In The Name Of the Rose is one of my favourite books by Umberto Eco made into a decent film starring Sean Connery. Now you might be thinking why I am talking about books and films when I am supposed to be discussing Piedmont and the Val di Susa. Well the reason is simple. If the sinister monastery seen in the film appeals, then here you will find something just like it. Not the actual one used in the film - the exterior of which was actually a mock up - but this monastery is to all intents and purposes t [View Full Entry]

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This recipe is one of the many great Tuscan recipes that Elena makes. I have been trying to get this recipe out of Elena for ages. I mean I live in Italy and eat the most wonderful food every day but this recipe was always exceptional. I would eat at Elenas place and I would find my self mopping up the last drops of sauce from the plate with the crusty homemade bread Elena always provided. Perhaps not the best of manners but in Italy these things are accepted. Hey, why waste good food? Well the good news is that I [View Full Entry]

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Would you like to discover the real Italy? Well there is only one way to do it. Chose a little known and little explored, yet stunningly beautiful region. My two favorites are Piedmont and Le Marche. The best though is Piedmont for a number of reasons : 1) The best food in Italy comes from Piedmont - nothing you have ever eaten can prepare you for the culinary paradise that awaits you in Piedmont. Some of the best restaurants at reasonable prices are to be found here. Visit the link at the bottom of this page for my personal selection. 2) [View Full Entry]

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All five places are in Italy. They are as follows: 1) Venice - An indescribably special place. A place where romance has been the order of the day for centuries. To do it properly you need to arrive in style. There are only two ways to arrive in Venice. By cruise ship or, even better, on the Orient Express. Arrive on the train and stay in the Hotel Cipriani - Venice's most famous hotel. Pampered luxury but surely you deserve it. 2) Lake Orta - A magnificent lake not at all well known except with Italian couples. The foreign stars all [View Full Entry]

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I you are a little short of ideas about where to travel in Europe then I have found the perfect "idea generator". Whether you would like to spend Christmas in Italy or view the Northern Lights in Norway they really have everything. Look through thousands of different options of every type throughout Europe and then request Free Brochures A great discovery and it costs nothing [View Full Entry]

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My favourite Italian places 1) Piedmont -This Italian region is fantastic and offers everything that Tuscany does but more, including - dare I say it - better food and wine. In fact the best Italian cooking and Italian food on the whole peninsular! Gorgeous medieval hilltowns, wine route and alpine peaks make this the most varied region of northern Italy 2) le Marche - more central Italy but The Marches, to give the region its English name, is a scenically beautiful region of Italy and one rich in tradition and his [View Full Entry]

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My favourite Italian places 1) Piedmont -This Italian region is fantastic and offers everything that Tuscany does but more, including - dare I say it - better food and wine. In fact the best Italian cooking and Italian food on the whole peninsular! Gorgeous medieval hilltowns, wine route and alpine peaks make this the most varied region of northern Italy 2) le Marche - more central Italy but The Marches, to give the region its English name, is a scenically beautiful region of Italy and one rich in tradition and his [View Full Entry]

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The Piobicco Ugly Festival kicks-off this week. Besides the festival, the town is the world headquarters of the Ugly Club. The club has global ambitions and the aim is for every town and country to have a club. The philosophy is that once you accept your ugliness and revel in it you are liberated from preconceptions and inhibitions [View Full Entry]

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My favourite time of year is here!! Soon be going down to [url=http://www.my-italy-piedmont-marche-and-more.com/alba-italy.html ]Alba for the truffle festival. Tummy is already rumbling at the though of it all. The Cascinalenuovo is my favourite restaurant . Walter prepares a seven course meal based on truffles. I'll need to re-mortgage the house first but it is worth it - a once a year eating extravaganza. Besides the food Alba and the Langhe are best at this time of year - the vineyards all golds and russet colours - I love this place!! [View Full Entry]

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A little incident recently brought home the difference between the Italian and English/American mentalities. I had a difficult period to overcome and the Anglo-American solution was to "move on - put it behind you". The Italian view is to always remember everything a hold on to it. It clearly illustrates that the Anglo-American view is to burn your bridges and keep on going blindly forward whereas Italians believe the past is always present and perhaps that is why the sense of history, tradition and culture is so strong in Italy. [View Full Entry]

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