Gourmet tour of Piedmont 17.09. – 20.09.2019
A wonderful trip to the south awaits us. This time we discover Piedmont with its hills, vineyards, palaces and castles. And of course not to forget the culinary highlights of this region.
\For once we don't take the Gotthard route, but begin our journey from Bern to Martigny, over the Great St Bernard Pass to Aosta. On the way we are treated to home-baked muffins and coffee. Shortly after noon we arrive in Aosta, the capital of the Aosta Valley. Shaped by the Roman era, the theatre, the town walls and the ancient architecture in particular have a certain charm and make Aosta all the more idyllic. Here we also have time for a lunch break, to marvel at the sights and to fill our bags with the first specialities of the region.
In the afternoon we continue to Piedmont, to the Hotel La Corte Albertina in Pollenzo-Bra, which will be our accommodation for the next two nights. A wonderful complex of red brick, with rooms furnished just as you would imagine in a country house in Piedmont.
We enjoy dinner in the neighbouring Ristorante dell'Agenzia. We are served a typical Piedmontese menu, complemented by delicious local wine. In still mild, summery temperatures, the first day of the trip draws to a close.
\Today our group grows by one member. Our local tour guide Karen Kloss will accompany us for the next two days and give us a deeper insight into the land and people of Piedmont.
\We head to Alba, where Karen leads us through the splendid lanes and tells us about the history of the place. The little town also offers a wide range of shops with local specialities such as hazelnuts or Piedmontese wine, with which we of course stock up immediately. After Alba we continue to La Morra over the broad hills, past countless wine estates and vineyards. For our lunch stop we arrive at Agricola Marrone in La Morra. Here we are warmly welcomed and first shown through the wine cellar. Afterwards we may taste a magnificent selection of wines – accompanied by a generous lunch of local produce.
\After lunch we take a short, leisurely walk through Barolo and buy freshly baked grissini at the panetteria «Dal Forno dei Fratelli Cravero». They are still made by hand here, and if you're lucky, you can even watch the baker making the grissini. On your next stay in Barolo, be sure to plan a visit to this bakery, because the grissini are quite simply the best.
\For dinner we head to a typical agriturismo. The journey there takes us once more through this wonderful Piedmontese landscape, which looks so much more beautiful at dusk. At the Agriturismo La Torricella in Monforte d'Alba we are treated to excellent local cuisine. This trip has fully earned the name «gourmet tour»!
\Accompanied by the autumn mist of Piedmont, we start our day in Asti, where we take a short city walk with our local guide. Thanks to her we get a brief insight into the main sights and breathe in the real Piedmontese air once more, before heading to Italy's fourth-largest city: Turin.
\Today we spread some italianità in our Deluxe coach and offer a drink originating in Italy that is currently enjoyed as an aperitif all over the world: an Aperol Spritz. Topped off with a slice of orange and ice, we enjoy the drink in our comfortable coach. We serve it with the grissini freshly made the day before at the panetteria in Barolo. You probably only get that at EUROBUS!
\Our driver Harry takes us into the heart of the city and we get off right in front of the opera house, the Teatro Regio di Torino. From here we explore the city with our guide and learn more about the sights such as the Palazzo Reale, Turin Cathedral and the residences of the Dukes of Savoy. After the city walk we say goodbye to Karen. In her we had a knowledgeable guide who brought Piedmontese life, both today and in the past, much closer to us. It will certainly not be the last EUROBUS trip accompanied by Karen.
\In the afternoon we have plenty of time to discover Turin on our own, linger in a nostalgic café, have a fine lunch in one of the many restaurants or stock up on the latest Italian trends. Later we are picked up by our coach and drive to our accommodation for today, the NH Torino Lingotto.
\The hotel is located in the former Fiat factory in Turin's Lingotto district. The production plant, which opened in 1923, was very large and advanced for its time. A test track in the form of a circuit was even installed on the roof. In 1982 the plant was closed for redesign and renovation, and the work was completed seven years later. Thanks to the project by Renzo Piano, this site is now home to a cultural and exhibition centre with a concert hall, a multiplex cinema, a shopping centre and our accommodation for tonight. Today the test track serves as a jogging track for hotel guests, but the short lift ride up to the roof is also an absolute must for non-joggers! The atmosphere on the roof is extraordinary; you feel transported back to the age of industrialisation and can almost imagine how the test vehicles once drove their laps here.
\This evening the optional culinary evening is on the programme. Accompanied by most of the guests, we arrive at Eataly, only a few minutes' walk from the hotel. Eataly is devoted entirely to gastronomy, on the one hand by selling outstanding products, on the other with an educational offering such as cooking courses, tastings or, like the one we take up today, a show cooking event. We are guided through the evening by Roberta, who explains the dishes being cooked, and cooked for by Claudia, a very young, talented chef. We are served delicacies from modern Piedmontese cuisine. We are also shown how the typical Piedmontese «plin» – a small pinched ravioli – is made. The show cooking ends with Claudia's freshly prepared zabaione. At Eataly we stock up on a few more delicacies before, after the short walk, ending the evening with a nightcap in the hotel's courtyard.
\The first leg of the journey home takes us to Como. Being treated to a fine lunch in a ristorante, discovering the latest fashion trends in one of the many small shops, or simply enjoying the dolce far niente over a gelato: the Lombard town on Lake Como is always worth a visit for this. After the lunch stop in Como and a small digestif on the coach, we head back to Switzerland.
\While driving through Ticino, we decide that the beautiful day should be used to bypass the traffic jam and take the pass road over the St Gotthard once again. The weather is definitely on our side and we can even make a stop at the top of the pass. There are biscuits and coffee for afternoon tea. The journey continues in glorious sunshine to Lucerne and Windisch. Here we say goodbye to the guests and look forward to being on the road with them and other guests again very soon.
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