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We came to Castelletto d’Orba for Rassegna Dei Vini e Dei Sapori Dell’Alto Monferrato, which is the “Review of wines and… CONTINUE READING>>
We came to Castelletto d’Orba for Rassegna Dei Vini e Dei Sapori Dell’Alto Monferrato, which is the “Review of wines and flavors of the Alto Monferrato.” Wine and food, what’s not to like? The town is famous for several of the most popular types of wine in the area and they had asked me, along with my friend Paolo Bonfanti, to perform a concert.
Before the show we had time to explore a bit, and perhaps sample some of the local vino e cucina. Epicurean artisans had set up tables displaying their efforts all over town with fresh cheeses, breads, olives, meats and, the star of the show, wines available to sample and purchase.
In addition to the food and drink, the festival incorporated the art of many local talents into the celebration. They called this “Rediscovering the art and wine.” We came upon a number of artists in the process of creating their works, including a sculptor chipping away a a chunk of marble.
Others were painting frescoes directly on to the walls along the narrow streets of the old town. It was fascinating to watch as they added the colors to the wet plaster, maintaining the exact style of the ancient masters.
While we were setting up our instruments parishioners leaving Saturday evening Mass had to work their way between the drums and amplifiers to get out. We’re pretty sure that rock & roll concerts on the steps of the cathedral is a uniquely Italian experience. With the exception of a few of the old ladies exiting Mass, everyone seemed to think it was perfectly normal.
We must admit, we were certainly apprehensive the first time we took off across Italy in a rented vehicle. So we decided to offer a few GypsyNester tips that might quell some of the anxiety.
No matter where we are traveling, we feel like the best way to experience new places is from ground level.
The most up close and personal mode of transportation to pull this off is driving, but the thought of driving through foreign lands can be daunting.
We must admit, we were certainly apprehensive the first time we took off across Europe in a rented vehicle. So we decided to offer a few GypsyNester tips that might quell some of the anxiety.
Many of the trans-European rules were covered in our recent post about driving in the Czech Republic, but today we want to focus on some of the quirks that are particular to Italy.
Italy is a fairly large country so the best way to cover the longer distances between one region and another is on the superhighways known as the Autostrada.
These are fantastic, fast, well maintained toll expressways that connect all of the major cities. When it comes to high speed highways, the Italians know what they’re doing. They should, they invented them.
Way back in 1924, when most everybody else was still driving on dirt, Italy began constructing a system with over 4,000 kilometers of multi-lane motorways throughout the country.
These were originally run by private companies that made a profit from the tolls. The tolls have remained, and are fairly steep, but well worth it for the perfect condition of the highways.
The nice lady voice coming out of the new automated toll booths gives you a pleasant “arrivederci” after you pay and that alone is worth the price.
Rumor has it that the United States government came up with the idea for our interstate highway system after officials visited Italy in the 1930s.
Our first super highways, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut, opened in 1941 but the system that President Eisenhower envisioned wasn’t completed until 1992.
Most anything needed along the Autostrada, including a really good meal, can be found at many of the service areas, or area servizio. All of these stops have gas, groceries, souvenirs and a bar, that’s right, a full bar… with snacks.
Many have repair service and a full restaurant. Just look for the AutoGrill or Ciao (we have no idea if the Italians get the pun of this name for a place to chow down) signs.
The food is served cafeteria style but is always fresh and very good, this is Italy after all. They take their food very seriously.
“To Go” food is almost nonexistent and we never saw anyone eating in their car. Italians will even pull off the road to consume a little picnic lunch or snack packed from home.
When a quick jolt of Joe was needed at a rest stop, we were in luck, Italy has some of the best coffee in the world.
After a time or two of babbling at the servers, we learned the proper process. Go to the cashier first to order and pay for the desired beverage, then take the receipt to the bar, tell the tender, and proceed to knock back an espresso.
Grazie! Ready for another couple hundred miles.
Once we have covered the longer distances on the AutoStrada, we like to move in for a closer look on the little two lane secondary roads.
In our humble opinion there’s no better way to get a feel for a place. One word of caution, tight spots are a frequent companion within the confines of an old Italian small town.
Often a building will butt right up to the edge of the road and the lanes barely fit even a small car. Good thing the side view mirrors give way and collapse on impact.
Speaking of those mirrors, it’s a good idea to fold them in when parking on the street.
Another helpful hint we’ve learned, in the smaller towns many gas stations have automatic pumps that accept Euro notes 24 hours a day. Just feed a bill into the slot and pump away, night or day.
A rental car with foreign plates will get a lot of attention in a smaller Italian town. Partly because they don’t see many tourists off the beaten path, but we’ve also noticed that Italians just like to watch stuff.
Perhaps it’s just a coincidence, but the Italian words for driving and watching have only one letter different. Guidare – to drive, and guardare – to watch.
In any piazza and on almost every corner there are a few old gentlemen just watching… oh, and discussing whatever it is that they are watching. Strangers in town seem to be a real favorite.
These guys come in handy sometimes, because they are always available to ask directions.
We’ve found that it’s never hard to find someone willing to offer assistance, however, a word of caution, we have also learned that an Italian man will never, ever, ever, tell you that they don’t know where something is.
We always leave time for a “lost hour” when entering an unfamiliar town.
We have participated in many a wild goose chase, stopping to ask directions half a dozen times or more, in search of a hotel.
Everybody we ask seems perfectly confident that they know exactly where the place in question is. Funny thing, the last guy we ask is always the one with the correct information.
Leaving time for the lost hour keeps our good humor intact.
Of course, being Italians, directions always include voluminous hand gesticulations.
We have developed a theory on the expressive extremity motions that seem to accompany all Italian speech.
There are only about one third as many words in Italian as English, so we figure they use gestures to convey their more subtle sentiments. No telling if we are correct about this, but hey, we’ll keep watching.
Oddly enough, we have noticed that the waving hands and mimed messages continue even when talking on the phone, which kind of blows our theory out of the water. Maybe they just can’t help it.
Oh, and a heads up, Italians love their cell phones. Keep that in mind while driving in Italy. Nobodyhas enough hands for this to work out well.
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Most anything needed along the Autostrada, including a really good meal, can be found at many of the service areas, or area servizio. All of these stops have… CONTINUE READING>>
Most anything needed along the Autostrada, including a really good meal, can be found at many of the service areas, or area servizio. All of these stops have gas, groceries, souvenirs and a bar, that’s right, a full bar with snacks. Many have repair service and a full restaurant. Just look for the AutoGrill or Ciao (we have no idea if the Italians get the pun of this name for a place to chow down) signs.
The food is served cafeteria style but is always fresh and very good, this is Italy after all. They take their food very seriously. “To Go” food is almost nonexistent and we never saw anyone eating in their car. Italians will pull off the road even to consume a little picnic lunch or snack packed from home.
When a quick jolt of Joe was needed at a rest stop, we were in luck, Italy has about the best coffee in the world. After a time or two of babbling at the servers we learned the proper process. Go to the cashier first to order and pay for the desired beverage, then take the receipt to the bar, tell the tender, and proceed to knock back an espresso. Viola! Ready for another couple hundred miles.
Days Two & Three: Enter to win the most popular tee in our store! Short sleeved, black, m+t+nest=peace 100% cotton tee! (See photo above)
Be sure to visit our store all weekend for special discounts (use the code at the top of the store page at checkout!)
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entries must be submitted between December 2, 2011, 2:01AM EST and December 5, 2011, 1:59 PM EST
– Multiple entries will not be accepted and will result in disqualification.
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entries.
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– To claim prize, winner must respond via email by December 8, 2011,
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– Winners will be announced on this page (GypsyNester.com/giveaway.htm) in the afternoons of December 3, 4 & 5, 2011.
– One prize winner will receive a white “Empty Nester’s First Christmas” tree ornament.
– Two prize winners will receive a black, short sleeved “m+t+nest=peace” tee shirt.
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To enter simply answer the following question by leaving a comment below (you may enter only once, daily drawings will be chosen from ALL entries):
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The Riviera is synonymous with playground for the rich and famous.
First royalty, then artsy types like Picasso, Matisse, Aldous Huxley arrived, and nowadays Elton John, Bono, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have all bought homes and frequent the seaside resorts. Of course two road weary GypsyNesters in a tiny rented economy car felt… CONTINUE READING >>
Our trans Europe trek in our little rental car “Benny” took us right across the five hundred miles or so of gorgeous Mediterranean coastline that has become known as The Riviera.
There is no official boundary to the area, but the name is widely accepted for the shoreline shared by France and Italy.
Riviera is an Italian term for a strip of land between the mountains and the sea, but we English speakers have adopted it to refer to this particular southern coast of Europe.
In fact it was the English that played a huge part in making this region so renowned.
The British upper crust began visiting the Riviera around the time of the American Revolution as a winter escape from dreary old England. Soon a railroad was built and the aristocrats really started flooding in.
The Riviera became synonymous with playground for the rich and famous.
First royalty, then artsy types like Picasso, Matisse, Aldous Huxley arrived, and nowadays Elton John, Bono, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have all bought homes and frequent the seaside resorts. Of course two road weary GypsyNesters in a tiny rented economy car felt right at home…
Actually, we did, in certain places. It’s not all five star hotels and James Bond hangouts along the way. There are many beachside bungalows, bars and cafes for us regular folks to frequent.
Technically the name Riviera would only apply to the Italian part of the coast, but at one time all of this was controlled by one Italian dynasty or another, so we’ll allow it.
After changing hands between several European monarchies (c’mon – who wouldn’t want to own the Riviera?), the western section of the region has been under French control since the reign of Napoleon III. We may allow the area to be called the Riviera, but the French call their stretch Côte d’Azur, meaning blue coast. Très romantique.
On the beautiful day that we drove through, the name could not have been more fitting.
Stunning scenes of the blue Mediterranean were the order of the day. Meanwhile famous names appeared on the highway signs every few minutes. Exits for Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo and Monaco beckoned, but we simply couldn’t see them all. And we couldn’t dream of affording to spend the night.
Well, no one could stop us from dreaming.
We did discover that venturing from the superhighway above the sea down to the little two lane road right along the coast, while highly scenic and entertaining, involved unbelievable traffic nightmares that were only tolerable for short distances.
It would take several days to drive the entire Riviera down there. We opted to hop on and off the superhighway when something struck our fancy.
Once we crossed into Italy the views didn’t diminish in the least, in fact this may be the most scenic part of the Riviera as the mountains fall right into the sea.
The Italian Riviera is unofficially divided into two parts, the Riviera di Ponente, meaning the coast of the setting sun, to the west, and the Riviera di Levante, or the coast of the rising sun, to the east. One of our favorite cities in all of Italy, Genoa, serves as the dividing point between them.
While the names of the Italian towns aren’t as famous as their French counterparts, the Ligurian seaside resorts of Sanremo, Savona, Portofino and Cinque Terra are every bit as inviting. The entire coast is one fabulous resort after another, so there is no need to focus on the more famous names.
Our friends Claudia and Paolo recommended we stop off in Cella Liguria for a taste of the real Ligurian Riviera and they never steer us wrong.
Beautiful and yet not so overpowering with the opulence and luxury of its neighbors, Cella was perfect for an afternoon leg stretching and a gelato before we continued on our way.
Unfortunately for us, this was also the place where we had to turn inland and proceed over the mountains. As we climbed The Apennines we got one last look at the exquisite ribbon of Riviera behind us.
Benny’s wheels ain’t big, but they keep on turning.
It’s a beautiful thing to be entranced. When I was a child I would watch my father, an award-winning photographer, practically leave the planet when he found a subject that captured his interest. It wasn’t until I found myself wandering alone within the ancient walls of the old city in Genoa, Italy did I fully understand.
It’s a beautiful thing to be entranced. When I was a child I would watch my father, an award-winning photographer, practically leave the planet when he found a subject that captured his interest.
It wasn’t until I found myself wandering alone within the ancient walls of the old city in Genoa, Italy did I fully understand.
It was as if a fully developed story opened in front of my eyes and it was my job to capture it through my lens. My initial idea was to write about my experience, but I can’t express the feeling of this beautiful day better than the photographs alone. Words cannot enhance the magic I found.
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Riding through Port Hercule in Monaco, the richest country in the world! Check out the megayachts! Just below the casino … CONTINUE READING>>
Riding through Port Hercule in Monaco, the richest country in the world! Check out the megayachts!
Just below the casino, the Bateau Bus Electrique Solaire de Monaco runs right through the thick of the bevy of bodacious yachts filling the harbor. Far and away the richest country on Earth, it’s no wonder these incredible private luxury liners are attracted to Monaco’s harbor.
For just one Euro, without a doubt the best deal in the whole country, the little electric boat took us smoothly past the giant status symbols to the dock by the Prince’s Palace on the other side of the port.
