Blogs from Alba, Piedmont, Italy, Europe

Geo: 44.7009, 8.035269th July Alba We arrived Saturday morning to find the local market filling the streets. It really added to the experience. The city square was filled with little shops selling almost everything. We went to eat at one of the best restaurants in the area..... (So we where told) that just happened to be in the town square right in front of the church. The menu was limited but it felt like you where eating at your aunts house but only with waiters and fancy plates. We stayed for coffee and watched the market stall owners pack up all of their wares. It must be a very hard job unpacking and then packing back up every day.... read more

We headed into Alba after a breakfast of yoghurt, fresh hazelnuts and chocolate cake. It was another gorgeous drive. We went straight to the Ferrero Rocher factory but were not able to get a tour, there was not even a shop. There were four very disappointed young ladies! Ferrero also make Kinder and Nutella. We drove into town, parked and walked around the town of Alba. It was nice with lots of churches. We had a look in some shops and had a focaccia for lunch, as they are known for them in this region. It was very nice and the owner was happy to practice his English. When the shops opened after siesta we looked for formal dresses for Jemima and Erin. We had success for Erin but no luck for Jemima. It is very ... read more

Niente Borgo Dora. Dzis w goracu nieziemskim wynioskam ostatnie zawiniatka i wypucowalam lazienke, choc w pokoju nadal pajeczyny zwieszaly sie z sufitu, ale wydaje mi sie, ze one nie mogly tak urosnac od lutego, kiedy ja sie wprowadzilam - musialy byc tam wczesniej. W ostatnich dniach, kiedy nad Wlochy naplynela fala goraca, zwana tu ‘afa’, norka stala sie nie do wytrzymania. Nabyla przy tym zaszczytny tytul ‘kondonorium’ = kondominium + nora. Termometr o 8 rano pokazywal 31 stopni wewnatrz, ale poniewaz poznil sie pol godziny, to zakladam, ze mogl i zanizac temperature o jakies 5 stopni. Przy okazji dowiedzialam sie o szczegolach smutnego incydentu, ktory mial miejsce na Borgo Dora jakis miesiac temu. Mieszkali wtedy w kondonorium J+M, a kiedy wrocili do Warszawy mowili, ze po domu krecilo sie mnostwo policji i smialismy sie, ze to ... read more

Ciao a tutti! It has been a wonderful week or so back in Italy. I've been staying with Mattia and his family in Rivalta di La Morra. I've basically been living the lazy lifestyle of 20-somethings in small Italian town. Sitting around, talking, drinking, eating, smoking (not me), going out every night, etc. We did some touristy things around Alba and Bra like visiting a corkscrew museum and the Gastronomic Science University. We also spent an entire day on the beach in Finale with his sister and another friend and I was so vigilant with the sunscreen that I didn't get a sunburn! The beaches in this area aren't the best in my opinion, but there was a beautiful view of mountains and a castle and the sand was full of beautiful sea glass which we ... read more

It’s 7 AM I’m sitting on the end of the bed, the doors are open and I’m looking out over the valley of Piedmont. Birds are singing, church bells are ringing and slight breeze is blowing. I’m writing this to ensure that I never forget this moment of closeness to god and everything around me. We ate breakfast at the B&B, and while sitting we observed an older picture. After studying we decided it represented the 7 deadly sins. We weren’t sure but we thought it was. We started where we left off on the Strada Romantica, as we visited station number nine we saw the same picture of the 7 people in different situations. Yes they represented the 7 deadly sins. It is a fresco painted at the chapel St Roco. We completed the last ... read more