… And then when you do, take some time to admire it! Some of Europe’s bridges may not be able to compete with the likes of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, but what they lack in size they make up for in charm and character. Here are some that I believe deserve to be mentioned.
The ‘Devil’s Bridge’
(©MRandin)
©MRandin
Someone remarked the other day, that our travel agenda is often dictated by the quality of wine on offer. I would just like to say that our weekends away are as cultural as they are ‘spiritual’. And just to prove it, here’s a travel post on things you can do in the Piedmont region of Italy, aside from wine tasting. But first, here’s where you can stay to get to it all.
Amalia Cascina is conveniently found in the middle of the Boffa family’s vineyards in Monteforte d’Alba. The rooms come with a view and a complimentary bottle of their wine. Just the way we like it!
The entrance way to Amalia Cascina (©MRandin)
The surrounding vineyards (©MRandin)
And a hearty welcome – what more can you ask for? (©MRandin)
M. and I happened upon this shop in the sleepy town of Barolo, exactly the kind that tickles my fancy, but not that of M.’s.
On the inside it was a veritable Aladdin’s cave.
(©MRandin)
The shop owner floated around in a Zen like state; no doubt the various essential oils burning in the room were of assistance. The image of Sai Baba (the highly revered, world renowned spiritual leader with an afro that would have put all members of the Jackson 5 to shame) completed the picture.
Hearing M.’s accent she started conversing in French – a handy skill she picked up after 15 years in France.
Her cappuccino and cake are “to die for” apparently as all the ingredients are 100% bio. M., bless his cotton socks, wasn’t too convinced but decided to humour his wife anyway.
After paying a princely sum of Euros 20 for two cups of coffee accompanied by small slices of mediocre tasting sponge cake, M. made me promise that the rest of the weekend would be spent tasting wine.
I agreed without a problem.
In the town of Barolo in the Piedmont region of Italy (©MRandin)
In his novel Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts wrote that “The Indians are the Italians of Asia”.
At first I thought that Roberts’ words were a liberal stretch of the imagination. But after various visits to Italy, I’ve come to realise that the two countries have more in common than just the enigmatic Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Continue reading
