Italy: Day 3

Ciao, Torino; Buon giorno, Italian Riviera

A day of transit and wine-drinking

We left our Torino hotel early on Wednesday morning to travel to Santa Margherita Ligure (map) on the Gulf of Genoa. But along the way we had to stop for wine, of course.

Our first stop was the small town of La Morra, with its breathtaking view out across the Barolo valley from Piazza Comunale. The hillsides beneath us were covered with Nebbiolo grapevines.

A focal point on the piazza was the statue to the vignaiolo, or vine-tender. Daily performing backbreaking work, these men had, for centuries, spent their lives making it possible for the Barolo wine to become what is now known at the "King of Wines and the Wine of Kings."

Leaving La Morro, we continued down into the valley to the village of Barolo. We wandered the town for half an hour, then assembled at the Cellars of Marchesi di Barolo for a tour of the cellars and a "light" lunch which included the area's signature dish, Risotto al Barolo (risotto cooked with Barolo wine) and several bottles of Barolo wine to taste.

Prior to our lunch, we were given a tour of the Marchesi di Barolo cellars. It's fascinating to see what goes into the creation of these fine wines. Different varieties of wood for the casks, steel vs. wood—many more facts than one can absorb in one trip. I especially loved the wine library; "A bottle of Barolo "Cannubbio" 1859 is on permanent display, while vintages available to collectors and connoisseurs start with the 1938."

The wine-tastings on this trip were a challenge for me; as a lifelong migraine sufferer, I don't drink red wines. Ah, but the Jazzman was happy for me to slide my glass in his direction.

After lunch, we were free to relax in the lovely courtyard, on the balcony, or in the gift shop, finding gustatory delights to take home.

And then we were off for a two-hour bus ride to the coast and our destination of Santa Margherita Ligure. You may rest assured that many naps were taken after the lunch and wine!

What fun to catch glimpses of the sea as we traveled down the coast. The narrow winding road into Santa Margherita Ligure passed many very old and very elegant homes with what must have been breathtaking views. We arrived at Hotel Jolanda. The hotel, a few blocks off the beach, was great for us to get some exercise as we walked to explore the beach and find a bar for drinks and nibbles.

The hotel was old and elegant, but the rooms were not roomy. In our bathroom, to sit on the toilet meant one's left thigh was rubbing against the marble wall. I know these people are committed to their bidets, but think how much more spacious the bathroom would be without it! And the amount of furniture in the hotel room meant one of our suitcases had to be balanced on a chair. Snug.

But our dinner that evening. Wow—all concerns about the lack of space in the hotel room were forgiven and forgotten.

Night after night of delicious, memorable meals. With suggestions from our tour director, for our first night in Santa Margherita, we chose Ristorante Antonio, just two blocks from the hotel.

Of course a good restaurant in a seaside town is going to serve seafood. And a good restaurant in Italy is going to serve pasta. Antonio's serves great seafood, expertly prepared, and great pasta with light, delicious sauces. Everything our party of fifteen ate was, simply, fabulous!

One of my favorite dishes is Caprese. And it had been a long time since I had eaten tomatoes that sweet and juicy. Just look at the presentation. Lovely.

Oh, and I failed to mention bread. I could wax rhapsodic about the fried bread they serve in the Piemontese. I don't know the name for it, but I am determined to keep searching the internet until I find the recipe for this delicacy.

Our waiter was delightful, educated in England and speaking fluent English, he adapted his serving style to our frequent laughter and obvious joy. He wasn't concerned about the decibel level of our conversations and laughter, and didn't care that other diners were staring at us with disdain.

The evening was filled with joy and wonder over a memorable experience. We wandered back to our hotel, and the Jazzman and I fell asleep to the sounds of our friends, on someone's balcony, chatting and laughing into the night.

Tomorrow, the Cinque Terre.