We have spent the last few days of our adventure visiting Sarah Colombo and her family....her partner Francesco, daughter Giuditta and mother, Franca. FYI....Sarah spent a year with us as an exchange student when our daughters, Sarah and Maia were 17 and 12. So yes....we have an Italian daughter and granddaughter. Sarah and Francesco are wonderful guides. They always choose special little corners to show us in either Piemonte or Lombardia. This trip was no different! The day after we arrived in Gallarate, we drove north and slightly west to a small lake, near the more famous Lago Maggiore. Lago D'Orta is a lovely jewel of a lake surrounded by summer houses and villas. We parked outside the little town of Orta which is situated on a peninsula. In the center of the wooded peninsula is another Sacra montagna...or mountain. In my last post I mentioned that the significance of these "sacred" mountains is that in medieval times they were part of a network along the pilgrimage walk to the Holy Land. There is also a public path around the perimeter of the peninsula, that winds past villas, forests and gardens. We took this lovely path and eventually found our way to the center of Orta... a beautiful piazza, narrow winding streets, lovely shops, bars and restaurants all overlooking the lake and its small jewel of an island, Isola San Giulio.
From the piazza, we took one of the many water taxis to the island.
Here, there is another little church and an ancient convent. We took the Cambio d' Silencio or walk of silence around this small island. It is a meditative walk with little signs highlighting the many benefits of being silent..... very zen. Later we enjoyed a delicious lunch in an Enoteca which is a wine bar, sometimes but not always, specializing in local foods and wines.
It was a lovely way to spend a warm Saturday in September. On our way back to Gallarate, we drove to the top of a small mountain/ ski area where, from the top, we could see 5 surrounding lakes as well as the Swiss and Italian Alps. After all, this is considered to be the Lake district in Italy.. The drive to the top of the mountain is a favorite motorcycle road as well...John particularly enjoyed watching the motorcyles dodge around us as we negotiated the many switchbacks and corners.
Imagine a ski area so high it seems as though you will ski right into a lake.....not only is it a ski area but it is a summer grazing area for local sheep, goats and donkeys.
On Sunday we had a special treat! Francesco's hometown is a little town in Piemonte called Ghemme. Ghemma is known for its very delicious and famous Nebbiolo red wines, its Erbe Luce white wines and its Grappa. These wines are recognized by the Vatican as well as the Queen of England as being very special. The wines, particularly the Nebbiolo, have won many European awards. Each September the local town elders organize a walk through the vineyards that cover the hills surrounding the town. There are stops along the way where the vineyard owners speak and local musicians play traditional songs.
Just imagine all the townspeople.....and I mean people whose families have lived in this town for many generations, gathering in the center of town and slowly walking through the vineyards. In the very center of the vineyards, we found tables set up, wine being passed out as well as local cheeses and salamis.
Mattia and his neice, Martina enjoy the walk through the vineyards.
After this aperitivo, the risotto arrived along with fresh bread, water and of course more wine. Children played among the tables and raced through the surrounding vineyard rows, grandparents chatted, mothers and fathers tended babies, the local musician played his accordian, several couples got up to dance and men arm wrestled and horsed around..... It was a lovely experience, especially as the Americani, we were especially welcomed to the town....that was us!!! Pictures of us were taken for the local paper and we were interviewed! Oh my..... Our language skills..put to the test. Of course Francesco's entire family was there, including his younger brother, Mattia, who spent three weeks with us in August, as well as his mother Serena, father Amadeo and his sister Madelana and her young family.
Late in the afternoon we returned through the vineyards to the village of Ghemme. Along the way Mattia and Francesco...longtime mushroom hunters, spotted some beautiful mushrooms to take home. Mushrooming is a skill passed down from parents to children and Autumn is certainly the season of mushrooms.
Francesco stopped to show us a beautiful view of Ghemme from the surrounding hilltops. It was a typical Fall day, warm with a haze obscuring the beautiful mountains in the distance. But in the air was that delicious smell of ripening ......yellow jackets sipping on fallen apples and grapes hanging in heavy bunches from the vines.
We appreciated this very special experience, spending time with Italian families and friends....not too many American tourists enjoy an experience such as this. It was a wonderful way to spend our last day in Italy. Thank you, thank you .....grazie mille to all of our Italian friends. We'll be back for sure.
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment