinos, ready to head back towards Nice, we were advised by the waitress that we should not rush back and there was much more to the area than the tartufo festival. Apparently we were only a short drive away from the Langhe area of Piemonte, the gentle rolling hills home to vineyards producing world renowned wines including the towns of Barolo and  Barbaresco.  Driving through the area was truly spectacular with a green, lush patch work quilt of terraced vineyards and  hazlenut trees. After stopping in Barolo for some panoramic views and wine tasting, we began searching for accommodations for the night. This proved almost impossible given the festival combined with the fact that it was the height of wine season in the area.  

Breakfast with Anna

We finally found a charming agriturismo out in the country in the small village of Narzole which turned out to be the highlight of our weekend. Our gracious host, Anna went out of her way to welcome us and make us feel truly at home.  As she showed us around, she explained  that she recently renovated and converted the family flour mill which had been in her  family for generations into the agriturismo trying to preserve as much as she could.  Shortly after settling in to our room, Anna dropped off a tray of appetizers and a bottle of Barolo and made us dinner reservations at a “Piemontese" restaurant.  She was proud of her roots and was a wealth of information eagerly sharing the rich history of the area and pointed out the areas not to be missed. She also seemed grateful that we took an interest, as we discussed the rich beauty of Italy, its current state of economy and politics. 

Cherasco

The next morning Anna had a freshly baked hazelnut cake, steamed milk and coffee waiting for us. Before leaving, she gave us a small jar of grape jam, made from this years harvest, a book on local artists, as well as a gift of Venetian (Murano) glass.   Anna owns a home in Venice, one of her favorite cities and invited us to use her home should we visit – sounds tempting.  Before leaving the area Anna suggested we visit the town of Cherarsco, one of the few Italian cities to survive the plague of 1500. The medieval town was unique with several arches, the most famous named Napoleon's arch, wide cobblestone streets and churches and buildings made  exclusively of red and brown brick. One other gastronomical point of interest is the hazelnut baci Cherarsco is famous for which are exported all over the world.  Needless to say, we couldn’t resist, so we made sure to indulge with a small bag before leaving!

We left the area feeling grateful that we had a chance to discover a part of Italy we had never visited and knew very little about. Leaving the agriturismo felt like leaving an old friend, a testament to the importance of our own roots and culture.  There was an immediate connection between Anna, an Italian living in Italy and ourselves, Canadians of Italian origin, exploring our heritage.   A definite benefit of living in the south of France is our proximity to Italy and having the ability to discover the beauty and traditions of the different areas with our children, so they too have an appreciation for their heritage.    


Nancy

Where's the chocolate?

Hey thats not chocolate!

This weekend we went to Alba, a city in Piemonte, about a three hour drive from Nice. We went to a white tartufo festival which is the biggest one in the world. When I heard we were going to this festival I was excited thinking we were going to a chocolate festival.  Turns out a white truffle isn't actually chocolate. 

Pretty smelly stuff!!

They are very rare mushrooms that have a very strong earthy smell and grow underground mostly in Piemonte.   Dogs that have been trained and are addicted to the smell of the tartufo are used to sniff out where the mushrooms are growing underground.  We spent the morning at the festival buying and sampling truffle spread, olive oil, cheese, pasta and we bought a tartufo to take home.  


It suprised me to hear that you don't cook  the mushroom, you simply grate it onto your plain pasta and you eat it like that.  It is so cool that a mushroom can be used in all different ways and be put into all different foods. There were also lots of hazelnut products at the festival because the area is rich with hazelnut trees.   The nuts are used to make nutella, hazelnut chocolate cake and hazelnut cake, chocolate and honey covered hazelnuts and many more products.   

On the drive back to Nice we stopped off at a chestnut festival where the local villagers played music and sang songs and roasted chestnuts.  As well, we met a man selling amazingly delicious cheese, who almost gave us a meal of samples of cheese.

This cheese is yummy!

We also met an American that has been living in Piemonte for two years named Giacomo (well his name is James but the locals renamed him).   Giacomo was one of the men roasting the chestnuts over the fire at the festival.   

In a few weeks Giacomo is harvesting olives and will be making olive oil.  Dad is going to join Giacomo and other men with the harvest and learn how olive oil is made. Hopefully he comes home with a bottle of oil.

It was a great weekend and even though it wasn't a chocolate truffle festival it was interesting to learn about the mushrooms and get a chance to try them.

Me and my biker buddies!!

Simona 

Festivaling in Italy

Another day of greves.... Hey is that Sarkozy??

Exactly one week later at Brasserie Etoile and nothing much has changed with the locals out in full force. Why waste great weather indoors when I can enjoy the late day sunshine outdoors. Tomorrow the girls have their last day of school before the 2 week mid-term school break - 8 weeks into the school year and already a 2 week break!! Gotta love it. Clearly the mindset of not working too hard as evidenced by 35 hour work weeks, 2 hour lunch breaks and retiring at age 60 is embedded early in life here. Poor Sarkozy has the courage to do whats long overdue and increase the retirement age to 62 and the french want to hang him in effigy.  

Boule anyone?

People of all ages taking to the streets, cutting off gas supplies and other essential services to protect la joie de vivre!! I couldn't believe my eyes last week when I saw a few thousand university and high school students protesting in the streets and showing their utter displeasure with the proposed pension reforms.    I wonder who the students will blame for the  high taxes they will have to pay and the deficits that will be required to keep all those pensioners playing boule all day. 

Love that Clio!!

No complaints on this end as we are taking full advantage of the school break with some festivaling (not sure that's a word) in the Italian Alps region of Piemonte this weekend. The thought of jumping into our 10 year old beat-up Renault Clio, the French equivalent of the Italian common-man's Fiat Cinquecento, and driving into the French-Italian alps has a certain appeal to it. Not quite the same sexy image as a red convertible Alfa Romeo Spider or an Astin Martin driven by James Bond but exciting nonetheless.  




We will do what most people in this area do and drop in on a chestnut festival in Ceriana, Italy, about an hour northeast from Nice and across the french-italian border. It seems like every small town in these parts of France and Italy has a chataigne festival at this time of year and we are told that they are a fun way to spend a day and sample chestnuts in ways one could never imagine. We shall see! At some point we will also make our way to Alba, the white tartufo (truffle) capital of the world (who knew that such a thing existed) which is holding the worlds largest and most widely attended white tartufo festival over the next 4 weeks. The pungent smell of the white truffle is a gastronomic delight that can fetch up to 4000 euro per kilo and Alba for some reason or other is where the most prized white truffle is to be found. Sounds like a tourist trap to me but what the heck - when in Rome...... White truffle risotto with a glass or two of locally produced Barolo or Barbaresco is reason enough to get into our Clio and head for the hills. 

Sal 

Just Hangin....

It's a beautiful autumn evening. 19, 20C and the warm sunshine beams down and energizes the city. It's shortly after 5 and Maddy and I just dropped Simona off for her weekly guitar lesson (can't wait to hear Stairway to Heaven). Instead of going back to our flat for the hour we decide to be like the locals and just hang at a cafe. We both sit in typical french fashion facing out towards the street to maximize our view and make sure we don't miss anything.  

There is nothing particular about Brasserie Etoile and like all cafes along Avenue Jean Medecin it is almost at capacity with a definite buzz in the air as people chatter away. It seems that nobody is in any rush to get home preferring to bask in the late day sunshine with a beverage and cigarette in hand. Lined with shops, cafes and restaurants on either side and with the tram providing a great example of what effective and efficient public transportation should be (the TTC an antiquated joke!!!) Jean Medecin is the main artery which starts at Place Massena and makes it's way north. Like many areas within Nice or for that matter any European city, Avenue Jean Medecin is very pedestrian friendly with cars being largely prohibited. No matter the time of day there are people walking everywhere and the shops are full. I have no idea if they are buying anything and right now it really doesn't matter because just sitting and taking in the city's vibe and rythm provides a great way to pass the time. 

Typical cafe along Jean Medecin ... Any Time of Day

Maddy quickly loses herself, organizing her animated Carrefour (think Walmart) collector cards that kids trade here, and I'm left enjoying a beer and watching the world go by. After 7 weeks I still can't figure out how it is that every restaurant, cafe and bar is full almost all the time.  Ok ok, I'm exaggerating, but not by much. Whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner I'm amazed to see how full these places are. And not just the chi chi looking places either. Even teenagers at high school eat many if not most of their lunch meals at a restaurant daily!!


The notion of brown bagging it or cooking at home seems so foreign. I'm starting to realize it's me.... the foreigner!!.... who still hasn't quite realized that this is part of what they mean by" la joie de vivre". 

Gotta go get Simona ...... wonder if she's mastered that Led Zepplin classic yet? 

Sal 

What a soaker!

Changing of the Guards

On Sunday we took a drive to Monaco, a city about 20 mins from Nice. We went to see the palace of Prince Albert, the prince of Monaco and we also saw the changing of the guards. We got to take a tour of the palace which was not even close to the size of Buckingham Palace. It was much smaller and we didn't get to see as many rooms as we did at Buckingham. The changing of the guards was fun to see but very short and their outfits weren't anywhere near as royal as the ones at Buckingham. We also went to go see the Napoleon museum which for me wasn't that interesting because I had no idea what I was looking at in the museum or who this Napoleon guy was. Apparently he was the first emperor of France and although the museum didn't interest me it interested my parents.

Overlooking Monaco

Now this is where it gets funny. After the tour of the palace and the museum, we were planning to walk down to the centre of the city to see the casino. I'm not to sure how to explain it but the palace sits at the top in Monaco and the casino is actually down in Monte Carlo near the port. So as we were walking down along a wall overlooking the ocean we could see the waves crashing against the side of the wall. It was a very windy day and the waves were HUGE! White caps everywhere. One of the waves was so high, that it hit the side of the wall, came up, and gave us a nice shower. It didn't just sprinkle us, it collapsed down onto us and drenched us. 

That was fun....but now I'm wet!!  Ugggh

We were soaking wet and the cold air made it worse. It was unbelievable that a wave could come 30-40 feet up and smash us. My dad and I were laughing, my sister was crying, and my mom was trying to calm her down. My sweater, shirt, pants, socks, shoes, my hair and camera were all wet. I even got a little taste of the ocean. Even though we were uncomfortably wet, it was hilarious that something like that could have happened. Over all I had a pretty fun time, even though we got wet.

Poor Maddy....Hehe!!

If you ever get a chance to go to Monaco you should, although watch out for those waves. You never know when one might hit you!

Simona

Hills, Those Damn Hills!!

Looking down on Nice from the hills to the north

I started doing some cycling a few weeks back and my maiden voyage was a short but panoramic 35km ride west along the moyenne Corniche to Cap Ferrat and back. Other than a steady 30 minute, 4 to 5km climb which took me about 200-300 meters above sea level, the ride is not overly difficult and was a good way to get a feel for both the roads and my legs. The views are as stunning as I remembered them when Nancy and I drove from Nice to Monaco, in 2004, stopping periodically to take in the breathtaking views below of the Mediterranean and the towns of Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Eze.

Looking down on Villefranche from my bike

I snake my way down to the sea and do a loop around the small peninsula known as Cap-Ferrat which I am warned is a favorite destination for those that can write cheques north of $5M for a second home.  I am mesmerized by the elegance, size and presence of the private villas with priceless views. Most are either gated or lined with manicured Cypress trees obstructing prying eyes such as mine. 

The following day I join Pascal who I met at the bike shop for a ride through Vallee du Loup (valley of the wolf) which he tells me would be great training for someone who has not done a lot of riding through hills. Ha I think to myself - I haven't done any hills let alone a lot!!! This is Pascal's last ride before his big 135 km race on Sunday, north of Marseille through mountains that are 2000 meters above sea level. As we make our way down into the valley we are swallowed by lush greenery, trees of all shapes and sizes, wild rosemary bushes, camomile and prickly (cactus) pears wedged between rocks. I can't help but wonder what the heck am I doing riding with this guy? Already, my legs feel like led and we haven't even started climbing yet. Maybe I should turn back now before it's too late. Surely, I will slow him down!!! Pascal assures me that with his upcoming race he has to take it easy so I'll be fine - I'm not convinced but decide to push ahead. 

My view as I approach the village of Eze

Soon we are winding our way up towards Tourrettes-sur-Loup, a typical mediaeval village of 2 to 3 thousand people perched about 500 meters above sea level to the northwest of Nice in the foothills of the Alps. It's a slow and steady 15 kilometer climb, 5 to 10 percent incline and at around the 10km point I can feel my thighs scream for mercy. Pascal attempts to distract me by pointing out the vistas below and while I sneak a peek, I keep my head down, focused on pressing ahead and committed to not stopping. My mind wanders and soon I'm imagining trailing my cycling buddies from back home as they pull me up the hill in pelaton formation. Stacy's pronouncement that "a bike will make a liar out of you" comes to mind. I wonder if Stacy has any line for these hills, damn hills!! 

We reach our destination, Tourrettes-sur-Loup and Pascal suggests a water break. I look at him thinking "good idea Einstein"!! The local market is teeming with locals buying their daily food. I quickly head over to one of the stalls and reward myself and devour some fresh fruit. 

Surprisingly, the descent back to Nice through Vence proves just as challenging with the never-ending switchbacks and hairpin turns. The roads on the way back are far steeper than on the way up and the speed of descent is frightening. My hands ache as my grip is firmly applied to the brakes for the entire way down.  The muscles in my neck and shoulders become ever so tense as I remain focused on avoiding on coming cars and flying off the edge of a cliff. In no time, we are at sea level making our way back along the waterfront to Nice having completed 65 kilometers.

As I slowly make my way home, I can't help but wish I could be sharing these rides with my cycling buddies from back home. 

Pedal hard boys!!! 

Sal 

Security Issues??

The look of a Queen!

On September 24th mom, Simona, and I went to Buckingham Palace. We were really hoping to see the changing of the guards but unfortunately it was cancelled because of security issues…. whatever that means.  On the bright right side we got to go into the part of the palace where there are 19 state rooms.  The house is beautiful and big… VERY BIG!  My favourite room I think was the ballroom.   It was HUGE and all red.  On our headphones the people said it can fit 84 double-decker buses. After the tour was finished we walked out of the palace through the backyard, which is literally the size of the TFC stadium and I am NOT kidding!!   It also has a pond which looks like a mini lake.

Happy B'Day to moi!

When the tour was over we found a bus to jump on and went home where we found dad getting ready for his next meeting.  We had to hurry up and get ready because we were going to watch Lion King so we got into a cab and went out for London's famous fish and chips.   After dinner we went to the theatre - perfect timing - at least to go to the washroom!!  The show was amazing.   There were these huge awesome costumes and the giraffes were real size giraffes and I loved the music.   When the show ended we went for dessert to a restaurant and saw dad walking home so we called him in to join us.

Like Maddy and dad have already told you, London is an amazing city. The only problem was, there was so much to do and see but not enough time. I was going to write about Buckingham Palace, but considering my sister already told you about it, I decided to write about the Crown Jewels.

In the backyard of the Palace

While we were in London, we went to see the Crown Jewels at the Jewel House in the Tower of London where they are kept. The Crown Jewels are a collection of crowns, swords, orbs, and an ampulla, which are used during the coronation ceremony of a new Monarch in Westminster Abbey. The St. Edward's crown was the crown that was used for crowning the new king or queen until Queen Victoria said it was too heavy and ordered that a new one be made. Currently the Imperial Crown of State containing 2,783 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 277 pearls, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies is used for the coronation ceremony. It also contains the Cullinan diamond, the second largest portion of the Star of Africa.

Tower Bridge

The orb, a golden sphere with a diamond cross topping it, has been an item used in the coronation ceremony and symbolizes the world ruled by Christianity.  My favorite crown is the Imperial Crown of India, although it is not part of the Crown Jewels. It was made for the visit of King George V to Delhi as the Emperor of India. It was necessary to make this crown because they could not bring a crown out of England and bring it to India, for fear it would be stolen. It has over 6,000 diamonds along with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds and is beautiful and big.

The next time you are in London, be sure to go see the Crown Jewels. You won't regret it.  


Maddy & Simona

Bob Marley Look Out!!

I've always wanted to play guitar, so when deciding what activities I might try while here in France, I instantly wanted to take guitar lessons (as did dad).  Wednesday night I had my first guitar lesson. I am in a class with 2 other girls and my teacher David, speaks English as well as French. He taught us some basics of how to play  guitar and Thursday after school dad and I went to buy a guitar. I practiced what I learned on Wednesday and thought this is going to be great!  

I also play on a soccer team that practices up in Falicon, just north of Nice in the hills. My team is a mixed boys and girls team, except there is only one girl on the team...........me. I thought there would at least be one or two other girls on the team, but when I went to the first practice I only saw boys. I didn't realize that girls playing soccer isn't as common here as it is back home. It felt weird to be the only girl, but the boys soon accepted me. I had my first three games 2 Saturdays ago, in a stadium in the mountains. When the games were over we drove back down to Nice and I was in "aaaah" at how amazingly beautiful the view was. I felt so excited to be playing up there.


One of the many things I love doing is taking walks along The Promenade des Anglais at night. One night after dinner, Maddy, Mom and I went for a walk along The Promenade des Anglais. We walked up to the Negresco Hotel, a very big and luxurious hotel. One of the things that caught my attention was its' pink roof. My jaw dropped as I looked into the lobby. It was double the size I would have expected it to be. I was eager to go in, but was told I wouldn't be allowed in if I wasn't staying there. I took a look through every window and was amazed at how big and beautiful the palace looking hotel was.

Today we are moving to our new apartment. I haven't seen it yet but I hear it's much bigger. I get my own room, but we have no balcony. I am very excited to see it.

I have to go get ready for my soccer game now.

Until next time!
Simona