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Switzerland/Italy Trip
Tuesday, Sep 9
Today had a long, leisurely breakfast. The weather is just perfect. Then we sat at the pool for a while, then drove off to find a place to have a small lunch picnic. We found a place on our way up to Diano d'Alba. Other than the bees, it was a perfect place to stop and eat. Italy has many picnic tables alongside roadsides. There really wasn't much traffic.
All four of us near where we picnicked at Diano d'Alba
Lunch was great! We had cheese, sausage,
sesame crackers, olives, bread and wine
Next we drove to the Diano d'Alba enoteca, or cantina comunale (co-op wine broker). It's called I Söri di Diano. This was our favorite enoteca from our last trip. Sure enough, the same guy was there, and just as friendly and outgoing as ever. Still can't speak English at all. We tasted a long line of wines and bought some of the good stuff we had bought last time. He gave us a set of sixwine glasses, so we're all set for the rest of our trip! The guys really got into the grappa, which is distilled from the seeds and skins of the grapes. To me it tastes like Everclear or lighter fluid. The smell alone is enough to knock you over.
The enoteca in Diano d'Alba
The wine line-up -- Nebbiolos, Barberas, Dolcettos and Barolos
Gregg really liked the grappa while Pat stuck with Borolo.
Afterward we drove up to see the castle at Serralunga. This is a 14th century castle, so not as old as the one we're staying in, but still a well-preserved example of a medieval castle.
The watchtower in Serralunga
The castle in Serralunga
Deb and I waiting outside the castle for the tour.
The guide spoke only Italian, so we had to really concentrate
to figure out bits of what she was saying. We had an
English placard, fortunately.
For protection, the village was constructed in concentric rings around
the central fortress. This castle was under siege quite a few times in
its
history. The knights trapped within it marked off the days on the
walls of the planning room. The castle gate had a drawbridge and a
portcullis, and the castle had its own access to the well and cistern.
It's a spectacular castle. The top part used to be open
ramparts and battlements. Now it has a roof to
protect and preserve it.
One of the concentric streets around the castle
We returned to the castle and rested for a while, then left for dinner at La Rosa Dei Vini in Serralunga. We sat outdoors and ate. The food was wonderful, and our favorite dish was the ravioli with spinach, ricotta cheese, butter and rosemary. Scrumptious! Then as we finished, a fireworks display began across the valley. Couldn't have planned it better! It was probably a kickoff to the truffles season.
Serralunga castle at night
The fireworks display across the valley
while we ate dinner outdoors on the terrace